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Contract Award:Innovative Wireless Technologies receives DHS Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract award to advance Unattended Ground Sensor technology for Border Security and Infrastructure Protection

April 6, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology (S&T)
Directorate awarded Innovative Wireless Technologies a Small Business Innovation
Research (SBIR) contract to advance Unattended Ground Sensor technology for
Border Security and Infrastructure Protection. Under the contract, IWT is
developing new sensing techniques to discriminate between human and animal
activity which is a major source of false alarms for border security sensor
systems. These new advances are being integrated into IWT`sCoyote UGSTM
Unattended Ground Sensor system with very positive results. The Coyote UGSTM was
designed specifically to meet the demanding requirements of border security,
force protection and infrastructure protection in rugged, remote terrain.

For additional information visit: www.iwtwireless.com or

http://www.americansecuritychallenge.com

About IWT

Innovative Wireless Technologies (IWT) is a leading supplier of wireless ad hoc
mesh radios, integrated systems and wireless design engineering services. IWT
takes your problem and applies our expertise in systems engineering, modeling,
software, hardware and lean manufacturing to deliver a total solution. Our
radios, gateways, application software and integrated products have been
deployed in some of the largest, most demanding wireless sensor networks to
date. We supply our products and services to system integrators and end users in
the commercial, industrial, energy, public safety and defense sectors.

Innovative Wireless Technologies
Mr. John Gargasz, 603-320-5123
jgargasz@iwtwireless.com

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: Infrastructure, sCoyote, technologies, terrain, Wireless

India Air Force activates Nyoma airfield close to China border

September 19, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Sep 18 (ANI): The Indian Air Force in a significant move today activated its Nyoma Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) to support the Army in carrying out operations in the inhospitable terrain.

An IAF AN-32 aircraft landed at Nyoma ALG, which is located at an altitude of 13,300 feet in Leh district of Jammu and Kashmir, at 6:25 a.m. today. It is located 23 kms from the Line of Actual Control. (LAC).

The successful landing of a fixed wing aircraft at Nyoma marks the culmination of joint effort by the IAF and Indian Army to enable the IAF to operate in the inhospitable terrain of Leh-Ladakh region in support of the Army.

The landing comes just fifteen months after an AN-32 landed at Daulat-Beg-Oldie (DBO), the highest airfield in the world situated at an altitude of 16,200 feet.

Group Captain SC Chafekar touched down on the Nyoma airstrip. Air Marshal NAK Browne, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command and Lieutenant General PC Bharadwaj, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command on board.

Though helicopters have been landing at this ALG, this is for the first time that a fixed wing aircraft has landed at the compact airstrip of Nyoma.

After deliberating on all aspects and carrying out aerial and ground inspection, it was concluded that Nyoma could be developed for fixed wing operations as well.

The Engineer Regiments of 14 Corps undertook the herculean task of developing the ALG to the standards required for fixed wing operations.

Joint development of Nyoma braving the extremely difficult working conditions and hostile weather is yet another step towards enhanced joint partnership between the two services.

Nyoma has been developed with an aim to connect the remote areas of Ladakh region to the mainland. This would also ensure movements in the area when the road traffic gets affected, during the harsh winters besides enabling improved communication network in the region. (ANI)

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NASA concludes tests for prototype Moon rovers

September 17, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, September 16 (ANI): NASA has concluded two weeks of technology development tests on two of the agency’s prototype lunar rovers.

“These tests provide us with crucial information about how our cutting edge vehicles perform in field situations approximating the moon,” said Rob Ambrose, Human Robotic Systems project lead at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

“We learn from them, then go back home to refine the technology and plan the next focus of our research,” he added.

The annual studies featured an intensive, simulated 14-day mission.

Two crew members, an astronaut and a geologist, lived for more than 300 hours inside NASA’s prototype Lunar Electric Rover.

The explorers scouted the area for features of geological interest, then donned spacesuits and conducted simulated moonwalks to collect samples.

The crew also docked to a simulated habitat, drove the rover across difficult terrain, performed a rescue mission and made a four-day traverse across the lava.

Throughout the test, the crew provided updates via Twitter and posted pictures and video online.

Prior to the test, NASA’s K10 scout robot identified areas of interest for the crew to explore.

