Vertical farming

Vertical farming to be introduced in India soon

Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) scientists in Kolkata are working on a module to grow vegetables and fruits in multi storied structures

If the on going project of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) becomes a reality, people in urban areas would be getting their daily doze of vegetables and other perishable farm produce freshly grown from multi storied buildings right next to their apartments.

With farm land becoming scarce, ICAR experts are working on the concept of ‘vertical farming’ in soil-less conditions, in which food crops can be grown even on multi storied buildings in metros like New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai without using soil or pesticides.

ICAR is looking into the scope of vertical urban agriculture. This could cater to the need of fresh vegetables in the cities, which are growing in terms of height with numerous multi-storied buildings cropping up. And this farming would be done soil free

Vertical farming is a relatively new concept, which could help raise production without occupying space. If a building stood on a one-hecatre plot of land but had five stories, it would result in production from five hectare of land. The new farming technique envisages production of crops hydroponically (nutrient-enriched water) or aeroponically (nutrient-enriched air), without using soil or compost. The plants can get the required sunlight through glass windows.

In the advanced stages, high rises could also provide a temperature-controlled environment to grow seasonal fruits, vegetables and flowers. Artificial light could replace sunlight as well. “As plants need to take nutrients and water from soil, they can get them from minimal amounts of soil if it is made nutrients-rich.

Productive efficiency of vertical farming was tested in Punjab, where scientists have attained initial success in growing potato tubers in soil-less conditions. “Growing fruits and vegetables in soil-less condition and in a controlled environment will provide another advantage. As most of the disease-producing microbes come from the soil, the use of pesticides would be minimised if they can be grown in soil-less conditions. Hence, citizens would get farm fresh fruits and vegetables from their neighbourhood itself.

The concept of vertical farming in soil-less conditions has already been introduced in the US and Europe in the West and Japan and Singapore in the South East.

India’s heaviest satellite GSAT-10 launched

India’s advanced communication satellite GSAT-10 was successfully launched  on board Ariane-5 rocket from Europe’s spaceport in French Guiana.

GSAT-10, with a design life of 15 years and will augment telecommunication, Direct-To-Home and radio navigation services.

At 3,400 kg at lift-off, GSAT-10 is the heaviest built by Bangalore-headquartered Indian Space Research Organisation. It was ISRO’s 101st space mission.

Arianespace’s heavy lifting Ariane-5 ECA rocket launched GSAT-10 about 30 minutes after the blast off from the European launch pad in South America at 2.48 am, prior to which it injected European co-passenger ASTRA 2F into orbit.

GSAT-10 is fitted with 30 transponders (12 Ku-band, 12 C-band and six Extended C-Band), which will provide vital augmentation to INSAT/GSAT transponder capacity.

It also has a navigation payload — GAGAN (GPS aided Geo Augmented Navigation) — that would provide improved accuracy of GPS signals (of better than seven metres) to be used by Airports Authority of India for civil aviation requirements.

This is the second satellite in INSAT/GSAT constellation with GAGAN payload after GSAT-8, launched in May 2011.

All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE)

The first Provisional Report of the ambitious All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) relaeased at New Delhi on September 28. The report contains countrywide estimates of Gross Enrolment Ratio on the basis of data collected till July 31, 2012, from the Higher Education (HE) Institutions of the country including Universities, Colleges, and Stand-Alone Institutions.

The key idea behind this Survey and the resulting document is to prepare a sound database on the large and diverse system of Higher Education in the country. The Survey compiles and manages statistics directly online from respondent institutions. The Ministry has constituted a Task Force to carry out the Survey. This Task Force has representations from stake-holders including the Ministry, the UGC, the AICTE, various Regulatory Bodies, as well as Departments of Higher Education of the States. Shri Sunil Kumar, Chief Secretary of Chhattisgarh, the then Additional Secretary in the Department of Higher Education is its Chairman.

The Provisional Report contains statistical information on various aspects of all the Institutions of Higher Education in India. It is heartening to know that the overall Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of the country stands at 18.8% (based on estimated figures collected till July 31, 2012).  Few more detailed reports will be released as the first year of the survey comes to a close. The Ministry has also taken a decision to continue the Survey on annual basis which will replace the existing manual system of data collection in higher education.

The entire survey has been voluntary, based on motivation of respondents; and without any statutory mandate in place for collecting information of this nature. It needs a Survey like this to bring out the correct and complete picture of the system so that relevant statistics are available to the Central Government as well as State Governments, in order to devise future policies. Besides, the Report will also create immediate awareness of the present status of the Higher Education and its growth since Independence till date.

 

About Survey

Higher education is of vital importance for the country, as it is a powerful tool to build knowledge-based society of the 21st Century. With the growing size and diversity of the higher education sector particularly in terms of courses, management and geographical coverage, it has become necessary to develop a sound database on higher education. It is widely recognized that the existing data base on higher education is inadequate, out-of-date.  Collection and dissemination of data on higher education suffers from incomplete coverage, inordinate time lag etc. 

Government has set a target of increasing the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) from the present level of about 12% to 15% by the end of XI Five Year Plan and to 30% by the year 2020.Various new initiatives are being taken by the Government to increase the GER. To measure the efforts taken by the government to increase the GER requires complete data on higher education such as number of institutions, students, teachers etc.

In view of this MHRD has initiated an All India Survey on Higher Education to build a database and to assess the correct picture of higher Education in the country.

The main objectives the survey will be to

‐ identify & capture all the institutions of higher learning in the country

‐ Collect the data from all the higher education institutions on various aspects of
higher education 

A Task Force has been constituted under the chairmanship of Additional Secretary (HE),
MHRD with Representatives from UGC, AICTE, MCI, IASRI, CSO, Universities, State Higher Education Departments etc as members.

Survey is being conducted under the overall guidance of the Task Force. 

National University of Education Planning and Administration (NUEPA) has been given the responsibility of conducting the Field Work of the Main Survey and Report Generation.

Data is being collected on following broad items

‐ Institution’s Basic Details
‐ Teacher’s Details 
‐ Details of Non‐Teaching Staff
‐ Programme conducted under various Faculties/Schools & Departments/Centres
‐ Students enrolled in these Programme
‐ Examination result of terminal year of each Programme
‐ Financial Information such as Receipt and Expenditure under various heads

Architecture for Cash Transfers

Thrust to Improve Targeting & Reduce wastage & leakages and increase transparency

            In a move to cut down wastage, duplication and leakages and enhance efficiency, the Prime Minister has given a major push to transfer individual benefits from the Government directly into the bank accounts of beneficiaries. This is to be done in a fast-track, accelerated mode to be achieved in a time bound manner. The idea is to move to a completely electronic Cash Transfer System for the entire population.

