PU student wins Rs. 50 Lacs from BIRAC as Biotechnology Ignition grant

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Panjab University, Chandigarh, student wins 50 lacs from BIRAC (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council) as a Biotechnology Ignition grant to carry out innovation.

 BIRAC is a new industry-academia interface and implements its mandate through a wide range of impact initiatives, providing funding, technology transfer, IP management and handholding schemes that help bring innovation excellence to the biotech firms and make them globally competitive.

        The Biotechnology Ignition Grant (BIG) scheme is for potential entrepreneurs from Academia, start-ups or an Incubatee (Researchers, PhDs, Medical degree holders, Biomedical Engg. Graduates) who have an exciting idea which may be in the nascent and planning stage and there is an unmet need for mentorship and initial funding.

 The PU Project to develop enzyme sachet named “Novice Zyme 001-A closer look into enzymatic biotransformation/s” has won BIRAC-BIG in the 12th call in 2018. The Novice Zyme 001 is a nitrilase that will have multiple applications, including pharmaceutical industry and organic synthesis industry. The project also will be focusing on degradation of textile industry waste using the same enzyme.

Under the guidance of Dr. Rohit Sharma, Chairperson, Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Panjab University, the project will be carried out by Shivanshi Vashist, Research Scholar, Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Panjab University, Chandigarh. The student has a start-up named MicroRadical Pvt. Ltd. The start-up has won many accolades like AICTE startup award, LJ innovation award and was also selected for BIO 2018.

“जहाँ बलिदान हुए मुखर्जी वह काश्मीर हमारा है” सतिन्दर सिंह

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डॉ॰ श्यामा प्रसाद मुखर्जी भारतीय जनसंघ के संस्थापक नेता, जम्मू कश्मीर को भारत का पूर्ण और अभिन्न अंग बनाने के पवित्र कार्य करते हुए ,अपने प्राण न्योछावर करने वाले वीर योद्धा थे । स्वतंत्र भारत में जम्मू कश्मीर का अलग झण्डा, अलग संविधान ओर वहाँ का मुख्यमन्त्री (वजीरे-आज़म) अर्थात् प्रधानमन्त्री कहलाता था।
उन्होंने तात्कालिन नेहरू सरकार को चुनौती दी तथा अपने दृढ़ निश्चय पर अटल रहे। अपने संकल्प को पूरा करने के लिये वे 1953 में बिना परमिट लिये जम्मू कश्मीर की यात्रा पर निकल पड़े। वहाँ पहुँचते ही उन्हें गिरफ्तार कर नज़रबन्द कर लिया गया। 23 जून 1953 को रहस्यमय परिस्थितियों में उनकी मृत्यु हो गयी।

उनका बलिदान हर भारतीय के लिए प्ररेणा दायक है।

 

।। भारत माता की जय।।

सतिन्दर सिंह

BJP seeks soft toy as Governor

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In a departure from the norm of appointing people with military, civil service backgrounds to the post, the Centre seeks a ‘political person’ to replace Vohra, insiders say

 

The Centre favours a “political person” to become the next governor of Jammu and Kashmir, in a departure from the traditional practice of appointing people with military, police or civil service backgrounds to the post, people familiar with the matter said.

The tenure of current governor, NN Vohra, a former civil servant, ends on June 27 and he is expected to continue in the post at least until the completion of the annual Amarnath Yatra between June 28 and August 26. If a change takes place after that, a ‘political person’ will be New Delhi’s first choice as replacement to Vohra, the people cited above said.

The state was placed under Governor’s rule on Wednesday after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) walked out of its nearly 40 month old alliance with the Mehbooba Mufti-led People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

People with knowledge of the matter suggest that New Delhi is averse to sending a ‘wrong message’ – both at home and abroad – by choosing a ‘military man’ as the next governor of the conflict-torn province.

Vohra, an 82-year-old former Indian Administrative Service officer of the Punjab cadre, was the first person from a non-rmy and non-Indian Police Service background inthe last 18 years to be appointed J&K governor. He was named to the post in 2008. Former IAS officer Jagmohan was the last civilian governor, before Vohra, to have served in J&K, in the late 1980s and again briefly in 1990..

“We are looking for a political person,” a leader familiar with the matter said. “We moved from military men to an administrator as J&K governor. We have to take it forward by appointing a political person as the next governor. We cannot turn the clock back by having another military man as the next governor.”

