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Genome sequencing key to keep check on potent virus variants: CCMB Director CSIR-CCMB 05th March, 2021 CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) and the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) are among the 10 scientific institutions across the country, chosen by the Central government, for genome sequencing of COVID samples secured from passengers at airports of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Goa and Karnataka, to monitor for new dangerous mutations coming to the country like the latest Brazilian strain.
“We have managed the situation well so far and of the 6,000 samples genome sequenced, we have found more than 7,000 variants of the virus but none of them are cause for any alarm. However, it does not mean a more dangerous mutated virus strain cannot arise as the virus keeps mutating, so we have to be on constant lookout,” said CCMB Director Rakesh Mishra on Thursday.
“We have made a start and hopefully, within the next few days, we will get work done more efficiently to ensure not a single variant escapes our notice even from remote corners of any panchayat. This is the only way of controlling any further spread of the new variants so that the particular area can be cordoned off with testing and tracing so keep it under control,” he explained.
Since the number of reinfections have been minimal thus far, it is a clear indication of the body’s immune system working towards the infection. And, both the vaccines available in the
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country have shown to be protective towards the UK and South Africa variants while the Brazilian variant is being investigated, he said.
With regard to the relatively low mortality rate and lesser hospitalisations across the country, compared to the western world, Dr. Mishra said the jury is still out on the reasons and research is going on various fronts on this ‘mystery’.
“Earlier, we thought it is our genetic base that has been saving us but the South Asian population in United Kingdom have not been spared. Therefore, it could be something else like may be our environment or our hygiene levels or may be a lesser virus strain similar to COVID-19 may have infected us before making our bodies more resilient,” he observed.
The scientific institutions, including CSIR and ICMR, are continuously tracking the infection rate and the virus transmission across the population with multiple research studies using latest technology. “Still, it is amazing we have vaccines in less than a year that I thought was not possible till a few months ago because of technological advances,” he added.
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CSIR-CMERI 5th March, 2021
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CSIR-CMERI 5th March, 2021
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Dr. Harsh Vardhan Launches “CSIR Floriculture Mission”
CSIR 04th March, 2021 New Delhi: Dr Harsh Vardhan today exhorted scientists of CSIR laboratories across the country to develop the land available at each laboratory to be set up as a model under the “CSIR Floriculture Mission”. Recently, CSIR Floriculture Mission has been approved for implementation in 21 States and Union Territories of India wherein available knowledgebase in CSIR Institutes will be utilized and leveraged to help Indian farmers and industry re-position itself to meet the import requirements. The Minister was addressing the gathering at the launch of “CSIR Floriculture Mission” through virtual mode in New Delhi today.
This Mission is being implemented in collaboration with Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Directorate of Floriculture; Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC); Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Ministry of Commerce; Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Ltd. (TRIFED); Fragrance and Flavour Development Centre (FFDC), Kannauj, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and Universities.
Dr. Harsh Vardhan said, “Farmers have little knowledge about floriculture which can give 5 times more return than the traditional crops. Floriculture has the potential to provide employment to a large number of people through nursery raising, floriculture farming, entrepreneurship development for nursery trade, value addition and export”. The Minister pointed out, “Despite the fact that India has diverse agro-climatic and edaphic conditions, and
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rich plant diversity, it shares only 0.6 % of global floriculture market. At least 1200 million USD worth of floriculture products are being imported by India every year from different countries”.
Dr. Harsh Vardhan highlighted,“Since 1953, CSIR has been developing new floral varieties and several value addition technologies. Through Floriculture Mission of CSIR, agro- technologies, new varieties and value addition technologies available with the CSIR institutions, efforts are being made to take these to farmers and entrepreneurs, and help them in multiplying their income”. “Market linkage and trade issues will be solved with partnership of APEDA, state horticulture departments and TRIFED”, he added. The convergence of Floriculture with Apiculture as envisaged in the mission will yield even greater benefits.
