January2015ScienceandTechnology

ReactorsunderIAEAsafeguards

Pavingthewayforimportoffuelforitsnuclearreactors,Indiawillcompletetheprocessofplacing
itscivilianreactorsunderInternationalAtomicEnergyAgency(IAEA)safeguardsinthenext
twodays.Thelasttworeactorsunits1and2oftheNaroraAtomicPowerStationin
BulandshaharinUttarPradeshwillcomeunderthesafeguardsoftheinternationalatomic
energybodyinthenexttwodaysandthenecessarypaperworkisunderway.

Sofar20facilitieshavebeenplacedunderIAEAsafeguards.Thesereactorsarenoweligibletouse
importeduranium.

Thisincludesunit1and2oftheTarapurAtomicPowerStation(TAPS),units1to6ofRajasthan
AtomicPowerStation,units1and2ofKudankulamNuclearPowerPlant,andunits1and2of
KakraparAtomicPowerStation.

AboutInternationalAtomicEnergyAgency

TheInternationalAtomicEnergyAgency(IAEA)isaninternationalorganizationthatseeksto
promotethepeacefuluseofnuclearenergy,andtoinhibititsuseforanymilitarypurpose,
includingnuclearweapons.TheIAEAwasestablishedasanautonomousorganizationon29
July1957.ThoughestablishedindependentlyoftheUnitedNationsthroughitsown
internationaltreaty,theIAEAStatute,theIAEAreportstoboththeUnitedNationsGeneral
AssemblyandSecurityCouncil.

IPCCfuturenottiedtoParisClimateDeal

TheIntergovernmentalPanelonClimateChange(IPCC),theleadingUNbodyfortheassessment
ofclimatechange,iscontinuingitsworkforthebettermentofenvironment,accordingtoits
ChairmanRKPachauri.HesaidthattheIPCCwouldcontinueitswork,nomatterwhether
countriesarriveataglobalclimatedealnextyearinParisornot.Itssuccessivesciencebased
reportshadalwaysbeenkeyinputsfornegotiatorsinthepastovertwodecades.

TheIPCChadcomeoutwithitslast(fifth)assessmentreportinNovemberaheadoftheLima
climatetalks.Itisalsomostlikelytocomeoutwithitssixthassessmentreportinfuture,
bringingmorescientificinformationtothetableforpolicymakersandgeneralpubliconcauses
andimpactofclimatedamaginggreenhousegasesreleasedintotheatmosphere.


AmidspeculationoverthefutureoftheIPCConceitsubmittedits'synthesis'report,itschairmanR
KPachaurisaidhisexpectationwasthatthebodywouldalsocomeoutwiththesixth
assessmentreport(AR6)andadecisioninthisregardwouldhopefullybetakenbymember
countriesinFebruary,2015.

TheIPCCisascientificbodywhichreviewsandassessesthemostrecentscientific,technicaland
socioeconomicinformationproducedworldwiderelevanttotheunderstandingofclimate
change.Itwasestablishedin1988toprovidetheworldwithaclearscientificviewonthe
currentstateofknowledgeinclimatechangeanditspotentialenvironmentaland
socioeconomicimpacts.

Thebodyhassincethencomeoutwithfivesuccessiveassessmentreports,tellingtheglobal
communityhowhumanactivitiesareplayinghavocwithenvironmentandhowitledto
extremeweatherevents,meltingofglaciersandacidificationofoceansduetoglobalwarming.

ItwastheIPCCsecondassessmentreport(AR2)of1995thathadprovidedimportantmaterialand
keyinputstonegotiatorsintherunuptoadoptionoftheKyotoProtocolin1997.

SriLankanflyingsnake,spotted

Aflyingsnake,knowntobeendemictoSriLanka,hasbeensightedinAndhraPradesh's
Seshachalamforests,forestofficialsandresearcherssaid.

Accordingtoresearchers,thisisthefirsttimethatChrysopeleataprobanicahasbeensighted
outsidetheislandnation.

Thespecies,knowntobefoundindryzonelowlandsandpartsoftheintermediateclimaticzones
inSriLanka,wasspottedattheSeshachalamBiosphereReserveinChittoordistrict.

