Top 100 Universities of India as per All-India Ranking by Ministry of HRD

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India’s Union HRD ministry’s NIRF has released the the country’s ranking of top universities and institutes in categories of univesities, engineering institutes, management institutes, and pharma institutes.

As expected JNU has come on top at third while the science streams had IISc of Bangalore on top of the list. Leaving aside IISc and ICT-Mumbai, JNU tops the general stream of universities in the country, while University of Hyderabad came next to it and surprisingly Tezpur University of Assam took the fifth rank, leaving Delhi University to 6th rank. Here’s the full list of top 100 Universities in India.

Name City State Score Rank
NIRF-UNIV-248 Indian Institute Of Science Banglore Banglore Karnataka 91.81 1
NIRF-UNIV-282 Institute Of Chemical Technology | Mumbai Maharashtra 87.58 2
NIRF-UNIV-319 Jawaharlal Nehru University | New Delhi Delhi 86.45 3
NIRF-UNIV-745 University Of Hyderabad-Hyderabad | Hyderabad Telangana 85.45 4
NIRF-UNIV-708 Tezpur University | Tezpur Assam 84.31 5
NIRF-UNIV-741 University Of Delhi | Delhi Delhi 83.19 6
NIRF-UNIV-66 Banaras Hindu University | Varanasi Uttar Pradesh 81.22 7
NIRF-UNIV-249 Indian Institute Of Space Science And Technology | Thiruvananthapuram Kerala 78.82 8
NIRF-UNIV-86 Birla Institute Of Technology & Science -Pilani | Pilani Rajasthan 76.85 9
NIRF-UNIV-18 Aligarh Muslim University | Aligarh Uttar Pradesh 76.62 10
NIRF-UNIV-780 Visva Bharati | Kolkata West Bengal 76.11 11
NIRF-UNIV-558 Punjab University | Chandigarh Chandigarh 76.02 12
NIRF-UNIV-542 Pondicherry University | Puducherry Pondicherry 74.44 13
NIRF-UNIV-76 Bharathiar University | Coimbatore Tamil Nadu 74.31 14
NIRF-UNIV-519 North Eastern Hill University | Shillong Meghalaya 72.41 15
NIRF-UNIV-360 King Georges Medical University-Lucknow | Lucknow Uttar Pradesh 72.24 16
NIRF-UNIV-231 Homi Bhabha National Institute | Mumbai Maharashtra 72.06 17
NIRF-UNIV-309 Jamia Hamdard-New Delhi | New Delhi Delhi 71.44 18
NIRF-UNIV-29 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham-Coimbatore | Coimbatore Tamil Nadu 71.03 19
NIRF-UNIV-199 Goa University-Goa | Goa Goa 69.90 20
NIRF-UNIV-215 Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha Vishwavidyalaya | New Delhi Delhi 69.65 21
NIRF-UNIV-194 Gauhati University | Guwahati Assam 68.58 22
NIRF-UNIV-287 International Institute Of Information Technology Hyderabad | Hyderabad Telangana 68.38 23
NIRF-UNIV-216 Guru Jambeshwar University Of Science And Technology | Hissar Haryana 67.46 24
NIRF-UNIV-218 Guru Nanak Dev University | Amritsar Punjab 67.32 25
NIRF-UNIV-624 Shiksha ‘O’ Anusandhan | Bhuabaneswar Odisha 66.81 26
NIRF-UNIV-283 Institute Of Liver And Biliary Sciences | New Delhi Delhi 66.65 27
NIRF-UNIV-626 Shivaji University | Kolhapur Maharashtra 66.53 28
NIRF-UNIV-67 Banasthali Vidyapith | Banasthali Rajasthan 66.37 29
NIRF-UNIV-137 Cochin Unviersity Of Science & Technology | Cochin Kerala 66.35 30
NIRF-UNIV-81 Bidhan Chandra Krishi Vishwavidyalaya | Mohanpur West Bengal 66.33 31
NIRF-UNIV-434 Manipal Academy Of Higher Education-Manipal | Manipal Karnataka 65.74 32
NIRF-UNIV-529 Osmania University | Hyderabad Telangana 65.40 33
NIRF-UNIV-111 Central University Of Rajasthan | Bandar Sindri Rajasthan 64.49 34
NIRF-UNIV-299 Jagadguru Sri Shivarathreeshwara University | Mysore Karnataka 64.28 35
NIRF-UNIV-697 Tamilnadu Veterinary & Animal Sciences University | Chennai Tamil Nadu 64.23 36
NIRF-UNIV-324 Jaypee University Of Information Technology-Solan | Solan Himachal Pradesh 64.21 37
NIRF-UNIV-285 Instituteof Armamrnt Technology | Pune Maharashtra 64.05 38
NIRF-UNIV-172 Dr. Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya-Sagar | Sagar Madhya Pradesh 63.69 39
NIRF-UNIV-692 Tamilnadu Agricultural University | Coimbatore Tamil Nadu 63.66 40
NIRF-UNIV-550 Presidency University | Kolkata West Bengal 63.56 41
NIRF-UNIV-615 Sathyabama Institute Of Science And Technology | Chennai Tamil Nadu 62.46 42
NIRF-UNIV-596 S.R.M Institute Of Science And Technology | Chennai Tamil Nadu 62.29 43
NIRF-UNIV-409 Maharishi Dayanand University | Rohtak Haryana 61.31 44
NIRF-UNIV-338 Kalyani University | Kalyani West Bengal 61.30 45
NIRF-UNIV-554 Pt.Ravishankar Shukla University | Raipur Chhattisgarh 61.09 46
NIRF-UNIV-540 Periyar University | Salem Tamil Nadu 60.99 47
NIRF-UNIV-350 Karunya Institute Of Technology And Sciences-Coimbatore | Coimbatore Tamil Nadu 60.85 48
NIRF-UNIV-15 Alagappa University | Karaikudi Tamil Nadu 60.63 49
NIRF-UNIV-467 National Institute Of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship & Management (Niftem) | Sonepat Haryana 60.44 50
NIRF-UNIV-448 Mizoram University | Aizwal Mizoram 60.31 51
