Month: October 2022

‘Privileged’: Fiji is 1st Pacific nation to host 12th World Hindi Conference

Anjeela Jokhan, Fiji’s Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Education, Heritage, and Arts, said the country is honoured to be the first in the Pacific to host the prestigious event and praised the partnership with India.

Fiji will be hosting the 12th World Hindi Conference next year from February 15-17, 2023, the Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said at an event held here in New Delhi.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar launched the logo and website of Vishwa Hindi Diwas along with V. Muraleedharan, Minister of State for External Affairs and Permanent Secretary for Fijian Ministry of Education, Heritage and Arts Anjeela Jokhan.

Speaking at the event, Anjeela Jokhan said that Fiji is privileged to be the first country in the Pacific to host the prestigious event and hailed the partnership with India.

“We are honoured to have been nominated by the Indian government as the next year’s host for the World Hindi Conference as this platform will provide us with a wonderful opportunity to promote and celebrate Hindi, one of our country’s main languages. Indeed Fiji feels blessed and privileged to be the first country in the Pacific to host this prestigious event,” said Fijian Secretary Anjeela Jokhan.

“We will do our best to make this conference a grand success. Fiji Hindi is in fact enshrined in the Fiji Constitution as one of our official languages. Not only this we also teach Hindi in our primary and secondary schools. While it is compulsory for students of Indian origin in primary schools, it is an optional subject in secondary schools. Hindi is also taught in our universities,” she added.

Jokhan noted that the partnership with the government of India has grown from strength to strength over the past 52 years and the people of our nations have been deeply enriched through our bilateral interactions and engagements. The official added, “Our two nations have an undeniable bond which can be seen in mutual understanding and respect that we have for each other’s sovereignty, common development and shared prosperity.”

“It is based on our shared history which is rooted in age-old ties of culture. In Fiji, we have a very cordial relationship with the High Commission of India that enables us to celebrate together many events such as Yoga Day, World Hindi Day, and so forth. In fact, in 2020 we held Regional Hindi Conference in Suva”, she continued saying.

Further highlighting the contribution made by the Fijian scholars towards developing Hindi, she said that the country looks forward to hosting the event. “With a significant portion of our population having Indian heritage, we have worked together to ensure the protection and promotion of our languages, traditions, and culture. We are proud to say that Fijian scholars have made a contribution towards developing Hindi not just in Fiji but across the world via the Fijian diaspora.”

Fiji looks forward to hosting this event from February 15-17, 2023, she highlighted and said, “We look forward to hosting this significant event in our country. We know that we will receive the Indian diaspora from a number of nations and this will give our people the opportunity to develop networks and friendship.”

The three-day conference would be held in the Fijian city of Nadi.

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IIT Guwahati develops AI model to predict bone repair outcomes after surgery

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati have developed an Artificial Intelligence (AI) model to predict the healing of thigh bone fractures after surgery.

According to the team, the model can be used to assess the healing outcomes of different fracture fixation strategies so that an optimum strategy can be chosen for the patient depending on their personal physiologies and fracture type.

Using such precision models can reduce the healing time, and lighten the economic burden and pain for patients who need thigh fracture treatment, they said.

The results of the research have recently been published in open-source journal, “PLoS One”.

“AI has tremendous potential when it comes to understanding and predicting complex biological phenomena and hence, can play a big role in health sciences applications,” said Souptick Chanda, Assistant Professor, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Guwahati.

The research team has used a combination of Finite Element Analysis and the AI tool “Fuzzy Logic” to understand the healing process of fracture after various treatment methods.

Various bone growth parameters were used along with a rule-based simulation scheme for this purpose.

The study further examined the influence of different screw fixation mechanisms to compare the fracture healing efficacies of each process.

The predictions of healing made by the model agreed well with experimental observations, pointing to its reliability.

“Our simulation model can potentially help a surgeon choose the right implant or technique before a fracture treatment surgery. In addition to various biological and patient-specific parameters, the model can also account for different clinical phenomena, such as smoking, diabetes, etc. The model can also be adapted for veterinary fractures which are, physiologically and in various aspects, similar to those occurring in humans,” Chanda added.

