Tripura Varsity to Launch Bamboo Development Course

Agartala, Sep 13 : India’s first course in value addition to bamboo products, intended to meet demands of the international market, will be introduced in Tripura University in collaboration with the textile ministry’s Bamboo and Cane Development Institute (BCDI), officials said here Monday.
“The theoretical part of the post-graduate diploma course would be conducted in the university campuses while the practical and hands-on training part would be done at the BCDI under the guidance of foreign experts,” university Vice-Chancellor Arunoday Saha told reporters.

According to Saha, bamboo technology and design experts from China, Indonesia, the Philippines and Japan would conduct the training.

The Tripura University, which was conferred central university status in July 2007, Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the BCDI to conduct the one-year course from the 2010-11 academic year.

“The new course would be industry- and job-oriented. After completion of the course the students would be able to prepare value-added bamboo products, which would be consumer and demand driven,” BCDI officials said.

They said that the value addition and designing would be aimed at meeting the demands of international market.

“Bamboo products of life style, domestic and products useful in everyday life have extreme demand in the national and international markets,” said R.K. Shrivastava, executive director of National Centre for Design and Product Development (NCDPD), another wing of the union textiles ministry.

“Proper use of bamboo resources with the use of modern technology can give a big boost to the economy of the northeast India as apart from the domestic market, there is tremendous potential for exporting bamboo products, particularly to European countries and the US,” he said.

Of the 1,250 bamboo species throughout the world, India has 145. Bamboo forests in India occupy approximately 10.03 million hectares, which constitutes almost 12.8 percent of the total forest area of the country. About 28 percent of the total bamboo area of the country is located in northeast India.

“The distribution of species and the quantity of bamboos, however, is uneven and more than 50 percent of the bamboo species and 66 percent of growing stock, out of about 80.42 million tones, occurs in northeast India,” an official document said.

“There are about 1,500 documented applications of bamboos. The major ones are use in building materials, agricultural implements, furniture, musical instruments, food items, handicrafts, large bamboo based industries (paper pulp, rayon etc.) and packaging.”

Megan Fox Steamy Lingerie Ad

A shot of actress Megan Fox from the steamy ad for the Armani lingerie brand. 

Indian Dhruv Copter Gets Italian Makeover

New Delhi, Sep 13 : The Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) has been widely regarded as a triumph of indigenous military rotorcraft design and manufacturing.

Scores of Dhruvs already flying in army colours will be joined by another 159, which the military ordered last year from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). And, Ecuador's air force chose the Dhruv ALH in an international tender in 2008 for seven helicopters.

But now it emerges that the Dhruv is struggling with a serious problem. The army, which was to be supplied 20 Dhruvs last year, refused to accept any until HAL fixed a problem that was restricting the Dhruv's cruising speed to 250 kilometers per hour, significantly short of the 270 kmph that HAL specifications promise. Unable to find a cure, HAL has brought in a consultant: Italian aerospace propulsion major, Avio.

India's military sets high store by the Dhruv's engine power; the helicopter must operate from tiny landing grounds at 6,500 meters (about 21,000 feet), which is the altitude of Sonam Post, India's highest helipad on the Siachen Glacier.

But even after paying French engine-maker, Turbomeca, Rs 1,000 crore to design the Shakti engine -- - a superb performer at high altitudes -- - the Dhruv's Integrated Dynamic System, or IDS, which transfers power from the Shakti engines to the helicopter rotors, is not performing optimally. That, say HAL engineers, has reduced speed, high-altitude capability, and the life of the IDS.

The Italian consultants will now scrutinise the Dhruv's IDS to diagnose the problem. Avio will start by building a single HAL-designed IDS in Avio's facilities in Italy, using their own materials and tools.

They will then test-run this for 400-500 hours; if it works perfectly, it would be evident that the flaw lies in HAL's manufacturing, rather than the IDS design. On the other hand, if the Avio-built IDS performs poorly during the test run, there is clearly a design problem. Avio will then redesign the IDS.