NIRF-UNIV-335 Kalasalingam Academy Of Research And Higher Education | Srivilliputtur Tamil Nadu 60.27 52
NIRF-UNIV-336 Kalinga Institute Of Industrial Technology | Bhubneshwar Odisha 60.09 53
NIRF-UNIV-557 Punjab Technical University | Kapurthala Punjab 60.06 54
NIRF-UNIV-534 Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University | Gandhinagar Gujarat 58.67 55
NIRF-UNIV-276 Indraprastha Institute Of Information Technology-New Delhi | New Delhi Delhi 58.62 56
NIRF-UNIV-33 Annamalai University | Annamalainagar Tamil Nadu 57.58 57
NIRF-UNIV-661 Sri Ramachandra Medical College And Research Institute | Chennai Tamil Nadu 57.36 58
NIRF-UNIV-521 North Maharashtra University | Umavinagar Maharashtra 57.28 59
NIRF-UNIV-101 Central University Of Gujarat | Gandhinagar Gujarat 57.14 60
NIRF-UNIV-644 Sikkim University | Gangtok Sikkim 57.08 61
NIRF-UNIV-732 U.P. Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Pashu Chikitsa Vigyan Vishwavidhyalaya Evam Go | Mathura Uttar Pradesh 56.84 62
NIRF-UNIV-668 Sri Venkateswara University | Tirupati Andhra Pradesh 55.93 63
NIRF-UNIV-311 Jammu University -Jammu Tawi | Jammu Tawi Jammu and Kashmir 55.70 64
NIRF-UNIV-110 Central University Of Punjab-Bathinda | Bathinda Punjab 55.62 65
NIRF-UNIV-629 Shoolini University Of Biotechnology And Management Sciences-Solan | Solan Himachal Pradesh 55.49 66
NIRF-UNIV-113 Central University Of Tamil Nadu-Tiruvarur | Tiruvarur Tamil Nadu 55.37 67
NIRF-UNIV-740 University Of Allahabad | Allahabad Uttar Pradesh 55.04 68
NIRF-UNIV-317 Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University | Kakinada Andhra Pradesh 54.71 69
NIRF-UNIV-707 Teri School Of Advanced Studies | New Delhi Delhi 54.46 70
NIRF-UNIV-497 National Law University | New Delhi Delhi 54.17 71
NIRF-UNIV-462 Narsee Monjee Institute Of Management Studies -Mumbai | Mumbai Maharashtra 54.04 72
NIRF-UNIV-210 Gujarat University | Ahmedabad Gujarat 54.01 73
NIRF-UNIV-159 Dibrugarh University | Dibrugarh Assam 53.89 74
NIRF-UNIV-516 Noorul Islam Centre For Higher Education -Kanyakumari | Kanyakumari Tamil Nadu 53.42 75
NIRF-UNIV-405 Maharaja Sayajirao University Of Baroda -Vadodara | Vadodara Gujarat 53.14 76
NIRF-UNIV-47 Assam University-Silchar | Silchar Assam 53.13 77
NIRF-UNIV-746 University Of Kota | Kota Rajasthan 52.88 78
NIRF-UNIV-552 Pt. Bhagwat Dayal Sharma University Of Health Sciences | Rohtak Haryana 52.47 79
NIRF-UNIV-636 Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University | Katra Jammu and Kashmir 52.38 80
NIRF-UNIV-242 Indain Institute Of Foreigen Trade-New Delhi | New Delhi Delhi 51.82 81
NIRF-UNIV-721 The Northcap University | Gurgaon Haryana 51.63 82
NIRF-UNIV-310 Jamia Millia Islamia-New Delhi | New Delhi Delhi 51.51 83
NIRF-UNIV-62 Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University-Lucknow | Lucknow Uttar Pradesh 51.39 84
NIRF-UNIV-382 Lnm Istitute Of Information Technology | Jaipur Rajasthan 50.81 85
NIRF-UNIV-323 Jaypee University Of Engineering & Technology | Raghogarh Madhya Pradesh 50.67 86
NIRF-UNIV-166 Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University | Aurangabad Maharashtra 50.07 87
NIRF-UNIV-730 Tripura University | Agartala Tripura 49.89 88
NIRF-UNIV-470 National Institute Of Technology Agartala | Agratala Tripura 49.73 89
NIRF-UNIV-389 M.S. Ramaiah University Of Applied Sciences | Bangalore Karnataka 49.67 90
NIRF-UNIV-146 Dayalbagh Educational Institute -Agra | Agra Uttar Pradesh 49.64 91
NIRF-UNIV-792 Yogi Vemana University | Kadapa Andhra Pradesh 49.11 92
NIRF-UNIV-653 Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth Mahatma Gandhi Medical College Campus | Puducherry Pondicherry 48.89 93
NIRF-UNIV-112 Central University Of South Bihar | Patna Bihar 48.89 94
NIRF-UNIV-646 Sir Padmapat Singhania University | Udaipur Rajasthan 48.20 95
NIRF-UNIV-21 Ambedkar University Delhi (Aud) | Delhi Delhi 47.83 96
NIRF-UNIV-573 Rajasthan University Of Veterinary & Animal Sciences | Bikaner Rajasthan 47.65 97
NIRF-UNIV-541 Pes University | Bangalore Karnataka 47.30 98
NIRF-UNIV-265 Indian Law Institute -New Delhi | New Delhi Delhi 47.19 99
NIRF-UNIV-126 Chettinad Academy Of Research And Education (Care) | Chennai Tamil Nadu 47.05 100

Source: National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), Ministry of HRD


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Top Universities of India List under NIRF Ranking Released, JNU 3rd, HCU 2nd, BITS,Pilani 9th

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Ending fake claims of rankings across the country, India’s Union HRD ministry’s NIRF has released the the country’s ranking of top universities and institutes in categories of univesities, engineering institutes, management institutes, and pharma institutes.

