discipline – Page 75 – Take off with Natarajan

‘People wished to pray and we wanted to help them, that’s all’….

December 10, 2015December 10, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

It was a simple gesture of cleaning a temple but this act by a group of Muslim youths went viral on the internet. Members of the Jamaat-E-Islami Hind, who are involved in flood relief work in Tamil Nadu, speak to S Saraswathi.

The sun is out in Chennai and relief and rehabilitation work is on in full swing. Along with the various government agencies, a large number of NGOs have pitched in to provide some comfort to the broken and battered people of Chennai.

Good Samaritans have been out on the streets, wading through the still stagnant and dirty water helping people get back on their feet. However, one beautiful gesture has moved the Chennai-ites.

A bunch of youngsters from the Jamaat-E-Islami Hind, a non-governmental organisation, helped clean two temples and a mosque in the flood ravaged areas of Kotturpuram and Saidapet.

Pictures of the youngsters cleaning the temple went viral on social media. With over 3000 members in Tamil Nadu, this NGO has been hard at work from the first week of November.

Jalaludeen, secretary of the group in Tamil Nadu, explains how it was all part of their work and promises they will not rest until they have done everything they can for the flood victims of Chennai.

“To be very frank, we did not go into the area with any intention of cleaning a particular mosque or temple. Since the rain subsided, our members have been on a cleanliness drive. The entire city is filthy with garbage strewn about in every direction. We noticed that the people were finding it extremely difficult to move about with all the sludge and debris that was left behind by the draining water.

“The stench from the rubbish was overwhelming at places. There is a high risk of infection in the coming weeks, which could be even more dangerous than the floods. These past few days, we have helped clean over 10 different areas like Ennore, Adambakkam, Pulianthope. Kotturpuram, Velachery, Perumbur, Saidapet, Dasamakkan, Kannigapuram and Chindadripet.

“We were in Kotturpuram when we found that two mosques and a temple in the area were in a pathetic condition. There was no pre-plan or motive, nor did we realise we would create such a buzz. People wished to pray and we wanted to help them do it. It was as simple as that.

“Actually, our work has been going on for over a month now. The rains in the first week of November were also bad and even then we helped with the relief work.

During this last week, when it was pouring steadily, we were providing food to the stranded victims. We had made arrangements at one of the mosques for food to be prepared. For four consecutive days, starting Wednesday, we distributed 12,000 packets of food every day.

“But when we realised that more help had arrived and lots of people were also doing the same, we decided to move on with the cleaning work.

“Our work has been organised in a phased manner.

“The second phase will involve distributing books and other stationery to students who have lost everything in the floods. In the third phase, we will provide some basic cooking utensils to the women. And finally, we also have plans to help them rebuild their homes.

“There is a lot more to be done, and we will not rest until we have done all we can. This is not the first time, nor will it be the last that we have come out in support of people in need. This is what we do — we help people in need, disaster or otherwise.”

S Saraswathi in Chennai

Source……..www.rediff.com

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Message for the Day…” There is no such thing as woman alone being bound and men being free; both are equally bound by the rules of dharma…”

December 9, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Just as the woman should consider one person and one person alone as her master and husband, the man too has to be faithful to one woman and one woman alone, as his mate, his wife. She has to consider the husband as Divine and worship him and minister to and follow his desires for the fulfilment of her duty of loyalty to the husband (pativrata);so too, man should honour his wife as the ‘mistress of the home’ and act in accordance with her wishes, for she is theGrihalakshmi (Goddess of prosperity of the home). Only then can he deserve the status of ‘man’. Name and fame, honour and dishonour, vice and wickedness, good and bad are all equal and uniform to both men and women. There is no such thing as woman alone being bound and men being free; both are equally bound by the rules of dharma. Both will fall into adharma if they conduct themselves without due consideration of the attributes mentioned above.

Rice could be the answer to China’s pollution problem…..

December 9, 2015December 9, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

China has long had an issue with pollution. It is claimed to contain the greatest amount of pollution, with that over 1 million deaths in 2010 as a result.

Beijing is widely reported to be one of the most polluted cities in the world. With China’s industrial economy, this is perhaps not so surprising.

However, a large amount of pollution comes from an area which one might not expect: agriculture. The use of nitrogen-based fertilizers has had dramatic effects on air, water, and soil quality in China.

“With only 7% of the world’s farmland, China uses 35% of all the world’s nitrogen fertilisers. This is beginning to have severe environmental consequences.”

Rice: Nitrogen Related Pollution

Excess nitrogen can have a number of negative effects on the environment. It can kill fish and other marine life, reduce crop productivity, and poison the water supply.

A major consequence of nitrogen fertilisers has been air pollution. When nitrogen oxides react in the air, they interact with industrial pollution to form a dense fog known as smog. Not only can smog cause health problems such as asthma, its presence in the air promotes global warming.

Rice is a staple of the Chinese diet. It needs nitrogen-based fertilisers in order to grow effectively. However, this may soon be about to change.

