News Analysis India

Tag: Jitendra Singh

  • Use of non-toxic antivirals developed to treat Covid: Jitendra Singh

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh on Tuesday said the use of non-toxic antiviral nanoparticles has been developed for clinical applications to prevent and treat Covid.

    Addressing an inaugural session of the five-day International Conference on ‘Nanotechnology for Better Living’ at National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Srinagar, Singh said India always had superlative scientific temperament but there was lack of desire to implement it in the past but the gap has now been filled.

    He said the present dispensation has removed scientific taboos and opened up the field to private players and start-ups.

    The minister said the atomic energy field was shut behind a veil of secrecy and it was only Prime minister Narendra Modi who gave the permission to expand India’s nuclear programme.

    “In recent years, nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems have been applied to intranasal drug delivery to overcome various limitations that occur during mucosal administration and advances have been made to the stage where effective drug delivery is possible,” a statement quoting Singh said.

    “The use of non-toxic antiviral nanoparticles has been developed for clinical applications to prevent and treat COVID-19,” it said.

    This is the 7th Edition of the conference, which is being held under the aegis of Materials Research Society of India in association with Anna University, SKUAST-K, NIT Mizoram, SSM College of Engineering, IIT Madras, SKIMS, M G University Kerala, and in collaboration with Nanoscale Research Facility (NRF), IIT Delhi.

    The conference will be held in hybrid mode and around 300 participants from around the country will take part in it.

    The minister also emphasised the need to groom young and emerging scientists and tap scientific potential and temperament at an early age.

  • India has made giant leap in science and technology under PM Modi: Jitendra Singh

    By PTI

    JAMMU: India has made a “giant leap” in the field of science and technology in the past seven years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Sunday after he inaugurated an X-band doppler weather radar here to provide improved forecasts.

    He said the recent achievements by India’s space scientists were acknowledged by the world, which is also looking towards India after the prime minister announced in his Independence Day speech the launch of the National Hydrogen Mission to make the country a hub of production of green hydrogen.

    “Different countries are looking towards India after it registered achievements in different fields, including space technology. It was possible because Prime Minister Modi in the past seven years has given priority to the field of science and technology and accordingly enhanced budgetary allocations,” Singh told reporters after the event.

    The state-of-the-art indigenous GPS based pilot-sonde helps to gather data in all weather conditions with minimum human intervention and has facilities of auto detection of balloon launch and balloon burst.

    Singh said NASA has been obtaining the pictures taken by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) through its Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan missions, while countries like Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh are using India’s technology for weather forecasts.

    “The images which have been procured by our Mangalyaan are obtained by NASA which is a premier institute of space in America. Our Chandrayaan detected water on the moon what a remarkable journey it has been for us and what a leap forward because when we started our space journey, the countries like Soviet Union and USA were already preparing to land on the moon,” the Minister of State for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences told the gathering.

    The minister said India has started the space journey long back and “today we are getting inputs which are not even available with America.

    “The Hydrogen Mission was announced by the prime minister and the world is looking to us to become a major green hydrogen hub,” he said, adding “If this giant leap has happened in the last seven or eight years, the credit most of all goes to the prime minister. India had the human resource, scientific and innovation capacity but the prioritisation at the level of policy planners was earlier missing.”

    He said Modi not only made higher budgetary allocations to the science ministry and related departments but also showed keen personal interest and encouraged the scientists.

    He said the new weather technology would benefit the people of Jammu, including pilgrims, tourists, students and above all farmers who can plan their activities accordingly.

    He said Jammu has become a hub of various institutions over the past few years and this would not only bring ease of living for the common man but ensure doubling of farmers’ income and create job opportunities for the youth.

    “The central university has set up a space technology and research centre, we have IIIM which has brought a purple revolution in Bhaderwah where the farmers are earning several lakh rupees by lavender farming and a high altitude medicine institute is also coming up in Bhaderwah,” he said.

    The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the new radar would help in providing a nowcast (very short range forecast up to three hours) for all types of severe weather events affecting the region, especially thunderstorm, lightning, squall and heavy rain.

    The system would also help in providing weather forecasts for different sectors, including tourism forecast for pilgrims of Mata Vaishno Devi shrine at Katra which has an average footfall of 8.