The CSIR Floriculture Mission is expected to create opportunity for entrepreneurship development in floriculture . Infusion of latest technologies in the field of floriculture can be successfully led by CSIR. The mission will focus on commercial floral crops, seasonal/annual crops, wild ornaments and cultivation of flower crops for honey bee rearing. Some of the popular crops include Gladiolus, Canna, Carnation, Chrysanthemum, Gerbera, Lilium, Marigold, Rose, Tuberose etc. The Indian floriculture market was worth Rs 15700 cr in 2018. The marketis projected to reach Rs47200 cr by 2024 during 2019-24.
Dr. Harsh Vardhan also launched CSIR’s Societal Portal along with the Android App.This portal has been developed by CSIR Team with the help of MyGov Team. The Portal is to facilitate the public to submit the societal problems that can be resolved using S&T interventions. This is the first step in terms of seeking inputs on challenges and problems being faced by different stake holders in society. The Minister asked the scientists to make it more people centric, solution science portal, accessible to all. Dr. Harsh Vardhan said that this portal should be the most-sought-after portal for people to express their problems and seek scientific solution to them. nterprises (MSME) and Universities joined the event online.
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Shekhar C. Mande, DG-CSIR and Secretary DSIR; Dr.TrilochanMohapatra, Secretary DARE, and DG, ICAR;Prof. S. K.Barik, Director, CSIR-NBRI, Lucknow;Dr.Vibha Malhotra Sawhney, Head, TMD-SeMI, CSIR; were present on the occasion while scientists and officials from various laboratories of CSIR, representatives and officials from KVIC, ICAR-Directorate of Floriculture; APEDA, Ministry of Commerce; TRIFED; FFDC, Kannauj, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and Universities joined the event online.
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Here's what India's scientists achieved in 2020
CSIR-NCL 04th March, 2021 Hydrogen fuel cell car trials successful In October 2020, the CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune and the multinational company, KPIT Technologies Limited, carried out the first successful trials of a new kind of car that could revolutionise the future of automation in India — a car powered by hydrogen fuel cells. The cell is a low temperature Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) that operates at 65 to 75 degree centigrade. The prototype car incorporated a 10 kWe automotive grade LT-Proton exchange membrane fuel cell which operates within the temperature framework. Researchers said that the battery can be used in mainstream automotive operations.
At the heart of the PEM fuel cell technology is an membrane electrode assembly, which is a proprietary development of CSIR-NCL. KPIT’s contribution was system integration, control software and an electric powertrain to help run the prototype vehicle.
The trials showed that the car could run for approximately 250 km under typical Indian road conditions at speeds of 60 to 65 kmph. Bricks for lunar habitation The cost of sending a single pound of material into outer space comes to about Rs 7.5 lakh. How then, can future space explorers afford to build structures on the moon? By making bricks on-site on the lunar surface, say Bengaluru-based researchers who have found a
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sustainable method to create such blocks from moon soil.
The research team, made up of scientists at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), found a way to use urea — which can be sourced from human urine. It exploits lunar soil, and uses bacteria and guar beans to consolidate the soil into possible load-bearing structures. These “space bricks” could eventually be used to assemble structures for habitation on the moon’s surface, the researchers suggest.
Humanoid into space Early in 2020, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced that it would send a humanoid robot into space. Called Vyommitra, the legless robot which resembles a woman, will be capable of speaking two languages and was set to take part in an unspecified mission in 2020, which has not yet happened. The idea is to send Vyommitra into space before the Gaganyaan mission, to be launched in 2022.
ISRO chief K Sivan had explained that the robot was designed to simulate “exact” human functions in space. However, the robot's legless form means that it will not be able to simulate all human functions. This raises questions of why the robot needs to be in human form or even be assigned a simulated gender.
Quantum breakthrough Scientists from the Raman Research Institute have made a series of breakthroughs in quantum communications technology which has major military, banking and election security applications.
The Quantum Experiments using Satellite Technology (QuEst) project aims to send an encrypted message plus the decryption key, to satellites in space. During a demonstration recently, the research team showed off the technology with which they could share this secret key across a 50 metre free space from one building to another,
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using only the atmosphere. The team now aims to carry out transfers over several kilometres. The final objective is transferring the decryption key over ranges of 12 km to satellites in orbit.