Traditionally, a great deal of Chinese rice is grown in the northern provinces. The genetic make-up of the rice grown in northern China means that it cannot easily absorb nitrogen-based substances from the soil. Because of this, Nitrogen-based fertilisers are used to provide these vital nutrients.

However, with genetic modification, this could no longer be the case. Scientists have proposed cloning a gene from indica rice, and placing it into the native species. The gene is known as a ‘nitric booster’, and it improves the ability for plants to absorb nitrogen-based nutrients from the soil. As a result, much lower levels of fertilizer need to be used.

“Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences found that when genetically modified, the rice species could achieve the same yield with only half as much fertiliser. Thus, reducing related pollution by half.”

This scientific breakthrough could have a significant effect on pollution. By reducing fertiliser usage, nitrogen pollution will decrease. This will contribute towards a reduction in smog, reducing the incidence of pollution-related health complications.

Also, China’s contribution to global pollution will decrease, and marine life will be less at risk. Although this is only the beginning, developments like this may help promote a shift towards a greater desire to tackle pollution in China.

Though it has yet to be implemented, it shows steps in the right direction. With a rapidly aging population, even small pollution prevention suggestions are better than nothing.

Read the original article on BRIC+. For more news, views and insights into culture and commerce from the emerging world, BRIC+. BRIC+ is also available on Facebook. Copyright 2015. Follow BRIC+ on Twitter.

Source……www. businessinsider.com

Natarajan

Black Pepper Benefits: More than Just a Spice….

December 9, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

The next time you relegate black pepper to the back of your shelf, think twice. The humble spice holds more benefits than you’d imagine. It belongs to the Piperaceae family, and is processed in different ways to yield different kinds of peppers. For instance, the cooked and dried unripe fruit is black pepper, the green pepper is from the dried and unripe fruit, and white pepper are the seeds from the ripened fruit of the plant.

While pepper originally belongs to South India, it’s grown in other tropical countries as well. It’s played a vital role in history, and has been considered as an important spice from time immemorial. In ancient Greece, it was also used as currency. In later years, it became pivotal in the spice trade across the world.

Incidentally Vietnam is considered to be the largest grower and exporter of pepper. India, Brazil, and Indonesia follow suit. Black pepper, while used in cooking and garnishing in cuisines the world over, comes with lots of health benefits.

Here’s are six reasons to sprinkle some more –

1. To prevent cancer: The piperine in black pepper can be credited with the prevention of cancer, and becomes twice as potent when combined with turmeric. The spice also hasVitamin C, Vitamin A, flavonoids, carotenes and other anti-oxidants that help remove harmful free radicals and protect the body from cancers and diseases. The best way to eat pepper to harness maximum benefits is to eat freshly ground pepper, and not cook it along with food.

2. Stimulates digestion: Again, the piperine in black pepper eases digestion and stimulates the stomach, which then secretes more hydrochloric acid that helps to digest proteins in food. So a bit of pepper in food will actually help you to digest it faster.

3. Relieves cold and cough: Black pepper is antibacterial in nature, and therefore helps tocure cold and cough. A teaspoon of honey with freshly crushed pepper does the trick. It also helps to alleviate chest congestion, often caused due to pollution, flu, or a viral infection. You can add it to hot water and eucalyptus oil and take steam. And given that black pepper is rich in Vitamin C, it also works as a good antibiotic.

4. Enables weight loss: You might not want to believe this, but black pepper is brilliant when it comes to extracting nutrients from food. And it’s outermost layer contains phytonutrients, which helps to break down fat cells, and also increases metabolism. If you eat fresh pepper, and begin to perspire, that’s the pepper helping your body to get rid of excess water and toxins. But you need to control consumption – a pinch with your food (one meal) is enough.

5. Improves skin: Did you know that crushed pepper is one of the best exfoliators nature has provided us? Don’t use it directly though; add a bit of honey, curd, or fresh cream to it. It also enables blood circulation, and provides the skin with more oxygen. Adding it to your food also takes care of unwarranted skin wrinkles. Black pepper is known to help in the cure of Vitiligo, a condition where the skin loses pigmentation, and creates white patches.

6. Addresses depression: It’s said that the piperine in black pepper helps to deal with depression. It stimulates the brain, and helps it to function properly by making it more active.

Store it well

To take maximum advantage of the benefits of black pepper, it’s important that you store in the best way possible. It’s recommended that you buy whole peppercorn and crush it at home. This not only makes sure that the spice retains its flavour, but also that it lasts longer. Store it in an airtight glass container, and always in a cool, dry, and dark place.

How to use

The use of black pepper in food is limitless. Pongal, a breakfast food in South India, contains whole black peppercorns, which adds a delicious fieriness to the dish. Rasam with whole peppers is not only tasty, but is also cure cold and blocked nasal passages. Something as simple as fried rice can be spiked with pepper for additional flavour. Freshly crushed pepper can be added in almost anything — from salads, sunny side-ups, and soups, to pastas, and even buttermilk. You can use it to spice up sauces for steaks or curries, or use it to coat meats such as duck or chicken before grilling it. But most experts will recommend that you cook pepper as less as possible; it’s the freshly ground ones that are most beneficial. Therefore, invest in a good pepper mill, and keep it on the table — you never know when you might need it.

