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Navy inducts stealth destroyer INS Kochi

September 19, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Kochi, Sep 18 (ANI): The Indian Navy today inducted a stealth destroyer of Kolkata class, INS Kochi, to boost its maritime capabilities and safeguard India’s interests.

Madhulika Verma wife of Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Nirmal Verma, named the second of the three Project 15-A stealth destroyers on September 18.

Mazagon Docks Ltd in Mumbai built the 6500-ton ship, named INS Kochi.

The ship has advanced stealth features, which make it less vulnerable to detection by enemy radar and will be fitted with state-of-the-art weapon systems which include the supersonic BrahMos surface-to-surface missile, the LRSAM Long Range Surface-to-Air Missiles and the MFStar multi-function radar system providing accurate data on surface and air targets.

In addition, four AK-630 rapid-fire guns and a medium range gun will boost the ship’s close-range defence capability.

The ships will also be fitted with indigenously developed twin-tube torpedo launchers and anti-submarine rocket launchers.

The NPOL developed Humsa-NG hull-mounted sonar, and two multi-role helicopters adding punch to the ship’s anti-submarine capability. The maximum speed of the ship is above 30 Knots.

The destroyer will be launched using the pontoon-assisted launch technique, to be employed for the first time in the history of indigenous warship building.

This technique helps in overcoming slipway/ draft constraints and permits launching of heavier vessels. (ANI)

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Navy to induct stealth destroyer INS Kochi on Sep.18

September 17, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Sep 16 (ANI): The Indian Navy will induct a stealth destroyer of Delhi class on September 18 to boost its maritime capabilities and safeguard India’s interests.

Madhulika Verma wife of Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Nirmal Verma, will launch the second of the three Project 15-A stealth destroyers on September 18.

The 6500-ton ship, to be named INS Kochi, is being built by Mazagon Docks Ltd in Mumbai. The Directorate of Naval Design has designed the destroyer indigenously. The existing Delhi Class destroyers are INS Delhi, INS Mysore and INS Mumbai.

In addition, four AK-630 rapid-fire guns and a medium range gun will boost the ship’s close-range defence capability.

The ships will also be fitted with indigenously developed twin-tube torpedo launchers and anti-submarine rocket launchers.

The NPOL developed Humsa-NG hull-mounted sonar, and two multi-role helicopters adding punch to the ship’s anti-submarine capability. The maximum speed of the ship is above 30 Knots.

The destroyer will be launched using the pontoon-assisted launch technique, to be employed for the first time in the history of indigenous warship building.

This technique helps in overcoming slipway/ draft constraints and permits launching of heavier vessels. (ANI)

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US Navy ship sunk in World War II battle located

September 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, September 11 (ANI): A research mission has located and identified the final resting place of the YP-389, a US Navy patrol boat sunk approximately 20 miles off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, by a German submarine during World War II.

Six sailors died in the attack on June 19, 1942. There were 18 survivors.

The wreck is located in about 300 feet of water in a region off North Carolina known as the “Graveyard of the Atlantic,” home to US and British naval vessels, merchant ships, and German U-boats sunk during the Battle of the Atlantic.

NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and its expedition partners mapped and shot video of the wreck using high-resolution camera equipment, multibeam sonar and an advanced remotely operated vehicle deployed from the NOAA ship Nancy Foster.

Researchers were able to locate and positively identify the YP-389 by reexamining data from the Duke Marine Laboratory expedition that discovered the USS Monitor in 1973.

Today, the relatively intact remains of the YP-389 rest upright on the ship’s keel.

The wreck site is home to a variety of marine life. Much of the outer-hull plating has fallen away, leaving only the intact frames exposed.

“She rests now like a literal skeleton, a reminder of a time long ago when the nation was at war,” said Joseph Hoyt, Monitor National Marine Sanctuary archaeologist and principal investigator for the project.

Built originally as a fishing trawler, the YP-389 was converted into a coastal patrol craft and pressed into service after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

The ship was equipped with one 3-inch deck gun to protect the ship from enemy aircraft and surfaced submarines and two .30-caliber machine guns.

