Category Archives: Inventions, Innovations (wef. Nov 30th, 2021)

Zach Faizal’s Peec Mobility, BEEAH, SRTIP forge partnership for sustainable mobility in Sharjah

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Green Products, Inventions, Innovations (wef. Nov 30th, 2021), Karnataka (under research project), NRI's / PIO's, Science & Technology, Transport, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

KERALA / Mangaluru, KARNATAKA / Dubai , U.A.E:

In a groundbreaking move toward sustainable transportation, BEEAH has officially entered into a strategic partnership with Peec Mobility and the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park (SRTIP).

The collaboration aims to revolutionize local electric vehicle production by repurposing end-of-life petrol vehicles, fostering recycling practices to support a circular economy, and driving research and skill development in the burgeoning field of sustainable mobility.

The partnership agreement, signed at the BEEAH Headquarters, saw the participation of key figures, including Her Excellency Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, President of the American University of Sharjah and Chairperson of SRTIP; Khaled Al Huraimel, Group CEO of BEEAH; Zach Faizal, Founder of Peec Mobility; and HE Hussain Al Mahmoudi, CEO of SRTIP.

Zach Faizal’s brainchild, Peec Mobility, has been at the forefront of innovation since its inception in 2022. The Dubai-based startup specializes in the repurposing of retired petrol vehicles, seamlessly transforming them into electric vehicles with a remarkable 30% cost reduction and an 80% decrease in manufacturing time compared to the production of new electric vehicles.

Faizal, a 24-year-old entrepreneur, envisions Peec Mobility’s technology as a game-changer for the region. He emphasizes that their re-engineering process offers a more cost-effective, quicker, and environmentally friendly transition to electric mobility than investing in entirely new electric vehicles.

“Today, re-engineering is quicker, smoother, and greener than buying new EVs, and proves cost-efficient,” Faizal stated during the announcement. “Peec’s vehicles are aimed to be priced at 30 per cent to 50 per cent lower with the volumes we’re looking at, thus solving the affordability challenge in the sector,” he added.

Peec Mobility’s focus extends beyond individual cars, with ambitious plans to repurpose entire fleets of ICE buses, cars, and trucks on UAE roads. Faizal believes in the efficacy of reusing existing vehicles, stating that “waste is minimized, and a new life cycle begins.”

The partnership seeks to support Sharjah’s transition to sustainable mobility while minimizing the environmental impact of the production and repurposing processes. The overarching goal is to contribute to national and global objectives for zero-waste, circularity, sustainable transport, and decarbonization.

Zach Faizal expressed his commitment to the cause, stating, “Conversion is the most pragmatic route to Net-Zero. Once we succeed with our business strategy here, we will take it to other countries to redefine the used-car market.”

As part of the collaboration, Peec Mobility and its partners plan to unveil the first lineup of repurposed mid-sized sedans and buses at the UN Climate Change Conference, showcasing the innovative technology and commitment to sustainable practices.

With the support of the government, Peec Mobility aims to implement the conversion at scale, creating a replicable model not only for the UAE but potentially for other countries. Faizal proposes a policy to repurpose 5.0% of existing vehicles on the road annually for the next seven years, aligning with the UAE’s Net Zero goal.

As of now, Peec Mobility is on track to introduce at least 500 repurposed EVs on Dubai roads by 2024, offering a tangible solution to the affordability challenge associated with electric vehicles.

Zach Faizal is the son of Faizal Kottikollon and Shabana Faizal, a well-known Indian entrepreneur couple based in the UAE. The couple is not only known for their business endeavors but also for their philanthropic contributions.

Shabana hails from Mangaluru in the Karnataka state of India. She is the only daughter of prominent businessman and socio-religious leader Late B Ahmed Haji Mohiudeen who founded the prestigious BA Group of Businesses in Thumbay near Mangaluru.

source: http://www.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home> Gulf / by Vartha Bharati / December 13th, 2023

Prof Dr. Qudsia Tahseen appointed as National Representative for the International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS)

Amazing Feats, Education, Education - Gold Medallists, Toppers, Merits, Achievers (wef. June 12th, 2023), Inventions, Innovations (wef. Nov 30th, 2021), Leaders, Science & Technology, Scientists (wef. August 27th,m 2023), Women/Girls(since May26-2021), World Opinion, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Azamgarh / Aligarh, UTTAR PRADESH:

Prof Qudsia appointed as National Representative for IUBS© Provided by The Times of India

Agra:

Prof. Qudsia Tahseen, Department of Zoology at Aligarh Muslim University has been named as the National Committee representative for the International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS), announced by the Indian National Science Academy (INSA).