Speculations are for Ram Madhav              

In case the Centre does not find a suitable political person to be the next governor of J&K, the person said, it may fill the post with another ‘administrator.’ “The search is on,” the person quoted above said.

New Delhi favouring a “political person” could spoil the chances of retired military and intelligence officers who were speculated to be in the running for the governor’s post in J&K.

Kashmir analyst Noor Ahmad Baba said the logic behind preferring a political person for the post of governor seems positive, but it is equally important to see who the person is.

“If a person who shares an ideology of the present regime in New Delhi is picked, it may make the matters worse,” said Baba, former dean of the School of Social Sciences at the Central University of Kashmir.

Between Jagmohan and Vohra, J&K had three governors. Jagmohan’s successor Girish Chandra Saxena was a former IPS officer who headed India’s external intelligence agency, the Research & Analysis Wing, between 1983 and 1986.

Gen KV Krishna Rao, who took over from Saxena as J&K governor in March 1993, was a former chief of Army staff.

Saxena had a second stint as governor between 1998 and 2003, before Lt Gen (retd) Srinivas Kumar Sinha, a former director of military intelligence and vice chief of army staff, moved in. Sinha completed a full five-year term before handing over the baton to Vohra in 2008.

 

श्यामा प्रसाद मुखर्जी को राष्ट्र ने दी भावभीनी श्रद्धांजली

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नर्इ दिल्ली।

देश के महान नेता, जनसंघ के संस्थापक और पूर्व कांग्रेसी नेता श्यामा प्रसाद मुखर्जी जी की आज 65 पुण्यतिथि है, इस मौके पर देश भर में न सिर्फ भाजपा बल्कि कई दूसरी पार्टियों के नेताओं ने भी ट्वीट कर श्यामा प्रसाद मुखर्जी को श्रंद्धाजलि दी है। वहीं इस मौके पर पूर्वोत्तर राजयाके के भाजपा के मंत्रियों ने ट्वीट कर श्रंद्धाजलि अर्पित की है। असम के मुत्रयमंती सर्वानंद सोनोवाल, वित्त मंत्री हिमंत विस्वा सरमा के साथ त्रिपुरा के मुख्यमंत्री बिप्लब कुमार देब के अलावा भाजपा के दिग्गज नेताआें ने श्यामा प्रसाद मुखर्जी को श्रंद्धाजलि दी।

हरयाणा के सवास्थ्य मंत्री अनिल विज ने भी तवीत कर लिखा “महान शिक्षाविद्, प्रखर राष्ट्रवादी विचारक और भारतीय जनसंघ के संस्थापक डॉ. श्यामा प्रसाद मुखर्जी के बलिदान दिवस पर भावभीनी श्रद्धांजलि”

 

असम के वित्त मंत्री हिमंत ने लिखा कि भारतीय जनसंघ के संस्थापक, विख्यात शिक्षाविद, कुशल प्रशासक और हम सबके श्रध्येय डॉ श्यामा प्रसाद मुखर्जी जी के बलिदान दिवस पर कोटि-कोटि नमन। आपके विचार और आदर्श हमारे प्रेरणा स्रोत हैं।

हिमंत के अलावा मुख्यमंत्री सोनोवाल ने अपने असम के कार्बी अलांग जिले में भारतीय जन संघ के संस्थापक आैर राष्ट्रवादी नेता श्यामाप्रसाद मुखर्जी को श्रंद्धाजलि दी। इसके साथ ही उन्होंने लिखा कि उनके विचार आैर आदर्श हमें हमेशा प्रेरित करते रहेंगे।

 

शुजात की हत्या का गुंडे अन्य पत्रकारों को धमकाने के लिए इस्तेमाल कर रहे हैं: ओमर

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जम्मू कश्मीर में पत्रकारों के लिए चुनौतियां कम नहीं हैं, ऐसे में भाजपा नेता और मंत्री रहे विधायक चौधरी लाल सिंह ने उन्हें ‘चेतावनी’ के रूप में सलाह देते हुए कहा है कि वे अपने लिए एक हद तय कर लें कि उन्हें यहां कैसे काम करना है.

ग्रेटर कश्मीर की खबर के मुताबिक लाल सिंह शुक्रवार को कठुआ बलात्कार और हत्या मामले की सीबीआई जांच की मांग करने को लेकर प्रेस कॉन्फ्रेंस कर रहे थे.

उन्होंने कहा कि इस मामले में कश्मीर के पत्रकारों ने एक गलत माहौल पैदा कर दिया था.

