ಹೈದರಾಬಾದ್, ಮೇ 21 (ತೆಲುಗು ಬುಲೆಟ್) ಫೆರ್ಟಿ 9 ಫಲವತ್ತತೆ ಕೇಂದ್ರದ ಫಲವತ್ತತೆ ತಜ್ಞ ಡಾ.ಸಿ.ಜೋತಿ ಅವರಿಗೆ ಸ್ಪಷ್ಟವಾಗಿ ವಿವರಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ ಸಹಜವಾಗಿ ಗರ್ಭಧರಿಸಲು ಪ್ರಯತ್ನಿಸುತ್ತಿರುವ ಜನರು ಕೋವಿಡ್ ಲಸಿಕೆ ಪಡೆಯಬಹುದೇ?
ದಯವಿಟ್ಟು ಕೆಳಗಿನ ವೀಡಿಯೊವನ್ನು ನೋಡಿ
ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲೇ ಇರಿ, ಸುರಕ್ಷಿತವಾಗಿರಿ
Admit children who lost parents in pandemic to Navodaya Vidayalaya, Sonia urges PM
Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi on Thursday wrote a letter to the Prime Minister and urged him that those children who have lost parents during the pandemic be admitted to Navodaya Vidayalayas.
“I am writing to request you to consider providing free education at the Navodaya Vidyalayas to children who have lost either both parents or an earning parent on account of the Covid-19 pandemic. I feel that as a nation, we owe it to them to give them hope for a robust future after the unimaginable tragedy that has befallen them,” she wrote.
Gandhi said amid the devastation caused by the pandemic and the heart-wrenching tragedies being faced by affected families, news of young children losing one or both parents to Covid-19 are the most poignant. Children are left with the trauma of loss and no support towards a stable education or future.
She further added that one of her late husband Rajiv Gandhi’s most significant legacies is the network of Navodaya Vidyalayas.
“It was his dream to make high-quality modern education accessible and affordable to talented youth, predominantly from rural areas. There are now, as you know, 661 such schools across the country,” she said.
Cyclone Tauktae: Efforts on to alert TN fishers
Tamil Nadu fisheries department is trying to alert around 2,500 fishers out in the Arabian sea about a depression that may intensify into Cyclone Tauktae.
The Tamil Nadu fisheries department state Commissioner J. Jayakanthan told IANS: “Most of the fishermen are from the western coast of Kanyakumari since the annual fishing ban is in effect on the eastern coast.”
Fishing officials said that while only 84 vessels have gone into the sea from Thengapattanam coast, 150 fishing boats of Kanyakumari have ventured into the sea from the Kerala coast.
The department is trying to contact them over the satellite phones provided to them by the state government as they move in clusters on high sea. Local churches and the coordination centres opened by the government are also helping.
The fisheries officials said that the fishermen have been advised to touch base at the nearest coast and the department has already coordinated with these coastal belts of various state governments to accommodate the fishermen who reach their shores.
The Indian Meteorological Department(IMD) has forecast the depression is likely to intensify into a cyclone about 100 nautical miles (185km) from the North Kerala coast and move northward till Karachi in Pakistan.
The southern states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu are witnessing heavy rains and thunder storms following a depression in the Arabian Sea.
Protect yourself against the summer sun
Too much balcony time, exposure to the sun and gadgets may increase skin-related problems.
With the temperatures soaring high, sunscreens find their way out of boxes. Follow the advice of a good dermatologist to protect your skin against UV and infrared damage while you stay indoors and continue to apply sunscreen at home.
When it comes to protecting the skin, the choice of the right sunscreen is extremely important. Besides the sun, infrared rays can also come from less obvious places like computer screens, mobiles, hairdryers etc. which then travel deep into the skin releasing free radicals that damage the skin.
Here are three reasons listed by Cetaphil India on why the use of sunscreen is imperative at all times. The newly-launched Cetaphil Bright Healthy Radiance Range also offers a range of daily essentials, curated and formulated to offer complete day and night protection.
Prolonged use of gadgets can be damaging
Regardless of the extended �stay at home’ and limited outdoor gatherings, the radiation from the lights, TVs, cell phone screens, and even lights from different indoor lighting(s) might add to skin problems. Moreover, glass windows, do not filter the harmful rays from reaching you. Daily use of sunscreen will shield your skin from the harm brought by exposure to any kind of harmful UV and infrared rays.