However, on the day of the attack by the German submarine U-701, the ship’s deck gun was inoperative, and the YP-389 could return fire only with its machine guns.

Weeks after the attack on the YP-389, the U-701 was sunk by Army aircraft in the same vicinity as the YP-389.

According to Rear Admiral Jay A. DeLoach, USN (Ret), director, Naval History and Heritage Command, “The US Navy considers the YP-389 discovery a grave site and, by law, it is to be left undisturbed.” (ANI)

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Scientists using laser light to generate underwater sound

September 6, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, September 6 (ANI): The United States Naval Research Laboratory is working on a new technology that uses flashes of laser light to remotely create underwater sound.

Researchers behind the project say that the new technology has the potential to expand and improve both Naval and commercial underwater acoustic applications, including undersea communications, navigation, and acoustic imaging.

Dr. Ted Jones, a physicist in the Plasma Physics Division, is leading a team of researchers from the Plasma Physics, Acoustics, and Marine Geosciences Divisions in developing this acoustic source.

The researchers used a 532 nm laser pulse for their study at the Salt Water Tank Facility.

They also used air bubblers and controlled water and air temperatures to create ocean-like conditions in the laboratory.

The research team could efficiently convert light into sound by concentrating the light sufficiently to ionize a small amount of water, which then absorbed laser energy and superheats.

They said that the result was a small explosion of steam that could generate a 220 decibel pulse of sound.

Given that the driving laser pulse has the ability to travel through both air and water, the researchers say that a compact laser on either an underwater or airborne platform can be used for remote acoustic generation.

They believe that their method would be a significant addition to traditional direct backscattering acoustic data. (ANI)

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New Commanders for Southern Command of Indian Navya and Air force

September 1, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Kochi (Kerala), Aug 31(ANI): The southern commands of the Indian Navy and Air Force based in Kerala were assigned new commanding heads on Monday.

Vice Admiral KN Sushil took over as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Southern Naval Command (SNC) from Vice Admiral SK Damle at a ceremonial parade held at the naval base in Kochi.

Commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1973, Admiral KN Sushil joined the submarine arm in 1976 and has served on both the Vela class and the Shishumar class submarines.

Air Marshal Sumit Mukerjee will be the new Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Southern Air Command and will assume charge on September 1, 2009.

Prior to this, Air Marshal Mukerjee was the Air Officer-in-Charge Personnel at Air Headquarters in New Delhi.

He is the only pilot in the history of IAF to have commanded units with the Mig-21, Mig-23U, Mig-25, Mig-27 and Mig-29 aircraft.

Air Marshal Sumit Mukerjee was commissioned into the fighter stream of the IAF on January 22, 1972. By Juhan Samuel (ANI)

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Pakistan asks Sri Lankan Army to train its armed forces in counterinsurgency operations

August 21, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Colombo, Aug.21 (ANI): Pakistan has asked the Sri Lankan Army to provide training to its armed forces.

Following the Sri Lankan Army’s tremendous success against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the Pakistan Government wants it to train their security personnel in counter-insurgency operations, Commander of the Sri Lankan Army, Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya said.

Jayasuriya said several other countries have also sought information regarding the strategy adopted by the armed forces which helped them to weed out the LTTE, the Dawn reports.

Former Sri Lanka Naval Chief Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda, who is currently the National Security Adviser, had recently said that the strategies and tactics adopted by the Sri Lankan navy to tackle the LTTE’s naval arm could be very useful for other countries as well.

“Future conflicts would not be like facing battleships and destroyers but small and fast boats of non-state rogue navies which could be indulging in insurgencies, piracies and trafficking of various kinds,” Admiral Karannagoda had said.

It may be noted that Islamabad had provided help to Colombo during the war against LTTE by providing arms and ammunitions when other countries had refused. (ANI)

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India’s coastline vulnerable but security measures in place: Sureesh Mehta

August 20, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Mumbai, Aug 20 (ANI): After Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh’s talked about a possible terror threat to the country, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sureesh Mehta has said that the coastline was vulnerable, but adequate security measures were in place.

