Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan said 'Start-Up India' and 'Make In India’ Should Impel CSIR-Tech pvt ltd

Union Minister of Science& Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr Harsh Vardhan recently met with leaders and team members of CSIR-Tech Pvt Ltd at CSIR-NCL's campus in the city of Pune.  CSIR-Tech's leadership present at the said meeting included its Chairman, Padma Vibhushan Dr Vijay Kelkar and the Executive Director and CEO, Amitabh Shrivastava.

 

In a highly interactive session Dr Harsh Vardhan keenly asked questions about the successful work of technology commercialization that CSIR-Tech was involved with for the last 3 years. Dr Vijay Kelkar talked about the yeoman service that CSIR-Tech was doing which directly aligns with the government of India's programs like 'Start-up India' and 'Make in India'.  Amitabh Shrivastava, as the CEO of CSIR-Tech talked about how technology and intellectual property being developed at government funded institutions like CSIR, BARC, IITs, DST labs, DRDO, etc. is finding its way to touch common lives through CSIR-Tech Pvt Ltd. 

 

Dr Harsh Vardhan was pleased with the approach that CSIR-Tech had taken to not only do technology transfer to small and medium enterprises in India, but also to invest in science based start-ups and laboratory spin-offs.  CSIR-Tech invests in science based start ups and spin off businesses through its 'India Science Venture Fund', a SEBI registered fund which includes SIDBI as a lead partner. Amitabh Shrivastava apprised the minister about global best practices to increase relationship between the Industry and the R&D institutions in North America, Europe and Asia.  Dr Harsh Vardhan is keen to support business initiatives like CSIR-Tech that are self funded autonomous companies that are sure to give impetus, at the ground level, to realize the dream of the Prime Minister of India to create more jobs through the science and technology led manufacturing businesses.  

 

CSIR-Tech's board of directors includes 4 Padma awardees and industry veterans like Mohan Das Pai, Saurabh Srivastava, Luis Miranda, Dr S. Sivaram, Dr Vijay Mohanan and Chief General Manager of the State Bank of India Venkat Nageswar. 

 

One may visit www.csirtech.com if you are a seeker or a providers of technology, or are an entrepreneur looking to get funding for a science based enterprise.    

Hawaii's Big Island declares emergency over dengue fever infections

  

Hawaii's Waikiki Beach in a file photo.   Reuters/Marco Garcia

The mayor of Hawaii's Big Island declared a state of emergency on Monday to deal with a growing outbreak of dengue fever, spread by infected mosquitoes, with 250 cases confirmed over the past four months.
As a result of Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi's order people on the Big Island will be allowed to resume disposing of old tires in landfills, since tires which are left lying around are a known breeding spot for mosquitoes.
There have been 250 confirmed cases of dengue fever on the island since Oct. 29, making it the largest outbreak in the state since the 1940s, according to the mayor's declaration and Hawaii health officials.
Dengue fever causes flu-like symptoms and can develop into the deadly dengue hemorrhagic fever.

Hawaii Governor David Ige said in a statement he supported the efforts on the Big Island but would not issue a statewide emergency declaration unless the outbreak spread to other islands or expanded to include other diseases, such as the Zika virus.
Zika is spreading rapidly in South and Central America and the Caribbean and has been linked to severe birth defects in Brazil.

Last month, a baby born with brain damage at a hospital in Oahu, Hawaii, was apparently the first case of the mosquito-borne Zika virus in a birth on U.S. soil, health officials said.

Dengue is not endemic to Hawaii but has occasionally spread after being imported by infected travelers. The outbreak on the Big Island is the first cluster of locally-acquired dengue fever since a 2011 outbreak on Oahu, the Hawaii Department of Health said.

(Reporting by Victoria Cavaliere in Los Angeles; Editing by Dominic Evans)

Health Secretary reviews preparedness on Zika Virus Disease

10 new lab diagnosis facilities to soon become operational

 

The Health Secretary Shri B P Sharma reviewed the preparedness regarding Zika Virus Disease at a high level meeting, here today. Also present at the meeting were senior officers from the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), Airports Authority of India (AAI), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Shipping and Ministry of Civil Aviation in addition to representatives from State governments of Puducherry, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. WHO India representative Dr. Henk Bekedam and other representatives from WHO also participated in the meeting.  