Source……..Priyadarshini Nandy, in http://www.ndtv.com

Natarajan

சென்னை வெள்ளத்துக்கு காரணம் என்ன?….

December 9, 2015December 9, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

சென்னையில் ஏற்பட்டுள்ள பெரும் வெள்ளப் பெருக்கு, திட்டமிடப்படாத வகையில் நடந்துள்ள நகரமயமாக்கலின் விளைவே என்று இந்தியாவின் அறிவியல் மற்றும் சுற்றுச்சுழலுக்கான மையம் கூறியுள்ளது.

விளை நிலங்களில் வீடுகளை கட்டியதால் பலர் வெள்ளத்தில் சிக்கினர்

கடந்த நூறாண்டுகளில் இல்லாத அளவுக்கு பெய்துள்ள மழை நகரை முழுமையாகப் நிலைகுலையச் செய்துள்ளது என செண்டர் ஃபார் சயன்ஸ் அண்ட் என்விரோன்மெண்ட் அமைப்பின் தலைமை இயக்குநர் சுனிதா நரெயின் வெளியிட்டுள்ள அறிக்கையில் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

இயற்கையான நீர்நிலைகளை பராமரிப்பது தொடர்பில் உரிய கவனம் செலுத்தப்படாதது, தற்போது சென்னையில் ஏற்பட்டுள்ள நெருக்கடிக்கு முக்கியமான காரணம் என்று அவர் தனது அறிக்கையில் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

சிறிய சாலைகள் கூட வெள்ள நீரில் மூழ்கியுள்ளன

சென்னை மட்டுமல்லாமல் டில்லி,கொல்கத்தா, மும்பை, ஸ்ரீநகர் ஆகிய நகரங்களும் இத்தகைய நெருக்கடியை எதிர்கொள்ளும் அபாயம் உள்ளதாகவும் அவர் கூறுகிறார்.

இயற்கை நீர்நிலைகளும், வடிகால்களும் முறையாக பராமரிக்கப்பட்டிந்ருதால், சென்னை இப்படியான வரலாறு காணாத நெருக்கடியைத் தவிர்த்திருக்கலாம் என அந்த மையத்தின் அறிக்கை சுட்டிக்காட்டுகிறது.

வெள்ள நீர் எந்த அளவுக்கு தேங்கியிருந்தது என்பதற்கு இந்தப் படம் ஒரு உதாரணம்

சென்னை,மும்பை போன்ற பெரு நகரங்களில் போதுமான வகையில் அடிப்படை கட்டமைப்பு வசதிகள் மேம்படுத்தப்படாமல், திட்டமிடாத வகையில் நகரம் வளர்ந்து கட்டிடங்கள் கட்டப்படுவதால், வெள்ளம் ஏற்பட்டதும் தாக்குப்பிடிக்க முடியாமல் திணறுகிறது என சுனிதா நரெயன் கூறுகிறார்.

இப்படியான அதிவேக நகரமயமாக்கல்கள், இயற்கை வடிகால்களை அழித்துள்ளன என்றும், சென்னை போன்ற நகரங்கள் இதன் தாக்கத்தை இப்போது உணர்ந்துள்ளன எனவும் அந்த அமைப்பு தெரிவித்துள்ளது.

.Image copyrightbbctamil

Image caption…வடிகால்கள் சரியாக பராமரிக்கப்படாததால் அடையாறில் வெள்ளம் ஏற்பட்டது

சென்னை தனது இயற்கை வடிகால் வசதிகளை பராமரிக்கத் தவறியுள்ளது எனவும் சி எஸ் இ அமைப்பின் அறிக்கை கூறுகிறது.

கடந்த 1980களில் சென்னையில் 600 நீர் நிலைகள் இருந்தன, ஆனால் இப்போது அதில் மிகச் சொற்பமானவையே எஞ்சியுள்ளன என்றும் சுனிதா நரெயின் தனது அறிக்கையில் கூறியுள்ளார்.

முன்னர் ஏரிகள் இருந்த இடங்களில் வீடுகளை கட்டியவர்களின் நிலை இதுதான்

நீர்நிலைகள் மற்றும் வடிகால் அமைப்புகளை பேணிப் பராமரிக்காத நிலையில் பருவநிலை மாற்றத்தால் அசாதாரணமான அளவுக்கு மழை பெய்யும்போது, நிலைமை கட்டுக்கடங்காமல் போகிறது எனவும் அந்த அறிக்கை கோடிட்டுக் காட்டுகிறது.