As expected JNU has come on top at third while the science streams had IISc of Bangalore on top of the list. Leaving aside IISc and ICT-Mumbai, JNU tops the general stream of universities in the country, while University of Hyderabad came next to it and surprisingly Tezpur University of Assam took the fifth rank, leaving Delhi University to 6th rank.

Here is the list of top 5 universities/institutes in their respective category:

TOP 5 UNIVERSITIES in INDIA:

1.Indian Institute Of Science Banglore–Banglore—Karnataka

India to Join 100 Other Nations to Ratify Paris Climate Pact on April 22

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Reiterating India’s commitment to carbon emission reduction, Union Environment, Forests & Climate Change Minister Prakash Javadekar on Saturday said India, along with 100 other nations would ratify the COP 21 Global Climate Agreement on April 22.

The pact, COP 21, reached at Paris summit in December 2015 would be ratified at a high level signing ceremony to be convened at the UN Headquarters in New York. The agreement sets out a global action plan to put the world on track by limiting global warming below 2 degree Celsius.

Speaking at a Symposium “COP 21 – Building Synergies, Shaping Actions” organized in the University of Mumbai, Javadekar said, “All countries have decided to walk the green path as per their common but differentiated responsibilities… India was always perceived to be a naysayer and negative in its approach and took a corner seat in most of the international conferences. But in Paris, Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced the concept of climate justice driving home the message of sustainable development.”

The minister said climate change by 1 degree rise in temperature caused by 150 years of uncontrolled carbon emission by the developed world needs to be reversed. He said while 30% of cumulative contribution was that of the United States, 50% by Europe, Canada and other developed world and 10% by China, India was responsible for only 3% carbon emission but still “it wants to be part of the solution.”

Highllighting some pro-active measures to discourage use of fossil fuels in a bid to reduce carbon foot print by levying Rs 400 per tonne green cess on coal, he said: “If the developed world followed India’s example and levied higher taxes on coal, billions of dollars would accrue to pursue clean energy programmes.”

Further the proposed Compensatory Afforestation Funds Bill 2015 would unlock Rs 40,000 crores for the ‘Green India’ initiative and other plans to control vehicular pollution by moving to Bharat VI emission norms, policies on waste management, Swachch Bharat initiative, Ganga rejuvenation among others would contribute to contain climate change, said the minister.

Union Minister of State (IC) for Coal, Power, New & Renewable Energy Piyush Goyal said his portfolios put him in an awkward situation. “I am a polluter as well as a pollution container”, he said. On solutions undertaken to contain climate change, he said India has launched the world’s largest renewable energy programme by scaling up the target for solar energy. “The solar energy mission envisaged 20,000 Mw of solar electricity generation by 2022. But this target has been pushed ahead by the Prime Minister to 1,00,000 Mw (1Gw),” Goyal said. But all renewable energy programmes will be sustainable only if they become economically viable, he noted.

“While one is aware of pollution caused by the thermal power plants, their importance cannot be overlooked. Therefore, our thrust is on adopting clean coal technologies” he added.

Forget Selfie Stick, Here Comes ROAM-e Drone!

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ROAM-e selfie Drone

Australian tech firm IoT Group has launched a new “ROAM-e” drone priced A$349 (US $267) that will be hovering over you as are on go and takes your picture in 360 degree format to be streamed live on the Internet and social media.

Replacing the selfie sticks or stretching your hand far to get a better selfie picture, users can now use the small drone built with facial recognition technology and tethered with your smartphone, it can be your constant companion in air for 20 minutes at a stretch and easily rechargeable.

Ian Duffell, executive director of the IoT Group, says it is “a selfie stick on steroids” since the selfie stick’s problem is it’s confined by the length of the stick. Once tethered to your smart phone, you’ll never need additional tethering devices specific to ROAM-e, he said.

“The thought was, let’s get the thing taking the picture flying with you,” he said. The two rotor ‘ROAM-e’ can be programmed using facial recognition technology to follow the user at a distance of up to 25 metres. It can take 360-degree panorama pictures of you and even stream a live video for up to 20 minutes.

The ROAM-e has a 5-megapixel CMOS sensor camera and runs on Quadcore ARM Cortex A7 processor and its rotors can be folded.

“We wanted it to be small enough to fit into a bag or pocket. We modelled it on not being bigger than a 600-millilitre water bottle,” Duffell noted launching the device on Thursday. It has the ability of the drone to drop a pin on a map application, if instructions are given to it to travel to that point and return, he said.

 

April Fool Parody News Trending Now

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Come April 1, the day of fools makes many news ventures into releasing false news to make the day for their news-hungry readers. Today the news from Firstpost saying for sure that Congress Vice President rahul Gandhi will tie the knot or marry has been trending.

