The AMU student, Sami Saud, said that by capturing ECG readings remotely, the device wirelessly transmits the data to a cloud-based platform.
Aligarh:
In a novel development, Sami Saud, a final-year M.Tech. student at the Department of Computer Engineering, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has developed a portable single lead ECG device as a part of his dissertation.
Sami, who is working on his dissertation under the supervision of Prof. M. Sarosh Umar, worked on the device in collaboration with the industry expert, Arif Shouqi from Google.
He said that the device promises to transform the landscape of remote cardiac healthcare with accuracy records, boasting an awe-inspiring 99 per cent precision compared to traditional medical-grade ECG machines.
“The gadget demonstrates the immense potential of computer engineering in tackling real-world challenges and the functionality of this groundbreaking device is both ingenious and straightforward,” he said.
Sami said that by capturing ECG readings remotely, the device wirelessly transmits the data to a cloud-based platform. On this digital frontier, advanced machine learning algorithms work tirelessly to classify heart conditions and predict the likelihood of heart attacks based on the acquired data. Early detection and proactive management of cardiac issues are now within reach.
Sleek, Portable Design
The portable ECG device embodies usability and convenience, and with its sleek and portable design, it adapts seamlessly to any healthcare environment, making it a versatile asset for hospitals and home monitoring. Through the wireless Bluetooth connectivity, users can access their ECG results in real-time on their mobile or laptop devices. Sustainability and cost-effectiveness have been embedded into the very fabric of this groundbreaking invention.
The device’s rechargeable capability eliminates the need for wasteful disposable batteries, while its impressive 9-day battery life ensures extended usage without constant recharging.
This achievement underscores the transformative power of computer engineering in addressing critical challenges in the medical domain.
Sami’s father, Saud Saghir, is also an alumnus of Aligarh Muslim University.
source: http://www.ummid.com / Ummid.com / Home> Science & Technology / by IANS / June 13th, 2023
Traders from the Middle East introduced the beverage to the Mughal empire but the British made tea the subcontinent’s preferred drink.
Mughal men drink an unidentified beverage in a 17th century painting later recreated as a drawing by Rembrandt (Public domain)
The sun sets behind regal yet dilapidated Mughal mansions and the magnificent dome of the Jama Masjid as the call for the evening prayer fills the auburn sky in Old Delhi.
Chandni Chowk’s bustling streets reverberate with the sound of honking cycle rickshaws navigating the serpentine lanes.
The sunset marks the beginning of business hours in the neighbourhood, which emerged during Mughal emperor Shah Jahan’s rule; a pocket within the once spectacular walled city of Shahjahanabad, founded in 1648.
Immersed in the soundscape, one’s senses are drawn to the aroma of food being prepared, complemented by the unmistakable scent of masala chai – the Indianversion of spiced tea.
Tea stalls, resembling busy beehives, draw Delhiites patiently waiting for their daily dose of evening tea – some having travelled from the far ends of the city to satisfy their craving.
Tea is without a doubt a national obsession in India. However, the incredible popularity of the drink in the subcontinent is less than two centuries old and only came about as a result of British rule in the region.
It may come as a surprise, but before the arrival of the British, it was coffee that Indians preferred.
Sufis and merchants
Coffee was brought over from the Horn of Africa to Yemenat some point in the 15th century and later spread north into the Near East and then to Europe by the 16th century.
The beverage also spread eastwards, and India’s Mughal elite was quick to adopt it as their beverage of choice.
While the Mughal Emperor Jahangir had a penchant for wine – preferring the Shiraz variety – both Hindu and Muslim nobility in his court freely indulged in coffee.
Edward Terry, a chaplain with the English embassy at Jahangir’s court, mentions that members of the court were captivated by the then-novel qualities of coffee, believing it could “invigorate the spirits, aid digestion, and purify the blood”.
The coffee bean was brought to the subcontinent by Arab and Turkic traders who had strong trade ties with the Mughal Empire.
They not only brought coffee, but also other items, including silk, tobacco, cotton, spices, gemstones, and more from the Middle East, Central Asia, Persia, and Turkey.
By the time Shah Jahan ascended to the Mughal throne, interest in coffee had grown exponentially across Indian society (Public domain)
Such goods would reach the farthest corners of India, including the easternmost region of Bengal. By the time Jahangir’s son, Shah Jahan, ascended to the throne (1628-1658), interest in coffee had spread across society.
Coffee was considered a healthy drink, an indicator of social mobility, and an integral part of Delhi’s elite social life.
Like Terry, another contemporary European visitor, the German adventurer Johan Albrecht de Mandelslo, wroteabout his travels in the east through Persia and Indian cities, such as Surat, Ahmedabad, Agra, and Lahore in a memoir titled The Voyages and Travels of J Albert de Mandelslo.
A painting titled ‘The Ottoman Sultan and His Haseki’ by an unnamed artist (Wikimedia)
In 1638, Mandelslo describes kahwa (coffee) being drunk to counter the heat and keep oneself cool.
