Film Archivist PK Nair died
05-MAR-2016
Indian film archivist and film scholar Paramesh Krishnan Nair died on 4 March 2016. He was 82.
He was the founder and former director of the National Film Archive of India (NFAI) in 1964.
In 2012, Celluloid Man, an award-winning documentary was made on his life and works, by Shivendra Singh Dungarpur. Later it won two National Awards at the 60th National Film Awards, including Best Biographical Film and Best Editing.
The film was released in India on 3 May 2013 to coincide with the centenary of Indian cinema.
About Paramesh Krishnan Nair
• Born on 6 April 1933 in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, Nair is regarded as the Henri Langlois of India because of his lifelong dedication towards the preservation of films in India.
• A passionate film archivist, he worked at the NFAI for over three decades, collecting films from India and from all over the world.
• He continued with the NFAI till 1991 and by the time he retired as NFAI director, he had acquired a whopping 12000 films for the archive (8000 were Indian and the rest foreign films)
• He was instrumental in acquiring for the archive several landmark Indian films like Dadasaheb Phalke's Raja Harishchandra and Kaliya Mardan, Bombay Talkies films such as Jeevan Naiya, Bandhan, Kangan, Achhut Kanya and Kismet, SS Vasan's Chandralekha and Uday Shankar's Kalpana.
• He joined the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune as a research assistant in 1961 and later in 1965 was appointed assistant curator.
• In 2008, he was awarded the Satyajit Ray Memorial Award
Long-term aspirin use linked to lower
risk for certain cancers
05-MAR-2016
A group of Harvard scientists reported that taking low-dose aspirin every day may lower the overall risk of cancer by 3 percent.
The study was published on 3 March 2016 in Jama Oncology. The study concluded that long-term aspirin use was associated with a modest but significantly reduced risk for overall cancer, especially gastrointestinal tract tumours. Regular aspirin use may prevent a substantial proportion of colorectal cancers and complement the benefits of screening.
How the study was done?
• Data were collected from 2 ongoing prospective studies:
The Nurses’ Health Study (NHS): a cohort study of 121 700 US female nurses aged 30 to 55 years at enrolment in 1976.
The Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS): a cohort study of 51 529 US male health care professionals aged 40 to 75 years at enrolment in 1986.
• In the NHS, aspirin use was first assessed in 1980 and every 2 years thereafter except in 1986, and the participants were asked whether they took aspirin most weeks, the number of tablets taken per week, and the duration of aspirin use.
• In the HPFS in 1986 and every 2 years thereafter, participants were asked whether they used aspirin 2 or more times per week.
• In each cohort, incident cancers were ascertained by biennial questionnaire reports and the National Death Index.
• Data were analyzed from 15 September 2014 to 17 December 2015.
• Regular aspirin use in relation to the risk for any type of cancer, gastrointestinal tract cancer and other non–gastrointestinal tract cancers was analysed in the main analyses. Analysis according to organ site was also conducted.
Key highlights of the study
• Taking aspirin of 81mg a day for at least six years saw the risk of cancer of any kind drop by 3 percent.
• The middle-aged people who regularly took aspirin were less likely to be diagnosed with cancer of any kind.
• It is particularly effective at warding off cancers of the digestive system.
• The most dramatic impact was seen for bowel cancer, with people who took aspirin every day for six years seeing their risk drop by 19 percent.
• The experts, who tracked 136000 people for 32 years, predicted that regular aspirin use in the US could prevent 30000 tumours a year.
Jitu Rai won gold in 50m pistol event
at ISSF World Cup
05-MAR-2016
Indian shooter Jitu Rai on 4 March 2016 clinched the 50m pistol gold at the ISSF World Cup in Bangkok. The gold medal winner scored 191.3 points in the final round.
Former World and Olympic champion Pang Wei of China took second place with 186.5. While Olympic medallist Wang Zhiwei finished third at 165.8 points.
Jitu beat China's former World and Olympic Champion Wei to second place, shooting 191.3 to Pang's 186.5.
India's Prakash Nanjappa shot 549 in the qualification round to be placed 17th.
Jitu Rai is the current 50m pistol gold medallist at both the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games, winning the championships in 2014.