Commencing her three-year term on January 1 this appointment emphasizes Prof. Qudsia’s contributions to the fields of Taxonomy and Biodiversity. She has the distinction of holding fellowships in all three prestigious National Academies.

The IUBS, founded in 1919, is a global non-profit organization dedicated to facilitating and coordinating biological research worldwide. Its mission spans diverse areas, with the goal of addressing global biological challenges. Prof. Qudsia’s appointment to the newly formed INSA National Committee for IUBS, consisting of seven experts, solidifies her role as a representative for India in the realm of biological sciences.

Prof. Qudsia while acknowledging her appointment said the committee, serving as the national arm of IUBS, is pivotal in advancing IUBS initiatives at a domestic level. This includes policy advocacy, tackling global challenges, setting research priorities, fostering collaborations, and promoting the sustainable use of biological resources.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> India News / by TNN (headline edited) / January 05th, 2024

Tamil Nadu: Perambalur man develops wood stoves as alternative to costly LPG

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Inventions, Innovations (wef. Nov 30th, 2021), Science & Technology, ,

Viswakudi Village (Veppanthattai Block),Perambalur, TAMIL NADU:

With limited formal education but an interest in electronics, Rahmatullah leveraged his experience as an electrician and TV mechanic to make the modern wood stoves as a replacement to gas stoves.

Perambalur :

The high pricing of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders is forcing Perambalur residents to switch back to cooking with firewood.

But instead of traditional firewood cooking, the residents are using modern wood-burning stoves, thanks to an entrepreneur from Viswakudi village in Veppanthattai block.

Tamil Nadu: Perambalur man develops wood stoves as alternative to costly LPG
Tamil Nadu: Perambalur man develops wood stoves as alternative to costly LPG© Provided by The New Indian Express

The stoves, designed and manufactured by 57-year-old S Rahmatullah, are in high demand in the district. Three years ago, Rahmatullah recognised the need for an alternative and established a workshop on Attur Road. With limited formal education but an interest in electronics, Rahmatullah leveraged his experience as an electrician and TV mechanic to make the modern wood stoves as a replacement to gas stoves.

He develops wood-burning stoves equipped with blower technology, ensuring high efficiency, quick cooking, and minimal fuel consumption. The stove, ignited by air from the blower, caters not only to homes but also finds application in hotels in Perambalur and other districts. The price ranges from Rs 5,300 to Rs 2 lakh depending on the specifications.

“I initially made this stove for personal use and found it more efficient than traditional firewood stoves. It requires only 30 per cent of the wood used in conventional stoves. We sell three types of stoves to homes. If people buy firewood for around Rs 500, it will fuel the stove for 4-5 months,” Rahmatullah told TNIE. “The firewood should be cut into small pieces before keeping it in the stove.

The stove with controlled combustion using a blower ensures efficient cooking without a spike in electricity bills. I sell 1-2 stoves per day to hotels and 2-3 stoves to homes. In the last two and a half years I have sold over 2,100 stoves,” he added.

A Naseera Banu, a resident of Vadakkumadevi said, “There are four members in our house. We used to buy a gas cylinder once a month and the prices has been high for a few years. Unable to cope with this, we purchased the modern wood-burning stove two years ago. We have been cooking with it since. It has allowed us to cook faster, at a lower cost, and the taste is even better.”

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by Thiruselvam , Express News Service / January 06th, 2023

In a first, Kashmir woman food entrepreneur reaches MasterChef India top 12

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Education - Gold Medallists, Toppers, Merits, Achievers (wef. June 12th, 2023), Events, Exhibitions, Conferences (wef. Nov 18th, 2021), Inventions, Innovations (wef. Nov 30th, 2021), Science & Technology, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hyderpora (Srinagar) / Pampore, JAMMU & KASHMIR:

Rukhsar Sayeed wishes to see a lot more young Kashmiri girls and boys in MasterChef India.