Talking to reporters here on the sidelines of flagging off a solo expedition of circumnavigating the globe by Commander Dilip Donde in Indian Navy’s yacht ‘Mhadei’, Mehta said, “We have a 7,500 kilometres coastline, so no doubt it will be vulnerable. But that vulnerable should be used in the right sense, that there is possibility of threat coming from here and therefore we have to take measures to ensure that that threat is taken care of.

Mehta also clarified his earlier statement that India had neither the capability nor the intention to match China, force for force.

“The context in which I have said that is that yes they have a much larger navy, larger does not mean better. There are ways to tackle this issue. We do not go counting; we do not say if you have ten ships, I will have ten ships. But may be I have better ships which are able to do that job much better than what somebody else can do. So I have said we need to get smarter, we need to get better outputs form lesser number of platforms rather than working up to increase the strength in such number that they match number for number,” said Mehta.

He further said that building of ports in Sri Lanka and Pakistan by China would create ‘dependency’ for those countries.

“I do believe that there will be some lien on them at times that is may be required, so dependency’s do get created by these kinds of measures. But it is their policy it is in their interest to do it, so they are doing it,” he added. (ANI)

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US navy chemists try to turn seawater into jet fuel

August 19, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, August 19 (ANI): In a new experiment, US navy chemists have processed seawater into unsaturated short-chain hydrocarbons that with further refining could be made into kerosene-based jet fuel.

According to a report by New Scientist, the process involves extracting carbon dioxide (CO2) dissolved in the water and combining it with hydrogen – obtained by splitting water molecules using electricity – to make a hydrocarbon fuel.

It uses a variant of a chemical reaction called the Fischer-Tropsch process, which is used commercially to produce a gasoline-like hydrocarbon fuel from syngas, a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen often derived from coal.

Robert Dorner, a Naval Research Laboratory chemist in Washington DC and first author of a new paper on the technique, said that CO2 is rarely used in the Fischer-Tropsch process because of its chemical stability.

“But CO2′s abundance, combined with concerns about global warming, make it an attractive potential feedstock,” Dorner said.

“Although the gas forms only a small proportion of air – around 0.04 per cent – ocean water contains about 140 times that concentration,” he added.

The navy team has been experimenting to find out how to steer the CO2-producing process away from producing unwanted methane to produce more of the hydrocarbons wanted.

In the conventional Fischer-Tropsch process, carbon monoxide and hydrogen are heated in the presence of a catalyst to initiate a complex chain of reactions that produce a mixture of methane, waxes and liquid fuel compounds.

Dorner and colleagues found that using the usual cobalt-based catalyst on seawater-derived CO2 produced almost entirely methane gas.

Switching to an iron catalyst resulted in only 30 per cent methane being produced, with the remainder short-chain hydrocarbons that could be refined into jet fuel.

According to Heather Willauer, the navy chemist leading the project, the efficiency needs to be much improved, perhaps by finding a different catalyst. (ANI)

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Internal threat facing Pakistan far greater than external: Kayani

July 4, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Rawalpindi, July 4 (ANI): Pakistan Chief of Army Staff , General Ashfaq Kayani has said that the internal threat facing the country was more threatening than the external, and that it needed immediate attention.

“While external threats continue to exist, it is the internal threat to Pakistan that needs immediate attention,” The Daily Times quoted Kayani, as saying.

Addressing the 91st Officers Commissioning Parade at the Pakistan Naval Academy here, Kayani said that Pakistan is facing numerous challenges, but the Army is determined to counter each one of them.

Kayani expressed hope that Pakistan would successfully quell the impending threat posed by the Taliban and other extremist organizations.

“Pakistan is confronted with multifaceted challenges which are complex in nature and their spectrum is both diverse and intense. With the nation’s full support, we will succeed in our fight against terrorism,” he said.

Kayani said Pakistan is committed to global and regional peace, and is against the arm race in the region, but added that country’s military would maintain a balance through a strategy of minimum credible deterrence.

“A strong army is the guarantor of peace and stability,” he said. (ANI)

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New instrument can detect explosives up to range of 100 meters

July 4, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, July 4 (ANI): Scientists have developed a new explosives detector with incredible sensitivity and a range of up to 100 meters that could save lives and thwart the efforts of terrorists.