उन्होंने कहा, ‘अब मैं कश्मीर के पत्रकारों को कहूंगा कि आप भी अपनी पत्रकारिता की लाइन ड्रा करिए कि आपको कैसे रहना है. ऐसे रहना है कि जैसे बशारत के साथ हुआ है. उसी तरह के हालात बनते रहें?’

उनका इशारा वरिष्ठ पत्रकार और राइजिंग कश्मीर अख़बार के संपादक शुजात बुखारी की ओर था, जिनकी बीते 14 जून को अज्ञात हमलावरों ने गोली मारकर हत्या कर दी थी. यहां बशारत से लाल सिंह का इशारा बशारत बुखारी की ओर था, जो शुजात के भाई हैं और भाजपा के पीडीपी से गठबंधन तोड़ने तक जम्मू कश्मीर सरकार में मंत्री थे.

इसके बाद लाल सिंह ने पत्रकारों से कहा, ‘इसीलिए अपने आप को संभाले और एक लाइन ड्रा करें ताकि ये भाईचारा बना रहे और तरक्की होती रहे.’

मालूम हो कि लाल सिंह खुद जम्मू कश्मीर सरकार में कैबिनेट मंत्री थे, जिन्हें कठुआ मामले में बलात्कारियों के पक्ष में निकाली गई रैली में हिस्सा लेने के चलते इस्तीफ़ा देना पड़ा था.

मंत्री पद से इस्तीफा देने के बाद से लाल सिंह कठुआ, सांबा, जम्मू, उधमपुर और रियासी जिले में कठुआ मामले की सीबीआई जांच करवाने के लिए 30 से ज्यादा रैलियां कर चुके हैं.

सिंह ने पहले दावा किया था, ‘हमने इसलिए इस्तीफा दिया क्योंकि राष्ट्रीय मीडिया की ओर से बनाई गई धारणा सही नहीं थी. उसने हालात को गलत तरीके से पेश किया जबकि मामला ऐसा कुछ था ही नहीं. ऐसा पेश किया गया कि समूचा जम्मू क्षेत्र बलात्कारियों के साथ खड़ा है.’

लाल सिंह के पत्रकारों को इस तरह की सलाह देने की आलोचना शुरू हो गयी है. नेशनल कॉन्फ्रेंस ने प्रतिक्रिया जाहिर करते हुए इसे ‘आक्रोशित करने वाला’ करार दिया और कहा कि राज्य पुलिस को इस पर तुरंत संज्ञान लेना चाहिए.

पार्टी ने एक ट्वीट में कहा, ‘नेशनल कॉन्फ्रेंस भाजपा नेता एवं विधायक चौधरी लाल सिंह द्वारा कश्मीरी पत्रकारों को धमकाने और उनकी आक्रोशित करने वाली टिप्पणियों की निंदा करती है. इस पर जम्मू-कश्मीर पुलिस को तुरंत संज्ञान लेना चाहिए. हमें उम्मीद है कि कानून को कमजोर नहीं किया जा सकेगा.’

नेशनल कॉन्फ्रेंस नेता और पूर्व मुख्यमंत्री उमर अब्दुल्ला ने पत्रकारों को संबोधित करते हुए ट्विटर पर लिखा, ‘आपके कश्मीर के साथियों को भाजपा विधायक द्वारा धमकी दी गयी है. ऐसा लग रहा है कि शुजात की हत्या का गुंडे अन्य पत्रकारों को धमकाने के लिए इस्तेमाल कर रहे हैं.

वहीं कांग्रेस प्रवक्ता रणदीप सुरजेवाला ने भी लिखा कि क्या जम्मू कश्मीर में रैली कर रहे भाजपा अध्यक्ष अमित शाह जवाब देंगे कि जम्मू कश्मीर के पत्रकारों को शुजात बुखारी की तरह न मारे जाने के लिए अपनी सीमाएं तय करनी होंगी और तभी वहां भाईचारा कायम होगा. पहले उन्होंने अमित शाह के बारे में दी गयी खबर हटाने के मीडिया संस्थानों को मजबूर किया और अब भाजपा विधायक खुलेआम धमकी दे रहे हैं. ये शर्मनाक है.

यह पहली बार नहीं है जब चौधरी लाल सिंह के किसी बयान को लेकर विवाद हुआ है. वे इस साल कठुआ मामले के आरोपियों के पक्ष में हुई एक रैली में शामिल हुए थे, जिसके चलते उन्हें अपना मंत्री पद गंवाना पड़ा था.