In a first, Kashmir woman food entrepreneur reaches MasterChef India top 12
Kashmir’s Rukhsar Sayeed.

A 34-year-old woman food entrepreneur has become the first contestant from Kashmir to participate in MasterChef India, a cooking reality show which is being broadcasted on SonyLIV.

Hailing from south Kashmir’s Pampore, where India’s 90 per cent saffron is cultivated, Rukhsar Sayeed has shown a tremendous culinary passion and determination by reaching among the top 12 contestants of the show.

“Breaking barriers and stereotypes I have finally made it to MasterChef India to fulfil my dream. I no doubt had culinary passion since I was a teenager, then the food-specialised education was also at my back but on top of all the support shown by my family was unwavering,” says Sayeed who is currently in Mumbai for the shooting of the show.”

Born and brought up in Srinagar’s Hyderpora, in the year 2010 Sayeed was watching the shows of MasterChef Australia from which she developed the culinary passion and decided to study food technology. “I am on the top of the world to see myself among the top 12 contestants of MasterChef India, the country’s favourite cooking reality show. I am really proud of where I am standing today. I am also overwhelmed to find the support of my family including my husband, parents and in-laws, ” Sayeed tells Moneycontrol.

Calling herself an avid foodie Sayeed has two children while her husband Saqib Javaid Qadri is an assistant executive engineer.

After completing B.Tech in food technology from Islamic University of Science and Technology, Awantipora Sayeed did M.Tech in food technology from Amity University and finally completed her PhD in food technology in 2020.

Sayeed has not only made J&K Union Territory proud by being selected to compete in the prestigious MasterChef India but also expressed her feelings through Kashmiri cuisine and eventually impressed the judges. “So far I had a roller-coaster ride with ups and downs in the kitchen like other contestants but I have made some very good dishes which impressed the judges sitting in the show. I am confident to become the winner of the show because for the first time Kashmiri food is being presented on a large platform. I am trying my best to innovate something with our Kashmiri food. For example, I made Rogan Josh, (mutton dish with red gravy) which apparently does not look Rogan Josh but it does taste like Rogan Josh.”

So far in 11 episodes Sayeed says she made mouth watering cuisines like Babri Boul Falouda (basil seeds drink) usually served during Ramadan in Kashmir, Kashmiri Dhaniwal Korma (lamb curry bursting with coriander) and Kashmiri Dodhe Aal (pumpkin chutney), mesmerizing the judges and celebrity chefs like Vikas Khanna, Ranveer Brar, and Pooja Dhingra.”

Her father M Sayeed Shah says, “It is a dream come true for the whole family. It is a great honour to see her in Masterchef India. I don’t have words to express my happiness. I wish a great future and good luck to my darling daughter.”

Her mother Naseema Kirmani while expressing her happiness says that she is the happiest person to see her daughter in MasterChef India and wishes her best of luck for the show.

Before reaching the MasterChef India show in 2019, Sayeed emerged as the first woman from the Valley to start a frozen food venture — Khalis Foods. “After doing my PhD I was not interested in conventional jobs and therefore I opened a startup to provide people with unadulterated snacks and other healthy foods mainly for children. I along with my six employees are operating from my home in Pampore.”

The young food technologist explains that she is getting to see some of the ingredients for the first time in her life. “I am using some ingredients which are new to me in various foods. For instance, I use some of the popular food ingredients from down south with Kashmiri food.”

Sayeed maintains that being a mother of two children the decision to become a part of Masterchef India show was not easy. “It was a big sacrifice to leave behind my two children at home and participate in the show in Mumbai. I miss my children a lot but I am confident that I will return home as the winner of the show.”

Before getting selected for Masterchef India, Sayeed had participated in the state-level culinary competition and bagged second position in the competition.

She had also served her homemade snacks at an exhibition held at Sheri Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) Srinagar, tickling the taste buds of people around.

In June this year, Rukhsar went through a rigorous audition process before being among the 12 contestants.

For young techie, the MasterChef India journey is a stepping stone in realising her dream of setting up a culinary school in the Valley and creating a chain of restaurants to provide healthy food for the food lovers. “I hope this show can give me limelight and help to boost my food business venture, currently operating in Srinagar. I am also thinking of creating a chain of restaurants in the Valley to provide healthy dishes to people. As a food technologist I am fully conscious of the hazardous preservatives, taste enhancers and food colours that go into our daily food and which is why I lay emphasis on healthy, pure and safe food.”