NASA’s heavy-lift rover Tri-ATHLETE – or All-Terrain Hex-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Explorer – carried a habitat mockup to which the rover docked. (ANI)

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Gen Kapoor flags in all-women Army team that scaled Siachen’s highest peak

September 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Sep 9 (ANI): Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor flagged in the first ever women expedition team for army corps of engineers to Indira Col, Siachen, today at Army Headquarters here.

The Indian Army has achieved another milestone in the history of Indian mountaineering by undertaking an ‘All Women Officers Expedition’ to Siachen glacier.

The Corps of Engineers in consonance with its spirit of adventure has organised this unique expedition to the highest and coldest battlefield in the world, Siachen Glacier, a junction point of three countries – India, China and Pakistan.

The expedition led by Major Megha Astagikar summitted Indira Col, located at an altitude of 20,187 feet, after trekking 103.10 kilometers on August 15, which coincided with the 62nd Independence Day.

Enroute to Indira Col, the team halted at eight camps to carry out acclimatisation, training and build-up of essential logistics. Braving inclement weather and extremely difficult terrain conditions, Indira Col was summitted well before the planned schedule.

The team traversed across the most treacherous high altitude terrain characterised by high avalanche-prone snow bound area with deep crevasses, steep ice-walls and scarce oxygen.

The 17 women officers expedition team was flagged-off by the Vice Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Noble Thamburaj on August 3.

Prior to undertaking the expedition, a detailed planning and rigorous training in basic ice-craft and mountaineering skills was carried out by the team at the Army Mountaineering Institute, Siachen Base Camp.

Major AR Ramakrishnan, the trainer of the expedition team, inspite of being a battle casualty during ‘Operation Vijay’ summitted Indira Col alongwith the team making the achievement of the expedition spectacular and creditable. (ANI)

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India’s first moon mission may be over, says project director

August 29, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Bangalore, Aug 29 (ANI):India’s ambitious moon mission — Chandrayaan-I — has probably ended after losing radio contact since Saturday noon, said its project director M. Annadurai, but Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman G. Madhavan Nair said scientists will evaluate the performance of the mission over the next two days before deciding whether or not to call it off.

Earlier, in the day the flamboyant spacecraft had lost the radio control at around 1.30 a.m. IST, increasing fears of a premature end of the spacecraft.

According to a press release by the ISRO, the deep Space Network at Byalalu near Bangalore has not received any signal form the spacecraft since midnight.

“Radio contact with Chandrayaan-I spacecraft was abruptly lost at 0130 Hrs (IST) on August 29, 2009. Deep Space Network at Byalalu near Bangalore received the data from Chandrayaan-I during the previous orbit upto 0025 Hrs (IST),”the press release states.he ISRO has ordered for a detailed review of the data received by the spacecraft, “Detailed review of the Telemetry data received from the spacecraft is in progress and health of the spacecraft subsystems is being analysed,” press release states.

Earlier, on July 17, the flamboyant moon mission Chandrayaan-I, had lost a major sensor. The scientific community then feared the premature end of the spacecraft.

The Chandrayaan-I, which was launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh in October 2008, has completed over 350 days in orbit making more than 3400 orbits around the Moon and providing large volume of data from sophisticated sensors.

The spacecraft was equipped with Terrain Mapping Camera, Hyper-spectral Imager, Moon Mineralogy Mapper etc.,

The ISRO scientists expressed confidence of attaining most of the scientific objectives of the mission.

Addressing the Ninth convocation of the International Institute of Information and Technology at Bangalore last month, Nair said the tracking and detection of several factors by Chandrayaan are important steps in mapping the mineralogical composition of moon’s surface, which in turn would enable further study in its origin and evolution.

“I think I am happy to say that Chandrayaan has been completely successful in collecting all the data what we wanted. First was the three dimensional of the lunar surface, also getting the mineral content of the surface and then trying to use the extra instruments,” said Nair.

“All this went on very well and we are more or less very happy that the mission is complete,” he added.

Nair also added that the second moon mission would be launched by 2012. (ANI)

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Work in progress on longest tunnel of rail network in J-K

July 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Banihal (Jammu and Kashmir), July 12 (ANI): Construction of the longest tunnel in the Indian Railways network is proceeding at a rapid pace in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir, irrespective of several topographical odds.

Considered as an engineering marvel, the tunnel is expected to be completed by 2012 and would connect the valley to other parts of the country.

The tunnel is being constructed with the most advanced technology, known as New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM), and would pass through the mountain range of Pir Panjal.