In his workTravels in The Mogul Empire (1656-1668), Francois Bernier, a French physician, also refers to the large amount of coffee imported from Turkey.
Besides its use in social settings and supposed effects to ward off heat, the drink also had a religious purpose for the subcontinent’s ascetics.
Like their brethren in the Middle East and Central Asia, India’s Sufis consumed coffee before their night-long reverential rituals known as dhikr (the remembrance of God).
Legend has it that a revered Sufi saint named Baba Budhan carried back seven coffee beans in the folds of his robe on his way back from Mecca in 1670, planting the seeds for Indian-origin coffee cultivation in a place called Chikmagalur.
While this story may or may not be true, today the Baba Budhangiri hill and mountain range in the Indian state of Karnataka bears his name and remains a significant centre for coffee production, as well as housing a shrine dedicated to the Sufi saint.
In another variation of the legend, shared by the government’s Indian Coffee Board, the Sufi saint travels to Mochain Yemen and manages to smuggle out the beans discreetly despite strict laws on their export.
Culture of consumption
From the 16th century onwards, India became host to a cafe culture influenced by the one emerging in the Islamic empires to the west, particularly cities such as Damascus, Aleppo, Cairo, and Istanbul.
The nascent coffee culture found expression in Shahjahanabad’s own “qahwakhanas”, or coffee houses.
In her essay Spilling the Beans: The Islamic History of Coffee, food historian Neha Vermani describes the coffee served at the Arab Serai, which was “famous for preparing sticky sweet coffee”.
The Arab Serai became known for its sticky sweet coffee (Wikimedia)
The Serai, which was commissioned in 1560 by Hamida Banu, the wife of Mughal Emperor Humayun, still stands today as part of a Unesco heritage site ; the wider complex of Humayun’s tomb.
Historians say it was used as an inn by Arab religious scholars who accompanied the royal on her pilgrimage to Mecca and that it was also used to house craftsmen from the Middle East who were working for the Mughals.
Historian Stephen Blake in his 1991 workShahjhanabad: The Sovereign City in Mughal India 1639-1739 describes coffee houses as places where poets, storytellers, orators, and those “invigorated by their spirits” congregated.
Blake described how vibrant these coffee houses were, their milieu of poetry recitals, storytelling and debates, long hours of playing board games, and how these activities impacted the cultural life of the walled city.
Coffee houses of Shahjhanabad, like those of Isfahan and Istanbul, accelerated the rise of a culture of consumption and a thriving food culture, with residents frequenting snack sellers offering savouries, naanwais baking bread, and halwais specialising in confectionery.
This is a legacy that continues to be felt in Old Delhi’s Shahjahanabad area to this day.
While Blake’s descriptions paint a picture, there are no extant visual depictions of the interiors of these establishments, and unlike their Ottoman or Safavid counterparts, there are no miniatures or Orientalist artworks depicting what they would have looked like.
Rembrandt depictedMughal men drinking something very closely resembling coffee but the Dutch artist does not identify the contents of their cup, and never visited India. But his images were inspired by Mughal paintings brought over to the Netherlands by Dutch traders.
The man who swore by his Turkish coffee
Provincial courts sought to replicate the ambience of Shahjahanabad and embraced the cafe culture on offer there. Among them, none cherished coffee more than Alivardi Khan, the Nawab Nazim of Bengal.
Khan was of Arab and Turkman descent and ruled Bengal from 1740-1756. Known as a diligent ruler, coffee and food were the two biggest pleasures of his life.
Seir Mutaqherin or the Review of Modern Times, written by one of the prominent historians of the time, Syed Gholam Hussein Khan, offers a fascinating description of Alivardi Khan’s routine.
Alivardi Khan, seen here on his throne, liked the finer things in life, including coffee (Metropolitan Museum of Art/Public domain)
He writes: “He always rose two hours before daylight; and after having gone through evacuations and ablutions, he performed some devotions of supererogation and at daybreak, he said his prayers of divine precepts, and then drank coffee with choice friends.
“After that he amused himself with a full hour of conversation, hearing verses, reading poetry or listening to some pleasing story.”
This morning routine was followed by a bespoke Persian dish prepared by the nawab’s personal chef.
Khan’s portrayal presents Nawab as a man of fine taste, who valued the luxuries of courtly life as much as effective governance.
A connoisseur of exquisite food, witty conversations, and premium Turkish coffee, Khan went to great lengths to acquire the best coffee beans, importing them from the Ottoman Empire and bringing them all the way to Murshidabad, his capital.
The coffeehouse ‘is a social space created and shaped by the people themselves’ (MEE)
He believed in nothing but the best for his court. Not only were his coffee beans imported, but his kitchen staff also hailed from places renowned for their culinary excellence, such as Persia, Turkey, and Central Asia.
The royal household employed a diverse range of professionals, including storytellers, painters, coffee makers, ice makers, and hakims (physicians).
