Daily News Notes: 6th April, 2012

· The National Film Development Corporation of India plans to launch the National Film Heritage Mission with a view to conserving blockbuster movies of the past 100 years of Indian cinema. There is also a plan to set up film clubs in varsities and colleges for promotion of movies in regional languages like Malayalam, Kannada and Tamil.
· Christians across the world are observing Good Friday today. The day marks the crucifixion of Jesus Christ over 2000 years ago. Christians including Catholics, Protestants and Syrian Catholics, Orthodox Christians observed the day by holding special services meditating upon the suffering of Christ on the Cross for the mankind. It is believed that Jesus rose from his grave on the following sunday which is celebrated as Easter.
· In Madhya Pradesh, the state government has decided to build houses for urban slum dwellers through participation of private investors. Under the scheme, haphazardly built slums on precious urban lands will be converted into systematic pucca houses and the rest of land will be used in a planned manner. If required, the private investor will also make arrangements for temporary dwellings for the concerning slum dwellers.
· Implementation of several schemes/programmes intensified by India’s Agricultural Ministry in order to make agriculture in India Climate Resilient by implanting and mainstreaming several adaption measures. Noteworthy among these schemes/programmes are: [1.] Macro Management of Agriculture; [2.] Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY); [3.] National Food Security Mission; [4.] National Horticulture Mission; [5.] National Mission on Micro Irrigation. For studying impacts of climate change on Indian agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture has also been carrying out: [1.] National Network Project on Climate Change; [2.] National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture.Further it stated that the Agro produce has not recorded any downslope due to climate change and advancement of the seasonal cycle period. Rather, the production of food grain has reached a record level of 244.78 million tonne during 2010-11. During this period, nation has also experienced highest ever production in wheat, pulses, oilseeds and cotton.
· The inauguration of the first Spices Park in Rajasthan for processing of seed spices like cumin, coriander and fennel (which are widely grown in the State) will be commissioned on April 7, 2012 in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. A full line processing facility with a capacity to turn out two tonnes per hour has in-built facilities for pre-cleaning, grading, colour sorting, grinding and packing of spices. The Spice processing facilities available at Spice Park are at par with the international standards.
· Kerala, with its coastline of nearly 600 km, contributes about 20 per cent to the country's marine fish landings with nearly a quarter of the State's exports being accounted for by the marine sector. Fishing provides a means of livelihood directly to more than a quarter of a million people in Kerala and more than half-a-million people live on allied activities like fish vending. A study on the economic viability of mechanised fishing units and socio-economics of a fishing ban in Kerala by scientists from the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute and Tamil Nadu Agricultural University said that 12 fishermen were active per square kilometre of coastal seas in Kerala against the national average of three. The study also said that data over the last 40 years showed many of the marine fish species being overexploited. Fishermen affirm that the dwindling fish catch caused by a combination of reasons ranging from drastic changes in climatic conditions to exploding size of fishing fleet.
· The Kerala Tribal Development Department has started a Livelihood Enhancement Scheme for providing cattle to tribal people in forest settlements and fringe areas may turn out to be a life-threatening proposition, it is feared. The Vazhachal forest area is prone to man-animal conflict and several instances of predators, including leopards, lifting cattle have been reported from here. Though the tribal people are supposed to stall-feed the cattle with cattle feed, the cattle are often let free to feed in the forest. Forest officials said this practice could invite predator attacks. Moreover, pasturing cattle inside reserve forest area had been banned under the Kerala Forest Act. If these predators did not get cattle, they could even turn to human beings though such incidents had not occurred in Kerala, they warned. Admitting that the presence of cattle would increase the chance of the predators attacking them, a senior forest official said the department had not objected to the proposal fearing it would be criticised for being ‘opposed' to tribal development.
