21 Mar 2014
Dr.V : The champion of Affordable Eye Care
Dr. Govindappa Venkataswamy , called as Dr.V by his colleagues, a Padma shri awardee is a silent leader in the Eye Care History. This man, who is the founder of “The Arvind Eye Hospital, Madurai” and the aurolab , has done around 100,000 eye operations in his career as an Ophthalmologist.
06 Mar 2014
Sickle Innovations – Design Studio for those who feed us
With an alarming number of farmers quitting agriculture because of low productivity and dwindling profits, how do we ensure sufficient farm produce to meet our daily needs? Most technological innovations are targeted for the top 10% of the population. You will find this disparity everywhere – every few months a new cell phone hits the market,
04 Mar 2014
‘Dial A doctor’ service launched in Kerala
The Kerala Health Department launched ‘Dial a Doctor’ service on Monday, which will enable the public to seek health-related advice over phone round-the-clock from doctors, by dialling a toll-free number . The service is being made available to the public through the department’s call centre, Disha, which can be accessed through the phone number 1056.
04 Mar 2014
India’s first electric bus starts running in Bangalore
India’s first electric bus has started running on Bangalore’s roads. The city’s transport corporation launched this bus last week. The electric bus will run on a trial basis for three months after which hopefully, it will be a regular feature on Bangalore roads. The bus has zero emission levels, operates on a battery that lasts five
02 Mar 2014
Chandi Prasad Bhatt Gets Gandhi Peace Prize For 2013
The Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2013 has been awarded to eminent Gandhian and environmentalist, Shri Chandi Prasad Bhatt. Shri Chandi Prasad Bhatt, born in 1934 , is a noted Gandhian environmentalist and social activist. He was one of the pioneers of the Chipko movement for which he was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award
25 Feb 2014
National Centre for Good Governance Inaugurated
The National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG), an apex think tank of the country in guiding and implementing good Governance reforms, was inaugurated in a function held yesterday. The focus of the NCGG would be action oriented research in good Governance. The Centre would also function as a national repository on information on best practices,
17 Feb 2014
Zostel : Affordable and comfortable stay for backpackers
With the number of young travel enthusiasts in India rising every year, so is the need for affordable accommodation options for them. Few IIM and IIT students have spotted the opportunity at just the right time to catch the rising tide. Their business idea of Zostel, India’s first branded hostel chain, hits the bulls eye
12 Feb 2014
Skill development : Capitalizing on our demographic dividend
Indian economy is complex, but a really interesting one. While we fail to match up to global averages in conventional sectors, we end up gaining from unexpected arenas – 1500 crore rupees were earned by exporting hair in the last fiscal. Fascinating, isn’t it? Well, let’s dig deeper into our demographics to unravel even more interesting facts. The problem and the opportunity
10 Feb 2014
A student home or palace for the poor?
NGO run student homes are often pictured as having a shabby building providing poor grade education to its inmates. But this humble abode of orphans says a different story. A century old home whose service is ever increasing In my last two decades of association with charitable organisations & social institutions and studies in the
09 Feb 2014
North East News Digest
Do you remember the name of the girl/boy from North-East who studied with you in college? It was chinky, right? How convenient, isn’t it? Can you tell me the reason for this antagonism towards the people from North East? Is it because you are cut-off from their lives and don’t know what’s going on there or is it just plain arrogance because you
07 Feb 2014
Arunima Sinha wins Amazing Indian of the Year Award
Arunima Sinha, the first Indian amputee to scale the Mount Everest was awarded the Amazing Indian Award by the Vice President yesterday. Former national-level volleyball player Arunima Sinha lost her right leg in 2011 after being thrown off a moving train . Two years later she stood on the peak of the Mount Everest with an artificial leg
29 Jan 2014
Indian scientists develop technology to convert plastic to car fuel
We have seen plastic waste being used to build roads in India. We have also seen Indian scientists making bricks from paper waste. Well now, our scientists have gone a step further and used waste plastic bags to make liquid fuel for cars. Chemist Achyut Kumar Panda of Centurion University of Technology and Management Odisha
28 Jan 2014
Treating cancer using nano particles for efficient drug delivery
Indian scientists have developed an ingenious method to deliver drugs at target cancer cells without causing much side effects to other organs. Prasanta Kumar Das and his team at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS), Kolkata have devised a technique to deliver drugs at target sites using carbon nanotubes. This approach reduces the interaction of
28 Jan 2014
India Inclusive Innovation Fund launched
The National Innovation Council and the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) have jointly announced the creation of the India Inclusive Innovation Fund (IIIF). Speaking about the fund, Sam Pitroda, Chairman of the National Innovation Council (NInC) said: “The needs of the people at the base of the economic pyramid are today served
27 Jan 2014
Mumbai students devise pollution tracker
Five students from Somaiya Engineering College have invented a handy device, which they call ‘The Pollution Mapper’. The piggy bank-sized kit can be installed in a house, society or on a street lamp. Armed with multiple sensors, it can map pollution — air quality, carbon monoxide level, particulate matter and noise — and send the
23 Jan 2014
Indian born scientist awarded Marconi Society Prize
India-born scientist Professor Arogyaswami Joseph Paulraj has been awarded the prestigious 2014 Marconi Society Prize. The Marconi Prize is an annual award recognizing advancements in communications awarded by the Marconi Foundation. The Prize includes a $100,000 honorarium and a work of sculpture, and honorees are called Marconi Fellows. Paulraj is the only India-born scientist to
22 Jan 2014
IIT Madras develops device to alert tired drivers
IIT-M scientists have designed a system that can detect driver fatigue and set off an alarm. Two years back we saw a team of researchers from India’s Anna University develop a system that prevents the driver of a vehicle from using a mobile phone while allowing passengers to use their phones. Here’s another interesting device to prevent accidents
19 Jan 2014
India’s 1st climate change theatre opens in Punjab
India’s first climate change theatre was opened at Pushpa Gujral Science City in Kapurthala, Punjab on Thursday to educate people on impact and causes of climate change. According to Science City authorities, while this theatre is India’s first, it is second in the world, with the other in Canada. The 18-metre diameter theatre has been set up in
18 Jan 2014
First Indian campus of University of California to open in Chandigarh
Punjab Technical University (PTU) has announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) this Monday for setting up an Institute of Excellence (IOE) at Chandigarh. IOE currently expects to be self-financed for operating expenses. The institute will focus on high quality technical education and grant degrees
16 Jan 2014
Sankalp Taru : Plant trees online and watch them grow too!
“Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago “ The Sankalp Taru Foundation provides an online platform where anyone from around the world can plant trees in regions of India that can benefit the most from the trees and their bearings. Founded in 2011, Sankalp Taru has planted