Indian neutrino lab to boast world's biggest magnet
A major neutrino observatory set to be built in India cleared a major hurdle this week, when the Ministry of Environment and Forests formally approved the project.
The $250 million underground laboratory, called the Indian Neutrino Observatory (INO), will be built in the Bodi West Hills Reserved Forest in the state of Tamil Nadu.
The hills there rise very steeply, so workers will have to tunnel only about 2 kilometres horizontally to provide the laboratory with about 1300 metres of high-quality granite cover above. The rock cover is needed to shield the neutrino detector from particles called muons that form when cosmic rays hit the atmosphere.
INO will be made of 50,000 tonnes of magnetised iron, dwarfing the 12,500-tonne magnet in the Compact Muon Solenoid detector at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland. “It’ll be the most massive magnet [ever built],” says team member M. V. N. Murthy of the Institute of Mathematical Sciences in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Anti-neutrinos too
Neutrinos will interact with the iron – which will be layered in sheets – and spew out charged particles, whose paths will be bent by the iron’s magnetic field. About 30,000 detectors sandwiched between the sheets of iron will track these charged particles, providing information about the incident neutrinos.
INO will initially study atmospheric neutrinos, which are produced when cosmic rays smash into the upper atmosphere.
Unlike most neutrino detectors, such as the Super-Kamiokande in Japan or the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory in Canada, INO will be sensitive to both neutrinos and anti-neutrinos, which interact with matter in different ways.
Neutrinos and their antimatter counterparts oscillate between three types: electron, tau and muon. INO should help physicists understand which of the three types is the lightest and which is the heaviest.
Elephants and tigers
INO scientists hope the observatory will also be used to detect neutrinos beamed from specialised neutrino factories that might be built at CERN or Fermilab near Chicago, Illinois. “We are uniquely situated to look at those neutrinos,” says Murthy.
Because the source of neutrinos from those sites would be highly controlled, physicists could study how neutrinos oscillate from one type to another as they pass through the Earth to INO.
This was not the first time the INO team has tried to get environmental clearance for its laboratory. Previously, project leaders had selected a site in the Nilgiri Mountains in Tamil Nadu. The site already boasted an underground power station with 13 kilometres of tunnels, but the access road to reach it crossed an elephant corridor.
Even as physicists worked out how to minimise disruptions to wandering elephants, a wildflife sanctuary nearby was declared a tiger reserve in 2008. The observatory would have been perilously close to the reserve’s 5-kilometre-wide buffer zone, so the project was denied clearance at that site.
Reference Link
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19620-indian-neutrino-lab-to-boast-worlds-biggest-magnet.html
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Reed Business Information Ltd.
Bank adopts girl students
It extends financial aid up to higher education level
For bright future: S.Jeyaram Moorthy, Assistant General Manager, SBI, Regional Business Office, Puducherry, giving away assistance at Manjakuppam branch in Cuddalore on Tuesday.
CUDDALORE: The State Bank of India has been extending financial assistance up to higher education level under the Girl Students Adoption Scheme, according to S. Jeyaram Moorthy, Assistant General Manager, SBI, Regional Business Office, Puducherry.
Class I to Plus-Two
He was speaking at a function organised at the Manjakuppam branch of SBI here on Tuesday to give away cheques to 20 girls studying from Class I to Plus-Two. It was in keeping with the vision of SBI Chairman O.P. Bhatt that banking practices should be combined with social responsibilities the bank had launched the scheme, he said.
As per the dictum that “educating a girl was equivalent to educating the entire family,” the bank was supporting girls in their education. With proper encouragement, girls could excel in their chosen fields and win laurels, Mr. Moorthy said.
During a recruitment for clerical posts in the bank held recently, women candidates constituted 70 to 80 per cent of interviewees. It indicated that given a chance women can outnumber men in all spheres, he said.
R. Nandini, a beneficiary, said that but for the bank’s help, she would not have continued her studies. She vowed to obtain State rank in Plus-Two examinations to make the bank proud.
N. Selvam, a parent, said that when he was finding it difficult to meet the educational expenses of his daughter, the bank extended timely help. Sivakumar, Correspondent of Saraswathi Vidyalaya, said that many girls were dropping out of school owing to financial constraints. The SBI’s gesture would help them stay on course to complete their schooling and even go for higher studies.
Senior Branch Manager of the Manjakuppam branch K. Govindarajan said the scheme that made its advent in Kolkata in 2007 was extended all over the country in 2008.
Mandatory
It was mandatory that every SBI branch adopts at least one girl student and the maximum number of beneficiaries was left to the discretion of the branch manager concerned.