Tea has been grown in India since the 19th century (Wikipedia)
Khan personally handpicked his baristas (qahwachi-bashi), who brought along their specialised coffee-making equipment.
The descriptions paint a vivid picture of courtly culture, a world of opulence, artistry, and a profound affinity with caffeine.
It is puzzling, therefore, to pinpoint exactly when Mughal coffee culture vanished from pre-colonial Bengal, but it likely lasted until at least 1757.
Siraj ud-Daulah, Khan’s grandson and successor, could not live up to his grandfather’s legacy, and faced with threats from the British, the courtly culture swiftly dissipated, along with Bengal’s fortunes.
When Bengal lost the decisive Battle of Plassey in 1757, the East India Company took control of the region, and slowly coffee vanished from public consumption and consciousness.
Tea farming takes over
The rise of the East India Company, which was the primary agent of British control in India, marked the end of the subcontinent’s dominant coffee culture.
Britain’s penchant for tea began in the late 17th century and China was its main supplier.
Lizzy Collingham writesin her book Curry: A Tale of Cooks and Conquerors that between 1811 and 1819 “70,426,244 pounds” out of a total of “72,168,541” pounds of imports from China were associated with the tea trade.
She remarks that Britain, therefore, had an “interest in finding an alternative source for tea”.
The Indian Coffee House is run by Indian worker’s cooperatives and is open to all (Wikipedia)
With its fertile soils and appropriate weather conditions, India was the perfect spot.
In February of 1834, then Governor General William Bentick appointed a committee to look into India’s potential as a place to set up the East India Company’s own tea production unit.
In the native Indian population, they found not only workers who would cultivate and harvest the leaves but also consumers of the beverage.
As coffee production became overshadowed by tea farming, Indian tastes also shifted to the latter.
Further consolidating the decline of Indian cafe culture was the British ban on Indians visiting coffee houses, which were barred to all but Europeans.
Nevertheless, reports of the death of coffee in India were premature.
Regardless of British influence on local culture, the subcontinent was not immune to global trends.
The Indian historian and author, AR Venkatachalapthy, writes in his 2006 book In Those Days There was No Coffee: Writings in Cultural History that there was no escaping the physical effects or symbolism of coffee in late 19th century British India.
“Drinking coffee, it appears, was no simple quotidian affair. Much like history, the nation-state, or even the novel, coffee too was the sign of the modern,” he writes.
Enthusiasm for coffee grew at the turn of the 20th century, and the same book quotes adverts for coffee in south India in the 1890s: “Coffee is the elixir that drives away weariness. Coffee gives vigour and energy.”
This energy and vigour were first reflected in the east, in the colonial city of Calcutta (present-day Kolkata) where the first Indian-run coffee shop, named Indian Coffee House, opened in 1876.
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Turning into a chain in the 1890s, by the first half of the new century the name Indian Coffee House would be adopted by a growing network of 400 coffee houses run by Indian workers’ cooperatives, with only Indian-origin coffee.
These were the people’s coffee houses where any Indian could walk in without being discriminated against on the basis of their race.
Today, the ambience of the Indian Coffee House reminds one of the inclusivity of coffee shops in historic Shahjhanabad.
The chain is one of many Indians can visit, with others including the Bengaluru-based Coffee Day Global, which now has more than 500 outlets in the country despite only opening its first in 1996.
Six years later Starbucks entered India’s voluminous urban market and the rules of the brew changed forever in the subcontinent.
source: http://www.middleeasteye.com / Middle East Eye / Home> Discover> Food & Drink / by Nilosree Biswas, New Delhi / June 05th, 2023
A minor planet in the solar system, which earlier bore just the number 5718 CD4, has now been named after Kollam based scientist, Dr Sainudeen Pattazhy, reports Ramesh Babu.
Pattazhy was surprised when a representative of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, run by the space agency NASA, telephoned him on Wednesday evening. “I’m not a space scientist and initially thought someone was pulling my leg,” he told Hindustan Times. “But the official explained that my name was chosen after going through my research papers.”
Pattazhy, who teaches zoology at a local college, has carried out pioneering research on many environment related issues such as the phenomenon of ‘red rain’ —which occurred in Kerala in 2001—the control of mosquitoes, the eco biology of ‘sacred groves’, and the health hazards posed by mobile phone towers.
Pattazhy’s suggestions on the health hazards posed by mobile towers are still pending with the Union Ministry of Environment. According to him, the radiation would affect people residing within 300 metres of the towers.
The minor planet — to be henceforth known as ‘5718 Pattazhy’ — was discovered by US-based space scientist Dr R Rajmohan in 1989. There are around 400,000 ‘minor planets’ or asteroids in the solar system, of which 185,685 have well defined orbits and have been allotted numbers by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Around 14,000 of them have been given names.
