30 September 2014

Ozone layer recovering thanks to Montreal

  • zone gas in stratosphere prevents 99.5% entry of UV radiation (255nm) on earth.
  • Chlorofluorocarbons / freons: non-reactive, non-flammable, non-toxic. Used in Refrigerators, spray cans, insulation foam and propellant.
  • Once they’re released in atmosphere, they reach stratosphere=> react with UV=> release Chlorine free radicals => Ozone broken.
  • 1980s: Scientists realized Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) reach had damaged Ozone layer above Antarctica. Result?
    • Skin cancer, Cataract, Sunburns
    • Phytoplanktons die=> fish population declines.
    • Soil Moisutre content declines, plant proteins are mutated=> plant growth affected.
    • Fibers and Wall paints fade faster.
  • Late 80s: Montreal Protocol signed, to cut down use of
    • chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) / freons
    • Halons in fire-extinguishers
  • 2014: CFC has declined by 90%, Ozone layer showing signs of recovery- as per United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
  • This will also prevented 2 million skin cancer cases per year.
  • 2050: Ozone Layer will recover near mid-latitudes
  • 2075: Ozone layer will recover near Antarctic.
Challenges:
  1. CFCs are replaced with HFCs (Hydroflurocarbons). Although HFCs don’t deplete Ozone layer but they’re greenhouse gases, hence contribute to global warming.
  2. Researchers found Carbon tetrachloride increased in atmosphere. This is a banned ozone-depleting carcinogenic solvent.
  3. Meaning, some companies in the third world countries are still using it illegally, as a cheaper alternative to HFCs.

Bamiyan finalized as SAARC cultural capital for 2015-16, Dhaka for 2016-17

Bamiyan in Afghanistan is best known for two 6th century colossal statues of Buddhas , belonging to ancient Gandhara School of Art.  These colossal buddha images were destroyed by Taliban in 2001.
In September 2014, Bamiyan has been given the honour of being the SAARCCultural Capital for the year 2015-16. This was agreed upon at the SAARC CultureMinisters Conference, which also designated Dhaka as the cultural capital for the year 2016-17. Also, the year 2016-17 is to be the SAARC Year of Cultural Heritage. These developments are part of the efforts aimed at strengthening cultural ties among SAARC nations.

List of 2014 Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar Award Winners

The winners of the 2014 edition of the annual Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar Award were announced by CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research) at its 72nd Foundation Day celebrations on 26 September 2014. The 10 awardees have been chosen from various prestigious research institutions inIndia. The list of awardees of this year’s prize are as follows:-
Biological Sciences
  • Roop Mallik Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Mumbai
Chemical Sciences
  • Kavirayani Ramakrishna Prasad Indian Institute of Science Bengaluru.
  • Souvik Maiti Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB) New Delhi.
Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean and Planetary Sciences
  • Sachchida Nand Tripathi Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.
Engineering Sciences
  • S Venkata Mohan Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT)Hyderabad.
  • Soumen Chakrabarti Indian Institute of Technology Mumbai.
Mathematical Sciences
  • Kaushal Kumar Verma Indian Institute of Science Bengaluru.
Medical Sciences
  • Anurag Agrawal Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB) New Delhi.
Physical Sciences
  • Pratap Raychaudhuri Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Mumbai.
  • Sadiqali Abbas Rangwala Raman Research Institute Bengaluru.
This award is given in the memory of Sir Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar, who was Founder -Director of CSIR and first Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC). He is known as Father of Indian Research Laboratories, remembered for having established various chemical labs in the country. The award is conferred on individuals for their pathbreaking contributions to the world of science and technology. The award consists of a cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh, a citation and a plaque. 

Justice H.L.Dattu sworn in as 42nd Chief Justice of India

ustice Handyala Lakshminarayanaswamy Dattu was sworn in as the CJI (Chief Justice of India) by the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee. He succeeds Justice R.M.Lodha, who was also appointed this year in April.
Justice Dattu began his career in 1975 in Bangalore,Karnataka where he practiced civil, criminal, tax and constitutional law. From 1983, he began appearing before the Karnataka HC (high Court), including as a representative of the government in various matters. He was appointed as a senior standing counsel for the Income Tax Department in 1995, from where he was elevated to the post of Judge at the Karnataka HC. He went on to serve as the Chief Justice in two High Courts: Chhattisgarh and Kerala. He has served in the SC since 2008. At the SC, he has been heading the bench which was monitoring investigations into the 2G Spectrum case.
Justice Dattu will serve as CJI for 14 months, and is set to retire on the 2nd of December 2015.

Vision Statement for the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership



“Chalein Saath Saath: Forward Together We Go”

Chalein Saath Saath, forward together we go. As leaders of two great democratic nations with diverse traditions and faiths, we share a vision for a partnership in which the United States and India work together, not just for the benefit of both our nations, but for the benefit of the world. 