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Director CSIR-CMERI Harps on Skilling of Younger Generation for Innovation and Sustainable Development CSIR-CMERI 04th March, 2021
A two-day Skill Development Training Programme on “Analytical Techniques and Instrumentation for Water Quality Assessment” was inaugurated today, at CSIR-CMERI, Durgapur by Prof. (Dr.) Harish Hirani, Director. Prof. Naba Kumar Mondal, Department of Environmental Sciences, Burdwan University and Dr. AmitavaBasu, Principal, BB College, Asansol attended the programme as Chief Guest and Guest of Honour respectively. A number of students & faculty members from the B. B. College, Asansol attended the programme.
Speaking n the occasion, Prof. (Dr.) Harish Hirani, Director CSIR-CMERI emphasized upon the upskilling of younger generation people for innovation as this can only lead to the finding ways to get rid of the problems and towards the sustainable development. He also highlighted the need of innovation for development of new techniques which may be achieved through a number of experiments requiring knowledge of analytical techniques and instrumentation. By maximization and sharing of the innovation the cost of the equipment can also be minimised, he pointed out. For proper water purification process CSIR-CMERI has already set up a water testing facility at the Institute. Produced by Science Communication and Dissemination Directorate, (SCDD), CSIR, Anusandhan Bhawan, New Delhi 12
Prof. N.K. Mondal of Burdwan University hailed CSIR-CMERI for organising such a skill development programme. Appreciating Prof. Hirani’s views, he stressed upon the need and awareness for the proper water testing to save people from the water related diseases. He also cited few incidents wherein it was observed that consumption of impure water has resulted in low IQ amongst the children in the affected area.
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CSIR-CMERI 4th March, 2021
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CSIR-CMERI 4th March, 2021
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CSIR institutions hold virtual policy dialogue on COVID-19 vaccine
CSIR-NISCAIR-NISTADS-IICT 3rd March, 2021 Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Institutions CSIR- NISTADS (National Institute of Science, Technology and Development Studies) and CSIR-NISCAIR (National Institute of Science Communication and Information Resources), New Delhi, on March 1, jointly organised a half-day session, on ‘A Policy Dialogue on COVID-19 Vaccine from Self-Reliance to Global Leadership: Opportunities, Challenges, and Policy Imperatives in COVID Era’. This event was organised to celebrate the National Science Day and to have a policy discourse from eminent personalities on the journey of indigenous development of the COVID-19 vaccine in the midst of the pandemic.
The event saw active participation of academicians, young researchers, professionals and students.
“After the lockdown, we planned a collective intelligence series to develop focused policy documents on the opportunities and challenges of COVID-19 for India that can strengthen the Governments’ efforts,” said Dr Ranjana, Director CSIR-NISTADS and CSIR- NISCAIR in her opening remarks. Dr Shekhar C Mande, DG-CSIR, mentioned that CSIR has actively participated in COVID-19 mitigation strategies. He shared that the CSIR lab Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), Hyderabad has prepared the adjuvant for the Bharat Biotech vaccine COVAXIN.
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Dr Shailja Vaidya Gupta, Senior Adviser- Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the GoI, Delhi suggested that the government should build transparent systems, improving accessibility of data in the public domain & decentralisation of vaccine regulatory process.
Dr Geetha Vani Rayasam, Head, SCDD, CSIR addressed the role of science communication. “Partnership from the public is vital and that is going to come only by increasing the awareness and communication to them”, she mentioned.
Dr S K Varshney, Adviser & Head International Cooperation, DST, New Delhi, said, “Our vaccines are easy to store. We have supplied nearly six million doses of vaccines as a gift to needy countries, 10 million commercial units have been supplied and in near future, we would be supplying to UN health workers and WHO workers among many others.”
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Coronavirus | Antibodies from COVID-19 infection appear earlier, finds study CSIR-IGIB 3rd March, 2021 They also outnumber the protective antibodies from vaccination Antibodies from a COVID-19 infection begin to appear significantly only 14 days after a vaccine jab. But in people who have already been infected by the virus before, the increase can be observed in a week, a study has found. While underlining the importance of the follow-up second shot, scientists associated with the study suggest that, in mass vaccination campaigns, individuals who have been exposed to the virus could be prioritised lower than those who have remained unexposed.
