Science in India Newsletter

Index

S&T Policies:

 S&T Policies:

1. Government earmarks Rs 600 Cr. p.a. For Research activities

Aiming to increase the number of Ph.Ds in universities by five times in ten years, the Ministry of HRD has asked the UGC (University Grant Commission) to earmark 20 per cent of their budget, which is about Rs 600 crore (approx. € 90.5 million) per annum, for supporting research activities in these institutions.
About Rs 400 crore (approx. € 60.3 million) will be spent on infrastructural development, including setting up new laboratories and facilities. About 150 crore (approx. € 22.5 million) will be spent on setting up ten centres of Basic sciences, a senior ministry official said.
These centres will work on physical sciences, chemical sciences, life sciences, material sciences and mathematical sciences in leading universities.
They will promote collaborative research and impart training in frontier areas of sciences.
Formal linkage between universities and national level institutions, including laboratories of CSIR, will be promoted through joint research projects and training.
The system of Winter and Summer schools, which provide short-duration programmes on science will be supported.
The UGC will also support colleges by providing Rs five lakh (approx. € 7,500) each to 700 science departments in 97 colleges, Rs five crore (approx. € 754,150) per annum will be spend towards research fellowships and post-doctoral fellowships. All PG programmes on science and research will have in-built component on research.

PTI Science Service (June1-15,2009)             

                                                                                          

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has drawn up a 100-day action plan to reverse brain drain and set up new facilitiesits Director General Sameer Brahmachari said.
“Though scientific research cannot be boxed in a tight time schedule, still CSIR has drawn up an action plan to reverse the brain drain by starting recruitment of 100 scientists”, Brahmachari said.
The director general said CSIR was planning to set up a high-altitude biological research centre at Lahual valley in the state at a height of more than 11,000 feet (approx. 3,353 m).
Brahmachari said the council has also launched an ambitious programme CSIR-800 with a view to benefit the lower strata of society.
A two-year training programme was also being launched, he added.
Earlier, the CSIR DG AND Union Minister of Science and Technology Prithviraj Chavan had addressed the silver jubilee functionnn of thInstitutetete of Himalayan Bio-resource Technology (IHBT) Palampur through video conferencing.
 
PTI Science Service (July 1-15,2009)

                                                                                        

ISRO's plan to send a man in space got a boost as Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee allocated a sizeable share of the Rs 1,460 crore (approx. € 220 million) hike in the budgetary allocation for the Department of Space to the project.
Mukherjee, in the Union Budget presented to the Parliament on July six, allocated Rs 4,959 crore (approx. € 748 million) to the Department of Space as against Rs 3,499 crore (approx. € 527.7 million) in the previous year.
The Human Space Flight Programme of the Department, which governs ISRO, has been given Rs 230 crore (approx. € 34.7 million) in the budget, as against Rs 42,01 crore (approx. € 6.3 million) in the previous year.
The project to develop a Semi Cryogenic Engine for its launch vehicles was allocated Rs 155 crore (approx. € 23.4 million). The engines, which use liquid oxygen and highly refined kerosene, are aimed at reducing cost of space launches.
The bulk of enhanced funds will be used in ongoing projects like development of the advanced rocket geo-synchronous launch vehicle (GSLV) Mark III to launch a four-tonne communication satellites apart from the existing polar satellite

                                                                                          

 Research:

4. India's first stem cell transplant for traumatic brain injury

A 27-year old woman, suffering from severe disability for the past one year following an accident, has successfully underwent brain stem cell transplant surgery, the first such case in the country, doctors at a superspeciality hospital in Bangalore have claimed.
“The patient was suffering from altered sensorium, severe cognitive dysfunction and lack of movement in limbs. Following the surgery she has now regained full consciousness, memory, communication abilities and purposive movements in limbs,” Dr. N K Venkataramana, Chief Neurosurgeon and Vice-Chairma, BGS Global Hospitals, said.
The patient was admitted in an unconscious state with severe injury and on first examination doctors gave her only 20 per cent chances for survival.
“It was perplexing that the woman did not show any improvements depsite all available treatment in the last one year and ultimately the possibilities of stem cell therapy was considered after discussions with her family and it proved successful, “ Chief Neurosurgeon said.
“This is an eye opener that there is a possibility of reactivating brain cells following injury with very gratifying clinical results. To our knowledge such attempts were made only in China. This is the first attempt in this country and India is the second country in the world to use such therapy,” he said.

For nearly 5 years, the hospital has been involved in stem cell therapy for neurodegenerative disorders and spinal cord injury and over the years it has established safety standards for stem cell transplants in the brain.
Dr Satish Totey, Chief Scientific Officer, Stempeutics Research Pvt Ltd, where the stem cells were prepared, said they were looking at bringing out stem cells as a “product” by 2011.
The patient Madhu Mallika, who underwent the surgery wherein bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells were transplanted on both sides of her brain on March 18 last, was discharged on April 3.
“At the time of discharge, she was on PEG feeding, urinary catheter, no useful limb movements and no verbal response. It is only a month after the transplantation that she started showing rapid improvement in her brain functions,”Venkataramana said.
She became conscious, started verbalising and was able to communicate with her parents, able to recognise family and friends and started moving her hands and legs purposefully.
Her memory had recovered completely, eye movements were full and vision was normal. She was undergoing physiotherapy as she had developed severe stiffness in joints due to prolonged stay in bed, he said.
“It may take her a couple of months to be more active,” Venkataramana said, claiming the hospital charged only for the stem cells which cost nearly Rs 75,000 (approx. € 1,130).