    5 million every year, the IMD said, adding it would also provide inputs to numerical weather prediction models for generating better weather forecasts.

    In conjunction with data from other sensors such as satellites and automated weather stations, better forecasts and warnings can be achieved leading to minimal loss of property and life, thus providing better services towards public safety and socio-economic benefits, the IMD added.

  • Stringent measures being taken to check cross-border infiltration by terrorists: Jitendra Singh 

    By PTI

    JAMMU: Union minister Jitendra Singh on Sunday said stringent measures are being taken to check cross-border infiltration by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir and though it has been controlled to a large extent, it may not have stopped completely.

    Addressing an event here, the minister of state for personnel said even though effective border fencing is in place and thermal detection is also carried out, security forces have come across underground tunnels used by infiltrators coming from across the border.

    Singh said security forces are performing their duty with utmost sincerity and diligence, but it is also the responsibility of the local population to cooperate in detection and checking of these underground routes.

    “Stringent measures are being taken to check border infiltration by terrorists, which has been brought under control to a large extent but may not have stopped completely,” he said.

    Referring to the construction of family bunkers for the safety of people living along the Line of Control (LoC), modern household toilets in border areas and roads along the International Border, Singh said for the first time since independence, several sensitive decisions have been taken under Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the people living along the border.

    He said those who say nothing has been done by the Modi government must visit the family bunkers before arriving at conclusions while sitting in their drawing rooms.

    Barely 10 to 12 km from the venue of this function, family bunkers with all amenities, almost equivalent to a one-room residential flat, have been constructed for long stay and shelter in the event of border firing.

    Singh said the real question is why the previous governments did not address people’s long-pending demand for bunkers.

    The minister also attended a function at Reasi that was organised by Saksham, a social organisation working for disabled people. Singh said the Modi government’s approach is to ensure empowerment of the weaker sections of society and that they get appropriate respect.

    For this, he said, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has taken several important decisions in recent times like increasing the reservation quota in jobs for ‘Divyangs’ including acid attack victims.

  • Congress says party’s official account blocked by Twitter, hits out at Modi government

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Congress on Thursday alleged that the party’s official Twitter account as well as that of a large number of its leaders and workers have been blocked by the microblogging site.

    This comes close on the heels of the blocking of party leader Rahul Gandhi’s Twitter account after he shared pictures of the family of the nine-year-old alleged rape and murder victim last week in violation of the law.

    Congress social media department head Rohan Gupta said the party’s official Twitter account and around 5,000 accounts of its top leaders and workers have been blocked by Twitter.

    He alleged that Twitter is acting against Congress leaders under pressure from the government.

    “Twitter is clearly acting under government’s pressure, as it did not remove the same pictures shared by the Twitter accounts of National Commission for Scheduled Castes for a few days,” Gupta said.

    The Twitter accounts of AICC general secretaries Randeep Surjewala, K C Venugopal, Ajay Maken, party’s whip in Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore, Assam in-charge and former Union minister Jitendra Singh and Mahila Congress president Sushmita Dev have also been locked, the party said.

    “So! After Shri @RahulGandhi, the Lord @narendramodi Ji and Vassal @Jack & @twitter have locked @rssurjewala, @ajaymaken & @sushmitadevinc. @INCIndia registers its protest and promises to continue the fight for each and all being wronged! We shall hold on @AshwiniVaishnaw Ji,” tweeted Pranav Jha, AICC secretary in-charge of party’s Communications Department last night.

    His account was later blocked too at night.

    “The list goes on.@Twitter locks @JitendraSAlwar and @manickamtagore and many more. Doesn’t Modi Ji understand that we @INCindia’ns have a legacy of fighting even from behind the locks of kaala paani,” he had asked in another tweet.

    “He thinks the virtual locks of Twitter will deter us from fighting for India,” Jha said.

    The Congress has accused Twitter of acting against Gandhi’s account under pressure from the government.

    Gandhi had tweeted pictures with the family of a nine-year-old victim of alleged rape and murder in Delhi last week.

    The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) took cognisance of Gandhi’s tweet and directed Twitter to act against the Congress leader’s account for violating the privacy of a minor victim, mandated by the laws of the land.

  • Review of implementation of RTI Act provisions is an on-going process: MoS Personnel Jitendra Singh

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: There have been constant efforts on the part of the government to strengthen and streamline the existing mechanisms under the RTI Act and the review of the implementation of its provisions is an ongoing process, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday.