 

In addition to the two diagnostic facilities at NCDC and National Institute of Virology (NIV) Pune, 10 new facilities will become operational by end of February, 2016. These are located in the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Karnataka, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Assam. It was also informed that another ten will be operational in phase-2.

 

A 24*7 Control Room for providing information on Zika Virus Disease is now operational at the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. The numbers of the Control Room are 23061469 and 23063205.

 

It was informed that a travel advisory against non-essential travel has been issued some days back by the Government. Some of the salient points in the advisory are:  

 

·         Non-essential travel to the affected countries to be deferred/ cancelled.

·         Pregnant women or women who are trying to become pregnant should defer/ cancel their travel to the affected areas.

·         All travelers to the affected countries/ areas should strictly follow individual protective measures, especially during day time, to prevent mosquito bites (use of mosquito repellant cream, electronic mosquito repellants, use of bed-nets, and dress that appropriately covers most of the body parts).

·         Persons with co-morbid conditions (diabetes, hypertension, chronic respiratory illness, Immune disorders etc.) should seek advice from the nearest health facility, prior to travel to an affected country.

·         Travelers having febrile illness within two weeks of return from an affected country should report to the nearest health facility.

·         Pregnant women who have travelled to areas with Zika virus transmission should mention about their travel during ante-natal visits in order to be assessed and monitored appropriately.

 

Officials informed that signages informing about the Zika Virus Disease are being placed at 18 international airports. Informative pamphlets on the disease have been prepared for immigrating passengers. The surveillance activities have been activated through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) network. Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) have also been formed in the States. Instructions and guidelines have been issued and the members have been oriented towards Zika. A video conference has also been conducted with the states for disseminating the guidelines to them.

 

It was reiterated that one of the key control measures is the vector control of Aedes mosquito which also transmits Dengue. Mosquito control is being taken up on priority at the premises of airports and seaports, it was informed. All the aircrafts are being dis-insected as per the WHO guidelines. In addition, vector breeding in containers at the seaports is also being taken up and National Vector Borne Diseases Control Programme (NVBDCP) and National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) are checking for control of vector densities.

 

It was also decided during the meeting to engage with communities for vector control measures in a decentralized manner which was agreed to be more effective. Measures are being taken in this direction, it was informed. 

India introduces net neutrality rules barring Facebook's free Internet

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Motorists ride past a billboard displaying Facebook's Free Basics initiative in Mumbai, India, December 30, 2015.

Reuters/Danish Siddiqui/Files

NEW DELHI/MUMBAI India introduced rules on Monday to prevent Internet service providers from having different pricing policies for accessing different parts of the Web, in a setback to Facebook Inc's plan to roll out a pared-back free Internet service to the masses.

The new rules came after a two-month long consultation process that saw Facebook launching a big advertisement campaign in support of its Free Basics programme, which runs in more than 35 developing countries.
The programme offers pared-down Internet services on mobile phones, along with access to the company's own social network and messaging services, without charge.
The service, earlier known as internet.org, has also run into trouble in other countries that have accused Facebook of infringing the principle of net neutrality - the concept that all websites and data on the Internet are treated equally.
Critics and Internet activists argue that allowing access to a select few apps and Web services for free would put small content providers and start-ups that don't participate at a disadvantage.

"While disappointed with the outcome, we will continue our efforts to eliminate barriers and give the unconnected an easier path to the Internet and the opportunities it brings," Facebook said in an emailed statement.
On Monday, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), which had suspended the free Facebook service pending a policy decision, said Internet service providers would not be allowed to discriminate on pricing for different Web services.