Offering proven protection against harmful UV and infrared rays
Your sunscreen must contain broad-spectrum filters to help protect from the sun’s harmful radiation on your skin. A lightweight sunscreen that is easily absorbed, is hydrating and nourishing, water and sweat resistant, and non-greasy – like the Cetaphil Sun SPF50+ / SPF 30+ Light Gel. It is a dermatologically tested, fragrance free sunscreen that can be used even in sensitive skin.
Results in skin aging and skin worries
The harmful UV and infrared rays not only cause skin tanning but also penetrates the skin causing premature skin aging, pigmentation or dark spots and other skin related problems. Hence choosing a sunscreen that offers proven protection against UV and infrared radiation is important.
if you are planning for Natural Pregnancy take covid vaccine or not
Hyderabad, May 10 (Telugu Bullet) Dr C. Jyothi, Fertility Expert at Ferty9 Fertility Center was explained clearly if you are planning for Natural Pregnancy Can we take Covid-19 Vaccine or not
please watch below video
STAY HOME,STAY SAFE
Decoded: How antibodies neutralise Covid infection
US researchers have found how antibodies produced in people who effectively fight off SARS-CoV-2 work to neutralise the part of the virus responsible for causing Covid infection.
The team from the University of Texas at Austin analysed blood plasma samples from four people who recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infections. They found that most of the antibodies circulating in the blood — on average, about 84 per cent — target areas of the viral spike protein outside the receptor binding domain (RBD) — the most obvious part of the coronavirus’s spike protein.
Because the RBD is the part of the spike that attaches directly to human cells and enables the virus to infect them, it was previously assumed to be a primary target of the immune system.
“We found these antibodies are painting the entire spike, both the arc and the stalk of the spike protein, which looks a bit like an umbrella,” said Greg Ippolito, Associate Professor in UT’s Department of Molecular Biosciences.
“The immune system sees the entire spike and tries to neutralise it,” Ippolito added.
About 40 per cent of the circulating antibodies target the stalk of the spike protein, called the S2 subunit, which is also a part that the virus does not seem able to change easily, the researchers explained in the paper published in the journal Science.
“That’s an advantage our immune system has. It also means our current vaccines are eliciting antibodies targeting that S2 subunit, which are likely providing another layer of protection against the virus,” Ippolito said.
The finding will also help design vaccine boosters or next-generation vaccines against variants of concern, and even for developing a vaccine that can protect against future pandemics from other strains of the Coronavirus.
“It means we have a strong rationale for developing next-generation SARS-CoV-2 vaccines or even a pan-Coronavirus vaccine that targets every strain,” Ippolito said.
Offline exams in higher institutions postponed across the country
Due to the second wave of Covid, the Union Ministry of Education requested to postpone all offline examinations scheduled in the month of May, 2021.
This decision will be applicable to all central higher educational institutions across the country. Apart from this, such higher educational institutions will also have to postpone offline examinations, which receive financial support from the central government.
In a letter addressed to all heads of centrally funded institutions, Higher Education Secretary Amit Khare has urged these institutes to postpone all offline examinations to be held in the month of May, 2021. Although online examinations may continue.
Higher Education Secretary Amit Khare has also said in his letter that this decision will be reviewed in the first week of June 2021.
Institutions have further been advised to ensure that if anyone in an institution is in need of assistance, it should be provided at the earliest so that it comes out of crisis soon.
All educational institutions must encourage eligible individuals to be vaccinated and ensure that Covid norms are followed properly.
At the same time, Delhi University has also postponed the online open book examination to be held in May. The examination was to be held from May 15. Senior officials of the university have taken this important decision to postpone the examinations with the caretaker vice-chancellor. According to the university administration, now these examinations will be held from June 1.
Covid oral pill could be ready by year-end: Pfizer CEO
US-based pharmaceutical major Pfizer’s Chief Executive Officer Albert Bourla said that the company’s Covid-19 oral antiviral pill, which is in early-stage trials, could be ready by the end of the year, the media reported.
According to CNBC, the company, which developed the first authorised Covid-19 vaccine in the US with German drugmaker BioNTech, began an early-stage clinical trial for testing a new antiviral therapy for Covid-19 in March.
The drug is part of a class of medicines called protease inhibitors and works by inhibiting an enzyme that the virus needs to replicate in human cells.
“If clinical trials go well and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves it, the drug could be distributed across the US by the end of the year,” Bourla told CNBC.