· The formation of a settlement of juvenile soft corals under a data buoy off the Andaman and Nicobar Islands has gladdened scientists, who now have evidence that corals are capable of resisting changes in surface temperature and surviving global warming. Scientists from the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) found the corals under a data buoy floated by them in the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The buoy was floated in February last year to check the sea surface temperature (SST), environmental parameters such as dissolved oxygen and meteorological parameters such as wind speed, direction, air temperature, pressure and humidity. Sea surface temperature, or SST, played a crucial role and could affect marine food productivity and sustainability, especially to vulnerable ecosystems such as coral reef areas. However, it was reported that marine ecosystems were resilient to short term increase in SST, which depended on factors such as biodiversity, human intervention and mobility of marine organisms. The buoy was fitted with two sensors, one above the water and the other under the water. The one above the water collected and sent data regarding humidity, wind speed, air temperature besides latitude and longitude, as it moved slowly in the water. The underwater sensor provided data on turbidity, salinity levels, water current speed and direction. The data from the buoy revealed that the SST ranged from 30.6 degree Celsius in April and 26.8 degree Celsius during monsoon in August during last year. The SST range recorded was considered suitable for the survival of coral reef system.
· Worried over the quality of teaching, the government proposes to set up a National Mission on Teachers and Teaching that would address the entire gamut of issues relating to teachers including teacher education and quality of teaching. The broader policy of teacher/faculty shortages and vacancies, recruitment policies, capacity building of teachers for improvement in qualification, pedagogic skills, technology enabled teaching; continuous training and retraining, and pre-service and in-service training will be brought under the purview of the Mission that will be discussed at the Education Secretary's meeting scheduled later this month. The Mission goals are sought to be achieved through a combination of policy measures, programmatic and scheme based intervention, creating capacity in Central and State universities for preparation of teachers educators and establishment of Schools of Education in universities. The University Grants Commission is taking steps to ensure that, to start with, all Central Universities take steps for developing institutional capacity to prepare teacher educators. Recent analysis made by the Department of Education shows that there are 5.23 lakh vacancies of school teachers at the elementary level and there would be additional requirement of around 5.1 lakh teachers to fulfil the provisions of Pupil Teacher Ratio specified in the Schedule of the Right to Education (RTE) Act. Moreover, around 7.74 lakh teachers are untrained, that is, they do not possess the prescribed qualifications. Under Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), 1.79 lakh additional teachers need to be appointed in secondary schools. Focus on English, Mathematics and Science teachers in secondary schools is also necessary.
· A team of researchers has sequenced the genome of Plasmodium falciparum and found that 33 regions on the genome appear to be under strong selection for artemisinin resistance. On further scrutiny, the team was able to narrow down to seven specific genes on chromosome 13. This particular section of the chromosome can account for 35 per cent reduction in the time taken to clear parasites from the blood (parasite clearance rates) after treatment, in both western Cambodia and western Thailand. Further it is revealed that, Artemisinin resistance results in reduced parasite clearance rate after treatment. Artemisinin-based combination therapies have been recommended by the World Health Organisation as the first-line treatment for uncomplicated falciparum malaria.
· Higher secondary students in State-run schools in West Bengal may no longer have the opportunity to study from their textbooks subjects such as the works of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels — founders of Marxism — and the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. A committee to restructure school education syllabus in the State has prepared a final draft of new syllabus excluding the topics in the history textbooks. The committee had recommended teaching historical background of Latin America, anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela and the Chinese revolution instead. Stating that the existing history textbooks stressed on a particular ideology, it said the committee had tried to have a balanced approach on the history syllabus.
· The red tide seen in the sea off Rameswaram Island from March 31 to April 2 was an algal bloom caused by the proliferation of a non-toxic organism, say scientists. After analysing seawater samples, they have identified the organism as peridinium quinquecorne. “This is the first time a massive bloom of peridinium was observed in India and that too from the east coast close to the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve,” scientist said. An algal bloom leads to the depletion of oxygen in water, causing the death of other marine species. Even non-toxic algal blooms are known to have had a devastating impact on marine life, resulting in mass death of fish and other organisms. Over the last 10 years, at least 70 algal blooms have been reported from India, mostly from the west coast. According to the scientists, algal blooms are triggered by nutrient enrichment of seawater, possibly caused by discharge of sewage, fertilizer residue or waste from aquaculture farms. “If left unchecked, the situation could lead to catastrophic loss of marine life and biodiversity, impacting on fishing activities, tourism, human health, and the environment.” Further analysis of seawater will be carried out at the algal research station of the Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute at Mandapam.