The bank would monitor the educational performance of the students but not stop the aid if anyone of them did not make the grade. The three branches—Manjakuppam, Thirupadiripuliyur and Old Town—were thus extending assistance to the tune of Rs. 1 lakh to the students, Mr. Govindarajan said.
K. Venugopal and K.Chelladurai, Senior Managers of Thirupadiripuliyur and Old Town branches, were present.
Reference Link
http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/21/stories/2010072151130300.htm
Courtesy
The Hindu
Metrowater's eco-friendly initiative
Keen on reducing carbon dioxide emission from its three new sewage treatment plants — Photo: S.S.Kumar
New facility:The upcoming sewage treatment plant in Nesapakkam.
CHENNAI: Chennai Metrowater, as part of its efforts to become eco-friendly, is keen on reducing carbon dioxide emission from its new sewage treatment plants. For this purpose, it plans to commission a consultant for preparing the project concept and design note.
Metrowater is setting up three sewage treatment plants — at Nesapakkam with a capacity to treat 54 million litres a day; Perungudi (60 mld); and Koyambedu (120 mld). While the STPs in Perungudi and Nesapakkam are under construction, the project proposal of the Koyambedu facility is awaiting funds under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.
The water agency also plans to apply for carbon credit given to countries that emit less of green house gases under the ‘Clean Development Mechanism’. Officials of the Metrowater said the chosen consultancy firm is required to prepare the project concept with details such as technology to be adopted for reducing the carbon dioxide emissions, expected level of green house gases emission and environmental benefits of the project.
They must also obtain the host country approval from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest, which is the authority designated by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, for the project. Besides getting the project registered with the UNFCCC for issue of emission reduction certificate, the consultant has to assist Metrowater in getting carbon credit validation, the officials said.
The targeted emission reduction is expected to be about 70,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the three new plants per year. Apart from saving electricity cost of Rs.2-Rs.3 crore per year, Metrowater would generate a revenue of Rs.4 crore per year by trading its credits with other countries.
The water agency has been generating electricity through biogas from sewage sludge to operate four of the existing STPs. “We have already submitted the project to earn carbon credit and it is being scrutinised for validation,” an official said.
Estimates are being prepared to provide facilities for gas-based power generation in the remaining five STPs, the official added.
The new STPs would also meet their power requirement from biogas. The consultant would have to complete the project in six months. While the construction of the plant in Perungudi would be finished by May next year, the upcoming STP at Nesapakkam would be completed in January 2012.
Reference Link
http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/20/stories/2010072059130300.htm
Courtesy
The Hindu
A ray of hope for labourers' children at Secretariat site
Sarva Siksha Abhiyan officials take survey of migrant workers
Over 100 labourers’ children at site estimated to be out of school
Separate classes will be conducted for children in their mother tongue
— Photo: V.Ganesan
BACK TO SCHOOL?SSA officials interact with children of migrant labourers at the construction site of the new Secretariat Complex in Chennai on Tuesday.
CHENNAI: R. Sunil, a 12-year-old child of migrant labourers at the construction site of the new Secretariat Complex, has been out of school for the past two years.
“I want to go to school. But I have lot of friends here to play with and I am happy,” said the little boy, wearing an innocent smile.
He was denied the opportunity to go to school after completion of Class IV, as his parents had to leave a backward district of Orissa in search of better job opportunities.
V.Parvathy, another child, said she had not gone to school after completing Class IV in Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh.
Children such as Sunil and Parvathy had a ray of hope on Tuesday, as officials of Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) carried out a survey of children of migrant labourers who are working on the construction site of the new Secretariat Complex. They would soon sit for classes and learn in a medium comfortable to them.
Over 100 children of the labourers of the construction project were estimated to be out of school.
The survey was undertaken to conduct non-residential bridge course for the children of the migrant labourers, said A.Ponnammal, CEO, SSA-Chennai.
“We have planned to conduct the non-residential bridge courses near the construction site for these children,” said R.Parameswari, District Coordinator, SSA-Chennai.
Separate classes would be conducted for the children in their mother tongue, she added. The children would be taught in Telugu, Oriya, Hindi and Bengali.
Contractors of the project said that most of the migrant labourers were from West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar.
“Admitting these children in schools of the city is not possible because of the language barrier. Moreover, their parents may have to move to another site anytime. We will work on educating the children till they stay in the city,” said S. Annamalai, an official of SSA.