"Essentially everything on the Internet is agnostic in the sense that it cannot be priced differently," TRAI chairman Ram Sevak Sharma said at a news conference.
Although the new rules will also have implications for plans by Indian telecom operators to make money from rapidly surging Web traffic through differential pricing, Facebook's campaign turned the spotlight on the social networking giant.
Free Basics is part Facebook's ambition to expand in its largest market outside the United States. Only 252 million out of India's 1.3 billion people have Internet access.

"We are delighted by the regulator's recognition of the irreversible damage that stands to be done to the open Internet by allowing differential pricing," said Mishi Choudhary, a New York-based lawyer who led an online campaign against Facebook.
Facebook shares were down 2.7 percent at $101.30 in early trading on the Nasdaq amid broad weakness in U.S. markets.

(Reporting by Sankalp Phartiyal; Writing by Himank Sharma; Editing by Sumeet Chatterjee, Mark Potter and Ted Kerr)

India Launches 24x7 toll free Tourist Infoline in 12 International Languages

The Minister of State for Culture (Independent Charge), Tourism (Independent Charge) and Civil Aviation, Dr. Mahesh Sharma addressing at the launch of the “24x7 Toll Free Multi-Lingual Tourist Info Line in 12 International Languages including Hindi & English”, in New Delhi on February 08, 2016. The Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Shri Vinod Zutshi and other dignitaries are also seen.

 Incredible India Mobile App to be Launched very soon


Dr. Mahesh Sharma, the Minister of State (I/C) for Tourism & Culture and Minister of State for Civil Aviation launched the “24x7 Toll Free Tourist Infoline in 12 International Languages including Hindi and English” available on the existing Toll Free Number 1800111363 or on a short code 1363 at a function here today. This project is being implemented by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India through M/s. TATA BSS who have been associated with the work after open bidding process. The languages handled by the contact centers include ten International languages besides English and Hindi, namely, Arabic, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. A “Live Demo” of this Multilingual Infoline Service in Japanese, Chinese, Russian and Italian languages was also presented on the occasion. The Minister also announced that very soon his Ministry will launch an “Incredible India Mobile App.” to facilitate tourists in a better way.

Addressing on the occasion, the Minister said that the launching of this Multilingual Infoline has marked the fulfillment of the promise made to the people by the present Government for according priority for safety and security of tourists. This Infoline service will provide information relating to Travel & Tourism in India to the domestic and International tourists/visitors and to assist the callers with advice on action to be taken during times of distress while travelling in India and if need be alert the concerned authorities.

He said that now Tourists travelling in or planning to travel to India can seek help and information for a hassle free experience. He said that the calls made by tourists (both international and domestic) while in India will be free of charge. The international tourists in India and also international callers who speak the aforesaid languages will be directed to the call agents proficient in the respective language.

Shri Vinod Zutshi, Secretary, M/o Tourism in his address said that the focus will be on IEC i.e. Information, Education and Communication for the Tourists followed by a Helpdesk and then safety and security of the Tourists. The website of Incredible India is also being revived to make it more Tourist friendly. Ministry of Tourism in order to provide information services to the incoming tourists & domestic tourists has setup this Tourist info line. This service will primarily serve those who know very little about India or about travel within India, and those who do not understand Indian systems and often not even English.

Shri Srinivas Koppolu, MD & COO of TATA –BSS gave the details of the functioning of Infoline and how will it be very beneficial for Tourists. Dr. Ravi Kant Bhatnagar, Addl. DG (Tourism) dwelt upon the need for such a valuable Infoline and informed about the various aspects of it.

More than 3,100 pregnant women in Colombia have Zika virus

BOGOTA | By Julia Symmes Cobb : More than 3,100 pregnant Colombian women are infected with the mosquito-borne Zika virus, President Juan Manuel Santos said on Saturday, as the disease continues its rapid spread across the Americas.
Brazil is investigating the potential link between Zika infections and more than 4,000 suspected cases of microcephaly, a birth defect marked by an abnormally small head size that can result in developmental problems. Researchers have identified evidence of Zika infection in 17 of these cases, either in the baby or in the mother, but have not confirmed that Zika can cause microcephaly.
There are so far no recorded cases of Zika-linked microcephaly in Colombia, Santos said. The government is now uncertain about a previous projection for up to 500 cases of Zika-linked microcephaly, based on data from other countries battling the disease, he said.
Much remains unknown about Zika, for which there is no vaccine. An estimated 80 percent of those infected show no symptoms, and those that do have a mild illness, with a fever, rash and red eyes.
There are 25,645 people infected with Zika in Colombia, Santos said during a TV broadcast with health officials. Among them are 3,177 pregnant women.