इससे पहले 2016 में वे कश्मीर के गुज्जर समुदाय को 1947 के बाद हुए मुस्लिम नरसंहार का हवाला देकर धमका चुके हैं.

बीते दिनों कठुआ मामले की सीबीआई जांच करने की मांग करने के लिए हीरानगर में हुई एक रैली में उनके भाई राजिंदर सिंह ने तत्कालीन मुख्यमंत्री महबूबा मुफ़्ती के बारे में अपशब्द कहे थे, जिसके बाद उनके खिलाफ मामला दर्ज हुआ था. बाद में कठुआ पुलिस ने उन्हें राजस्थान सेगिरफ्तार किक्या था.

Mamata to provide financial assistance to Widows who lack support

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Kolkata, June 23 : As the world is observing International Widows’ Day, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said her government is committed to the welfare of all our citizens.

Banerjee said her government is committed to providing financial assistance to widows who lack support.

Banerjee tweeted: “Today is International Widows’ Day. Our government provides financial assistance to widows who are residents of the State and lack support and care. We are committed to the welfare of all our citizens.”

International Widows Day is a United Nations ratified day of action to address the “poverty and injustice faced by millions of widows and their dependents in many countries”.

Barala to complete the process of formation of frontal organizations advised Shah

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CHANDIGARH: BJP president Amit Shah on Friday asked the MPs and MLAs from Haryana to adopt at least one such constituency where the party has suffered defeat in the 2014 assembly elections with a narrow margin.
Shah, who chaired the first meeting of the Haryana BJP core committee in the wake of party’s preparation for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, asked state party chief Subhash Barala to complete the process of formation of frontal organizations and morchas within a month.

 

The meeting was held at Haryana Bhawan in New Delhi.

Shah also directed Barala to ensure that the construction of district-level party headquarters is started as early as possible. Besides, he also directed the Haryana health minister for the opening of jan aushadhi kendras at sub-divisional level to ensure availability of essential drugs at controlled rates.

As the party is already faced with the pressure arising out of the demand for the other backward classes (OBC) quota for Jats, Shah also asked Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar and his team to run an extensive campaign to apprise the masses how Congress and its allies were opposing the statutory status for the National Commission for the Backward Classes (NCBC) and anti-poor stand taken by it.

Besides CM Khattar and Barala, prominent among those who attended the meeting included BJP general secretary Ram Lal, Haryana in-charge Anil Jain, state ministers Ram Bilas Sharma, Anil Vij, Captain Abhimanyu and O P Dhankar and Union ministers Krishan Pal Gurjar, Birender and Singh and Rao Inderjit Singh.

Sources said Shah also sought an update from the Haryana CM and ministers on the issue of spending of two days — Tuesday and Wednesdays — in office. He also asked for a report from Barala about performance of party office-bearers while directing the ministers to act as catalysts between the district administration and party workers during their stay in various districts.

Referring to party’s activities at booth level, the BJP president also asked Barala to direct block and district unit chiefs to spend maximum time in the villages and start gradation of booths as per the position of the party.

 

Truck skidded off a road, broke the railing and stood suspended between two railway over-bridges

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LUDHIANA: Traffic came to a standstill on National Highway-1, near Ladhowal, when a truck skidded off a road, broke the railing and stood suspended between two railway over-bridges.
The incident, which occurred early on Friday, caused a long traffic jam as rescue teams of the railway department came to lift the truck. The cranes blocked both the roads, leaving commuters hassled for over two hours. Some trains were also delayed.

It was suspected that truck driver Pargat Singh Brar, who escaped from the spot, fell asleep and lost control over the vehicle around 3am. The officials came to know about it only by 7am.

Commuters from Ludhiana to Jalandhar had to wait for hours to reach their destinations. Model Gram resident Himanshu Verma, who works at Lovely Professional University, said, “I travel daily by bus. Today when I reached near Ladhowal, I saw a huge traffic jam. After waiting for long when I got off the bus to check the matter, I came to know of the truck accident. The officials present at the spot said traffic would resume after the stuck vehicle was lifted.”

Samlara Chowk resident Abhishek Kanojia, who was traveling to Jalandhar by bus, said, “I have to reach office before 9am, but since 7.30am I am stuck in traffic. This is a national highway and such jams show apathetic attitude of the authorities. There should be at least a diversion to release congestion.”