With a sub-head "Who is the girl you ask?", the news outfit went on to narrate the story further saying, "The identity of Rahul’s lady love has been carefully kept under wraps. But we can confirm that she is an Indian with an impressive academic background.". Perhaps, short of saying that she is from JNU, the report virtually re-enacted the April Fool’s day.

Today being the April Fool Day, beware of many such stories making rounds in news outlets and online, including the social media.

[tags, april fool, april 1 news, parody, false news, hoax news, rahul gandhi marriage, jnu girl]

Kolkata Flyover Collapse Not New Ahead of Elections

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Since it was the elections time, what happened in Kolkata following the collapse of flyover under construction in a busy area should not surprise onlookers as the impending elections speak volumes for pushing such projects under tight deadlines irrespecitve of the quality.

Quality given a go by, even huge structures will come down within days if not months as was the case earlier. The blame game will be feverish since elections are underway in the state but neither the civil bodies nor the government functionaries can be taken for task as the elections code will come into force soon.

On his part, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to Chief Minister of West Bengal, Ms. Mamata Banerjee on the situation and expressed grief on the mishap in Kolkata and assured all possible support from the Center. “Shocked and saddened by collapse of under construction flyover in Kolkata. Took stock of the situation and rescue operations. My thoughts are with the families of those who lost their lives in Kolkata. May the injured recover at the earliest”, the Prime Minister said in his typical message.

President Pranab Mukherjee, who is from West Bengal too sent his codolences for the loss of lives due to the collapse of a flyover under construction in Kolkata. He said “I am sad to learn about the collapse of the flyover under construction in Kolkata in which number of persons have lost their lives and many others are injured. I understand rescue and relief operations are currently underway.”

It is not West Bengal alone but all over the country, poor construction materials and corruption have made a dent that it hardly remains in the thoughts of our ruling parties for long. Few days later, Kolkata tragedy will be taken over by another bigger tragedy and all media attention moves there. The root cause remains the same for ever.

[tags, kolkaya flyover, tragedy, root cause, reactions, pm modi, president, mamta banerjee,]

Entry Fee Hiked Steeply for Monuments from Today

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Visiting centrally Protected Ticketed Monuments under Archaeological Survey of India will cost 200% more from today, April 1, 2016 as the government has decided to enhance the entry fee at 116 Centrally protected ticketed monuments under Archaeological Survey of India from Rs.10 to 30 per person.

The new rate comes into effect from today, April 1, 2016 and the department said it was hiked after a period of more than 15 years. Last time the increase was effected in 2000, it said. The fee has been revised after consulting the general public and the Ministry of Tourism, Tour Operators and Travel Associations, said the department, which said the fee charged abroad for such monuments is far higher in comparison. Essentially, the hike in fee will be used for more facilities at the monuments, defended the government in its statement on steep fee hike.

The revised entry fee structure is as under:

Type of Visitor Existing entry fee Revised entry fee (w.e.f. 01.04.2016 Type of monuments
citizens of India and visitors from SAARC, visitors from BIMSTEC Countries and overseas citizens of India Rs.10/- Rs.30/-

per head

 World Heritage Monument
others (All Nationals other than from countries mentioned above) Rs.250/- Rs.500/-

per head

 World Heritage Monument
citizens of India and visitors from SAARC countries, visitors from BIMSTEC Countries and overseas citizens of India Rs.5/- Rs.15/-

per head

 Other monument
others (All Nationals other than from countries mentioned above) Rs.100/- Rs.200/-

per head

 Other monument

Accordingly better facilities in the form of free bottled water, wi-fi connectivity, mementoes and CDs with pictures and films of monuments would be offered to tourists purchasing high value tickets @ Rs 750/ and Rs 300/- at World Heritage monuments and Other Ticketed monuments respectively. This would also generate additional revenue for the exchequer. Further, separate queue would be provided for ticket holders of Rs.750/-, Rs.500/-, Rs.300/- and Rs.200/- for ensuring smooth entry to the monument. The revised rates shall be effective from 01.04.2016.

[tags, tourism, asi, monuments, visiting fee, hike, india tourism, hig ticket rates]

New India? Refusal to Chant ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ Attracts Beating, What Next?

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A teenager and his two friends were reportedly beaten up in Delhi, the capital of secular and independent India. The incident happened in a park outside a school in outer Delhi’s Begumpur area, police said on Tuesday.

According to police, the incident took place on 26 March, when three boys from a madrasa called up the police control room. They were beaten in the park and let off with injuries on their bodies. They were sent to medical inspection.

One of the 3 boys told police that he was asked to chant "Jai Mata di" and his statement was recorded again and new sections were added. However, the fear-stricken boys refused to record it in the complaint under fear but apparently told their elders that they were asked to chant "Bharat Mata ki Jai" and beaten up for not doing so.

It remains to be seen how many more such incidents actually occur and are reported.

[tags, bharat mata ki jai controversy, muslim boys, madrasa boys beaten, delhi begumpura park incident, delhi police, anti-national, brain wash, india fascism, fascist india, bjp india, rss mindset,secular india, ]

Netaji Files: 50 More Declassified, Not Those in Shiroganedai House of India?

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While the series of declassification of files pertaining to Netaji are being declassified and released in bonhomie by the BJP government, it is intriguing to note that there is no word about the files in Japanese which were stuck in the cup boards of Indian embassy buildings in Tokyo, especially in the old Shiroganedai house where the Indian Charge d’ Affaires quarters is located and scores of files are buried in its garage.

Otherwise, the government has released second set of 50 declassified files relating to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Online on Web Portal www.netajipapers.gov.in by Minister of Culture Mahesh Sharmaon Tuesday, March 30, 2016, which consisted of 10 files from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), 10 files from Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), and 30 files from Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) pertaining to the period 1956 to 2009.

