.

The Man Who Taught India to Dream is No More

The inspiration of an entire generation, the brilliance that inspired millions with a message of hope and

excellence, is no more. The 11th President of India (20022007), Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam died on 27th July,

2015 at a hospital in Meghalaya, where he had gone to deliver a lecture on Livable Planet, at the IIM

Shillong. Dr Kalam reportedly collapsed on stage and was rushed to the Bethany hospital. Doctors said that

he suffered from a massive cardiac arrest.

Born on 15th October 1931, he was a man of hard work and highest integrity. As a student of physics, he

was later gripped with aerospace engineering. In a career that spans from scientific excellence to inspira-

tional hero, he was Indias icon. He was project director of India's first indigenous satellite launch vehicle.

Dr. Kalam was subsequently responsible for the evolution of ISRO's (India's equivalent of NASA) launch

vehicle program. He was the Scientific Adviser to Defense Minister of India and Secretary, Department of

Defense Research & Development. He also played a major role in the Pokhran-II tests. Rather,

scientifically, Dr. Kalam put India on the map. He headed Indias missile development efforts.

August, 2015

.

2

In spite of his high intellect, Mr Kalam was soft-spoken, always pictured with a kind smile. He is known for

his work with students. His 79th birthday was recognized as "World Student's Day" by the United Nations.

According to a 2010 Readers Digest poll, he is one of the two most trusted men in India. One of India's most

accomplished scientists. Dr.Kalam was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1981, Padma Vibhushan in 1990 and

Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor, in 1997. In 2013 hw got Wernher von Braun Memorial award

from the National Space Society.

On Key to a Livable Planet Earth, the joint statement of Dr. Kalam, and Mr. Mark Hopkins, Executive

Committee Chairman, National Space Society, dated June 1, 2013, says We, Dr. Kalam and Mr. Hop-

kins, have long shared humanity's dream of all nations living

together in prosperity and peace and moving forwards

through global collaboration in space to meet the challenges

that now face our Planet Earth. We are conscious that all na-

tions have to strive to make our planet livable again, after

centuries of devastation of its environment and ecosystems

and rapid depletion of its precious mineral resources, includ-

ing fossil fuels and fresh water. We will help accomplish this

through collaborative practices that are the true hallmark of

effective global cooperation for a livable planet Earth.

Kalam and Hopkins discuss joint statement at the 2013 International Space Development Conference (ISDC)

Till the last breath, his works were extensively on his vision for India, inspiring multitudes of youth.

We Salute his Soul which Ignited Our Minds!!!

.

3

All India Coordinated Project for Special Research in Food Quality

Indian Council of Agricultural Research has sanctioned a new All India Coordinated project on home science

to Tamil Nadu Agricultural University to brace research in achieving the common goal of food and nutrition

security. The funding was to the tune of Rs 67 lakh per annum, which would facilitate scientists to work in

the area of Food and Nutrition and the project will be implemented from the current year at Home Science

College and Research Institute, Madurai, a constituent college of TNAU. Intensive research on value addition

of millets, development of functional foods and nutraceutical foods, foods to address micro nutrient deficien-

cy and lifestyle disorders with specific reference to food safety and quality would be taken up in this program.

Sustainability of food security is one of the important objectives that underlie the entire gamut of work of the

university and the core of food security is nutritional security--access to healthy food and optimal nutrition for

all. Though India has attained self-sufficiency in food production, about 30% perishables and 10% durables

are lost due to improper handling. TNAU has a mission to ensure food and nutrition security by minimizing

post-harvest losses and development of value added products through promotion of specific focused interven-

tions, research and advocacy. As one of its strategies, a new under graduate degree program on B.Sc (Food

Science and Nutrition) has been introduced from this academic year. This program has special emphasis on

food safety and quality control that are going to be key players in future food system and nutrition - sensitive

agriculture.

.

4

Centre approves agriculture

University in Bihar

The Indian government today gave nod

for creation of a central agriculture uni-

versity in Samastipur with an outlay of Rs

295 crore. Besides, Cabinet gave 'in-

principle' approval for reviving the Bana-

na Research Centre at Goraul in Vaishali,

sources said. The decision was approved

by the Union Cabinet, days before Prime

Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the

state to launch four new schemes at the

87th foundation day of Indian Council of

Agricultural Research (ICAR) to be held

at Patna on July 25, they added.

According to the decision, the existing

state agriculture university at PUSA will

be converted into an international level

institution through strengthening of in-

frastructure, manpower and other provi-

sions. "The university will have six colleg-

es, seven research institutes and eleven

Krishi Vigyan Kendras to begin with, and

will be greatly strengthened with facilities

such as state-of -the-art laboratories," a

source said.