The researchers plan to develop a software or app based on the algorithm that can be used in hospitals and other healthcare institutions as part of their fracture treatment protocols.

The team is presently collaborating with Dr Bhaskar Borgohain and his team of orthopaedists from the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences Hospital, Shillong, for animal studies to validate and fine-tune certain parameters.

“The research is useful because incidences of thigh bone and hip fractures have increased significantly due to the increasing geriatric population in the world. An estimated 2 lakh hip fractures occur every year in India alone, most of which require hospitalisation and trauma care. Treatment for hip fractures traditionally includes bone plates and rods to bridge the fracture site and promote bone healing,” said Pratik Nag, research scholar at IIT Guwahati.

“Fracture treatment methods are intuitively chosen by surgeons based on their experience, and there is no way of predicting the efficacy and success of the treatment method chosen. Our research will help increase the accuracy rate in decision-making in orthopaedics, thereby reducing the cost and disease burden associated with fracture recovery,” he added.

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Pay equity: BCCI announces equal match fee for its men and women cricketers

In a revolutionary decision, the BCCI on Thursday announced equal match fees for its centrally-contracted female and male players in a bid to tackle gender discrimination.

BCCI secretary Jay Shah took to Twitter to announce the development.

“I’m pleased to announce @BCCI’s first step towards tackling discrimination. We are implementing pay equity policy for our contracted @BCCIWomen cricketers. The match fee for both Men and Women Cricketers will be same as we move into a new era of gender equality in Cricket,” Shah tweeted.

As per the newly introduced system, the Indian women’s cricketers will now receive Rs 15 lakh per Test, Rs 6 lakh per ODI, and Rs 3 lakh per T20I, the same as their male counterparts.

“The @BCCIWomen cricketers will be paid the same match fee as their male counterparts. Test (INR 15 lakhs), ODI (INR 6 lakhs), T20I (INR 3 lakhs). Pay equity was my commitment to our women cricketers and I thank the Apex Council for their support,” Shah added.

Earlier this year, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) had struck a deal with the country’s players’ association, which enabled the women cricketers to earn as much as the male players, while Cricket Australia (CA) is also working to do away with gender disparity.

Terming it a major victory for women cricketers across the nation, the Chairperson, NCW, Rekha Sharma said in the statement that this is a historic decision for women’s cricket in India. She also said that at last the voice of women cricketers was now being heard.

“Women cricketers earning the same match fee as their male counterparts heralds a new era of equal opportunities and is a significant advancement toward achieving gender equality. Additionally, it will also encourage greater participation of women in sports,” the statement from the NCW said.

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Canadian city gets first turban-wearing Sikh woman councillor

Indo-Canadian healthcare worker Navjit Kaur Brar has become the first turban-wearing Sikh woman to be elected as Brampton City Councillor in the recent Municipal council polls.

Brar, a respiratory therapist and a mother of three, won the race for City Councillor in Wards 2 and 6, beating Jermaine Chambers, a former Conservative MP candidate for Brampton West.

Brar had 28.85 per cent of the votes cast on Monday with Chambers as nearest contender with 22.59 per cent, and Carmen Wilson coming in third at 15.41 per cent, the Brampton Guardian reported.

“I am so proud of @Navjitkaurbrar. She was a selfless and dedicated front line healthcare worker during the pandemic. She has stepped up for public service and I am confident she will be a phenomenal addition to Brampton City Council,” tweeted Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, who won a second term in recent election.

As part of her campaign she knocked over 40,000 doors and spoked to over 22,500 residents in the last two months.

“Over the past 3 years, I’ve spoken to countless Bramptonians and the sentiment I hear is that they are all hurting, they feel unheard, they feel left behind. With the rising cost of living It’s getting harder to raise and provide for your family in Brampton… As your city councillor I will fight for better services for all Bramptonians and ensure that your voices are heard,” Brar had said in her campaign pitch.

