Latest news with #Vishwanathan
Time of India
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Tamil by roots, Punjabi by nature: How Jan Sangh's A Vishwanathan, a man with roots to a village near Kaveri river, won elections twice from Ludhiana seats
1 2 3 4 5 6 Ludhiana: The political chorus these days has been assuming a hatred-laced regionalist fervour, but there was a time when Ludhiana West assembly segment was represented by a man who traced his roots to a village in Tamil Nadu, located on the southern bank of Kaveri. A bypoll is scheduled to be held in Ludhiana West on Thursday. When A Vishwanathan was elected MLA on a Bharatiya Jan Sangh (precursor of Bharatiya Janata Party) ticket from Ludhiana South in 1967 and on a Janata Party ticket from Ludhiana West in 1977, the city was almost exclusively inhabited by Punjabi Hindus and Sikhs. His election was not just by chance or through parachuting tricks that parties employ these days. Vishwanathan had chosen to spend all his professional and political life in Ludhiana, where he worked as lawyer and assumed a leading role in the political activities of Bharatiya Jan Sangh (precursor of Bharatiya Janata Party) and served as its president for Ludhiana district. During the emergency, Vishwanathan spent 19 months in jail for opposing the clampdown. He was a fluent Punjabi speaker, who quit professorship of economics and emerged as an eminent lawyer. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo "Such was the impact of his personality and socio-political work he had done that when I campaigned in Ludhiana West in 2007, while contesting assembly elections on a SAD-BJP ticket, BJP's old guards would cry while recalling his commitments and contributions. This was long after he died. It shows how deeply people of Ludhiana West respected him," recalled former Ludhiana West MLA Harish Rai Dhanda. In 1967 elections, the first to be held after the reorganisation of Punjab, Vishwanathan won the election from Ludhiana South on the BJS symbol. By 1977, the Ludhiana West seat was carved out following delimitation. That year, he won by trouncing the popular Congress leader Joginder Pal Pandey and secured over 51 % votes. In 1977, he contested elections on the symbol of Janata Party, the conglomerate of major anti-Congress political parties, after emergency was lifted in 1977. But how did a Tamil man, whose family hailed from Palamaneri village of Thanjavur district, came to Ludhiana? The story dates to pre-Partition years. "It all started with my great-grandfather, who, during the British period, moved to Dehradun to serve as headmaster in Col Brown Cambridge School, along with his family. My grandfather was born in Delhi. Later, my grandfather A Vishwanathan and his two sisters shifted to Jalandhar to attain higher education. He studied at DAV, Jalandhar, from 1946 to 1951 and settled in Ludhiana to practise law. One of his sisters became the principal of Kanya Maha Vidyalya, Jalandhar," said Chandigarh-based lawyer R Kartikeya, Vishwanathan's grandson, who still manages the law firm with the same name that was once launched by Vishwanathan in 1950s in Ludhiana. Kartikeya said his grandfather embraced Punjabi culture by heart. "Although he was fluent in several Indian and foreign languages, he felt if one wanted to live and work among Punjabis, they should embrace Punjabi as their mother tongue. That was his commitment towards Punjabis," said Kartikeya. The citation of 'Roll of Honour of the Highest Order', conferred upon Vishwanathan by DAV College, Jalandhar, offered insight into his academic and political achievements. It mentions that after enrolling in the college in 1946, he first studied BSs (non-medical) and then earned MA (Economics). He even served as a professor of economics after his post-graduate degree. "Ever since his early childhood, Prof Vishwanathan had been closely associated with RSS and held many important offices in the organisation. He is an able organizer and founder member of Bharatiya Jan Sangh. He had been the president of the district unit of BJS. He was instrumental in arousing public opinion against the emergency," reads the citation. Vishwanathan passed away at PGIMER, Chandigarh, in 1980 after suffering a heart attack. He was in his 70s at the time.
