Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University faculty and research scholars participated and presented their research work at national conference on Environmental and Industrial Biotechnology (NCEIB-2022) organised by the Department of Biotechnology, Dr. Ambedkar Institute of
Technology for Handicapped, Kanpur, U.P.; wherein the oral presentation delivered by Ms. Mahima Sharma, Ph.D. Scholar of School of Biotechnology, SMVDU, was selected for the Uma Shukla Award for best paper presentation sponsored by the Centre for Energy and Environmental Sustainability.
Ms. Mahima, mentored by Dr. Sharada Potukuchi, Faculty, SMVDU, presented a part of her research work titled ‘Studies on Microbial Diversity and Antimicrobial Activity of Endophytic Bacteria Sourced from Cordia dichotoma’ published in the Journal Frontiers in Microbiology earlier this year. The paper explains how diverse endophytic bacteria can serve a role in natural product drug-discovery for novel anti-microbials to combat the multi drug resistant
infections and their metabolites. Dr. Sharda presented a lecture on Vitro Manipulation for Production of Plant Secondary Metabolites; Mr. Amit Kumar Choudhary, Ph.D. Scholar, Biotechnology made a poster presentation on “Importance and Conservation of Critically Endangered Medicinal Flora in Kashmir Himalayan Biodiversity Hotspot, Jammu and Kashmir”. Prof. R.K. Sinha, VC, SMVDU and Dr. Ratna Chandra, Head, School of Biotechnology congratulated Ms. Mahima for her accomplishments and the research team.
SMVDU Research Student bags best paper award in national conference at Kanpur
SEC orders re-poll in two DDC constituencies of north Kashmir next month
Srinagar, Nov 16: The State Election Commission(SEC) has ordered a re-poll in two District Development Council (DDC) constituencies of north Kashmir’s Bandipora and Kupwara districts after polling was declared void in these constituencies in 2020 elections.
Quoting a top official, news agency Kashmir News Observer (KNO) reported that the re-poll has been ordered in Hajin-A and Drugmulla constituencies of Bandipora and Kupwara districts respectively.
He said that the re-poll will be held on December 5 from 7 am to 2 pm and arrangements for the same are being made.
He also said that counting will be held on December 8 and the poll process shall conclude on December 12, while the provisions of the Model Code of Conduct have been implemented with immediate effect in these constituencies.
The polling in both these constituencies was held along with others during the DDC elections in 2020.
The counting of votes was withheld after it was detected that some contesting candidates had entered the wrong information in Form-6. Later, polling in both constituencies was declared as void.
BSF ADG reviews security situation at border
Additional DG BSF PV Rama Sastry, on Wednesday, took stock of the security situation at the international border (IB) with Pakistan in the Sunderbani Sector.
The BSF ADG (Western Command, Chandigarh), who is on a three-day visit to the Jammu Frontier, visited areas of IB at Sunderbani and Indreshwar Nagar Sector accompanied by DK Boora, IG Jammu, and other senior officers of this frontier and reviewed the security situation on Jammu IB.
BSF Sector Sunderbani and Indreshwar Nagar DIG and Battalion commanders briefed ADG BSF on the ground about complexities of management, overall deployment of BSF, and domination plan of IB area under the prevailing current security scenario.
The ADG BSF also visited the vital areas of Sunderbani and Indreshwar Nagar Sectors and examined the operational preparedness of Field formations.
During the visit, the ADG interacted with troops in Prahari Sammelan and applauded their professional acumen in safeguarding the International Border in such stringent conditions and also added that these are their relentless efforts by which BSF remains successful to foil all evil designs of anti-national elements. The troops also interacted with ADG with full enthusiasm and zeal.
Kashmiri journalist gets Jaipur Foot USA’s first ‘Global Humanitarian Award’ in New York
The organisation, an NGO working for underprivileged and physically challenged people, while announcing the award said that it has been constituted to honour and recognise the selfless work of Indians who without caring for their lives, manage to help those in need.
In a statement, Jaipur Foot USA said that such people are always a call away when it comes to humanitarian efforts transcending borders.
“The first ever recipient of the award is Danish Manzoor Bhat. Originally from Kashmir valley in North India, Danish has always been someone whom people from across continents could reach out to in times of crisis. And he’s never let a soul down, ” it said.