A senior HAL official explained to Business Standard: "Avio will review the whole design, on a purely consultancy basis. They will give us a redesign... that will be the first phase. We will have to translate that new design into an engineered product. And, after that, we'll have to do the ground testing and the flight-testing. It will be a long-drawn affair."

Avio, Business Standard has learned, was HAL's second choice. But the first choice consultant, an American company, had so much work on its plate that it had to turn HAL away.

Meanwhile, India's army and air force -- strapped for helicopters -- have no choice but to accept and fly Dhruvs, even though they are performing below par and metal keeps chipping off inside the IDS. HAL has itself implemented six changes inside the IDS and 30 helicopters have been flying with these changes for some 400 hours. So far, there has been no major problem.

"This is not dangerous for the pilots", says a senior HAL official. "Heavy chipping of metal would warn us about an impending failure of the IDS. There is a monitoring system inside the IDS, which checks for the presence of tiny metal chips in the oil. There is no danger of sudden, catastrophic failure in flight."

Top officials in the Ministry of Defence have conveyed strong displeasure to HAL over what they consider a "sloppy" work culture. Talking to Business Standard on condition of anonimity, a MoD official points out, "The Avio consultancy will place HAL's work culture under serious scrutiny.

To identify the fault in the Dhruv's IDS, Avio has insisted on auditing HAL's facilities and practices. This will amount to a full external audit, which will highlight systemic and procedural problems that HAL would never have identified on its own."

But the MoD also accepts that the aerospace establishment, hungry for success, developed the Dhruv in haste and introduced it into operational service without adequate testing.

Illustrating this point, the MoD official says: "The IAF asked for about 75 design changes while HAL was developing the Dhruv. This prevented a coherent and systematic design process. And, thereafter, HAL was too eager to introduce the Dhruv into service. It has now emerged that it was unwise of HAL, and of the IAF, to operationalise the Dhruv before the design was fully stabilised."

This year, the army and the IAF will introduce 31 new HAL-built Dhruv Mark 3 helicopters into service. These are part of an order placed on HAL last year for 159 Dhruv helicopters to be supplied by 2015.

Of these, 83 are utility helicopters called Dhruv Mark 3, used for transporting people. The other 76 are Mark 4 helicopters, which will be fitted with cannons, rockets, missiles and electronic warfare equipment. These are called Dhruv (Weapon Systems Integrated), or Dhruv (WSI).

Source: Business Standard

Something New From The Northeast in Bangalore

By Mandakini Dev Sharma

Bangalore, Sep 13 : After the onslaught of various regional cuisines such as Bengali and Rajasthani, Bangalore’s foodies now also have food from the North Eastern states of India to try out.

The ANTS store, Indiranagar, is working on a project called ‘Positive stories from the North East’ in an effort to raise awareness about the region in the city.

The store recently held a Manipur Food Festival focusing on the cuisine of Meities, a major Manipuri tribe. ANTS has organised similar evenings around Mizo and Naga food in the past.

“The Manipur Food Festival was organised by a few Manipuris in Bangalore — mainly working professionals and students,” says Devakishore Soraisam, a business management graduate from Christ College who was involved with the event, which was the brainchild of Trichao Thomas of ANTS.

Most cuisines from the North East are unique and very exotic and the same is true for Meitei food. The crowd savoured Manipuri dishes like Shingju, Paknum, Chagem Pomba, Bamboo Shoots, Eromba and Shareng Thongba.

“I loved the eromba, a very common dish which the Meitai prepare from fish, brinjal, potato, bamboo shoot, and chillis,” says Paonam Mahesh Chandra Singh, a Manipuri student.

Naga food is also making inroads in the city — and it’s not just Naga students making a beeline for the newly opened Naga Kitchen in Kamanahalli.

“The menu is very customer-friendly and we expect Bangalore’s foodies to try out North Eastern food,” says Mustaque Ahmed, owner of The Naga Kitchen, Bangalore who expects dishes such as smoked pork chili, smoked chicken fry, fried fish, Naga fried rice and pork Naga curry to do well.