ItwasaboutayearagothatthespecieswasseeninChalama,acoreforestareaabout25kmfrom
thehillshrineofTirumala.

MorphologicalstudiesandDNAtestsprovedthatitwasindeedChrysopeleataprobanica,which
glidesbystretchingitsbodyintoaflattenedstrip.However,theresearchershaverevealedthis
nowafterChecklist,ajournalofbiodiversitydata,mentioneditinitslatestissue.

LowcostphonelaunchedbyICRISAT

Acustomised'lowcost'phonecumtablethasbeenlaunchedforfarmersbyHyderabadbased
InternationalCropsResearchInstitutefortheSemiAridTropics(ICRISAT).Thedevicewill
allowinformationtobepreciselytargetedatindividualfarmerswhoownsmallplotsoflandto
helpthempurchaseinputsatlowerprices,getabetterpricefortheirproduceandlinkthemto
markets,toputthemonthepathtoprosperity,ICRISATDirectorGeneralWilliamDarsaid,
whilelaunchingthedeviceon29thDecember.

ThedevicepricedatUSD299,hasbeendevelopedbyICRISAT'sCentreofExcellenceinICT
InnovationsforAgricultureincollaborationwithNUNCSystems,acitybasedcompany.

Apartfromregularphoneservices,developingworldfarmerswouldreceivefreemessagesabout
weatherandpestproblemswhilesharingthemostcompetitiveagriculturalinputsandcrop
prices.

ModipitchesforgreaterautonomytoUniversities

PrimeMinisterNarendraModion3rdJanuarypitchedforgreateracademicfreedomandautonomy
touniversitiesandsaideducationalinstitutionsmustbefreedfromtheclutchesofexcessive
regulationandcumbersomeprocedures.Speakingatthe102ndsessionoftheIndianScience
CongressattheUniversityofMumbai,Modisaidthesewererequiredtoplacetheuniversity
systematthecuttingedgeoftheresearchanddevelopmentactivitiesinthecountry.

Sayingeaseofdoingresearchwasasimportantaseaseofdoingbusiness,Modipromisedthe
scientificcommunityhewouldcutredtape.

Hestressedtheneedtomakeinvestmentinscienceandtechnologyapartofcorporatesocial
responsibilityandsaiddigitalconnectivitymustbeasmuchabasicrightasaccesstoschools.
Hesoughteffortstorevivetheromanceofscienceinsocietyandrekindletheloveforitin
children.

IndianScienceCongress

TheIndianScienceCongressAssociation(ISCA)owesitsorigintotheforesightandinitiativeof
twoBritishChemists,namely,ProfessorJ.L.SimonsenandProfessorP.S.MacMahon.It
occurredtothemthatscientificresearchinIndiamightbestimulatedifanannualmeetingof
researchworkerssomewhatonthelinesoftheBritishAssociationfortheAdvancementof
Sciencecouldbearranged.

Fromthismodestbeginningwithhundredandfivemembersandthirtyfivepaperscommunicated
forreadingatthefirstsession,ISCAhasgrownintoastrongfraternitywithmorethanten
thousandmemberstilltodate.

TheAssociationwasformedwiththefollowingobjectives:
ToadvanceandpromotethecauseofscienceinIndia

ToholdanannualcongressatasuitableplaceinIndia

Topublishsuchproceedings,journals,transactionsandotherpublicationsasmaybeconsidered
desirable.

TosecureandmanagefundsandendowmentsforthepromotionofScienceincludingtherightsof
disposingoforsellingalloranyportionofthepropertiesoftheAssociation.

Todoandperformanyorallotheracts,mattersandthingsasareconductiveto,orincidentalto,or
necessaryfor,theaboveobjects.

ThefirstmeetingoftheCongresswasheldfromJanuary1517,1914atthepremisesoftheAsiatic
Society,Calcutta,withtheHonourableJusticeSirAsutoshMukherjee,thethenViceChancellor
oftheCalcuttaUniversity,asPresident.Onehundredandfivescientistsfromdifferentpartsof
Indiaandabroadattendedandthepapersnumbering35weredividedintosixsectionsBotany,
Chemistry,Ethnography,Geology,Physics,ZoologyundersixSectionalPresidents.