    This was said in a written reply by Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh to a question on whether the government has any plan to review the Right to Information Act, 2005 “specially in view of the many cases pending in the Hon’ble Supreme Court”.

    “Review of the implementation of the provisions of the RTI Act, 2005 is an ongoing process. There have been constant efforts on the part of the government to streamline and strengthen the existing mechanisms for the successful and effective implementation of the RTI Act,” he said.

    As far as RTI replies through the digital portal are concerned, Singh said that the government has already launched the RTI Online portal (https://rtionline.gov.in) w.e.f. August 21, 2013 to facilitate online filing of RTI applications and first appeals in English as well as in Hindi, along with the facility of payment of RTI fees, by the citizens.

    Due to the concerted efforts by the government, the number of public authorities aligned to this portal has risen to 2,427 as on July 29, he said.

  • CBI filed charge sheets against 96 higher officers in last over three years: Government in Lok Sabha

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed charge sheets against 96 higher officers in the last over three years, Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday.

    “During the period from 01.01.2018 to 30.06.2021, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed charge sheets in 84 cases against 96 higher officers under the jurisdiction of the Union government, including the officers selected by the Union Public Service Commission,” Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said in a written reply.

    Action, as appropriate is taken by concerned authorities in such cases, he said.

    The government was asked the details of the charge sheets filed in various courts in regard to corruption or other crimes committed by the higher officers under the jurisdiction of the Union government and the officers or employees selected by the UPSC.

  • COVID Severity Score algorithm developed for use by frontline health workers: Jitendra Singh

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Department of Science and Technology (DST), supported project by the Foundation For Innovations In Health, Kolkata has developed an algorithm that measures COVID Severity Score (CSS) which is suitable for use by frontline health workers and other health personnel, Science and Technology minister Jitendra Singh said on Friday.

    The software generates a CSS based on personal information, symptoms, vital parameters and laboratory test reports.

    The software dynamically monitors the clinical status of the patient so that informed and timely decision can be taken regarding clinical management plan of COVID affected patients like the requirement of ICU admission, ventilator support, discharge.

    “Science for Equity Empowerment & Development (SEED) Division of Department of Science and Technology (DST), under a project supported for sustainable public health and primary care by the Foundation For Innovations In Health, Kolkata has developed an algorithm that measures Covid Severity Score (CSS),” Singh said in a written response to a question in Lok Sabha.

    The software application is suitable for use by frontline health workers and other health personnel.

    The algorithm has been expanded, to measure different parameters of a COVID-19 positive patient (symptoms, vital parameters, test reports and comorbidities) and it scores each patient against a pre-set dynamic algorithm and allocates a Covid Severity Score (CSS), he said.

    In this initiative, the organisation has collaborated with IIT, Guwahati, University of Edinburgh and World Health Organisation (WHO) (South East Asia Regional Office). “This technology has been made available at primary care e-Health clinics in resource poor settings through the project supported by the SEED division,” he said.

    Certified frontline health workers received additional training from healthcare sector skill council as Covid Warrior. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the training centre at IIT Guwahati for training of ‘Customised Crash Course Programme for COVID Warriors, Singh said.

  • Chandrayaan-3 likely to be launched during third quarter of 2022: Jitendra Singh 

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Chandrayaan-3, India’s lunar mission, is likely to be launched during the quarter of 2022, Union minister Jitendra Singh said on Wednesday, stressing that its progress was hampered due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    In a written response to a question in Lok Sabha, Singh, Minister of State in-charge of the Department of Space, said the launch of Chandrayaan-3 has been rescheduled.

    “Chandrayaan-3 is likely to be launched during third quarter of 2022 assuming normal work flow henceforth,” he said.

    Singh added that the realisation of Chandrayaan-3 involves various process, including finalisation of configuration, subsystems realisation, integration, spacecraft level detailed testing and a number of special tests to evaluate the system performance on earth.

    “The realisation progress was hampered due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

    However, all works that were possible in the work from home mode were taken up even during the lockdown periods.

    Chandrayaan-3 realisation resumed after commencement of unlock period and is in matured stage of realisation, he said.