Brar previously ran as the Ontario NDP candidate in Brampton West, losing out to incumbent Progressive Conservative MPP Amarjot Sandhu.

Another Sikh candidate, Gurpartap Singh Toor, knocked off his opponent Gurpreet Dhillon in Wards 9 and 10 by a scant 227 votes.

As many as 40 Punjabis were in the fray for Brampton civic elections, according to local media reports.

Out of 354,884 eligible voters in Brampton, only 87,155 of them turned up to cast ballots — an abysmal voter turnout of approximately 24.56 per cent, according to unofficial results, The Pointer reported.

The Indo-Canadian community, along with the councillor candidates, had raised concerns over the election date overlapping with Diwali — one of the most-awaited festivals celebrated by the large swathe of Indian diaspora present in the North American country.

“It is very problematic that the elections are taking place on the Diwali day, especially the municipal election that has always seen a low voter turnout,” Gurpratap Singh Toor, who has won Wards 9 and 10, had told Omni Punjabi.

Elections for municipal government are held every four years on the fourth Monday of October, which fell on October 24 this time.

These polls usually elect a mayor and city council and sometimes also a school board.

Around 40 per cent of Brampton’s population is South Asian, and the municipal election also fell on the religious festival of Diwali, celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains.

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Indian Navy & Drone Federation of India collaborate to promote indigenous development of drones

The Technology Development and Acceleration Cell of the Naval Innovation Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) under the Indian Navy and Drone Federation of India (DFI) have come together to collaborate towards promoting indigenous development, manufacturing and testing of drone, counter-drone, and associated technologies for the Indian Navy.

As a part of this collaboration, TDAC and DFI will increase the Navy-Industry-Academia synergy, source technology development challenges towards component indigenisation. A special maritime drone testing site shall also be earmarked for the Indian drone industry to facilitate faster development and testing of drones especially in maritime environments, thus enabling development for a host of applications.

Additionally, programmes on sensitisation and skill development shall also be undertaken as a part of this collaboration. “TDAC has been working towards accelerating the development of indigenous technologies to be utilised by the Indian Navy. Our collaboration with the Drone Federation of India will help us in developing a deeper industry connection as well as create a stronger roadmap for induction of drone platforms in the Indian Navy in a time-bound manner.” said Cmde A. P. Golaya, VSM, OiC TDAC, Indian Navy.

“It is a proud moment for the Indian drone industry to have established a partnership with the Indian Navy to build and test superior drone platforms. The maritime testing site being developed under this initiative will accelerate the development of versatile and reliable drone platforms for advanced maritime use cases like maritime patrol, drone landings on moving ships, ship to ship deliveries, ship to shore deliveries, etc.” said Smit Shah, President, Drone Federation of India

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SS Rajamouli’s RRR wins Best International Film award at 50th Saturn Awards: ‘We’re super elated’

RRR has minted over Rs 1000 crore at the worldwide box office. It tells the story of two freedom fighters and friends — Alluri Sitarama Raju (played by Ram Charan) and Jr NTR as Komaram Bheem, who fight side by side against the British.

SS Rajamouli directorial RRR has won the Best International Film award at the 50th Saturn Awards. It was nominated in multiple categories, including Best International Film, Best Action Adventure and Best Director.

While Rajamouli was himself not there to receive the honour, an AV was played in which he was seen giving a thank you speech.

“I am so glad that our film RRR has won the Saturn Award in the Best International Film category. I thank the jury on behalf of our entire team. We’re super elated. This is also my second Saturn Award. The first one I had got for Baahubali: The Conclusion. I wish I was there in person, but due to my prior commitments related to RRR promotions in Japan, unfortunately I am not able to attend. I would like to congratulate all the other winners. Hope you are having a great time. Have fun, namaste,” the director said in a video shared by the Twitter handle of Saturn Awards.

In the Action Adventure category, the feature was competing with Death on the Nile, F9: The Fast Saga, No Time to Die, Top Gun: Maverick, and West Side Story. Meanwhile, it was in the running for Best International Film award with movies like Downton Abbey: A New Era, Eiffel, I’m Your Man, Riders of Justice, and Silent Night.

