DRDO’s herbal care product

Weekday levity: India’s top defence laboratory produces a herbal product for Leucoderma
Here is from Government of India’s press release on the subject:
Lukoskin, a herbal product for Leucoderma developed by DRDO, was launched by Dr. W. Selvamurthy, Distinguished Scientist & Chief Controller Research & Development (Life Science & International Cooperation) in New Delhi, yesterday. The product will be a boon for the patients of Leucoderma and is backed by extensive R&D work by the scientists of Defence Institute of Bio-energy Research (DIBER) (formerly Defence Agricultural Research Laboratory), Haldwani. DIBER, a DRDO laboratory has carried out extensive work in the area of medicinal plant and is also engaged in R&D in generating bio-energy solutions for energy security.[PIB] click here for more

Is this for real? Earlier DRDO had developed a mosquito-repellent cream and handed it over to a private firm for mass production. No one is denying the efficacy of these products or the need in India for such solutions. The question that begs attention is: should the DRDO not restrict itself to areas of strategic importance or high-tech weapon systems?

Defence ministry had constituted a study committe under P Rama Rao to suggest measures for improving the functioning of DRDO. It had submitted its report in 2008, which was then studied by another committee chaired by the defence secretary in June 2009. While Rama Rao Committee had suggested hiving away dozen or so laboratories working on non-critical technology areas, the recommendations of the committee which were accepted by the government in May 2010 resulted in hiving off only three of its 51 labs, two to CSIR and one to ICAR. This was then hailed as a major restructuring and revamp of the DRDO.

If the proof is in the pudding, after all the restructuring and revamp of the DRDO, this is what we have ended up with: a herbal product for Leucoderma!

And for Christ’s sake, let us never again talk about DRDO and DARPA in the same breath again.
Pragmatic Euphony

Gandhian Engineering is not just for the poor

CJ: Sheila Panickar Wed, Oct 14, 2009 10:06:15 IST

WHAT BRANCH of engineering would be the most crucial for the 21st century? Electrical Engineering? Aeronautical Engineering? Computer Engineering? Electronics Engineering? No. None of these. It will be ‘Gandhian engineering’. Dr RA Mashelkar, Chairman, National Innovation Foundation and President of Global Research Alliance in his lecture highlighted the emergence of Innovation and focus on Gandhian Engineering to a large gathering of NIT-W Alumni and students at the Golden Jubilee and Foundation Day of NIT-W Alumni meet at the campus.

Dr Mashelkar started the address at 11:45 am exactly at the same time and day 50 years ago Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru laid the foundation stone for the Institute. Dr. Mashelkar, Chairman of National Innovation said it gave him immense pleasure to be part of the NIT-W Golden Jubilee Celebration as it was a Mashelkar Committee in 1998/99 that had reviewed RECs and recommended that they be converted to National Institute of Technology (NIT).
Read the article: Gandhian Engineering's crucial role in 21st century
Read 37 pages of the innovative concept: Gandhian Engineering is not just for the poor

DRDO: Delayed Research Derailed Organisation to be revamped

Finally, Govt Orders Full Revamp Of DRDO, Formally Sanctions Mark-II Versions Of MBT Arjun & Akash SAM
by Shiv Aroor on Thursday, May 13th 2010

More than three years after the Indian Express special series on the woeful state of the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) by me and Express senior editor Amitav Ranjan, the government has finally managed to order a comprehensive restructuring plan for the beleaguered organization with immediate effect. It was our 8-part special front-page series, titled Delayed Research Derailed Organisation in late 2006 which set the ball rolling. For starters, it compelled the government to set up a committee in February 2007, chaired by Former Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Dr. P Rama Rao to review and suggest measures to improve the functioning of DRDO. After years of stiff resistance from some quarters in DRDO, the revamp plan has finally been pushed through.