Regarding her favourite food Sayeed names Hakh (collard green; the staple diet of Kashmir) and Wazwan, (Kashmir’s famous multi-course meal). “Every dish is special but I am in love with Kashmiri food, mainly Hakh especially prepared by my mother and Wazwan prepared by our amazing cook locally known as Waza. From the beginning of my childhood the dishes prepared by my mother in the kitchen have been unmatched.”

Sayeed wishes to see a lot more young Kashmiri girls and boys in MasterChef India. “Since I am the first Kashmiri woman who has reached the famous cooking reality show I would want more people from my homeland to come here and show their food skills.”

She also claims that despite facing criticism from the people in Kashmir she managed to participate in the show to represent the Kashmiri cuisine and culture to a larger audience.

source: http://www.moneycontrol.com / Money Control / Home> News> Trends> Lifestyle / by Irfan Amin Malik / November 05th, 2023

UN Forms New AI Advisory Board; iSPIRT’s Sharad Sharma and Hugging Face’s Nazneen Rajani Among the Members

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Inventions, Innovations (wef. Nov 30th, 2021), NRI's / PIO's, Scientists (wef. August 27th,m 2023), Women/Girls(since May26-2021), World Opinion, , , , , , , , , , , ,

INDIA / U.S.A:

UN Forms New AI Advisory Board; iSPIRT's Sharad Sharma and Hugging Face's Nazneen Rajani Among the Members

On Thursday, the Secretary-General at a press conference announced the creation of a new Artificial Intelligence Advisory Body on risks, opportunities and international governance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) . That body will support the international community’s efforts to govern artificial intelligence.

Among the members of AI Advisory Body, two are from India — Sharad Sharma (iSPIRT) and Nazneen Rajani (Hugging Face).

Sharad Sharma is a co-founder of iSPIRT, a non-profit think tank that wants India to be a product nation. He was the CEO of Yahoo India R&D and dubbed as the architect of Indian software products ecosystem.

About Nazneen Rajani, she is a Research Lead at Hugging Face, which is building an open-source alternative to ChatGPT called H4, a powerful LLM, “aligning language models to be helpful, honest, harmless, and huggy”.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday launched this 39-member advisory body of tech company executives, government officials and academics from countries spanning 6 continents.

The panel aims to issue preliminary recommendations on AI governance by the end of the year and finalize them before the U.N. Summit of the Future next September.

The full members list are as below:

