Category: Science & Technology

ICAR develops vaccine for Lumpy Skin Disease in cattle

As of August 8, the disease has spread to Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Andaman & Nicobar and Uttarakhand

In a major breakthrough, two institutes of Agri research body ICAR have developed an indigenous vaccine for Lumpy Skin Disease in cattle which has spread across many States in the last few months.

The Centre plans to commercialise this vaccine, developed by the two institutes of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), at the earliest in order to control the Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD), which has led to the death of cattle in six States.

As of August 8, Rajasthan has reported 2,111 deaths of cattle, followed by Gujarat at 1,679, Punjab at 672, Himachal Pradesh at 38, Andaman & Nicobar at 29 and Uttarakhand at 26.

ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines (ICAR-NRCE), Hisar (Haryana), in collaboration with ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Izatnagar, Uttar Pradesh has developed a homologous live-attenuated LSD vaccine “Lumpi-ProVacInd”.

The new technology was released by Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Union Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Parshottam Rupala at an event held in the national capital.

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CorbeVax cleared as precaution dose vaccine, awaits WHO’s emergency use listing

This the first time that a booster dose that is different from the one used for primary vaccination has been allowed in the country

Still awaiting World Health Organisation’s emergency use listing (EUL) the Central Government on August 10 approved Biological E’s CorbeVax as a precaution dose for those above 18 years fully vaccinated with either Covishield or Covaxin.

EUL is a risk-based procedure for assessing and listing unlicensed vaccines, therapeutics and in-vitro diagnostics with the ultimate aim of expediting the availability of products to people affected by a public health emergency. Also international travel in many countries requires people to get a vaccine that’s on the WHO’s approved list.

That pending, the latest approval by the Central Government makes this the first time that a booster dose that is different from the one used for primary vaccination has been allowed in the country.

This will be in addition to the existing guidelines for homologous precaution dose administration of Covaxin and Covishield vaccine. Also all necessary changes in regard to the administration of precaution dose of CorbeVax vaccine are being made on the Co-WIN portal.

The approval is based on the recommendations made recently by the Covid-19 Working Group of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI). CorbeVax is to be considered as a precaution dose after completion of six months or 26 weeks from the date of administration of the second dose of either Covaxin or Covishield vaccines for those aged above 18 years enabling use of CorbeVax as a heterologous Covid-19 vaccine for precaution dose administration in this age group.

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HAL developing AI-driven long-endurance drone for vigil over China border

 State-run aerospace behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) is working on an AI-driven multi-role, advanced and long-endurance drone for strategic missions in high-altitude areas including along the frontiers with China, people familiar with the development said on Sunday.

The rotary-wing drone will have the capability to carry a load of 40 kgs, including missiles and sensors, and it is being developed considering the requirement of the armed forces to keep a strong vigil over the mountainous areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), they said.

The HAL has set a target of conducting the maiden test-flying of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) by the middle of next year and plans to produce 60 such platforms in the first phase of the project, the people in the know told PTI.

They said the operating system of the long-endurance drone will feature applications of Artificial Intelligence and the armed forces will be able to use it for multiple purposes including transporting essential supplies.

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In a first, U.S. Navy Ship arrives in India for repairs

It will undergo maintenance activities at L&T’s Shipyard in Chennai for 11 days

In a first, a U.S. Navy Ship, Charles Drew, arrived in India for carrying out repairs and allied services at Larsen & Toubro’s (L&T) Shipyard at Kattupalli, Chennai, on Sunday adding a new dimension to the fast expanding Indo-U.S. strategic partnership.

“This is the first ever repair of a U.S. Navy ship in India. The U.S. Navy had awarded a contract to L&T’s Shipyard at Kattupalli for undertaking maintenance of the ship. The event signifies the capabilities of Indian shipyards in the global ship repairing market,” a Defence Ministry statement said. 

The USNS Charles Drew will be at the Kattupalli shipyard for a period of 11 days and undergo repairs in various areas.

At the India-U.S. 2+2 in April, both sides agreed to explore the possibilities of utilising Indian shipyards for the repair and maintenance of ships of the U.S. Maritime Sealift Command to support mid-voyage repair of U.S. Naval ships.

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Campus Names New Dean for the School of Engineering

After a nationwide search, Rakesh Goel was selected as UC Merced’s next dean of the School of Engineering.

Goel is a seasoned academic leader who currently serves as executive associate dean in the College of Engineering at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly).

Before he arrived at Cal Poly, Goel was an assistant professor of Civil Engineering at Syracuse University and worked at the Earthquake Engineering Research Center at UC Berkeley as an assistant research engineer. He has industry experience both in India and the U.S. in civil and structural engineering. He is a registered civil engineer in the State of California and is a certified safety assessment program worker for the California Office of Emergency Services.