Protease inhibitors are used to treat other viral pathogens such as HIV and hepatitis C, the report said.
Last month, the pharmaceutical giant asked the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to expand the Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) for its Covid-19 vaccine to include children ages 12 to 15.
The request to expand emergency use comes just days after Pfizer released data demonstrating its vaccine was 100 per cent effective and well-tolerated by the younger group.
Pfizer is also working on its vaccine for 6-month to 11-year-old children.
A recent study, published in the journal Science, showed that a single dose of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines against Covid may boost immunity against the Covid-19 variants, only in people who were previously infected with the deadly virus.
In people who have not previously been infected and have so far only received one dose of vaccine, the immune response to variants of concern may be insufficient, the study indicated.
G7 Ministers to meet for 1st time in 2 yrs
Ministers from the G7 countries will meet in person for the first time in two years on Monday in London, where they will discuss the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan, a post-Brexit trade deal, Iran’s nuclear programme and China.
Ministers from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US are due to meet British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, reports dpa news agency.
Members of the European Union will also attend, and representatives from Australia, India, South Korea, South Africa and the chairman of the Association of South-East Asian Nations have been invited as guests.
Raab is expected to meet one-on-one with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi at lunchtime, and with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken later on in the afternoon.
Ahead of the meetings, the UK Foreign Office said the ministers will also discuss plans to boost girls’ education and women’s employment in recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.
A $15 billion fund is being set up by the countries that will be administered to developing countries over the next two years.
The nations are also signing up to new global targets that aim to get 40 million more girls into school and 20 million more girls reading by the age of 10 in low- and lower-middle income countries by 2026.
The face-to-face meeting is taking place ahead of a G7 summit planned for June in the English seaside county of Cornwall.
Maldives to ban non-essential travel between islands
The Maldives’ Health Protection Agency (HPA) has banned non-essential travel between islands and atolls in a bid to curb a new surge in Covid-19 infections, local media reported on Monday.
Non-essential travel between islands and atolls will be banned starting Tuesday, according to a circular signed by Director General of Public Health Maimoona Aboobakuru on Sunday.
The ban does not apply to trips between Male, Villimale, Hulhumale, Thilafushi and Gulhifalhu, reports Xinhua news agency.
Only individuals travelling for essential services such as medical treatment may move between islands.
Meanwhile, local councils have been instructed by the HPA to ensure supplies of essentials such as food and medicine in their respective islands.
Daily average cases in the Maldives have risen to over 400, with infections spreading outside the capital region of Greater Male.
The total number of active cases stands at 5,594, out of which 172 have been hospitalised for treatment.
Retd Kerala prof built houses for 200 underprivileged families
Dr M S Sunil, a retired zoology professor from Catholic College, Pathanamthitta in Kerala, is known for her compassion in providing shelter to the deprived and underprivileged.
She developed the passion while working as the National Service Scheme (NSS) programme officer at her college. She came to know that a girl doing postgraduation from the same college, along with her grandmother, was living in a makeshift shanty without a proper door. Moved by the plight of the girl, the professor decided to construct a home for the student.
With the support of the students and fellow staff members, she constructed the home at a cost of Rs 1.17 lakh in 2005. Since then, there was no looking back for Sunil. The student, Asha, is now a higher secondary teacher in a government school and is still living in the home constructed by Sunil.
Since 2005, the professor has constructed 200 houses for the deprived and the underprivileged and her 200th house was handed over to two widows, Janaki and Rukmini, at Kavalam in Alappuzha district of Kerala. The land documents are in the name of Janaki (80) while Rukmini is her close relative. The house which was built at a cost of Rs 5 lakh was supported by the Chicago Malayalee Association (CMA).
Union Minister of State for External affairs V Muraleedharan handed over the house to Janaki and Rukmini on April 18, 2021.
Sunil said , “This is the 200th home handed over to a deserving family who were living in a dilapidated tent like accommodation. I really really happy and proud that I could wipe the tears from their eyes.”
President Ram Nath Kovind had conferred on her the Nari Shakti Puraskar for the year 2018 on Women’s Day for her exemplary contribution to the society.
Talking about the selection of beneficiaries, the professor said that the selection is based purely on due diligence on the need and not on the basis of caste, creed or religion.
Sunil has not rested on the laurels she had received from all sections of the society rather from providing homes to the underprivileged she is now also conducting blood donation camps and providing free food kits to 50 families every month.