The university will also have modern

equipment, adequate teaching manpower

and necessary civil infrastructure and co-

pious operational provisions to perform

on-farm research and frontline extension,

sources said. The government is commit-

ted to the task of enhancing agriculture

production in eastern region, thereby im-

proving the economic condition of the

farmers of the region.

Scientists find potential new HIV therapy

Scientists have discovered a way to block replication of the most

common form of HIV at a key moment when the infection is just

starting to develop. Transmitted through bodily fluids, the HIV-1 vi-

rus infects and destroys key immune cells, known as CD4 T cells,

that would ordinarily mount a defense against the virus and initiate

the antiviral activity of other immune cells. Scientists have long

known that a substance produced by CD4 T cells called Interleukin-

21 (IL-21) plays an important role in the immune system by activat-

ing immune cells that specialise in killing viruses like HIV-1 and

driving the production of antibodies that attack them.

However, it was unclear how IL-21 might affect the early stages of

HIV-1 infection that allows the virus to grow and spread unabated

soon after a person is exposed. Researchers from Weill Cornell Med-

ical College, the Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital,

Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University con-

ducted two studies to uncover this effect. The researchers created a

culture from human tissues, primarily spleen and lymph node tissue.

After exposing the cells to IL-21, they introduced HIV-1 and found

that after 72 hours, cultures with IL-21 contained more than two-

thirds less virus than those that didn't receive the treatment. The se-

cond model tested IL-21 in mice transplanted with human stem cells

to create a physiological environment as close as possible to that in

people. Over the course of two weeks, the mice began producing IL-

21. After 14 days, more than half of the mice with IL-21 did not dis-

play a detectable level of HIV-1. An analysis of the results suggested

that IL-21 not only jump starts the immune system but also stops the

HIV-1 virus from replicating during a critical, early window of its

development, when it is concentrated in one location and has not yet

started to spread throughout the body.

continued...

.

5

James Cameron designs five huge flower-shaped solar arrays

James Cameron, the acclaimed film director, gave

his wife a bouquet of flowers, but not the normal

flowers you find at the local supermarket. It is a

flower garden consisting of five big photovoltaic

Sun Flowers that will generate electricity for Suzy

Amis Camerons sustainable school called MUSE

School.

My incredible husband really knows how to give a girl a bouquet of flowers, Suzy Amis-Cameron said dur-

ing the unveiling ceremony.

These solar bulbs are equipped with 24 solar panels, 14 petals on the outside and 10 panels in the middle

and move with the sun just like actual sunflowers do. According to inhabitots.com, this solar-powered garden

will offset the sites power usage by 75% to 90%.

James Cameron & his incredible team have just unveiled his new project which (in combination with the

powerwall) may very well have a tremendous impact on energy technology around the planet. When James

Cameron was working on Avatar several years back, it was a huge triumph that the energy used in making the

movie came entirely from solar power. James himself was an early adopter of solar technology, and has al-

ways been very interested in creating things for the benefit of mankind. Thus its only natural that him and his

team have now come out with a flower-shaped solar-power-plant that follows the sun, is open source, and is

hundreds of times more efficient than other panel technology.

Scientists find potential new HIV therapy

...continued

"This study highlights components of the human immune system that are capable of mounting an antiviral

response and driving intrinsic resistance to HIV-1," said senior author Dr Laurie H Glimcher, of Weill Cor-

nell Medical College. "We are hopeful that this knowledge will help bring us one step closer to shielding

patients from this deadly and complex virus," Glimcher said.

The reduction in viral load is due to the cascade of events initiated by IL-21. The investigators found that IL

-21 instructs CD4 T cells to increase the amount of a small RNA molecule. That molecule, microRNA-29

(miR-29), inhibits the replication of HIV-1, limiting the amount of virus produced from infected cells. "Our

study has uncovered a potentially potent arsenal that patients have against the virus. We think IL-21 is one

of those arsenals and that deploying it early will be very powerful in fighting the infection," said lead author

Dr Stanley Adoro, a postdoctoral associate in medicine in Glimcher's lab.

.

6

How an IITian is helping villagers in India to produce electricity

Yogeshwar Kumar is helping villag-

ers build and operate their own mi-

cro-hydro-power plants. At a time

when the world is questioning the

construction of mega dams in the

earthquake-prone and ecologically

sensitive Himalayas, Yogeshwar

Kumar's micro-hydro projects have

the potential to do exactly that. In

the last three decades, Kumar, an

alumnus of Indian Institute of Tech-

nology Delhi, has engaged with ru-

ral communities to build over 15

micro-hydro plants.

Constructed by villagers-turned-barefoot-engineers, these projects are also operated and maintained by them.

Every mountain stream flowing down a gradient is capable of producing some power - and every village com-

munity has it in its hands to tap it. In my estimate, every third village in the Himalayas can harness nearby

streams and waterfalls to become self-sufficient in power," says Kumar.Inspiring as the idea may be, it is cer-

tainly not new.