            In order to accelerate the process, which currently is being tried in pilots on a small scale and whose results are very encouraging, the Prime Minister has set up the architecture for moving to electronic Cash Transfers leveraging Aadhaar.

1.         Architecture for Cash Transfers

            In order to speed up activity and ensure that the shift to electronic Cash Transfers can be rolled out rapidly, the Prime Minister has set up the Architecture for Cash Transfers which will be the coordination mechanism. This architecture will consist of:

i.          National Ministerial Committee - under the Prime Minister with membership of all concerned ministers (Finance, IT, Social Justice, HRD, Minorities, Labour, Health, Food, P&NG, Fertilizers, Planning Commission, UIDAI,). This committee at the highest level would ensure coordination and decision-making at the highest level and impart the necessary urgency to the program.

ii.          National Executive Committee - with the Secretaries of all concerned Ministries as members. This committee would meet frequently to coordinate action, ensure adherence to time lines and sort out hitches in the program as it is rolled out.

iii.         Implementation Mission and Committees - to work on and finalise all operational and implementation details relating to the design and operation of the transfer system. There is a lot work needed to have a smooth roll-out and has to be done in a Mission mode with multiple agencies acting in a coordinated manner.  The Mission will have the following sub-committees:

a.         Cash Transfer Mission - Technology Committee -to focus on the technology, architecture and IT issues.

b.        Cash Transfer Mission - Financial Inclusion Committee - to focus on ensuring Universal Access to Banking and achieving complete Financial Inclusion.

c.         Cash Transfer Mission - Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Committees - to work out the details relating to EBT such as data bases, transfer rules, controls, audits, etc. There would be one for each Ministry which is engaging in benefit transfers.

            The milestones and timeliness for each of these Committees will be clearly laid down.  The National Executive Committee will monitor progress and ensure timely roll-out.  This scheme will have a momentous impact on the government's various social programmes and help million of beneficiaries.

2.         Background to Aadhaar:

            With the rapid rollout of Aadhaar, now covering 20 crore people and rapidly growing to 60 crores, and with the National Population Register covering the other half, it is possible to move to a system of transferring cash benefits directly to the poor.

            A Cash Transfer System can be used for transferring cash benefits such as NREGA Wages, Scholarships, Pensions, Income support of other types and Health Benefits. Electronic Transfer of Benefits (ETB) is a simple change as the transfers are already taking place and the only modification that would be involved is a movement from a paper based, cash driven system to an electronic direct transfer system.

            Cash Transfer System would improve targeting, reduce corruption, eliminate waste, control expenditure and facilitate reforms.

3.         Pilots

            The results of pilots are encouraging. Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) has already begun in many cases. The Government and RBI have issued Guidelines to Banks for implementation of EBT. Pilots are under implementation, including in AP, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Rajasthan, TN, WB, Karnataka, Puducherry and Sikkim.

More……….

Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT)

Aadhaar to launch pilots on pensions, wages

Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT)

Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) is a benefit delivery system that provides public assistance recipients with electronic access to their cash and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

Eligible recipients receive a  Access Card and select a personal identification number (PIN) to access authorized benefits. When paying for groceries, the recipient swipes his or her EBT Access Card through a Point-of-Sale (POS) terminal and enters the PIN to access the account. Then the pin and account balance are verified electronically, and the retailer receives an authorization or denial. The recipient's account is then debited for the amount of the purchase, and the retailer's account is credited. No money or food coupons change hands. The transaction and settlement processes are the same for cash transactions. Recipients are able to use their EBT Access Card to obtain cash benefits through ATMs located throughout the state. In addition, recipients are able to make cash purchases and receive cash back through POS terminals at participating retailers.

Architecture for Cash Transfers

Aadhaar to launch pilots on pensions, wages

Tourist from Buddhist Countries to get Visa on Arrival

Buddhist population such as Thailand and Malaysia would be provided the facility of Visa on Arrival ( VOA). A two day International Buddhist Conclave at Varanasi decided to develop a Ghat in the temple town Varanasi in the name of Lord Buddha on the bank of river Ganga. The Ministry had adopted a Keep India Clean Mission to keep clean the cities particularly tourist places across the country to attract maximum tourists.

India being the land of origin of Buddhism, is the main attraction for the Buddhist tourists from across the globe. The Ministry is drawing up plans to to attract more tourists from Buddhist countries by providing them special facilities. Buddhism being a world religion now, its sites have a great attraction for tourists’ world over. The Ministry of Tourism is continuing with its efforts in identifying more and more Buddhist Circuits and developing them in holistic and integrated manner.

The Ministry has identified three circuits to be developed as part of Buddhist Circuits during the 12th Five Year Plan.they are:

Circuit 1: The Dharmayatra or the Sacred Circuit - This will be a 5 to 7 days circuit and will include visits to Gaya (Bodhgaya), Varanasi (Sarnath), Kushinagar, Piparva ( Kapilvastu) with a day trip to Lumbini in Nepal.

Circuit 2: Extended Dharmayatra or Extended Sacred Circuit or Retracing Buddha’s Footsteps - This will be a 10 to 15 days circuit and will include visit to Bodhgaya (Nalanda, Rajgir, Barabar caves, Pragbodhi Hill, Gaya), Patna (Vaishali, Lauriya Nandangarh, Lauriya Ariraj, Kesariya, Patna Museum), Varanasi(Sarnath), Kushinagar, Piparva (Kapilvastu, Shravasti, Saniska) with a day trip to Lumbini in Nepal.

Circuit 3: Buddhist Heritage Trails State Circuits- Jammu and Kashmir - Ladakh, Srinagar and Jammu; Himachal Pradesh - Dharamshala, Spiti, Kinnaur and Lahaul. Shri Sahai expressed the hope that deliberations at the conclave would help us to carry on this process of identifying and developing more Buddhist circuits.

During 12th Five Year Plan period we have identified around 35 major integrated circuits and destinations having potential to attract a large number of tourists. It is proposed to develop around 20 tourism parks on the lines of Sentosa Islands in Singapore.

The conclave is being held with a view to showcasing and projecting the Buddhist Heritage of India.

The last Conclave was organized in Nalanda in February 2010.

NIRMAL BHARAT

Sanitation is more important than Independence."

- Mahatma Gandhi

TOWARDS NIRMAL BHARAT: VISION AND STRATEGY

The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation has formulated the Rural Sanitation and Hygiene Strategy for the period of 2012 to 2022. The main purpose of this strategy is to provide a framework to realize the vision of Nirmal Bharat, an environment that is clean and healthy.

