Google is celebrating the life and works of Indian scientist Kamala Sohonie, who was the first woman to get accepted into the top college IISc in India.

Google Doodle June 18: On June 18, 2023, Google is celebrating the life and works of Indian scientist Kamala Sohonie, who was one of the first prominent female scientists in India. Google is celebrating Sohonie’s life on her 112th birthday through a whimsical Google Doodle.

The Google Doodle today shows Indian scientist Kamala Sohonie as a colorful animated illustration on her 112th birthday, with illustrations of a microscope, scientific slides, and plants around her to signify her works in the field of science.

Scientist Kamala Sohonie was the first woman in India to get into the prestigious Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore (IISc), which is considered to be the best institute in the country. Sohonie also became the first Indian woman ever to get a Ph.D. in a scientific disciple.

Celebrating her remarkable works and feat in Indian science, Google wrote, “Today’s Doodle celebrates Indian biochemist Kamala Sohonie, who was the first Indian woman to get a Ph. D in a scientific discipline, paving the way for women to pursue degrees in STEM.”

Dr Kamala Sohonie became a pioneer for all women in India and took a major step forward, diminishing gender bias in the field of science. She got accepted into the IISc Bangalore, but the authorities doubted her capabilities because she was a woman.

Despite the stringent conditions posed to her, she overcame gender bias and became one of the best students in IISc, paving the way for other women to follow in her footsteps. She later started exploring how different proteins in legumes could provide nourishment for children.

Dr Kamala Sohonie’s landmark work was developing an affordable diet and nutrition supplement made using palm nectar. This drink was called Neera, and was rich in Vitamin C and other nutrients, providing nourishment to pregnant women and malnourished.

source/contents: dnaindia.com (headline edited)

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj introduced the draft resolution titled ‘Memorial wall for fallen United Nations peacekeepers’.

The UN General Assembly has adopted a draft resolution introduced by India to establish a memorial wall in the UN Headquarters to honour fallen peacekeepers.

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj introduced the draft resolution titled ‘Memorial wall for fallen United Nations peacekeepers’ on Wednesday in the UN General Assembly hall.

The resolution was co-sponsored by nearly 190 UN Member States and was adopted by consensus.

It welcomed the initiative of Member States to “establish at a suitable and prominent place at United Nations Headquarters in New York a memorial wall to honour the memory of fallen peacekeepers, giving due consideration to the modalities involved, including the recording of the names of those who have made the supreme sacrifice.”

While introducing the resolution, Ms. Kamboj said the memorial wall will be a testimony to the importance that the UN bestows on peacekeeping.

She said it will remind people of not only the sacrifices of the fallen but also be a “constant reminder of the cost of our decisions.”

The resolution was submitted by 18 countries including Bangladesh, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, France, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Nepal, Rwanda and the U.S..

“Peacekeepers are not born. They are forged through the crucible of sacrifice. Their unwavering commitment and selfless acts pave the way for a world where peace must triumph over conflict,” Ms. Kamboj said.

The resolution stipulates that the wall be completed within three years of the text’s adoption.

In 2015, the Permanent Mission of India to the UN launched a virtual memorial wall, dedicated to the Indian troops who made the supreme sacrifice while doing active service as UN peacekeepers.

The initiative was a precursor to the eventual construction of the Peacekeepers Memorial Wall. India had proposed the construction of the memorial wall as an appropriate way to commemorate all the troops from UN member states who had given their lives while on duty under the Blue Flag of the United Nations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address to the Leaders’ Summit on Peacekeeping hosted by then U.S. President Barack Obama at the UN Headquarters in September 2015 during the high-level General Assembly week, paid homage to the peacekeepers who laid down their lives in defending the highest ideals of the United Nations.

“It would be most fitting if the proposed memorial wall to the fallen peacekeepers is created quickly. India stands ready to contribute, including financially, to this objective,” Mr. Modi had said.

PM Modi thanks countries for support to resolution

Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked the countries that supported the UNGA resolution.

“Delighted that the Resolution to establish a new Memorial Wall for fallen Peacekeepers, piloted by India, has been adopted in the UN General Assembly,” the Prime Minister wrote on Twitter.

“The Resolution received a record 190 co-sponsorships. Grateful for everyone’s support,” he said.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Uttar Pradesh’s tally of Geographical Indication (GI) certified products has gone up to 52 with the addition of four new goods.

Uttar Pradesh’s tally of Geographical Indication (GI) certified products has gone up to 52 with the addition of four new goods. Baghpat home furnishing, Amroha dholak, Kalpi handmade paper and Barabanki handloom have now joined this elite club. 