“The mining of the tunnel running from Qazigund to Banihal will be completed in 2010. And after that we will take one and a half year more to complete its finishing and other things,” said R K Gupta, Divisional Railway Manager of Firozpur Division of Northern Railway.

“We will try that the work on the tunnel is complete and rail is operational for traffic by the end of 2011,” he added.

The construction of the 11 kilometers long stretch had begun in 2006 and working against numerous odds, such as difficult terrain and unpredictable weather, engineers and other specialised technicians of Railways hope to complete the work on time.

Besides the most advanced ventilation and drainage systems, the tunnel will also have a service road alongside the railway track for emergency and routine maintenance purposes. (ANI)

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6 policemen killed, many injured in Chhattisgarh Maoist attack

July 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Raipur, July 12 (ANI): Six policemen were killed and over a dozen injured in a Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh’s Rajnandgaon District on Sunday.

District Superintendent of Police B.K. Choubey was among the injured and was battling for his life.

“Six policemen were killed and several injured in an ambush in a thickly forested stretch of Rajnandgaon district where a reinforcement party is struggling to reach due to the hilly terrain,” ADGP Girdhari Nayak told reporters.

Nayak said more details were still awaited, as the thickly forested attack site had no communication link with the rest of the state. (ANI)

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Maize agriculture may have fueled ancient Andean civilization

July 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, July 9 (ANI): In a new study, a skeleton found at a roughly 1,000-year-old site in Peru’s Andes mountains has yielded chemical evidence of substantial maize consumption, which suggests that the farming of the crop led to the rise of the ancient Andean civilization.

Prehistoric communities in one part of Peru’s Andes Mountains may have gone from maize to amazingly complex.

Bioarchaeologist Brian Finucane’s analyses of human skeletons excavated in this region indicate that people living there 2,800 years ago regularly ate maize.

“This is the earliest evidence for maize as a staple food in the rugged terrain of highland Peru,” he said.

According to Finucane, maize agriculture stimulated ancient population growth in the Andes and allowed a complex society, the Wari, to develop.

Wari society included a central government and other elements of modern states. It lasted from around 1,300 to 950 years ago and predated other Andes civilizations, including the Inca.

Previous work has shown that prehistoric societies in the lowland areas of Central and North America depended on maize to grow large enough in numbers to develop state institutions, a pattern that Finucane sees paralleled in the Andes Mountains.

“These new findings indicate that intensive maize agriculture was the economic foundation for the development of the Wari state,” said Finucane.ew evidence for maize as a dietary staple among prehistoric inhabitants of the Andes mountains included chemical data from several skeletons previously excavated from a set of tombs at the capital of the Wari state.

The new data convincingly demonstrate that highland residents relied on maize shortly before the rise of the Wari state, according to archaeologist Daniel Sandweiss of the University of Maine in Orono.

He suggested that a warmer, wetter climate during the Wari period and the spread of terraced cultivation areas might also have spurred maize farming.

“Chemical signatures of substantial maize consumption appeared in the bones of individuals from every Ayacucho site, including three from Formative period sites,” Finucane said.

Only a relatively small part of the Andean valley contains soil suitable for maize cultivation.

Competition for cropland may account for evidence of considerable warfare during the Huarpa and Wari periods, speculated Finucane. (ANI)

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Robotic grasshopper to help explore Mars’ rocky geography

July 6, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, July 6 (ANI): Scientists have come up with the first robotic grasshopper based on the spring mechanism the insect has to propel itself, which may help explore Mars’ rocky terrain.

The Jollbot was masterminded by Rhodri Armour, who spent a year building the robot with colleagues at the University of Bath.

The robot, which can jump and roll, enjoys an edge over other machines due to its ability to launch itself over obstacles.

The remote-controlled Jollbot runs on a motor connected to a battery pack and a series of springs around the circumference, which help it leap up to half a metre.

Weighing only one kilogram, it has been made from soft plastic, and borrows dynamics from insects when it bounces on landing.

Armour said: “I was inspired by the way insects like the grasshopper jump around in extremely rough environments. Even with their comparatively long legs, an insect’s small size limits the possibility of using its muscles to directly provide the contraction needed for take-off.”

The researcher added: “That means all insects and smaller jumping animals use some sort of spring mechanism to store muscle energy and release it when required. It’s a bit like a mechanical catapult – with a lengthy energy storage phase and rapid release.”