Railway Protection Force in-charge inspector Pawan Kumar said, “On the basis of the registration number of the truck, its owner was contacted. The owner produced the driver before police and he was arrested. A case under section 154 (endangering safety of persons travelling by railway by rash or negligent act or omission) and 174 (obstructing running of train) of the Railway Act has been registered.”

LIC wants to buy an additional 43% stake in IDBI Bank

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State-run Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has sought government approval to buy a controlling stake in troubled IDBI Bank Ltd, said a person with direct knowledge of the matter. The move will enable the insurance company’s entry into the Indian banking system.

LIC wants to buy an additional 43% stake in IDBI Bank for about Rs 10,500 crore. This would increase LIC’s total stake in the bank to 51% from 8%. The government stake in IDBI Bank increased to 85.96% from 80.96% after a preferential sale of shares by the bank to the government last month.

“The LIC board has already approved initiatives for taking controlling stake in taking over a bank. The specific proposal regarding acquisition of controlling stake in IDBI Bank shall be placed before the board after the approval of the government,” said the person cited above, requesting anonymity.

Any decision to sell the government stake in IDBI Bank will have to be approved by the cabinet.

IDBI has the highest non-performing asset (NPA) ratio among state-run lenders in India. India Ratings & Research Pvt. Ltd, the local unit of Fitch, downgraded IDBI Bank this month citing a sharp deterioration in asset quality.

The government has been trying to privatise IDBI Bank for the past couple of years in the wake of mounting losses and rising bad debts. IDBI Bank’s loss widened to Rs 8,237.92 crore in the fiscal year ended 31 March from Rs 5,158 crore in the previous year.

IDBI Bank’s gross NPAs almost doubled to Rs 55,588.26 crore during fiscal 2018, which is 32.36% of the bank’s gross advances made during the year.

“The financial projections and business plan will be drawn by the bank and the capital raising plan will be decided by the board of the bank,” said the person quoted above when asked about the possible course of action after LIC acquires controlling stake. “However, there is ample indication of a turnaround that the current management of the bank has put together,” he said.

Mint on 4 June first reported the government’s plan to sell its stake in IDBI Bank. The report said that the government was exploring a stake sale in IDBI Bank to a clutch of private equity investors as one of the options to slash its stake to less than 50%. IDBI Bank is not governed by the Bank Nationalization Act, making it easier for the government to divest control.

IDBI Bank has called its annual general meeting on 13 August. One of the items on the agenda is raising capital through various modes, including qualified institutional placements.

The government on 4 June named IDBI Bank’s managing director and chief executive officer M.K. Jain as deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India. State Bank of India managing director Balasubramanyam Sriram has been appointed the MD and CEO of IDBI Bank for three months.

The government has been pushing for consolidation of state-run banks to bring in synergies, reduce costs and create globally competitive banks.

Stalin along with 400 party workers detained

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DMK working President MK Stalin launched a scathing attack on government for arresting him after holding a protest in the state on June 22,218. The party is protesting as they believe that the governor Banwarilal Purohit is interfering too much in the administration of the state’s affairs. He also claimed that the ruling government headed by Edappadi K Palaniswami has taken this move after getting scared of revelations of its corrupt activities.

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) working president MK Stalin has been detained by the local police along with 400 others for protesting in Chennai on June 22, 2018. According to a report, they were protesting against the detainment of 300 party cadres in Trichy also called Tiruchirappalli. These party workers were put behind bars after raising a black flag during Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit’s visit to the city a day recently. On a closer look, these DMK has been critical of the Governor’s interference in the administration of the state’s affairs. MK Stalin yesterday condemned the detainment of his party cadres.

According to a report, LG Purohit had visited Namakkal district in order to inaugurate PM Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat programme. While on his way to the inauguration event, scores of DMK supporters showed black flags and tried to disrupt the convoy.
Stalin later launched a scathing attack on the ruling government and justified his move by citing that even former prime minister Indira Gandhi too raised a black flag for marking a protest but was never detained by the authorities. Outraged by the move by the government, he also demanded a resignation of Banwarilal Purohit.

While addressing a press conference, MK Stalin and Sasikala nephew also slammed Tamil Nadu’s CM Edappadi K Palaniswami and Deputy CM O. Panneerselvam for directing authorities to arrest him and his co-party workers. These people are afraid of their corruption case getting exposed in front of general public, added Stalin.
DMK had been protesting against the frequent review meetings being called by Tamil Nadu Governor and claimed that these meetings are a challenge to state’s autonomy.