• ISRO's Spectacular Leap in 25 Years
• BARC Adds to Banana Bite
• Fast Breeder Reactor Projects Put on Fast Track
• India to be Outsourcing Hub for Pathological Tests

• ISRO Open to Manned Space Mission
• A 'Wonder Herb' to Increase Cattle Yield
• India is Biggest Beneficiary of ICRISAT Research
• NASA Names Supercomputer After Kalpana Chawla

On August 10, 1979, India's first Satellite Launch Vehicle - SLV-3 - roared skyward from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, carrying a small payload called Rohini Technology Payload (RTP). The mission failed. The rocket and the RTP fell into the Bay of Bengal. The rocket weighed 17 tonnes and the payload about 35 kg. Satish Dhawan, who was Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), came out of the SHAR station and told a few waiting newsmen that the mission was ``a partial success.'' ``We stumbled a little but did not fall flat on our face,'' he said and walked back. The project director then was A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, now the President. A jammed valve in the control system of the second stage of the launch vehicle led to the failure. Eleven months later, on July 18, 1980, another SLV-3 rose into the sky from Sriharikota and orbited a satellite called Rohini. The SLV-3 weighed 17 tonnes and it was 22 metres tall. The Rohini weighed 40 kg. That success propelled India into the exclusive space club of the United States, the then U.S.S.R., the United Kingdom, France, Japan and China. The project director of the successful flight was Mr. Kalam. India's space programme had its genesis when a Nike-Apache rocket imported from the U.S. took off from the fishing village of Thumba, near Thiruvananthapuram, on November 21, 1963. It weighed 715 kg and reached an altitude of 208 km. It was an international effort under the auspices of the United Nations. Its sodium-vapour payload was from France; the range clearance was given by M1-4 helicopter from the Soviet Union; and the rocket and payload engineers were Indians. The two-stage rocket was assembled in the nearby St. Mary Magdalene church, which now houses a space museum. The adjacent Bishop's House served as the Control Centre. But there were contretemps. The French payload would not marry up with the American rocket. Welding could cause fire because sodium was volatile. So Sarabhai asked Bhavsar: ``How can we fit the payload?'' Mr. Kalam and another colleague scraped the payload with a small hand tool until it mated with the rocket. The launch was a success. The orange trail from the sodium vapour that lit up the twilight sky caused excitement in Kerala. The State Assembly, which was in session then, adjourned for a few minutes for its members to enjoy the spectacle. India's truly indigenous programme began in 1969 when a ``pencil rocket'' that weighed 10 kg sped a few km into the atmosphere from Thumba. The rocket was assembled in the St. Mary Magdalene church. ISRO has big plans. It has already started working on sending a probe, called Chandrayaan, to the moon in 2008; on building reusable launchers; and on recovering satellites after they fall into the sea. Work is under way on GSLV-MK III. It will weigh 630 tonnes and measure 43 metres in height. It will put a satellite weighing four tonnes at a height of 36,000 km. A second launch pad has been built at Sriharikota at a cost of Rs.350 crores. It will be blooded when a PSLV takes off from it before this year is out.

Courtesy: The Hindu, August 16, 2004

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The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is open to considering a manned mission in space after reaching a national consensus on such a project, according to its chairman G Madhavan Nair. Speaking to mediapersons on the sidelines of unveiling the bust of Vikram Sarabhai at Antariksh Bhavan, ISRO headquarters, Nair said that though a manned mission was theoretically feasible, the space community was trying to examine what needed to be done to launch such a programme. Nair revealed that ISRO was in the process of identifying technologies required for a manned mission, which could take seven to eight years to materialise. According to current ISRO estimates, the cost of a manned space mission could be over Rs 10,000 crore. "The question whether India should go for a manned mission is being debated. A similar debate was held before we embarked on the proposed unmanned lunar mission (Chandrayaan-1) to conduct scientific experiments from the moon's orbit." This mission, slated for 2006-07, bears a price tag of nearly Rs 300 crore. "Though a manned mission is feasible, we need to develop a lot of new technologies to build a life-support system, a space capsule with safety features to survive and a recovery operation to complete the mission," he added. "Before we embark on such a mission, a national debate and consensus is required on it. If it is decided, we in ISRO do not want to lag behind in our preparation, though such a programme is going to be very, very expensive for the country," Nair warned. Nair said ISRO was of the view that what could be accomplished by a manned mission, could also be achieved by an unmanned mission with instrumentation and remote operations from ground stations. But it was for the nation to decide what it wanted.

