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Proc Indian Natn Sci Acad 84 No. 3 September 2018 pp. 795-801 Printed in India. ACADEMY NEWS INSA MEETINGS Several meetings were held during July 23-25, 2018 in the Academy premises. These included meetings of ICSU National Committees, Sectional Committees for recommending names of new Fellows and Committee for the selection of Foreign Fellows to be elected by the Council of the Academy. These were followed by meetings of the Council and General Body on July 25, 2018. During the General Body Meeting, Professor Professor KN Ganesh, FNA presenting a medal of the award AK Sood, President INSA, announced the following: lecture to Professor VK Singh, FNA (a) An Innovation Cell will be established in INSA which will draw support from the fellowship Professor Darshan Ranganathan Memorial of NASI, IASc and INAE besides INSA. Lecture (2016): Professor M Lakshmi Kantam, FNA, Dr BP Godrej Distinguished Professor, Department Professor Ashok K Singhvi, Vice-President, of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Chemical Science and Society, will monitor the activities Technology, Mumbai delivered Professor Darshan of this cell. Ranganathan Memorial Lecture on C-H Bond (b) There is a change in the schedule of Council/ Activation by using Copper Catalysts at Institute of General Body meetings. Instead of four, only Chemical Technology, Mumbai on July 30, 2018. three Council and General Body meetings will Syed Husain Zaheer Medal (2017): Professor GD be held each year. This will save the precious Yadav, FNA, Vice-Chancellor & RT Mody man days of the participating members besides Distinguished Professor, Institute of Chemical the expenditure involved in organizing these Technology, Mumbai delivered Syed Husain Zaheer meetings. Medal lecture on Selectivity Engineering in Valorisation of Biomass, CO2 and Water into AWARD LECTURES DELIVERED UNDER Chemicals, Materials and Energy at Institute of LOCAL CHAPTERS Chemical Technology, Mumbai on July 30, 2018. Professor Subramania Ranganathan Memorial INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES Medal (2018): Professor VK Singh, FNA, Director, Nominations/Election of Indian scientists for Indian Institute of Science Education and Research various positions at International Council for Bhopal, Bhopal delivered Professor Subramania Science (ICSU) and its different Unions Ranganathan Memorial Medal lecture on Chirality Transfer in Asymmetric Synthesis: Conjugate and l Professor TR Ramadas, FNA, Distinguished Vinylogous Conjugate Addition Reactions at CBMR, Professor, Chennai Mathematical Institute, Lucknow on June 21, 2018. Kelambakkam has been elected as Member-at- 796 Academy News Large, Executive Council of International contaminated land sites conducted over the last 10 Mathematical Union (IMU). years. Additionally some of the Indian colleagues l Professor Dipendra Prasad, FNA, wanted workshops on different, contemporary Distinguished Professor, School of teaching strategies such as problem-based teaching- Mathematics, TIFR, Mumbai has been elected learning and curriculum design as relevant in science as President of Commission for Developing (especially agriculture) teaching. Accordingly, my Countries (CDC). interactions and interventions were carried out via l formal talks/lectures VISIT OF OVERSEAS DELEGATE TO INSA l interactive workshops for university academics l INSA Chair Awardee l interactive workshops for post-graduate Ø Dr V Ramalingaswami Chair Award students of biology, ecology and environmental (2017-18) sciences, and agriculture l popular talks on selected themes of science Professor Anantanarayanan Raman, Ecological history of India and on one occasion on the Agriculture & Sustainable Land Management, biological diversity of Australia. Charles Sturt University & EH Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, Australia, awardee of Dr V The Dean (Sciences) of the Tamil Nadu Ramalingaswami Chair of INSA visited India during Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Head of the July 16-26, 2018 as middle level outstanding scientist, Department of Zoology at the University of Calicut, nominated by Professors Raghavendra Gadagkar and Calicut, Head of the Department of Plant Sciences, Raman Sukumar, FNA, Centre for Ecological Tirunelveli, Director of the School of Agriculture of Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. the Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Professor Raman’s report on the visit is as below. Delhi, and the Head of the Department of Zoology at The approved program entailed my professional the Manipur University, Imphal requested my visit to Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian attendance as a Visiting Scholar under this scheme. Institute of Science (CES-IISc), Bengaluru, as my However due to constraints of time and possible principal host institution, and