The retired college professor has constructed 23 homes for those who had lost everything in the floods of 2018 and is now into construction of around eight homes with the 201st home being almost ready.
She said, “Initially, I had to use my own resources to provide homes to the needy but gradually people from all sections of the society started supporting my cause. I think people come forward once they find that you are genuine. I thank God as well as the good Samaritans who had supported me in the cause.”
Interestingly, Sunil has a male name which was a decision taken by her father, late M M Samuel, who was expecting a baby boy and had reserved this name for the child. However, despite the baby being a girl, her father decided to name her Sunil.
“It is an interesting name and people used to ask me all sorts of questions on this name being given to a woman, but I feel that my father’s decision has given me extra mileage in society on this,” Sunil said.
Telling a tale with soil and iron
When politician Yogendra Yadav called him this month to discuss a memorial at Shahjahanpur on the Delhi-Rajasthan border to honour the farmers who had lost their lives during the agitation, it did not take long for Ahmedabad-based artist Lalon, who had been following the protests closely, to jump into worn out car with his friend Shubham Singh and undertake a 14-hour journey to Delhi.
Meanwhile, farmers from across the country were reaching the protest site with soil carried in a ‘kalash’ from their native places.
Although he had conceived something already but owing to paucity of time, it was decided that the pots the farmers were carrying from their native places could be used as part of the installation which has been going viral on the Internet.
Reaching late at night and sleeping in the cold, waking up to see the protesters braving everything with a smile, the NID-pass out recalls remembering Pablo Neruda’s lines… eYou can cut all the flowers, but you cannot stop the spring from arriving.’
Using materials like terracotta and iron — the former being earthen and latter, known to be sturdy, signifying the agriculturist’s close relationship with earth and undying spirit, he says, “If you look at the structure, it might look fragile, but it is actually quite well-built. It resonates with the protesting farmers. They might appear poor, weak and helpless, but we have seen the strength of their resolve,”says the artist about the installation that was completed on April 14.
Considering it had to be wrapped up in less than three days, as many people were expected during the pre-scheduled date, the artist remembers that initially the farmers around could not fathom what he and his junior were doing. However, when they saw them working under the blazing sunlight, some offered them tea, others chaach. Many also started lending a hand. “Just when I was apprehensive about finishing the work on time, some ten farmers and labourers showed up. They helped us build the walls. And when we needed mud, one of them brought it on a tractor. And magically, the entire base was prepared in merely four hours.”
Just next to the installation, there is police barricade. When they would stay up at night, some of the policemen would always offer them tea. Many confessed, “We are on duty because it is a part of our job. Many of us also hail from an agricultural background.”
Lalon remembers that when one day, when he was working with his shoes on, an elderly farmer asked him to take off his shoes, stressing, “It is a memorial.”
“As an artist, this was the biggest compliment.”
While initially he thought of making the art work figurative or realistic so as to ensure that the common man would be able to comprehend the concept, he decided to follow his artistic vision, trusting the intelligence of the onlookers. “The farmers managed to understand it, in their own ways.”
Although there was a debate if concrete should be used in the installation, the artist was completely against it. “When you create a sculpture depicting the farmers, it should not represent ego, but empathy. So, the material used is very simplistic. And instead of using concrete, we let grass grow at the bottom.”
Originally from Bengal, Lalon, currently a Phd scholar at NID scholar feels that while artists must comment on contemporary social and political, the role of social media when it comes to art is sometimes exaggerated. “Traditional art forms like some sculptures and paintings cannot be effectively communicated through social media. If you make a sculpture, it needs a physical dimension. So yes, I do feel that social media is an effective tool for reaching to the target audience, but I still when it comes to subjects like the farmers’ protests or the CAA-NRC protests, it becomes important to visit the site physically not just to get a firsthand experience, but also conceive things originally.”
Even as more and more younger artists — photographers, documentary filmmakers and performance artists are thronging protest sites, Lalon feels that the same not only helps in documentation, but also facilitates their connection with the masses at different levels. “When I visited the farmers’ protest site, I gathered stories and gained experience that will probably help inspire me to do artwork for the rest of my life. It has helped me to depict the society from a unique perspective.”
International Dance Day: Is virtual technology viable for dance?