Naga Mahila Policemen Leave For CWG in Delhi

Kohima, Sep 13 : The personnel of the 15th Nagaland Armed Police (Mahila Battalion of Indian Reserve Battalion) have left for New Delhi to provide security during the upcoming Commonwealth Games in New Delhi from October 3.

According to official sources here today, altogether six Companies of the 15th Mahila IRB, led by their Deputy Commandant Asenla, left Dimapur by train for New Delhi yesterday.

This will be the first exposure tour for the girls after raising this Mahila Indian Reserve Battalion a few months back.

All the girls are well trained to perform their duties. They will be back only after conclusion of the CWG, sources said.
An Indian security personnel's from the Naga Mahila. 15 Indian Reserve battalion (IRB) patrol during their first field duty after their training in the street of Dimapur, India's north eastern state of Nagaland.

NHRC to Inquire Into Barpeta Police Firing

New Delhi, Sep 13 : Taking a serious view of the police firing in Barpeta town of Assam which left four persons dead and about 50 people injured, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has decided to inquire into the incident.

Acting on a complaint filed by rights activist and lawyer Radhakanta Tripathy, the Commission has asked the director general (investigation) to collect the “relevant reports” relating to the firing within eight weeks.

In the incident on July 7, at least four students were killed and 50 injured in Barpeta town when the police opened fire on protesters who tried to stop updating of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) being carried out in July. Trouble erupted when a group of All Assam Minority Students Union (AAMSU) activists allegedly pelted stones and set ablaze a building in the premises of the deputy commissioner’s office in a bid to stop updating of NRC work in progress there.

Tripathy, in his petition, had accused the state authorities of a “high-handed attitude” towards the members of the minority communities especially students in the state and urged the Commission to intervene to protect their rights. He pleaded that the commission should conduct an investigation into the circumstances in which the police resorted to opening fire at the agitating students.

The NRC is being updated to identify and enlist Indian citizens in the state. In March, the Assam Assembly passed a resolution urging the Centre to update the NRC of 1951 by taking the 1971 electoral rolls as the basis.

7th Manipuri Film Festival 2010 Kicks off in Imphal

Imphal, Sep 13 : The 7th Manipuri Film Festival 2010 commenced here on Saturday, as the Manipur Governor, Gurbachan Jagat inaugurated the gala event.

Also present on the occasion was eminent filmmaker Aribam and Shyam Sharma who wished a wide exposure to the movies from the northeast.

This is the first time where video films have been allowed to take part since earlier all the entries were in celluloid version.

""In the last many years that is upto the sixth Manipur state film festival all the entries were mostly of celluloid films. But after six film festivals we did not have more celluloid films due to financial problems. At the same time you know there was a full gap when the celluloid films could not be produced enough in number. The filmmakers have increased the make of low budget digital films. As you know Manipur is the land of the culture and the filmmakers are very much aware of filming many aspects," said K Sobita Devi, Director of Manipur Film Development Corporation.

Only one celluloid feature film titled 'Yenning Amadi Likla' and 13 video feature films were chosen out of total entry of 77 feature films including the video versions.

Among the selected films are 'Khangdreda Nongdamba', 'Tayai', 'Poukhum', 'Novab', 'Bomb Blast', 'Naoshum', 'Kaboklei', 'Ingao Ngouna', 'Basanta-gi Nonganlamdaida', 'Mami Sami', 'Chumthang Makhong', 'Hayengna Kanna-ga Pagani' and 'Ningthem'.

Another 15 non-feature digital films and one celluloid film have also been recommneded for the five critic and book awards.

A hallmark of this year's event is a photo exhibition on journey of Manipuri cinema.

"I have seen more or less 90 percent of the films, which is so far in digital format. And there are some good films of course. All are good but there are some films which have got upto the mark," said Romi Meitei, a film director.

An open forum on different films related issues including journey of Manipuri cinema from celluloid to video, film prospects, film music in Manipuri cinema, original film script and screenplay, importance of non-feature films and audience was organised during the course of the festival with different film personalities and experts.

The eight-day film festival would continue till September 20