According to several serology surveys, anywhere from 21%-60% of India may have already been exposed to the virus since March. While India currently does not face supply constraints — there are more vaccines available than those registering for shots as of now — this could change as more groups become eligible for the vaccine. Currently, only healthcare, frontline workers, those above 60 years, and those above 45 years with co-morbidities, are eligible for vaccines.
The study, yet to be formally published but available as a preprint, measured antibodies generated in 135 healthcare workers administered with Covishield at different weeks or time points (0, 7, 14, 28 days). A third of the workers had already been exposed to the virus and in them, the antibody response progressively increased at each of those time points. In contrast, the antibody response started to show only after 14 days or later in 88 of the rest, who had
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been unexposed to the virus. Three did not develop any antibody response even at day 28 of vaccination. Currently, India’s recommended dosage schedule for Covishield and Covaxin is a spacing of four to six weeks.
The results also showed that antibodies in those infected earlier started to stabilise, even decline, after day 14 but were still substantially higher — in one instance nearly thousand-fold at day 28 — than those who were inoculated with Covishield but with no prior exposure to the virus. Currently, the longevity of antibodies after a COVID-19 infection has not been firmly established, nor is the immunity after being exposed to a particular strain of the virus.
“Our data suggests that ChAdOx1 (or Covishield) is highly immunogenic, particularly so where previous SARS CoV2 antibody-response is established. Given the high background seropositivity in India, this may be useful in determining optimal timing of the second dose during mass immunization within the constraints of vaccine supply and administration,” say the authors, comprising scientists from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research- Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB), New Delhi and the Max Group of Hospitals.
“We were surprised by the number of antibodies generated in those already exposed to the infection. This was the first time we used an antibody test that quantified the number of antibodies generated in response to the spike protein of the coronavirus,” Shantanu Sengupta, Scientist, CSIR-IGIB, told The Hindu.
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Mechanical Engineering Plays a Key Role in Water Purification Process CSIR-CMERI 3rd March, 2021 CSIR-CMERI, Durgapur has rendered a yeoman’s service to minimize the impact of the COVID-19 and has developed a number of innovative technologies to mitigate the risks of the common people, said Professor (Dr.) Harish Hirani, Director, CSIR- CMERI today while addressing a webinar on ‘Water Purification Technology for MSMEs’ organised by by the Southern Gujrat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI), Surat.
The Smart dimmable LED Street Lighting and Parking System etc. installed in the residential campus of the Institute has already turned the premise ‘Eco Campus’. Speaking about the Water Purification technologies, Prof. (Dr.) Hirani stressed that Mechanical Engineering plays a key role in the water purification process and the Institute is working with the objective of linking science with the society. It was observed that Gujrat is affected by groundwater contamination whether it may be salinity, Fluoride, Nitrate, Arsenic or Iron. The concept of Zero Liquid Discharge introduced at the CSIR-CMERI Colony was referred which purifies the daily domestic used wastewater and is reused for the irrigation purpose for the vegetation. This system may be effectively utilised not only to get rid of the scarcity of water but for its self sustenance also, reiterated Professor (Dr.) Hirani.
The director, CSIR-CMERI gave a detailed presentation on the CSIR-CMERI developed Water Technologies and how it has positively impacted the lives of people across the Nation. The Community, Medium and Domestic Scale Iron, Arsenic, Fluoride technologies were
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showcased to the Start-Ups and MSEs. Prof.Hirani also highlighted the magic of Science when all the three purification technologies are unified in a Single System i.e. the FAIR Technology; it substantially reduces the purification cost per litre. The Mechanised Drainage Cleaning System developed by CSIR-CMERI can help contain the spread of contaminated water as it clears Drainage Choking and treats Waste Water through a decentralised Mobile Water Purification System. This can also help address the Flooding related issues of major cities across the nation.
