RECORDS, INDIA (National) – Page 42

** Gen Manoj Pande becomes first Chief from Corps of Engineers

Gen Pande is the most senior Army officer in the country and has spent most of his career serving along the northern borders facing China. This is significant as India’s two-year standoff with China remains unresolved.

Gen Manoj Pande, who was serving as the Vice Chief since February, took over as the new Army Chief from Gen MM Naravane on Saturday on his retirement. Gen Naravane had taken over as the Army Chief in January 2020, months before the standoff with China in eastern Ladakh began in May 2020.

Gen Pande will have a tenure of a little more than two years.

** Thiruvananthapuram scientist generates electricity from tapioca leaves

Tapioca is in vogue in Kerala. First, the government created a buzz with its idea to make spirits from tapioca. Now, a scientist based in Thiruvananthapuram has developed a technique to produce electricity from its leaves. The concept of clean energy from cassava leaves — ‘Cassa Dipah’ — was a by-product of the biopesticide manufacturing process, said Dr C A Jayaprakas, principal scientist at the ICAR- Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI) here.

The CTCRI has been engaged in biopesticide production from tapioca leaves for several years. With patented technology, the centre has developed three brands of biopesticides — ‘Nanma’, ‘Menma’ and ‘Shreya’.

nie

** US-based Applied Materials acquires land in Bengaluru for ₹350 crore

California-based Applied Materials has invested ₹350 crore ($50 million) to purchase land in Whitefield in Bengaluru where it is planning to expand its engineering infrastructure.

The company said the expansion would boost its next phase of growth in India.

“We expect this investment to support future product development and R&D, as well as benefit the development of the local supply chain,’‘ said Srinivas Satya, country president and Managing Director, Applied Materials India at Semicon India 2022 in Bengaluru on April 29.

Indian Government’s mission mode approach to evolve the country’s semiconductor sector, together with the ease-of-business initiatives and scaling up of indigenous electronics end-manufacturing, were positive and practical steps to enable its Semiconductor Mission, he added.

Applied Materials supplies equipment, services and software for the manufacture of semiconductor (integrated circuit) chips for electronics, flat panel displays for computers, smartphones, televisions, and solar products.

** More than 1,000 Indian peacekeepers serving with UN Mission in South Sudan awarded medals for outstanding work

The work includes protecting civilians, performing engineering assignments and providing health services to humans and animals, a news report posted on the UNMISS website said

More than 1,100 Indian peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) were awarded UN medals, honouring them for their exceptional service in the strife-torn East African country.

The UNMISS “peacekeepers don’t ‘just’ protect civilians. Some 1,160 troops from #India in #SouthSudan also rehabilitate roads, build the capacity of local communities and give medical treatment to humans & animals. For that they deserve @UN medals,” the UNMISS said in a tweet on Thursday.

The 1,160 Indian peacekeepers currently serving in Upper Nile State were honoured with UN medals “for their outstanding and multifaceted work”, including protecting civilians, performing engineering assignments and providing health services to humans and animals, a news report posted on the UNMISS website said.

** Arunachal scientist bags two Indian patents

Dr. Sanjeeb Kalita has been granted two Indian patents for developing ‘Polyherbal formulation for the treatment of painful Diabetic Neuropathy’ and ‘hybrid cotton patch and a method for its fabrication’

A scientist from the Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Bio-resources and Sustainable Development at Kimin in Papumpare district of Arunachal Pradesh has been granted two Indian patents for developing ‘Polyherbal formulation for the treatment of painful Diabetic Neuropathy’ and ‘hybrid cotton patch and a method for its fabrication’.

Dr. Sanjeeb Kalita, the scientist of the centre under the Arunachal Pradesh State Council for Science and Technology (APSCS&T) carried out fundamental research and development for both the inventions at Guwahati-based Institute of Advanced Studies in Science and Technology, official sources said on Friday.

** CET obtains patent for compound with anti-cancer properties

The compound has been derived from the medicinal plant Koduveli

The College of Engineering Thiruvananthapuram (CET) has bagged a patent for inventing a pharmaceutical agent that is expected to have immense potential in cancer treatment.

