Category: Uncategorized

** The man who batted for women’s cricket

Mahendra Kumar Sharma conceptualised a tournament five decades ago

Kanyaon ki cricket hogi, zaroor aayiye (There will be a cricket match by girls, do come).

Thus announced Mahendra Kumar Sharma on a microphone, as he moved around the streets of Lucknow in an autorickshaw one Saturday afternoon five decades ago. Those were the earliest days for women’s cricket in India.

** IISc develops artificial enzymes to block reactivation of HIV

The virus hides inside the host’s immune cells in a “latent” state and stably maintains its reservoir. When the levels of toxic molecules such as hydrogen peroxide increase in the host’s cells, leading to a state of increased oxidative stress, the virus gets “reactivated” and it emerges from hiding and begins replicating again.  

Made from vanadium pentoxide nanosheets, the new artificial “nanozymes” developed by the IISc researchers work by mimicking a natural enzyme called glutathione peroxidase that helps reduce oxidative stress levels in the host’s cells, which is required to keep the virus in check, an IISc release said.  

** Kodagu girl wins the UN H2021 Water Summit storytelling competition

During the lockdown situation, when the world took the virtual path, Yashmi was introduced to the UN Ocean Decade Summit and she took part in the virtual programs conducted by the initiative.

“The earth is already in a bad state and it will be inherited by us tomorrow. We want to breathe the same pristine air that our grandparents breathed,” shared Manavattira Yashmi Dechamma, a ninth-grade student who has been selected for the UN Ocean Decade Summit to be hosted in Hawaii soon.

** After service of 132 years, Indian Army closes military farms

The military farms in India are spread over more than 20,000 acres of prime defence land across the country in cities such as Ambala, Kolkata, Srinagar, Agra, Pathankot, Lucknow, Meerut, Allahabad and Guwahati.

The farms were established by the British Army for the production and supply of hygienic, wholesome and fresh cow milk to troops located in various garrisons across India.

** World’s costliest crop is now under cultivation in Bihar

The use of hop-shoot as an herb is also popular in European countries, where it is used for keeping the skin gleaming and young since the vegetable is also a rich source of antioxidants.

One kilogram of this vegetable costs about Rs 1 lakh! The cultivation of the world’s costliest vegetable namely ‘hop-shoots’ has started on a trial basis in Bihar’s Aurangabad district.