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Cabinet okays support for biotech innovation
- The Union Cabinet has given the nod to the Department of Biotechnology to set up a not-for-profit company to provide support to biotech firms towards developing research findings into innovation products.
- Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council, would help provide the needed infrastructure and services at different stages of the value chain for promoting innovation and product development.
- Among other things, it would provide support services such as facilitation of intellectual property, and regulatory and clinical trial, as also mentoring and capacity-building.
Cyber crime, phishing cases on the increase
- With increased Internet usage, incidents of cyber crime and phishing in the country are on the rise, according to the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) under the Central Department of Information Technology.
- There have been incidents reported to CERT-In by law enforcement agencies on the hacking of email accounts and posting of objectionable content, including videos, on the Internet, especially on social networking websites, damaging the reputation of individuals.
- A large number of phishing incidents leading to the hacking of bank accounts have also been reported to CERT-In by banks and financial institutions
- Information Technology Act, 2000, had already been amended by the IT (Amendment) Act, 2008, to provide a legal framework to address prevalent cyber crimes
UGC decides to phase out animal dissection in labs
- Marking a major shift in zoology and life sciences curriculum which was being followed in the country for well over 90 years, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has announced phasing out of animal dissection for experimental purposes at the under-graduate and post-graduate levels, replacing these by alternative models including virtual dissection.
- Animal ethics will also be included in the appropriate course to sensitise students.
- The decision is based on the recommendations of a task force set up following demands by environmentalists and animal lovers in view of cruelty meted out to animals during experiments in laboratories by students
- The institution shall maintain appropriate records of procurement of animals, their transport if alive, number of animals used, and use of anaesthesia/euthanasia if applicable.
Tamil Nadu govt. bans Dam 999 film
- The Tamil Nadu government has banned the screening of the feature film, Dam 999, with immediate effect.
- The movie, according to its official website, is a tribute to those who died in the collapse of the 1975 Banqiao Dam.
- Chief Secretary gave a brief account of the story of the film, according to which, the burst of a weak dam, constructed by a corrupt Mayor, led to massive flooding, resulting in the death of lakhs of people, including children, women and senior citizens. Also, it appeared that the title of the movie “Dam 999” was kept with the Muallaperiyar dam in mind.
- Kerala, revealed that the disaster that visited China in 1975 could happen in Mullaperiyar and that after viewing the film, the Tamil Nadu government would extend its cooperation for the construction of a new dam.
Plan panel to set eco-index ranking
- The Planning Commission has finalised an environment performance-linked mechanism for devolution of financial assistance to States during the 12th Plan period
- States would be ranked on an environmental performance index covering parameters such as air and water purity, forest cover, and sustainable livelihood. This ranking, he said, would be taken into account for devolution of funds. A performance monitoring system would also be introduced.
- India needed a three-pronged national action plan focussing on species recovery, relocation of villagers from critical habitats, and management of invasive species, to ensure sustainable management of biodiversity.
- Sixty per cent of the ecosystems worldwide are in a state of degradation. As many as 1.6 billion people rely on forests for livelihood and 80 per cent of people in developing countries rely on traditional medicines derived from plants. The estimated global cost of biodiversity loss is estimated at $3 trillion.
- over 3,00,000 samples of cultivars kept under long-term storage in national gene banks had gone out of cultivation and many among the 140 native breeds of farm livestock faced threats to their survival.
- satellite systems were making routine observations to analyse the forest cover and classify degraded forests.
Bio-fortified crops hold the key to food security, says expert
- Bio-fortified varieties of staple food grains, such as Vitamin-A-enriched ‘Golden Rice', or iron-enriched wheat, could improve the nutritional status of the world's poor
- Today, one billion people of the world are undernourished and more than a third are malnourished. As the population continues to increase, the looming threat of climate change will exasperate the situation even further.
- Bio-fortified foods can be easily incorporated into the dietary habits and farming programmes of the rural poor of the developing countries.
- it was necessary to encourage countries to think proactively about the role technology could play in addressing food security and climate change and about its strong potential as an engine of economic growth.
- “Unfortunately, the lack of science-based regulations in many countries discourages innovation and adaptation and creates barriers to trade,”
- By 2050, the global population will surpass 9 billion and require nearly a doubling of agricultural output to provide an adequate food supply.
- At the same time, the world's agricultural system will be increasingly challenged by water scarcity and climate change, raising the risk of production shortfalls in a world where over one billion people are already undernourished.
- A challenge like this can be met through biotechnology, innovation, and appropriate agricultural development and trade policies
- agricultural biotechnology had produced dramatic improvements in yield and had reduced production costs and input use intensity
Light by the bottleful
- In this maze of windowless tin shacks, school classes are often held outside because even in daytime it is too dark to see the blackboard.
- Now a youth group is hoping some two-litre plastic bottles filled with water and bleach can brighten Kenya's slums.
- The soda bottle-as-lightbulb was first discovered in Brazil by mechanic Alfredo Moser in 2002.
- In the decade since, tens of thousands of people who can't afford electricity or other sources of light like candles have converted to the water bottle lightpoint.
- When the bottle is hung through a hole in the roof and filled with water and bleach, the bottle refracts sunlight and can produce as much light as a 50- or 60-watt bulb.
- In the Philippines, a non-governmental organisation is attempting to use the solar water bulb to brighten one million homes by next year. The project is known as “Isang Litrong Liwanag,” which translates to “A Litre of Light”.
Everest's height may have to be revised
- A new survey of Mt. Everest indicates that the Nepal government may need to revise the official height of the world's highest mountain
- the new height of Mt. Everest to be approximately 8,848.9 m in the World Height System, which is 90 cm more than the current official value of Nepal.
