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May 7, 2004 Bird trade flourishing in India despite ban: Peta MUMBAI, May 7: Illegal bird trade continues to flourish in India inspite of the fact that the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, bans trading of birds, according to people for ethical treatment of animals (Peta’s) Chief Functionary Anuradha Sawhney here. Poachers bring in thousands of birds, captured from the forests, smuggle them in cramped containers or even stuff them into socks and hide them in shoes, small boxes or even toilet paper rolls. Sixty per cent of the birds die in transit from broken wings and legs, thirst or fright, she said yesterday. The leading NGO also alleged that the loaders and station masters are commonly paid to look away as birds are smuggled into Indian cities. These birds are sold in pet shops and crammed into filthy cages. Some are artificially dyed with garish colours. The Peta pointed out that the birds are flock-oriented. In their natural habitats, they preen each other, fly together, play and sha

December 7, 2007 Ancient site Ter being restored BY MRITYUNJAY BOSE MUMBAI: The Archaeology and Museums Directorate of Maharashtra is restoring one of the most-ancient sites – Ter in Osmanabad district of Marathwada region, which lends testimony to the early Christian era trade from the banks of Terna river and Rome in Europe. "It is a minefield, which gives several important historical perspective. We are restoring it and neighbouring areas and the restoration is expected to be complete in a year's time. We want to bring this heritage site in the international map," says R N Hegde, the Director of Archaeology and Museums Directorate, Maharashtra. Ter was one of the most flourishing trade centers – giving boost to architectural and religious activities. "Over the years hundreds of antiquarian remains from Ter have been reported and studied – and several important facts have come to light," Hedge told 'The Herald'. The excavations has mentioned two m

December 4, 2007 Siberian cranes give India a skip MRITYUNJAY BOSE MUMBAI: The majestic Siberian cranes, which used to arrive at Bharatpur in Rajasthan every winter, appear to have skipped India – these birds have not been sighted in this part of the world since 2001 – and now it is unlikely they would ever come to India again. The last time a pair was spotted was in 2001 at the Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur, when they flew over Afghanistan and arrived here in spite of bombing raids by US fighter jets to oust the erstwhile Taliban regime, during the month of October 2001 after the September 11 kamikaze. But since 2001, these birds have not been sighted in the famous Keoladeo National Park at Bharatpur – or any other parts of northern India. The reasons are one too many – for their not coming here for wintering. “It is a shame that we lost the Siberian cranes, but many other species are also disappearing. (The) Keoladeo National Park at Bharatpur is in terrible shape due to water-

No. Name & Address Contact Person Name & Email Id's Subject Area Subnetwork Area 1 Centre for Ecological Sciences - Indian Institute of Science(IIS) Indian Institute of Science Bangalore Karnataka-560 012, Bangalore Phone: 91-080-23600985, 22933099, 22932506 Fax: 91-080-23601428, 23600085, 23600683 Email Id: iisc@envis.nic.in ENVIS URL: http://ces.iisc.ernet.in/biodiversity, http://ces.iisc.ernet.in/hpg/envis Org. URL: http://ces.iisc.ernet.in Prof. R.Sukumar - Chairman Dr. T.V. Ramachandran - ENVIS Coordinator Email Id: envis@ces.iisc.ernet.in Western Ghats and Biological Diversity Ecology and Ecosystems 2 Centre for Mining and Environment(ISM) Indian School of Mines Dhanbad-826004, Jharkhand Phone: 0326-2206372, 2202486 Fax: 0326-2206372, 2203042 Email Id: ism@envis.nic.in ENVIS URL: http://www.geocities.com/envis_ism, Org. URL: http://www.iism.dhanbad.org Prof. S.N. Mukherjee - Head Prof. Gurdeep Singh - ENVIS Coordinator Email Id: s_gurdeep2001@yahoo.com