We have vastly different histories, but both our founders sought to guarantee freedoms that allow our citizens to determine their own destiny and pursue their personal aspirations. Our strategic partnership rests on our shared mission to provide equal opportunity for our people through democracy and freedom.

The currents of kinship and commerce, scholarship and science tie our countries together. They allow us to rise above differences by maintaining the long-term perspective. Every day, in myriad ways, our cooperation fortifies a relationship that matches the innumerable ties between our peoples, who have produced works of art and music, invented cutting-edge technology, and responded to crises across the globe.

Our strategic partnership is a joint endeavor for prosperity and peace. Through intense consultations, joint exercises, and shared technology, our security cooperation will make the region and the world safe and secure. Together, we will combat terrorist threats and keep our homelands and citizens safe from attacks, while we respond expeditiously to humanitarian disasters and crises. We will prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction, and remain committed to reducing the salience of nuclear weapons, while promoting universal, verifiable, and non-discriminatory nuclear disarmament.

We will support an open and inclusive rules-based global order, in which India assumes greater multilateral responsibility, including in a reformed United Nations Security Council. At the United Nations and beyond, our close coordination will lead to a more secure and just world.

Climate change threatens both our countries, and we will join together to mitigate its impact and adapt to our changing environment. We will address the consequences of unchecked pollution through cooperation by our governments, science and academic communities. We will partner to ensure that both countries have affordable, clean, reliable, and diverse sources of energy, including through our efforts to bring American-origin nuclear power technologies to India.

We will ensure that economic growth in both countries brings better livelihoods and welfare for all of our people. Our citizens value education as a means to a better life, and our exchange of skills and knowledge will propel our countries forward. Even the poorest will share in the opportunities in both our countries.

Joint research and collaboration in every aspect—ranging from particles of creation to outer space -- will produce boundless innovation and high technology collaboration that changes our lives. Open markets, fair and transparent practices will allow trade in goods and services to flourish.

Our people will be healthier as we jointly counter infectious diseases, eliminate maternal and child deaths, and work to eradicate poverty for all. And they will be safer as we ensure the fullest empowerment of women in a secure environment.

The United States and India commit to expand and deepen our strategic partnership in order to harness the inherent potential of our two democracies and the burgeoning ties between our people, economies, and businesses. Together we seek a reliable and enduring friendship that bolsters security and stability, contributes to the global economy, and advances peace and prosperity for our citizens and throughout the world.

We have a vision that the United States and India will have a transformative relationship as trusted partners in the 21st century. Our partnership will be a model for the rest of the world.

India’s neighbours support PM Modi’s call for International Yoga Day

In his address to the UNGA, Prime Minister Modi called for celebration of International Yoga Day on 21 June every year. He stated by ‘changing lifestyle’ and ‘creating consciousness’, one can deal with climate change. He claimed that the ancient practice that has been passed on through the ages is a gift of India’s tradition to the world.
India’s neighbours, namely, Sri LankaNepal andBangladesh have already expressed to PM Modi their support for his initiative, with Sri Lanka having given its support in writing.

New York scientists come up with an ‘invisibility cloak’

‘Rochester Cloak is 3D, continuously multi-directional’

Watch out Harry Potter, you are not the only wizard with an invisibility cloak.
Scientists at the University of Rochester have discovered a way to hide large objects from sight using inexpensive and readily available lenses, a technology that seems to have sprung from the pages of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter fantasy series.
Cloaking is the process by which an object becomes hidden from view, while everything else around the cloaked object appears undisturbed.
“A lot of people have worked on a lot of different aspects of optical cloaking for years,” John Howell, a professor of physics at the upstate New York school, said on Friday.
The so-called Rochester Cloak is not really a tangible cloak. Rather, the device looks like equipment used by an optometrist. When an object is placed behind the layered lenses it seems to disappear.
Previous cloaking methods have been complicated, expensive, and not able to hide objects in three dimensions when viewed at varying angles, they say.
“From what we know, this is the first cloaking device that provides three-dimensional, continuously multi-directional cloaking,” said Joseph Choi, a graduate student who helped develop the method at Rochester, which is renowned for its optical research.
In their tests, the researchers have cloaked a hand, a face, and a ruler making each object appear “invisible” while the image behind the hidden object remains in view. The implications for the discovery are endless, they say.
“I imagine this could be used to cloak a trailer on the back of a semi-truck so the driver can see directly behind him,” Choi said. “It can be used for surgery, in the military, in interior design, art.”
Building the device cost Howell and Choi a little over $1,000 and they believe it can be done even cheaper. — Reuters
Although a patent is pending, they have released simple instructions on how to create a Rochester Cloak at home for under $100:

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