Time of India
14-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Govt docs get training in confirming brain death
T'puram: The govt doctors received specialized training in the technical and legal aspects of confirming brain death. The training programme, led by Kerala State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (KSOTTO), was inaugurated by the director of medical education, Dr K V Vishwanathan. The main goal of the programme was to provide doctors with expert training on the precise procedures, techniques and legal frameworks for determining brain death. Specialist doctors from various departments such as general medicine, anaesthesia, general surgery and pulmonology from govt hospitals in Thiruvananthapuram, as well as doctors from Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital, participated in the training. Dr Vishwanathan said that KSOTTO's legal counsel is available for all legal assistance related to confirming brain death. The govt has appointed a legal advisor to provide legal guidance related to KSOTTO's operations as a regulatory body for organ transplants in Kerala. Executive director of KSOTTO Dr S S Noble Gracious and administrative officer Binoy Mathew also spoke at the event. Prominent doctors conducted classes on various topics during the training programme. Dr P Chithra, professor and head of neurology department of Thiruvananthapuram Govt Medical College, discussed 'Brain Stem Reflexes'. Dr Anil Sathyadas, professor and head of critical care department, explained the prerequisites and apnea testing for confirming brain death. Dr Biju Bhadran, professor and head of neurosurgery, covered the practical aspects of brain death, while Dr Dhanya Ravindran, assistant professor of forensic medicine, detailed the legal aspects and documentation related to confirming brain death. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
Scroll.in
09-06-2025
- Science
- Scroll.in
India has developed two genome-edited rice varieties – but some experts are concerned
In a significant stride towards bolstering food security amid escalating climate challenges, researchers at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute and the Indian Institute of Rice Research, both operating under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, have developed two innovative genome-edited rice varieties, named DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala) and Pusa DST Rice 1. These varieties aim to enhance yield and resilience against environmental stresses. Developed by Indian Institute of Rice Research in Hyderabad, DRR Dhan 100 or Kamala is based on the popular Samba Mahsuri (BPT-5204) and exhibits high yield potential along with improved drought and salinity resistance. Pusa DST Rice 1 is developed by Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi from Cotton Dora Sannalu (MTU 1010) and is engineered for enhanced DST or drought and salt tolerance. Both varieties were developed using the CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technique, which allows for precise modifications in the plant's DNA without introducing foreign genes. This, according to the scientists, is a very different method from genetic modification of the plant. Genome editing accelerates the breeding process and enables the development of crops with desired traits more efficiently. Genome editing vs genetic modification While both genome editing and genetic modification involve altering an organism's genetic material, they differ fundamentally in approach and outcome. Genome editing uses specific tools to make targeted changes to the organism's own DNA without introducing genes from other species. In contrast, genetic modification typically involves inserting foreign genes into an organism's genome, often resulting in transgenic organisms. Viswanathan C, joint director (research) at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, explains, 'In genome editing, mutations are induced at specific sites where change is needed. These are internal and guided changes – a modern, targeted way to induce genetic mutations that also occur in nature, but with precision for specific outcomes.' Genetic modification, on the other hand, can result in unintended genetic changes and has been subject to stricter regulatory scrutiny. Scientists have used Site-Directed Nuclease 1 and Site-Directed Nuclease 2 (SDN-1 and SDN-2) genome editing techniques to develop the seeds. Vishwanathan highlights that genome editing in rice is being pursued to address agricultural challenges such as low yields, drought, and soil salinity, which are increasingly prevalent due to climate change. For instance, Pusa DST Rice 1 and DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala) were developed to tolerate harsh conditions such as drought and saline soils, which are common in many Indian farming regions. Kamala, derived from the popular Samba Mahsuri rice, also has improved grain numbers and reduced environmental impact, according to the scientists. Biosafety concerns The release of these genome-edited rice varieties has garnered attention from various stakeholders in the agricultural sector. While many experts view this development as a positive step towards sustainable agriculture, some have raised concerns about the long-term implications and regulatory oversight of genome editing technologies. The Coalition for GM-free India, in a press conference held in Bengaluru, put forward the concerns around the safety of genome editing of crops such as rice. They alleged that both SDN-1 and SDN-2 techniques used for the rice varieties are illegal and unsafe. Kavitha Kuruganti, a member of the coalition says, 'Published studies such as Sukumar Biswas et al. in their paper say that SDN-1 technology, using CRISPR/Cas9 system is not precise in rice. Early and accurate molecular characterisation and screening must be carried out for many generations before the edited rice varieties are handed over to the farmers.' In a rebuttal, Indian Council of Agricultural Research scientists responded to these allegations saying that genome editing techniques, (SDN-1/SDN-2) are comparable to natural or chemical-induced mutations used safely for more than 75 years. They explain that these techniques require specific tests to confirm absence of foreign DNA. 'More than 30 agriculture-based countries have exempted SDN1 and SDN2 genome editing from stringent biosafety regulations. India too joined the progressive nations and notified the exemption of SDN1 and SDN2 genome edited plants in 2022,' the rebuttal sourced by Mongabay India says. While Kurnganti questions the need for a better yielding paddy, considering India is one of the largest rice producers in the world, second only to China, and the country could do better with better distribution of paddy produced, Vishwanathan says that rice plays a central role in the country's food security and cannot be overlooked. He adds that similar research is ongoing in millets and other crops as well.