The Covid-19 pandemic has proven to be hard for the performing arts, especially dance, with its protocols restricting physical pedagogy, performance and collaboration in what is essentially an in-person artform. While an unprecedented reliance on online modes has kept the show running for some creative and cultural organisations, groups and individual dancers, what does the future look like?
Dance stalwarts weight in on dance going the virtual way:
Geeta Chandran, guru, a Padma Shri recipient for Bharatanatyam, and founder-director of Natya Vriksha
In 2020, when the lockdown happened, the dance community went into digital overdrive. Classes moved online, performances too. Everyone was presenting everything they had on digital platforms. But in our enthusiasm, we overlooked that for dancers to survive, the digital media platforms also had to be monetised. No one paid attention to that, and everything was offered free of cost. That experiment was not sustainable in the long-term is what everyone has realised, and this time (in the second wave lockdown) we see much fewer freebies floating around on digital media. In the longer-term, I feel that at least in order to learn/teach dance, it will henceforth be a blended experience and digital tools for teaching/learning will be embraced by both gurus (mentors) and shishyas (disciples).
Swapnokalpa Dasgupta – Head of Dance at the NCPA
When the lockdown started, we all expected this to be over in months. Now it’s been more than a year and as we look back, we discover that Covid-19 had given rise to a new stage for the performing arts. Especially dance. Music had reached our homes long time ago through radio and record players, now we can take dance to every corner of the world. This stage is a new stage. It needs all our attention and support to develop into a platform that would effectively support the art form so as of now I am not judging or evaluating. We are experimenting, all are trying to figure out the best way to make use of this new space. As artistes we have always made choreographies having the physical stage set up in mind. Our generation has just started thinking the Camera way. Let’s give us sometime and in the meantime pat our backs and say that we are unstoppable. And then let’s gather again after a decade and determine whether we are ready to pull audiences etc. For now, let’s try to be more receptive, more sensitive, and more grateful for what we already have.
Ashley Lobo, choreographer, founder and artistic director of the Danceworx Academy of Performing Arts and Navdhara India Dance Theater
Dance is an intimate form of art where learning, teaching and performance are all connected to the tangible, physical presence of others. Connection is what every dancer aspires to but the pandemic has changed everything. How does one engage, connect, teach, learn, dance in the time of social distancing, masks, sanitation protocols and more? That being said, I do believe that the arts are essential especially in these times to remind people that we can find solace and hope together. Digital interpretations of what we can do with movement, how we can reach, and teach more people and most importantly connect, have helped dance professionals all over the world. Like our bodies, our minds are also flexible and we have adapted modules to online classes, reinvented business models, and are still evolving by performing virtually with other professionals across the world.
Within this online module we are challenging students and helping dance grow in India with Choreography Camps and Intensives that feature International experts in their respective genres. This gives Indian talent an experience of international standards of dance. I am currently using this very virtual medium to choreograph a piece highlighting the global issue of climate crisis for Company | E in Washington, DC, from the confines of my home! It is not an ideal way to instruct and learn or perform, but technology has helped us stay afloat. And as long as we can survive, we will find a way to thrive as well.
Bharati Shivaji, guru and a recipient of Padma Shri for Mohiniyattam
The Covid-19 pandemic truly has stretched itself far beyond what was expected, right from 2020 onwards. Dance being a visual art, a physical experience be it, performance or communication with an audience, or teaching in a class room, has now become a very painful and gruesome exercise. Unfortunately, one has to succumb to the present situation for want of a somewhat creative occupation.
NASA’s Apollo 11 mission astronaut Michael Collins passes away
NASA astronaut Michael Collins, who piloted the historic mission of Apollo 11 spacecraft Columbia in 1969, passed away on Wednesday due to cancer. He was 90.
During the 1969 Apollo 11 mission, Collins remained in lunar orbit while fellow crew members Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin descended to the moon’s surface in the lunar module.
When Armstrong and Aldrin descended to the moon’s surface on July 20, Collins was orbiting 65 miles above them and was momentarily almost forgotten as the world’s attention focused on his two crewmates below.
“Today the nation lost a true pioneer and lifelong advocate for exploration in astronaut Michael Collins. As pilot of the Apollo 11 command module — some called him ‘the loneliest man in history’ — while his colleagues walked on the Moon for the first time, he helped our nation achieve a defining milestone. He also distinguished himself in the Gemini Program and as an Air Force pilot,” NASA Administrator Steve Jurczyk, said in a statement.
