Srinagar, July 29 (IANS) A youth from Jammu and Kashmir’s Tangmarg area of Baramullah district died on Monday while trekking in the high altitude mountainous slopes, officials said.

A youth identified as Sahil from Pahjan village died after slipping from a high altitude in Tangmarg, officials added.

“The youth died after slipping from high altitude during trekking today as heavy rain in the area caused highly slippery conditions.”

Another youth identified as Muneer Ahmad was accompanying Sahil when both met with an accident.

“Muneer sustained critical injuries and he has been admitted to Jehlum Valley Medical College hospital in Bemina locality of Srinagar city.”

“These two youth had left on the trek early Monday morning, aiming to explore the scenic beauty of the area. However, as the day progressed, unexpected heavy rainfall created severe conditions on the trekking route, leading to the tragic accident,” officials said.

After an unprecedented heatwave during the last two weeks and dry weather conditions during the last two months, intermittent heavy rains lashed different parts of the Valley on Monday bringing relief to the locals.

–IANS

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Mysuru, (Karnataka) July 29 (IANS) Reacting to the charges in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday questioned how many plots had former PM HD Deve Gowda’s family got from MUDA?

Speaking to reporters in Mysuru, CM Siddaramaiah stated that Union Minister Kumaraswamy, who speaks a lot about the MUDA issue, had got an industrial plot in 1984.

“Kumaraswamy even got a possession certificate and later applied for a substitute plot. Did he set up any industry there?” CM Siddaramaiah asked.

“How many plots did Deve Gowda’s family get when then Chairman Puttaiah was in the City Improvement Trust Board (CIDB)?” CM Siddaramaiah questioned.

The CITB is now called MUDA.

Responding to the BJP’s proposed protest march from Bengaluru to Mysuru regarding the tribal Board and MUDA cases, he said, “Let them do it. We will also oppose it politically. It is true that there is a scam of Rs 84.63 crore in the Valmiki case. A SIT has been formed, and an investigation is ongoing. They (central government) are also getting it investigated.”

“Was there no corruption during the BJP’s tenure? That’s why I have listed 21 scams committed during the tenure of the BJP government. Some investigations are ongoing,” the CM stated.

“The Raghavendra Co-operative Bank case has been handed over to the CBI. The CBI has not completed the investigation to date. The BJP did not hand over even a single case to the CBI during their tenure.

“I had handed over seven to eight scams to the CBI. When we were in power, the BJP used to call the CBI a ‘thief-saving organisation’. Now, why do they love the CBI so much?” CM Siddaramaiah asked.

“I will provide all related documents,” he added.

Responding to the BJP’s demand that he return the land allotted to him and allow an investigation, he said, “There is no blemish on me in the MUDA case. A judicial commission has been formed to investigate this. Did the BJP ever set up a judicial enquiry?”

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, they embezzled Rs 3,000 to 4,000 crore. I have demanded that this be handed over to a judicial enquiry or the CBI, but they did not agree,” he alleged.

“Although there is no fault, a judicial commission has been formed to remove any doubts from people’s minds. We trust the police,” CM Siddaramaiah said.

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 29 (IANS) A cost-effective microfluidic system to replicate soil-like conditions, has been developed by researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati to help boost crop yield, the institute said on Monday.

According to the team, the innovation can help enhance nutrient flow for improved root growth and nitrogen uptake.

The primary root of a germinating seed functions as the plant’s anchor, absorbing water and nutrients. This root must navigate a variety of soil conditions during its early growth, which is critical to plant survival.

Nutrient supply, pH levels, soil composition, aeration, and temperature, all have a significant influence on root development.

However, studying root dynamics has proven difficult due to the constraints of traditional experimental setups, which frequently require large containers and complex handling.

The team used microfluidics to study how primary roots absorb nutrients, offering insights into optimising nutrient delivery in agriculture. Their work was supported by the Science and Engineering Research Board, Department of Science and Technology, and published in the journal Lab on a Chip.

The research focused on the high-yielding mustard variety, Pusa Jai Kisan, examining how different nutrient flows affect root growth and nitrogen uptake.

The findings reveal that an optimal nutrient flow rate can enhance root length and nutrient uptake, while excessive flow can stress the roots, reducing their growth.

The study highlights the importance of managed nutrient flow in promoting plant growth.

“Our study provides new insights into plant root dynamics using microfluidic devices, offering practical implications for agriculture,” said Pranab Kumar Mondal, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Guwahati.

The team plans to further explore the molecular mechanisms of flow-induced changes in root growth, aiming to develop resilient hydroponic systems for soilless crop production.

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 29 (IANS) Civic authorities, on Monday, resorted to bulldozer action in Old Rajinder Nagar against encroachment that blocks drains and creates waterlogging. This is prompted by the death of three students who drowned in the basement of a popular UPSC coaching centre here.

Further, the civic body has cracked down and sealed 13 UPSC coaching centres for allegedly violating building norms.

Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi has ordered an inquiry to identify if any MCD official is involved in the negligence.

Delhi Municipal Corporation Commissioner Ashwani Kumar has terminated the local Junior Engineer and suspended the Assistant Engineer.

On Saturday evening, three aspiring civil servants died in the flooded basement of Rau’s IAS Study Circle due to flood and waterlogging in the basement owing to heavy rainfall.

One male and two female UPSC aspirants died while 17 others were trapped for several hours after water suddenly entered the basement of the coaching centre which had just one exit.

The next day, protests by students broke out against the “criminal negligence” of the government that led to these deaths.

In the ongoing protest by students against civic authorities for their negligence, a student said: “All this is for show.”

The basement of the coaching centre functioned as the library, which, as has emerged, existed in violation of the rules since the space is allowed to be used only for parking and storage.

–IANS

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Mumbai, July 29 (IANS) Dr. Snehalata Shamrao Deshmukh, a renowned paediatrician and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mumbai, passed away aged 86 at her home here on Monday morning, varsity officials said.

An ex-Dean of the BMC’s Lokmanya Tilak Medical College & General Hospital, Deshmukh served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mumbai from 1995-2000.

A renowned paediatric surgeon, she pioneered and co-founded the neo-natal department of the BMC’s KEM Hospital and also functioned as a Governing Council Member of the Tata Memorial Centre under the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India.

Born in December 1938 in Ahmednagar, Deshmukh was educated at the Indian Education Society (IES) School in Dadar, later graduated from the Ruia College and topped in her MBBS degree from the GS Medical College (KEM Hospital), and further MS qualifications from there.

In 1990, she joined the Sion Hospital – where her father had earlier served as Medical Superintendent – and took a series of initiatives for the welfare of the patients and the medical fraternity and society, said her former medical student Dr. Niranjan Chavan, now a professor of gynaecology in the same institution.

She was instrumental in founding the Research Society there, a ‘breastmilk bank’ for women who couldn’t breastfeed their infants.

One major social campaign she spearheaded was that many newborn babies from the adjoining Dharavi slum areas had complaints of benign tumour growth on their backs.

Deshmukh spearheaded a study with her medical team which proved that it was due to lack of folic acid in the mothers’ body, after which the BMC distributed folic acid tablets to pregnant women in Asia’s biggest slum which largely controlled the problem.

Her last rites were performed at the Vile Parle crematorium this afternoon in the presence of a large crowd of mourners, her ex-students, medical colleagues, academicians and civic body representatives.

–IANS

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