According to GI expert Padma Shri Rajni Kant, whose organisation Human Welfare Association (HWA) provides technical facilitation to procure the certification, the GI tag was granted to these goods covered under ‘One District One Product’ (ODOP) on Wednesday.

He said that the applications for the GI registration of those four products were sent to GI Registry, Chennai during the pandemic in 2019 -2020. “After long legal and technical procedures, the four ODOP products got GI status on June 14, and now they have been included in the intellectual property of the country,” he added.

According to Kant, Kalpi handmade paper is the first to get the GI tag in the handmade paper category. The reference to Kalpi’s handmade papers is found in the verses from folk songs. He claimed that UP is first in terms of GI-tagged handicrafts with 40 crafts of 52 products to its credit.

In the Varanasi region alone, 18 GI-tagged products out of 23 belong to the handicraft category. “Uttar Pradesh is not only the biggest exporter of GI-tagged products but it also involves the largest number of manpower in this sector, making the highest annual turnover in the country,” said Kant.

In the recent G20 meet in Varanasi, Kashi’s GI crafts attracted foreign guests while artisans and weavers showcased their skills. About 50 lakh people in the state are engaged in the production of 52 GI products. 
The registration process of 27 more products of UP for GI is in the final stage, which is likely to be completed by December, this year. Earlier three ODOP crafts, Mainpuri tarkashi, Mahoba Gaura stone craft and Sambhal horn craft, had received GI certification.

First state to get in GI-tagged handicrafts
GI expert Padma Shri Rajni Kant claimed that UP is first in terms of GI-tagged handicrafts with 40 crafts of 52 products to its credit. In Varanasi region alone, 18 GI-tagged products out of 23 belong to the handicraft category. UP also involves the largest number of manpower in this sector, making the highest annual turnover in the country.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

The concept of using animal-derived materials as advanced wound care products is not new.

An advanced wound care product developed by the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), named Cholederm, has won the approval of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) as a Class D medical device.

Cholederm is a wound healing material derived from the extracellular matrix of de-cellularised gall bladder of pig and tissue engineered as membrane forms of scaffold, by the researchers at the Division of Experimental Pathology in the Biomedical Technology wing of SCTIMST.

The research team was led by T.V. Anilkumar, Scientist G (Veterinary Pathology) and Head of the Division of Experimental Pathology.

Cholederm healed different types of skin wounds including burn and diabetic wounds in rats, rabbits or dogs faster than similar products currently available in the market, with minimal scarring. In 2017, SCTIMST transferred the technology to M/s Alicorn Medical Pvt Ltd, a start-up biopharmaceutical firm. However, the pandemic delayed the firm’s clearance for obtaining a manufacturing licence for commercial production and sale.

‘Milestone achievement’

Harikrishna Varma, the Head of Biomedical Technology wing, in a statement here said that given the stringent requirements that have to be met under the 2017 Medical Devices Rules, the development of animal-derived Class D medical devices was not considered to be an easy or practical proposition. The CDCSO approval for Cholederm is thus a milestone achievement for the SCTIMST and M/s Alicorn Medical Pvt Ltd., Dr. Varma said.

Though the concept of using animal-derived products for manufacturing advanced wound care material is not new, Cholederm is the first indigenously developed product to meet all regulatory requirements. “However, indigenous technology was so far not available for fabricating quality products that satisfy the requirements of the Drugs Controller General. Therefore, such products were imported making them expensive,” said the Central Government.

Cost-effective

It is expected that with the introduction of Cholederm to the Indian market, the treatment cost can be reduced from Rs 10,000/- to Rs 2,000/- making it more affordable to the common man. Moreover, the technology for recovering extracellular matrix from the gallbladder is not available to others and it gives a fair chance for competition in the international market.

Researchers said that the scaffold modulated or mitigated the scarring reactions in subcutaneous, skeletal-muscle and cardiac tissues and that it had the ability to mitigate fibrotic scarring in rats suffering experimental myocardial infarction.

Since the application of scaffold to treat cardiac injuries was a cumbersome process, the team is now attempting to develop injectable gel formulations of the scaffold, according to SCTIMST.

Speaking about their future plans Prof. T.V. Anilkumar said that since the application of membrane forms of the scaffold for treating cardiac injury was cumbersome, the team is developing injectable gel formulations of the scaffold that permits transvenous on-site delivery of the scaffold and for surface modification of polymeric medical devices. “Further investigations in multiple species of animals are necessary to confirm the claim,’’ he said.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)