  • Anna Abramova, Director of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations-University AI Centre, Russian Federation
  • Omar Sultan al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence of the United Arab Emirates, United Arab Emirates
  • Latifa al-Abdulkarim, Member of the Shura Council (Saudi Parliament), Assistant Professor of Computer Science at King Saud University, Saudi Arabia
  • Estela Aranha, Special Advisor to the Minister for Justice and Public Security, Federal Government of Brazil, Brazil
  • Carme Artigas, Secretary of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence of Spain, Spain
  • Ran Balicer, Chief Innovation Officer and Deputy Director General at Clalit Health Services Israel, Israel
  • Paolo Benanti, Third Order Regular Franciscan, Lecturer at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Italy
  • Abeba Birhane, Senior Advisor in AI Accountability at Mozilla Foundation, Ethiopia
  • Ian Bremmer, President and Founder of Eurasia Group, United States
  • Anna Christmann, Aerospace Coordinator of the German Federal Government, Germany
  • Natasha Crampton, Chief Responsible AI Officer at Microsoft, New Zealand
  • Nighat Dad, Executive Director of the Digital Rights Foundation Pakistan, Pakistan
  • Vilas Dhar, President of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, United States
  • Virginia Dignum, Professor of Responsible Artificial Intelligence at Umeå University, Portugal/Netherlands
  • Arisa Ema, Associate Professor at the University of Tokyo, Japan
  • Mohamed Farahat, Legal Consultant and Vice-Chair of MAG of North Africa IGF, Egypt
  • Amandeep Singh Gill, Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology
  • Dame Wendy Hall, Regius Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southampton, United Kingdom
  • Rahaf Harfoush, Digital Anthropologist, France
  • Hiroaki Kitano, Chief Technology Officer of Sony Group Corporation, Japan
  • Haksoo Ko, Chair of Republic of Korea’s Personal Information Protection Commission, Republic of Korea
  • Andreas Krause, Professor at ETH Zurich, Switzerland
  • James Manyika, Senior Vice-President of Google-Alphabet, President for Research, Technology and Society, Zimbabwe
  • Maria Vanina Martinez Posse, Ramon and Cajal Fellow at the Artificial Research Institute, Argentina
  • Seydina Moussa Ndiaye, Lecturer at Cheikh Hamidou Kane Digital University, Senegal
  • Mira Murati, Chief Technology Officer of OpenAI, Albania
  • Petri Myllymaki, Full Professor at the Department of Computer Science of University of Helsinki, Finland
  • Alondra Nelson, Harold F. Linder Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study, United States
  • Nazneen Rajani, Lead Researcher at Hugging Face, India
  • Craig Ramlal, Head of the Control Systems Group at the University of The West Indies at St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
  • He Ruimin, Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer and Deputy Chief Digital Technology Officer, Government of Singapore, Singapore
  • Emma Ruttkamp-Bloem, Professor at the University of Pretoria, South Africa
  • Sharad Sharma, Co-founder iSPIRT Foundation, India
  • Marietje Schaake, International Policy Director at Stanford University Cyber Policy Center, Netherlands
  • Jaan Tallinn, Co-founder of the Cambridge Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, Estonia
  • Philip Thigo, Adviser at the Government of Kenya, Kenya
  • Jimena Sofia Viveros Alvarez, Chief of Staff and Head Legal Advisor to Justice Loretta Ortiz at the Mexican Supreme Court, Mexico
  • Yi Zeng, Professor and Director of Brain-inspired Cognitive AI Lab, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
  • Zhang Linghan, Professor at the Institute of Data Law, China University of Political Science and Law, China

“The transformative potential of AI for good is difficult even to grasp,” Guterres said. He pointed to possible uses including predicting crises, improving public health and education, and tackling the climate crisis.

However, the UN Secretary-General cautioned, “It is already clear that the malicious use of AI could undermine trust in institutions, weaken social cohesion and threaten democracy itself.”

source: http://www.indianweb2.com / Indian Web2 / Home> AI Governance / by Indian Web2 / October 27th, 2023

Meet Hamid Farooqui, the software engineer who created 3rd largest survey company in the world

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Inventions, Innovations (wef. Nov 30th, 2021), Leaders, NRI's / PIO's, Science & Technology, Scientists (wef. August 27th,m 2023), World Opinion, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA / Virginia, U.S.A :

Mumbai based Hamid Farooqui , is a serial entrepreneur who is the CEO of a fast growing SaaS (Software as a Service) company called SoGoSurvey that he co-founded in 2012. SoGoSurvey offers powerful, user-friendly, and affordable online survey software. SoGoSurvey is changing how feedback is collected in a secure, collaborative setting, and moving forward the process of understanding the feedback gathered from customers, employees, and other stakeholders.

Hamid started his tech career as a geeky programmer during the dot com boom and has expertise in all its related technologies, from Software as a Service (SaaS), cloud computing and mobile applications. He was an early member of the technology team that designed, built, and launched Oracle’s e-Travel’s corporate travel tool using C++ and the then brand-new WAP.

In recognition of his strong performance and technology management skills, Hamid rose through successive promotions to serve as the division’s Director of Engineering. After e-Travel was acquired by Amadeus, Hamid led the integration of two complex technology platforms in both the U.S. and Europe.

Hamid is co-founder, CTO of K12Insight, which offers cloud-based solutions to enhance communication between educators and community members. K12Insight’s tools are helping school leaders build stronger relationships among parents, teachers, students, and staff. He also co-founded India’s most successful consumer review site mouthshut.com, considered a pioneer of the Internet revolution in India.

Hamid is a frequent speaker at technology conferences and startup events. Among his favorite topics are the startup scene in emerging markets and the future of autonomous cars.

Besides technology, Hamid is very actively involved in philanthropic work. He and his family runs and funds a school for poor children in a remote part of India, where more than 500 children study for free.

