Vistara will stop giving plastic water bottles on board its flights, in a bid to reduce plastic usage. The airline, which had earlier banned chewing of gutka on its flights, on Wednesday said it “plans
Gurgaon: About 40 passengers had a narrow escape on Saturday evening when the CNG fuelled Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus in which they were travelling went up in flames near the Management Development Institute(MDI) in Gurgaon. Fire department officials said that initial investigations have shown that the CNG bus caught fire because of a leak in the gas cylinder. According to eyewitnesses, the bus, which plies on the Karol Bagh-Gurgaon route, caught fire around 6 pm, after it reached the MDI Chowk on Mehrauli Gurgaon road. No one was hurt as all the passengers had got down from the bus before the mishap took place.
In an effort to ensure improved tiger conservation, the Centre is planning to make states where sanctuaries and parks are located active partners in protecting the big cat by framing memorandums of understanding (MoUs) that will tie-in increased assistance to better management of the reserves. A review of tiger conservation chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday considered options to stem the decline in tiger population in the wake of the latest census released last week. It was felt that the cooperation of the states was essential for any conservation effort to succeed. The 30-odd tigers reserves are managed by forest services of 17 states. While a press release said that the PM expressed concern at the decline in tiger numbers, it also pointed out that Singh felt comparisons with older census figures would be out of place given that a revised methodology was used in the most recent count. It was also felt that tiger numbers had declined most in areas adjoining reserves which were not specifically protected. In order to get the states on board, it was decided that MoUs detailing their responsibilities as well as a scheme of incentives would be drawn up soon. These would be then signed with states with increased funds being linked to specific measures like requisite staff, communication and monitoring equipment and patrol vehicles. This would bring about a sharing of best practices in tiger conservation. A meeting of CMs of states where tiger reserves are located will be called and the CMs will be requested to take charge of conservation and forest management. The meeting will seek to frame a coordinated response to the challenge of tiger conservation. While the core areas of tiger reserves are to be kept inviolate
Trial production of Tata Motors' Rs one lakh wonder
Experts have discovered that the Milky Way is twice as thick than previously believed. According to a report in ABC, the discovery was made by professor Bryan Gaensler from the University of Sydney and his team. The research team found out that the enormous spiral-shaped collection gas and stars is 12,000 light-years thick when seen edge-on, not 6000 as scientists previously thought. "This was quite a stunning result,' said Gaensler. "It was a bit of a shock to us. It's like walking out into your backyard and finding your tree is twice the size you remembered,' he added. The researchers made their discovery without high-tech equipment or powerful telescopes. Instead, they downloaded publicly available data from the internet and carefully analyzed it.
Scientists have developed the mother of all laser beams
Washington: American warships are moving into position to try to shoot down an out-of-control spy satellite as early as Wednesday before it tumbles into the Earth's atmosphere, Pentagon officials said here on Tuesday. Armed with two specially modified interceptor missiles, the
Researchers have developed the first animal model of the infection caused by chikungunya virus (CHIKV), an emerging arbovirus associated with large-scale epidemics that hit the Indian Ocean, seriously affecting the French Island of La Reunion in 2005, before spreading to India, and Italy in 2007. Using a mouse model, scientists of the Pasteur Institute and INSERM in France determined which tissues and cells are infected by the virus in both the mild and severe forms of the disease. They document their findings in an article published in the latest issue of the US online open-access journal PLoS Pathogens. With the model, the researchers show how after an initial phase of viral replication in the liver, the infection extends to the joints, muscles and skin
In March last year, two million Sydney residents switched off lights and appliances for an hour. The idea was to send a message about arguably the greatest threat facing the planet: global warming. The move clearly captured the imagination of people across the world, because this year 23 other cities
US lawmakers have said that the nuclear deal with India cannot go through the US Congress if it does not reach there by June. The warning was sounded by a group of influential senators
Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH) would soon be the second hospital in the Capital after AIIMS to have a heart transplant facility. The required registration for the set up has already been granted to the hospital by the director general health services recently and the unit is expected to start in August this year.