The detector, developed by a team of researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is based on photo-induced acoustic spectroscopy (PIAS).

Using PIAS, the military and law enforcement agencies will have an instrument that is one-tenth the size of competing products.

At five pounds, it is one-fifth the weight and is about one-fifth the cost of the competition.

It works by illuminating the suspected explosive with an eye-safe laser and allowing the scattered light to be detected by a quartz crystal tuning fork.

After a series of subsequent steps, the instrument is able to identify a number of explosives without jeopardizing the safety of the operator.

Funding for research work into the development of the instrument was provided by the Department of Energy’s Office of Nonproliferation Research and Development and the Office of Naval Research. (ANI)

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Indian Maritime University ~ 2009 Indian Maritime University ~ Chennai ~ IMU ~ Maritime University ~ IMU CET ~ IMU CET Results 2009 ~ Indian Maritime University CET Results 2009 ~ nipm.tn.nic.in

June 28, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Indian Maritime University ~ 2009 Indian Maritime University ~ Chennai ~ IMU ~ Maritime University ~ IMU CET ~ IMU CET Results 2009 ~ Indian Maritime University CET Results 2009 ~ nipm.tn.nic.in

Indian Maritime University (IMU), Chennai has declared Results of Common Entrance Test (CET) 2009, which is required for admission in B.Sc Natural Science / B.E Marine Engineering and B.Tech Naval Architecture.

These Results are available on Indian Maritime University Website – http://www.nipm.tn.nic.in

Direct Link to IMU CET 2009 Results – http://www.nipm.tn.nic.in/images/Result/Result.html

Note : Counselling Schedule for B.Sc. (Nautical Science), B.E. (Marine Engineering) and B. Tech. (Naval Architecture) Courses is also given on Results Page

INDIAN MARITIME UNIVERSITY
CHENNAI CAMPUS
EAST COAST ROAD, UTHANDI,
CHENNAI – 600 119.
Phone: (044) 24530343, 24530345.
Fax: (044) 24530342

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Secret behind “delta wing” dolphins’ speed and agility revealed – partly

June 21, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, June 21 (ANI): US researchers have partly been successful in solving the mystery behind the speed and agility of dolphins and porpoises.

They believe the secret can be explained by the mammals’ ability to deploy flippers in the same “delta wing” pattern as jet fighters.

Boffins have found that the sea mammals use swept-back design to generate lift while minimising drag from the water – a similar mechanism to that used by aircraft.

Tiny twists to the flippers can also generate sharp changes in direction – the key to agility, reports The Times.

The finding may come handy in explaining how they are able to reach extraordinary speeds, such as the 20mph achieved by the striped dolphin.

Theoretically speaking, such speeds in water should produce so much friction that the creature should never be able to sustain them – or so researchers have thought.

However, Frank Fish from West Chester University, Pennsylvania, worked with the US Naval Academy and other researchers to build up exact profiles of the flippers of seven species, from the Amazon river dolphin and pygmy sperm whale to the striped dolphin.

To reach the conclusion, the shapes were analysed with computerised tomography of real flippers, and the researchers built exact scale models for testing in a water tunnel, they told a meeting of the American Physical Society.

“We found that swept-back flippers generate lift like modern delta-wing aircraft,” said Fish. (ANI)

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Building on Indian Navy’s initiative, Lanka hosts 34 navies of IOR

May 21, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, May 21 (ANI): Taking the Indian Navy’s initiative a step further to increase maritime cooperation among navies/maritime agencies in the Indian Ocean Region, the Sri Lanka Navy is hosting IONS Technical Seminar 2009 in which delegates of thirty-four nations are participating.

The IONS (Indian Ocean Naval Symposium) provides a forum for discussion of issues, both regional and global. The Indian Navy wants to generate a flow of information and opinion between naval professionals.

The IONS came into existence as a consequence of the deliberations made by the commanders of the navies around the Indian Ocean who gathered in India in February 2008 at the invitation of Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta.

The seminar conducted by the Lankan Navy under the theme of ‘Practical Cooperative Mechanisms for Technical Support within the Indian Ocean. It is being held in Colombo, Sri Lanka on May 21-22.