The First lot of 100 files relating to Netaji, after their preliminary conservation treatment and digitization, was put in the public domain by the government on 23 January 2016, on the occasion of the 119th birth anniversary of Netaji.

Apart from these 150 Netaji Files, the National Archives has 990 declassified files it received in 1997 pertaining to the Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj) from the Ministry of Defence, and in 2012, 1030 files/ items pertaining the Khosla Commission (271 files/ items) and Justice Mukherjee Commission of Inquiry (759 files/ items) from the Ministry of Home Affairs. All these files/ items are already open to the public under the Public Records Rules, 1997.

Here are some of the secrets unveiled with the latest declassification of the files:

Pakistan Angle: Upon India’s request during Indira Gandhi’s time, Pakistan’s then information secretary Altaf Gauhar had agreed to help New Delhi, on a condition that everything would be confidential. The request was made as the freedom fighter’s trip in 1941 was through Peshawar, Kabul, Tashkent, Moscow and Berlin. Gauhar was very close to ex-Pakistan president Ayub Khan and the nod must be having Ayub Khan’s approval.

Tokyo War Crime Tribunal: The War Crime Tribunal in Tokyo did not name Subhas Chandra Bose a war criminal as against the popular belief that Nehru sought to keep Netaji’s name out of the entire trial. A man named CC Chatterji of Lucknow wrote to the ministry of external affairs (MEA) on January 2, 1964 sought a panel to probe into this aspect but neither the MEA nor the defence ministry moved ahead in this regard.Finally, the Indian embassy in Tokyo confirmed the truth saying, "We have made inquiries with the Japanese Foreign Offices and academic circles here who have given a tentative confirmation that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was not declared a war criminal. The question does not arise because he was never captured by the allies."

Even the permanent mission to the UN confirmed that Netaji’s name never appeared in the list of people tried for war crimes. "It is presumed that the reference to the judgment of the International Court in Tokyo is a reference to the judgment of International Military Tribunal of the Far East delivered on November 4, 1948. There does not appear to have any direct connection between the work of United Nations War Crime Commission and the work of this tribunal. From the judgment of the tribunal, it does not appear that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose`s name figured in that list of person tried," the country’s permanent mission to UN said.

Meanwhile, the Faizabad district administration has opened the boxes belonging to "Gumnami Baba", whom many people believe was Netaji incognito who lived in isolation due to the war criminal tag.

The MEA and the Embassy of India in Tokyo should now concentrate on releasing the files in Japanese in its possession so that they can be translated and deciphered by researchers to know the details of Netaji’s stay in Tokyo.

[tags, netaji files, declassified files, released, online, tokyo records, mea, un permanent commission, national archives, released, www.netajipapers.gov.in,]

Indian Origin Scientist Makes it to 36 NASA Fellows of 2016 Final List

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NASA has selected 36 fellows for its prestigious Einstein, Hubble and Sagan fellowships, including one Indian called Dheeraj Pasham from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, who will conduct research on “Quest for the Elusive Intermediate-mass Black Holes”.

 

Dheeraj Pasham

Dheeraj Pasham (“DJ”) received his Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay in 2004. He obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland in College Park (2014) where he focused on X-ray timing studies to understand the nature of ultraluminous X-ray sources in order to answer the question of whether they host stellar-mass or intermediate-mass black holes.

As an Einstein fellow at MIT, he plans to apply and extend his expertise in time series analysis to (1) identify and weigh intermediate-mass black holes, and (2) address the many open questions concerning the tidal disruption of stars by supermassive and intermediate-mass black holes.

See full bio of other selected scientists here.

Each post-doctoral fellowship provides three years of support to awardees to pursue independent research in astronomy and astrophysics. The new fellows will begin their programs in the fall of 2016 at a host university or research center of their choosing in the United States.

“The selected fellows are some of the brightest, rising stars in the field of astronomy and astrophysics,” said Paul Hertz, director of Astrophysics at NASA Headquarters, Washington. “We look forward to the exciting discoveries they make that further our understanding of the universe.”

NASA Successfully Tests Mini Methane Sensor for Future Mars Exploration

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NASA researchers have developed a mini drone-like methane sensor that can fly and successfully tested it on a Vertical Take-off and Landing like any small unmanned aerial system (sUAS). The sensor, developed by JPL for use on Mars, will be used to detect methane with much higher sensitivity than previously available, especially in NASA’s next mission to Mars in 2018.

The tests were conducted in central California at the Merced Vernal Pools and Grassland Reserve, in partnership with Pipeline Research Council International (PRCI). The jointly conducted test of NASA’s Open Path Laser Spectrometer (OPLS) sensor also helps to detect methane in parts per billion by volume could help the pipeline industry more accurately pinpoint small methane leaks.

“These tests mark the latest chapter in the development of what we believe will eventually be a universal methane monitoring system for detecting fugitive natural-gas emissions and contributing to studies of climate change,” said Lance Christensen, OPLS principal investigator at JPL.

Researchers from JPL and the Mechatronics, Embedded Systems and Automation (MESA) Lab at the University of California, Merced, conducted the flight tests in late February. They flew a small unmanned aerial system equipped with the OPLS sensor at various distances from methane-emitting gas sources. Tests were done in a controlled setting to test the accuracy and robustness of the system, said NASA.

Next stage of testing later this year will feature a fixed-wing UAS, which can fly longer and farther so as to monitor natural-gas transmission pipeline systems, which are often hundreds of miles long and can be located in rural or remote areas.