The boffin further revealed that the project was meant to be low-cost, adding: “Jollbot was always intended to be inexpensive and as such many could be sent on exploratory missions in place of a single conventional robot. This would allow for some of them to fail.”

Dr David Williams, director general of the British National Space Centre, said that the University of Bath’s research helped boost homegrown innovation in space exploration.

He added: “We wish the project all the best.” (ANI)

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Mars had warmer weather in its recent past than previously thought

June 30, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, June 30 (ANI): A new research led by a UK scientist has indicated that Mars had significantly warmer weather in its recent past than previously thought.

Dr. Matthew Balme, from The Open University, made the new discovery by studying detailed images of equatorial landforms that formed by melting of ice-rich soils.
is work indicates that the Martian surface experienced “freeze thaw” cycles as recently as 2 million years ago, and that Mars has not been locked in permafrost conditions for billions of years as had been previously thought.

The high-resolution images, which show a variety of interesting landforms, were taken with NASA’s HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging science Experiment) which is onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) mission.

According to Dr. Balme, “The features of this terrain were previously interpreted to be the result of volcanic processes. The amazingly detailed images from HiRISE show that the features are instead caused by the expansion and contraction of ice, and by thawing of ice-rich ground. This all suggests a very different climate to what we see today.”

All of the landforms observed are in an outflow channel, thought to have been active as recently as 2 million to 8 million years ago.

Since the landforms exist within, and cut across, the pre-existing features of the channel, this suggests that they too were created within this timeframe.

The pictures show polygonally patterned surfaces, branched channels, blocky debris and mound/cone structures.

All of these features are similar to landforms on Earth typical of areas where permafrost terrain is melting.

“These observations demonstrate not only that there was ice near the Martian equator in the last few million years, but also that the ice melted to form liquid water and then refroze. And this probably happened for many cycles,” Dr. Balme said.

“Given that liquid water seems to be essential for life, these kinds of environments could be a great place to look for evidence of past life on Mars,” he added.

According to Professor Keith Mason, CEO of the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), “Understanding current processes on the surface of Mars and the past and present role of climate improves our knowledge of the planet’s history and thus the chances of one day detecting evidence for past or present life.” (ANI)

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Mumbai braves rain to host scooter rally

June 28, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Mumbai, June 28 (ANI): Braving the rain and treacherous terrain, enthusiastic riders participated in the Gulf Monsoon Scooter Rally-2009 in Mumbai on Sunday.

This year marks the twentieth edition of the rally.

Organised by Sportscraft and sponsored by Gulf Oil Corporation, the rally saw participants from Mumbai and other cities of Maharashtra like Pune, Nashik and Kolhapur.

Shrikant Karani, chief of Sportscraft, said that the rally is like any other adventurous sports held.

“Participants keep their scooters in good condition throughout the year just to participate in this rally. When they travel to areas like Belapur, they have to ride through water, mud, rough patches, etc, which becomes quite challenging for them. So this rally is like any other adventurous sports,” said Shrikant Karani, chief of Sportscraft.

The rally was open to all Indian-made two stroke, four stroke and gearless scooters.

“The scooter has its own charm. That’s why I have participated in the rally,” said Harpreet Singh Janjuha, a participant.

The rally was flagged off from Our Lady’s Home in Parel and it ended at K-Start Belapur, Navi Mumbai. (ANI)

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NASA’s Moon mission successfully completes lunar maneuver

June 25, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, June 24 (ANI): NASA’s Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS, successfully completed its most significant early mission milestone on June 23 with a lunar swingby and calibration of its science instruments.

The satellite will search for water ice in a permanently shadowed crater at the moon’s south pole.

With the assist of the moon’s gravity, LCROSS and its attached Centaur booster rocket successfully entered into polar Earth orbit at 6:20 a.m. PDT on June 23.

The maneuver puts the spacecraft and Centaur on course for a pair of impacts near the moon’s south pole on October 9.

“The successful completion of the LCROSS swingby proves the science instruments are functioning as expected. It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire team,” said Dan Andrews, LCROSS project manager at NASA’s Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, California.

“We are elated at the results from the maneuver and eagerly anticipate the impacts in early October,” he added.

During its swing by the moon, the spacecraft’s instruments were turned on and calibrated by scanning three sites on the lunar surface.

These sites were the craters Mendeleev, Goddard C and Giordano Bruno. They were selected because they offer a variety of terrain types, compositions and illumination conditions.

