CERN-LHC: First Beam Steared
Geneva, 10 September 2008. The first beam in the Large Hadron Collider at CERN1 was successfully steered around the full 27 kilometres of the world’s most powerful particle accelerator at 10h28 this morning. This historic event marks a key moment in the transition...
The Biggest Event of the Universe (By Man)
CERN reiterates safety of LHC on eve of first beam A group on a tour of underground facilities Visitors inside the LHC tunnel. Geneva, 5 September 2008. A report published today in the peer reviewed Journal of Physics G: Nuclear and Particle Physics1 provides...Now Solar Lanterns for Rural Area
The kerosene lanterns in the rural areas will be replaced on large scale soon. A solar lantern, which is commonly used for lighting purposes, can save about 50 liters of kerosene in a year by replacing a kerosene lanterns. Addressing leading solar lantern manufacturers of the sector at the ministry today, Shri Vilas Muttemwar, Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy discussed the expansion plans for large scale introduction of solar lanterns for replacing kerosene in the rural areas.He explained that the better quality of light of a solar lantern would also help the children in their education and encourage productive works apart from avoiding health hazards associated with the poor quality light and the pollution due to burning of kerosene. The Government can save kerosene subsidy by providing solar lanterns, he added.
The representatives of the industry assured that the Indian photovolatic industry is fully geared to take up this challenge. The industry can supply up to 4 million solar lanterns in a year and is totally committed to support the initiatives taken by the Ministry in this regard. Various issues relating to manufacturing, distribution, after sale services and product quality etc. were also discussed. The representatives reaffirmed that the quality of the product developed in the country has better quality of light and reliability. The switch over from kerosene lamp to solar lanterns by rural people will be very smooth.
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Setting up new IITs, Rajasthan approved
Cabinet has today approved the setting up of eight new Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) in Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Orissa, Gujarat, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and at Indore in Madhya Pradesh at a total cost of Rs. 6080 crores (@ Rs. 760 crores per IIT) for 6 years period, and consequently approval for forming of Societies for creating legal entities for the new IITs. Academic sessions are going to commence in 6 new IITs starting from 23.7.2008. The IITs of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Gujarat are going to commence their classes for about 120 students each for B.Tech programmes through temporary campuses located near the place where the IIT campus is likely to be built. These 3 IITs of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Gujarat are going to be mentored by the IITs of Madras, Guwahati and Bombay, respectively. The three IITs of Rajasthan, Punjab and Orissa are going to commence their classes in the campuses of their mentor IITs at IIT Kanpur, IIT Delhi and IIT Kharagpur, respectively.
The Cabinet has also approved the creation of 30 faculty posts per year in the first three years of establishment of each of the new IITs and have also specifically approved the post of a Director in each of the new IITs in the grade of Rs. 26,000 (fixed) and a post of Registrar in the grade of Rs. 16,400-22,400 for each of the new IITs. The Cabinet has also decided to raise the grade of all existing IIT Directors from Rs. 25,000 (fixed) to Rs. 26,000 (fixed).
The balance of two IITs at Indore in Madhya Pradesh and the IIT in Himachal Pradesh are likely to commence their sessions from the next academic year of 2009-10. All the State Governments have identified about 600 acres of land for the location of the new IITs. In case of Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, Govt. have accepted the site recommended by the State Govt. and in the rest of the cases, the Site Selection Committee will inspect the offered sites in due course and will give its recommendations to the Ministry.
With a view to ensure good effective coordination as well as maintenance of excellence in the new IITs also, pending selection of regular Directors for the IITs, it has been decided that the Directors of the mentor IITs will work as Directors of the mentored IIT and the Chairman of the Board of Governors (BoG) of the mentor IIT will also be the Chairman of the BoG of the mentored IIT.
With the creation of new IITs, high quality technical education will become accessible to more bright students as now hardly two percent of about three lakhs students who appear in the Joint Entrance Exam of IITs can get admission in them. The new IITs will also facilitate the increased output of high quality Engineering and Science graduates, postgraduates and Ph.D.s; Teachers for Engineering and Science subjects at College/University level and R&D and Intellectual Property generation in Engineering and Science.
Cabinet also approved in principle approval for taking over the Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University – a constituent unit of the Banaras Hindu University, a Central University, its conversion into an Indian Institute of Technology and integrating it with the IIT system in the country.
It would also address State/Region specific technology related problems of States/UTs situated in the IITs’ Zones.
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