INS Mysore affiliated with Madras regiment MUMBAI, Nov 17/2003: The Indian Army and the Indian Navy took another step forward in their quest for jointmanship when the western fleet’s premier combatant ‘INS Mysore’ and the Madras regiment, signed a charter of affiliation on board the ‘INS Mysore’ at the naval dockyard here this morning. The document was signed by Madras Regimental Centre Commandant Brig G Athmanathan and ‘INS Mysore’ Commanding Officer Capt Arvind Raj Vardhan in the presence of Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) western fleet rear Admiral Vijay Shankar and Lt Gen Dinesh Singh Chauhan, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C), Central Command and the Colonel of the Madras regiment. In a brief interaction with the media after the formal ceremony, Lt Gen Chauhan said while sharing the joy and peace, the affiliation is part of the process in working together in not just peace, but future operational tasks too. Rear Admiral Vijay Shankar said the basic aim is to realise uni

Reliance to play major role in UNESCO site restoration MUMBAI, Sept 7/2004: In a unique initiative towards preserving Indian heritage, the multi-crore reliance group will play a major role in the restoration of Champaner-Pavagadh in Gujarat, one of the 26 UNESCO world heritage sites in India. Champaner-Pavagadh, located 40 kms from Vadodara, is Gujarat’s first world heritage site and the 26th in UNESCO’s India list. Once a prosperous medieval capital of Gujarat and with no less significance in Indian history than Fatehpur-Sikri and Hampi-Vijayanagara, it is also a perfect example of secularism. An exhibition titled ‘Champaner-Pavagadh: forgotten no more’ was inaugurated recently in the presence of Mrinalani Sarabhai, as a troupe of dancers clapped and danced to the strains of Garba, "Maa Pava Tee Gadh Thi.." and Bhil tribals playing bamboo flute. "We are glad to be associated with the heritage trust and CSMVS museum in organising a unique exhibition for the people of Mu

Shabana Azmi inaugurates photo exhibition on Bhuj MUMBAI, July 19/2001: Would archaeologists be able to restore historic monuments that have been turned into rubble by the January 26 killer earthquake in Bhuj ? This is the question that arose in the minds of most visitors as they saw some of the unique pictures that city-based lensman Jayanta Saha clicked in Bhuj before and after the fateful 59 seconds on January 26, 2001. "Oh my God....It is really shocking," said noted actress and Rajya Sabha member Shabana Azmi while inaugurating the exhibition titled "splendour and ruins of Bhuj" last night alongwith her husband, noted writer and poet Javed Akhtar. Earlier, Tina Ambani, associated with the Reliance Group as its photo consultant, complimented Saha. "The splendour of the monuments is gone, only the photographs now remain," lamented Saha as the exhibition opened at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) here. A cross section of people from va

Development will continue in big way in Maharashtra: Shinde MUMBAI, March 6/2003: Notwithstanding financial constraints, Maharashtra will have a bigger plan outlay for 2003-04, Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde has said. "Let me assure you that the budget this year will be bigger than that of last year", Mr Shinde told UNI last night in an interview at the State Government’s plush Sahyadri guest house at Malabar Hill in South Mumbai. "Come what may, development activities of the State will continue", the Chief Minister said, a few days before the start of the budget session of the Maharashtra legislature, next Monday. Having a record of presenting the State budget as Finance Minister nine times, Mr Shinde, who took over as the Chief Minister in January this year, assured that he will pull the State out of its current financial condition within no time. "It will be one or two years and the State’s financial condition will be back on the track", asserted a

Coast guard carries out exercise in Arabian Sea MUMBAI, Feb 1/2002: For a change the early morning calm over the Arabian Sea was shattered as dornier aircrafts cut across the blue skies to liquidate mock targets, choppers carrying out helobatics and ships displaying a range of coast guard operations on the eve of the 17th anniversary of the coast guard yesterday. Mediapersons witnessed the exercise during a conducted ‘day-at-sea’ onboard front-line ship ‘CGA Samar’, carried out under the supervision of Commodore S Pradeep, Commander of Coast Guard Western Region. While the Agile single-engine Chetak multi-role helicopters, which are the only choppers used by the Coast Guard, performed an array of helobatics leaving the audience spellbound even as they displayed their manoeuvrability through a search-and-rescue exercise, the sleek dornier aircraft displayed several drills and mock firing and aerial recce missions. The oil-spill response and anti-poaching activities were also displayed