“NASA mourns the loss of this accomplished pilot and astronaut, a friend of all who seek to push the envelope of human potential. Whether his work was behind the scenes or on full view, his legacy will always be as one of the leaders who took America’s first steps into the cosmos. And his spirit will go with us as we venture toward farther horizons,” Jurczyk said.
Born on October 31, 1930 in Rome, Italy, Collins graduated from Saint Albans School in Washington, DC, and later from the US Military Academy at West Point in 1952. He was a fighter pilot and from 1959 to 1963 served as a test pilot at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
Collins was also a member of the third group of NASA astronauts, selected in October 1963. His first flight was as pilot of Gemini 10, a three-day mission launched July 18, 1966.
Collins became the third US spacewalker when he retrieved a micrometeorite detection device from the rocket of an Agena target-docking vehicle .Including the Apollo 11 mission, Collins logged 266 hours in space.
He also wrote several books: “Carrying the Fire” in 1974, “Flying to the Moon and Other Strange Places” in 1976, “Liftoff: The Story of America’s Adventure in Space” in 1988 and “Mission to Mars” in 1990.
“We regret to share that our beloved father and grandfather passed away today, after a valiant battle with cancer. He spent his final days peacefully, with his family by his side. Mike always faced the challenges of life with grace and humility, and faced this, his final challenge, in the same way. We will miss him terribly. Yet we also know how lucky Mike felt to have lived the life he did. We will honor his wish for us to celebrate, not mourn, that life,” read a statement from the Collins family.
Allu Arjun tests positive for Covid-19
Telugu star Allu Arjun has tested positive for Covid-19 and has isolated himself at home. The actor posted a note on Instagram on Wednesday to share the health update.
“Hello everyone! I have tested positive for Covid. I have isolated myself at home and have been following all the protocols,” Arjun wrote.
He urged those who have come in contact with him to get themselves tested.
“Stay home, stay safe and get vaccinated when you get the chance,”he added.
The actor shared that he is doing fine and that his fans need not to worry.
“I request all my well wishers and fans not to worry about me as I am doing fine,” he concluded.
2020 Lockdown cost state Rs 20K cr, people lost 80K cr: YS jagan
In an apparent indication of his views on lockdown, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy said on Tuesday that public would lose four times the losses incurred by the government if lockdown is reimplemented.
The Chief Minister’s observations came while he was discussing the Covid situation in the state and other issues with the district collectors and SPs in the course of the ‘Spandana’ video conference.
Reddy directed the district collectors and SPs to be on high alert in the coming months in view of the rapid spread of the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to a media release issued by the government, the Chief Minister pointed out that for every rupee lost by the government due to the lockdown, the common man will lose Rs 4.
“The lockdown cost the government nearly Rs 20,000 crore in 2020, which means a loss of about Rs 80,000 crore to the people,” he told the officials.
Noting that the 320-340 MT of oxygen being supplied every day is adequate in the present scenario, the Chief Minister said that people with SPO2 level less than 94 should be provided with oxygen.
He also said that the district collectors should take the onus for the 104 call centres and ensure their effective functioning.
“Beds should be arranged for Covid patients within three hours of calling the 104 call centre,” he said.
Now, download 20 books over next 20 days at Re 1 per book
Read a fictionalised biography of Kasturba Gandhi, who was as strong and great as the Mahatma; theres a love saga between a widower and an estranged woman; a tale of a new woman at the turn of Independence; analyze the relevance of older values in present-day life and the need to change with the times; observe the generational change and conflict in a Tamil community.
There’s this and much more as starting Saturday, over the next 20 days, Niyogi Books offers you from its Thornbird imprint a compelling melange of Indian language literature in translation — one book a day at Rs 1 each, in collaboration with the Indian Novels Collective and downloadable on Amazon.
Here’s what’s on offer:
April 24: The Heroine and Other Stories by D. Jayakanthan (translated from Tamil). Each story in this collection delves into the depths of the human psyche, revealing the hidden strengths ordinary people find within themselves when faced with extraordinary circumstances.
April 25: Ballad of Kaziranga by Dileep Chandan (translated from Assamese). This is not a love story (although it does seep in), but rather, the story of love three friends share for the beautiful and majestic Kaziranga, in their own unique way.
April 26: Blossoms in the Graveyard by Jnanpith Awardee Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya (translated from Assamese) is the story of a young girl from a village in what is at that time East Pakistan as she journeys from dependence to self-reliance in the midst of the Bangladesh liberation struggle.