பாரிஸில் பருவநிலை மாற்றம் குறித்த உச்சிமாநாடு நடைபெற்று வரும் வேளையில், இப்படியான விஷயங்கள் உடனடியாக கவனிக்கப்பட வேண்டியது மிகவும் அவசியமாகிறது என அந்த அறிக்கையில் தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

சென்னையிலுள்ள பல சுரங்கப் பாதைகளில் நீரின் அளவு குறையவில்லை

நீர்நிலைகள் எப்படி சீரழிந்து போயுள்ளன என்பதற்கு போரூர் ஏரி ஒரு உதாரணம் எனக் கூறும் அந்த அறிக்கை, அப்படியான நீர்நிலைகள், நிலத்தடி நீர் மீண்டும் ஊறுவதற்கும், வெள்ளம் ஏற்படும் போது அதை சமாளிப்பதற்கும் பெரும் உதவியாக இருந்திருக்கும் எனவும் மேலும் தெரிவித்துள்ளது.

ஈரநிலப்பகுயில் எப்படி கட்டுமானங்களுக்கு அனுமதி அளிக்கப்படுகின்றன எனும் கேள்விக்கு ஒருநாளும் பதில் கிடைத்தது இல்லை எனக் கூறும் அந்த அறிக்கை, அப்படியான நிலங்கள் நகர நிலச் சட்டங்களின் கீழ் மிகவும் அரிதாகவே பதியப்படுகின்றன எனவும், அதன் காரணமாக பலருக்கு அது தெரியவருவதில்லை எனவும் சுனிதா நரெயின் தமது அறிக்கையில் கூறியுள்ளார்.

நீர்நிலைகளின் கரையோரங்களில் இருந்தவர்களின் நிலை மிகவும் மோசமானது.

அனுமதி கோரி மனுக்கள் வரும்போது மேலோட்டமாக நிலங்களை மட்டுமே அதிகாரிகள் பார்க்கிறார்கள், அதிலுள்ள நீராதாரங்களைப் பார்ப்பதில்லை, எனவே பேராசை பிடித்த கட்டுமான நிறுவனங்கள் அதை தமக்கு சாதகமாக்கிக் கொள்கின்றன எனவும் சி எஸ் இயின் அறிக்கை தெரிவிக்கிறது.

தமிழக அரசின் ஆவணங்களின்படி கடந்த 1980களில் 19 பெரிய ஏரிகளின் பரப்பளவு 1,130ஹெக்டேர்களாக இருந்தது, 2000ஆம் ஆண்டுகளின் முற்பகுதியில் 645 ஹெக்டேர்களாக சுருங்கியுள்ளன, அதன் காரணமாக அந்த ஏரிகளின் கொள்ளளவு குறைந்து போயின என்பதையும் சுட்டிக்காட்டியுள்ளது.

பல வீடுகளின் கீழ் தளங்கள் முழுவதும் நீர் புகுந்து பயன்படுத்த முடியாத சூழல் ஏற்பட்டது.

சென்னையின் பல இடங்களில் மழைநீர் கால்வாய்களில் குப்பைக் கூளங்களால் அடைப்புகள் ஏற்பட்டுள்ளன, அவை உடனடியாக தூர்வாரி சரிசெய்யப்பட வேண்டும் எனவும் அந்த அமைப்பு கோரியுள்ளது.

சென்னை மாநகரில் 2,847 கிமீ நீளத்துக்கு சாலைகள் உள்ள நிலையில், மழைநீர் கால்வாய்கள் 855கிமீ மட்டுமே உள்ளன என்றும், இதுவே பெருமழையின் போது, சாலைகளில் நீர் ஓடுவதற்கும் தேங்கி நிற்பதற்கும் காரணமாகின்றன எனவும் அந்த அறிக்கை கூறியுள்ளது.

சாலைகளில் ஓடும் நீர் முற்றாக வடிய பல நாட்களாகலாம் எனக் கருதப்படுகிறது

மனிதர்களால் உருவாக்கப்படும் வடிகால் அமைப்புகள், ஒருநாளும் இயற்கை வடிகால் அமைப்புகளுக்கு மாற்றாக இருக்க முடியாது எனவும் அந்த அறிக்கை வலியுறுத்தியுள்ளது.

சென்னையில் கூவம், அடையாறு போன்ற நதிகளை இணைக்கும் இயற்கை கால்வாய்களும், வடிகால்களும் இருப்பதை தமது ஆய்வுகள் காட்டுகின்றன என்றும் அந்த அறிக்கை கூறுகிறது.

ஏரிகள் முன்னறிவிப்பின்றி திறந்துவிடப்பட்டதால் பல முக்கியச் சாலைகள் நீரில் மூழ்கின.

உதாரணமாக, நகரின் 75 குளங்களில் நீரின் அளவு உயர்ந்து கொள்ளளவைக் கடக்கும்போது, அந்த நீர் கூவத்தில் கலக்கவும், அதேபோல் 450 குளங்களில் உள்ள உபரி நீரும், செம்பரம்பாக்கம் ஏரியின் அளவு உயரும்போது அதிலுள்ள உபரி நீரும் அடையாற்றில் கலப்பதற்கு வசதிகள் இருந்தன என்று அந்த அறிக்கையில் விளக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

புறநகர் பகுதிகளில் வீடுகளைக் கட்டும்போது நில ஆவணங்கள் கவனமாகப் பார்க்கப்படுவதில்லை எனக் குற்றச்சாட்டுகளும் எழுந்துள்ளன

கடந்த நூறாண்டுகளில் இல்லாத வகையில் சென்னையில் இந்த ஆண்டு நவம்பர் மாதம் மட்டும் 1,218 மிமீ மழை பெய்துள்ளது.

