Monthly Archives: April 2016

Kanpur-based young business entrepreneur meets Princess Kate

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Education, World Opinion

Kanpur:

A city-based young business entrepreneur got a chance of meeting Prince Williams and Princess Kate at a party hosted by the British high commissioner in India on Monday evening. The party had been thrown at the official residence of British High Commissioner in Delhi to celebrate the upcoming 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II.

Utsav Kasera, an alumnus of University of Edinburgh, was one among very few alumni of the UK-based universities who had been invited to take part in the pompous party. Utsav not only got a chance to shake hands with both Prince Williams and Princess Kate but also was lucky when the Princess interacted with him.

“I started off the conversation by mentioning before Princess Kate that I am your neighbour to which she asked me how. I then told her that while I had studied in University of Edinburgh and she had studied in University of St Andrews both of which are situated in Scotland,” said Utsav while talking to TOI.

He said that Princess Kate replied that Edinburgh is a beautiful city and further questioned him that how many times he had been there. “I replied that I had been to Edinburgh city many times,” said Utsav, a 34-year-old young entrepreneur.

He also mentioned that Princess said that she really miss her university days.

“I could not interact with Prince Williams but we shook hands. It was a pleasant meeting them both,” said Utsav, who is a resident of Vishnupuri locality in the city and runs his family business of chemicals.

He said that Prince Williams recalled that his grandmother had visited India thrice and emphasized how important India is for them.

The party which started off at 5.15pm lasted for about three hours. The party was attended by a small but decent gathering of politicians, diplomats and alumni of UK-based universities. Utsav also got a chance to meet Dr Farooq Abdullah, former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir.

SK Kasera, Utsav’s father was also an excited lot that his son had met the Prince and the Princess and that he was among very few who could attend the party.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Kanpur / by Abhinvan Malhatra / TNN / April 13th, 2016

Rail expo: Sneak peek into era long gone

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All

Allahabad:

A railway exhibition is on in the city to transport people to the era of early trains.
North Central Railway has organised the exhibition which contains rare photos and old models right upto the present times.

As one enters the exhibition, there is an old photograph of Mahatma Gandhi in a railway coach being welcomed by people. The Father of the Nation toured the entire country on the instructions of Gopal Krishna Gokhale. History was created through this journey as he laid the foundation of our freedom struggle.

There are other rare photos of a special train carrying the urn containing his ashes when it halted at Tundla and Kanpur stations.

In another photograph, first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru can be seen laying the foundation of Allahabad junction.

It also has a rare photograph of the old Kanpur station whose foundation was laid in 1928 and the structure was completed in 1929. The cost of the building and other structures came to about Rs 20lakh.

The foundation of Indian Railways in the year 1853 made headlines in British newspapers. The exhibition also showcases some of the important bridges of North Central Railway including the completion of about 150 years of Naini bridge on river Yamuna in Allahabad.

The fastest train, Gatimaan Express, which runs between Hazrat Nizamuddin station ( Delhi) and Agra stations, finds place at the exhibition. Its speed is 160 km/hr which is the highest in Indian railways till now.

The exhibition also attempts a look into the future with Talgo coaches. These coaches run at about 200 km/hr and their trial run is expected to be in June. About nine Talgo coaches are arriving on April 21 by a special ship at Mumbai seaport.

These coaches also consume 30 per cent less electricity.

The exhibition will remain open for general public till Wednesday.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Allahabad / TNN / April 13th, 2016

Day-long revelry marks Subah-e-Banaras milestone

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Varanasi:

The 24-hour ‘Panchshatkotsav’ to mark the completion of 501 days of ‘Subah-e-Banaras’, organized by district administration and culture department began before the crack of dawn at Anand Kanan in Assi ghat on Thursday.