India to utilise N-weapons as a deterrent: Mahajan MUMBAI, Mar 28/199: Asserting that India will utilise nuclear weapons as a deterrent, Information and Broadcasting Minister Pramod Mahajan today said that the challenge before scientist and security agencies is to develop a sophisticated command and control system of effecting delivery. "Nuclear weapons cannot be transported or delivered on bicycles or trucks and we need to have an effective command and control system," the Minister said while addressing a huge gathering of BJP workers on the concluding day of Jan Jagran Abiyan here. "It will take a few years time for developing an effective command system", he said, adding that the Government need not be destabilised at this stage. "The nuclear cover will act as a deterrent against enemies and those who have guts to see eye to eye with India," he said and added "we will make the country’s nuclear policy irreversible." We are a peace loving count

‘Poaching posing a severe problem’ MUMBAI, Sept 15/2002: Poaching of wild animals is posing a serious challenge to law-enforcement agencies next only to narcotics dealing and gun-running. This was disclosed here yesterday by Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MOEF) Secretary P V Jayakrishnan at a workshop on implementation of the new national wildlife action plan, hosted by the Bombay Natural History Society Director Dr Asad Rahmani. "Poaching is a serious problem," he said, adding that tigers, elephants, lions, leopards and one-horned rhinos were the real sufferers. "Today the tiger population in the country is 3,700-odd and between 1999-2002 around 125 of these majestic animals have been killed," he said. Mr Jayakrishnan said the tiger skins and bones and tusks of elephants are high-value products in the international market. To curb poaching there was a need for concerted efforts by all agencies concerned and the involvement of local people. "We need

NSCM developing science museums abroad MUMBAI, Dec 18/2003: After gaining expertise in making science musuems, the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) is now taking up projects on a turn-key basis in foreign countries. "We have enough expertise and are now helping foreign countries in making museums," NCSM Director-General I K Mukherjee told UNI here. Mr Mukherjee said that the NSCM had developed one museum in Brisbane, Australia. Besides this, he said, the NCSM, which comes under the umbrella of ministry of tourism, had also supplied exhibits to countries like Israel, Turkey, Bangladesh and Singapore. A large-scale project is also in offing in Mauritius. He revealed that neighbouring countries like Bangladesh and Nepal had also approached the NCSM for developing museums in their countries. "Rather than full-fledged museums, many of the countries are asking for exhibits to various themes," said the NCSM Chief, who was here for the inauguration of ‘hall of ae

Indian Planetary Society to screen names for mars project MUMBAI, Jan 3/2004: Mumbai-based Indian Planetary Society (IPS) has been selected as the national coordinator by its US counterpart for the Red Rover Goes To Mars (RRGTM) project. Joint initiative of the US Planetary Society, Lego Co and NASA, the project will allow children to play an integral, hands-on role in the NASA’s upcoming mars exploration rover 2003 mission set to explore the neighbouring planet in early 2004. The IPS, headed by noted astronomer and former Director of the Nehru Planetarium here Dr J J Rawal, has been entrusted by the US bodies to select students for the project. The RRGTM provides an exciting opportunity for students to participate in a Robotics Planetary Exploration Cission. To be selected for this, students born between September 1986-1990 have to enter into a worldwide astronaut on NASA’s mars exploration rover mission contest. Dr Rawal said that in order to qualify for the RRGTM, a student will hav

A grand pagoda coming up near Mumbai MUMBAI, Sept 29/2002: A 325-foot grand pagoda (pyramid), claimed to be the highest in the world, with a life of upto 500 years, is being constructed, adjacent to the Essel World at Gorai Creek here. The golden coloured architectural and historical splendour is being constructed at a cost of Rs 40 crore and will be made of stone without any use of cement or iron. The pagoda will have a hollow stone monument having octagonal base that rises externally, uninteruptedly and smoothly, into a needle at the top through a circular bell shape. It will house a meditation hall in which nearly 8000 Vipassana meditators can sit. It will also display galleries, giving details about the life and teachings of Buddha using the latest audio-visual technology. The pagodas have been an integral part of Buddhist teachings with more than 15,000 pagodas having been in existance during the great saint’s time in different countries. The structural engineer N R Verma, who is