“It seems the discoverer of the planet forwarded my name after going through my work,” said Pattazhy, adding that he had no idea why he was chosen.
source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> India News / by Ramesh Babu, Thiruvananthapuram (headline edited) / May 02nd, 2008
In a big breakthrough in the field of cancer prevention, Dr Hifzur Rahman Siddique, Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, in coordination with Dr. Keigo Machida, University of South California, USA, has discovered a common mechanism that activates disruption of a single RNA binding protein, MSI-2 binding to mRNAs of the cancer-causing proteins and significantly reduces the synthesis and accumulation of these proteins, reducing HCV infection and proliferation. The single RNA binding protein (named MSI-2) helps to accumulate multiple cancer-causing proteins in patients and helps to proliferate Hepatitis C Virus to promote liver cancer.
Dr. Siddique and the team who have identified this protein by analyzing the liver tissues of 374 liver cancer patients, said, “As we know, alcohol and cholesterol-rich high-fat diet and hepatitis infection promotes cancer initiation, but the exact molecular mechanism is unknown. In this research work, we have discovered that MSI-2 protein helps to accumulate multiple cancer-causing proteins and supports HCV proliferation to aggravate the disease.”
Dr Siddique said that Liver hyperplasia is also reduced in the animal model predisposed to viral infection fed with alcohol mixed cholesterol-rich high-fat diet. This is a very exciting discovery and could serve as a potential therapeutic target for the drug design and give direction to the management strategy for this deadly disease.
“The study has been recently published in Cell Death Discovery (April 2023, available at www.nature.com/cddiscovery),” he added.
Dr Siddique and his team had earlier discovered the molecular pathway that promotes the abnormal division of Cancer Stem Cells that are responsible for cancer therapy failure and Cancer reappearance/recurrence. Their study was then published in the prestigious journal Nature Communications 11 (2020) and found a place in different national and international dailies.
He said that the liver is considered the powerhouse of the body and due to the change in lifestyle, chronic alcohol consumption, high-fat diet, and hepatitis virus infection, the incidence of liver cancer is increasing fast. More than 350 million people are currently infected with hepatitis viruses, out of which 70 million are infected with Hepatitis C. It is estimated that approximately 40 million people are chronically infected with Hepatitis B and 6-12 million people with Hepatitis C. The situation worsens when Hepatitis infection occurs in an alcoholic person.
He said that the discovery is significant in the treatment of liver cancer as blocking the identified protein has an immense effect on liver cancer in the animal model and also stops the accumulation of the number of human cancer-causing proteins, the proliferation of hepatitis viruses and improving recovery.
Dr Siddique has been working on Cancer Stem Cells for a decade and has established a dedicated lab to initiate pioneer research on Cancer Stem Cells at AMU with a team of 10 researchers and collaborators from the USA, Russia, China, the UK, India, etc.
Recently, he got a Patent for his herbal formulation to prevent liver cancer and expecting some extramural grant from the Government of India for further clinical research.
source: http://www.amu.ac.in / Aligarh Muslim University – AMU / Home> AMU News / by Public Relations Office / May 01st, 2023
Winners of the 2023 Boeing National Aeromodelling Competition. 39 finalists from 12 teams were selected for the finale, which was held at R.V. College of Engineering in Bengaluru.
Bengaluru:
This year’s competition attracted close to 2,200 students across India.
Boeing announced the winners of the 8th annual Boeing National Aeromodelling Competition in India, on May 3.
This year’s competition attracted close to 2,200 students across India, and saw a two-fold increase in participation across zonal and national rounds. 39 finalists from 12 teams were selected for the finale, held at R.V. College of Engineering in Bengaluru.
Arshad Khan (right) from Rabindranath Tagore University, Bhopal won the 2023 Boeing National Aeromodelling Competition. The finale was held in Bengaluru
Arshad Khan from Rabindranath Tagore University, Bhopal was declared winner of the competition.
Sharanya Acharya Nishmithe, Aman Kumar Srivastav and Gagan G. Nayak from Nitte Mahalinga Adyanthaya Memorial Institute of Technology (NMAMIT), Nitte, Karnataka bagged the second spot
Divyamshu, Rathan Raj K. Nancy and Anantha Krishna, also from NMAMIT-Nitte, took the third spot.
The zonal rounds of the competition were held at IIT Kanpur, IIT Bombay, IIT Kharagpur, and IIT Madras. The top three teams from each zone then travelled to Bengaluru for the finale.
The competition started as an annual event in 2013 to provide a nationwide platform for students who have a keen interest in aerospace engineering and related fields. The competition allows them to demonstrate their skills and creativity in designing, building, and flying fixed-wing aircraft models of different types and sizes.
Salil Gupte, president, Boeing India, said, “This national aeromodelling competition provides an excellent platform for young aviation and technology enthusiasts to present their creativity, and engineering and design skills. It is a testament to our commitment to encourage engineering talent to pursue careers in aerospace and defence in India.”
Ahmed Elsherbini, managing director, Boeing India Engineering & Technology Center, and chief engineer, Boeing India, said, “Aeromodelling competition plays a crucial role in the aerospace sector. It brings fresh perspectives, new ideas, and a willingness to challenge conventional thinking. With the aerospace industry constantly evolving, student innovation can be a driving force in the development of new technologies and sustainable solutions.”