The programme began with chanting of vedic mantras and Ganga aarti followed by a vocal recital by Sucharita Gupta. Those who have been working relentlessly to make Subah-e-Banaras were also felicitated on the occasion. This was followed by a painting competition themed around the programme and was clubbed with a folk song performance by Vishnu Yadav. A Sunderkaand paath by Pt. Dharmraj and Kakku was also part of the event.

With the sun beginning to set in the evening, an array of cultural performances began with a musical presentation by school children.

This was followed by the higlight of the evening, a presentation of a band by a ‘robot’ under the supervision of Sandeep Gupta.

Ranjeeta Prajapati presented a Kathak performance which was followed by sitar recital by K G Westman and group. The night-long celebration featuring classical and semi-classical music will end on the first day of the Hindi new year on Friday morning.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Varanasi / TNN / April 08th, 2016

Agra resident wants to present rare photos of Elizabeth visit to Will-Kat

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All

Agra:

An Agra resident who has a rare collection of pictures of the visit by Britiain’s Queen Elizabeth II to Taj Mahal in 1961 wants to meet Prince William and Princess Kate and present the collection to them as a gift during their visit on April 16.

Surendra Sharma, 70, president of Braj Mandal Heritage Conservation Society, in a letter to the British High Commission has sought a two-minute meeting with the royal dignitaries on April 16 to present an album containing pictures of William’s grandmother during her visit.

Sharma informed TOI that the pictures were taken by his uncle Kailash Nath Sharma. “During that time, there were just two photo studios in Agra and one of them was owned by our family. My uncle, who is now no more, had clicked pictures of Queen Elizabeth from close quarters. There were not so many restrictions in place at Taj Mahal back then. Even vehicles were allowed inside the premises of the monument,” he said.

“It will be a historical and emotional moment when the royal couple visit the Taj. William’s will be the third generation to tread the footsteps of their predecessors at the monument, and our intention is to make it more memorable. I hope the British High Commission will pay heed to my request and allow a two-minute meeting,” Sharma said.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, had visited the 17th century marble monument during their six-week long royal visit to India in 1961.

Later Lady Diana, mother of Prince William, visited the Taj Mahal in 1992. It will be the first time after the Diana visit that someone from the British royal family will be visiting the monument of love.

It is also being anticipated that William and his wife would hopefully re-create Diana’s famous photo taken at the monument’s central tank’s bench.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Agra / by Aditya Dev / TNN / April 11th, 2016

History department of Allahabad University celebrates 60th anniversary

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Records, All

Allahabad :

The department of Ancient History, Culture & Archaeology of Allahabad University celebrated the completion of 60 years of its foundation, on Saturday. Former DG of ASI (archeological survey of India), Prof Professor Gautam Sengupta of Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan was the chief guest of the function.

The function, attended by retired teachers, faculty members, research and PG students of the department and scholars from colleges and other departments, was presided over by AU VC, Prof RL Hangloo who also inaugurated the Kausambi Uddyan, at the department.

The special feature of this celebration was an invited lecture delivered by Prof Sengupta, a renowned archaeologist and art historian, who also served the Archaeological Survey of India, New Delhi as Director General (2010-13).

His lecture, titled, Raja Rajendralal Mitra and his ideas of archaeology highlighted his untiring contestation with empiricist approach to Indian history and culture, especially James Fergusson’s biased projection of Indian art.
The programme was introduced by Prof UC Chattopadhyaya, the head of the department.

Earlier, Prof Hangloo, after welcoming the chief guest, mentioned the importance of Prof Sengupta’s theme of presentation. He also described department’s museum as one of the best museums in India. He encouraged students to make use of the opportunities being provided to them.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Allahabad / Rajeev Mani / TNN / April 09th, 2016

Now, cheaper surgery for kidney stones

Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technology

Lucknow:

Patients needing surgery for removal of kidney stones will have to spend less money now following re-development of a key equipment used in the process.

The appliance is called dilator and has been devleoped by Dr Diwaker Dalela, a consultant in urology department atKGMU. Appreciated for surgical precision by different urological societies, the device cuts down the price of stone removal surgery by 70%.