The spacecraft also scanned the lunar horizon to confirm its instruments are aligned in preparation for observing the Centaur’s debris plume.

“Each instrument returned good data that the science team will spend the next few weeks analyzing,” said Anthony Colaprete, LCROSS project scientist at Ames.

“These data will ensure we are as prepared as possible for monitoring and interpreting data we receive during impact,” he added.

LCROSS and its attached Centaur upper stage rocket are now in a long, looping polar orbit around Earth and the moon.

Each orbit will be roughly perpendicular to the moon’s orbit around Earth and take about 37 days to complete.

Before impact, the spacecraft and Centaur will make approximately three orbits.

LCROSS and the Centaur separately will collide with the moon at approximately 7:30 a.m. EDT on October 9, creating a pair of debris plumes that will be analyzed for the presence of water ice or water vapor, hydrocarbons and hydrated materials.

The spacecraft and Centaur are targeted to impact the moon’s south pole near the Cabeus region.

The exact target crater will be identified 30 days before impact, after considering information collected by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and observatories on Earth. (ANI)

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Gangtok to have 3 G services

June 23, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Gangtok, June 23 (ANI): Union Minister of State for Communication and Information Technology, Sachin Pilot has said that the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is to launch 3 G services in Gangtok by August 15.

Announcing the extension of 3 G services to other three districts within 100 days, the Minister said, BSNL would increase its broadband strength to 30 GB PPS to improve services in Sikkim. All the 26 blocks in the State would be covered by broadband services within 100 days.

After a review meeting with BSNL, Postal Department and State I and T in Gangtok, he said, traffic congestion in mobile services in twenty one sectors of the State would be removed by August 15 this year through improved quality of service by BSNL.

Underlying the importance of Sikkim, Pilot said that special measures have been taken to improve the quality of services in North East through communication and information technology, with specific emphasis on Sikkim.

“It is a difficult terrain and the ministry would support the efforts to improve information and technology in Sikkim, as it would increase opportunities for the talented youth,” he added. (ANI)

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Maoists display their dominance to media in Lalgarh

June 20, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Kolkata, June 20 (ANI): A convoy of 20 media vehicles, presspersons on board, came in for a shock on Saturday evening when a group of Maoists surrounded them and took them away from the State Highway into Maoists infested villages, according to reports received here.

The armed Maoists did not allow the mediapersons to operate their cameras and asked them to abide by directions on route. The media vehicles had to follow the Maoists.

Having displayed their control of the terrain to media, the Maoists soon released the convoy 26 kilometres before Midinapore town, only after extorting money from them.

The incident took place between Bhimpur and Pirakata. By Ajitha Menon (ANI)

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Oldest patch of ground on earth discovered in Israel

May 6, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, May 6 (ANI): Scientists have discovered the oldest patch of ground on Earth in Israel’s Negev desert, which remains virtually the same as it was 1.8 million years ago.

According to a report in Live Science, the patch of ground is an expanse of “desert pavement” in Israel’s Negev Desert, and is claimed by scientists as the oldest continuous surface on earth.

Most of the earth’s surface is constantly, if not always rapidly, evolving – through erosion, volcanic activity, the movement of tectonic plates underneath the earth’s surface, and just plain old weather.

But, an unusual feature of deserts, which have little tectonic activity and terrain that’s resistant to their hot, dry weather, is that large surfaces of ground can remain virtually the same for millions of years.

“This is something we were not sure about until now,” said Ari Matmon, who headed up the study.

Matmon’s team from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem confirmed the age of the terrain by measuring concentrations of an isotope found only on the earth’s surface.

It also indicates how long the surface has been exposed to the elements.

The patch of terrain is four times older that the next oldest areas of desert, in Nevada, LiveScience.com reported, though there are individual rocks much older than any patch of ground. (ANI)

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Revealing origin and evolution of planet Mercury

May 3, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, May 1 (ANI): Scientists, using multispectral images obtained from the Messenger spacecraft, are trying to reveal the origin and evolution of the planet Mercury.

Mercury’s interior is thought to generally resemble that of the Earth and Mars. However, Mercury’s core is anomalously large leading to it sometimes being called the iron planet.

With its ancient craters and smooth plains both covered in a fine-grained gray soil (or regolith), the surface of Mercury superficially resembles the surface of the Moon.

Unlike Earth’s crust, which is constantly changing and evolving due to processes such as plate tectonics, the crust is relatively static on the Moon and Mercury.