Shri P. N. Solanki, Dy Director, MSME-DI congratulated SGCCI for holding such webinar and assured their cooperation for breezing the gap between the MSMEs, CSIR-CMERI and the industries particularly relating to textile, chemical, aquaculture, printing etc. who are facing the problem of water. He also suggested SGCCI to sign a MoU with CSIR-CMERI for going ahead with a coordinated approach to work further in this regard for mutual benefit of all the stakeholders.
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First project to map genomes in Indian Ocean
CSIR-NIO 3rd March, 2021 NEW DELHI: India is launching a 90-day scientific cruise mission in the second week of March to sample water, sediments, planktons and various organisms in search of genomes and micro-nutrients, that may help strengthen country's research into commercial biotechnology applications including anticancer treatments as well as help understand new climate change patterns.
CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) has been commissioned to conduct genome and proteome mapping (micro nutrients) present inside single-cell organisms in the Indian ocean.
The 90-day long expedition will take off with 30 scientists, starting from Visakhapatnam, going up to 30°S, touching the waters between Australia and Maldives, and then circling back to Goa, covering 9,000 nautical miles by mid-May. CSIR said that the one of the key obectives of this mission is to identify and characterise the genes and proteins in the ocean to understand the cellular level operations of organisms in the ocean.
“Proteins act as catalyst for the biogeochemical reaction the organisms undergoing in the ocean. By studying proteomics, we can identify the biogeochemistry of the organisms under varying ocean conditions. These studies will allow us to understand cellular biochemistry and the response of ocean to the climate change, nutrient stress, increasing pollution,” CSIR-NIO director Prof Sunil Singh told TOI. The cruise will start from the east coast of India, travelling all the way to Southern
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hemisphere up to 30 degrees of south, touching upon waters between Australia Maldives and ending at Goa, covering over 9000 nautical miles, said CSIR-NIO.
Scientists expect to go as deep as six kilometres into the Indian ocean to collect samples using non-metallic system to avoid any biological contamination.
The scientists will then use next-generation sequencing (massive parallel sequencing of DNA fragments) and Sanger sequencing techniques (single DNA fragment at a time) to extract genetic information of the organisms they come across. “We plan to use the techniques utilised in medical sciences to understand the ecosystem dynamics of the ocean,” Dr Samir Damre, a scientist with the institute, told TOI. The project will also map genetic diversity of organisms, micronutrients and trace metals in them.
"We will use 8000m long Kevlar cable and famous McLane pumps to collect water and check for particulate matters. The efforts will be to check presence of micro nutrients such as Iron, Zing, Magnesium and trace-metals such as Cadmium, Cobalt, Copper and so on. We will also collect sediments and using piston and gravity coring techniques in the ocean," said Singh. “Only a small fraction of the species in the deep sea and polar oceans have so far been identified. Species in oceans much more difficult to record and evaluate than on land. Lets hope for new revelations,” said a senior scientist at Wildlife Insitute of India. Indian Ocean is third largest in size and plays a great role in functioning of climate, regulating atmospheric oxygen.
Exploration of the ocean at a genetic level will result in new insights into taxonomy to optimise conservation effort, believe scientists.
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Tripura organises workshop to popularize bamboo for industrial and domestic application CSIR-AMPRI 3rd March, 2021 To promote and popularize bamboo for industrial and domestic application, a workshop was organized at Pragna Bhavan in Agartala on March 1. The workshop was organised by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Advanced Materials and Process Research Institute CSIR-AMPRI, Bhopal, and Tripura State Council for Science and Technology organized the workshop. Deputy Chief Minister of Tripura Jishnu Dev Varma inaugurated the workshop by lighting the lamp in presence of other dignitaries. During the workshop, scientists and researchers interacted with bamboo growers and producers beside various entrepreneurs. Demonstrations were given on sustainable utilization of bamboo through the integration of the environment, society, and economy. Tripura is one of the major growers of bamboo that has tremendous untapped potential for transforming the rural economy. The state under the Tripura Bamboo Mission (TBM) has been working on propagation, cultivation, processing, value addition, and product development from bamboo.