Dr Dalela said he has applied for a patent on the equipment. “to remove kidney stones, surgeons create an access between abdomen and kidney using a dilator.”

The traditional one has 10 screw like pins are inserted one at a time which took time and led to blood loss which is prevented by this dilator.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Lucknow / TNN / April 08th, 2016

Prof develops cheap ‘sindur’-based technique to identify lip prints

Education, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Moradabad:

A professor from a dental college here has claimed to have devised a cheap technology to identify individual lip prints using vermillion and indigo powder, a development that may prove helpful in criminal investigations.

Narendra Nath Singh, oral pathology professor at Kothiwal Dental College, presented his study at the 4th International Conference on Forensic Research and Technology in Atlanta in 2015.

Singh said that his technology was tested and recognized by leading experts, following which he was hailed by the forensic community.

Speaking with TOI, Singh said that during the criminal identification, print evidence (such as finger and lips prints) is often key to solving a crime. “Also the prints can be used as a DNA source as skins cells can be retrieved from them to double their identifying value.

It has been documented in western forensic sciences that lip prints, either visible or latent, could be developed successfully for study purpose using lysochrome and fluorescent dyes such as Nile red,” he said.

But the professor’s research reveals that the use of vermilion and indigo dyes can also be helpful in the process of the criminal investigation to detect the lip prints samples collected from the crime scenes. According to Singh, the use of vermilion and indigo dyes is much cheaper than other chemicals used in the world for ascertain the lips prints. Vermilion powder is commonly used by married Hindu women on the parting of their hairs.

The result of Nath’s research signify that vermilion and indigo dyes being natural, non-toxic, and cost-effective can replicate the already existing chemical reagents like Sudan Black and Sudan III, which are very costly. “The use of natural dyes for studying lip prints can be a landmark in the field of forensic odontology,” Singh said.

“University of Forensic Science of Ahmedabad, Gujarat has also introduced my latest research into the department of forensic odontology and my lab is continuously providing assistance to the investigating agencies and giving opinions on various samples and specimens collected from the crime scene,” he said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Bareilly / by Nazar Abbas / TNN / March 29th, 2016

Kathak dancer aims to set Guinness record

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All, World Opinion

Varanasi:

The 30-year old Kathak dancer Soni Chaurasia, who had failed to break the 124-hour Guinness world record in dance in November last year, again took to stage at a school on the outskirts of the city on Monday evening.

On Monday evening, Chaurasia took to stage again and began her dance performance with Ganesh Vandana. Her trainer and mentor Rajesh Dogra said that Soni started at 6pm on Monday and completed 24 hours on Tuesday evening. As there are requirements which need to be followed before claiming for the Guinness world record, so the district administration has made all the arrangements. Supervisors have also been assigned byDM Rajmani Yadav for various sessions to be held during the next couple of days. The dance marathon will end on April 9 at 9pm.

Between every eight-hour, Chaurasia is eligible for a break of 40 minutes. After getting her act of non-stop Kathak dance on roller skates for 24 hours enrolled in Limca Book of Records in 2010, Chaurasia had started a dance marathon at Arya Mahila PG College on the occasion of Children’s Day last year to break the 123 hours and 15 minutes Guinness record in Mohiniattam dance form made by Hemlata Kamandalu of Kerala in 2011. But after performing for 87 hours and 18 minutes, Chaurasia fell unconscious.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Varanasi / TNN / April 06th, 2016

Faced with drought, Banda farmer invents low-cost plough

Agriculture, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Science & Technology

Kannpur:

Faced with drought, a farmer from Chahnehra village in Banda district of Bundelkhand region has built a low-cost ploughing machine. He used an old bicycle, iron pieces for ploughing agriculture fields.

The innovative machine costs between Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,000, making it cheaper than traditional and mechanical ploughs. It could also perform several other functions such as weeding and sowing.