இது சராசரியாக ஆண்டொன்றுக்கு கிடைக்கும் மழையின் அளவைவிட மூன்று மடங்கானது.

Source….www.bbc.com.tamil Photos Credit …bbc tamil

Natarajan

Top 31 Amazing Innovations from Young Indians….

December 9, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

The National Innovation Foundation India (NIF), Ahmedabad shared the ideas that shined at the IGNITE 2015.

Every year, the National Innovation Foundation India (NIF), Ahmedabad invites students from across schools in the country to share their innovative ideas on how to build a better world.

The competition is organised by NIF in association with Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Society for Research and Initiatives in Sustainable Technologies and Institutions (SRISTI), various State Education Boards and other partners.

Students in (up to class 12) or out of the school (up to the age of 17 years) can participate in the IGNITE competition by sending their original technological ideas to solve any problem in day to day life or real life technological innovations demonstrating innovative ways of solving problems/ reducing drudgery/generating efficiency/ conserving resources etc.

More than 28,000 entries were received this year of which 31 best ideas made the cut.

This year the ‘Dr APJ Abdul Kalam IGNITE Awards 2015’ were given by the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad in the presence of state chief minister Anandiben Patel.

President Pranab Mukherjee interacts with a young innovator at Dr APJ Abdul Kalam IGNITE Awards 2015

1. Innovation: Water filter/purifier at source

Names: Soring Lepcha, Class 4, and Subash Prodhan, Class 5, Lingzya Junior High School

Place: North Sikkim, Sikkim

Inspiration behind the idea: Most people today prefer to use a water filter/purifier at their home.

Both the children have given idea to have filter/purifier at the source of water so that everyone has access to clean water without having to make an investment in purchasing a filter/purifier.

Soring’s idea is to have a centralised purification system at the point of distribution like water tank while Subash’s idea is to have such purifiers attached to public taps.

2. Hand rest for fractured hand

Name: Adi Kumar, Class 5, Deens Academy

Location: Bengaluru, Karnataka

Inspiration behind the idea: Generally shoulder arm slings are used to provide support to a fractured hand.

Using this for a long time sometimes give discomfort to the neck/ shoulder region.

Adi’s idea is to have a waist worn appendage, which can provide support to a fractured hand instead of the sling. The fractured arm would be rested comfortably on the appendage and kept in position by straps.

3. Umbrella for more than five persons

Name: Tarna Joy Tripura, class 6, Kabi Guro Rabindra Nath Smiti

Location: Dhalai, Tripura

Inspiration behind the idea: Many times, it becomes difficult for more than one person to share an umbrella during rains. Young Tunnab has given an idea of an umbrella, which could be held by two children from two sides under which other children can stand and thus go to school together without getting wet.

4. Alerting system for bus drivers

Names: Pradyumna Kumar Pal, class 7, Saraswati Sishu Vidya Mandir, Unit-3, Khordha, Orissa; and Rahul Kumar, class 9, Rajkiya Balak Uchh Vidyalaya, Patna, Bihar

Sometimes accidents occur when a passenger puts his body part outside the bus window. Pradyumna and Rahul have independently conceived an idea of an alerting system for the bus driver, which enables them to know which passenger has put his hand or head outside the bus window.

5. Reversible benches at public places

Name: Simran Chadha, Class 8, BCM Arya Public School

Location: Ludhiana, Punjab

Simran’s idea is to have reversible benches at public places so that if they become wet (due to rains) or dirty, they can be rotated using a handle so that the other side, which comes up can be used.

6. Solar seeder

Name: Subash Chandra Bose, Class 8, St Sebasthiyar Matriculation School

Location: Pudukkottai, Tamil Nadu

Subash has developed a solar powered seed drill, which can undertake plantation for different size of seeds at variable depth and space between two seeds.

7. Looms for physically challenged

Name: R Elakkiya, Class 6 and R Pavithra, Class 9, SRC Memorial Matriculation

Location: Erode, Tamil Nadu

The two sisters have come up with loom for lower limbed physically challenged. In their loom they have replaced the pedal operated system with a motor and a gearbox attached to a pulley mechanism.

8. A device to collect Mahua flowers from ground

Name: Lipsa Pradhan, Class 9, Government High School, Kamagaon

Location: Bargarh, Orissa

Mahua flowers have many medicinal properties and are also used to make pickles, jams, and now ice creams as well. Lipsa has suggested a manual device like a lawn mover, which can collect Mahua flowers, which are otherwise picked up by hands, which is a time consuming and tiring process.