A journalist by profession, Danish leads Newsweek Magazine in Asia as its Editorial Director and Sr. Vice President for Global Editorial Strategy & Innovation.
He became a household name on Indian Social Media and beyond during the COVID 2nd wave, the NGO said.
It said that people from across the country saw him deploy social media to connect patients with beds, ICUs, hospitals, Remdesvir, Ambulances and more.
He was lauded for his 24×7 availability on phone and on social media by public, top government functionaries, media and ministers —but most importantly by patients and their kin.
In the hardest initial 30 days of the covid-19 pandemic’s second wave, he helped 326 patients and ‘tele-triaged’ 460 patients suffering from the viral infection, the organisation said.
In Karnataka, Bengaluru; Danish, among many others, was the known name when it came to optimising processes and finding solutions to complex issues during the pandemic.
“Danish collected and distributed more than 1000 oximeters in Bengaluru among those who couldn’t afford. The key point of this initiative was that it was that these were delivered at doorsteps of Covid positive patients. He also created a unique model of sharing these Oximeters after use,” the statement said.
Those who recovered from Covid were tasked with keeping these Oximeters in rotation and passing them on to other people who needed these. Thereby reaching more than thousands of people with just 1000+ Oximeters.
The organisation said that Danish even helped hospitals in getting Oxygen supply in time.
Besides this Danish also helps “Rescuing Indians”, a not-for-profit helping Indians stuck overseas. Almost on a daily basis he was seen helping someone ot the other, in some part of the world, selflessly.
The award was presented in the Indian High Comission, New York by Consul General Randhir Jaiswal and Prem Bhandari, Chairman, JaipurFoot USA. Deputy Consul General, Varun Jeph was also present at the private ceremony.
Sajad Lone takes oath as President of Peoples Conference
Srinagar, Nov 16: Sajad Gani Lone today took oath of office as President Jammu and Kashmir Peoples’ Conference in presence of the General Council, which forms the Electoral College, for the election of the President of the party.
The oath was administered by Chairman Election Authority of the party Syed Basharat Bukhari. The oath ceremony was attended by top leadership of the party along with thousands of delegates comprising the general council, read a statement, issued by the party.
While speaking after taking oath, Lone described the current times as distinctively painful and politically unique in terms of the challenges that it poses to the different sections of leadership in J&K today.
He said that leadership has different definitions at different times and in present times leadership would entail saving people, leadership would mean preserving our youth and leadership demands speaking the truth to the people.
Lone said that one of the easiest things in politics is to resort to lies and innuendo. “And the most difficult thing is to speak the truth in the face of adversity. We in the Peoples Conference will strive to ensure that we speak the truth and lead with honesty and courage,” he said, as per the statement.
“It’s time that the leadership variables are reset. Let leaders lead with the courage to speak the truth and let the people of J&K follow those who speak the truth. Safeguarding the interests of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, especially the youth, is the biggest leadership challenge in current times and that the Peoples Conference will do everything in its power to protect a common Kashmiri from being victimised.” he added.
Lone further asserted that People’s Conference is the party that has the legacy of sacrifice and will continue to strive to accord people a dignified way of living.
“We will make every effort to promote political inclusiveness and tirelessly strive to restore and retrieve the glorious political legacy that the people of J&K deserve. A unique legacy which we all cherished and zealously guarded for so long. We will do what it takes to ensure that legacy is restored”, he added.
BSF ADG lauds troops for foiling evil designs of anti-national elements in J&K
Jammu, Nov 16: BSF Additional Director General, Western Command, P V Rama Sastry on Wednesday interacted with the troops deployed along the International border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir and lauded their efforts in foiling the nefarious designs of anti-national elements.
Sastry on the last day of his three-day tour of Jammu frontier visited Sunderbani and Indreshwar Nagar sectors along the IB and was briefed about complexities of management, overall deployment of BSF and domination plan under prevailing security scenario, a spokesperson of the border guarding force said.
BSF Inspector General, Jammu frontier, D K Boora and other senior officers of the force accompanied Sastry who reviewed the security situation on Jammu IB, the spokesperson said.