A Nirmal Bharat is a dream of clean and healthy nation that thrives and contributes to the welfare of our people. This vision seeks to visualize a nation in which the traditional habit of open defecation is entirely eliminated, the worth of every human being is respected, and quality of life is improved. To achieve this in rural areas, the department has following strategies and goals to meet in coming years.

• Completely eliminating the traditional habit of open defecation and making this a relic of the past.
• Operationalizing systems for the safe management of solid and liquid waste at scale.
• Promoting the adoption of improved hygiene behaviours.
• Addressing inequalities in access with special attention to vulnerable groups such as women, children, aged and disabled.
• Ensuring that providers have the capacity and resources to deliver services at scale.
• Stimulating and enabling cooperation across public sector agencies concerned with rural development, health, environment and vulnerable sections.
• Working with business, academic and voluntary partners to achieve the goals of the strategy.

Goals

• Creation of Totally Sanitized Environments - By 2017: The end of open defecation and achievement of a clean environment where human faecal waste is safely contained and disposed.
• Adoption of Improved Hygiene Practices - By 2020: All people in the rural areas, especially children and caregivers, adopt safe hygiene practices during all times.
• Solid and Liquid Waste Management - By 2022: Effective management of solid and liquid waste such that the village environment is kept clean at all times.

TOTAL SANITATION CAMPAIGN (TSC)

The Central Rural Sanitation Programme of the Indian government began in 1986. It has now evolved into the  TOTAL SANITATION CAMPAIGN-(TSC) which operates in various districts of States and Union Territories. TSC successfully encourages households to finance their own toilets while giving financial incentives to the underprivileged. A nationwide network of Rural Sanitary Marts and Production Centres has been established with government funds though they are run primarily by local governance, NGOs and community based organisations. These Marts and Production Centres provide the materials required for construction of sanitary latrines and other facilities. The outlets also serve as counselling centres for those interested in building a toilet on their own. This has boosted the supply chain, promoting sanitation and hygiene, catering to an estimated 138 million rural households in the country.

Lessons from three decades of a government-driven programme suggest that visionary policies and a strong institutional setting helped in reaching more households without toilets. Although progress has happened, models in West Bengal, Maharashtra and other places show how informed strategies, strong peoples participation and strong monitoring yield results. Thus, the government has also put in efforts to focus on improvement of sanitation facilities in various schools, Anganwadi centres and communities.

NIRMAL GRAM PURASKAR

To give fillip to the objectives of TSC, the government initiated the Nirmal Gram Puraskar. A cash award, the Puraskar recognises fully covered PRIs and those individuals and institutions that work towards ensuring full sanitation coverage in their area of operation. The project implemented in rural areas taking district as the unit. The main objectives of Nirmal Gram Puraskar are:

• To bring sanitation to the forefront of social and political discourse for development in rural India.
• To develop open defecation free and clean villages that will act as models for others to emulate.
• To give incentives to PRIs to sustain the initiatives taken by them to eliminate the practice of open defecation from their respective geographical area by way of full sanitation coverage.
• To increase social mobilization in TSC implementation, by recognizing the catalytic role played by organizations in attaining universal sanitation coverage

UNITED NATION MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOAL

The 2.6 billion people, 40 per cent of the world's population, still do not have access to toilets or latrine that is why sanitation is one of the key subjects in the United Nations Millennium Development Goal targets. The UN-backed Sanitation for all: the drive to 2015 aims to mobilize political will and collect resources to expand sanitation facilities across the globe.

WORLD TOILET DAY

In 2001, the World Toilet Organization (WTO) declared 19^th November as a World Toilet Day (WTD). The WTO created the WTD to raise global awareness of the struggle 2.6 billion face every day without access to proper and clean sanitation.

The WTD also highlights the health, emotional and psychological consequences the poor endures as a result of inadequate sanitation. The WTD's popularity is gaining momentum, and in 2010 there were 51 events on sanitation facilities spanning 19 countries.

Institute of Criminology and Forensic Science

The National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Science (formerly the ‘Institute of Criminology and Forensic Science’) came into existence on 4th January, 1972 on the recommendations of a Committee appointed by the UGC to look into the applied aspects of education, training and research in the fields of Criminology and Forensic Science to commensurate with the growing needs of the country in general and the Criminal Justice System in India in particular. In September, 1976, the Institute was constituted as a separate department under the Ministry of Home Affairs headed by a full time Director.

Over the years, the Institute has grown from strength to strength and has developed as a unique Institution, which trains, in one place, the higher level functionaries of the entire Criminal Justice System, i.e. the Judiciary, the Police, the Correctional Services, Directorate of Prosecution etc., not only from within the country but also from abroad. It was renamed as the National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Science on 5th March, 1991.

The Institute earlier functioned in rented building at Vasant Vihar, Safdarjung Enclave and Jhandewalan Extension till December, 1990. The Institute was shifted to its own 5-acre campus at Sector-3, Rohini, Delhi in December, 1990.

NICFS stands out uniquely amongst the training Institutes in the country as it is the only Government Institute:

1. where joint training is conducted for all components of Criminal Justice System and not to only one;

2. where Criminology and Forensic Science are taught;

3. where Post Graduate Diplomas and Certificates are awarded to working Forensic Scientists; and

4. where Judicial officers are imparted training on the subjects of Criminology and Forensic Science regularly.

Special Features

It is the only Institution providing comprehensive facilities for training , teaching and research in both the Criminology and Forensic Science under one roof

It is the only Institution organizing training programmes for functionaries of all the segments of the criminal justice system, in composite groups, enabling useful inter-segment interaction on criminal justice issues.

It is the nodal and the only institution organizing formal training programmes for working forensic scientists in the country

It is the only Institution offering need-based professional education courses to working forensic scientists, leading to award of Diploma and Certificate to them.

The Institute is recognized as a research center for doctoral and post-doctoral researchers by many Universities in India

It maintains constant, symbiotic and purposeful interaction with academics and scientists of disciplines relevant to the criminal justice process

A new scheme of “NICFS Medals for Excellence in Criminology and Forensic Science” will also be launched on the occasion. The Police Officers on their appointment as D.S.P.s and Sub- Inspectors receive basic training in their respective states. The training curriculum includes study of criminology and Forensic Science.

Bihar becomes first state to make Anganwadis Online

Bihar has become the first state in Country to make rural educational units for Children (also called Anganwadis) online.

It was meant to be a scheme to wipe out hunger and malnutrition and ensure basic education for children. Under the Integrated Child Development Services launched in 1975, many states set up anganwadis that offered a range of services to pregnant women, young mothers and children in the under-five age group.