    Chandrayaan-2, aimed at landing a rover on unchartered Lunar South Pole, was launched on July 22, 2019 on board the country’s most powerful geosynchronous launch vehicle.

    However, the lander Vikram hard-landed on September 7, 2019, crashing India’s dream to become the first nation to successfully land on the lunar surface in its maiden attempt.

    Chandrayaan-3 is critical for Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) as it will demonstrate India’s capabilities to make landing for further interplanetary missions.

  • India to have submersibles that can carry scientists to depth of 6,000 metres into sea: Jitendra Singh

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: In the next five years, India will have an ambitious programme of manned submersibles that can carry three scientists to a depth of 6,000 metres into the ocean, Earth Sciences Minister Jitendra Singh said on Tuesday.

    Speaking at the 15th Foundation Day event of the Ministry of Earth Sciences here, Singh said the Deep Ocean Mission, approved by the Cabinet in June, will expand the exploration and utilisation of deep-sea resources even further for societally benefitting activities.

    The aim of this more than Rs 4,000 crore mission is to make India self-reliant in ocean technology, create more jobs in this field, and enhance the capacity building of institutions working in this sector.

    “In the coming five years, we are going to have very ambitious programmes being planned including man submersibles to carry three scientists up to the depth of 6,000 metres in the ocean,” Singh said.

    The project will be executed by the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

    Singh also suggested that when Gaganyaan — India’s first manned mission to the space — takes off, the MoES should also undertake this mission.

    The two missions will simultaneously take Indians to space and deep sea, he said.

    The ambitious Gaganyaan mission aims to carry three Indians to space.

    The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), an institute under the MoES, has designed and developed many modules for manned submersible which can go down to 6,000 metres.

    NIOT is also collaborating with ISRO on this project.

    The development is expected to be completed by 2024.

    When it is completed, India will be the sixth county in the world to have manned submersibles for deep sea exploration after the US, China, Japan, Russia and France.

    MoES Secretary M Rajeevan said the ministry is also planning to start radar meteorology in Bengaluru.

  • COVID-19 offers appropriate opportunity to work on strategic research outcomes: Jitendra Singh

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: COVID-19 has shifted the focus to biotech and genetic interventions, and this offers an appropriate opportunity to work on strategic research outcomes which are specifically India-centric, Union Minister Jitendra Singh has said.

    Addressing scientists and officials of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) in his first review meeting on Friday after taking charge as the science and technology minister, Singh said India has huge resource material for research.

    It can offer the world exclusive preventive and therapeutic options, particularly considering the fact that Indian phenotype and genotype are different from the rest of the world, he said.

    As a result, both epidemiology as well as the clinical course of diseases, including the currently prevalent infections due to coronavirus or the mutant viruses, could be different and therefore, the country’s researchers and scientists also owe responsibility to provide Indian remedies for the Indian patient, Singh pointed out.

    “COVID-19 has shifted focus to biotech and genetic interventions and this offers an appropriate opportunity for us to work on strategic research outcomes which are specifically India-centric, and can provide answers to a number of questions posed by the contemporary health scenario,” he said.

    The minister emphasised that Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes a personal interest in scientific and technology related programmes.

    This offers a great support and patronage for the entire fraternity, he said.

    Singh called upon the biotechnologists to identify at least two exclusive projects which can be researched, and completed with definite conclusions and results around the 75th Independence anniversary of India in 2022.

    “If we succeed in doing so, he said, we will not only be able to showcase the superlative talents of Indian scientists but would also succeed in coming out with research findings which can be exclusively hailed and published across the world as an Indian discovery for mankind during its most testing times,” he said.

    Referring to the huge potential in the field of biotechnology, Singh said somehow this has not been optimally utilised.

    However, he said, now is the time to give a special push and put it on the fast track.

    The minister asked the DBT to explore the feasibility of conducting joint projects with premier medical institutions like AIIMS and at the same time also engage the industry, private players and young start-ups in these projects.

    Singh particularly emphasised the need to reinforce the infrastructural strength by cutting down the number of autonomous bodies functioning in the DBT or try to merge two or more in order to make them more focused and oriented.

    He said the time has come for the DBT to emerge as a service-provider for the common citizens and contribute in “ease of living” and “ease of health”.

    The minister also underscored the need to curtail all kinds of wasteful expenditure.