Engineered plants can produce anthocyanin and flavonol which have medicinal uses, the team finds A team from the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bengaluru, has found that the rich colour in fruits and leaves of plants are indirectly controlled by specific micro RNAs — miR828 and miR858. Grape plants …
Read More »GS-III
How mammal brains identify various smells
Researchers Shyam Srinivasan and Charles Stevens found that approximately six types of mammals, from mice to cats, distinguish odours in almost the same way by using circuitry in the brain. The study, published in the journal Current Biology , revealed that the size of each of the three components of …
Read More »Beauty firms cash in on Thailand’s giant snails
Its mucus has anti-ageing qualities Giant snails, once loathed by Nayok’s rice farmers for eating the buds of new crops, are now more valuable than gold to some cosmetic firms. As a part of a new “organic” diet, the snails inch across a plate of pumpkin and cucumber in central …
Read More »New species of shark squirts clouds of light
It was found in the Gulf of Mexico A pocket-sized pocket shark found in the Gulf of Mexico has turned out to be a new species. The pouches near its front fins squirt little glowing clouds into the ocean, scientists said. Researchers from around the Gulf and in New York …
Read More »Air traffic volume rises 6.2% in June
Domestic air passenger traffic rose 6.19% in June over the year-ago period, with local carriers flying 12.02 million passengers in the month, show the monthly data from regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation. The uptick in June follows a marginal under 3% growth in May, ferrying 12.18 million passengers. But …
Read More »Govt. in talks with foreign lenders for loans to SMEs
Indian banks not in a position to provide enough capital to small businesses, says official The government is in talks with foreign lenders to provide $14.5 billion in credit to millions of small firms, two officials said. The government is in discussions with multiple foreign lenders, including Germany’s state-owned development …
Read More »T.N. CM launches water management mission
Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Saturday unveiled the Tamil Nadu Water Resources Conservation and Augmentation Mission, a people’s movement to conserve and manage water and to ensure that there was no water crisis in future. Source : https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tn-cm-launches-water-management-mission/article28623821.ece
Read More »NCC, scouts get a cautious welcome in U.P. madrasas
Plan is a part of the government to foster ‘smart madrasas’ The Uttar Pradesh government’s announcement on introducing NCC and scout training in madrasas has evoked a mixed response from religious leaders and other stakeholders. Earlier this week, Minister of Minority Welfare Baldev Singh Aulakh announced that the government was …
Read More »Draft education policy robs States of power, says CPI(M)
It encourages centralisation and commercialisation: Yechury The draft National Education Policy contravenes the Constitution and the federal system, according to the Communist Party of India (Marxist). In a letter to the Human Resource Development Minister on Saturday, party general secretary Sitaram Yechury called for the complete withdrawal of the chapter …
Read More »‘Medical device manufacturers exaggerating import numbers’
Some domestic players trying to get customs duty hiked: association “The growth in imports of medical devices is being purposely exaggerated by a section of the domestic manufacturers to suit their agenda of seeking a hike in customs duty,” noted a release issued by the Medical Technology Association of India …
Read More »NRC’s deadline pressure takes a toll on Assam staff
Is there anything called human rights, asks Facebook post People facing possible statelessness are not the only ones feeling the National Register of Citizens (NRC) heat. The stress of the updating exercise appears to have taken a toll on the Assam government officials. On July 18, a State government employee …
Read More »Colistin banned in animal food industry
Experts call it a significant move in targeting development of resistance to the antibiotic The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued an order prohibiting the manufacture, sale and distribution of colistin and its formulations for food-producing animals, poultry, aqua farming and animal feed supplements. Intensivists across the country …
Read More »Living dangerously
Killer wheelsA hog deer scampers for life after being hit by a speeding goods carrier when it tried to cross National Highway 37 inside the Kaziranga National Park in Assam on Saturday. As flood waters receded, animals started returning to Kaziranga from the Karbi Anglong Hills. Park officials say 16 …
Read More »Heavy rainfall keeps State on the edge
High waves forecast along coast The coastal areas in Kerala remained in a state of high alert for the second consecutive day on Saturday as high waves battered seawalls and groins and threatened to devour large tracts of land. The southwest monsoon drenched most parts of the State, leaving low-lying …
Read More »Lokayukta to recommend wages for residents of destitute homes
He directs tahsildar to grant land for Mangaluru facility Lokayukta P. Vishwanatha Shetty on Saturday said he will recommend to the State government to pay wages to residents of the homes of the destitute who work, on the lines of paying wages to prisoners in central prisons. He was speaking …
Read More »‘India’s refining capacity needs to expand’
Amid a push for electric vehicles, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday said India will continue to rely on petrol and diesel for running automobiles, and needs to expand its oil refining capacity by 80%. “EV is a priority but the incremental requirement of fuel will have to be met …
Read More »Centre rejects SEBI plea on transfer of reserves
Bill says 75% surplus meant for Centre In what could spark the souring of ties between the Centre and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the Finance Ministry has refused pleas from the capital markets regulator to amend the provision that mandates that about 75% of its surplus …
Read More »‘Merger with Gruh will help Bandhan expand’
Bank eyes presence in south, west The proposed merger with Gruh Finance will enable Bandhan Bank to achieve better geographical balance, said the bank’s MD and CEO Chandra Shekhar Ghosh. Addressing a press meet, he said that the bank was trying to increase its presence in States where it was …
Read More »Israel spyware firm can hack data from social media: report
NSO told buyers it can scoop user data from servers of Apple, Google, Facebook An Israeli spyware firm has told clients it can scoop user data from the world’s top social media, the Financial Times reported on Friday. The London-based newspaper wrote that NSO group had “told buyers its technology …
Read More »India, China joint Army exercise in December
India, China to have joint exercise in December The annual joint army exercise between India and China will be held in December at Umroi, near Shillong. “The two-week long company-level exercise will take place in the second half of December. The planning conference to finalise the modalities will be held …
Read More »