Officials said that a chunk of the parents were reluctant to reveal details to them. Some of them even prevented the officials from entering the tenements to talk to the children. Some children fled the area on seeing the officials.
“Collecting details from the children and parents is challenging,” the official added.
Mobilising teachers to conduct non-residential bridge courses for these children in their mother tongue is yet another challenging task for these officials, but they said they would try their best in the interest of children.
Reference Link
http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/15/stories/2010071550540200.htm
Courtesy
The Hindu
Precision farming in Krishnagiri
Collector inspects paddy fields and system of SRI method Photo: Special Arrangement
Field trip:Collector V. Arun Roy driving the paddy transplanter at Agraharam village in Agaram Panchayat, near Hosur, on Wednesday.
KRISHNAGIRI: Collector V. Arun Roy inspected various projects undertaken under the Irrigated Agriculture Modernisation and Water Bodies Restoration and Management in the district on Wednesday.
Mr. Roy inspected the paddy fields in Shoolagiri and Krishnagiri Panchayat Union under the precision farming and System of Rice Intensification (SRI) methods.
During the inspection, the Collector inaugurated the mechanised paddy transplantation equipment, which was demonstrated by the Dr. Perumal Krishi Vigyan Kendra at Agraharam village in Agaram Panchayat near Hosur. He also held discussion with the members of the Water Users Association.
Mr. Arun Roy also had a look at the cultivation of ‘Chendu Malli’ in Banganatham village, banana in Pillaikothur and Keeranapalli villages under the precision farming method.
Equipment was also installed at a cost of 6.25 lakh at Pillaikotthur village in Shoolagiri Panchayat Union for the benefit of farmers to know the climatic conditions such as humidity, rainfall, heat and speed of the wind etc.
The Collector also inspected the cultivation of CO-3 grass for cattle feed, cauliflower cultivation at Uthanapalli and Gammonthotti villages. He also interacted with the farmers to know the viability of the cultivation.
Mr. Arun Roy inspected the construction of agriculture marketing building at Boothanatham village in Thattaganapalli panchayat at a cost of Rs. 24.5 lakh.
K. Rajan, Joint Director, Agriculture, A.K. Rajan, Head and Professor, Regional Research Station (TNAU), Paiyur, Vijayabhaskaran, Association Professor, RRS, Arul Mozhi, Executive Engineer, Agriculture Engineering and Sundarrajan, Coordinator, Dr. Perumal Krishi Vigyan Kendra and other officials accompanied the Collector.
Reference Link
http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/15/stories/2010071550650300.htm
Courtesy
The Hindu
Clean, green panchayats bestowed with honour
More to come:Collector M. Jayaraman with the presidents of village panchayats which won the Nirmal Gram Puraskar in Tirunelveli
TIRUNELVELI: Collector M. Jayaraman on Monday felicitated the presidents of 11 village panchayats for having received the Nirmal Gram Puraskar, being presented by the Centre to the clean and green rural local bodies.
The Central government gives Nirmal Gram Puraskar awards to the village panchayats for ensuring the construction of toilets in every house under its jurisdiction, planting trees in every street, constructing drainage channel and converting the garbage into vermicompost.
The award carries a memento, certificate and cash award ranging from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 5 lakh, based on the population of the award-winning local body.
And, this amount could be spent for sanitary operations, to augment drinking water supply, constructing drainage channels, establishing infrastructure facilities for solid and liquid waste management.
Since the district administration was executing the ‘Total Sanitation Campaign’ in the district with much vigour, so far 38 village panchayats in the district had bagged the Nirmal Gram Puraskar award since 2005-2006.
For the year 2008-2009, nineteen village panchayats had been selected for this award.
Mudaliyarpatti (Kadayam union), Oormelazhagiyaan (Kadayanallur), Soorankudi (Kalakkad), Inaamvellakkaal (Keezhapaavoor), Usilankulam and Chitthirampatti (Kuruvikulam), Kaanaarpatti, Karunkaadu (Maanur), Chinna Kovilaankulam (Melaneelithanallur), Chinthamani (Nanguneri), Thiruvenkatanathapuram (Palayamkottai), Chaattupaththu (Pappakudi), Aanaikudi (Radhapuram), Ilaththur and Karkudi (Shencottai), Aayiraperi (Tenkasi), Pazhavoor and Levingipuram (Valliyoor) and Ramanathapuram (Vasudevanallur) had been selected.
Since the heads of eight of these village panchayats were felicitated in a function held at Vickramasingapuram on June 21, others were honoured by Mr. Jayaraman on Monday in a simple function held at the Collectorate.