Sri Lanka Navy, which extends its unstinting support for IONS, is showing its commitment to maintain the regional momentum generated through the regional maritime security initiative alive by hosting the technical seminar, which is expected to enhance the cooperation among regional navies.

The technical seminar will focus its attention on formulation of standards for interoperability and technical cooperation between IONS countries, understanding procedures, maintenance and repair methodologies being followed in IONS countries.

It is expected that the IONS Technical Seminar will provide a conducive platform for the participants to deliberate upon technical issues, which come under the IONS mandate and in turn enhance the friendship and professional cooperation among the Navies of the Indian Ocean Region.

By conducting the Technical Seminar in Sri Lanka, it is believed that the country as a whole and the Sri Lanka Navy in particular can achieve greater acceptance among regional navies. By Praful umar Singh (ANI)

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Admiral Mehta commissions fifth Landing Ship Tank ‘Airavat’

May 19, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Visakhapatnam, May 19 (ANI): Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta on Tuesday commissioned Indian Navy’s fifth Landing Ship Tank (Large) ‘Airavat’ here.

On the occasion, Mehta said the Airavat would augment the operational capabilities and reach of the Eastern Naval Command, in addition to enhancing the amphibious and disaster relief potential of the fleet.

Airavat, previously known as Yard 3016, was christened and launched by Maria Teresa Mehta in Kolkata on March 27 2006.

The ship was formally handed over to the Indian Navy on March 30, 2009 at Kolkata’s M/s Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited.

Airavat is the fifth LST (L) of the Indian Navy and third of the Shardul class. As a platform designed for amphibious operations against the enemy, it is a further upgrade on the Magar Class (the First LST (L)) in its suite of weapons, sensors and indigenous content.

With a significantly enhanced Weapon package, latest Control Systems and better Habitability conditions, Airavat delivers considerable punch and amphibious capabilities to the fighting prowess of the Indian Navy.

The ship can carry 10 Main Battle Tanks, 11 Combat Trucks and 500 Troops and has a considerable range and endurance at sea.

Besides undertaking amphibious operations, the ship is a potent assault platform capable of operating both Seaking 42C and the indigenous Dhruv helicopters.

It is fitted with two indigenous WM 18A Rocket Launchers to support successful amphibious operations. The threat from air is dealt with through two indigenous CRN 91 Anti-Aircraft Guns auto-controlled by Optronic Sights and shoulder launched IGLA Surface to-Air Missiles.

It also has soft kill ability through Chaff Rockets, which can be used to clutter the sensory inputs of an incoming enemy aircraft or missile.

The ship is fitted with Remote Propulsion Control, Battle Damage Control System and Automated Power Management System. These are fully integrated, microprocessor based, digital control systems for providing control and for monitoring ships machinery and systems.

The ship also has a microprocessor based anti-roll Flume Stabilisation System and Smoke Curtains to impede spreading of smoke and toxic gases in case of fire onboard.

In addition, the ship can act as a Fleet tanker through stern refueling of other naval vessels and as a hospital ship. The ship can be effectively tasked for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) missions during natural calamities like tsunami, cyclone, earthquake etc, and can operate independently at high seas for as long as 45 days. (ANI)

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Architect of Indian Navy’s 1971 victory Admiral Nanda passes away

May 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, May 12 (ANI): Former Navy Chief Admiral Sardari Mathradas Nanda, who made the country realise the full potential of the Indian Navy during the Indo-Pak war of 1971, died in the capital after a prolonged illness.

Admiral Nanda was 94 and died at about 11 p.m. on Monday in Fortis Hospital, Vasant Kunj. He was cremated with full honours at the Brar Square crematorium in Delhi Cantonment at about 4 p.m. on Tuesday

Condoling his death, Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta said: “In his passing, the nation has lost a hero and a visionary leader, who contributed significantly to the growth of the modern Indian Navy.”