A statement from the MoD today said, "To give a major boost to Defence Research in the country and to ensure effective participation of the private sector in Defence technology, the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony today approved a series of measures that will transform and revitalise the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) – in form and substance."
Read more:
Finally, Govt Orders Full Revamp Of DRDO, Formally Sanctions Mark-II Versions Of MBT Arjun & Akash SAM by Shiv Aroor
Thursday 13 May, 2010. Govt to set up new Defence Technology Commission- DD News

ISRO Chief spills the beans about Higher Education in India

Bangalore: ISRO chairman G. Madhavan Nair, who is to retire by this month-end after an illustrious career at the space agency, feels that the country’s higher education system is not up to the mark, churning out graduates only for routine jobs.

Mr. Nair, also Secretary in the Department of Space, called for improving quality to produce high-class technologists and scientists.

‘Not up to the mark’
“The level of education and knowledge being imparted by many colleges... they are not up to the mark. Instead of concentrating on quantity, these institutions should concentrate on quality,” Mr. Nair told PTI in an interview.

"I am not happy with the education system in the country. The bulk of applicants (who applied for scientific and engineering jobs at ISRO this year)... they are not able to get even 50 per cent marks in our entrance tests."

Nair said if the quality level is not up to the mark, then one would only get people for clerical or routine jobs. If real technologists for manufacturing and scientific research were to be produced, the quality had to be far better.

Appointed as ISRO chairman, Nair's tenure saw realisation of 27 space missions, of which 25 were successful, with India's maiden moon mission Chandrayaan-1 being the pinnacle of glory for the country's space agency. Nair got two extensions in 2005 and 2007.- PTI
ISRO chief to retire by month-end

Fake degrees
Compounding the problems of poor quality of Higher education is the Fake Degrees, where detection and conviction is almost negligible. The Courts and Judiciary which have pending and backlog cases for the next 450 years is likely to enhance rapidly Fake Degrees in India and its export to other nations. Are we producing Scientists, Technocrats, Engineers for research or Bureaucrats and clerks for routine white collar jobs?

Science Exibition on Wheels, 55 locations traversing 18,000 Kms

Indian Railways in the education modeThe Phase-III of the 'Science Express' which was inaugurated by Chairman, Railway Board Shri S. S. Khurana on 2 October 2009 at Gandhinagar will travel to 55 locations, mostly not covered earlier, covering about 18,000 kms in seven months of its journey. It is covering the entire length and breadth of the country. At each of the locations, it would halt for 3-5 days, during which students and general public would visit the exhibition. The 55 locations will include Ahmedabad, Aurangabad, Madgaon, Hubli, Bangalore Cantt. Mysore, Calicut, Thirvanthapuram, Salem Town, Balasur, Dimapur, Darbhanga, Chhapra, Amethi, Jammu Tawi, Kapurthala, Delhi Cantt, Agra Cantt, Jhansi and Ujain.

The sparking white, fully air conditioned train has 16-coaches. The exhibition, with more than 300 large-format visual images, over 150 video clips and multimedia exhibits, deals extensively with cutting-edge research and technology. In the 12 exhibition coaches, most of exhibits have been developed by the max Planck Society, Germany noble laureate powerhouse while some exhibits are indigenous. Through these, the visitors explore wide areas in science in a fascinating manner and delve into the mysteries of our world, groundbreaking discoveries, emerging issues, cutting-edge science and future-oriented technologies. The exhibits explain our universe – how it all began, glimpses of space, black holes, galaxies, on the way to the Big Bang, our home in the cosmos, Spaceship Earth, simpler cold atoms, ultra short light, biotechnology, building blocks of life from 'gene to organism', the world of senses, architecture of the mind, renewable energy, technologies and energy sources for future, nanocosmos, bio-engineering, genetics, cell biology, computer applications in medicine and global challenges.

There is dedicated coach on 'Climate Change – Cause, Effect and Mitigation', sponsored by HSBC as an initiative of the 'Earth Sciences Forum'. Exhibits on 'Energy Conservation' from PCRA and poster on 'Nutrition' from Nestle are the new attractions in this Phase.
‘Science Express’ train will travel to 55 locations & cover 18000 kilometres in seven months