In natural disasters such as Cyclone Gaja, a resilient health system can make all the difference It is 15 days since Cyclone Gaja made landfall in southern Tamil Nadu, wreaking havoc in six districts of the State. At least 3,000 public health personnel still remain on the ground, organising medical …

Rotavirus infection is one of the leading causes of gastroenteritis in children under five years By studying the complex interplay between the sugars and microbes in mother’s milk and the baby’s gut microbes, an international team of researchers has tried to understand neonatal rotavirus infection. Rotavirus infection is one of …

The isolation of single sheets of carbon, known as graphene, was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2010. This discovery has ushered in an era of two-dimensional materials. It offers immense possibilities in building electronics using similarly thin films. A family of materials that have been investigated in this area are …

At a time when tiger deaths dominate national news, a new study offers hope for wild tiger populations across countries by showing that under optimal conditions, tiger numbers can triple in 18 sites across the world, including eight in India. These are Anamalai-Vazhachal (in Tamil Nadu-Kerala), Sathyamangalam (Tamil Nadu), Balaghat …

A novel anode developed by researchers at Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune for use in lithium-ion batteries has five times more capacity than carbon-based electrodes and can be fully charged in about 15 minutes. The team led by Satishchandra Ogale from the Department of Physics at …

Progesterone treatment prior to surgery reduces chances of migration and invasion ability of primary cancer cells to other parts Researchers from Mumbai-based ACTREC-Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) have uncovered the biological mechanism by which a single injection of progesterone administered prior to surgery benefits breast cancer patients immaterial of whether progesterone …

Referring to the talks between the Special Representatives on the border issue as well as defence and various other delegations, President Xi said the two sides should work together to build an open world economy and make globalisation more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial to all, the statement said. “We …

In a year, if all goes to plan, the dusty roads leading to the Kartarpur shrine in Pakistani Punjab’s Narowal province will be transformed into a bustling network of tourists and pilgrims. In this town by the river Ravi, the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, spent his last 18 years. …

What are the terms? On November 25, leaders of the EU-27 group of nations signed off on the 585-word treaty setting out the terms of Britain’s withdrawal from the union as well as a non-binding political declaration of aspirations for the future relationship. While insisting that she did not share …

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday met South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on the sidelines of the G20 summit here and invited him to be the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations next year. Mr. Ramaphosa has accepted the invitation. “Glad to have met President @CyrilRamaphosa. At a time …

India on Friday presented a nine-point agenda before G20 countries, calling for “strong and active cooperation” to deal with fugitive economic offenders comprehensively. Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented the agenda in the second session of the G20 Summit on international trade, international financial and tax systems here. “Cooperation in legal …

Between June and October this year, officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized more than 150 exotic birds and other species being smuggled into the country. The interceptions were a major success not only because the seizures included birds like Pygmy falcons, Eclectus parrot, Javan sparrows and Kookaburras, …

United Nations coordinator says the majority of the nine lakh refugees fear persecution There is no “real possibility” of Rohingya refugees returning to Myanmar from Bangladesh despite serial attempts to repatriate them, said Sumbul Rizvi, a senior United Nations coordinator in Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh. “The UNHCR, UNDP and Myanmar …

Defence Minister to also discuss sanctions waiver during six-day visit India and the U.S. will review the progress of their expanding defence cooperation as well as discuss the issue of sanctions waiver for the arms purchases from Russia during Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s six-day visit starting Sunday. Ms. Sitharaman will …

A recent publication reveals the deep bond between the two Nobel Laureates which developed over the years of their correspondence “When my mind was steeped in the gloom of the thought that the lesson of late war has been lost… your letter came and cheered me up with the message …

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) on Saturday approved procurements estimated at Rs. 3,000 crore. These include BrahMos cruise missiles for two stealth frigates to be bought directly from Russia and armoured recovery vehicles for the Arjun tanks. “As a follow-up to the decision of the Cabinet Committee on Security in …

Church sceptical of link, contends allowing liquor sales hasn’t curbed drug use The quantity of heroin seized in Mizoram has increased steadily since 2014 when the State government replaced total prohibition with controlled prohibition. While enforcement officials attribute this trend to the 2013 countrywide ban on the sale of painkiller …

The turnout in the panchayat polls in Kashmir slid to 17.3% on Saturday, while Jammu recorded a heavy 84.6% polling. “An overall poll percentage of 76.9 was witnessed across the State. A massive 84.6% polling was witnessed in Jammu division and 17.3% in Kashmir division,” Shaleen Kabra, Chief Electoral Officer, …

The Centre has prepared guidelines for setting up of crèches at workplaces, which prescribe trained personnel to man the facility as well as infrastructure requirements and safety norms. In March this year, Parliament passed the Maternity Benefit Amendment Act, 2017, enhancing paid maternity leave from a period of 12 weeks …

Releasing multiple videos of polling officials with electronic voting machines (EVMs) in a private hotel, a school bus without number plates carrying the machines and various persons approaching the strongrooms where the machines are kept, the Congress on Saturday accused the BJP of “an organised attempt to subvert the mandate” …