A JPL mini methane gas sensor is flight tested on a small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) under a project to improve energy pipeline industry safety. The sensor enables methane detection with higher sensitivity than previously available for the industry in hand-carried or sUAS-deployable instruments.Credit: University of California, Merced.

India Business Confidence on Decline in Last 3 Months

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Indian business sentiment fell for the first time in three months in March 2016 as companies faced lower demand amid rising input prices on the back of the weak rupee, though political atmosphere remained stable after the release of JNU student leaders.

The MNI India Business Sentiment Indicator, a gauge of current sentiment among BSE-listed companies, fell to 62.7 in March from 63.5 in February. The decline in sentiment was led solely by manufacturing firms, offsetting last month’s rise in confidence. In contrast, sentiment among construction companies rose significantly and service sector companies were also more optimistic about overall business conditions.

In spite of March’s decline, confidence picked up a little over the first quarter of 2016 as a whole. After gradually declining throughout last year, the MNI India Business Sentiment Indicator averaged 62.7 in the three months to March, up slightly from 61.3 in the December quarter.

In contrast with last month, fewer companies reported an increase in both new orders and export orders, and they were also less bullish on future demand. Nevertheless, companies expanded production and the expectations measure for new orders remained elevated at 68.2.

While politics ruled high in February over the JNU row when JNUSU leader Kanhaiya Kumar’s arrest on sedition charges turned highly volatile with many student protests across the country, their release made the month of March more or less politicall stable.

Minus politics, many firms faced higher prices for their inputs, with the Input Prices Indicator increasing 5.7% on the month to the highest since July 2015. Consequently, companies raised the prices they charged and expected them to increase further in the coming three months in anticipation of higher prices for raw materials.

Another factor that added to companies’ outlays was the depreciation of the rupee. Companies lamented that its weakness made their imports more expensive. The indicator measuring the Effect of the Rupee Exchange Rate fell further into contraction to 46.3 from 48.4 in February, the lowest since June 2015.

Commenting on the latest survey, Chief Economist of MNI Indicators Philip Uglow said, "The decline in confidence in March was relatively modest and sentiment is still up from the recent trough in December. Importantly most key measures in the survey have stabilised and turned upwards in recent months following the trend decline that has been in place since September 2014."

"It looks increasingly likely that the RBI will cut official interest rates at its April meeting. Note, though, that input prices as well as prices charged have been trending higher recently, which will likely limit the extent of monetary easing."

[tags, india business climate, india investment climate, politics, unrest, indicators, rupee value, impact, india business confidence,jnu row impact,]

[category, finance]

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Ananda Gajapati Raju of Vizianagaram Ruling Clan Dies

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Ananda Gajapati Raju

Ananda Gajapati Raju, 65, former MP and twice state minister of Andhra Pradesh, died on Saturday after prolonged illness. His brother and Union Aviation minister Ashok Gajapati Raju rushed from Delhi to Vizag after learning the news.

He was rushed to the hospital from his residence in Vizag at 7.45 a.m. with respiratory problem and all efforts to revive him have failed and he breathed his last at 8.30 a.m.

Ananda Gajapati Raju from Vijayanagaram’s erstwhile ruling clan entered politics in 1983 as Bhimunipatnam MLA and was a senior leader in Telugu Desam. He also served as minister in the NTR cabinet twice during his political career. He was also known for his association with more than 108 temples, including the Simhachalam Varahalakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple and Ramatheerthalu temple near Vizianagaram.

Elder son of erstwhile Vizianagaram Raja Saheb P.V.G. Raju, Ananda Gajapati Raju became chairman of MANSAS (Royal Trust) after his father’s demise and was involved in running several educational and other institutions. He was also a journalist The Hindu for some period.

He is survived by his wife Sudha and a daughter, who were at the hospital when he died. Several principals of colleges run by the MANSAS and temple ROs paid their respects to Anand’s body at the hospital.

Later the body was shifted to Vizianagaram Fort and the last rites would be performed on the bank of Peddacheruvu as per the royal family tradition, said family sources.

NASA-Cassini Probe: Image of Titan’s Tallest Mountain Measuring 10948 Ft Mesmerizes

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NASA’s Cassini probe mission has sent images of Saturn’s moon Titan showing some tallest mountains on its surface measuring more than 10,000 feet.

The mountainous ridges called the Mithrim Montes showed three series of mountain ridges and the top measured 10,948 feet in height. Most of these mountain ridges are located near the equator. The region is called Xanadu.

“It’s not only the highest point we’ve found so far on Titan, but we think it’s the highest point we’re likely to find,” said Stephen Wall of the Cassini radar team at NASA. Another observer of the Cassini radar team Jani Radebaugh said, “Titan’s extremes also tell us important things about forces affecting its evolution.”

The mountainous cliffs point at the evolution of a planet where forces have shoved the surface upward from underneath. Earth too has similar mountains and cliffs and the tallest mountain Everest is one such star example. The Himalaya and Andes Mountains still manifest such forces of nature underneath.

Cassini has found that Titan also has rain and rivers and some active tectonic forces causing quakes. Titan’s rotation, tidal forces from Saturn or cooling of the crust are some of its natural effects tied to this phenomenon.

Since its arrival in 2004, Cassini’s observations have changed whole dimension of saturn and its largest moon Titan. It has revealed that Titan’s surface is shaped by rivers and lakes of liquid ethane and methane, which forms clouds and causes occasional rains from the sky as water does on Earth. Winds sculpt vast regions of dark, hydrocarbon-rich dunes that girdle the moon’s equator and low latitudes, while volcanoes erupt spewing liquid water as the lava.