The newly synthesised compound, 3-([4-Chloro-3(Trifluoromethyl) Phenyl] Amino)-5-Hydroxy-2-Methyl-1,4-Dihydronapthalene-1,4-Dione, was the result of the five-year long research jointly undertaken by Shyni P. Laila and Arunkumar B.

The researchers were guided by Annette Fernandez, the former head of the Department of Chemistry at CET who had retired as Principal of the Government College of Arts and Science, Pathirippala, in Palakkad few years ago.

** VVCE students design low-cost cooling solution to keep fruits and vegetables fresh

The model requires the vendors to charge it once in a day at home

A low-cost cooling solution harnessing solar power to help vegetable vendors in keeping the perishable produce fresh has been designed by four students of Vidyavardhaka College of Engineering in Mysuru.

H.V.Naveen, Shubham Sain, S.Supreeth and Vivek Chandrashekar who took up the project are students of Mechanical Engineering branch and are in the sixth semester. The project addresses one of the major problems that vegetable vendors face every day: that of keeping the vegetables fresh when they are out in the market selling it under the scorching sun.

The students have designed the cart in such a way that the refrigeration of the cart can be maintained in a temperature range between 0 degree C and 10 degree C. Generally, a temperature in the range of 5 degree C to 10 degree C is required to keep the vegetables fresh. But the students have gone a step ahead and have extended the utility of the cart to help those selling diary products as well.

** Kerala Olympic Games inaugurated

KOA honours Mary Kom with lifetime achievement award.

Kerala Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman inaugurated the first Kerala Olympic Games at a function held at the University stadium here on Saturday.

The 10-day sports extravaganza will feature nearly 8000 athletes in 24 disciplines across four districts – Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kollam and Kozhikode.

It is an ambitious initiative of Kerala Olympic Association (KOA) with aim to provide top notch competition to sportspersons in the State. Speaking on thr occasion, Mr. Abdurahiman said the State Government had earmarked ₹1200 crore for developing infrastructure in the State. He said after completion of all projects, Kerala will become the State with the best sports infrastructure in the country.

KOA’s first ever lifetime achievement award was presented to Mary Kom.by Finance Minister V.Balagopal. Olympic medal winners, P.R.Sreejesh, Bajrang Poonia, Ravi Dahiya were also felicitated. The KOA also honoured sportspersons from Kerala who took part in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Ironman World Championship 2022: Chennai athlete makes history

Raghul Sankaranarayanan, India’s fastest Ironman, is now the first athlete from the country to qualify through rankings for the Ironman World Championships

It was a cold, rainy April morning in Port Elizabeth, South Africa where 800 contestants waited for the Ironman race to begin. The start of the race was postponed and the swimming section of the race was cancelled due to inclement weather and the sea temperature, which had dipped to 16 degrees Celsius. The race was now whittled down to a 180 kilometre cycling leg and a 42.2 kilometre run.

Raghul Sankaranarayanan, India’s fastest Ironman triathlete, was amongst only eight Indians participating.

** At $76.6 billion, India is third highest military spender in world, says report

According to data published by SIPRI, the top five military spenders—the United States, China, India, the United Kingdom, and Russia—accounted for 62 per cent of the global military expenditure.

India was the third-highest military spender in the world behind the US and China as the global defence expenditure reached an all-time high of $2.1 trillion in 2021, hitting record levels despite the coronavirus pandemic, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said Monday.

According to data published by SIPRI, the top five military spenders—the United States, China, India, the United Kingdom, and Russia—accounted for 62 per cent of the global military expenditure.

SIPRI said India’s military spending, amounting to $76.6 billion in 2021, grew by 0.9 per cent from 2020 and by 33 per cent from 2012. “Amid ongoing tensions and border disputes with China and Pakistan that occasionally spill over into armed clashes, India has prioritized the modernization of its armed forces and self-reliance in arms production,” according to the report.