Category: Science & Technology

** CoWin platform made open source: PM Modi

“There is no parallel to such a pandemic in hundred years and no nation, however powerful, can solve a challenge like this in isolation,” Mr. Modi said, and added that all had to work together.

“Guided by the approach of ‘One Earth, One Health’, humanity will certainly overcome this pandemic,” he said.

** Telugu-origin Sirisha Bandla to join Richard Branson on Virgin Galactic’s next flight to space

Sirisha Bandla’s zeal to learn more about space led her to pursue Bachelors of Science degree in aeronautical/astronautical engineering from Purdue.

** Army inducts 10m bridging system developed by DRDO

The fully decked roadway will ensure faster movement of troops, says Defence Ministry

The Army on Friday inducted the first production lot of 12 Short Span Bridging System (SSBS)-10m, designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in association with Larsen & Toubro Limited, the production agency.

“The SSBS-10m plays a crucial role of bridging the gaps up to 9.5m as a single span providing a 4m wide, fully decked roadway, ensuring faster movement of the troops,” a Defence Ministry statement said. The project involved the development of two prototypes of 5m SSBS on Tatra 6×6 chassis and another two prototypes of 10m SSBS on Tatra 8×8 re-engineered chassis, it stated.

** National Doctors’ Day: Miyar gram panchayat gets an ambulance

Becomes first panchayat in India to have its own ECG machine, telemedicine unit and a dedicated ambulance

Miyar Gram Panchayat in Karkala taluk got a dedicated ambulance thanks to an initiative of the Cardiology At Doorsteps (CAD) Foundation to mark National Doctors’ Day on July 1.

Padmanabha Kamath, founder of CAD Foundation Trust, said Miyar GP becomes the first panchayat in India to have its own ECG machine, telemedicine unit and a dedicated ambulance. Each member of the panchayat contributed ₹1,000 from their salary for the initiative, he said.

** Laurus Labs gets DRDO licence to make anti-COVID drug 2DG

Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) had on May 1 accorded emergency approval for use of 2DG on COVID-19 patients.

Drugmaker Laurus Labs has received licence from Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to manufacture and market 2-Deoxy-D-Glucose (2DG), an oral drug indicated as an adjunct therapy for hospitalised COVID-19 patients.

Announcing this, the company said it has already applied for emergency use authorisation for the product with the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization. The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) had on May 1 accorded emergency approval for use of 2DG on COVID-19 patients.

** Hyderabad physicist solves mathematical problem unsolved for 161 years

Hyderabad: 

A city-based mathematical physicist, Kumar Eswaran claims that he has found the solution for the Riemann Hypothesis (RH), the famous mathematical problem that has remained unsolved for about 161 years.

First posited by Bernhard Riemann in 1859, the Riemann hypothesis is one of the top ten unsolved mathematical problems by American mathematician Stephen Smale. In 2000, RH became one of the seven millennium mathematical problems from the Clay Mathematics Institute of Cambridge and is worth up to $1 million to the person who solves it.

Eswaran is a known mathematical physicist at Sreenidhi Institute of Science and Technology, Hyderabad and had placed his research titled ‘The final and exhaustive proof of the Riemann Hypothesis from first principles on the internet almost five years ago. However, editors of international journals were reluctant to put the paper through a detailed peer review.

** ‘Was challenging’: Mangaluru doctor on leading world’s first mucor lung surgery

Dr Klein Dantis, a 35-year-old thoracic surgeon from the coastal city of Mangaluru, was part of the world’s first successful mucor lung surgery that took place at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Raipur, early this month.

Raised in Kinnigoli, Klein completed his MBBS and MS in Mangaluru, and superspeciality training at National Institute of TB and Respiratory Diseases, New Delhi. He worked for a year at All India Institute of Medical Sciences-Bhopal, before being appointed consultant at AIIMS Raipur.

** Renowned ENT surgeon S. Kameswaran passes away

S. Kameswaran, renowned ENT surgeon, passed away on Saturday. He was 98 years old.

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin along with Minister for Medical and Family Welfare Ma. Subramanian paid homage to his mortal remains.

Professor Kameswaran was born in 1923 and had his early education in Loyola College and Madras Medical College. He trained in the UK where he got his FRCS from Edinburgh and Glasgow.

He was the former director of the Institute of Otorhinolaryngology at the Madras Medical College and mentored generations of ENT surgeons from various parts of the country. He also served as director of University of Madras’s Basic Medical Sciences at Taramani.

Professor Kameswaran was a surgeon to former President R. Venkataraman, and a short-term consultant to the World Health Organisation. He was also a member of the three-member committee that was responsible for laying the foundation for starting Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University.

He has received numerous awards and accolades including Padmashri and Dr. B.C. Roy award.

He is survived by his son Mohan Kameswaran, managing director and chief surgeon of Madras ENT Research Foundation and daughter Chitra Sankaran, professor of English at National University of Singapore.

Tamil Nadu

** First-ever genetically modified rubber planted in Assam

Rubber Research Institute of India had developed the plant tailored for the climatic conditions in the Northeast.

A Rubber Board research farm on the outskirts of Guwahati now sports the world’s first genetically modified (GM) rubber plant tailored for the climatic conditions in the Northeast.