‘We are now into seismically active period’

21 October 2012

In the wake of increased seismic activity globally in the recent years and clustering of major earthquakes, well-established theories on the occurrence of temblors were coming into question, according to R.K. Chadha, Chief Scientist at CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) here.

Talking to The Hindu , he said that during the last eight years, starting with the 9.3 magnitude earthquake off the Sumatra coast in 2004, there have been seven temblors of magnitude 8 and above in the Sumatra-Java region and two of them occurred this year….

Read more: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/we-are-now-into-seismically-active-period/article4018243.ece

National Botanical Research Institute can help farmers raise agro income: Abdul Kalam

26 October 2012

LUCKNOW: The former President APJ Abdul Kalam, who began his speech at NBRI by waving at his young friends, hailed the institute’s contribution in applied areas of plant diversity. He suggested the National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) should prepare an atlas of plants of Indo-Gangetic plains which would aid the farmers in choosing the right kind of plantation according to the area and its conservation…..

Read more: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-10-26/lucknow/34748755_1_nbri-director-jatropha-cultivation-president-apj-abdul-kalam

Need to improve technology highlighted at three-day national symposium

31 October 2012

CHANDIGARH: Council of Scientific & Industrial Research-Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIR-CSIO) celebrated its foundation day and hosted a three-day national symposium on instrumentation in collaboration with Instrument Society of India on Tuesday…….

Read more: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/need-to-improve-technology-highlighted-at-threeday-national-symposium/1024439/

Rising cost of science journals worries top science officials

25 October 2012

New Delhi: Even as India has announced plans to significantly raise its research and development budget during the 12th Five-Year Plan (2012-17), its top science officials say they can’t afford to subscribe to international science journals.

While India is yet to publicize the 12th Plan document, officials said that science departments wanted Rs.500 crore for international journal subscriptions during the five-year period, a fivefold increase over what was needed in the 11th Plan.

While slowing economic growth and concerns over a yawning fiscal deficit has meant a tightening of the purse strings, science officials said that the government wanted to rein in spending on journals, mainly because of “concerns over profiteering”, or the practice of pricing journals way over what it cost to publish them.

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India’s largest science body with 39 laboratories, subscribes to more than 8,000 academic journals. It said that its contracts with several international publishers would end by the year end and it still hadn’t decided on renewing them.

“I can’t afford their exorbitant prices,” said Samir Brahmachari, director general, CSIR. “We are still negotiating but publishers seem to expect too much of a margin on publishing journals. That’s unacceptably high.”…..

Read more: http://www.livemint.com/Politics/trpj70vM3TaZW8j64orqMJ/Rising-cost-of-science-journals-worries-top-science-official.html

National Botanical Research Institute undertook 84 research project

26 October 2012

LUCKNOW: The annual report of CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute was released on Thursday, on the occasion of annual day and diamond jubilee celebrations of the institute. During 2011-12, NBRI undertook wide range of research activities under 84 R&D projects. The scientists of the institute published as many as 167 research papers in leading national and international journals. CSIR Botanic Garden has been recognized as ‘DUS test centres’ for Bougainvillea, Canna and Gladiolus by the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Right Authority (PPV and FRA), Union ministry of agriculture…..

Read more: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-10-26/lucknow/34748757_1_nbri-research-project-translational-research

Focus on farmers, climate change: APJ Abdul Kalam tells scientists

26 October 2012

LUCKNOW: Urging scientists to undertake research keeping in mind the interest of society, especially farmers, and climate change, former President APJ Abdul Kalam today called for greater participation in protecting the climate while pushing for ‘clean’ energy sources of solar, wind, bio-fuel, hydro-power and nuclear energy.

“Scientists should undertake research which serves the society while also keeping the environment in mind,” Kalam said. “Every year, 36 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide is released in the environment globally and in 60 years, as per World Energy Forum data, all fossil fuels, except coal, would be exhausted,” he said. Hence, we urgently require a portfolio of renewable energy, Kalam said, speaking at the 60th anniversary celebrations of National Botanical Research Institute — a lab under Delhi- based Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)……

Read more: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/focus-on-farmers-climate-change-apj-abdul-kalam-tells-scientists/1022240/

‘Be imaginative, creative’

26 October 2012

LUCKNOW: Calling out a pledge and asking his “young friends” to repeat was the characteristic Kalam at the National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI).

“Imagination leads to creativity; creativity leads to thinking; thinking provides knowledge and knowledge makes you great,” was the first lesson imparted by former President of India APJAbdul Kalam to the students in form of a pledge at the National Botanical Research Institute on Thursday…..

Read more: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-10-26/lucknow/34749000_1_solar-energy-fossil-fuels-india-apj

Wastes won’t go waste, to be used for road laying

25 October 2012

NEW DELHI: With rising construction cost and demand from various sectors for conventional building materials, a move is afoot to use waste material for laying roads. The 12 Five-Year Plan aims at giving a thrust to the initiative.

The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways favours utilisation of waste materials as reserves of traditional materials are declining, making extraction of quality inputs dearer.

The Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) has gained expertise in use of agricultural, municipal, construction and demolition wastes, metallurgical industry waste and by-products, quarry waste, pulverised fuel ash, diamond mine waste and paper industry waste……

Read more: http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/wastes-wont-go-waste-to-be-used-for-road-laying/article4028615.ece

Don’t pull this crab down

24 October 2012

The Horseshoe Crab is one of the few surviving links between the prehistoric times and the modern age. These creatures date back to 500 million years and have remained largely unchanged in all these ages. But now, they face extinction and desperately need our help.

…..The National Institute of Oceanography in Goa has been researching and lobbying for the protection of the Horsehoe Crab for years and has nine patents pending directly related to the medical value of the crab. In spite of all this research and the wealth of information which has been collected, there is still a lot we do not know or understand about the Horseshoe crab. For instance they are found only the eastern coast of a landmass. In India, the Horseshoe Crab is found in Odisha and patches of mangrove forests along the Bay of Bengal…..

Read more:http://www.dailypioneer.com/columnists/item/52698-don%E2%80%99t-pull-this-crab-down.html

A fun way to learn how science applies to kitchen activities

24 October 2012

PUNE: Why do a few drops of iodine turn raw bananas black, but have no effect on ripe bananas? How do you determine the content of vitamin C in colas? How do you measure acidic level of food using red cabbage juice? These and many such intriguing questions about application of science in day-to-day kitchen activities will be answered by scientist Magesh Nandagopal at the ‘exciting science programme’ to be held at the National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) on Pashan Road at 9.30 am on October 28. Entry is free for all students……

Read more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/A-fun-way-to-learn-how-science-applies-to-kitchen-activities/articleshow/16933638.cms