The first mini hydroelectric

project in India commenced

back in 1897 in Darjeeling. But

what sets Kumar's initiative

apart is his emphasis on com-

munity involvement and the

use of electricity to power rural

livelihood projects. "The idea

is to enable rural communities

to become self-sufficient," he

says.

.

7

"Although it was hard at the

outset to train the villagers,

who are mostly illiterate, in

power generation, the re-

sults have been great," says

Kumar.

Today, all the plants he has

set up in places as diverse as

Kargil (Ladakh), Agunda

and Budha Kedarnath

(Uttarakhand) and Kalahan-

di (Orissa) are being main-

tained by locals. Some of

these grassroots engineers are now training other villagers. So much so that when last year's cloudburst in Ut-

tarakhand damaged the Agunda project, the villagers ingeniously restored power temporarily by connecting

the plant to a newly created waterfall.

In the fortnight that followed, when the state grid remained switched off, villagers would trek 20 km to Agun-

da to recharge their mobile phones. The power generated doesn't only light up bulbs in rural homes, but can

also be used to set up myriad small-scale industries such as weaving, spinning, cold storages, milling of grains

and bakeries - especially as the electricity generated is not always used to its fullest capacity.

Story and Picture Courtesy: Rediff.com

Hello Kiddies, Here is your Answers!!!

1. Gold, Silver & Bronze

2. No

3. 0oC (32oF)

4. The Nile River

5. Cherry Tree

.

8

India Eyes Venus !!!

Encouraged by their successful Mars Orbiter

Mission (MOM) and the recent launch of five

British satellites into space, the Indian Space Re-

search Organisation (ISRO ) mulls next possible

space exploration destinations. According to

ISRO Chairman Kiran Kumar, one of the con-

sidered missions would visit Earths sister

planet Venus.

Besides the second Mars mission, we are look-

ing at Venus and even an asteroid for explora-

tion. A project has to be formulated for this be-

fore we chart out a proper roadmap for the explorations. Photo Credit: ISRO

Venus is our neighbor and has many scientific challenges and aspects that need to be studied. Exploring an

asteroid is also challenging task, Kumar said. ISRO is planning to issue a 10-year road map for planetary ex-

ploration in which it will lay out the proposed missions. The ISRO has seen success with the PSLV rocket.

Right now discussions are going on for one more mission to Mars or Venus or we should look at asteroids.

There is a science team which is going through this discussion, Kumar said.

Venus, one of the four terrestrial planets in the inner Solar System is called Earths sister planet because of

their similar size, mass, proximity to the Sun and bulk composition. However, the two worlds could not be

more different. It is shrouded by an opaque layer of highly reflective clouds of sulfuric acid, preventing its

surface from being seen from space in visible light. It may have had oceans in the past, but these would have

vaporized as the temperature rose due to a runaway greenhouse effect.

So far, only Russia, the United States, and the European Space Agency (ESA) have successfully sent their

missions to Venus. In December 2015, Japan will try to insert its Akatsuki probe into the planets orbit. Their

first attempt in 2010 had failed. In September 2014, when MOM successfully entered into Martian orbit,

ISRO became the fourth space agency to reach Mars. However, India is the first country in the world to enter

the orbit of the Red Planet on the first attempt. ISRO is also considering sending another spacecraft to the

Moon Chandrayaan 2. Right now it is going through the realization phase. Work is going on, Kumar re-

vealed. Chandrayaan 1 was Indias first lunar probe. It was launched in October 2008 and operated until Au-

gust 2009. The mission included a lunar orbiter and an impactor. The missions greatest achievement was the

discovery of the widespread presence of water molecules in the lunar soil.

.

9

U.S., India Seen Partnering for Deep Space Exploration, The unthinkable is already

happening in space

An Indo-U.S. deep space exploration mission is in the offing.

The unthinkable is already happening in space. India and America are together planning to explore the last

unknown frontier.Venus, Mars and an asteroid all could be the next big destinations that India will be ex-

ploring. The Indian Space Research Organization is now embarking on a new planet-hunting endeavor.

There are indications that the United States will be working with India in this "deep space exploration."

In the next few years another robust mission to planet Mars is being planned by ISRO. A possible fly-by to

an asteroid is likely. A small satellite aptly called Aditya will keep a constant eye on the ever-changing

moods of the Sun.

Speaking to students of the Indian Institute of Technology in Chennai, Richard Verma, ambassador of the

U.S. to India, recently sprung a surprise by saying, We look forward to path-breaking work between

NASA and ISRO on deep space exploration to Mars and beyond.