9. Pebble indicating system for cooking vessel

Name: Mohd. Tawseef Thoker, Class 9, Government Higher Secondary School, Nihama

Location: Kulgam, Jammu and Kashmir

It happens many a times that while cleaning food grains for cooking, some impurities remain, which get cooked with the food. Tawseef suggests having a vessel with sensors, which can indicate the presence of pebbles or other similar impurities in rice or other food grains being cooked.

10. Gas lighter with gas leak alarm

Name: Nilesh Ras, Class 9, DAV Inter High School

Location: Patna, Bihar

A lot of mishaps occur when cooking gas regulator has been left on accidentally or due to a gas leak. Nilesh’s idea is to have a gas lighter, which can sense and indicate gas leakage before it is lighted thereby preventing accidents.

11. Innovative dustbin

Name: Prem Ranjan Singh, Shivani Singh, Ankush Pal, Class 9, Divya Jyoti English High School

Location: Daman, Daman & Diu

Concerned with the sight of overflowing garbage bins, the three friends have come with an idea of a dustbin with separate slots for bio-degradable and non bio-degradable waste with a message sending facility to the municipality once dustbin is filled up to a preset level.

12. Lac extraction machine

Name: Saurabh Dey, Class 10, Govt. High School, Barajamda

Location: West Singhbhum, Jharkhand

For lac extraction generally the lac coated branches of host trees are cut, crushed and sieved to remove impurities.

Saurabh has made a machine, which can remove lac from the branches without breaking them. As a result, the amount of impurities is lesser in lac and it takes lesser effort to clean it.

13. Pay as you weigh!

Name: Rishab Mallick, Class 10, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Fort William

Location: Howrah, West Bengal

An idea of an automatic ticketing system where fare is calculated as per the weight of the passenger and his luggage

14. Passcode based locking system in gas stove

Name: Nim Lepcha, Class 10, Gor Secondary School

Location: North Sikkim, Sikkim

An idea to have a manual or digital pass code system for gas stoves to avoid accidents involving children.

15. Spectacle microscope

Name: Hadasha Ruangmi, Class 10, Lorna’s School

Dimapur, Nagaland

An idea to have wearable microscope like a spectacle so that it becomes easy to store, carry and use.

16. Seed container that indicates growth of germs

Name: Deepti Manjari Dakua, Class 10, Bahadjhole Girls High School

Location: Nayagrah, Orissa

An idea to have a seed container, which can detect the growth of organism by detecting increase in temperature of the container and alert

17. Colour coded thermometer

Names: Jaspreet Kaur, Class 10, Police DAV Public School, Jalandhar, Punjab; and Janmejay Rathore, Class 12, CMR PU College, Bangalore, Karnataka

An idea to have a colour coding scheme in thermometers to indicate fever level.

It shows red for emergency, orange for intermediate temperature and green for normal.

It also gives out precautionary measures and even dials an ambulance in case of an emergency!

18. Machine to pluck Tendu leaves

Name: Bharat, Class 11, Shashkiya Uchhtar Madhyamik Vidyalaya, Bacheli

Location: Dakshin Bastar, Chhattisgarh

Collecting Tendu leaves is one of the important sources of income in the tribal regions.

The leaves are plucked manually, which is a tedious process. Bharat’s idea is to have a machine to pluck Tendu leaves from the tree.

It would have blades for cutting the leaves, a container to store leaves and a sensor based sorter to segregate leaves according to their size.

19. Watch with medicine delivery system

Names: Navjot Kaur, Class 11, Senior Secondary Model School, Chandigarh; and Vaishnavi Patra, Class 9, Odisha Demonstrated Multipurpose Public School, Khorda, Orissa

An idea of a watch, which can store and timely deliver appropriate dose of medicine to the person.

20. Printed paper reclaiming machine

Name: Arvind Gopalkrishnan, Class 11, Smt. Narbada Devi J. Agarwal Vivekananda Vidyalaya Jr College

Location: Chennai, Tamil Nadu

An idea of printer like device, which can erase all data on a printed page fed to it making it plain and hence reusable.

21. Smart Walking Stick

Name: Siddhant Khanna, Class 11, Sanskriti School

Location: New Delhi

A walking stick for the elderly and the visually challenged with many features like counting of steps, medicine reminder, locator, emergency alarm, fall detector and automatic torch, etc.

22. Drawbridge door for trains

Names: Ram Akash, Class 11, Excel Central School, Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu; and Nimisha Katyayan, Class 12, DAV Kapil Dev Public School, Ranchi, Jharkhand

An idea to have a drawbridge door for trains, which when opened at the railway platforms, acts like a ramp, making it easy for people to carry their luggage inside the train bogie.

23. Solar pulse thresher

Name: Dipankar Das, Class 12, Govt. Senior Secondary School, Diglipur

Location: North Andaman, Andaman & Nicobar Islands

A device for efficient threshing of matured pulses (grains, green gram, black gram, arhar, horse gram) without using electricity or fossil fuels, thereby reducing the harvesting cost.

24. Differentiating artificially and naturally ripened fruits

Name: Neha, Class 12, Govt. Model Sr. Secondary School, PAP campus

Location: Jalandhar, Punjab

Neha suggests having paper like litmus paper, which can change its colour depending upon the level of naturally occurring sugar in a fruit thereby helping distinguish between artificially and naturally ripened fruits.

