1 Portugal PM keen to extend joint progs in marine robotics, navigation systems CSIR-NIO 11 th January 2017 Prime Minister of Portugal Antonio Costa being taken around some exhibits at CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) by the director Dr Prasanna Kumar
2 During the visit of high-level delegation from Portugal led by their Prime Minister Antonio Costa to the CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), it was agreed upon to extend the existing collaborative research programmes as well as to initiate new programmes in the fields of marine robotics, global navigation systems and microbial biotechnology. The Portuguese delegation was shown the autonomous underwater vehicle as well as autonomous vertical profiler developed at NIO, of which some of the control systems were designed in collaboration with Institute for Systems and Robotic, Lisbon, Portugal. It was informed by NIO director Dr Prasanna Kumar that the collaboration has not only resulted in developing new technologies for oceanographic research that have led to filing of joint patents and commercialisation of the products for industrial applications but also in offering internships to Indian students as well as conducting an annual ocean robotics course for engineers from various institutes in India. Under another MoU between CSIR-NIO and Space & Earth Geodetic Analysis Laboratory (SEGAL), University of Beira Interior (UBI), Covilhã and Instituto Geofísico Infante D Luíz (IDL), Lisbon signed in January, 2012, a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver has been established in NIO and a sea-level gauge installed at Dona Paula jetty which are being used for monitoring crustal motions in order to derive absolute or climate related signals in mean sea level.
3 Joint research between NIO and University of Azores on microbial biodiversity and biotechnology of hydrothermal vents has shown that bacterial isolates were able to tolerate high concentration of heavy metals like Mn, Fe and Sulphur and could synthesise more than 15 enzymes which are of industrially important. It is proposed that this research will be extended to molecular and mechanistic comparison on the role of gill endosymbiont bacteria in immune responses of the deep sea hydrothermal vent mussels. The Prime Minister of Portugal Antonio Costa highlighted the cultural and scientific exchange with India and expressed keen interest in extending the joint research programmes between NIO and Portuguese research institutions and assured his support in order to improve understanding of the oceanographic processes and utilisation of its resources. Manuel Heitor, Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, mentioned that Portugal is keen on developing joint programmes with India in the field of atmospheric and oceanic sciences and also to look at deep sea resources. Besides the Prime Minister of Portugal and Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, the high-level delegation comprised Ambassador of Portugal in India, João da Camara, Consul General of Portugal in Goa, Rui Baceira, Chief of Staff of Prime Minister, Rita Faden, President of Council of Rectors of Portuguese Universities, António Cunha, Diplomatic Advisor Prime Minister, Bernardo Lucena, Institute For Systems and Robotics, Luis Sebastião. Published in: Nav Hind Times, Source: bit.ly/2j7zg6i
4 Also Published in: http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/parsekar-welcomes- Portuguese-PM-with-a-touch-of-Goan-pride/article17024449.ece http://news.webindia123.com/news/articles/india/20170111/3031744.html
5 छत त सगढ़ क ब य फ य ल स अब हव ई जह ज भर ग उड़ न CSIR-IIP 13 th January 2017 अब छत त सगढ़ क ब य फ य ल स हव ई जह ज भ उड़ न भर ग इसक ललए म ख यम त र ड. रमन लस ह क अध यक षत म ग र व र र त र जध न र यप र स थ त उनक लनव स क य लय म आय स जत ब ठक म र ज य सरक र क उपक रम छत त सगढ़ ब य फ य ल प र लधकरण और द हर द न स थ त व ज ञ लनक एव औद य लगक श ध पररषद (स एसआईआर) क स थ भ रत य प ट र ललयम स थ न क ब च एक एमओय पर हथत क षर ककए गए एमओय क अन स र हव ई जह ज क ललए ई धन (ब य फ य ल) उत प दन क ललए त न वष क क य य जन पर द न स थ ए लमलकर क म कर ग ब ठक म क र ड क अध यक ष प रन दर लमश र, ऊज ववभ ग क अपर म ख य सलचव एन ब ज न र क म र और सलचव अलनल स ह सकहत अन य वररष ठ अलधक र उपस थ त समझ त ज ञ पन पर छत त सगढ़ ब य फ य ल ववक स प र लधकरण क श ल न र श क ल और भ रत य प ट र ललयम स थ न क ओर स उनक क य प ललक लनद शक लनद शक अ जन र य न हथत क षर क ह म ख यम त र न इस एमओय पर ख श जत ई और सभ स ब लधत अलधक ररय क इसक ललए जल द स जल द क य य जन बन न और उस पर जल द ह अमल करन क लनद श कदए Published in: Khabar Nonstop, Source: bit.ly/2iomkpf
6 Water line leak led to sinkhole: Report CSIR-NGRI 12 th January 2017 Mungara Sunil A recent sink-hole near the Clock Tower in Secunderabad was caused due to leakage from a drinking water line and migration of loose soil in a sewage pit, a report prepared by experts at National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) said. The findings of the study, done using ground penetrating radar (GPR) technology at the cave-in site, was submitted to the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) on Wednesday. The water board has utilised services of NGRI experts for the first time after the road cave-in incident at Clock Tower in Secunderabad on December 29, 2016. An NGRI team had conducted the study on the decades-old sewer line (300 mm diameter) for about 600 metre length. After a week, the NGRI experts submitted their report to the HMWS&SB managing director on Wednesday. In its report, the NGRI said, "The soil surrounding the pipeline appears to be porous due to fluid satu ration. Domestic pits were found towards margins, several pipelines and loose soil was around them."
7 "Now, the water board has decided to request NGRI to study the condition of the decades-old sewer trunk between Amreerpet and GHMC head office using the GPR technology," HMWS&SB managing director M Dana Kishore said. On September 21, a trunk sewer had got damaged near NTR Garden and road caved-in. "The water board would convene a meeting with NGRI team soon to take up the study. Based on the study, a decision will be taken for its replacement," the official said. Published in: TOI, Source: bit.ly/2ik3hmj
8 Research key to idea s uniqueness: Expert CSIR-TKDL 12 th January 2017 Nagpur: Before any new invention can be patented, extensive research must be done to ensure the idea is unique, said patent and trademark attorney Bindu Sharma in her key note address at the national seminar on intellectual property rights (IPR) and importance of patents to boost research, on Monday. The seminar was organized by LAD College for Women of Arts, Science and Commerce, Shankar Nagar and held at the college premises. "The inventor has to be mindful of novelty, inventiveness and industrial use of his creation before it can be patented," said Sharma. According to Sharma, the benefits of inventions and authorships are eventually passed on to the public which is why patents and copyrights cannot be renewed after a stipulated period expires. In contrast, trademarks are perpetual because of their commercial value which businesses can capitalize upon, she said. Businesses which choose to guard trade information must be cautious about information leakage, said Sharma. She also said that some may patent trade secrets which involves providing critical information to the patent office. "The food industry is well-known for keeping secrets," she said.
9 Traditional knowledge a practice or commodity indigenous to a particular region or community cannot be registered under the IP laws, said Sharma. Stating an example, Sharma said an American multinational company claimed a patent on turmeric for its medicinal use in the 1990s. The patent was revoked after the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library, a unit of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, submitted evidence of the plant being used to treat ailments in India for centuries. India had then taken strong exception to patent of turmeric. Sharma also said that assessing the commercial value of intellectual property is difficult because it is intangible, but it is not impossible once it is registered. "Any idea is your idea once you register it," she said. Published in: TOI, Source: bit.ly/2jewy1q
10 Lab Covered: CSIR-IICT 12 th January 2017 Published in: Hindi Milap, 11 th January Sakshi, 12 th January