April 27: Elegy for the East by Dhrubajyoti Borah (translated from Assamese) explores the utter helplessness and travails of man in face of the relentless march of history.
April 28: Brink by S.L. Bhyrappa (translated from Kannada) is a love saga between Somashekhar, a widower, and Amrita, an estranged woman and deliberates on the moral, philosophical, and physical aspects of love between a man and a woman.
April 29: Kasturba Gandhi: A Bio-fiction by Giriraj Kishore (translated from Hindi) ?is the fictionalised biography of Kasturba Gandhi, a woman as strong and great as Mahatma Gandhi, who earned a place in history because of her personal sacrifices and strength of conviction in what was right.
April 30: A Plate of White Marble by Bani Basu (translated from Bengali). It is the tale of the enew woman’ of an era that has just witnessed the independence of a nation.
May 1: A Day in the Life of Mangal Taram by Anita Agnihotri (translated from Bengali) is a selection of 14 stories out of over 200 short stories written by Anita Agnihotri, whose works traverse a wide range of human emotions, spanning over three decades.
May 2: Island of Lost Shadows by E. Santhosh Kumar (translated from Malayalam). Through the voices of a myriad and sharply sketched characters, the author brings to life the troubled times of the Seventies when sadistic excesses were the norm.
May 3: Giligadu: The Lost Days by Sahitya Akademi winner Chitra Mudgal (translated from Hindi) is a multi-layered novelette, short in length yet deep in meaning and messages for urban India.
May 4: Generations by Neela Padmanabhan (translated from Tamil) is an intricate tale, simply told by a master of fiction about a community of Tamil speakers who live on the borders of modern-day Kerala – a novel of generational change and conflict.
May 5: A Fistful of Mustard Seeds by E. Santhosh Kumar (translated from Malayalam) explores moral dilemmas and personal traumas and delves into the dark recesses of the soul.
May 6: Land Lust by Joginder Paul (translated from Urdu) offers poignant glimpses of the unequal multiracial relations in colonial Kenya, evoking insightful moments of compassion from within the harsh xenophobic environs.
May 7: Laila Ke Khutoot: The Letters of Laila by Qazi Abdul Ghaffar (translated from Urdu) has been hailed as the ‘first specimen of a truly psychoanalytical fiction in Urdu’.
May 8: In the Glow of Your Being by Govind Mishra (translated from Hindi) examines the issues faced by the modern Indian woman and probes deep into the question of their freedom and its denial by society.
May 9: The Elixir of Everlasting Youth by Lakshmi Nandan Bora (translated from Assamese) is the story of an internationally renowned scientist who apparently has everything – scientific breakthroughs, awards, fame, wealth and a fine family; the key to rejuvenation continues to elude him till he finally learns the secret, helped by a yogi’s treatment and modern science.
May 10: The Story of a Timepiece: A Collection of Short Stories by Sankarankutty Pottekkat (translated from Malayalam) deals with complex characters and human relationships in realistic, everyday situations, often reflecting the social consciousness of the pre-Independence period.
May 11: The Musk and Other Stories by Arupa Patangia Kalita (translated from Assamese) is an eclectic mix of short stories and a novella that sheds light on some of the burning issues that reverberate through the Assam Valley.
May 12: Jallianwala Bagh: Literary Responses in Prose & Poetry Edited by Rakhshanda Jalil (translated from Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi) attempts to open a window into the world of possibilities that literature offers to reflect, interpret and analyse events of momentous historical import.
May 13: Beasts of Burden by Imayam (translated from Tamil). Set in the early 1970s when ritual status and payment in kind were giving way to cash wages, this is an extraordinarily detailed picture of a lifestyle that has now passed.
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Prone position helped octogenarian beat Covid
As Covid patients across the state gasp for oxygen, an 82-year-old woman from Gorakhpur has managed to bring up her oxygen levels by lying in a prone position.
She has recovered from Covid without an oxygen cylinder and is setting an example for others.
Vidya Srivastava from Alinagar in Gorakhpur, tested positive for Corona earlier this month.
Her elder son, Hari Mohan Srivastava, said, “My mother tested positive and we kept her in home isolation. One day her oxygen levels dipped to 79 and everyone in the family was worried. However, we did not give up and made her lie down in the prone position with stomach down towards bed. Gradually, the situation improved and the oxygen level rose to 94 within four days.”