supplemental visits to inclement weather at Imphal, the proposed trip to several other universities and research institutions Manipur University was abandoned. However, from July 16 to 26, 2018. During my visit, I delivered invitations from the Xavier Board for Higher talks and conducted interactive workshops at Tamil Education in India, Bengaluru, Institute for Forest Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore; Institute Genetics and Tree Breeding, Coimbatore, Director of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding (Indian Council of the Museum of Agriculturally Important Insects of Forestry Research and Education), Coimbatore; of India, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Department of Zoology, University of Calicut, Delhi materialized and I accepted their invitations as Calicut; Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, well. Tirunelveli; Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian I owe a deep sense of gratitude to Professors R Institute of Science, Bengaluru; School of Gadagkar and R Sukumar for nominating me for this Agriculture, Indira Gandhi National Open University, prestigious award, which I cherish as intensely New Delhi and Division of Entomology, Indian valuable. My thanks go to the Indian National Science Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. Academy, New Delhi, for recognizing me and This professional visit was mainly intended to granting me this award. I am particularly delighted explore new scientific research collaborations, that my award went in the name of a highly sharing details of my research in the fields of chemical distinguished medical scientist of India, the late and molecular ecology of insect and plant interactions Vulimiri Ramalingaswamy, whom I keep in high and environmentally friendly restoration of regard and respect. Academy News 797 SUPPORT FOR VISITING SCIENTISTS of distal muscles of the limbs, eventually DURING MAY - JULY 2018 leading to severe disability. To provide a platform for discussing different aspects of l Five Indian scientists were supported by the GNE myopathy, including patient care, a two- Academy for attending various ICSU sponsored day meeting of all stakeholders including international conferences abroad. neurologists, physiotherapists and other experts, l 13 Indian scientists were supported by the basic scientists, patients, families and care- Academy for attending various Non-ICSU givers was organized. The main theme of the sponsored international conferences abroad. meeting was “Finding a cure through sustained research” and covered five major subjects, l 24 Indian scientists visited aboard under INSA clinical manifestations, diagnosis, current Bilateral Exchange Programme with overseas research, future prospects and patient well- academies. being. The meeting was attended by more than 100 people and was sponsored by Jawaharlal SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS DURING Nehru University and World without GNE MAY- JULY 2018 Myopathy, in addition to INSA. l Local Chapter conveners’ meeting was held on The meeting started with opening remarks June 14, 2018 at INSA premises. Professor AK by Dr VK Paul, FNA a member of NITI Aayog. Singhvi, Vice-President, Science and Society He emphasized the importance of working on chaired the meeting. Convenors of several local rare diseases. Though the disease burden and chapters presented their activity. Members the morbidity and mortality are huge in other discussed about various steps and initiative that diseases, rare diseases also need to be studied. can be taken to make the local chapter activity Since rare genetic diseases affect a relatively more vibrant and contemporary. small number of people they have been l A meeting of Founding General Assembly of neglected. However, public health concept has the International Science Council (ISC) was to go beyond numbers. The problems of each held in Paris during July 3-5, 2018. Professor individual must be addressed in a fair way - not Ajay Sood, President and Dr Chandrima Shaha, taking away the rights of others. He further Vice-President, International affairs, INSA suggested that patient groups should guide the attended the meeting. Government on how to move forward through concrete plan of action with timelines and SCIENCE & SOCIETY PROGRAMME milestones to be achieved. He also felt that there l A conference on Perspectives in GNE is a need for effective policy for drug Myopathy: Research, Clinical Management and development and drug adaptation. Government Patient Care under the convenorship of could give incentives like tax exemption. Professor Alok Bhattacharya, School of Life Dr Zohar Argov, Isreal and Dr I Nishino, Sciences and School of Computational and Japan, who have played key roles in the Integrative Sciences, JNU, New Delhi, was held discovery of GNE myopathy, described at INSA, New Delhi during February