Deputy Inspector General of BSF, Sunderbani and Indreshwar Nagar sectors, and battalion commanders briefed Sastry on the ground about complexities of management, overall deployment of BSF and domination plan of IB area under prevailing security scenario, he said.
The ADG BSF also visited the vital areas of Sunderbani and Indreshwar Nagar Sectors and examined the operational preparedness of field formations.
During the visit, Sastry interacted with troops in ‘Prahari Sammelan’ and applauded their professional acumen in safeguarding the IB in such stringent conditions, the BSF spokesperson said.
He hailed the relentless efforts of the BSF in successfully foiling all evil designs of the anti-national elements, the spokesperson said.
He said the troops interacted with the ADG with full enthusiasm and zeal.
Sastry reached Jammu frontier on November 14 and reviewed the security situation, including challenges related to drone activities and smuggling from across the border. (AGENCIES)
Missile that landed in Poland fired by Ukrainian troops: Report
The initial investigation into the incident wherein a “Russian-made missile” hit Poland on Tuesday has suggested that the missile was fired by Ukrainian forces.
Kyiv’s troops were firing at an incoming Russian missile when it landed in the eastern part of Poland, a NATO member nation, near its Ukrainian border, Reuters quoted AP. Two people had died in the incident.
Earlier in the day, US President Joe Biden said that it was unlikely that a missile was fired from Russia. He made the statement at the G20 Summit venue in Bali while pledging support for Poland’s investigation into the incident.
Asked if the missile had been fired from Russia. Biden said: “There is preliminary information that contests that. It is unlikely in the minds of the trajectory that it was fired from Russia.”
This comes as reports said the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday. The incident has stoked fears that the conflict could escalate as members of NATO are committed to collective defence under Article 5.
Missile attack
Polish Foreign Ministry said the rocket fell on Tuesday evening on Przewodow, a village in eastern Poland about six kilometres from the border with Ukraine. The deceased two men were near the weighing area of a grain facility when the missile exploded, reported Reuters.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that the missile was a “single act” and there was no evidence of further missiles. According to Polish authorities, it is not clear who fired the missile, but the weapon was “most likely produced in Russia.”
“We are working calmly and in a very calm manner,” Polish President Andrzej Duda said during an address from the Bureau of National Security in Warsaw. He said the US is sending experts to investigate the site as part of a joint operation.
Russian stance
Russia has refused to take responsibility for the incident, calling out the allegations as a “deliberate provocation aimed at escalating the situation”.
“No strikes on targets near the Ukrainian-Polish state border were made by Russian means of destruction,” a statement read.
Meanwhile, the head of the permanent mission of Russia to the United Nations said on Wednesday that the incident in Poland was an attempt to provoke a direct clash between Russia and NATO.
“There is an attempt to provoke a direct military clash between NATO and Russia, with all the consequences for the world,” Dmitry Polyansky said on his Telegram channel.
Poland’s foreign ministry has summoned the Russian ambassador to explain why a Russian-made missile fell on Polish territory. Poland had also increased its military readiness of selected units of the Polish armed forces, with particular emphasis on airspace monitoring, in connection with the incident.
Poland had also planned to ask its NATO partners for a meeting under Article 4 of the NATO Treaty. Article 4 allows for any member to seek consultations with the rest of the alliance and states. “The Parties will consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the Parties is threatened,” the article states.
Biden phones Polish President
US President Joe Biden, who is in Bali to attend the G20 meetings, has spoken on phone with Polish President Andrzej Duda. Biden is said to have “expressed deep condolences for the loss of life in Eastern Poland earlier this evening,” according to a readout from the White House.
He also “reaffirmed the United States’ ironclad commitment to NATO” and both leaders agreed to “remain in close touch to determine appropriate next steps as the investigation proceeds,” the readout said.
Kathua Gangrape: SC Holds Accused Adult, Not To Be Tried As Juvenile
The Supreme Court on Wednesday held that one of the accused in the sensational gang-rape and murder case of an eight-year-old nomadic girl in Kathua was not a juvenile and now can be tried afresh as an adult for the offences.
The top court also held that medical opinion regarding the age of an accused cannot be “brushed aside” in the absence of statutory proof on the same issue.