FIH promoted Napoleon Singh as
international Umpire
05-MAR-2016
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) on 3 March 2016 promoted Hockey India national-level umpire Napoleon Singh as the International Outdoor Umpire.
The FIH took the decision after seeing his performance in the recently-concluded 12th South Asian Games 2016, held at Guwahati from 5 to 16 February 2016.
Napoleon started his career as an umpire from Manipur in the third Hockey India Junior Women National Championship 2013 held at Ranchi, Jharkhand.
Earlier, he was also appointed as umpire in the eighth Junior Men Asia Cup, held at Kuantan, Malaysia in 2015.
The 30 year-old Napoleon is among those young umpires from India who have recently been upgraded to international-level outdoor umpire. With Napoleon's promotion, a total of 14 Indian umpires (10 men, 4 women) are now in the category of international-level umpires.
He has been a national level hockey player and completed a diploma in Sports Coaching from the National Institute of Sports, Patiala in 2011. He is presently working as a coach at Kokrajhar, Assam.
IFC launched 300 million rupee
Uridashi Masala Bonds in Japan
05-MAR-2016
International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group, on 1 March 2016 launched its first Uridashi Masala Bond. The bonds are worth 300 million rupees and will be utilised to promote private sector development in India.
The three-year Uridashi Masala Bond is Japan-specific and builds on IFC’s Masala bond Program.
While Masala bonds are rupee-denominated instruments sold only to offshore investors, Uridashi bonds are sold to Japanese household investors.
Earlier, in November 2014, the IFC issued first-ever Masala Bonds in London. The bonds were worth 10 billion rupee and listed in the London Stock Exchange.
So far, the IFC raised 1.7 billion US dollars from international investors under the Masala Bond Program.
Sirshendu De selected for Innovation
Award 2016 for developing laterite
based arsenic water filter
06-MAR-2016
Prof. Sirshendu De, Head of the Chemical Engineering department of the IIT, Kharagpur on 4 March 2016 was selected for the Innovation Award 2016 given by the Indian Desalination Association (IDA), South Zone.
He was selected for the award for developing an ultra low-cost eco-friendly laterite based arsenic water filter.
The cost-effective filter would provide safe drinking water in areas contaminated with arsenic. The indigenous filter, made from naturally occurring red laterite soil, is capable of absorbing arsenic to the extent of 32mg per gram.
This material has undergone chemical treatment to enhance its capabilities to adsorb arsenic. Moreover, an optimized design of a filter, with the material, has been formulated as well which enjoys plethora of advantages like:
• Ultra low cost of the filter media compared to available such filters, appropriate for the socio-economic conditions of our country
• Arsenic concentration of filtrate is always within the WHO drinking water permissible limit, independent of the ground water concentration
• Extremely long life of the filters (about five years)
• No regeneration of the adsorbent (filter medium) is required during its lifetime
• No power requirement for the household filter
• Removal of arsenic (below 10 ppb), iron (below 0.3 ppm) and bacteriological contamination (more than 98%) together in a single unit
• Upon exhaustion of the filter, the filter medium can be safely dumped without any risk of leaching and further contamination
• The capacity of domestic filter is in the range of 80-100 litres/day
• Easy operation and maintenance free, as the filter does not require any regeneration or backwashing
• Cost of the treated water is less than 3 paisa/liter
Prince of Tides author, Pat Conroy,
died
06-MAR-2016
US novelist Pat Conroy, who wrote several acclaimed novels and memoirs, died on 4 March 2016 in Beaufort, South Carolina. He was 70.
He was suffering from pancreatic cancer.