Hamid earned an engineering degree from Bombay University in India and a Master’s degree in Computer Science from State University of New York, Binghamton.  

Mr. Farooqui believes that Indian organizations just like their global counterparts need a strong survey tool in order to understand the pulse of their audience. Companies have to ensure that they know their customers so they can rectify or retain the quality of services or products. Also, for retention of employees, companies must conduct Employee Satisfaction Survey that helps in creating a suitable work environment that meets and exceeds their expectations.

About SogoSurvey:

When it came to online survey software, users have had two difficult options:

  • the affordable, low-end, low-power solution, and
  • the more powerful solution that breaks the bank

This world has just been disrupted: you can now have really powerful, highly user-friendly online survey software at a super-low cost. And it comes with training and support that existing customers are raving about. We’re changing not just how you collect feedback in a secure, collaborative setting, but also how you fundamentally view feedback from customers, employees and other stakeholders. Our solution is easy for the beginner and powerful for the expert.

SoGoSurvey is a software company which provides one of the best enterprise feedback system/ survey tool as SaaS model. SoGoSurvey was founded by Hamid Farooqui and Suhail Farooqui in beta/stealth mode in 2012. The company came out in its full existence in the year 2013. It is a USA based company with the offices in India and UAE.  Target market for SoGoSurvey is all small, medium and large businesses who need to conduct different types of surveys such as Employee satisfaction Survey, Customer Satisfaction Survey, Employee Engagement Survey and others.

Marketing Strategy of SogoSurvey is to have an awesome product and website which is appealing to the user. They also offer a free version of our tool so that users who want to use the tool for basic purpose can also access the same. The freemium model gives the access to a great amount of people who turn into loyal users eventually.

source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Indian Muslim> Positive Story> Sci-Tech> Youth / by Muslim Mirror Special Correspondent / January 04th, 2019

UAE: Indian woman showcases 30 kg handwritten Quran at SIBF

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Books (incl.Biographies - w.e.f.01 jan 2018 ), Community Involvement / Social Issues, Inventions, Innovations (wef. Nov 30th, 2021), Museums, Libraries (wef. April 16th, 2022), Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , ,

KERALA:

The holy book, which weighs 54 kg with the cover, measures 28.5 inches long, 22.5 inches wide, and 4.5 inches high.

UAE: Indian woman showcase calligraphic handwritten Holy Quran at SIBF 2023

Abu Dhabi:

A 46-year-old Indian woman has displayed her handwritten Holy Quran in Arabic calligraphy weighing over 30 kgs at the 42nd Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF).

Jaleena Hussain, who hails from Indian state of Kerala, has spent over a year creating a unique edition of 114 surahs, covering 604 pages.

Speaking to Sharjah 24, Jaleena said writing the Quran was her way of fulfilling her desire to memorize the Holy Book.

She expressed gratitude to the Sharjah authorities for allowing her to showcase her talent.

Jaleena, a former rubber plantation worker and Urdu teacher, has been recognized by the Arabian World Records and the India and Asia Book of Records for her handwritten Quran.

VIDEO: Largest handwritten Quran in Arabic calligraphy presented at SIBF - GulfToday

source: http://www.siasat.com / Siasat.com / Home> News> India / by Sakina Fatima X / November 12th, 2023

Seyed Ehtesham Hasnain: scientist who changed the course of TB diagnosis in India

Agriculture (since June 07th, 2021), Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Education, Green Products, Inventions, Innovations (wef. Nov 30th, 2021), Leaders, Science & Technology, Scientists (wef. August 27th,m 2023), World Opinion, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Gaya, BIHAR:

Prof Seyed Ehtesham Hasnain

Prof Seyed Ehtesham Hasnain’s scientific research has changed the complicated regimen for the diagnosis of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis and the Indian Basmati getting its patent and trademark in the UK in the fight against the Pakistani variant. This Bihar-born scientists’ findings have saved patients suffering from Drug-Resistant TB money and time and helped the Indian government and farmers earn through exports of the Basmati.

He told Awaz-the Voice in an interview that the government of India has taken at least two major policy decisions based on his research. “One decision was that previously the testing of tuberculosis (TB) was based upon antibody-antigen reaction. So, the antibody formed was based on the antigen of a bacterial protein, and the sequence (genetic) used was mostly European or American isolates. 