Goel is a national and international leader in the discipline of earthquake analysis and design structures. His work has been adapted by seismic codes and guidelines, such as the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) ASCE 7, FEMA-356, California Building Code and ASCE 61. He has authored/co-authored more than 150 publications. He has been awarded the Amman Fellowship, the Huber Research Prize and the Norman Medal by the American Society of Civil Engineers, among many other recognitions.

He is a fellow of the ASCE and the Structural Engineering Institute, where he has chaired three prominent committees and served on the editorial board for the Journal of Structural Engineering and Earthquake Spectra.

Goel earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi, India. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in structural engineering from UC Berkeley.

He succeeds Mark Matsumoto, who has served as the school’s dean since 2015. Goel is expected to join the campus in the fall.

news.ucmereced.edu

Prof. receives patent for creating supercapacitors from used tyres

Professor Nand Gopal Sahu of the Rajendra Singh Nano Science and Nanotechnology Centre of Kumaun University’s Chemistry department has obtained a patent for making supercapacitors and energy storage devices from tyre waste.

Talking to Sahu, he said that Tyre waste can be used to synthesize graphene, which is a vital industrial material.

This graphene is used to make supercapacitors that can be used for the manufacture of a variety of devices, including electric vehicles.

Sahu acknowledges Professor AB Melkani, research scholars Gaurav Tatari, Dr Chetna Tiwari, Dr Sandeep Pandey, Dr Manoj Kadakoti, and Dr Himani Tiwari for their contributions to the study.

Nainital, Uttarakhand

thetimesbureau.com

ISRO earns $279 million in foreign exchange through satellite launches

In a written reply to a question, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said ISRO in association with its commercial arms has successfully launched 345 foreign satellites from 34 countries on-board Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), through its commercial arms, has earned $279 million in foreign exchange by launching satellites for global clients, Union Minister Jitendra Singh told the Lok Sabha on July 27.

In a written reply to a question, Mr. Singh said ISRO in association with its commercial arms has successfully launched 345 foreign satellites from 34 countries on-board Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).

“Total foreign exchange revenue earned through launching of foreign satellites amounts to $56 million (one million=10 lakh) and 220 million Euros approximately,” Mr. Singh said, without mentioning any time-frame for such launches. As per current exchange rates, 220 million euros are equivalent to 223 million dollars.

The latest PSLV mission was on June 30 when ISRO’s warhorse launch vehicle placed three Singaporean satellites into orbit. PSLV-C53 mission by ISRO, successfully launched three Singapore customer satellites namely DS-EO, NeuSAR and SCOOB-1.

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Navy gets two MH-60R choppers from US

The Indian Navy received delivery of two MH-60R multi-role helicopters manufactured by USA’s Lockheed Martin Corporation at Kochi airport on Thursday.

The MH-60R is one of the most advanced maritime helicopters in the world and is designed to operate from frigates, destroyers and aircraft carriers. The MH-60R has advanced features for anti-submarine warfare and will replace the ageing fleet of British Westland Seaking anti-submarine helicopters.

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Zenara Pharma gets CDSCO panel nod to manufacture Covid drug

The approval by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has been granted under the emergency authorisation route, Zenara Pharma said in a statement.

Zenara Pharma on Thursday said it has received the CDSCO approval to manufacture and sell combination packs of Nirmatrelvir and Ritonavir tablets, indicated as an option for patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms.

The tablets will be sold under the brand ‘Paxzen’ and are being manufactured at the company’s USFDA-approved facility in Hyderabad, it added.

The combination pack of Nirmatrelvir and Ritonavir tablets is the generic equivalent of Pfizer’s Paxlovid, which has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) for COVID-19 treatment, it added.

“We expect to launch Paxzen in the next couple of weeks and are in talks with multiple institutions and several hospitals in India to ensure that the product is readily available for patients in need,” Zenara Pharma CEO Srinivas Arutla said.

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Historic day for India as Cochin Shipyard delivers first Indigenous aircraft carrier to Navy

Scripting history, the Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) handed over India’s first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) to the Indian Navy on Thursday. The aircraft carrier, which was designed by the Navy’s in-house Directorate of Naval Design and built by the CSL, will be christened after INS Vikrant, India’s first aircraft carrier, which played a crucial role in 1971 war against Pakistan. With the delivery of Vikrant, India has joined a select group of nations having the niche capability to indigenously design and build an Aircraft Carrier.

Sources said the vessel will be commissioned and formally inducted into the Indian Navy by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after Independence day. The Navy is planning to make the induction ceremony a mega event to commemorate the 75th anniversary of India’s independence.

The 262 m long aircraft carrier has a full displacement of close to 45,000 tonnes which is much larger and more advanced than her predecessor. The ship is powered by four gas turbines totalling 88 MW power and has a maximum speed of 28 Knots. Built at an overall cost of Rs. 20,000 crores, the IAC has been built in three phases of a contract between the Ministry of Defence and the CSL, concluded in May 2007, December 2014 and October 2019 respectively.

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