Asia major growth market for nuclear power: IAEA chief MUMBAI, Nov 16/2004: Asia has emerged as a strong growth market for nuclear power, International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Dr Mohamed Elbaradei has said. The chief of the Vienna-based international nuclear watchdog said yesterday that by contrast, in western Europe and North America, nuclear construction had been relatively frozen, with the last plant completed being Civaux-2 in France in 1999. Of the 27 units now under construction worldwide, he said, 19 were located in Asia, while 23 of the 28 reactors were to be connected to grids in the far east and south Asia. Nine of the 27 units, with a total capacity of 4,460 mega-watts, were in India, he said addressing a gathering of nuclear scientists, technocrats and engineers at a seminar on ‘peaceful uses of nuclear energy: Meeting societal needs’ hosted by the Indian nuclear society. However, there may be signs of renewed activity in Europe and North America with constru

CHUGGING FOR LIFE Mrityunjay Bose Seven-year-old Vijay, a resident of Khalari in Bihar, had a dream. Dream of walking without help – he had contracted polio. He was the first patient to be operated on board world's first hospital train – the Lifeline Express - in 1991. He had contracted polio soon after birth, spent his first few years crawling on all fours, then attempting to walk again with home-made bamboo crutches, falling frequently, never safe to go anywhere unaccompanied. More than one-and-a-half decades later, now he walks without crutches, his leg supported in plastic calipers, which he swings at ease. Mohit Ram, a barber from Bargaon village in the district of Durg, Madhya Pradesh has his joy tripled. Misfortune just struck his family 10 years ago when his second child was born blind. Subsequently, he had two more children both blind. Despite a meager salary Mohit Ram took his children wherever he could for treatment in vain. Finally, at a medical camp at Raipur he was fi

Dev Anand’s censor — a film within a film MUMBAI, Apr 4/2001: Evergreen hero Dev Anand’s latest film ‘Censor’, which attempts to bring to reality the day-to-day life of a film maker can be well described as a film within a film. "It is a unique concept. It is a film within a film," says the 78-year-old energetic Devsaab, as he is popularly known in the film industry. After an exclusive screening of ‘Censor’ last night for mediapersons at adlab theatre in filmcity here, he said, "I attempt to bring about the realities that a filmmaker faces in producing a film." The film will be released later this week. Sporting a brown trousers, a pink shirt and a red pullover wrapped across his neck, Dev, who was at his usual best, said, "it is now for the people to see and judge how a film is made and what the Censor Board does." Dev, who plays the lead role in the film, Vikram — a film director, says, "the film (Aane Wala Kal) which is directed by Vikram faces pr

BARC develops country’s fastest super computer MUMBAI, Nov 1/2002: The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) has developed the fastest super computer of the country, its Director B Bhattacharjee said. The 64-node Anupam P-IV parallel super computer giving, which has a sustained speed of 43 giga-flops (floating point operation per second), is 30 to 40 times faster than any other parallel supercomputer developed in the country, he said at the BARC Foundation Day celebrations this week. The Super Computer was developed by P S Dhekne, officer-in-charge of the Computer Division of BARC, a winner of the Indian Nuclear Society Awards presented by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on Thursday. Many leading institutions in India such as the aeronautical development agency, Indian Institute of Technology as well as the Department of Atomic Energy are finding the use of this super computer in solving various problems, he said. The BARC, which is the premier nuclear research organisation of the

Vikrant may not be scrapped MUMBAI, July 9/1999 (UNI) — The Maharashtra Government has decided to prevent the scrapping of the country’s first aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, by providing Rs 6.5 crore for repairs of the decommissioned ship. The state government would also examine the feasibility of converting the ship into a war memorial, Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray told newsmen here today. Vikrant was auctioned for Rs 5.8 crore to Haryana Shipbreakers yesterday. The auction was carried out by the Metal Scrap Trading Corporation (MSTC). After visiting the decommissioned ship at Lion Gate, South Mumbai, Mr Thackeray said a final decision would be taken within a month. The ship had saved the nation in a crisis (during the 1971 Indo-Pak conflict) and hence it should become a war memorial for the fallen heroes, he added. He said he had spoken to Defence Minister George Fernandes, who promised that Vikrant would not be sold. Chief Minister Narayan Rane, who was also present on the occasi