Courtesy: www.business-standard.com, August 14, 2004

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"It can be used as a bio-fertiliser, a mosquito repellent, in the preparation of salads and above all as a bio-scavenger for it takes away all heavy metals." Inspired by the Azolla ponds at the Vivekananda Ashram in Kanyakumari, the Managing Director of the Coimbatore District Co-Operative Milk Producers' Union Ltd, Dr A. Subramaniam decided to introduce the technology and tap the potential of this hitherto neglected herb. It has taken him almost a year to convince the farming community about the wealth of this blue-green algae found in ponds.Calling it a `wonder herb', Dr Subramaniam said "it can both complement and supplement cattle feed, particularly when there is an acute shortage of green fodder. It can also can be used as a bio-fertiliser, a mosquito repellent, in the preparation of salads and, above all, it is a bio-scavenger, for it takes away all heavy metals." Though the technology is simple and inexpensive, the awareness level is still low and farmers are still reluctant to adapt to it," he said, recalling his efforts at popularising the technique. While the Vivekananda Ashram pioneered the Azolla cultivation technique, he said "we are only taking it forward. There are over 85 micro ponds and 45 demonstration units in the district". The Cooperative Milk Producers Union supplied the inoculants, the plastic sheets and provided training on setting up the Azolla bed. "The herb multiplies very rapidly. A farmer can harvest up to 750 tonnes of Azolla from one acre. The bed would have to be wet and in the shade." Whether there was an increase in milk production, he said, "It has increased significantly after introducing Azolla as feed for cattle. The daily production has shot up from 1.21 lakh litres to 1.61 lakh litres in Coimbatore district. We are also selling close to 18,000 litres a day to Kerala." He further added that "the entry of private players has not eroded our share in the market". With 543 Societies affiliated to Aavin, the union is supporting one lakh farm-families in this district. The managing director at Aavin said "nearly Rs16 lakh of urban money was being ploughed back to the farmers on a daily basis".

Courtesy: www.thehindubusinessline.com, August 13, 2004

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The country's largest cultivated and produced fruit, which is also highly perishable-banana-will soon be available in other edible forms apart from the popular banana chips. The Bioprocess Development and Biochemical Application Section of the Nuclear Agriculture Division in the Mumbai-based Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) is developing several value-added products from bananas such as juice, biscuits, powder and industrial amylase enzyme, with longer shelf life. ''If the technologies developed for these are translated into commercial practice, it could generate positive impact on the agro-based economy as well as rural India,'' Dr K K Surendranathan had stated in early July during the launch of the project. A new variety of bananas can be developed by exposing the shoot culture of banana plant to a low dose of gamma rays. Research by the Nuclear Agriculture Division on this variety of bananas-known as 'Basari 10gy'-has revealed that the fruit so developed is sweeter, less fibrous and ripens quickly. One of the most important features of this process, besides the yield, is that no external agent such as peptolytic enzymes or water is added for the extraction of the juice. At the same time, the left-over pulp retains a strong banana flavour, and can be ground and dried into fine banana powder. Usually ripe bananas form a sticky mass when dried, cannot be powdered. However, the powder from Basari 10gy retains the aroma and taste of the fruit. While wine can be made from banana juice, banana powder can be the raw material for biscuits.

Fruit's Punch

• India is world's largest producer of bananas: 13.9 million tones.
• Among fruit crops in India, banana ranks first in production, third in area under cultivation.
• Tamil Nadu largest producer of bananas in India.

BARC research has also found a use for the banana peel. About 35 to 40 tonnes of peel get accumulated when 100 tonnes of Basari 10gy are processed. Industrial enzyme amylase can be made from the peels, says BARC. This is through a method for solid state fermentation of the peels. At high specific gravity, it turns to amylase. On improving the protein concentration, the amylase can be used for industrial purpose. With 13.90 million tonnes, India is the largest producer of bananas in the world, followed by Uganda (10.14 million tonnes). Amongst the fruit crops grown in the country, banana ranks first in production and third in area under cultivation. Grown in every state, the banana crop occupies an estimated 13 per cent of the total area under fruit crops in the country. Tamil Nadu is the largest cultivator of bananas (92,200 hectares) followed by Maharashtra (72,200 hectares). However, productivity of bananas in Maharashtra is the highest in the country-60 metric tonnes per hectare.

Courtesy: The Indian Express, August 13, 2004

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Indians are now the world masters of the Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor technology - the country has 12 PHWR units running. With the technology learnt from the Fast Breeder Test Reactor project - an R&D project - the nuclear establishment is putting up a 500 MW prototype fast breeder reactor at Kalpakkam. The `first pour of concrete', which is a milestone in a nuclear project's implementation, is expected to happen shortly. Mastering PHWR and FBR are two key issues under India's nuclear rubric. The first denotes the learning of producing plutonium indigenously and the second indicates learning of how to use it. The prototype FBR at Kalpakkam will then show the world that India can produce, use its own nuclear fuel. Now the country's ambition is to double the installed nuclear power capacity in four years and reach 11,000 MW by the end of the 11th Plan. The man at the helm of affairs today is Dr Anil Kakodkar, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission. He spoke to Business Line about how the future looks.