“He will always be remembered in the most glowing terms for his leadership of the Indian Navy during the Indo-Pak Conflict of 1971, in which the Indian Navy carved its name in golden letters in the annals of history by its sterling offensive actions,” he added.
Admiral Nanda assumed the charge of the Indian Navy as the sixth Chief of Naval Staff on February 28, 1970. Born in 1915, he joined the Royal Indian Naval Volunteer Reserve in October 1941. Prior to his joining the RINVR, he had served with Port Trust in Karachi.

In 1948, Admiral Nanda joined the Navy’s first cruiser INS Delhi in the United Kingdom as her First Lieutenant. He later commanded the destroyer, INS Ranjit, as well as a Frigate Squadron.

In 1957, Admiral Nanda commissioned the cruiser INS Mysore in the United Kingdom. He became the Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (DCNS) in May 1962.

Admiral Nanda was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) for the distinguished service of a very high order in 1966.

He commanded the Indian Navy during the 1971 Indo-Pak War and steered it to a resounding victory.

The Indian Navy humbled their Pakistani counterparts, gaining complete control over the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea during the war. Admiral Nanda retired in 1973 after completing over 31 years of exceptional service. (ANI)

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New nanocrystal shows potential for cheaper and more versatile lasers

May 11, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, May 11 (ANI): Scientists at the University of Rochester, along with researchers at the Eastman Kodak Company, have created a nanocrystal that constantly emits light, which has potential for the development of cheaper and more versatile lasers and brighter LED lighting.

Many molecules, as well as crystals just a billionth of a meter in size, can absorb or radiate photons. But, they also experience random periods when they absorb a photon, but instead of the photon radiating away, its energy is transformed into heat.

These “dark” periods alternate with periods when the molecule can radiate normally, leading to the appearance of them turning on and off, or blinking.

“A nanocrystal that has just absorbed the energy from a photon has two choices to rid itself of the excess energy-emission of light or of heat,” said Todd Krauss, associate professor of chemistry at the University of Rochester and lead author on the study.

“If the nanocrystal emits that energy as heat, you’ve essentially lost that energy,” he added.

Krauss worked with engineers at Kodak and researchers at the Naval Research Laboratory and Cornell University to discover the new, non-blinking nanocrystals.

Krauss and Keith Kahen, senior principal scientist of Kodak, were exploring new types of low-cost lighting similar to organic light-emitting diodes, but which might not suffer from the short lifespans and manufacturing challenges inherent in these diodes.

Kahen, with help from Megan Hahn, a postdoctoral fellow in Krauss’ laboratory, synthesized nanocrystals of various compositions.

Xiaoyong Wang, another postdoctoral fellow in Krauss laboratory, inspected one of these new nanocrystals and saw no evidence of the expected blinking phenomenon.

Remarkably, even after four hours of monitoring, the new nanocrystal showed no sign of a single blink-unheard of when blinks usually happen on a scale of miliseconds to minutes.

After a lengthy investigation, Krauss and Alexander Efros from the Naval Research Laboratory concluded that the reason the blinking didn’t occur was due to the unusual structure of the nanocrystal.

Normally, nanocrystals have a core of one semiconductor material wrapped in a protective shell of another, with a sharp boundary dividing the two.

The new nanocrystal, however, has a continuous gradient from a core of cadmium and selenium to a shell of zinc and selenium.

That gradient squelches the processes that prevent photons from radiating, and the result is a stream of emitted photons as steady as the stream of absorbed photons.

With blink-free nanocrystals, Krauss believes lasers and lighting could be incredibly cheap and easy to fabricate. (ANI)

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Maharashtra and Gujarat celebrate their formation day

May 3, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Mumbai/Ahmedabad, May 1 (ANI): Maharashtra and Gujarat celebrated their formation day on Friday.

On the occasion, Maharashtra Governor S. C. Jamir, who unfurled the flag at the Shivaji Park grounds in Mumbai, reviewed the progress made in social and economic areas in the previous years in the state.

A ceremonial parade was also held to celebrate the Maharashtra Day.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, his cabinet colleagues, Mayor Shubha Raul along with dignitaries were also present.

Later, Chavan paid homage to 106 martyrs who laid down their lives for the cause of a unified Maharashtra with Mumbai at Hutatma Chowk.