“When I did sequencing in India, I found out that the Indian variant is completely different. Therefore, the test could give false positives or negatives…. I published this finding and had a meeting with the DG of ICMR (Indian Council for Medical Research) and recommended that the tests based on foreign kits be banned and that made a big impact.” 

The President, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam presenting Padma Shri to Prof. Seyed E. Hasnain, renowned biologist, at an Investiture Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on March 29, 2006.

Padma Shri recipient Seyed Ehtesham Hasnain said. E. Hasnain was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, the highest Civilian decoration of Germany in 2014. Nature, a famous scientific journal, reported on his receiving the award, “With the Order of Merit, he joins the league of outstanding personalities from various fields including Nobel laureate biologist Paul Herman Muller, former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone and music conductor John Crosby.” 

In 2006, he received Padma Shri in recognition of his scientific work. Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize (1995) and J. C. Bose Fellowship (2006), two of the most prestigious Indian Awards in the field of science have also come his way apart from numerous other decorations.

Hasnain was born in Gaya, Bihar in 1954. He was born seven years after India had attained independence. At that time Bihar was not the most developed of the Indian states. Hasnain’s father was a college lecturer and he nursed a dream of studying abroad. He studied at the Nazareth Academy, an expensive school in the town. It’s said that almost 20% of his father’s salary would go into children’s school fees. 

He did his M.Sc. from the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. However, though he was selected for his post-graduation studies by Harvard University, for some reason he could not join.

In 1981, Hasnain moved to Canada as a Post-doctoral Fellow (PDF). He worked in Canada and the USA for the next six years. At this stage, his father asked him to return home to serve his country and people. He was advised by many people that he must try to get his green card before moving back to India. 


Seyed Ehtesham Hasnain with Dr Venky Ramakrishna, Nobel Prize Winner and President of Royal Society, UK, in Cambridge

In 1987, he joined the National Institute of Immunology (NII) as a scientist. Hasnain says, “I thought that after getting a green card, I would have a fall-back and a plan B. I did not want a plan B. My plan was the only plan A. I will work in India and do something good in India.”

Hasnain broke the convention by not continuing the research he was doing abroad. He started afresh and soon made a name for himself in research of baculoviruses. He established a baculovirus insect cell expression system (BEVS) for the first time in India and used this to express foreign genes and also to ask fundamental questions concerning gene expression in BEVS. The idea was to make India a scientific power.

Hasnain says that when his career was at the peak with research on baculovirus one day, Dr. Sandeep Basu, the then director of NII, asked him, “Seyed, you are publishing in good journals, it is fine, but how does humanity benefit? What is India gaining out of it? How are the common men benefiting from your papers? Doing research is good but do something which will benefit the common man.” 

This was the turning point in Hasnain’s life and career. He says “I decided to do something where I can do direct application.” He started his research on tuberculosis. 

Seyed Ehtesham Hasnain at the Global Health Conference organized by the German National Academy of Sciences, Leopoldina, Halle, Germany

Hasnain initiated studies on molecular epidemiology and genetics of multi-drug resistant (MDR) M. tuberculosis (M.tb). He says, “second important observation that was published, again the first time in the world. We used to test TB for drug resistance. The bacteria was tested against each drug. I showed with my study that if the bacteria are resistant to one drug then it will be resistant to almost all other drugs. I established the correlation and proposed that you don’t need to do multi-drug resistance testing for all the drugs. Just test one drug rifampicin and if it is confirmed then 95%-99% of drugs will be resisted by the bacteria. That has become a standard treatment all over the world. He is still working on developing cheaper methods of diagnosing TB.

In 1999 Hasnain was invited as the first director of the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), Hyderabad. It was based on his work on Indian Basmati Rice DNA fingerprinting that India won the Patent case against Pakistan enabling the export of the Indian Basmati to the UK. This prevented a major economic loss to India. Subsequently, the Ministry of Commerce established the CDFD-APEDA Basmati DNA Analysis Centre, where all Basmati exports are certified. 

Hasnain also served as Vice Chancellor of the University of Hyderabad (2005-11), and Vice Chancellor of Hamdard University and is currently A National Science Chair of SERB, at the Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology at IIT-Delhi. 