Running the anganwadi centres in Bihar is, however, emerging as quite a challenge. Less than half the centres in the state open daily; and of the children enrolled in them, less than half show up.

“In view of the poor functioning of the anganwadi centres, the government has initiated several measures to improve them.

“Only 46 percent anganwadi centres open daily; the presence of children at the centres that open is low. On an average, 24 of 46 children come to a centre,”

Punitive action has been taken against officials found wanting in the discharge of their duties: 1,593 anganwadi sevikas (workers, mostly women) have been relieved of their charge; three Child Development Project Officers (CDPOs) have been dismissed, 35 have been suspended and 20 others face punishment. Departmental proceedings have also been initiated against some women supervisors and clerks.

In a bid to keep a closer watch on the anganwadi centres, the social welfare department has decided to introduce web-based reporting of the functioning.

“By making monthly reports of the centres available online, Bihar has become the first state in the country to implement web-based reporting of the functioning of anganwadis,” .

The department has also introduced the e-dak software that will facilitate instant communication with CDPOs.

About 6.5 million children, 2.3 million adolescents and 1.3 million pregnant or lactating women are covered by the different programmes offered under the ICDS in the state.

DAC Clears Truck Scanners For Army

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has cleared a proposal worth over Rs 55 crore to buy two truck scanners for the Army, which will deploy them to scan cargo in Jammu and Kashmir.

The full body scanners will enhance the capability of the army to detect arms and ammunition and chemicals.

The scanning equipment is required by the Army to be deployed at places in Jammu and Kashmir where cross-border trade routes have been opened across the Line of Control (LoC).

The army has been working to procure these equipment for a long time but two similar attempts have failed. It was close to finalise a contract in this regard in 2010 but the process had to be scrapped after allegations of corruption.

The army wants that the scanners should also be able detect radioactive and nuclear material as well as sniff out various explosives, different types of detonators, circuits, electronic components and chemicals.

French ship discovers 1mn new species lurking deep in world’s oceans

A French research ship has discovered one million new species- many of them never seen before by man- as it crossed the Atlantic, Pacific, Southern and Indian oceans on a 70,000 mile journey.

Among the most eye-catching was the siphonophore, the world’s longest animal that can extend for up to 150ft, bristling with poisonous tentacles.

It lurks about 3,000ft below the surface of the sea trapping prawns and shrimps in its poisonous tentacles.

It is made up of countless tiny creatures, each with a specific function such as swimming, eating, floating or reproduction, linked together by a long hollow tube similar to an umbilical cord.

Other creatures include what look like brightly coloured sea centipedes, ghostly fish and technicolour squid.

Another very interesting is the highly poisonous Portuguese Man of War whose tentacles can extend for 60ft.

Scientist Chris Bowler who spent three years aboard ship Tara will reveal the underwater beasts tonight at London’s Science Museum.

Previously scientists thought there were fewer than 500,000 species of plankton but the expedition revealed 1.5 million.

The study also revealed the fragile state of the oceans.

It carried out the first ever sampling for plastic contamination in waters off the world’s last pristine continent, Antarctica, and found thousands of plastic fragments per sq mile that can pose a threat to the environment.

“These fragments can cause serious damage to the ecosystem by releasing toxins into the food chain and being eaten by fish, sea mammals and sea birds that think that it is jellyfish.

Because the southern ocean phytoplankton is so important for regulating the wellbeing of our planet by removing CO2 from the atmosphere and generating oxygen for us to breathe, this news from the Antarctic is particularly alarming.

“Every second breath humans take relies on microscopic plant life in the ocean.

IAF to Acquire 22 Apache Ah-64d Attack Helicopters From Boeing

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has decided to acquire 22 Apache AH-64D multirole combat helicopters from the US aerospace major Boeing. The financial bids were opened last week and the deal for the 22 Apache attack helos is to the tune of $ 1.4 billion.

 
The IAF deal for 22 Apache Ah-64 D combat helicopters will include both direct commercial sale (DCS) and foreign military sales (FMS) components besides offsets. The DCS contract primarily consists of the aircraft (without engines/sensors), logistic support, spares and services while the FMS contract includes munitions, training, aircraft certification and components including engines, electro-optical sensors and the fire control radar.
 
Boeing has indicated that the timing of deliveries will depend on the specific requirements of the IAF. According to the RFP, deliveries should start within 36 months of the contract signing.
 
In the race for the attack helicopters, Boeing's AH-64D Apache Longbow had met all ASQRs (air staff qualitative requirements) during the extensive field trials conducted by the IAF, while the Russian Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant's Mi-28 Havoc did not fare well. Russia had announced late last year that it was out of the race after failing to meet several of the IAF’s technical requirements.
 
The multi-mission AH-64D attack helicopter is the next-generation version of the original AH-64A Apache chopper. The Apache AH-64 D has two high-performance turbo-shaft engines and can cruise at a maximum speed of 284 kmph.
 
Among the other unique features, the Apache AH-64 D combat chopper also has laser, infrared and other systems like the target acquisition designation sight/pilot night vision sensor to locate, track and attack targets. The aircraft carries a combination of laser-guided Hellfire missiles, 70-mm rockets and a 30-mm automatic cannon loaded with up to 1,200 high-explosive, dual-purpose ammunition rounds.
 
As for the Indian armed forces, they are looking to induct as many as 900 helicopters in the coming decade. These will include 384 light-utility and observation helicopters, 139 medium-lift helicopters, 90 naval multi-role helicopters and significant numbers of heavy-lift and light combat choppers.

Siphonophores

Siphonophores are colonial animals. This means that they are composed of many physiologically integrated zooids. Each zooid is structurally similar to other solitary animals, but the zooids are all attached to each other rather than living independently. They do not come together to form a colony, but arise by budding from the first zooid, which itself develops from a fertilized egg.

Siphonophore zooids are of two types:

Medusae and Polyps.

Solitary medusae are better known as the true jellyfish. The most familiar solitary polyps are sea anemones.

There are other types of colonial animals which are made up of polyps, the most familiar being colonial corals.

 

Siphonophores differ from most other colonial animals in two fundamental respects. First, there is a high degree of specialization between the zooids. Zooids specialized for one function usually have well developed features to serve that function but lack the structures associated with other functions. For instance, the nectophores that propel the colony through the water (which are a type of medusa) can’t eat, and the feeding polyps can’t swim. Each is dependant on the other to do what it can’t do. Second, the specialized zooids of a siphonophore are arranged in an extremely precise pattern. This pattern is the same from colony to colony of the same species, but different between species. Siphonophores, then, have become extremely complicated organisms, just as we have, but in an entirely different way. Whereas we are made up of specialized cells that are arranged into tissues and organs, siphonophores are made up of specialized zooids precisely organized at the level of the colony. Understanding how evolution has shaped siphonophores into such complex colonial organisms may tell us quite a bit about how evolution was able to generate complex multicellular organisms, including ourselves.

