Category: Science & Technology

** IIIT-H app for early oral cancer screening

AI algorithm to help detect malignancy through images taken on phone

The International Institute of Information Technology-Hyderabad (IIIT-H) is working withGrace Cancer FoundationandBioCon Foundationto identify early stages of cancer with thehelp of a cellphone.

With the help of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm,thecellphone can take oral cavity images and indicate whether they are malignant or benign.

“A project like this needed funding, so iHub-Data stepped in to help us develop a solution for oral cancer screening,” said Vinod. P.K, who is leading the cancer initiative at iHub-Data. It is a technology innovation hub established under theNational Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber Physical Systems (NM-ICPS)in the area of data-driven technologies at the institute.

** Students on satellite-making mission

Anurag University signs agreement with ITCA for developing satellite

Anurag University has signed an agreement with the Indian Technology Congress Association (ITCA) for jointly developing Anurag Satellite (ANURAGsat).

This is part of the government of India’s prestigious initiative ‘75 Students’ Satellites Mission 2022;, celebrating 75 years of Independence this year.

L.V. Muralikrishna Reddy and K. Gopalakrishnan of ITCA, TSC Technologies CEO Nikhil Riyaz, Anurag University Chancellor U.B. Desai, University Vice-Chancellor S. Ramachandram, and AU CEO S. Neelima were among those present on the occasion.

Innovation culture

The ambitious Mission 2022 aims to launch 75 student-built satellites into orbit, with the larger emphasis on academia laying a foundation for science-based education and experience-based learning. Such initiatives help build an innovation culture in the country and prepare the future workforce in the emerging spaceTech and related sectors.

** More power to Indian systems

Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani practitioners can now issue certificates

Registered practitioners of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Sowa-Rigpa are now authorised to issue medical fitness certificates, the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) has said.

Order issued

An order in this regard was issued to the commissioners of the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) Corporation, New Delhi, and Kerala on January 20 by Rakesh Sharma, president, Board of Ethics and Registration, NCISM.

The Transport department recently started allowing registered Ayurveda doctors to issue medical fitness certificates for driving licence. Earlier, only MBBS graduates or postgraduates in Ayurveda were allowed to do so. It is pointed out that those who have cleared BAMS are equal to graduates in modern medicine.

** India flight tests Rafale-Marine for INS Vikrant

India’s new aircraft carrier has been designed as a ski-jump launch ship, different from many other such carriers, which use a catapult launch for their jets

The marine version of the French-made Rafale fighter jet has been successfully flight-tested at a shore-based facility in Goa where conditions similar to that on the indigenously-developed aircraft carrier INS Vikrant were simulated, a top diplomat said.

The Rafale-M is pitted against the U.S.-made Super Hornet — both of which are being evaluated for a possible purchase by the Indian Navy for deployment on the 44,000-tonne INS Vikrant that is undergoing trials in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal for likely commissioning in August.

** IIT professor’s research shows ways of reducing waste in factories

Frugal manufacturing can cut cost

A faculty member at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras has suggested ways of using minimal resources and reducing cost without compromising on functionality.

Balkrishna C. Rao, associate professor in the Department of Engineering Design, has developed the concept of ‘frugal manufacturing’ for sustainable development in factories. By adopting frugal manufacturing practises, Indian manufacturers can lead the race of next-generation manufacturing processes and machine tool systems, according to the researcher.

** 1,000 drones to lasers: Many firsts at Beating the Retreat ceremony

s the sun set over Raisina Hill on Saturday, the bands of the Army, Navy, Air Force and the Central Armed Police Forces marched down Vijay Chowk playing 23 songs, before they retreated to the tune of Sare Jahan Se Accha in a quick march.

** Made in Odisha RAT kit gets ICMR nod   

The Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) has approved ImCOV-Ag, a Covid-19 rapid antigen test (RAT) kit developed in Odisha. The high sensitivity kit that can detect infection of all variants of the novel coronavirus will be available in the market in one to two months.

Developed by Imgenex India Pvt Ltd in collaboration with the ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC), Bhubaneswar, the kit is the first to be developed in the eastern zone of the country. Director RMRC Dr Sanghamitra Pati said based on the internal validation here, Imgenex submitted the report to ICMR central office in November, 2021. The ICMR validated the kit through a third party and gave approval for its use at laboratory testing facilities on January 27. 

Odisha

** ‘AirVaidya’ dhoopa can be effective in preventing air-borne infections, including COVID, say researchers

Prepared by AIMIL Pharmaceuticals, ‘AirVaidya’ contains phytochemicals from 19 medicinal which are known for their potential therapeutic effects to combat the coronavirus.

Researchers at Banaras Hindu University have found that anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of the fumes of ‘AirVaidya’ herbal incense sticks can be effective in preventing air-borne infections.

Prepared by AIMIL Pharmaceuticals, ‘AirVaidya’ contains phytochemicals from 19 medicinal which are known for their potential therapeutic effects to combat the coronavirus.

Benares, Uttar Pradesh

** India delivers 3 tonnes of medical assistance to Afghanistan

Prior to this, India has supplied three shipments of medical assistance, consisting of 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine and essential life-saving medicines to Afghanistan.

India has supplied three tonnes of essential life-saving medicines to Afghanistan in the fourth batch of medical assistance to the war-torn country and will provide further humanitarian help to the people there in form of medicines and foodgrains in coming weeks, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Saturday.

** India’s largest electric vehicle charging station set up in Gurugram

It will be able to charge 100 EVs round the clock

India’s largest electric vehicle (EV) charging station, with 100 charging points for four-wheelers, was commissioned in Sector 52 here on Friday. Before this, the country’s largest EV charging station was in Navi Mumbai, with 16 AC and 4 DC charging ports for such vehicles.

The EV charging station in Gurugram, with 72 AC slow-chargers and 24 DC fast-chargers, has been installed and is operated by a partner company of National Highways for Electric Vehicle (NHEV), as part of a pilot project to install charging stations on the Delhi-Jaipur and Delhi-Agra highways, and turn them into e-highways.