Over the years, Boeing has strategically invested in developing talent for the aerospace sector in India.
Its programs, including Boeing University Innovation Leadership Development (BUILD) Program, the Boeing HorizonX India Innovation Challenge, and the Accelerated Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (AME) Apprenticeship program, have all helped empower entrepreneurs and contributed to building a skilled frontline workforce for India.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by The Hindu Bureau / May 03rd, 2023
Just an 11-year-old girl astonishes the world with her extraordinary development skills. She recently created an AI Application that uses advanced models to determine eye diseases or serious conditions such as Melanoma, Cataracts, etc. Read below about this creative Kerala-origin girl.
An 11-year-old Dubai-based girl called Leena Rafeeq has designed a modernistic application integrated with Artificial Intelligence (AI). This young girl from Kerala proclaimed that this smart app can locate common eye disorders and symptoms. Moreover, this can be determined through a unique scanning method built into the app and only the iPhone supports this advanced model so far.
iPhone users will be able to check their eye-related problems and conditions with 70 per cent accuracy. The intelligent app that has been going viral for a couple of days has been named ‘Ogler EyeScan’ by Ms Leena Rafeeq. She was just 10 when she built it and now after so much research at the age of 11, she exuberantly launched it.
Self-taught Techie
On a social media platform called LinkedIn, she vividly presented the model. She further expounded the workings of her self-made in an online video that she posted online after which several viewers are impressed with her knowledge and skill set.
She asserted that this AI-based application has the capability to evaluate various parameters. The specifications include light and colour intensity, distance and look-up points in order to track down the eyes.
It scans the human eyes within the available range of the frame and this is possible through the “advanced computer vision and machine learning” used in this model’s design.
Features of ‘Ogler EyeScan App’
Leena Rafeeq explains her exceptional achievement and said that the Ogler EyeScan App can also identify any light burst issues. Additionally, this app will first check the eye positioning inside the scanner frame and after that through advanced technological scanning procedures, it can identify some of the common eye problems.
Built with Machine Learning Algorithms and Computer Vision Systems, eye conditions like Arcus, Melanoma, Pterygium and Cataracts can be checked however 70% accurate results have been recognized till now.
How AI App is developed?
Ms Rafeeq told that this smart technology app was developed natively with high-level programming developer ‘SwiftUI’ without the involvement of any third-party libraries or packages. She also reveals that she dedicated herself for almost six months to conducting research and development to come up with this initiative.
Along with this, she continued her learning about different eye conditions, computer vision, algorithms, machine learning models and other advanced levels of Apple iOS development which involves sensors data, AR, CreateML, CoreML and many such tools.
It is notable that the Ogler EyeScan is supported solely in iPhone 10 or Apple phones with iOS above 16. The app is under review on the App Store and this young girl hopes that her model gets listed soon.
Appraisal of her Project
This young Kerala girl leaves many flabbergasted by the invention of such a little girl. People congratulated her as she attains this level at this age. A user commented that this is a pretty good example of how AI can be effectively used in the health sector.
Another goes on to say that this is such an amazing creation and wished her good luck with her future endeavours. They all wished her positive reviews on her app. Ms Rafeeq responded that the model accuracy is “almost 70 per cent”.
However, she is handling some difficulties with the presence of glare and burst from lights caused by the distance required for capturing scans through the phone device. She has implemented metrics and detection for light-related issues so that the users will be able to re-scan. Her current focus is on training more elegant models. As soon as Ogler is accepted by the Appstore, she will be releasing an update in the software.
source: http://www.jagranjosh.com / Jagran Josh / Home> Current Affairs> Science – Technology Current Affairs / (headline edited) April 2023
Shah Rasheed Ahmed Quadri is engaged in the field of Bidri Ware handicrafts and is known for introducing the Phooljhadi design.
Image: Twitter/@rashtrapatibhvn
New Delhi:
President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday, presented the Padma Shri award to renowned craftsman Shah Rasheed Ahmed Quadri for Art.
The master craftsman is engaged in the field of Bidri Ware handicrafts and is known for introducing the Phooljhadi design.
Quadri has invented many Bidri Ware articles and has trained hundreds of artists in the field.
” Quadri has repeatedly raised concerns regarding Indian art due to the lack of marketing. He has also requested the government to provide an appropriate market and platform to artists so that they can create and develop their art “
Notably, Quadri is among the eight personalities from Karnataka to receive the prestigious Padma award this year.
Who is Shah Rasheed Ahmed Quadri?
Shah Rasheed Ahmed Quadri started learning this ancient art when he was just 10 years old against the wish of his father Shah Mustafa Quadri who was also a Bidriware craftsman. The 68-year-old artist is a third-generation artisan from his family. Apart from introducing the Phooljhadi design, Rasheed Quadri has also reintroduced sheet-work, which was popular during Bahmani empire.