“Medical opinion regarding age in absence of any other conclusive evidence should be considered to determine the age range of the accused…Whether medical evidence can be relied upon or not depends on the value of evidence,” a bench of justices Ajay Rastogi and J B Pardiwala said.
It set aside the orders of the Chief Judicial Magistrate at Kathua and the high court which had held that the accused Shubam Sangra was a juvenile and hence to be tried separately.
“We set aside the judgements of the CJM Kathua and the high court and hold that the accused was not a juvenile at the time of commission of offence ,” Justice Pardiwala said while pronouncing the verdict.
The girl was raped in a Kathua village in 2019.
A special court, in June 2019, had sentenced three men to life imprisonment in the case and sentenced three police officers to five-year imprisonment for causing destruction of evidence.
However, the trial against Sangra was shifted to the Juvenile Justice Board.
Roadmap for 2024 T20 World Cup starts now, a lot of people will get enough chances: Hardik Pandya
Wellington, November 16
Stand-in T20I skipper Hardik Pandya on Wednesday said the roadmap for 2024 T20 World Cup starts now, adding that going forward a lot of players will be given chances to stake their claim in the side.
India’s 2022 T20 World Cup hopes ended with a 10-wicket defeat against eventual champions England in the semifinals.
Pandya, who will be leading India in the three-match T20I series against New Zealand, starting Friday, said the team needs to overcome from their World Cup failure.
“Yes, we all know there is disappointment of the World Cup but we are professionals and we need to cope with it. It’s how we cope with our success, we cope with our failures and move forward. We look forward to get better by rectifying our mistakes,” Pandya told reporters.
The next T20 World Cup will be played in 2024 in the West Indies and the United States and the Indian squad is expected to undergo a major transition in the next two years with the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma among others being gradually eased out of the set-up.
“Yes, the next T20 WC is almost two years, so we have time (to unearth new talent). A lot of cricket will be played and a lot of people will get enough chances.
“The roadmap starts from now. But it’s too fresh right now. We have a lot of time, so we will sit down and have conversations on those grounds,” Pandya said.
“Right now it’s making sure that the boys enjoy playing here. We will talk about the future later,” he added.
The white-ball tour of New Zealand that includes three T20Is and as many ODIs will not feature Kohli, Rohit, opener KL Rahul, keeper-batter Dinesh Karthik and veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin as all have been rested as part of “workload management of players”.
In their absence, the likes of Shubman Gill, Umran Malik, Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson have been given a chance and Pandya says it will be an important series for them in the grand scheme of things.
“The main boys are not here but the same time the talent which the guys who are already here, they have also been playing for one and-a-half, two years now,” he said.
“They have had ample chances and enough time in international cricket to express themselves and show what they have. Very excited for them, new bunch of guys, new energy and excitement.
“Every series is important. You can’t play an international game thinking it’s not important. Yes, the World Cup is there but that’s a different format, it’s 50 overs.
“But it is an important series for a lot of boys who if they eventually do well here will be able to put a strong case going forward.”
‘We don’t need to prove anything to anyone’
In a scathing column after the semifinal loss, former England captain Michael Vaughan wrote that India has achieved absolutely nothing since winning the ODI World Cup at home in 2011 and has been the most under-performing white-ball team in the history.
Asked about Vaughan’s remarks, the all-rounder said, “I don’t think we need to prove anything to anyone.
“Obviously when you don’t do well, people will have their opinion, which we respect. I understand people have different points of view,” Pandya said.
“Being at the international level, I don’t think we need to prove anything to anyone. It’s a sport, you keep trying to get better and eventually when the result is supposed to happen it will happen.
“There are things we need to work on, going forward we will rectify and work on them.”
Active Covid-19 Cases In India Dip To 7,561
New Delhi, November 16: India saw a single-day rise of 501 new coronavirus infections, while the active cases have declined from 7,918 to 7,561, the health ministry said on Tuesday.
Currently, the total covid cases stand at 4,46,66,676, while the death toll has climbed to 5,30,535 with two more fatalities — one each from Delhi and Rajasthan.
The active cases comprised 0.02 per cent of the total infections and the recovery rate increased to 98.79 per cent, according to the data.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,41,28,580 and the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 per cent.
As many as 219.82 crore doses of covid vaccines have been administered in the country so far under the vaccination drive. (Agencies)