Courtesy: www.thehindubusinessline.com, August 13, 2004

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India is the largest beneficiary of the research conducted at the International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), based in Hyderabad. Dr William Dar, Director General of ICRISAT, spoke of the win-win relationship shared by ICRISAT and the Indian National Agriculture Research System (NARS) at the International Conference on Agricultural Biotechnology at New Delhi, organised by ficci. ''Our collaboration has resulted in improvement in the livelihoods of rural poor,'' Dr Dar said. NARS scientists are also the largest beneficiaries of the ICRISAT genebank. The genebank itself is named after the famous Indian agricultural scientist, Dr R S Paroda, who served as Chair and Vice-Chair of ICRISAT's Governing Board. ''On an average, Indian scientists have been receiving over 12,000 germplasm samples annually for research,'' Dr Dar said. ''Eleven varieties from the basic germplasm material and 134 varieties and hybrids from breeding materials supplied by ICRISAT have been released for cultivation in India.'' At the same time, India has also contributed the maximum number of germplasm accessions from any one country. The genebank has 32,307 accessions of 11 crops that were received as donations from various institutions in India. Fresh germplasm collections were made (96 missions), which resulted in an additional 12,515 accessions. The R S Paroda Genebank is a storehouse for germplasm of ICRISAT's five mandate crops-pearl millet, sorghum, chickpea, pigeonpea and groundnut. ICRISAT's genebank is among the largest within the network of 15 international research institutions under the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research.

Courtesy: The Indian Express, August 13, 2004

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A vast base of inexpensive professionals, latest equipment, IT skills and a focus on quality may turn India into a preferred destination for pathological tests outsourcing. After carving out a niche for itself in the global market as the electronic housekeeper to the world, one of Asia's fastest growing economies plans to strike it big in the medical test outsourcing business, with clients in West Asia and Europe. According to industry representatives, hospitals in West Asia and London are increasingly shipping blood samples to India for various pathological tests to cut costs and clear the huge backlog. "The total size of the pathological tests market in Britain alone is two-and-a-half billion pounds," said Harpal Singh, chairman of SRL Ranbaxy, a pathological testing arm of Ranbaxy Laboratories, India's largest drug maker by sales. "At least 15-40 per cent of the total market size can be outsourced to India over the next few years. There are other countries in Europe also that can send samples to India for medical tests," Singh told IANS. "Overseas hospitals can reduce their costs by as much as a third per test if they outsource it to a laboratory in India. The savings more than make up for the cost of flying samples across to testing centres here. "Test results are mailed back electronically to respective hospitals within 24 to 48 hours of the receipt of the sample." Mumbai-based SRL Ranbaxy conducts tests for major private hospitals in West Asia across its 11 laboratories located in different parts of the country and sends reports through e-mail. Secretary general of the Indian Medical Association Vinay Aggarwal said India has all the necessary ingredients to emerge as the global medical test outsourcing hub in the near future. "Costs for conducting all kinds of medical tests are of course a lot cheaper in India. But it's not just the economic aspect that will help the industry to flourish in the years ahead. "More than the costs, it's the focus on quality of service that will encourage hospitals from across the world to transport their samples to India for testing," added Aggarwal. SRL Ranbaxy's Singh said the College of American Pathologists had accredited his laboratories for conducting high-end pathological tests. "Outsourcing of pathological tests is different from outsourcing of other services because we deal with human lives. So there can't be any compromise on the quality front," he said. "Many laboratories in India are following protocols and procedures that are of international standards. Overseas hospital chains are now beginning to acknowledge this. "This has resulted in many of them exploring the possibility of sending samples to India. Many Indian laboratories are in the trial mode these days."

Courtesy: Hindustan Times, August 10, 2004

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NASA has dedicated its new Altix supercomputer 'KC' to the memory of India-born astronaut Kalpana Chawla, one of the seven crew members aboard the space shuttle Columbia which disintegrated midair in February last year. Naming the new supercomputer 'Kalpana' follows a long tradition at NASA's Ames Research Centre of calling its new supercomputers after pioneers in the supercomputer industry or individuals who have significantly contributed to research at the aircraft research laboratory. "It is indeed an honour to name NASA's new SGI Altix 3000 supercomputer after Kalpana Chawla," said Ames Centre director G Scott Hubbard, adding "she was not only a member of the NASA family, but also a special member of our own Ames family. We all miss her and her many contributions to the agency." At Ames, Chawla had the challenging task of computing the airflow surrounding a jet-supported, delta-wing aircraft during landing. During an interview in 1995, Chawla predicted that her exposure to a wide variety of computer systems at Ames would be especially useful to her as an astronaut. Of the dozens of experiments successfully conducted by the Columbia crew, Chawla's favourite was the Israeli Mediterranean Dust Experiment, which involved pointing a camera at earth to study the effects of dust on weather and the environment.

Courtesy: Hindustan Times, August 04, 2004

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