On its journey to Saturn, Cassini carried the European-built Huygens probe, which landed on Jan. 14, 2005, becoming humankind’s first landing on a body in the Outer Solar System when it parachuted through Titan’s murky skies. Currently, scientists are eager to get new data that could confirm the presence of a liquid ocean beneath the Titan’s surface.

Radar images do not present scenes as they would appear to human eyes but use radio waves beamed by the spacecraft that are reflected and scattered off of Titan’s surface in order to see through Titan’s opaque atmosphere. Bright regions indicate materials that are rough or that otherwise scatter the beam; dark regions indicate materials that are relatively smooth or that otherwise absorb radar waves. A side effect of this technique is the grainy pattern called “speckle” that typically is present in Cassini radar images.

This view was produced using a technique for handling noise in Cassini radar images, called despeckling, that produces clearer, easier-to-interpret views. Titan’s icy crust sits atop a deep ocean of liquid water that probably acts much like Earth’s upper mantle — the layer of hot, high-pressure rock below the crust that can slowly flow and deform over time.

This radar view was obtained on May 12, 2008 taken from a location at 2 degrees south latitude, 127 degrees west longitude. The incidence angle is about 34 degrees.

The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Washington.

 

 

Now Googlemap Shows JNU When You Search for ‘Sedition’, ‘Antinational’

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Google Map Makes JNU Symbol for Sedition, Antinational Search Strings Now.

Goole, which has some top brains in its Headquarters from JNU should be ashamed that its search engine etiquette surpasses basic tenets of slander and defame against an institution like Jawaharlal Nehru University for pointing at it for its Google Map search for sedition and antinational key words.

As shown in the image here, when you type the two words, JNU campus gate pops up as the answer and a red marker on JNU campus vividly shows Google’s endorsement of the campus for these search strings. Google Maps was either hacked or someone had intentionally made it to defame the campus, which has been defamed by the government crackdown on its students recently.

Despite Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s remarks in parliament, JNU has been the victim of hatred spread by the government crackdown based on ill-found videos in circulation or aired by ZeeNews recently and now that the case is sub-judice, the BJP-ruled government is awaiting a bigger onslaught on the campus on social media with Google falling in line.

JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar and two other JNU students were last month arrested for sedition and freed on bail later but the damage brought upon the unique institution of the country has been dented forever, thanks to Delhi Police which too has sevveral officers from JNU and no political party nor an educational institution has been without a JNU alumni.

The JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) has asked the administration to file a formal complaint with Google. “We have been protesting against the branding of an institution as anti-national and now the search giant has gone a step ahead in certifying that,” said Shehla Rashid Vora, Vice President of JNUSU.

Last year, similar faux pas by Google angered the BJP when top 10 criminals string popped up Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s name.

Otherwise, JNU is already under duress from the over-vigilant administration which is raiding hostel rooms and even lecture rooms frequently. When students of the Centre of Law and Governance were recently viewing a movie by Anand Patwardhan, “Father, Son and Holy war”, the administration raided the lecture room apprehensive about screening some illegal movie. That is the state of affairs in the top univeristy of the country and the knee-jerk reaction of its benevolent administration.

God Save JNU!

Deepika Padukone Spotted with Ranveer in Sri Lanka Wedding

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Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone, who attended one of her best friend’s wedding in Sri Lanka recently was reportedly accompanied by her friend Ravneer Singh and her mother Ujjala Padukone.

While NDTV flashed some photographs of their presence at the wedding, Ranveer’s presence has raised eyebrows of many at the possible intimacy the actor has on the family of Padukones.

The pair is not new in Bollywoood functions but the fact that they went together with Deepika’s mother in toe has given scope to speculation that the family is also approving Ranveer Singh gradually.

However, both actors of Bollywood are currently serious about their professional commitments. Deepika is busy with the Hollywood movie ‘xXx: The Return of Xander Cage’. She is not actting in any Bollywood film this year.

Ranveer is acting in the forthcoming Yash Raj Films’ ‘Befikre’ with Vaani Kapoor. Though both of them have been paired by media, they have not made anything official to the media. They worked together in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 2013 film ‘Ram-Leela’ and in Bhansali’s next film ‘Bajirao Mastani’.

[tags, deepika padukone, ranveer singh,spotted, sri lanka wedding,ujjala padukone,]

Ancient Extinct Human Species DNA Still Present in Melanesian Residents: Study

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Scientists were surprised to find fragments of DNA of extinct human species in 35 people living in islands off New Guinea in Melanesian tribes.

The DNA was traceable to two early human species: Denisovans, whose remains were found in Siberia, and Neandertals, first discovered in Germany.

D. Andrew Merriwether, a molecular anthropologist at Binghamton University, collected the modern-day blood samples used in the study about 15 years ago in Melanesia. This is the first time full genomes from those samples have been sequenced.

"Substantial amounts of Neandertal and Denisovan DNA can now be robustly identified in the genomes of present-day Melanesians, allowing new insights into human evolutionary history," said a team of international anthropologists who studied the DNA and compared it with ancient DNA samples. "As genome-scale data from worldwide populations continues to accumulate, a nearly complete catalog of surviving archaic lineages may soon be within reach."

These tribes have been there for at least 48,000 years but remained aloof and in isolation from the rest of the human race.

Earlier studies have revealed some genetic overlap of about 2 percent between Neandertals and non-African populations, and little or no Neandertal and Denisovan ancestry among Africans.

This new research suggests Neandertals and modern human ancestors intersected at least three times. It also found an overlap of between 1.9 and 3.4 percent in the genetic codes of Denisovans and modern-day Melanesians.