Results 12th South Asian Games

India opened its account with Gold that too by women. Indian woman cyclist claimed the first Gold medal in the 30m Individual Time Trial cycling event. Bidyaluxmi Tourangbam claimed the first Gold for the country by winning the cycling race. The 2nd place also went to the Indian eve, Chaoba Devi winning Silver. Pakistans’s Sabiha Bibi got Bronze in the event. The cycling event was held at the Lakshmi Bai National Institute of Physical Education (LNIPE), Guwahati.

.In the Men’s cycling 40 Km event, Arvind Panwar won the Gold. Manjeet Singh won silver while Sri Lankan , Janaka Hemantha Kumara Gonagalage won the Bronze medal.

In Men’s Swimming 200 mt Freestyle event, Md. Mahfizur Rahman of Bangladesh won the Gold. Srilankan Matthew Abeysinghe won the Silver while Saurav Sangvekar won the Bronze medal.

U.S., India in talks to settle solar power trade dispute

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A worker walks through the installed solar modules at the Naini solar power plant in the northern Indian city of Allahabad March 21, 2012. The 5 MW capacity plant by the Electrical Manufacturing Company Ltd. (EMC) has started under the phase-1 of the Jawaharlal Nehru solar...

Reuters/Jitendra Prakash (INDIA - Tags: ENERGY BUSINESS EMPLOYMENT) - RTR2ZNLX

WASHINGTON The United States and India are in talks that could settle a long-running solar power trade dispute, delaying the announcement of a ruling by the World Trade Organization, an Obama administration official said on Friday.
Washington filed the WTO challenge three years ago, claiming that India's national solar power programme illegally discriminated against imported solar panels and related products though its domestic content requirements.
The WTO in recent weeks has twice delayed the public announcement of a ruling in the case, rescheduling it for next Wednesday. Indian media reported last August that a WTO dispute settlement panel had confidentially notified Washington and New Delhi that it would rule against India in the case.

U.S. Trade Representative spokesman Andrew Bates declined to confirm any details of the WTO's intentions, but said the talks were aimed at reaching an out-of-court resolution before any public announcement by the Geneva-based trade body.
"The United States initiated this dispute for the purpose of advancing the rapid deployment of clean, affordable energy in India and around the world," Bates said. "India has now asked to speak with the United States regarding the issue, and in light of ongoing discussions, release of the WTO panel's report ruling has been temporarily delayed."

The U.S. complaint in 2013 alleged that the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission subsidies were available only if developers used equipment produced in India, violating a key global trade rule. The programme is aimed at easing chronic energy shortages in India, Asia's third-largest economy.
The Obama administration argued that the rules are a barrier to solar products made in America and elsewhere but also effectively raised the cost of generating solar power in India and were extending the country's dependence on fossil fuels.

Green groups, including the Sierra Club, Greenpeace USA, and Friends of the Earth urged the USTR last year to drop the challenge, saying it would hurt efforts to combat climate change by undercutting India's development of a domestic solar industry.

(Reporting by David Lawder; Editing by James Dalgleish)

India says no rush on GM food but will not stand in way of science

Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar delivers his speech during a meeting at the World Climate Change Conference 2015 (COP21) at Le Bourget, near Paris, France, December 7, 2015.

NEW DELHI India needs more data before deciding whether to permit commercial growing of its first genetically modified food crop, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said on Friday, but indicated it would not stand "in the way of science" despite protests.