Ram Prasad, 50, who hires farm land on ‘batai’, thought of inventing a machine to solve the problems of ordinary farmers of the region who are facing nature’s fury, including recurring droughts and untimely rains.

“Adversity of nature in Bundelkhand forced my families to sell their bullocks. In fact, most of the farmers are unable to bear the maintenance cost of tractor or even bullocks due to huge losses,” said Ram Prasad.

He added that a farmer has to spend around Rs 50,000 for a pair of bullocks or Rs 5 lakhs for purchasing a tractor. On both, he will have to incur a huge sum in terms of fodder and kerosene or diesel.

“After struggling for seven-eight years and several rounds of trials and errors, I managed to design the machine from an old bicycle which was lying as crap in the backyard of my house. I have also helped many farmers by converting their old bicycles into a ploughing machine,” Ram Prasad informed TOI.

The machine has a single wheel with three diggers attached, besides a front and a rear handle and can be used for multi-purpose agriculture work such as weeding out grass, ploughing, sowing seeds and mixing soil with fertilisers as well as manure. “My ploughing machine doesn’t require kerosene or diesel. It only requires two persons,” he said with a smile on his face.

Villagers of Chahnehra, who initially used to make a mockery of Ram Prasad, now praise his invention. “Ram Prasad has proved that where there is a will, there is a way,” said Mohd Talha, his neighbour.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Kanpur / by Faiz Rahman Siddiqui / TNN / April 06th, 2016

Meerut girl part of US team that cracked Zika structure

Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion
Devika Sirohi, born and brought up in Meerut, is a doctoral student at Purdue University in the US. She will submit her thesis by year end
Devika Sirohi, born and brought up in Meerut, is a doctoral student at Purdue University in the US. She will submit her thesis by year end

Meerut :

Devika Sirohi, 29, a doctoral student at Purdue University in the United States, is the youngest member of a team of seven researchers which has, for the first time, determined the structure of the Zika virus. The breakthrough is revealing insights crucial for the development of effective treatments for the deadly disease.

Sirohi, born and brought up in Meerut, spoke to TOI about the intense work that lay behind the breakthrough. “It took us four months to identify the structure of the virus. Out of the seven-member team, three were professors and four students, including me. During the period of the research, we barely slept for two to three hours a day, but our hard work finally paid off. This discovery will help doctors and researchers to find a cure for the deadly disease that has been reported in 33 countries,” she said.

Determining the structure of the virus was a major hurdle for researchers, and the team’s find, Sirohi said, would now make it possible to create effective anti-viral treatments and vaccines. The seven-member team included Sirohi, postdoctoral research associates Zhenguo Chen, Lei Sun and Thomas Klose; biological sciences professor Michael G Rossmann, Purdue Institute for Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Diseases director Richard J Kuhn, and Theodore C Pierson, chief of the viral pathogenesis section of the Laboratory of Viral Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

“When I first arrived in the US, I never expected to achieve this much. It has been five years now since I started my doctoral research and I will submit my thesis by the end of this year. The entire journey of discovering the structure of Zika was full of challenges, but all is well that ends well. Now that the structure has been determined, it will be easier to research further and combat the spread of the disease,” said Sirohi, based in West Lafayette near Chicago and pursuing PhD in ‘Structure and Maturation of Flaviviruses’.

The Meerut girl completed her schooling from the city-based Dayawati Modi Academy. She went on to pursue honours in biochemistry from Delhi University and MSc from Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai. Both her parents are citybased doctors; her mother, Reena, being a pediatrician. Elated by her success, her father, SS Sirohi, a pathologist who lives in Delhi’s Defence Colony, said, “It is a matter of pride not only for my family, because she is my daughter, but for the whole country that an Indian was part of the team that made this breakthrough.”

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> India / by Ishita Bhatia / TNN / April 06th, 2016