Category: Science & Technology

** Decommissioned INS Khukri to be converted into museum

The ship is planned to be developed as a full-scale museum, the Navy said in a statement.

INS Khukri, the lead ship of the Indian Navy’s Khukri class missile corvettes which was decommissioned last December, was on Wednesday handed over to the Diu administration to be converted into a museum.

The ship is planned to be developed as a full-scale museum, the Navy said in a statement.

As part of developing and revitalising the Khukri Memorial, the Diu administration had approached the Defence Ministry in 2019 for gifting to it, for public display, a decommissioned naval vessel, the Navy said. “The ship commenced her last journey under tow by Navy ships from Visakhapatnam and arrived at Diu on January 14, it stated.

** Google to invest up to $1 billion in a partnership with Airtel

The amount will include equity investment as well as a corpus for potential commercial agreements

Bharti Airtel and Google on Friday, January 28, 2022, said that they will partner on a long-term, multi-year agreement to accelerate the growth of India’s digital ecosystem, under which Google intends to invest up to USD 1 billion.

The amount is part of the USD 10 billion ‘Google for India Digitization Fund’, which was announced by CEO of Google and Alphabet Sundar Pichai in 2020, and will include equity investment as well as a corpus for potential commercial agreements, to be identified and agreed on mutually agreeable terms over the course of the next five years, the companies said in a statement.

** Philippines inks deal worth $375 million for BrahMos missiles

This is the first export order for missile developed jointly by India, Russia

Philippines on Friday signed a $374.96-million deal with BrahMos Aerospace Private Ltd. for the supply of shore-based anti-ship variant of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile. This is the first export order for the missile, a joint product of India and Russia.

The contract was signed by Delfin N. Lorenzana, Defence Secretary of Philippines, and Atul Dinkar Rane, Director General of BrahMos Aerospace Pvt. Ltd., in a virtual ceremony at 2 p.m. Manila time (11:30 a.m. IST).

** DCGI gives nod to Bharat Biotech for intranasal booster dose trials

Experts have noted that an intranasal vaccine as a booster will be easier to administer in mass vaccination drives.

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has given vaccine manufacturer Bharat Biotech approval for conducting Phase-III clinical trials of an intranasal booster dose for those who have received both doses of Covaxin.

Only the Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL), Kasauli, certified batches shall be used in the clinical trials, which will be conducted at nine sites, including the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi and Bihar. The Chimpanzee Adenovirus Vectored COVID-19 Vaccine (BBV154) is to be administered through an intranasal route and each single dose is 0.5 ml.

The trials will evaluate BBV154 intranasal vaccine for both the 2-dose primary schedule and booster dose schedule.

** India to convert 150 villages into ‘Villages of Excellence’ with technical help from Israel: Tomar

The Israel government has established 29 Centre of Excellence (CoEs) in 12 States

The Centre on Friday said it has decided to convert as many as 150 villages into ‘Villages of Excellence’ in 12 States with technical assistance from the Israel government.

Already, the Israel government has established 29 Centre of Excellence (CoEs) in 12 States, which are producing more than 25 million vegetable plants, over 3,87,000 quality fruit plants and can train more than 1.2 lakh farmers per year.

The 150 villages that are located around CoEs will be converted into ‘Villages of Excellence.’ “Out of which, 75 villages are being taken up in the first year to commemorate the 75th year of India’s independence, where India and Israel will work together,” Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar conveyed in a meeting with new Israeli Ambassador to India Naor Gilon on January 27 here.

The Minister expressed joy over the completion of 30 years of diplomatic relations between India and Israel and said that the government is satisfied with the functioning of 29 CoEs, according to an official statement.

The Ambassador of Israel, Mr. Gilon, said these CoEs are a great example of cooperation between the two countries and proposed the certification of CoEs to further enhance the standards and quality of services being provided to the farmers.

** TNJFU celebrates Republic Day by presenting awards of excellence

Dr. M.G.R. Fisheries College adjudged the Best Performing Institute

Presentation of awards of excellence marked the 73rd Republic Day celebration at the Tamil Nadu Dr. Jayalalithaa Fisheries University, on Wednesday.

Unfurling the tricolour Vice-Chancellor G. Sugumar presented the Best Teacher award to F. Parthiban, and Young Researcher Award to D. Kesavan and Mir Ishafaq Nazir.

The Best Extension Worker award was presented to V. Kannan of Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Sikkal and the Best Non-teaching Staff awards were given to M. Vasantha Kumari and P. Sumathi.

The Dr. M.G.R. Fisheries College and Research Institute was adjudged the Best Performing Institute for 2020-21.

* BEL to supply IoT devices to US firm

Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Hyperion Global Group, an infrastructure telecommunication distribution company, have entered into a contract to develop, manufacture and supply Internet of Things (IoT) devices for the US market.

As per the contract, BEL will manufacture and supply IoT devices worth US $73 million to Hyperion, based in the US, during the first year of commencement of supply, with a provision to negotiate and supply upgrades of the products, worth US $365 million, in the next five years, said a statement issued by BEL.

The contract was signed on January 21, by BEL’s New York Regional Office and Hyperion in the presence of M V Rajasekhar, Director R&D, BEL, Nick Studebaker, CEO,

* Bengaluru doctor writes crucial chapter in Comprehensive Textbook of Clinical Radiology

A doctor from a government medical college in the city has written an important chapter on ‘Imaging of Spleen’ in ‘Comprehensive Textbook of Clinical Radiology’, a first-of-its-kind reference book in the country, brought out by the National Indian Radiological and Imaging Association (IRIA).

Dr KR Vijaykumar, Professor and Head of the Department of Radiology, Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital, told The New Indian Express that it is a lifelong reference book for radiologists and was published recently by the prestigious Elsevier Publications in six volumes.

** HAL signs contract for export of Advanced Light Helicopter to Mauritius

ALH Mk III is a multi-role, multi-mission helicopter in 5.5 tonne category in extensive use by the Indian armed forces

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has signed a contract with the Government of Mauritius (GoM) for export of one Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH)-MkIII for the Mauritius Police Force, it said on Wednesday.

Mauritius already operates a ALH and Dornier Do-228 aircraft built by HAL.

“With this contract, HAL and Government of Mauritius have further strengthened the long-standing business relations spanning over three decades,” a HAL statement said.

The contract was signed by B.K. Tripathy, General Manager, Helicopter Division-HAL and O.K. Dabidin, Secretary of Home Affairs, Prime Minister’s Office, Government of Mauritius, recently at HAL’s Transport Aircraft Division, Kanpur

** Virudhunagar girl gets award from Modi for her invention

For her ‘floating house’ that can be used to save lives during flood

A Virudhunagar girl, N.C. Vishalini, received Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at a function held through video conference mode, at the Collectorate here on Monday.

The award carries a citation and a purse of ₹ 1 lakh. The girl, daughter of M. Naresh Kumar and R. Chithrakala, has been selected for the award given to children aged under 18, for her invention – automatic functional life rescue flood house. She is a student of Delhi School of Excellence, Attapur, Hyderabad.

Her invention, a floating house contraption, can be used to save the lives of vulnerable section of people such as children, pregnant women, aged and the physically challenged, pets and important objects during flood.

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