25. Stress monitoring mechanism in animals

Name: Diva Sharma, Class 12, GD Goenka Public School

Location: New Delhi

An app, which records the respiratory rate, temperature, pulse rate, heart beat rate of animals, through sensors attached to their bodies.

The program also performs an analysis of the co-dependency of these parameters to each other and prompts for a stressful condition, if parameters vary beyond a range.

26. Foot operated door opening mechanism

Name: Jayprakash B Rathwa, Class 12, Shree Gram Shala Grambharti, Gandhinagar, Gujarat; and Tanmay Takale, Class 12, Shri Mhalsakant Vidyalya

Location: Pune, Maharashtra

An idea to have a system using which a door can be opened by activating a sensor using a leg.

This may be useful for the physically disabled or someone carrying load in both hands. It can also be used in public toilets.

27. Punching machine with hole reinforcement feature

Name: Tanmay Takale, Class 12, Shri Mhalsakant Vidyalya

Location: Pune, Maharashtra

An idea to have a punching machine with a hole reinforcement mechanism so that the punched holes last longer and do not tear off from inside.

28. Body suit

Name: Ayush Gupta and Arnov Sharma, Class 12, Delhi Public School

Location: Haridwar, Uttrakhand

An mechanical exoskeleton or suit, which can support a physically disabled person, and aid orthopedic patients.

29. Low cost grass and leaf cutting machine

Name: Sapir Debbarma and Klishan Debbarma, Class 12, Bharat Sardar H. S. School

Location: Khowai, Tripura

A hand held cutting machine for cutting grass and leaves.

30. Portable latch for restrooms

Name: PS Senthur Balaji, Class 12, Maharishi International Residential School, Kanchipuram

Location: Erode, Tamil Nadu

An idea of a latch useful for people travelling frequently or in rural areas, which can be used for locking a door temporarily. This can be used in public restrooms or other places that lack latches.

31. Soundproof hammer

Name: Prithwish Dutta, Class 12, Don Bosco High & Technical School

Location: Howrah, West Bengal

An idea of a soundproof hammer, which would not make any sound when struck against any object. The impact energy would be absorbed in the hammer itself, which will be covered with a foam like substance.

So, which of these innovations did you like the most? Tell us! Share your views in the messageboard below!

All Photographs: Courtesy National Innovation Foundation India

Source…..www.rediff.com

Natarajan

” Chennai floods: Saved by Muslim man, Hindu couple names Newborn after Rescuer…”

December 9, 2015Natarajan1 Comment

Among tales of humanity emerging from rain-battered Chennai is a story of a Hindu couple who have named their newborn after a Muslim who came to their rescue when the crisis blew them over.

Chitra and Mohan, hailing from Urapakkam which suffered one of the worst flooding in the city’s southern neighbourhood, named their daughter Yunus after the MBA graduate, who rescued the pregnant woman from neck-deep waters and moved her to a hospital.

The couple thanked Yunus by naming their daughter after him, with the businessman now promising to take care of his namesake’s educational expenses.

Narrating the experience, Yunus said, “I hail from Nungambakkam and I realised on the night of December 2 something is not right and I thought of helping my friends in Urapakkam area, which was one of the worst-hit areas due to the heavy rainfall.”

The screams of a woman in the area initially sounded like a frightened reaction to Yunus and his friends, but “later I realised she was undergoing labour pain”, Yunus told PTI.

At first, my objective was to take her and the family to a safer place and we moved her to nearby Perungalathur by boat. That 15-minute journey is unforgettable,” he said.

However, he got the surprise of his life when Mohan informed him that he has named his daughter Yunus.

In a text message to Yunus, Mohan informed him of the birth of his daughter and his decision to name her after the Muslim postgraduate.

“We take pride in this,” Mohan had told him.

Having himself been a victim of a disaster, Mohan has vowed to contribute 50 per cent of his salary for the needy.

Asked whether he had time to pay a visit to the child, Yunus said he was still helping those affected with his 15-member team.

“The full credit goes to the team, my friends and the fishermen from Besant Nagar beach. They were there with me always and still helping to take part in the relief efforts”, he said.

“As far as the child is concerned, I will definitely pay a visit soon. Through you, I wish to inform them that the child’s education fees would be fully borne by me,” he said.

Source…..www.rediff.com

Natarajan

“Malaysia searches for Boeing 747 owners…” !!!

December 8, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Boeing 747-200F planes parked on the tarmac at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

STILL puzzled by the mystery of missing flight MH370, Malaysian airport authorities now have the opposite problem: three Boeing 747 planes left unclaimed at the country’s main airport.

The operators of Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) have placed a bizarre advertisement in a Malaysian newspaper seeking the owners of three 747-200F aircraft apparently abandoned there.

“If you fail to collect the aircraft within 14 days of the date of this notice, we reserve the right to sell or otherwise dispose of the aircraft” under Malaysian regulations, said the ad which ran in Monday’s edition of The Star.