Hasnain Mantra is: “Nothing is a substitute for hard work.”  

source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Saquib Salim / November 03rd, 2023

AMU satellite project named after Sir Syed Ahmad Khan gets IN-SPACe nod

Amazing Feats, Education, Inventions, Innovations (wef. Nov 30th, 2021), Science & Technology, Scientists (wef. August 27th,m 2023), , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Aligarh, UTTAR PRADESH:

The “SS AMU SAT” is a Nanosatellite Project which began in November 2021 under the AMU Robo Club.

AMU satellite project named after Sir Syed Ahmad Khan gets IN-SPACe nod

Aligarh Muslim University: 

The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe), working under the Department of Space, Government of India, has approved the proposal for development of “SS AMU SAT” – Aligarh Muslim University’s first satellite programme.

The leading university’s first satellite programme is to be named after its founder Sir Syed Ahmad Khan.

About SS AMU Sat

The “SS AMU SAT” is a Nanosatellite Project which began in November 2021 under the AMU Robo Club. The satellite is a 3U CubeSat with multiple objectives which include the study of economic growth in India’s poorest districts using satellite imagery and implementation of an in-house developed image compression technology for a faster multimedia transmission.

In addition to this, the satellite will also test various satellite sub-systems that have been built in-house.

SS AMU Sat Team

The project was submitted to IN-SPACe in January 2023, for approval, registration, frequency allocation and launch of SS AMU SAT.

In September 2023, the Student Satellite Committee, chaired by Dr. P K Jain, Director (PMAD), IN-SPACe, reviewed the design and approved the proposal with a condition that AMU will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with IN-SPACe for all activities from the development of the SS AMU SAT to its launch into the Lower Earth Orbit.

The project is headed by Prof. Ekram Khan, Chairman, Department of Electronics Engineering, under the leadership of Prof. M.M. Sufiyan Beg, Principal, Zakir Husain College of Engineering and Technology.

The students’ team which is involved in the development of the project, is led by Ms Poorti Varshney and mentored by Dr. C. A. Prabhakar (Former Project Director, ISRO) and Er. Faraz Ahmad (A 2013 batch alumnus). The project has received technical support from AMU alumni working with ISRO and several industrial experts across the globe.

The team of students comprises Kulsum Ilyas, Anant Agarwal, Tarun Singh, Rabiya, Mohammad Ali, Ilma Shah, Ahsan Waseem, Azhan Kamil, Tanu Attri, Mohd. Arquam, Kanuj Chitranshu, Munira Sultan, Atifa Saeed, Kanika, Asif Ali, Syed Muhammad Suhaib, Azam, Gulam Fareed, Samad, Varun Yadav, Mudassir Ali, Tehreem Fatima, Tarannum Zafar, Yashra, Mansha and Binish Kashif

The project is tentatively scheduled to be launched in 6 months.

source: http://www.ummid.com / Ummid.com / Home> Education & Career / by ummid.com news network / October 28th, 2023

Rabiya Farooqui’s achievement making noise at the international level; A student who invented ‘life-saving glasses’

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Education, Education - Gold Medallists, Toppers, Merits, Achievers (wef. June 12th, 2023), Inventions, Innovations (wef. Nov 30th, 2021), Karnataka (under research project), Scientists (wef. August 27th,m 2023), Women/Girls(since May26-2021)

Hubli, KARNATAKA:

Hubli:

So many lives have been lost due to drivers falling asleep while driving. Rabia Farooqui, a student of Hubballi, has invented life-saving glasses to eliminate this.

The same anti-sleep drowsiness preventer machine warns students if they fall asleep while studying. The night shift workers are also alerted.

The transparent glasses are equipped with a rechargeable battery, an SIB buzzer, and an IR sensor. If the eyes are accidentally closed while driving, the nano Arduino buzzer will ring instantly and alert the driver.

Rabia Farooqui is currently studying in the first year of PUC at Vidyaniketan College. The glasses invented by Rubia have now been selected for the National Best Model Award at the Inspire Awards show held in Delhi.

Apart from this, the glasses invented by Rubia have also been selected for international-level science exhibitions.

source: http://www.thehindustangazette.com / The Hindustan Gazette / Home> News> Education / by Shifa / October 19th, 2023