Meanwhile, Gujarat Governor Naval Kishor Sharma and Chief Minister Narendra Modi also wished the people of the state on its 50th foundation day.

In his message, Sharma said that Gujarat is marching on the development path with full determination of the people. (ANI)

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Sri Lankan navy destroys six LTTE sea tiger boats, kills 25 rebels

May 2, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Colombo, Apr 29 (ANI): Sri Lankan Navy’s elite Special Boat Squadron (SBS) and Fast Attack Craft (FAC) on Wednesday destroyed six LTTE sea tiger boats killing twenty-five sea tigers off Mullaithivu.

A Lankan Army spokesperson informed that four suicide craft laden with high explosives and two enemy attack craft mounted with high caliber weapons were destroyed in the Naval gun fire.

Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and French couterpart Bernard Kouchner are in Colombo to meet Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa today to discuss about the safety of the civilians still stuck in the war zone in the island nation.

Addressing a joint press conference in Colombo today, Bernard Kouchner said that ‘Human beings are pre- occupation for us’ and urged the Sri Lankan Government to allow more access by the UN, Red Cross and NGO’s to help the civilian population in the combat zone as the international community is very anxious at their plight.

Miliband has already met Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama and urged him and the Sri Lankan Government to enforce a cease-fire.

Bogollagama is reported to have told Miliband and French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner that Colombo is doing everything possible to save innocent Tamil civilians trapped in a six kilometre area along with the rebel LTTE in the northern part of the country.

He also rejected suggestions that LTTE chief Vellupillai Prabhakaran has escaped from the country, and added that the Sri Lankan government’s concern was for the civilian population and not for Prabhakaran.

The British and French foreign ministers are on a one-day trip to Sri Lanka amid efforts to secure a truce between the army and rebels. Miliband and Kouchner will meet top officials and visit places where displaced people are living in camps.

Earlier, the Sri Lankan Government barred the entry of Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, prompting the Scandanavian nation to recall its envoy for consultations.

However, Sri Lanka rejected reports of denying entry to the Swedish minister, but said he can come in early May. (ANI)

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New gen of POWER KNEE can help amputees walk again

April 22, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, April 22 (ANI): Ossur, a global leader in non-invasive orthopaedics, has developed second generation of the POWER KNEE, the first technology to use sensors, power, artificial intelligence and actuators to provide amputees with the ability to walk naturally and safely without even thinking about it.

In 2006, working in partnership with Victhom Human Bionics, Ossur introduced the POWER KNEE, representing the most advanced technology of its kind with the ability to replace lost muscle function and provide increased safety.

Used mostly within the Department of Defense and the Veterans Healthcare Administration, the POWER KNEE marked a new milestone in amputee mobility, safety and advancing natural motion through a powered gait process.

After three years, working closely with Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) and in collaboration with partner Victhom Human Bionics, the next generation of the POWER KNEE has been developed.

“The second generation is smaller, sleeker, quieter, lighter and is expected to become widely used by both unilateral and dual amputees,” said Lt. Col. (Dr.) Paul F. Pasquina, chief, Integrated Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation at Walter Reed and the National Naval Medical Center, according to Inside Nova.

Lieutenant Colonel Greg Gadson has become the first person in the world to receive the commercially-ready prosthetic knees and will soon be followed by other patients at WRAMC. (ANI)

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Punjab varsity to offer free education for blind

April 21, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Chandigarh, April 20 (IANS) The Panjab University (PU) Monday announced that it will provide free education to blind students from the next academic session.

‘This decision has been taken as we want to fulfil our commitment towards the visually impaired students. There would be no tuition fees for the 100 percent visually impaired. The university will also provide them free stay and food at subsidised rates in the hostels,’ Naval Kishore, dean of students’ welfare, told IANS Monday.

‘Both new and old students of the university can avail this opportunity. This is probably for the first time in the country that any university has come up with such an initiative.’

In various departments of PU, seats are already reserved for single girl children and for cancer and AIDS patients.

‘It is a very generous gesture of the PU towards blind students. Normally there are only a few seats reserved for us in the departments, but free education, food and stay is quite extraordinary,’ said Brijesh Thakur, a blind student studying in the PU.
Indo Asian News Service

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