Javadekar said the evaluation process would continue before the country moves ahead with the use of a technology that promises better farm yields but sharply divides public opinion.
A committee of government and independent experts is seeking more information from a team of Indian scientists who have spent almost a decade on laboratory and field trials for a GM mustard crop.
"We will not rush through, but we will also not come in the way of science," Javadekar told reporters. "We have to feed more than a billion mouths and we have to raise productivity... (but)we will not compromise on people's health."
The meeting, the third held to evaluate field trial data on GM mustard this year, had raised hopes among scientists that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is keen to push technology to lift food productivity.
India spends billions of dollars every year importing edible oils and other food items to help offset its abysmal food productivity levels.

Farmers are stuck with old technology, yields are at a fraction of global levels, cultivable land is shrinking and weather patterns have become less predictable.
Some farm economists have said India should speed up efforts to embrace GM foods after China took a giant leap towards GM with its bid for Swiss transgenic seed developer Syngenta.
But public and political opposition to transgenic food remains strong amid fears they could compromise food safety and biodiversity.

About 200 placard-holding protesters shouted anti-GM slogans outside Javadekar's office earlier on Friday.
Kapil Mishra, a minister in Delhi state who met Javadekar, called it a win for those resisting GM crops.
"(A) small victory but a long battle ahead," he said on Twitter.

India placed a moratorium on GM aubergine in 2010, fearing the effect on food safety and biodiversity. That effectively brought the regulatory system to deadlock.
However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was instrumental in making Gujarat state the leading user of GM cotton in India when he was chief minister, cleared several field trials soon after taking office in New Delhi in 2014.
BMI Research said in a note that though some Asian governments are becoming more open to the idea of allowing GM food cultivation, the adoption rate of GM crops will remain slow.

(Reporting by Mayank Bhardwaj; Writing by Krishna N. Das; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Jan Harvey)

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Kickstarts 12th South Asian Games

The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today inaugurated the South Asian Games at Guwahati, Assam in a glittering ceremony in the presence of a galaxy of national and international dignitaries including Chief Minister of Assam Shri Tarun Gogoi and Union Minister of State (I/C) Shri Sarbananda Sonowal. A colorful March- Past by players of participating countries enthralled the audience.

The events related to South Asian Games are to be held in Guwahati & Shillong till 16-Feb-2016.This is the biggest sporting extravaganza ever held in the North East India. and the 1st ever gender equal South Asian Games with men & women participation in all the sports. For conduct of the games an organizing committee has been set up under the Chairmanship of Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports (I/C) Government of India and Shri N. Ramachandran President Indian Olympic Association as co - chairman.

SAARC nations namely Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are participating in the games. SAARC is a platform for the people of South Asia to work together in a spirit of friendship, trust and understanding so as to achieve lasting peace and prosperity of its member nations. South Asian Games play a vital role in achieving this objective.

228 events in 23 Sports disciplines will be played during the games. Total No. of medals for medal tally – 228 Gold, 228 Silver and 308 Bronze medals. 16 Sports Disciplines will be played at Guwahati – Athletics, Basketball, Volleyball, Swimming, Triathlon, Hockey, Weightlifting, Wrestling, Squash, Shooting, Kho Kho, Kabaddi, Handball, Cycling and Tennis. 7 Sports Disciplines will be played at Shillong – Archery, Badminton, Boxing, Judo, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Wushu. Men Football will be played at Guwahati and Women football at Shillong.

Games logo symbolizes peace, progress & prosperity in the region. It consists of 8 petals representing the 8 countries participating in the Games. Colors of petals are from the flags of the 8 countries. Mascot “TIKHOR” a Baby rhino is Sharp, Naughty, Sporty & Modern. He is a Motivator, friend and messenger of peace, progress & prosperity. The theme song is ‘Ei Prithibi Ekhon Krirangon, Krira Hol Shantir Prangon’ sung by the world famous musician late Dr. Bhupen Hazarika. It means that the whole world is a playground and sports is a symbol of peace. The song is being translated in official languages of all SAARC nations and will be sung in each of these languages.