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CSIR-IMMT 3rd March, 2021
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CSIR-CMERI 3rd March, 2021
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CSIR-NGRI 3rd March, 2021
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Jammu's purple revolution: Lavender brings in scent of profit for Doda farmers CSIR-IIIM 2nd March, 2021 Bharat Bhushan used to cultivate maize, like most farmers of Khillani village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district. Then he switched to lavender in 2010, when the state’s tourism department introduced it for beautification. There was a lot of ridicule from fellow villagers, but Bhushan had his heart set on the fragrant, bushy plants of an uncommon hue. Then, in 2016, the Centre launched Aroma Mission to boost cultivation of plants like lavender which have aromatic medicinal properties. Bhushan, who had the first-mover advantage, managed to have his earnings quadrupled and at present, engages 20 farmers in his lavender fields and nursery, he told Down to Earth.
Around 500 farmers from Bhushan’s district have seen similar gains after switching from maize to the perennial flowering plant.
Bhushan started small, cultivating around 0.1 hectare of land. As the profits started flowing in, he started replacing maize plant on more land around his house with lavender till the flowers covered almost ten times the area than a decade ago. He also owns two lavender nurseries from which are sought after across Jammu.
Purple economy Lavender oil sells for at least Rs 10,000 per litre, according to scientists from Council of
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Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu (IIIM Jammu), the two bodies responsible for taking the Aroma Mission forward.
Under the mission, which was launched to move from imported aromatic oils to homegrown varieties, first-time farmers were given free lavender saplings and those who have cultivated lavender before were charged Rs 5-6 per sapling.
“A minimum of 40l of lavender oil is produced from lavender grown over one hectare of land. However, because Doda is flatter than desirable, 32-40l of lavender oil can be extracted per hectare from the local produce,” Sumeet Gairola, senior scientist, CSIR-IIIM Jammu and nodal scientist for Aroma Mission in Jammu & Kashmir told Down to Earth.
Lavender water, which separates from lavender oil, is used to make incense sticks. Hydrosol, which is formed after distillation from the flowers, is used to make soaps and room fresheners.
The farmers get help from IIIM-Jammu to sell their produce. Mumbai-based companies like Ajmal Biotech provate limited, Aditi International and Navnetri Gamika, which manufacture aromatic products like candles and aroma oils are their primary buyers, said Gairola.
These companies procure lavender extracts from the farmers in Doda and other J&K districts like Rajouri, Ramban and Pulwama where Aroma Mission was introduced in 2018.
There are four distillation units set up by CSIR-IIIM Jammu in Doda and two more have been proposed to meet the increased demand. Farmers from remote locations of district Doda reach these plants for extraction of lavender oil.
Apart from increasing farm incomes, lavender cultivation also provided employment to the district’s women farmers.
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“Women are not allowed to work away from home in villages so I encouraged them to cultivate lavender around their homes because it is profitable and would make them financially independent, said Bhushan.
He added that the best thing about the lavender plant is that animals like monkeys and cows do not eat or destroy it. It does not require much water or fertilizers and cow dung is enough.
The next phase On February 9, 2021, CSIR-IIIM-Jammu announced Aroma Mission phase 2 after the success of the first phase. The inauguration was attended by farmers from Uttarakhand, Nagaland and Assam. Impressed by the success of Doda’s lavender farmers, the Uttarakhand authorities invited some of them to train their farmers. The mission is to increase lavender cultivation to 1,500 hectares within three years from now, said Gairola.
He added: “To maintain the genetic purity of good lavender saplings, we skilled our farmers in vegetative propagation. Though there is no direct collaboration with horticulture and floriculture department but we are in close contact with these departments and SKUAST to aid farmers.”
At present, large-scale lavender cultivation is limited to J&K but governments in Himachal Pradesh, Arunahal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are also encouraging their farmers to take up lavender. Small scale farming of the plant is already underway in these states, said Gairola.
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Anurag visits CSIR-IHBT
CSIR-IHBT 1st March, 2021 Union Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs Anurag Thakur today visited the CSIR-Himalayan Institute of Biotechnology. Anurag arrived in the institute in the afternoon and spent time with scientists, students and others.
He held meetings with scientists of different departments who apprised him of various research, teaching and education activities being carried out by the CSIR-IHBT.