Flamingoes flock to Sewree mangroves of Mumbai MUMBAI, Nov 27/2001: Come october and the majestic flamingoes flock the metropolis, nesting in mud-flats until the onset of monsoon. First sighted here in 1994, the greater flamingoes and lesser flamingoes are seen in the sewree mangrove park on the eastern sea-face of Mumbai. On an average, more than 5,000 flamingoes arrive every year, said Issac Kehimkar, an official of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS). The water level at the Sewree-Mahul stretch is perfect for these birds, as they prefer Alkaline and saline water which is abundant in prey. Since the location where they are found falls in a high-security zone, the area has a port, oil refinery and defence installations, they are left undisturbed, he said. The birds come from various parts of the country, particularly the great Rann of Kutch in Gujarat. Mr Kehimkar said the arrival of flamingoes has spurred tremendous enthusiasm among ornithologists, environmentalists, photograp

Several warships to be shifted to Karwar MUMBAI, Dec 15/2001: Several warships of the Western Naval Command (WNC) would be shifted from Mumbai to the new naval base at Karwar on the Karnataka coast by 2005-06, when the first phase of project ‘Seabird’ is completed. "The work is on in full swing and we expect that some of the ships of the WNC will be shifted to the new base by 2005-06," senior Indian Navy officials have said. WNC officials, who have been directly involved with the ‘Seabird’, said the project would cover 8,000 acres and occupy around 28 km of the coastline, and the deep draught would facilitate berthing of larger vessels. According to officials, the rationale behind setting up a new futuristic naval base with state-of-the-art facilities on the western coast was its strategic location. "The WNC is headquartered in Mumbai. We have two ports, the Mumbai Port and the Nahva Sheva Port, at a very close distance. One aim is to decongest the shores," an offi

November 30, 2006 From: Mrityunjay Bose Sea-Harrier to last for more than five years: Navy MUMBAI: The state-of-the-art Sea-Harrier fighter jets of the Indian Navy would last for more than five to six years beyond the expected life of the lone aircraft carrier INS Viraat, from which these majestic British-origin aircraft operate. "We expect that it would last more than five years," said Vice Admiral Sangram Singh Byce, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command (WNC), the sword arm of the three-dimensional blue water Indian Navy. Talking to reporters on board INS Viraat, Vice Admiral Byce confirmed that Soviet-era Kiev-class aircraft carrier Gorshkov, which would be renamed Vikramaditya would arrive in 2008 and its component of frontline Russian origin MiG-29K fighter aircraft. "The top-of-the-line MiG-29K will augment the air arm of the Indian Navy," he said and added that it is a multi-role aircraft and can perform various functions like land-at

September 5, 2007 From: Mrityunjay Bose Huge warship Trenton sails in today MUMBAI: A giant-sized US-origin amphibious ship INS Jalashva – earlier USS Trenton – arrives in this island city quietly today adding to the blue-water capabilities of the Indian Navy. Jalashva in Sanskrit means sea horse – and the huge amphibious transport dock displaces nearly 16,500-tonnes and possess multiple capabilities. She touches Mumbai, the homeport to Western Naval Command (WNC) ships and submarines, in the next few days; she would sail for the Vishakhapatnam, headquarters of Eastern Naval Command (ENC). "INS Jalashva is arriving on September 6, however, it would be a very low-key event, in view of the controversies involving the ongoing Indo-US naval exercises," a senior official of the WNC, the sword arm of the Indian Navy, told 'The Herald', on the eve of her arrival to this island city. "We are not planning any grand event – because of the present circumstances," the