Before winning the Padma award, Quadri has already won the State Award in 1984, National Award in 1988, District Karnataka Rajyotsava Award in 1996, and The Great Indian Achievers’ Award in the year 2004.
The artisan has also exhibited and demonstrated the ‘Bidri’ craft across many countries, including USA, Netherlands, Spain, Bahrain and Oman.
All you need to know about the Padma Awards
Padma Awards are presented in three categories including Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri to honour people for their notable work in different disciplines and fields like art, social work, literature and education, public affairs, etc.
The Padma Shri is the fourth highest civil honour in India. While the Padma Shri is bestowed on those with distinguishing contributions in any field, the Padma Bhushan is granted to those who have had distinguishing contributions of a high order. The Padma Vibhushan is the highest of all and is awarded to those with exceptionally distinguished services.
Bharat Ratna is considered to be the highest civilian award of country. Notably, the award has not been bestowed to any single person since 2019. The last Bharat Ratna was awarded to Nanaji Deshmukh (Posthumous), Bhupen Hazarika (Posthumous) and former President of India Pranab Mukherjee.
source: http://www.republicworld.com / Republic World / Home> English News> India News> General News / by Mahima Joshi / April 06th, 2023
Bengalis are a race of foodies who practically eat to live and live to eat. It’s an inevitable component of any adda and the Bengalis are dead serious about it, any day, any time. Even people who have lived all their lives in the comfort zone of their homes and hearth do not hesitate to become the quintessential explorer when discovering new food or joints.
And when it comes to something like biriyani, the happiness of the Bengali Epicurean is one of exuberance and excitement and all one’s self-restraint is defeated as the flavourful aroma overpowers the senses. Truly, biryani is one dish that Bengalis unanimously love indulging in though it is not an indigenous dish of India.
The exact origin of biriyani is not known, though historian Lizzie Collingham writes that the modern biryani was developed in the royal kitchens of the Mughal Empire (1526–1857) and is a mix of the native spicy rice dishes of India and the Persian pilaf. According to Pratibha Karan, who wrote the book ‘Biryani,’ biryani is of Mughal origin, derived from pilaf varieties brought to the Indian subcontinent by Arab traders. She speculates that the pulao was an army dish in medieval India. Armies would prepare a one-pot dish of rice with whichever meat was available. Different varieties of biryani developed in the Muslim centers of Delhi (Mughlai cuisine), Rampur, Lucknow (Awadhi cuisine), and other small principalities in North India. In South India, where rice is more widely used as a staple food, several distinct varieties of biryani emerged from the Hyderabad Deccan. Whereas, some believe that the dish originated from Tamil Nadu (Ambur, Thanjavur, Chettinad, Salem, Dindigul), Kerala (Malabar), Telangana, and Karnataka (Bhatkal), where Muslim communities lived.
Navratan Biryani
All said and done, there is no denying that biriyani staged a bloodless coup and became the monarch of all gourmets in India, kings and paupers alike. The deliciously complex blend of flavours, spices, and aromas in biryani epitomizes the zenith of Indian cuisine. The ingredients for biryani vary according to the region and the type of meat and vegetables used. Meat (of either chicken, goat, beef, lamb, prawn, or fish) is the prime ingredient with rice. As is common in dishes of the Indian subcontinent, vegetables are sometimes also used when preparing biryani. Corn may be used depending on the season and availability. Navratan biryani tends to use sweeter, richer ingredients such as cashews, raisins, and fruits, such as apples and pineapples. The spices and condiments used in biryani also differ according to regional preferences.
The evolution of biryani spans many centuries, many cultures, many ingredients, and many cooking styles. From an army dish to a dish fit for royalty, the biryani today is a pan-India culinary favourite. Its varieties reflect the local tastes, traditions, and gastronomic histories of their regions of evolution. There are so many types of biriyanis with local and hyperlocal variations that one is truly spoilt for options when it comes to experiencing this melting pot of flavours.
Biryani can be cooked using one of two styles/techniques, pakki (“cooked”) and kacchi (“raw”). In pakki biryani, the rice, marinated meat, and vegetables are partially (“three-quarters”) cooked separately, before being combined into layers in a cooking vessel. Different layers of rice may be treated with different spices (e.g., with dissolved saffron or turmeric to give the rice different colours and flavours). The contents are then baked to complete the cooking and allow the flavours to combine. Alternatively, the components may be fully cooked, and then simply combined by layering before serving.
Kacchi Biryani
In kacchi biryani, layers of raw marinated meat are alternated in layers with wet, pre-soaked, raw rice (which may be treated with different spices as above), and cooked together by baking, or applying medium-to-low heat (typically, for at least an hour). Cooking occurs by a process of steaming from the ingredients’ moisture: the cooking vessel’s lid is sealed (traditionally, with a strip of wheat dough) so that the steam cannot escape (proper Dum pukht). A yogurt-based marinade at the bottom of the cooking pot provides additional flavour and moisture. Potatoes often comprise the bottom-most layer because, with their natural moisture content, they brown with less risk of getting burned accidentally. The lid is not opened until the dish is ready to serve.