Skepticism about the new findings is entirely appropriate, said Merriwether, who specializes in reconstructing the past using samples from contemporary populations and ancient DNA from the archaeological record.

"Ancient DNA is always damaged and broken into small pieces," he explained. "You only need one molecule of modern DNA to outperform all the ancient DNA."

The human genome contains about 3 billion "letters".

Studies like this one may enable scientists to answer big questions about human migrations and evolution thousands of years ago.

The finding of the study were published in the journal Science.

[tags, ancient dna, melanesian tribes, denisovans, neandertal dna sample, living neandertal dna, mutant dna]

D. Andrew Merriwether, Binghamton University.

Weight Loss, Diabetes Interlinked, Says New Study

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Since diabetes can only be controlled by an individual either by medicines, diet contrl or regular exercise, experts have come out with the finding that diabetes can be reversed if people who reversed it keep their weight considerably low.

A study by Roy Taylor at the Newcastle University showed that those with Type 2 diabetes who were able to loose their weight could also successfully reverse the chronic ailment because the excess fat remooved from the pancreas helped normal production of insulin.

The researchers studied 30 volunteers who have Type 2 diabetes for 10 years or less and found that it may not apply to those with more than 10 years of chronic ailment. Out of 30 volunteers, 12 had the ailment for less than 10 years and were able to reverse their condition and remain free from diabetes after six months, said the study published in Diabetes Care.

The volunteers reducedd their weight by a strict diet of 600 to 700 calories per day, mostly consisting of three diet shakes per day and 240 grams of non-starchy vegetables for 8 weeks. Later they returned to their normal food but within the control regime for next two weeks. Later, they ate only one-third of their normal food to maintain their weight loss.

For those who had diabetes for over 10 years, Taylor has an advice: “If you had the diagnosis for longer than that, then don’t give up hope – major improvement in blood sugar control is possible.”

Explaining the Personal Fat Threshold theory, he said:“If a person gains more weight than they personally can tolerate, then diabetes is triggered, but if they lose that amount of weight then they go back to normal.” It depends on each individual as to how much weight they can afford to keep their metabolism in tact, said Taylor.

Even 70% of those who are obese are not necessarily diabetics. Even the 13 volunteers who reversed their condition were either overweight or obese, but their insulin production levels remained the same, he explained. Taylor is planning a bigger sample of 280 volunteers to study the finding in-depth.

About two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese, facing an increased risk for diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, osteoarthritis, stroke, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea and respiratory problems, while India is also increasingly facing the problem of obesity and overweight, thanks to modern life and TV viewing by kids and adults alike.

OROP Arrears Paid in Record Time: Govt

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The Government said it has kept its promise with regard to the decision taken on 05 September 2015 to implement the demand of Ex-Servicemen for One Rank One Pension (OROP) and ensured that payments have been made in record time by issuing orders through a notification on 07 November 2015 by the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare (ESW) of the Ministry of Defence.

In three months since the issue of these orders, the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare (ESW) brought out detailed OROP tables on 03 February 2016, which are available on their website www.desw.gov.in. The 101 tables in these implementation orders contain revised pension of different ranks and categories overcoming the hurdles faced in 2012 when the implementation of CSC-2012 and 6th CPC had taken a longer time.

More than two-thirds of the Ex-Servicemen have now been paid the OROP arrears and the money reached the accounts of 13.02 lakh pensioners amounting to about Rs.2,293 crore. This amount has been released through Defence Pension Disbursing Offices (DPDOs), the State Bank of India (SBI) and the Punjab National Bank (PNB).

As on March 17, the DPDOs have released an amount of about Rs. 606 crore to about 3.20 lakh defence personnel. Of this amount, the SBI has released as of March 17 an amount of Rs. 1,337 crore to 7.75 lakh pensioners which includes Family Pension cases. The PNB has released as on March 17, an amount of about Rs. 350 crore to about 2.07 lakh pensioners which includes Family Pension cases, said a Defence Ministry statement.

Other Banks who have also been assigned the task of disbursement of revised defence pension to Ex-Servicemen have been directed to complete the process of payment latest by March end, it said. Those who have not received their payments or faced problems in receiving the payments, can file their grievances at the following web page of the DESW, http://pgportal.gov.in/pension/RegistrationForm.aspx.

World Water Day 2016: Will Jobs Ever be Created?

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As World Water Day is observed on March 22 since 1993 with the theme designated by the UN — "Better water, better jobs", several organisations such as UN-WATER and UN-HABITAT are organising the day officially on behest of the UN.

While the UN says that a billion people around the world still do not have access to safe drinking water, it has focused on creating more jobs related to water this year.

"Today, almost half of the world’s workers – 1.5 billion people – work in water related sectors and nearly all jobs depend on water and those that ensure its safe delivery. Yet the millions of people who work in water are often not recognized or protected by basic labour rights. The theme in 2016 — water and jobs — is focusing on how enough quantity and quality of water can change workers’ lives and livelihoods – and even transform societies and economies," it said.

The UN video on water revealed that half of all workers on Earth were employed in water-related sectors, though many of them were unrecognized and unprotected. The World Water Day is observed to create awareness about conservation and protection of water resources.

Also, a number of NGOs promoting water conservation, water harvesting and sustainable aquatic habitats organize activities to focus public awareness, attention and action on the local water issues.

Here are some key facts according to Water.org:

WATER


1 in 10 people lack access to safe water

SANITATION

1 in 3 people lack access to a toilet

WOMEN & CHILDREN

Women and children spend 125 million hours each day collecting water

DISEASE

Every 90 seconds a child dies from a water-related disease

ECONOMICS

Every $1 invested in water and sanitation provides a $4 economic return