The notice was addressed to the “untraceable owner” of the planes.

Zainol Mohd Isa, general manager of Malaysia Airports (Sepang), which operates the facility, said the airport had been trying to contact the planes’ last known owners.

He said they were “international” and not Malaysian, but declined to give further details.

“I don’t know why they are not responding. There could be many reasons. Sometimes it could be because they have no money to continue operations,” Zainol said.

The ad placed in The Star.Source:Supplied

In addition to wanting the planes to be claimed, he said the airport is seeking payment from the owners for landing, parking and other charges.

If no payment is received by December 21, the planes will be auctioned or sold for scrap to recoup the outstanding charges. The notice gave the planes’ registration numbers as TF-ARM, TF-ARN, and TF-ARH.

Two are passenger jets.Source:AFP

Zainol said two are passenger aircraft and one is a cargo plane. It is not the first time this has happened at the airport, Zainol added.

Whose are they?Source:AFP

In the past decade a few other planes, mostly smaller aircraft, were abandoned.

He said an aircraft that was abandoned in the 1990s was eventually bought and turned into a restaurant in a Kuala Lumpur suburb.

KLIA was the origin of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which disappeared after taking off on March 8, 2014 with 239 passengers and crew aboard in what remains one of aviation’s greatest mysteries.

Malaysia earlier this year confirmed that a wing part found on the French island of La Reunion in the Indian Ocean was from the plane.

But no further wreckage has been found despite an intensive Australian-led oceanic search.

Source…….www.news.com.au

Natarajan

” Occupation: Mother! ….”……

December 8, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

The officer at the driving license counter asked the lady: “What is your occupation?“

The woman, seeking a renewal of her license seemed to be puzzled.

so the officer said “Ma’am, are you employed, have your own business or…”

“Oh yes!‘ The woman replied, “I do have a full-time occupation. I am a mother!“

The officer rolled his eyes: “We don’t have ‘mother’ as an option for occupation. I’ll write it down as ‘housewife’. That takes care of all questions.”

This had happened long ago, and was forgotten. Years later, when I (the woman in the story, if you hadn’t guessed) went to get my license, the public relations officer was a somewhat pompous woman.

“Your occupation?” she asked in a rather authoritative tone.

I just had a moment pf inspiration and replied “I am a researcher in the field of child development, nutrition and inter-personal relationships.”

The lady officer stared at me in amazement.

I calmly repeated my statement and she wrote it down verbatim. Then, unable to conceal her curiosity, she politely asked “What exactly do you do in your profession, ma’am?”

I was feeling good about having described my occupation so calmly and confidently. so I replied “My research projects have been going on for a number of years (mothers NEVER retire).

My research is conducted in the laboratory as well as in the field.

I have two bosses (one is god and the other is my entire family).

I have received two honors in this field. (a son and a daughter)

My topic is considered to be the most difficult part of sociology.

(all moms will agree).

I have to work more than 14 hours every day. Sometimes even 24 hours are not enough and the challenges are tougher than many other professions. My compensation is in terms of mental satisfaction rather than money.”

I could see that the officer was thoroughly impressed. After completing the

licensing formalities, she came to the door to see me off.

This new viewpoint about my occupation made me feel much better on my way back home.

I was welcomed by my 5-year-old research assistant at the door. My new project (my 6-month old baby) was energetically practicing her ‘music’.

I had earned a small victory over the governmental red tape today. I was no longer merely ‘a mother ‘. Instead, I was now a highly placed functionary in a service vital to mankind – motherhood!

‘Mother ‘ – isn’t it a great title? Fit to be added to the nameplate on the door?

By this standard, grandmothers deserve to be called senior research officers, and great- grandmothers qualify as ‘research directors ‘. Aunts and other ladies of that age group can be called ‘research facilitators’!

Please share this with all mothers, grandmothers, great grandmothers, all ladies currently holding posts like this – they deserve it!

Photos courtesy of: Ambro, David Castillo Dominici / freedigitalphotos.net

Source……….. Alejandra B.…in http://www.ba-bamail.com

Natarajan

Message for the Day…”Keep your eyes pure. Fill your ears with stories of Divine; don’t allow them to listen to calumny. Use your tongue for uttering good, kind, and true words”

December 8, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

People have taught the eye, ear, and tongue the luxury of constant novelty. Now do the opposite. Turn your mind towards the good and examine every minute’s activities. Each deed is a chisel stroke shaping the rock of human personality. A wrong stroke may disfigure the rock. Therefore even the tiniest of acts must be done with great care and devotion. For a drowning person, even a reed is some support. So too to a person struggling in the sea of inborn desires (samskara), a few kind words might be of great help. No good deed is a waste; every bad deed has its consequence. So strive to avoid the slightest trace of evil activity. Keep your eyes pure. Fill your ears with stories of Divine; don’t allow them to listen to calumny. Use your tongue for uttering good, kind, and true words. Let it always remind you of God. Such constant effort will grant you victory.