Siphonophores belong to the Cnidaria, a group of animals that includes the corals, hydroids, and true jellyfish. There are about 175 described species. Some siphonophores are the longest animals in the world, and specimens as long as 40 meters have been found. The majority of siphonophores are long and thin, consisting mostly of a clear gelatinous material. Some deep water species have dark orange or red digestive systems that can be seen inside their transparent tissues. Siphonophores are exceedingly fragile and break into many pieces under even the slightest forces. Many siphonophores are bioluminescent, glowing green or blue when disturbed. All siphonophores are predators, and use their many tentacles to capture crustaceans and small fish.

While one species of siphonophore lives at the surface of the ocean (the familiar Portuguese Man O' War, Physalia physalis), and members of another group (the Rhodaliids) tethered themselves to the bottom with their tentacles, the vast majority of siphonophores are active swimmers and live in the water column of the open ocean. A few hardy species are sometimes found near the shore, but these are the exception.

French ship discovers 1mn new species lurking deep in world’s oceans

Tizen project

Tizen 2.0, the open-source smartphone operating system, is now available as an alpha release with an accompanying software development kit (SDK). The release lends credence to rumors that project member Samsung Electronics is planning to launch a version of its Galaxy S3 smartphone running Tizen instead of Google's Android.

The release is aimed at developers who can start working with new features and provide feedback in "the final stages" of Tizen's development,

Tizen is a Linux-based open-source operating system and software platform backed by Samsung, Intel and other vendors. The software is intended for use in devices such as smartphones, tablets, netbooks, in-vehicle infotainment devices, and smart TVs.

The latest code release shows that Tizen is getting closer to a usable product, and comes two weeks after the Wi-Fi Alliance published a document certifying that a Samsung smartphone named the "GT-I9300_TIZEN" had passed Wi-Fi interoperability testing, according to a copy of the document in Google's cache. GT-i9300 is the model name Samsung gives to Galaxy S3 smartphones, all of which currently run Android, indicating that Samsung might be working on a Galaxy S3 variant that runs Tizen.

Samsung did not immediately comment on its plans for Tizen, and the Wi-Fi Alliance certificate has been modified since its initial publication, now listing the smartphone as the GT-I9300Z).

The Tizen 2.0 alpha release provides developers with the Tizen kernel, device drivers, middleware subsystems, and Web APIs, necessary to develop future Tizen-compliant software, according to the source code release page.

The latest release for instance adds advanced HTML5 features such as video subtitles and captions and a battery status application programming interface, the steering group wrote. A multi-process Webkit2-based Web Runtime was also added to provide better security and reliability for Web applications, the team announced among other improvements.

Analysts expect that Samsung, one of the biggest backers of the project, will release a Tizen based smartphone at the end of this year or at the beginning of next year. It is more likely, though, that Samsung will release a Tizen phone in early 2013, said Francisco Jeronimo, research manager at IDC. "Tizen won't give them huge sales volume," said Jeronimo, "and Samsung needs to focus on the Galaxy S3 now to compete with the iPhone 5."

Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science & Technology 2011

Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (SSB) Prize for Science and Technology was instituted in the year 1957, in the memory of late Dr (Sir) Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar, FRS, the founder director of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR). The SSB Prize is awarded each year on the basis of conspicuously important and outstanding contributions to human knowledge and progress, made through work done primarily in India during the five years, preceding the year of the prize.

Any citizen of India engaged in research in any field of science and technology up to the age of 45 years is eligible to be nominated. Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) working in India are also eligible.

The SSB Prize, comprising a citation, a cash award of 5,00,000/- (Rupees five lakh only) and a plaque, is given to each person selected for the award in the following disciplines:

• Biological Sciences
• Chemical Sciences
• Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean and Planetary Sciences
• Engineering Sciences
• Mathematical Sciences
• Medical Sciences
• Physical Sciences

Till 2011, 474 scientists have received the prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology. Majority of SSB Awardees have remained in the country and contributed immensely to Indian Science & Technology.

BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 

Dr Amit Prakash Sharma

The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for the year 2011 in Biological Sciences has been awarded to Dr Amit Prakash Sharma of International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, for his seminal contributions leading to the delineation of principles governing structure function relationships of key proteins involved in malaria parasite biology. This work may also lead to the design of
inhibitors targeting critical stages of the parasite in the human host.

Dr Rajan Sankaranarayanan

The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for the year 2011 in Biological Sciences has been awarded to Dr Rajan Sankaranarayanan of CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, for his outstanding contributions in the area of structural biology of protein biosynthesis. He has advanced new concepts about how protein biosynthesis achieves extraordinarily high levels of fidelity, which is so essential for cell survival.

CHEMICAL SCIENCES

Dr Balasubramanian Sundaram

The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for the year 2011 in Chemical Sciences has been awarded to Dr Balasubramanian Sundaram of Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, for his outstanding contributions based on realistic models to supercritical CO 2 , ionic liquids and several other molecular systems.

Dr Garikapati Narahari Sastry

The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for the year 2011 in Chemical Sciences has been awarded to Dr Garikapati Narahari Sastry of the CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, for his outstanding contributions to understanding co-operativity in non-bonded interactions, cation-pi interactions and computational design of enzyme inhibitors.

 

EARTH, ATMOSPHERE, OCEAN & PLANETARY SCIENCES

Dr Shankar Doraiswamy

The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for the year 2011 in Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean and Planetary Sciences has been awarded to Dr Shankar Doraiswamy of CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Goa, for his outstanding contributions to our understanding of the dynamics of the Indian Ocean through observations and mathematical modelling.

ENGINEERING SCIENCES

Dr Sirshendu De

The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for the year 2011 in Engineering Sciences has been awarded to Dr Sirshendu De of Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, for his fundamental contributions to innovative membrane separations, membrane fabrication and electrokinetics which have found direct applications in dialysis & in water and food purification.

 

Dr Upadrasta Ramamurty

The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for the year 2011 in Engineering Sciences has been awarded to Dr Upadrasta Ramamurty of Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, for his breakthrough contributions in understanding deformation behavior of complex and novel materials, including amorphous alloys and metallic foams, explaining the phenomena at multiple length scales.

MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES

Dr Mahan Mj

The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for the year 2011 in Mathematical Sciences has been awarded to Dr Mahan Mj of Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University, Howrah, for his outstanding contributions in low dimensional manifolds and geometric group theory, and in particular for his work on Cannon-Thurston maps leading to a proof of local connectivity of limit sets of Kleinian groups.