Dr Sanjay Kumar, Director, IHBT, took the minister to different farms and labs. Then, he presented a brief account of major activities and achievements of the institute. He said during the pandemic, the CSIR-IHBT had contributed by establishing a testing facility and also initiated genome sequencing of Covid-19 strains. — OC
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‘One District, One Product’ yet to take off in Mysuru, Mandya
CSIR-CFTRI 1st March, 2021 Shortlisted beneficiaries yet to upload applications for getting loan-linked subsidy as they are engaged in arranging documents for ‘eligibilit’ status The ‘One District One Product’ initiative under Atmanirbhar Bharat is yet to take off in Mysuru and Mandya districts which had been identified for the promotion of banana and jaggery respectively, with none of the shortlisted beneficiaries uploading their applications for getting the one-time loan-linked subsidy.
The initiative aims to support micro food processing enterprises. A maximum of ₹10 lakh subsidy is available. So far no eligible person from Mysuru and Mandya has taken the subsidy since they were engaged in the process of fulfilling many procedures, especially arranging documents as per the checklist.
In Mysuru, about five entrepreneurs have come forward to develop products from bananas which are grown in about 12,500 hectares in the district.
“One of the entrepreneurs wants to extract juice and powder from banana shoots and another wants to produce banana bars. Their ideas appear promising. The Mysuru-based CSIR- CFTRI has given training to nearly 10 entrepreneurs who had evinced interest in the scheme,” said Joint Director of Agriculture Mahanteshappa.
He told The Hindu: “Our aim is to encourage setting up of 30 banana processing units under the scheme in Mysuru and the department is hoping more entrepreneurs take the subsidy utilisng technical support from institutes such as CFTRI.”
The beneficiaries from most districts identified under ‘One District One Product’ are
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undergoing six-day training at the CFTRI in different sessions. Two resource persons had been appointed in Mysuru to help process the entrepreneurs’ applications besides processing their loans and subsidy coordinating with the respective bank.
There is a better response to the scheme in Mandya when compared to Mysuru. More than 35 individuals, prominently jaggery manufacturers, have come forward for the scheme.
“There is scope for opening new jaggery units, adopting new technologies for the manufacture of hygienic and chemical-free jaggery. The stress is on producing organic jaggery and the persons running the unit can take the subsidy to modernise their operations. Jaggery powder making, other jaggery products can also be explored,” said Mandya Joint Director of Agriculture Chandrashekar.
Mandya has around 591 “alemanes” in the sugarcane producing areas. Sources in the Agriculture Department said Mandya has the highest number of jaggery units in the State. Sugarcane is cultivated in 42,500 hectares and nearly 45 lakh tonnes of sugarcane is produced annually. Each jaggery unit can expect a subsidy ranging from ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh. Plans are also afoot to raise a sum of ₹25 crore to ₹30 crore towards rejuvenating the units.
The focus is on organic jaggery production for helping farmers improve their income besides increasing the chances of their product chosen for exports. Mandya MP Sumalatha Ambaareesh had sought brand building and promotion of organic jaggery produced in Mandya, and suggested production of export quality jaggery for expanding the market share. Sources said nearly 6 to 7 lakh tonnes of sugarcane produced in Mandya goes for jaggery making. Around one quintal of jaggery is produced crushing one tonne of sugarcane.
Published in: The hindu Produced by Science Communication and Dissemination Directorate, (SCDD), CSIR, Anusandhan Bhawan, New Delhi 33
Herbal Strategi is setting the bars high in the herbal care product in- home care segment CSIR-CIMAP-IIIM 1st March, 2021 Among the million herbal and natural brands across the world, Herbal Strategi stands out with its unique features With its herbal cleaners, insect repellents, pet products, and more, Bengaluru-based startup Herbal Strategi advocates a clean and natural life without the use of chemicals. Herbal Strategi encourages healthy living practices by providing innovative herbal care products that best suit the growing need of people in keeping their environment safe and eco-friendly.
“In Herbal Strategi, I have found my true calling. We believe that it is possible to ensure good health, a clean home, and a healthy pet without the use of harmful chemicals. We work with one objective – to bring to customers high quality herbal products that are free from chemicals” said John Thomas, Founder of Herbal Strategi.