The bulk of Mercury’s crust formed long ago and preserves a record of early events that shaped it and the subsequent forces that modified it.

“Mercury’s surface tells us something fundamental about how the planet formed and evolved,” said Brett Denevi, a postdoctoral research associate in the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University.

“Some of the little evidence that we had prior to MESSENGER seemed to indicate that the composition of Mercury’s crust was similar to that of the Moon, leading to the presumption that it had formed in the same manner, with any volcanism that may have occurred being only a secondary component,” she said.

While the highlands on the Moon are thought to have formed as the result of a global magma ocean, where less dense minerals floated to the surface to form the crust, evidence now points to a mercurian crust that formed in a manner more similar to the crust of Mars than to that of the Moon.

Denevi’s research confirms that volcanism on Mercury was widespread, visible across nearly the entire planet, and that much of the crust may have formed in repeated volcanic eruptions.

Denevi, the lead author on the paper, processed and analyzed the images and spectra.

To help determine how much of Mercury’s surface was comprised of smooth plains, she constructed maps by observing overlapping and abutting relations of different landforms.

Denevi also compared spectra of Earth and lunar rocks and soils to constrain the maximum amounts of iron- and titanium-bearing minerals that could be on the surface.

Through mapping of the major geologic terrain types, Denevi and her colleagues distinguished three major terrain types on Mercury: smooth plains, intermediate terrain and low-reflectance material (LRM).

“Of the three, smooth plains are a key terrain type,” she said. “The smooth plains cover approximately 40 percent of the surface, and the majority is probably of volcanic origin,” she added. (ANI)

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Voters in a Kashmir village decide to boycott polls

April 23, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Doda, Apr 23 (ANI): Voters in a remote village, about 1200 in number, have decided to boycott elections in Kashmir. They are angry particularly over the government’s indifference to 80 deaf and dumb villagers.

The village is located over 250 km from Jammu, with last 60 km drive on an ‘unmotorable’ road, followed by 14 km of trekking on slippery mountainous terrain.

The villagers believe that no State Government has ever done anything for them especially the deaf and dumb people in the village.

“We are boycotting the elections because there are 80 deaf and dumb people in the village. All the governments that have been in the state have not done anything for them. We have 1200 voters and we will all boycott the elections,” said Mohammed Hanif, the chief of the village.

The villagers want that the pension to the deaf and the dumb should be increased. They think that the reason for neglect could also be their being Gujjars.

“They are not giving any facilities thinking that we are Gujjars. So, we are boycotting the elections,” said Jaan Mohammed, a villager.

The problems for this village does not end here. The village has no road. There is no school in the village and the villagers do not have access to any medical facilities either.

As a protest, the villagers have decided not to exercise their voting right. By Tahir Nadeem Khan (ANI)

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Rubbing 24 chillies on eyes to set up a world record

April 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Jorhat (Assam), Apr 12 (ANI): Anandita Dutta Tamuli, a resident of Jorhat in Assam, surpassed her own scorecard by rubbing two dozens of Ghost chillies also known as ‘Jolokias’ on her eyes in just one minute.

A team of observers of Channel 4, a British television channel, endorsed her feat, which she achieved at Jorhat.

Earlier, waiting to be listed in the Guinness Book of World Records, Tamuli had tried to consume more than sixty chillies in two minutes but in vain.

She could eat only 51 chillies in the given time of 120 seconds, incidentally below the mark of her own record which unfortunately was not a recognised effort.

However, Tamuli who is in her early thirties, expressed happiness on gaining recognition in the category of rubbing chillies on the eyes.

And interestingly, this happened to be her maiden foray in such a bizarre venture into ‘hot’ adventure as she rubbed 24 chillies in less than a minute.

This unique feat was witnessed by a British television team (Channel 4) and could be given to the publishers of the Guinness Book of World Records.

“I am very happy to have broken my own record. Moreover, I am very proud to have performed in the presence of a team of observers from abroad (British TV crew). They praised me for my world record breaking feat. I really thank them for their initiative in recognising my feat,” said Tamuli.

At the end of it all, the resident who watched Tamuli’s rare achievement said that they are proud of her since she has etched a new world record.

“She has made the Assamese proud. We, the womenfolk are delighted at her achievement,” said Savitri, a resident.

Ghost chillies grow mostly in hilly terrain. It is a staple ingredient of every meal in the north eastern region of India.