Till 2005, ISRO was a total pariah kept under full technology denial and sanctions were in full force but a

decade later the chill has gone and relations have thawed, now hand in hand both want to fly "where no

man has gone before."

.

10

If Pluto was the target for the American space agency

through its mission New Horizons, the Indian space

agency is also setting its goals to explore the solar system

to its limits. On ISROs wish list a technology demonstra-

tion mission or a fly-by to the outer solar system.

The current ISRO chief, who played a key role in the suc-

cess of Mangalyaan says, for the next planetary mission,

we are looking at opportunities whether it is a repeat Mars

mission, or Venus mission or even an asteroid mission

revealed Kiran Kumar, Chairman, Indian Space Research

Organization.

Exploring Venus could be the next logical step as India

has already been to Mars. It is Earths neighbor and if

all goes well in a few years an Indian rocket will lift

off and head towards the inside of the Solar System. U. R. Rao, former chairperson of ISRO and head of the

committee that decides on scientific missions has long expressed a desire that India should ideally soon head

to Venus.

There are many things to be learned at Venus like trying to figure out why does the atmosphere of Venus

rotate in the opposite direction, said Kumar.

India has had hugely successful interplanetary missions, the most recent being Mangalyaan that reached the

Martian orbit in 2014 and continues to operate with vigor sending back scientific data to India.

Hey, You Know Me?

I am a Petri Dish !!!

A Petri Dish, alternatively known as a Petri Plate or cell-culture dish, named after the German bacteriologist Julius Richard Petri, is a shal-low cylindrical glass or plastic lidded dish that biologists use to culture cells, such as bacteria or small mosses. Modern Petri dishes usually feature rings and/or slots on their lids and bases so that when stacked, they are less prone to sliding off one anoth-er. While glass Petri dishes may be reused after sterilization, the plastic Petri dishes are often disposed of after ex-periments.

Think like a Proton & Stay Positive !!!

.

11

India Working With 27 Countries on Earthquake Early-Warning System Taking a lead, India is working on an ambi-

tious project with scientists, geophysicists,

and seismologists of 27 countries to develop

an early-warning system for "prediction" of

earthquake.

The warning could be the issued some se-

conds before the earthquake strikes. India is

also planning to launch a satellite to track the

changes that take place on earth's surface be-

fore the tremors, a top official has said.

"If the effort is successful and the model is developed, we could reduce the number of human casualties

substantially. Before earthquakes, some chemical changes under the earth's surface and some physical dis-

placements on the surface occur and hoped if parameters are developed to observe, study and analyse these

changes, the quakes can be predicted. "For this purpose, India is going to launch a satellite by 2019 which

will send images of surface displacement up to the accuracy of few centimetres," Secretary, Ministry of

Earth Sciences, Shailesh Nayak said.

He was speaking at a summit on 'Combating Earthquake Disasters' in Kolkata. He added that "we are work-

ing on an ambitious project with scientists, geophysicists, and seismologists of 27 countries to develop an

early warning system for prediction of earthquake."

Nayak said in the coming years deep bore-wells filled with sensors and other equipment will be put in place

in all seismically-active regions in the country to sense the chemical and physical changes under the earth's

surface. India has been conducting experiments in the Koyna river valley in the Western Ghats in Maha-

rashtra. In India, 22 states are prone to earthquakes of various intensities like severe, high, moderate and

low, and urban explosion and densely populated cities with high-rise buildings makes the quake scenario

worse.

Sankar Kumar Nath, Professor, Geology and Geophysics, IIT Kharagpur, O P Mishra, senior scientist and

DDG (Seismology) India Meteorological Department, Ambarish Ghosh, Prof of Civil Engineering & Head,

School of Disaster Mitigation Engineering, Indian Institute of Engineering Science & Technology, Shibpur

and Lt Gen N C Marwah, Member, National Disaster Management Authority were among those who par-

ticipated in the conference.

.

12

.

13

Events Sastra Prathibha Contest, 2016

Science International Forum (SIF) Kuwait announced January 14, 2016, Thursday, as the exam date for the prestigious Sastra Prathibha

Contest for the academic year 2015-2016.

Be not afraid of greatness. Some

are born great, some achieve

greatness, and others have great-

ness thrust upon them.

William Shakespeare

Discover

VOLUME 01

ISSUE 04 AUGUST, 2015

Compiled & Edited By

Prasanth Nair

Reshmy Krishnakumar

Science International Forum, Kuwait

facebook.com/sifkuwait For subscription mail to sifkwt@gmail.com

Corporate Partner :

Do You Know!!!

1. The gemstone ruby is typically what color? ?

2. How many lungs does the human body have ?

3. The shape of DNA is known as ?

4. Identify the scrambled word SGPNROIEA ?

5. Birds evolved from dinosaurs. True or false?

You have time till next edition