PTI Science Service (June 16-30,2009)
                                                                                          

In an attempt to prevent Aedes mosquito-borne diseases like dengue and chikungunya, a new technology developed by Oxford University will be lab-tested in India to check the breeding of the vectors following a green signal from the Union Government.
Scientist at Oxford University and its offshoot company Oxitec have come up with a new technology whereby genetically modified male Aedes mosquitoes could be released to mate with females of the species, and the resulting larvae are destined to perish without becoming adults.
It is hoped that sustained releases of this mosquito could suppress the population of the biting female mosquitoes below the level at which they cannot spread these diseases. Since only the non-biting male mosquitoes would be used, there would be no increase in biting or transmission of any disease.
After two years of review and inspections, India's Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation (RCGM) under the Department of Biotechnology has given permission to the International Institute of Biotechnology and Toxicology (IIBAT) near Chennai to import eggs of the species to conduct tests under containment. RCGM has also appointed a five-member sub-committee of government experts to oversee these experiments.
A recent survey by Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad had concluded that the above-mentioned diseases led to a burden of Rs 380 crore (approx. € 57.3 million) on Gujarat and Rs. 6,120 crore (approx. € 923 million) on the country.
In July, the Indian Council of Medical Research centre in Madurai hosted the annual meeting of the Asian centre for training in biosafety assessment for human health and the environment using genetically modified disease vectors set up by the WHO. It was attended by 50 scientists and decision-makers from thirteen countries.
Genetically modified insects are not new. They have been around since the early eighties in laboratories around the world. Only recently have they started to progress from laboratory to field, so agencies such as the WHO and the UNDP are helping to build guidance and capacity to benefit endemic countries.

PTI Science Service (August 1-15,2009)

                                                                                          

Due to sea warming, the frequency of “intense” cyclones in the Arabian Sea has increased five-fold between 1995 and 2007 when compared to the previous 25 years, according to an Indian study.
“Global warming has resulted in disruption of natural decadal cycle in the sea surface temperature of Arabian Sea after 1995”, a research study by Goa-based National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) said.
The effects of this climate-shift are also perceptible over the adjacent landmass, as it has led to warmer winters and decreased decadal monsoon rainfall, as the Indian summer monsoon is driven by the land-ocean thermal contrast.
The study points out that it is not just the frequency but also the intensity of cyclones that has increased in recent years.
According to researchers, cyclones having wind speed of over 100 km per hour have been designated as “most intense cyclones”.
Researchers have raised serious concerns over food and water security of the country. Warmer winters are associated with a 16-fold fall in decadal wheat production after 1995, while decreased decadal rainfall was accompanied by a decline in vegetation cover and increased frequency in heat spells. 80 per cent of the rainfall in India occurs during summer monsoon.
Details of the findings are compiled in the study paper “Response of Arabian Sea to Global Warming and Associated Regional Climate Shift” authored by the researchers of the NIO.

PTI Science Service (August 1-15,2009)

 Academic Exchange/ Education:

7. 'Nobel Laureates' Meet great platform for Indian scientists

India's presence as the first “partner country” at the Nobel Laureates' meeting in Lindau (Germany) was a great opportunity to present research work being carried out by Indians to international scientists, Union Minister for Science and Technology, Prithviraj Chavan said.
India has been featured as the first “partner country” at the 59th annual meeting of Nobel laureates, to honour “impressive” achievements in the field of science and technology.
In an interview Chavan said India's presentation had a a food impact on around 600 participants as well as 23 Nobel laureates from 67 countries attending the meeting.
“It has generated so much interest among participants that several nations are now keen to follow India's lead,” Chavan said.
The week-long meetings provided an opportunity for 50 young scientists from the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and other scientific institutions to take part in a series of lectures, seminars and podium discussions.
They also had the opportunity to meet several of the Nobel laureates attending the meetings.
Chavan visited the Nobel Laureates Meeting to be part of the “India Day”.
He also met representatives of the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research as well as senior officials of several German scientific, educational and research organisations working in cooperation with India.
The minister said that he would explore possibilities for convening a similar event in India to provide a forum for young scientists from all over the country to meet together, exchange ideas and to share their experiences.
“Such meetings will have a long-term impact on promoting science and technology education in India”, he said.
He expressed hope that such an international exposure would contribute to greater interest in science studies among the youth in India.

PTI Science Service (June 16-30,2009)

 Miscellaneous:
 

8. 20 Indo-German projects to be promoted in India

Bangalore, June 17: As many as 20 Indo-German projects will be promoted in India in the next two years under BMBF (Federal Ministry of Education and Research) Campaign "India and Germany-Strategic Partners for Innovation", a top official of a German delegation said.
"Under the 20 million Euro BMBF campaign spread over ten years, 20 Indo-German projects will be promoted in India in the next two years", Friedrich Rahn, Acting Consul General of Federal Republic of Germany, heading the 18-member delegation which is on a visit to India under the aegis of BMBF told reporters here on Wednesday.
The purpose of the delegation which is in the city is "not only to participate in Bangalore Bio 2009 which begins here tomorrow, but also to explore collaborative research opportunities with Indian Industry and Academia", he said.
Funding will also be made available for joint collaborative projects under the German Bilateral Programme, Rahn said.
The campaign launched in Delhi last year aims at advertising Germany as an excellent research location and to attract direct investments in this sphere.

Source: Zeenews

India bagged three silver and two bronze medals at the 50th International Mathematical Olympiad which concluded at Bremen, Germany on July 21.
A total of 108 countries participated in the event for young meritorious students in mathematics.
India was represented by a six member team led by C R Pranechar of the Mathematical Olympiad Cell at the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education. Zafar Ahmad of BARC was deputy leader of the team, and S A Katre of the University of Pune accompanied them as an observer.

PTI Science Service (August 1-15,2009)

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