Indigenous warships join fleet MUMBAI, Jan 22/2001 (UNI) — The indigenously designed guided missile destroyer “INS Mumbai’’ and missile corvette “INS Kirch’’ today joined the Indian naval fleet. The warships were concurrently commissioned by Maharashtra Governor Dr P.C. Alexander. INS Mumbai is the third of the “Delhi class’’ of guided missile destroyers built by Mazgaon docks and represents the cutting edge of combatant technology in the country. The heavily armed ship has a formidable firepower with a weapon package comprising surface-to-surface missiles, surface-to-air-missiles, radar controlled guns, torpedoes, anti-submarine rockets and chaff decoys. In addition, the ship carries a state-of-the-art sensor package of modern radars, sonars and electronic warfare suites. INS Kirch is the second ship of the Kora class of guided missile corvettes, which embodies the lethal cutting edge technology. With her arsenal of surface-to-surface missiles and guns, she is a potent fighting unit.

Men, machines to take to skies in biggest ever air show MUMBAI, Oct 11/2004: Machines of formidable power, manoeuvred by men with cutting edge skills, will take to the skies in the biggest ever air show in the city on October 17. Frontline aircraft of the IAF including the Sukhois, MiG-29s and the recently-acquired Il-78 refueller, in addition to a boeing and an airbus of Air India, will participate in the air show titled ‘Subroto Mukherjee and JRD Tata Memorial Events’. The aviation Regalia marks the birth centenary of JRD Tata and the golden jubilee of Mukherjee’s taking over as the IAF Chief. Being jointly organised by the Indian Air Force, Air-India and the Maharashtra Government, the one-hour aerial display at Marine Drive is dubbed to be of greater magnitude than the 1998 Trishakti exercise and the air show held during the 2001 international fleet review. As part of the event, an air awareness campaign Mumbai will begin in the metropolis on October 14 with an exhibition of Indi

Indian navy touches new high in maritime diplomacy MUMBAI, Sept 29/2004: The Indian Navy has achieved tremendous success in the area of maritime diplomacy with a series of joint exercises after the 2001 international fleet review including that with the navies of the United States, the United Kingdon, France, Russia and China. The recently-published Indian maritime doctrine also highlights this fact, saying that in times of peace, the Indian Navy has been a powerful instrument of the nation’s foreign policy, while in times of conflict it is the foremost expression of the country’s maritime power. "The Indian Navy plays a major role in the nation’s diplomatic interest," Admiral Madanjit Singh, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command (WNC), told UNI today during an interaction after visiting Singapore Naval Chief Admiral Ronnie Tay inspected a Guard of Honour at the Ins Angre here. Admiral Singh, one of the top naval commanders, said that in the recent pas

Govt examining 15-year ship building programme MUMBAI, Oct 30/2002: The Central Government is examining a proposal for an indigenous ship building programme to be undertaken over a period of 15-year, Navy chief Admiral Madhvendra Singh said today. He, however, did not divulge details of this programme during an informal chat with reporters after inaugurating a day-long conference on "human resource in ex-defence personnel" organised by the Directorate General of Resettlement and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). The Centre had earlier this year sanctioned a 30-year-long submarine building programme, Admiral Singh noted. He said that the first of the indigenous stealth warships currently being built at the Government-owned Mazagon Docks Ltd (MDL) here will be commissioned by 2006. These ships incorporating the latest design will form an important part of the future fleet of the blue-water force. "In future we will have more such stealth ships," the chief o

Navy sails course towards modernisation, 23 ships to join in 4 yrs MUMBAI, Mar 19/2003: The Indian Navy is modernising itself and as part of this move, 23 ships are expected to be commissioned in the next four years enhancing its sea control capabilities, top naval officials said here today. Under the programme, ‘Admiral Gorshkov’, the decommissioned Russian aircraft carrier is expected to join in the next 50 months. Besides, orders have been placed for three Delhi-class ships under project 15-alpha and under project 17, three Shivalik-class stealth frigates are being built at the Mazagon Docks Ltd. Vice Admiral Madanjit Singh, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Western Naval Command (WNC) said that a new Naval Academy for Training of Officers is expected to be commissioned in north Kerala. More than 500 officers can undergo training in this facility. Rear Admiral Vijay Shankar, the Flag Officer Commanding, western fleet, said that the new acquisitions will significantly enhance the