Complimenting the village panchayats that had bagged the Nirmal Gram Puraskar Award, Mr. Jayaraman informed that the district administration had nominated the names of fifty village panchayats for the award for the year 2009-2010 as these rural local bodies had fulfilled all mandatory norms to get the honour. Project Officer, District Rural Development Agency R. Sankar was present.
Reference Link
http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/06/stories/2010070657780200.htm
Courtesy
The Hindu
Organs donated
TIRUCHI: A team of specialists attached to the KMC Hospital in the city on Sunday, successfully performed cadaver organ transplant.
D. Gurumoorthy (28) of Mayiladuthurai, a pillion-rider, fell from a two-wheeler on June 26. He suffered head injuries and was declared as ‘brain dead’ at a private hospital in Kumbakonam where he was kept on ventilator support. D. Kamala, the youth’s mother, expressed consent for harvesting his organs and the patient was brought to KMC Speciality Hospitals in the city on Sunday.
A team of doctors from Frontier Lifeline Hospital in Chennai harvested the heart. The experts from Global Hospital in Chennai harvested the liver. Specialists from Joseph Eye Hospital in Tiruchi city removed the cornea.
Reference Link
http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/06/stories/2010070650500500.htm
Courtesy
The Hindu
Differently-abled persons get aid at Collectorate
MADURAI: Differently-abled persons received aid at the grievances redressal day meeting at the Collectorate on Monday.
Collector C. Kamaraj distributed instruments to three beneficiaries, valued at Rs. 30,000 each. The Chief Minister had recently instructed the authorities to ensure that the needy received quality and modern gadgets.
For special school
A cheque for Rs. 30,000 was given to the Bethsan Special School as grant. Assistant Collector (Training) N. Venkatesan, District Revenue Officer Dinesh Ponraj Oliver and District Differently-Abled Welfare Officer Kanagaraj, Public Reraltions Officer S. S. Saravanan among others participated, a release said.
Reference Link
http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/06/stories/2010070659940200.htm
Courtesy
The Hindu
A noble promise well kept
18 year-old U.S. girl of Indian origin comes back to build a science centre
Two years ago, a 16 year-old girl of Indian origin, born and brought up in the United States, arrived here at Vedaranyam to spend her vacation at the Kasturba Gandhi Kanya Gurukulam (KGKG). Two years later, she returned to KGKG to fulfil a promise she had committed to herself – dedicate a science centre for the girls of Gurukulam.
A nationalist connection
Gurukulam, as KGKG is referred to, was founded as a trust by Sardar Vedarathinam Pillai, a legendary freedom fighter, to pioneer the cause of women’s education in the region. Its objective was closely knitted with the nationalist and Gandhian agenda of empowering women through education. Then, it was only fitting that Sardar Vedarathinam, who spearheaded the 1930 salt march in Vedaranyam along with C.Rajagopalachari, paralleling Gandhi’s Dandi March , founded the trust in 1946.
Goodness is cyclical, they say. Perhaps, it also has a domino effect. Or so it seemed, when the science centre was dedicated at the initiative of Lakshmi Somasundaram, the granddaughter of Somalay Somasundaram, a Tamil Scholar and also the biographer of Sardar Vedarathnam Pillai.
For the young Lakshmi altruism came naturally, as the girls voiced their aspiration for careers in science and how they were handicapped by the lack of a full-fledged science laboratory. “During my stay here, I learnt about their way of life, what their needs and aspirations were…It was essentially sharing of experiences,” says Lakshmi.
Inspired by their stories, she came out with a DVD on the Gurukulam and played it out to the audience at a convention of the Tamil Nadu Foundation, a US-based NGO working in the field of education in Tamil Nadu.
“After my DVD presentation, I went around amid the audience with a collection box and it began with few dollars and someone dropped a cheque for USD 10,000. That gave me the confidence and finally we had collected over USD 40,000 over a period,” an elated Lakshmi told The Hindu.
On the occasion, A.Vedarathnam, grandson of Sardar Vedarathnam and also the managing trustee of Gurukulam, said the entire structure of Gurukulam was built by such philanthropy, experienced since its inception.
Amid horde of dignitaries that evening, a visibly moved Minister for Dairy Development, U.Mathivaanan, hailed Lakshmi’s initiative. Setting aside political clichés he said, “I’m an atheist, yet she has pushed me to call her a gift of God.” Even as Lakshmi signed off, her face radiated fulfilment and urge, to give to the girls of Gurukulam some more goodness.
Reference Link
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article494532.ece
Courtesy
The Hindu
Goodness Apple 
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