Dr Palash Sarkar

The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for the year 2011 in Mathematical Sciences has been awarded to Dr Palash Sarkar of Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, for his significant contributions to cryptology including fundamental results on Boolean functions, best known constructions of several modes of operation of a block cipher and hierarchical identity based encryption.

MEDICAL SCIENCES

Dr Kithiganahalli Narayanaswamy Balaji

The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for the year 2011 in Medical Sciences has been awarded to Dr Kithiganahalli Narayanaswamy Balaji of Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, for characterization of fundamental principles of plasticity associated with signaling transduction mechanism in immune cells utilizing mycobacteria as a model and demonstrated the cross talk between Notch signaling and nitric oxide.

 

PHYSICAL SCIENCES

Dr Shiraz Minwalla

The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for the year 2011 in Physical Sciences has been awarded to Dr Shiraz Minwalla of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, for his fundamental contributions in establishing a connection between Einstein's equations of general relativity and equations of hydrodynamics, for discovering new terms in the equations of superfluid dynamics and for providing influential insights into an understanding of relativistic hydrodynamics.

V-Day

V-Day is a global activist movement to end violence against women and girls. V-Day is a catalyst that promotes creative events to increase awareness, raise money, and revitalize the spirit of existing anti-violence organizations. V-Day generates broader attention for the fight to stop violence against women and girls, including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation (FGM), and sex slavery.

Performance is just the beginning. V-Day stages large-scale benefits and produces innovative gatherings, films and campaigns to educate and change social attitudes towards violence against women including the documentary Until The Violence Stops; community briefings on the missing and murdered women of Juarez, Mexico; the December 2003 V-Day delegation trip to Israel, Palestine, Egypt and Jordan; the Afghan Women's Summit; the March 2004 delegation to India; the Stop Rape Contest; the Indian Country Project; Love Your Tree.

The 'V' in V-Day stands for Victory, Valentine and Vagina.

Mission

V-Day is an organized response against violence toward women.

V-Day is a vision: We see a world where women live safely and freely.

V-Day is a demand: Rape, incest, battery, genital mutilation and sexual slavery must end now.

V-Day is a spirit: We believe women should spend their lives creating and thriving rather than surviving or recovering from terrible atrocities.

V-Day is a catalyst: By raising money and consciousness, it will unify and strengthen existing anti-violence efforts. Triggering far-reaching awareness, it will lay the groundwork for new educational, protective, and legislative endeavors throughout the world.

V-Day is a process: We will work as long as it takes. We will not stop until the violence stops.

V-Day is a day. We proclaim Valentine's Day as V-Day, to celebrate women and end the violence.

Why V-Day Started

In 1994, a play called The Vagina Monologues, written by playwright and activist Eve Ensler, broke ground, offering to the world a piece of art like nothing it had seen before. Based on dozens of interviews Ensler conducted with women, the play addressed women's sexuality and the social stigma surrounding rape and abuse, creating a new conversation about and with women. The Vagina Monologues ran Off-Broadway for five years in New York and then toured the United States. After every performance, Ensler found women waiting to share their own stories of survival, leading her to see that The Vagina Monologues could be more than a moving work of art on violence; she divined that the performances could be a mechanism for moving people to act to end violence.

On Valentines Day, 1998, Eve, with a group of women in New York City, established V-Day. Set up as a 501(c)(3) and originally staffed by volunteers, the organization's seed money came from a star-studded, sold out benefit performance at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, a show that raised $250,000 in a single evening.

V-Day's mission is simple. It demands that violence against women and girls must end. To do this, once a year, in February, March, and April, Eve allows groups around the world to produce a performance of the play, as well as other works created by V-Day, and use the proceeds for local individual projects and programs that work to end violence against women and girls, often shelters and rape crisis centers. What began as one event in New York City in 1998 today includes over 5,800 V-Day events annually.

Performance is just the beginning. V-Day stages large-scale benefits and produces innovative gatherings, films and campaigns to educate and change social attitudes towards violence against women.

ONE BILLION RISING

New "extreme" Hubble shows deepest view yet of night sky

The Hubble Ultra Deep Field is an image of a small area of space in the constellation of Fornax (The Furnace), created using Hubble Space Telescope data from 2003 and 2004. By collecting faint light over one million seconds of observation, the resulting image revealed thousands of galaxies, both nearby and very distant, making it the deepest image of the Universe ever taken at that time.

The new full-colour XDF image is even more sensitive than the original Hubble Ultra Deep Field image, thanks to the additional observations, and contains about 5500 galaxies, even within its smaller field of view. The faintest galaxies are one ten-billionth the brightness that the unaided human eye can see

This image, called the Hubble eXtreme Deep Field (XDF), combines Hubble observations taken over the past decade of a small patch of sky in the constellation of Fornax. With a total of over two million seconds of exposure time, it is the deepest image of the Universe ever made, combining data from previous images including the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (taken in 2002 and 2003) and Hubble Ultra Deep Field Infrared (2009). Credit: NASA,

Magnificent spiral galaxies similar in shape to the Milky Way and its neighbour the Andromeda galaxy appear in this image, as do large, fuzzy red galaxies in which the formation of new stars has ceased. These red galaxies are the remnants of dramatic collisions between galaxies and are in their declining years as the stars within them age.

Peppered across the field are tiny, faint, and yet more distant galaxies that are like the seedlings from which today’s magnificent galaxies grew. The history of galaxies — from soon after the first galaxies were born to the great galaxies of today, like the Milky Way — is laid out in this one remarkable image.

Hubble pointed at a tiny patch of southern sky in repeat visits made over the past decade with a total exposure time of two million seconds. More than 2000 images of the same field were taken with Hubble’s two primary cameras: the Advanced Camera for Surveys and the Wide Field Camera 3, which extends Hubble’s vision into near-infrared light. These were then combined to form the XDF.

“The XDF is the deepest image of the sky ever obtained and reveals the faintest and most distant galaxies ever seen. XDF allows us to explore further back in time than ever before,” said Garth Illingworth of the University of California at Santa Cruz, principal investigator of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field 2009 (HUDF09) programme.

The Universe is 13.7 billion years old, and the XDF reveals galaxies that span back 13.2 billion years in time. Most of the galaxies in the XDF are seen when they were young, small, and growing, often violently as they collided and merged together. The early Universe was a time of dramatic birth for galaxies containing brilliant blue stars far brighter than our Sun. The light from those past events is just arriving at Earth now, and so the XDF is a time tunnel into the distant past when the Universe was just a fraction of its current age. The youngest galaxy found in the XDF existed just 450 million years after the Universe’s birth in the Big Bang.