Two of his novels, The Prince of Tides and The Great Santini, were made into Oscar-nominated films. He is recognized as a leading figure of late-20th century Southern literature
Donald Patrick Conroy was born on Oct. 26, 1945, in Atlanta had written numerous books. Some of his works includes
• Prince of Tides
• Water is Wide
• The Great Santini
• The Lords of Discipline
• My Losing Season (memoir)
• The Boo
• Beach Music
• The Pat Conroy Cookbook: Recipes and Stories of My Life
• My Reading Life
• The Death of Santini: The Story of a Father and His Son
• Unrooted Childhoods: Memoirs of Growing up Global (contributing author)
• South of Broad
President Mukherjee presented
Standard to 119 HU & Colours to 28 ED
of IAF
06-MAR-2016
President of India and the Supreme Commander of Indian Armed Forces Pranab Mukherjee on 4 March 2016 presented President’s Standard to 119 Helicopter Unit (HU) and President’s Colours to 28 Equipment Depot (ED) of the Indian Air Force. The awards were given away at Air Force Station in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
Indian Air Force's operational squadrons become eligible for award of Presidential Standard after completion of 18 years of service to the Nation. The selection is based on the unit's performance and achievements during peace as well as hostilities. The honour is an acknowledgement of the meritorious service rendered by the units.
The helicopter Unit has recently saw the induction of new acquired most modern fixed wing aircraft Mi-17 V5. The Unit, also known as ‘the Stallions’, was among the first to fly Mi-8 choppers.
It took part in several challenging missions after being raised exactly 44 years ago. Our correspondent reports, Mi-17 V5, the aircraft had already seen action and proved its mettle in different terrains, be it in the laps of Himalayas, the deserts of Rajasthan or the naxal infested central India.
Apart from this, the President also released a commemorative postage stamp at the presentation of the Standard to 119 Helicopter Unit and Colours to 28 Equipment Depot of Indian Air Force.
Two-day National Conference of
Women Legislators held
06-MAR-2016
A two-day National Conference of Women Legislators held in New Delhi from 5 March to 6 March 2016 with theme Women Legislators-Building Resurgent India.
The conference organised by the Parliament was inaugurated by the President Pranab Mukherjee. Speaker of Bangladesh Shirin Chaudhary attended the conference and was the Chairperson of the Plenary Session.
The conference will equip the women legislators from across India with latest knowledge in relevant areas and provide them with the right perspective, motivation and guidance in their roles as legislators and powerful agents of socio-economic progress and change as well as good governance. It will update them about current national and international issues that are relevant to their field of work.
It was attended by Vice President Mohammed Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and women MLAs, MLCs, MPs and Union Ministers.
EC announced schedule for Assembly
polls in four states and one Union
territory
06-MAR-2016
Election Commission of India on 4 March 2016 announced the schedule for the Legislative Assemblies of Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puducherry.
The elections of the four states and the Union Territory will be held between 4 April and 16 May 2016. The Counting for all Assembly Constituencies in all five States and Union Territories will be held on 19 May 2016.
Announcing the poll schedule in New Delhi, Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said that Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry will go to poll in a single phase on 16 May 2016, while, election in West Bengal will be held in 6 phases and in Assam in two phases.
Details of the phases in West Bengal
• 1st phase - on 4 April and 11 April 2016
• 2nd phase - 17 April 2016
• 3rd phase - 21 April 2016
• 4th Phase – 25 April 2016
• 5th Phase - 30 April 2016
• 6th Phase - 5 May 2016
Details of the phases in Assam
• 1st Phase - 4 April 2016
• 2nd Phase - 11 April 2016
With the announcement of the poll schedule, the model code of conduct has come into force. Zaidi said, this time in the electronic voting machines, the commission had decided to display photos of the contesting candidates to dispel confusion about the identities of the candidates, as many have similar names. This time a symbol of NOTA will also be provided in the EVMs.
Constitutional Provisions for the
election
Article 324 of the Constitution of India confers the relevant powers, duties and functions upon the Election Commission of India to hold General Elections and Legislative Assemblies of the States whose terms expire around the same time, together.
By virtue of its powers, duties and functions under Article 324 read with Article 172(1) of the Constitution of India and Section 15 of Representation of the People Act, 1951, the Commission announced the date of elections in the four states and the Union Territory before expiry of their present terms.
The terms of the Legislative Assemblies of Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puducherry are normally due
to expire as follows:
|
Tamil Nadu |
22 May 2016 |
|
West Bengal |
29 May 2016 |
|
Kerala |
31 May 2016 |
|
Puducherry |
02 June 2016 |
|
Assam |
05 June 2016 |