· A young doctor, Dr. Alexander Kumar son of Indian immigrants, is set to become the first foreign national of Indian origin to walk across Antarctica carrying the Tricolour to what he ecstatically describes as “the uttermost end of the world” — the South Pole and back. He said he was inspired as much by the spirit of scientific inquiry as by Mahatma Gandhi in undertaking the expedition. “I will never forget reading Gandhi's autobiography and about his famous salt march. His life was so inspiring.” Currently, he is based in Concordia Station — a French-Italian base in the interior of Antarctica — which he describes as “the most isolated and extreme research station in the world.” However, battling lack of oxygen had been a big challenge.
· The Annual India - US Bilateral Naval 10 day exercise "Malabar" will commence in the Bay of Bengal from tomorrow. The harbour phase of the event to be held for three days begins in Chennai where both navies will participate in seminars on professional techniques. Malabar' 2012 will be the 16th in the series of structured bilateral India US naval exercise since 1992.
· The Emir of Qatar, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani will be on a state visit to India from April 8 to 10 at the invitation of President Pratibha Devisingh Patil. He will be accompanied by a high-level ministerial delegation, senior officials and businessmen. This is the third visit of the Emir to India, the last two being in 1999 and 2005. Indian PM had also visited Qatar in November 2008. India's relations with Qatar have been historically close and friendly. Qatar is the largest supplier of LNG to India. Qatar also hosts an Indian community of around 500,000 persons. The visit of the Emir is expected to give a fillip to India-Qatar ties.
· Prime Minister of Pakistan Yousuf Raza Gilani has said the United States' reward of 10 million dollars on Lashkar -e -Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed would further increase the trust deficit between the two countries. He asserted that the matter of Hafiz Saeed is an internal issue of Pakistan. He said if there is any concrete proof against Saeed then it should be provided to Pakistan. He pointed out that cases against Saeed were dismissed in the past due to lack of evidence. Gilani also cautioned that at a time when Pakistan's Parliament is framing new rules of engagement for the US, such negative messages would have adverse affect.
· The US Citizenship and Immigration Services has received about 22,000 petitions for the H-1B work visas in the first four days after it started accepting applications on April 2. These preliminary figures indicate that there has been quite an increase in the H-1B petitions this year as compared to the previous two years. US businesses use the H-1B programme to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialised fields, such as scientists, engineers, or computer programmers.
· Tuareg rebels in northern Mali proclaimed independence today, and asked for international recognition of their so-called "Azawad" nation. In a statement on their website, the rebels of The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad, MNLA, said they would respect the borders with others states. The MNLA declared a cease-fire saying it had accomplished its goal. It is unclear if the Islamist militant group Ansar Dine, which fought alongside the rebels, will also put down its weapons. The group, which has been linked to the al-Qaida branch in northern Africa, has imposed Islamic law in some areas. Meanwhile, In Ivory Coast, the military chiefs of the nations bordering Mali met to hash out their plan for a military intervention. Deputy Ivorian Defence Minister said military action is being considered both to reverse the coup that deposed Mali's President last month, as well as to preserve Mali's territorial integrity after the rebel advance in the north. In Paris, Foreign Minister said France was ready to help African forces on a logistical level. The rebels launched their insurgency in January, saying they wanted to establish an independent Tuareg homeland in the north, known as the Azawad. They only succeeded in taking small towns until March 21, when disgruntled soldiers stormed the presidential palace in the distant capital of Bamako, overthrowing the democratically elected President. In the confusion that followed, the rebels launched a new offensive and succeeded in taking the capitals of the three main northern provinces.
· Myanmar today held its highest level peace talks so far with rebels from war-torn Karen state following a tentative ceasefire agreement inked earlier this year. Delegates from the political and armed wings of the Karen National Union, KNU, met government officials as part of discussions marking the latest efforts aimed at ending one of the world's longest-running civil conflicts. Myanmar considers the KNU, whose leadership is based in Thailand, to be an illegal organisation.
· A US Judge has sentenced Viktor Bout, Russian arms dealer known as the Merchant of Death, a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison and a maximum life sentence in prison for attempting to sell weapons to Colombian terrorists who were targeting Americans. Prosecutors said that Bout was ready to sell up to 20 million US dollars in weapons including surface-to-air missiles to shoot down US helicopters. The US authorities also found that Bout has sold weapons to dictators and guerrilla forces in Africa, South America and the Middle East. Bout was arrested in 2008 in Bangkok, Thailand where he was caught in a sting operation led by the US Drug Enforcement Agency.