Before Hubble was launched in 1990, astronomers were able to see galaxies up to about seven billion light-years away, half way back to the Big Bang. Observations with telescopes on the ground were not able to establish how galaxies formed and evolved in the early Universe.

Hubble gave astronomers their first view of the actual forms of galaxies when they were young. This provided compelling, direct visual evidence that the Universe is truly changing as it ages. Like watching individual frames of a motion picture, the Hubble deep surveys reveal the emergence of structure in the infant Universe and the subsequent dynamic stages of galaxy evolution.

The planned NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope (Webb telescope) will be aimed at the XDF, and will study it with its infrared vision. The Webb telescope will find even fainter galaxies that existed when the Universe was just a few hundred million years old. Because of the expansion of the Universe, light from the distant past is stretched into longer, infrared wavelengths. The Webb telescope’s infrared vision is ideally suited to push the XDF even deeper, into a time when the first stars and galaxies formed and

Hubble Sees a Lonely Galactic Island

Hubble telescope spots a 5th Plutonian satellite

ONE BILLION RISING

ABOUT ONE BILLION RISING

ONE IN THREE WOMEN ON THE PLANET WILL BE RAPED OR BEATEN IN HER LIFETIME.

ONE BILLION WOMEN VIOLATED IS AN ATROCITY

ONE BILLION WOMEN DANCING IS A REVOLUTION

On V-Day’s 15th Anniversary, 2.14.13, we are inviting ONE BILLION women and those who love them to WALK OUT, DANCE, RISE UP, and DEMAND an end to this violence. ONE BILLION RISING will move the earth, activating women and men across every country. V-Day wants the world to see our collective strength, our numbers, our solidarity across borders.

What does ONE BILLION look like? On February 14th, 2013, it will look like a REVOLUTION.

ONE BILLION RISING IS:

A global strike

An invitation to dance

A call to men and women to refuse to participate in the status quo until rape and rape culture ends.

An act of solidarity, demonstrating to women the commonality of their struggles and their power in numbers

A refusal to accept violence against women and girls as a given

A new time and a new way of being

Mission

V-Day is an organized response against violence toward women.

V-Day is a vision: We see a world where women live safely and freely.

V-Day is a demand: Rape, incest, battery, genital mutilation and sexual slavery must end now.

V-Day is a spirit: We believe women should spend their lives creating and thriving rather than surviving or recovering from terrible atrocities.

V-Day is a catalyst: By raising money and consciousness, it will unify and strengthen existing anti-violence efforts. Triggering far-reaching awareness, it will lay the groundwork for new educational, protective, and legislative endeavors throughout the world.

V-Day is a process: We will work as long as it takes. We will not stop until the violence stops.

V-Day is a day. We proclaim Valentine's Day as V-Day, to celebrate women and end the violence.

Economic Freedom of the World: 2012

India ranks very low at 111th position in terms of economic freedom, behind countries like China, Nepal and Bangladesh, a global study has claimed in a worldwide index of 144 nations.

The annual ranking, titled 'Economic Freedom of the World: 2012', is topped by Hong Kong, followed by Singapore, New Zealand, Switzerland (8.24) and Australia in the top-five.

Thomas A. Saunders III (right), chairman of The Heritage Foundation, and Heritage President Edwin J. Feulner (left) present the 2012 Index of Economic Freedom to the Hon. Donald Tsang, chief executive, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Jan. 12 in Hong Kong.

India's ranking has fallen from 103rd last year, while Hong Kong has retained its top slot, the report.

Canada is ranked sixth on the list, while others in the top-ten include Bahrain, Mauritius, Finland and Chile. The countries with lowest level of economic freedom are -- Myanmar, Zimbabwe, Republic of Congo and Angola.

India shares its 111th position with two other countries, Iran and Pakistan, while those ranked lower include Guyana, Syria and Nigeria.

India has scored an overall rating of 6.26 in the economic freedom index as against an average global scrore of 6.83.

In the economic freedom index, China is at 107th position with a score of 6.35, Bangladesh at 109th with a score of 6.34 and Nepal is at 110th position (6.33).

The report said that Hong Kong offers the highest level of economic freedom worldwide, with a score of 8.90 out of 10, followed by Singapore (8.69), New Zealand (8.36), Switzerland (8.24), Australia and Canada (each 7.97), Bahrain (7.94), Mauritius (7.90), Finland (7.88) and Chile (7.84).

"Governments around the world embraced heavy-handed regulation and extensive spending in response to the US and European debt crises, reducing economic freedom in the short term and prosperity over the long term.

"But the slight increase in this year's worldwide economic freedom score is encouraging. Impressively, all five continents are represented in the global top 10

The report noted that on an average, the poorest 10 per cent of people in the freest nations are nearly twice as rich as the average population of the least free countries.

Interestingly, the US, which is considered a champion of economic freedom among large industrial nations, continues its protracted decline in the global rankings. This year, the US plunged to its lowest-ever ranking of 18th, after being ranked at as high as second position in 2002.

The decline is attributed to higher spending and borrowing on the part of the US government.

The rankings and scores of other major economies include -Japan (20th), Germany (31st), Korea (37th), France (47th), Italy (83rd), Mexico (91st), Russia (95th) and Brazil (105th).

About The Index

Economist Adam Smith formed this theory in his influential work, The Wealth of Nations, in 1776. In 2012, his theory is measured – and proven – in the Index of Economic Freedom, an annual guide published by The Wall Street Journal and The Heritage Foundation, Washington's No. 1 think tank.

For over a decade, The Wall Street Journal and The Heritage Foundation, Washington's preeminent think tank, have tracked the march of economic freedom around the world with the influential Index of Economic Freedom. Since 1995, the Index has brought Smith's theories about liberty, prosperity and economic freedom to life by creating 10 benchmarks that gauge the economic success of 184 countries around the world. With its user-friendly format, readers can see how 18th century theories on prosperity and economic freedom are realities in the 21st century.

The Index covers 10 freedoms – from property rights to entrepreneurship – in 184 countries

Commemoration of 150th Birth Anniversary of Motilal Nehru

A Special Function was organized by the Union Ministry of Culture to commemorate the 150th Birth Anniversary of Motilal Nehru.

The Finance Minister Shri P. Chidambaram released the Commemorative Coins on the occasion. A Commemorative Stamp on Shri Motilal Nehru was also released by the Communications & IT Minister Shri Kapil Sibal during the Function.

Govt. of India has decided to commemorate the 150th Birth Anniversary of Shri Motilal Nehru. A National Committee (NC) has been constituted under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to consider policies and lay down guidelines for the appropriate commemoration and to decide on the time frame for the Commemoration-related activities. A meeting of the NC was held on 08th June, 2012, wherein various suggestions were given by the Member for the commemoration activities.