On the other hand, SS Rajamouli was competing for the Best Director trophy against Guillermo del Toro (Nightmare Alley), Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick), Jordan Peele (Nope), Matt Reeves (The Batman), Steven Spielberg (West Side Story), and Jon Watts (Spider-Man: No Way Home).

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“Greatest Privilege”: Rishi Sunak, First Indian-Origin UK Prime Minister

UK is facing an economically toxic combination of recession and rising interest rates. Critics blame the economic downturn on the Conservative Party and what they call its “series of miscalculations”.

Rishi Sunak is the next Prime Minister of UK, tasked to steer the economically floundering nation days after his predecessor Liz Truss stepped down, conceding defeat. At age 42, he is the youngest and the first person of colour to hold the post.

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Ayodhya sets world record by lighting over 15 lakh diyas on Deepotsav in PM Modi’s presence

Modi also offered prayers to Ram Lalla at Ram Janmbhoomi in Ayodhya. This is Modi’s first visit to Ayodhya after a “bhoomi pujan” for the construction of a Ram temple on August 5, 2020.

Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya set a new Guinness World Record for lighting the maximum number of earthen lamps – over 15 lakh- on the banks of the Saryu as Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the historic Deepotsav celebrations on Sunday, on the eve of the festival of Diwali.

Modi and chief minister Adityanath displayed the Guinness Record certificate on the occasion.

Beginning his speech with ‘Jai Shri Ram’, Modi addressed a gathering on the occasion of Deepotsav. “From the holy birthplace of Lord Ram, I pass on Diwali wishes to my countrymen,” Modi said.

Modi also said people have to learn as much as they can from Lord Ram.
“Lord Ram doesn’t leave anyone behind, doesn’t turn away from anyone,” Modi said.

Earlier, Modi offered prayers to Ram Lalla at Ram Janmbhoomi in Ayodhya. This is Modi’s first visit to Ayodhya after a “bhoomi pujan” for the construction of a Ram temple on August 5, 2020.

“I got the opportunity of Lord Ram’s darshan due to his blessings; happy that people across the world watching Deepotsav celebrations in Ayodhya,” Modi said.

Immediately after reaching Ayodhya for the Deepotsav celebrations, the PM went to the makeshift Ram temple and offered prayers to Ram Lalla. He lit an earthen lamp there and performed an “aarti”. Temple chief priest Acharya Satyendra Das applied vermillion on his forehead.

Modi was also briefed by officials on the construction going on for a grand Ram temple at the site. Modi also performed the Rajyabhishek of the symbolic Bhagwan Ram in Ayodhya.

“Shri Ram Lalla’s ‘Darshan’ and then ‘Rajyabhishek’ of King Ram, this good fortune is obtained only by the grace of Lord Ram. This Deepawali has come at a time when we have completed 75 years of independence. ‘Sankalp Shakti’ of Lord Ram will take India to new heights,” the PM added.

Earlier, Modi was welcomed by governor Anandiben Patel and chief minister Yogi Adityanath. He attended the Deepotsav celebrations.

Ayodhya divisional commissioner Navdeep Rinwa had earlier said more than 15 lakh earthen lamps will be lit as part of the Deepotsav celebrations by over 22,000 volunteers at Ram ki Paidi near the Saryu bank. The rest will be placed at important intersections and spots in the town.

Five animated tableaux and 11 Ramlila tableaux showcasing dance forms from different states will also be presented during the Deepotsav.

“Deepotsav of Ayodhya started 6 years ago with the guidance and inspiration of PM Narendra Modi. This festival of UP became a festival of the country. Today, it is touching new heights of success,” Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on the occasion.

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ISRO’s dedicated commercial satellite mission LVM3-M2/OneWeb India-1 lifts off 

The heaviest rocket of the Indian Space Research Organisation– LVM3-M2/OneWeb India-1 blasted off from this spaceport on Sunday to place 36 broadband communication satellites into the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) for a UK-based customer.

NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), a central public sector enterprise under the Department of Space, had earlier signed two launch service contracts with the London-headquartered Network Access Associated Limited (OneWeb) for launching OneWeb LEO satellites on board ISRO’s LVM3.

OneWeb is a private satellite communications company, in which India’s Bharti Enterprises is a major investor and shareholder.

On Sunday, the 43.5 metre tall rocket soared majestically at 12.07 am from the second launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre here at the end of the 24-hour countdown.

The vehicle is also dubbed as one of the heaviest for its ability to carry satellites upto 8,000 kg.

The mission assumes significance as this was LVM3’s maiden commercial mission and also NSIL’s first with the said launch vehicle.

According to ISRO, the mission has the heaviest payloads with 36 satellites of OneWeb, becoming the first Indian rocket with a payload of 5,796 kg.

The launch is also first for LVM3-M2 to place the satellites in the Low Earth Orbit (up to 1,200 kms above the earth) unlike Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).

ISRO scientists have rechristened the launch vehicle its present name from GSLV-MKK III as the newest rocket is capable of launching 4,000 kilogram class of satellites into GTO and 8,000 kgs of payloads into LEO.

GSLV-Mk III had four successful missions in the past. LVM3-M2 is a three-stage launch vehicle consisting of two solid propellant S200 strap-ons on its sides and core stage comprising L110 liquid stage and C25 cryogenic stage.

OneWeb Ltd is a global communication network powered from space, enabling internet connectivity for governments and businesses.

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Chhattisgarh potter’s ‘magical’ lamp burns for 100 hours 

 An innovative earthen lamp, dubbed as ‘jadui (magical) diya’ has brought a rural potter from Chhattisgarh in focus among buyers from all over the country. The unique traditional lamp,  designed in the attractive shape of being mounted on an elephant, can burn continuously for over 100 hours without the need of a refill.  

Tucked away in the remote area of Kumharpara at Kondagaon district of the state, Ashok Chakradhari, 53, can be spotted occupied endlessly through the day at his ‘Jhitku-Mitki Terracotta Kala Kendra’, various other earthen products. Some 12-15 people work in his team throughout the year. Chakradhari had earlier designed a diya with a flame that remained alive for 24 hours. 

Chakradhari is slowly gaining popularity on the social media, and is  delighted that his efforts to reintroduce the traditional craft are gaining wide appreciation. “I also access YouTube channels for better understanding of techniques. The latest earthen lamp mounted on an elephant is actually an improvement over my previous product,” he told this newspaper. “It has a dome-shaped receptacle to hold oil, which 
is attached with a tube-like mould to the base of the lamp that burns for over 100 hours,” he added.

According to Chakradhari, the principle it works on is simple physics, and continuous oil flow is transmitted to the lamp, which is made of soil mixed with a little river sand. “People call it a magic lamp,” Chakradhari said. He further added that the product is a result of his zeal combined with experience and acquired knowledge that have helped him in the creative field.

The cost of a single lamp, which weighs around 3 kilogram, is Rs 2,000. “We need to connect four separate parts into one piece using a traditional touch of design. I haven’t put a high price for the ‘magic lamp’ as it has brought me so much fame,” he said.

Chakradhari, however, is not able to sell as many pieces as he would like to. He lives at a remote place, located around 230 km from Raipur, and has no access to e-commerce platforms. Also, he is preoccupied with meeting the demands throughout the year.  Now, some youths of Raipur pursuing business under the banner of ‘loca-bazar’ have facilitated online marketing for his products.  

“My customers comprise the common man as well as VIPs. I usually sell my products from my home when the customers visit me to buy them for personal use or bulk orders. Transporting orders is a constraint for me due to issues like lack of proper packaging and risk of damage,” he said.

Chakradhari said he always tries to blend his passion for indigenous products with innovation as value addition. “It is a bit laborious work, and the effort needs meticulous attention in handwork,” he added.  He also gained knowledge by participating in several exhibitions in different states. His growing popularity has helped in bringing recognition to his centre at Kumharpada where two governors have visited in recent years.

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