· Japan's Self-Defense Force completed the transporting and deployment of its ground-based Patriot Advance Capability-3 interceptors in Okinawa Prefecture yesterday to respond to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's, DPRK, satellite launch next week. The DPRK announced on March 16 it would launch an Earth Observation Satellite, using a long- range rocket to mark the 100th birthday of late leader Kim Il-Sung. Japan is certain that the launch would be a clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions and it will call for actions from the UN Security Council against DPRK's launch plan.
· Turkey-Iran row has deepened over Iran’s refusal to hold proposed nuclear talks in Istanbul. Iran has now proposed Baghdad, Beijing, Damascus or Beirut as the venues for new round of nuclear talks with world powers. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that it was an untenable demand which would sabotage the planned talks. Erdogan added that the move was a waste of time which meant the talks won’t happen since Teheran knows the other side won't come to Damascus or Baghdad. Iran has balked at having the negotiations in İstanbul because of Turkey's escalating pressure on one of its key allies, Syria. Iran has long standing ties with China, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.
· Iraq has approved a request from Kuwait's Jazeera Airways to operate services to Baghdad and Najaf, more than 20 years after direct flights between the neighbours were halted. Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, after which flights between the Iraq and its small neighbour to the south were suspended. During a visit by Iraqi Premier Nouri al-Maliki in mid-March, Kuwait agreed to a $500 million deal with Baghdad aimed at ending a decades-long debt dispute that saw an Iraqi Airways flight impounded in London. According to Kuwait Airways, Iraq's flag carrier owes it $1.2 billion as a result of the 1990 invasion. Kuwait says 10 of its planes as well as aircraft parts were plundered after its airport was seized during the invasion.
· As 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, its wreckage, which has remained at the bottom of the North Atlantic for 100 years, will now come under the protection of the United Nations' cultural body that seeks to safeguard wrecks, decorated caves and other cultural relics underwater. Till now, remains of the Titanic were not eligible for protection under UNESCO's Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage, which applies only to wreckage that has remained submerged for at least 100 years. Titanic struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic on its maiden voyage and sank on the night of April 14, 1912. The vestiges of the Titanic lie at a depth of 4,000 metres off the coast of Newfoundland.
· Google X, a secret Google research lab working on future technologies like a space elevator, has announced test of its “Project Glass”, a pair of augmented reality glasses that provides users real-time information right in front of their eyes. The augmented reality glasses is a solid metal band running across the brow line with a small heads-up display on the right side. According to the demo video, a man walks around the streets in New York City, checking and sending text messages with friends, seeing maps as well as information, taking pictures and video chatting via the glasses by voice control.
· A French nuclear reactor shut down automatically on Thursday after two small fires at the installation in the north of the country that firefighters quickly extinguished. The installation was secure, no-one was injured, and there were “no consequences for the environment”. Nuclear proponent: France generates 75 per cent of its electricity from nuclear power and the future of the industry has become an issue in campaigns for the presidential election to be held in April and May. France, the world's most nuclear-dependent country, operates 58 reactors and has been a leading international proponent of atomic energy.
· The discovery of a giant meat-eating dinosaur sporting a downy coat has some scientists reimagining the look of Tyrannosaurus rex . With a killer jaw and sharp claws, T. rex has long been depicted in movies and popular culture as having scaly skin. The evidence comes from the unearthing of a new tyrannosaur species in north-eastern China that lived 60 million years before T. rex . The fossil record preserved remains of fluffy down, making it the largest feathered dinosaur ever found.
· Sky News, the British broadcaster partly owned by Rupert Murdoch, admitted that it had authorised a journalist to access e-mails belonging to John Darwin and his wife Anne, who had faked his death in a canoe accident before moving to Panama to start a new life with the insurance payout. But the broadcaster insisted the hacking had been in the public interest as material provided by the channel to the police was “pivotal” in the successful prosecution of the couple in 2008. Sky News said that “in light of the current, heightened interest in editorial practices”, it had commissioned an external review of its e-mail records and an internal audit of payment records. BSkyB is currently under investigation by Britain's media regulator to determine if it is “fit and proper” to continue holding a broadcasting licence. A storm of phone hacking allegations forced News Corp's British newspaper wing, News International, to shut down the 168-year-old News of the World tabloid last July.