There is a growing awareness on the need for safe and eco-friendly homecare. Hence, Herbal Strategi came out with a wide range of herbal products with a selection of rigorously tested eco-friendly and safer options. All the products are 100% natural, vegan and free of artificial ingredients. All the products are pet friendly and they offer eco-friendly alternatives to everyday product.
“Our products are a result of inspiration from our customers. Our customers have suggested ideas, provided feedback, encouraged us through repeat purchases and endorsed our products
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to their friends and relatives. Our customers are ambassadors for our products. The effectiveness of our products is reflected in customer acceptance” added John Thomas.
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research(CSIR), Herbal Strategi enlisted the services of the Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP) to develop a natural repellent. The products were field tested in Kerala, a state which is known to harbour over 400 species of mosquitoes. The success of this repellent was the foundation on which the company has been built. Every batch of raw materials undergoes rigorous testing and is certified by CSIR-IIIM Jammu. The products under Herbal Strategi brand are not tested on animals. All the products are manufactured under license from the Ministry of AYUSH and is PETA certified, 100% Vegan and free of artificial ingredients.
Published in: Apnnews Produced by Science Communication and Dissemination Directorate, (SCDD), CSIR, Anusandhan Bhawan, New Delhi 35
CSIR-NGRI 1st March, 2021
Published in: Uniindia Produced by Science Communication and Dissemination Directorate, (SCDD), CSIR, Anusandhan Bhawan, New Delhi 36
Hydrogen gas generation from water solution
CSIR-CECRI 1st March, 2021 KADAPA: A highly efficient photo catalytic process for non-stop hydrogen gas generation from water solution exposed to solar light has been developed by the Nano-Catalysis and Solar Fuels Research Laboratory at Yogi Vemana University here.
The photocatalyst was synthesized through an innovative and simple approach and it achieved mono-dispersed core/shell nano spheres via surfactant mediated approach, the laborary functioning under the department of materials science and nanotechnology has explained.
The gas can be stored and carried for later utilization or can be used immediately as fuel for motor vehicle engines fitted with PEM fuel cell devices.
Current rate of global energy consumption demands the best alternative energy source, especially from sustainable and renewable energy processes, which should be an environmentally benign process to have zero-carbon emission as compared to that of fossil fuels.
Among the renewable energy sources, photo catalysis led solar to hydrogen production from aqueous solution at near ambient conditions is a promising route. So far, several photo catalysts have been reported for splitting water into hydrogen gas production under sunlight. However, a sustainable photo catalysis performance remains a challenge as photocatalyst materials undergo either photo or chemical corrosion. Recently, a physical route derived from a thin nanoscale metal oxide shell layer, coated with a photocatalyst surface, showed significant improvement against photo corrosion issues. But the physical routes are either expensive or involve complicated synthesis routes. The alternate chemical route offers a low-cost solution in this matter,” scientists explained.
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It needs more attention to achieve a uniform or controlled post-deposition metal oxide layer on the photocatalyst surface.
The work is part of the on-going collaborative project between YV University at Kadapa and Dr. M Sathish, scientist and co-principal investigator of the project, CSIR-CECRI, Karaikudi, funded by the central ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE), said Dr. MV Shankar, professor and principal investigator of the project in the department of materials science and nanotechnology, YV University.
The control of surface-interface properties through effective synthesis methods and parameters used for photo-catalytic experiments played a vital role in hydrogen production efficiency. Controlled synthesis of shell-thickness at nano scale, particularly at uniform distribution, was a significant achievement of this publication, they said.
Vice chancellor Prof M Surya Kalavathi applauded all the authors for achieving best results and high impact. “It is a rare distinction for a state university in a rural place like this. The faculty must go for collaboration with other universities and research institutes rich in facilities to take YV University to newer heights,” she suggested.
This type of publications will be beneficial to the university to get higher grades in NAAC Accreditation, apart from aiding in the development of new and innovative technology beneficial to the society, she said.
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Produced by Science Communication and Dissemination Directorate, (SCDD), CSIR, Anusandhan Bhawan, New Delhi