Kolkata Biryani
In Bengal, the Calcutta or Kolkata biryani evolved from the Lucknow style, when Awadh’s last Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was exiled in 1856 to the Kolkata suburb Metiabruz. Shah brought his chefs with him. The Kolkata biriyani is characterized by the unique presence of potato, along with meat and egg. It is said that the former Nawab of Awadh was a great connoisseur of good food and encouraged his chefs to try new ingredients in the dish. The potato was an exotic vegetable in India and his chefs added it to biriyani, transpiring pure magic!
Unlike other Indian biryanis, which are eaten with salan or raita, the Kolkata biryani is a complete meal and needs no accompaniment. Many, however, many swear by the combination of biryani and chaap—slow-cooked meat in a luscious gravy. It’s a great spicy companion to the otherwise mellow biryani. As one of the most popular dishes in Kolkata, it also has a fan following to match.
Dhum Pokht Biryani
Some of the oldest and best-known biriyani joints in Kolkata include names like Shiraz Golden Restaurant on Park Street, Aminia in New Market, India Restaurant in Kidderpore, ZamZam in Park Circus, and New Aliah Hotel. Many new players have entered the fray and are also doing very well. The delicate flavour of Kolkata biriyani combines well with mutton pasanda and mutton chaap. Gourmets recommend Kachi Gosht biryani at India Restaurant, a recipe derived from Hyderabadi biryani preparations.
The Dhakai version of the dish from the Bangladeshi capital is no less seductive and is believed that it could have traversed the sea route to reach this port city, which was once ruled by nawabs. In 1610, after the Mughal rulers declared Dhaka as the provincial capital, Mughal subedars and other high officials arrived in Dhaka to manage the administration, and they brought — along with intrigue, grandeur, and tantrums — the biryani. Back then, people believed that the biryani could be prepared only for members of the ruling family, and that too on special occasions. The cooks came from the west, where the Hyderabadi biryani had only started to spread its aroma around India.
Somewhere along the way though, the Dhaka biryani developed its characteristics, which set it apart from its Hyderabadi progenitor – and even from the Sindhi, Kozhikode, Kolkata, Lucknow, and Tehari offshoots. The Kachchi Biryani is perhaps the most pleasant and authentic cuisine of Bangladesh. So, what makes Dhakai Kachchi different from other schools of biryani?
It refers to the ingredients which are cooked raw and in layers. Layers of meat, rice, and potatoes are infused with delicious blends of aromatic spices to prepare the Dhakai Kachchi Biryani. The key is to get the right balance of spices – not too spicy, not too bland, just right with succulent pieces of meat and potatoes.
Dhaka is also known for selling Chevon Biryani, a dish made with highly seasoned rice and goat meat. The recipe includes highly seasoned rice, goat meat, mustard oil, garlic, onion, black pepper, saffron, clove, cardamom, cinnamon, salt, lemon, curd, peanuts, cream, raisins, and a small amount of cheese (either from cows or buffalo). Haji Nanna Biriyani is a favourite joint as are Hazi Fakhruddin Kachchi, Shalimar Kachchi, Bashmoti Kachchi, Sultan’s Dine, and scores of others.
Awadhi Biryani
Unfortunately, a majority of biriyani lovers are not acquainted with the real taste of true-blue biriyani because the fare dished out at most eateries can be best described as “frying pan biriyani”. Here you may find long grain Basmati rice with a hint of saffron, but the traditional cooking process is not followed. Instead, most chefs have developed the fine art of “assembling” the dum ki biriyani. Despite all, Bengal’s love affair with biriyani continues unhindered and grows by the day. mellow biryani. As one of the most popular dishes in Kolkata, it also has a fan following to match.
Some of the oldest and best-known biriyani joints in Kolkata include names like Shiraz Golden Restaurant on Park Street, Aminia in New Market, India Restaurant in Kidderpore, ZamZam in Park Circus, and New Aliah Hotel. Many new players have entered the fray and are also doing very well. The delicate flavour of Kolkata biriyani combines well with mutton pasanda and mutton chaap. Gourmets recommend Kachi Gosht biryani at India Restaurant, a recipe derived from Hyderabadi biryani preparations.
The Dhakai version of the dish from the Bangladeshi capital is no less seductive and is believed that it could have traversed the sea route to reach this port city, which was once ruled by nawabs. In 1610, after the Mughal rulers declared Dhaka as the provincial capital, Mughal subedars and other high officials arrived in Dhaka to manage the administration, and they brought — along with intrigue, grandeur, and tantrums — the biryani. Back then, people believed that the biryani could be prepared only for members of the ruling family, and that too on special occasions. The cooks came from the west, where the Hyderabadi biryani had only started to spread its aroma around India.
Hyderabadi Biryani
Somewhere along the way though, the Dhaka biryani developed its characteristics, which set it apart from its Hyderabadi progenitor – and even from the Sindhi, Kozhikode, Kolkata, Lucknow, and Tehari offshoots. The Kachchi Biryani is perhaps the most pleasant and authentic cuisine of Bangladesh. So, what makes Dhakai Kachchi different from other schools of biryani?