Hari Mohan spent four days in his mother’s room and monitored her oxygen levels regularly. She was not given an oxygen cylinder.
“The entire family then tested positive but we did not lose hope and tried to keep each other in a positive frame of mind. We took precautions and medicines after taking advice from the doctor. Now, finally the entire family has recovered from the deadly virus,” he said.
Hari Mohan also said, “The treatment of my mother was also my responsibility while protecting other members from infection due to corona virus. Although everyone was scared of the outcome given the deadly second wave we have been seeing everywhere, the doctor gave us courage. Treatment was done with suggestion and good food and positive thinking and now all is well.”
This human molecule is helping Covid virus escape antibodies
A natural molecule called biliverdin present in human body is helping SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, escape antibodies – a discovery that can help explain why some Covid patients become severely ill despite having high levels of antibodies against the virus, report researchers.
When SARS-CoV-2 infects a patient’s lungs, it damages blood vessels and causes a rise in the number of immune cells.
“Both of these effects may contribute to increasing the levels of biliverdin and bilirubin in the surrounding tissues. And with more of these molecules available, the virus has more opportunity to hide from certain antibodies,” said Annachiara Rosa, first study author at the Francis Crick Institute in the UK.
“This is a really striking process, as the virus may be benefiting from a side-effect of the damage it has already caused,” Rosa said in the paper published in the journal Science Advances.
In their research, teams from the Francis Crick Institute, in collaboration with researchers at Imperial College London, Kings College London and UCL (University College London), found that biliverdin and bilirubin, natural molecules present in the body, can suppress the binding of antibodies to the coronavirus spike.
As vaccines are rolled out globally, understanding immunity to SARS-CoV-2 and also how the virus evades antibodies is critically important.
The ability of the immune system to control the infection and the quality of the antibody response are highly variable, and not well correlated, between individuals.
The scientists discovered that the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein strongly binds to biliverdin, a molecule which was giving these proteins an unusual green colouration.
They found that biliverdin attaches to the spike N-terminal domain and stabilises it so that the spike is not able to open up and expose parts of its structure. This means that some antibodies are not able to access their target sites and so cannot bind to and neutralise the virus.
In the first months of the pandemic, scientists were extremely busy churning out viral antigens for SARS-CoV-2 tests.
“It was a race, as these tests were urgently needed. When we finally found the time to study our green proteins, we expected a mundane answer. Instead, we were astonished to discover a new trick the virus uses to avoid antibody recognition,” explained Peter Cherepanov, author and a group leader of the Chromatin structure and mobile DNA Laboratory at the Crick.
The researchers are now exploring if it is possible to hijack the binding site used by biliverdin to potentially find new ways to target the virus.
Indian electronic repair market can create over 5M jobs: MAIT
The electronics repair market in India can help generate over five million direct jobs, with a potential to generate revenues of $20 billion per annum, a new report has emphasised.
According to MAIT, the apex body representing the ICT and electronics manufacturing sector in India, the repair and calibration of electronic subassemblies and products is a $100 billion industry worldwide.
“High costs of repairing electronic goods in developed countries like the US and Europe are compelling the corporates to send goods overseas, where such repair services are provided at lower prices due to both skills and cost arbitrage,” said the report titled ‘Electronic Hardware Repair Services Outsourcing’ (ERSO) launched at the Electronics and Telecom Manufacturing Summit 2021 (MAIT-ETMS).
The report made recommendations to the Centre to streamline and simplify procedures to make India a repair and refurbishment hub for IT and electronic products.
“The electronics repair industry has the potential of becoming an emerging sector for employment growth in India. With the right regulatory support from the government of India, the domestic repair service sector in India can experience a tremendous boost,” said Nitin Kunkolienker, President, MAIT.
“It will, thereby, generate valuable Forex revenue as well as create employment, especially during these COVID-19 times, which has made millions of Indians job-less,” he added.
The report highlighted background on the regulatory landscape and emphasised bottlenecks and difficulties being faced day to day by the repair units in India, such as various regulatory approvals, import/ export restrictions, investment and Infrastructure cost, lack of skilled workforce and technology, e-waste related constraints, etc.
“The initiative to make India an electronics repairs outsourcing hub is the next sunrise sector for the country with the potential to generate over 5 million new direct jobs and attract investment from across the globe,” the report mentioned.