A National Implementation Committee (NIC) has also been constituted under the Chairmanship of Dr. Karan Singh, Member of Parliament to implement the decisions of the National Committee.

The first meeting of the National Implementation Committee was held on 6th August, 2012, New Delhi, in which the suggestions of the National Committee held on 8th June, 2012 were considered by the NIC. The NIC has approved proposals for programmes and projects to ensure a befitting commemoration of the multifaceted genius and his contribution in different fields who was a stalwart of the freedom struggle in more ways than one. As draftsman of the Nehru Report of 1928 he laid the foundation stone for a democratic system with adult suffrage, cultural and religious rights for all. In celebrating his memory we also rededicate ourselves to a common legacy created through a selfless public life. Various programmes and projects will be undertaken during the period 2012-13 such as digitisation of the selected works of Shri Motilal Nehru, re-publication of Nehru Report, organizing special lectures and conferences on the theme “Motilal Nehru and the making of modern India”, setting up of a Motilal Nehru Chair in the Allahabad University etc. These programmes will be implemented in association with Central Ministries, State Government and Universities / Institutions.

India Conducts Paradrop Training along Line of Actual Control to Boost Security

Keeping a strong vigil near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and maintaining operational preparedness, the Indian military is conducting airdrops by paratroopers in Nyoma in east Ladakh (J&K) area. The combat drills near the LAC are part of India’s strategy to augment border security in view of the growing Chinese military presence and their infrastructure along the border.
 
According to sources, the first-ever ‘static line paradrop’ from a heavy-lift Ilyushin-76 aircraft was conducted at Nyoma in eastern Ladakh during August end. The static line paradrop occurs when parachutes, linked to the plane with cords, open on exit in classic airborne infantry mode. The airdrop, with a mix of 20 Army and IAF paratroopers jumping from a record altitude of over 15,000 feet, was conducted by the ‘Mighty Jets’ IL-76 squadron.
 
The advanced landing ground (ALG) at Nyoma in eastern Ladakh is located just 23 km from the LAC at an altitude of over 13,300 feet.  The advanced landing ground (ALG) at Nyoma, activated in 2009, has been facilitating the landing of joint IAF-Army airdrops and AN-32 landings at the airstrip.
 
The location of Nyoma is very crucial to the Indian military due to its strategic location. However, the harsh terrain and weather has been a major challenge for the military. Having an airstrip at such a location has been a major milestone to counter China with its expanding military infrastructure in border areas. India’s Ilyushin-76 aircraft enables transport of over 120 combat-ready paratroopers, which is three times more than an AN-32 aircraft.
 

Meanwhile, India has been eager to expand Nyoma into a major air base from where IAF can operate each and every platform in its inventory including fighter aircraft. IAF has also already chalked out a detailed Rs 3,500 crore project to upgrade the Nyoma ALG into a full-fledged airbase. The new airbase will have a 12,000 feet runway. The IAF has approached the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for permission and the project will take about four years once the approval comes.

 
The Nyoma ALG is located at an altitude of 13,300 ft and lies just 23 kms from the border with China. IAF Chief NAK Browne had stated earlier that the infrastructure of the Nyoma ALG can be developed to station Sukhoi-30 MKI aircraft there "permanently” in future. While Nyoma ALG is not necessarily being developed due to threat from China, it will boost the IAF’s capabilities to deal effectively with any security threat to India.

India holds war games along China, Pakistan border soon

With an aim of checking its preparedness, army recently conducted war games along the China border and is preparing for similar exercises along the Pakistan frontier soon.

The exercises in the North East were conducted by 33 Corps under the Eastern Army Command earlier this month.

Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh oversaw these exercises which were intended to check the battle preparedness vis-a-vis the Chinese army..

India has been focussing on two fronts of China and Pakistan in terms of preparations, keeping in view the threat perception.

In the last five years, India has held several exercises including Op Vijayee Bhava, Op Sudarshan Shakti and Op Sangh-e-Shakti to validate its war-fighting concepts with the enemy.

In the recent past, the main focus of infrastructure development of the Indian armed forces has been eastern part of the country which has not seen much development since independence.

The Army has already raised two mountain divisions along with a Special Forces battalion, an artillery brigade and an armoured regiment for deployment in the northeast sector.

The IAF on its part has deployed its frontline aircraft SU-30MKI in North East and plans to activate a large umber of new airfields there soon.

Three New Unified Commands of Armed Forces Being Mulled To Handle Space, Cyberspace and Special Operations

With national security as its top priority, the Indian Armed Forces are working towards the creation of three new unified commands to handle threats and challenges in the area of space, cyberspace and special operations. All the three services are working towards creating a cyber, aerospace and special operations commands which will synergize their operations.

The three services that consist of the army, air force and navy will be finalizing a formal joint proposal once the top brass of each of the services’ have finalized the details. Once the proposal is drafted, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne will push the proposal for clearance from the government.IAF Chief Browne is also the chairman of the chiefs of staff committee.

While the top brass of the three services are busy finalizing the cyber, aerospace and special operations commands, the issue of three new commands will be taken up during the Combined Commanders’ Conference to be addressed by the Prime Minister on October 19. The need to make the scattered special forces of the three services more cohesive and create a unified command and control structure to execute strategic operations is being considered imperative to gear up for battles in space and cyberspace.





At present, there is a prevalent opinion that a three-star Army officer vis-à-vis a Lt. General must head the Special Operations Command. Similarly, an equivalent rank from IAF like an Air Marshal can head the Aerospace Command and the Cyber Command should be headed by a Vice-Admiral from the Navy.

The above-mentioned categorization and division assumes significance since each force has its own unique capabilities which can be fully utilized in the context of the new commands. Therefore, the categorizations will create the necessary synergy since Indian Army specializes in special operations, the IAF in aerospace and the Indian Navy in cyber and information technology. Sources added that the commands will draw elements, assets and manpower from all the three services as well as the government below the three-stars.

Meanwhile, India like other countries is taking threats of cyber warfare seriously and trying to ensure that its forces are ready to battle in space and cyberspace. Indian government must address the issue at the earliest in order avoid a potential cyber-attack by a terrorist group and jeopardize its national security.

According to reports the Indian government has been trying to beef up its policing of cyberspace, and plans to build a National Cyber Coordination Centre to detect malicious cyber-attacks and issue early warning alerts. In fact, the establishment of a cyber-command centre within the Defence forces is also proposed which will be equipped with defensive and offensive cyber weapons and staff trained in cyber warfare.