It refers to the ingredients which are cooked raw and in layers. Layers of meat, rice, and potatoes are infused with delicious blends of aromatic spices to prepare the Dhakai Kachchi Biryani. The key is to get the right balance of spices – not too spicy, not too bland, just right with succulent pieces of meat and potatoes.
Dhaka is also known for selling Chevon Biryani, a dish made with highly seasoned rice and goat meat. The recipe includes highly seasoned rice, goat meat, mustard oil, garlic, onion, black pepper, saffron, clove, cardamom, cinnamon, salt, lemon, curd, peanuts, cream, raisins, and a small amount of cheese (either from cows or buffalo). Haji Nanna Biriyani is a favourite joint as are Hazi Fakhruddin Kachchi, Shalimar Kachchi, Bashmoti Kachchi, Sultan’s Dine, and scores of others.
Unfortunately, a majority of biriyani lovers are not acquainted with the real taste of true-blue biriyani because the fare dished out at most eateries can be best described as “frying pan biriyani”. Here you may find long grain Basmati rice with a hint of saffron, but the traditional cooking process is not followed. Instead, most chefs have developed the fine art of “assembling” the dum ki biriyani. Despite all, Bengal’s love affair with biriyani continues unhindered and grows by the day.
source: http://www.getbengal.com / Get Bengal / Home> Culture> Food / by Shuvra Dey / November 16th, 2022
Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) faculty have invented an environment-friendly cement. The cement was invented by Dr Ibadur Rahman, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Jamia Milia Islami, including other researchers from AMU. The Patent Office, Government of Australia has granted a patent to this cement as an intellectual property.
The invention is entitled ‘A Method for Preparing Modified Cement and Evaluating Mechanical and Chemical Properties,’ it’s main objective is to reduce carbon emissions.
Professor Mohammad Arif, Professor Abdul Baqi, Er Mohammad Gamal Al-Hagri, Er Amer Saleh Ali Hasan and Dr M Shariq are the co-inventors from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).
Dr. Rahman said “There is a pressing need for the construction and other industries to go through green revolution-in other words, industries need to adopt and introduce environment-friendly materials.”
An official statement said this invention emphasis on the cement replacement effects with micro-silica fume, nano-silica fume and fly ash in a combination of two supplements on the mechanical properties of the concrete mixes.
The inventors said that the mixture of micro and nano-silica fumes, improves the mechanical properties of concrete and ultimately the microstructure and chemical analysis of the modified concrete show amplification in the morphological properties of concrete yielding to pore filling with further dense and compact formation.
Dr. Rahman has been working for the last eight years in the field of nano-based modified cement and concrete composite during his PhD research. A JMI statement said Dr. Rahman now has two patents to his merit.
Last year September, the intellectual property at the Patent Office, Government of India bestowed Dr. Rahman, the patent titled “High Strength Cementitious Nanocomposite Compositions and the methods of making the same.”
source: http://www.thehindustangazette.com / The Hindustan Gazette / Home> News> Lifestyle / by Rabia Shireen / June 11th, 2021
Muhammed Shiyad Chathoth, a 17-year-old Kerala resident studying computer science in class 12, has created a functional robot to assist his struggling mother with some household chores.
When Chathoth and his family were being served by a simple humanoid robot in a Kannur eatery, that is when Chathoth first thought of the concept, when he overheard his mother saying, If only she had a robot that could assist her with chores around the house.
Chathoth enquired about the robot at the same restaurant and was told that it cost Rs 3-4 lakh, and they did not have any technical details about the robot system.
Buying the expensive robot was out of the question he researched and came up with cost-effective ways to build such a system.
He said, “There is no direct information available on the Internet about putting together a robot. But I noticed that the machine in the restaurant was following a fixed path. My research led me to find many videos that explained this tech.”
He build it in about 10,000 rupees and named his robot named Android Pathooty, after a Malayalam film named Android Kunjappan.
Within a year, Shiyad created a simple design by mounting a plastic stool on top of an aluminium base supported by four tyres. A female mannequin that can turn 180 degrees makes up the robot’s top half. But the system is entirely automated.
All that is required is to put a tray of food onto Android Pathooty, and it will proceed to the table along a predetermined course that has been indicated with black tape. The movement is powered by a gear and motor that ran on 12 volts and is controlled by an ultrasonic sensor. The distance between the kitchen and dining area is long, now Pathooty carries the food from the kitchen to the table.
Additionally, a mobile application has been developed through the MIT app and Admega MicroController. It can work both manually and automatically as well as carry a load of up to 6 kg.
Chathoth has big dreams, as he hopes to launch a robot startup in the future.
Source: First Post
source: http://www.thehindustangazette.com / The Hindustan Gazette / Home> National> Kerala / by The Hindustan Gazette / October 26th, 2022