As for Tamuli, she took a fancy for the Ghost chilli when her mother smeared some paste of it on her tongue to cure a childhood infection.

The Ghost chillies, considered to be the hottest pepper in the world, are a cure for stomach ailments and paradoxically, a way to fight the humid summer heat in the north-eastern region of India. By Peter Alex Todd (ANI)

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Patrolling intensified along Pakistan border in Gujarat

April 11, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Bhuj, April 10 (IANS) The Border Security Force has intensified patrolling along India’s 512-km long border with Pakistan in Gujarat’s Kutch and Banaskantha districts, given elections in India and the recent terror strikes across the border, a top Border Security Force (BSF) official said.

‘We are in a state of high alert as not only the country is going to the polls but also for the fact that the neighbouring country is under the spell of repeated terror attacks which may trigger infiltration of terror elements from across the border,’ the official said.

He said that harsh weather conditions during summer months have not been a deterrent for the paramilitary personnel who have been keeping a vigil on the international border round the clock.

The 322-lm-long Kutch section of the border has a much harsher terrain with high temperatures and sand storms, compared to the 190-km border in Banaskantha.

Along with the BSF, platoons of the Gujarat government’s border wing are also patrolling Kutch and Banaskantha.

The state’s home department last week carried out a detailed review of the security arrangements in villages and towns in the border areas. Gujarat Chief Secretary D. Rajagopalan took a tour of the Banaskantha stretch of the border Tuesday.

‘A multi-layered security model in the bordering areas of Gujarat helps keep infiltration in check throughout the year. However, political problems or terrorist activities from across the border trigger attempts of infiltration in Kutch and Banaskantha regions,’ the BSF official added.

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Hundreds of thousands pilgrims climb hill shrine Malayatoor

April 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Malayatoor (Kerala), April 10 (ANI): On the eve of holy week during lent days, thousands of Christian pilgrims climbed Kerala’s most famous hill shrine Malayatoor Kurisumudi, the only international Pilgrim centre in Asia and fifth in the world, approved by the Vatican.

Despite harsh terrain and bad weather conditions, people from all age groups and religion shared the pain and hardships by carrying the wooden cross that Jesus went through the way to crusification at Mount Calvary.

The climb is quite difficult having rocks and uneven surfaces. But it is the major attraction the pilgrims come for.

According to the church authority, over eight million visit this place every year during this period which lasts till May 31 of this year.

Fr. Rockey Chully, the Chaplain of the St. Thomas International shrine, Kurisumudi, said that lakhs of people carry cross as Jesus carried to the mount and during the entire season to this hill shrine, especially on Good Friday is when the maximum climbs.

Carrying the cross while climbing makes one feel the pain Jesus had felt. Other devotees come to full fill their vow for their near and dear ones.

“It is the fourth year for me climbing this shrine and this year I come for my child’s well-being as I have full faith that all my sufferings will be removed after this”, says a devotee Jacob K.K.

Another devotee from nearby state of Pollachi in Tamil Nadu Mrs. Stella M has been climbing the shrine for the last five years and is happy to have removed her family problems.

“this is my fifth year now and all my family problems have been solved after praying to god, I really love to come every year”

The famed church lies 54 kilometres from Kochi and stands at the top of the Malayatoor Hill, which is 609 metres high.

The church is consecrated to St. Thomas, one of the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ and enshrines a full-size image of St. Thomas.

According to a belief, the footprints of this holy man are engraved in a rock, which is protected here.

Sailing in an Arab merchant vessel, St. Thomas is believed to have landed at Kodungalloor port in Kerala, India in AD 52. It is believed that St. Thomas took the initiative for establishing a Christian community at Malayattoor.

St. Thomas founded seven churches in Kodungalloor, Quilon, Niranam, Nilakkal, Kokkamangalam, Kottakavu and Paalayoor on his journey in Kerala.

He died in 72 A.D. after he was pierced by a lance while praying on St. Thomas Mount, a 91m-high hill 14km southwest of Chennai.

His body was taken to Mylapore and buried in the chapel he had built with his own hands.

“Its been the fourth year for me climbing this shrine and this year I come for my child’s wellbeing as I have full faith that all my sufferings will be removed after this,” said Jacob K.K., a Christian devotee.

“This is my fifth year now and all my family problems have been solved after coming and praying to god, I really love to come every year,” said Stella M, a devotee from Tamil Nadu. By Juhan Samuel (ANI)

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