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Wireless device makes clean fuel from CO2, water and sunlight

By
The Commune
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A team of researchers from University of Cambridge have developed a wireless technology that converts sunlight, carbon dioxide and water into a carbon-neutral fuel and requires no electricity.

It is based on an advanced ‘photosheet’ technology that converts sunlight, carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and formic acid which is a storable fuel form. It can be either used directly or can be converted into Hydrogen.

This was published in the ‘Nature Energy’ journal and outlines a novel methodology for the conversion of carbon dioxide into fuel. It aims to achieve artificial photosynthesis by mimicking the ability of plants to convert sunlight into energy. The technology solely relies on photo-catalysts (carbon-dioxide converting cobalt-based catalyst) embedded on a sheet. The sheets are made up of semiconductor powders which can be scaled up to several square metres and can be employed like that of solar cells.

It is a cleaner source compared to others as it shows a higher degree of selectivity and a lesser number of by-products and shows a promise for a clean renewable energy resource with maximum efficiency.

Man who proposed Narendra Modi’s name for 2019 LS polls no more

By
The Commune
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‘Dom Raja’ (king of cremators) Jagdish Chaudhary of Varanasi passed away on Tuesday at the age of 55.

Soon, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to twitter to express his condolences over death.

Prime Minister Modi tweeted “Extremely saddened by the demise of Dom Raja Jagdish Chaudhary of Varanasi. He settled in the culture of Kashi and was the conductor of the Sanatan tradition there. He worked for social harmony throughout his life. May God give peace to his soul and give the family the strength to bear this suffering”.

Jagdish Chaudhary was one of persons who proposed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the candidate from Varanasi for 2019 Lok Sabha polls. He had accompanied PM Modi last year to the Varanasi collectorate during the filing of nomination papers.

Dom Raja’s family have been lighting pyres at the Manikarnika and Harischandra Ghats in Varanasi for generations.

Muslim Jamaat in Thoothukudi demolishes Hindu temple hall, occupies temple land

By
The Commune
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Residents of Ganesapuram in Thoothukudi district have risen in protest after a Muslim Jamaat demolished a Hindu temple hall and occupied the temple land.

It is alleged that the members of the Jamaat broke the fence of the temple, demolished the temple hall and occupied the temple space.

In one of the video, a woman resident says that the temple hall where rituals and worship were conducted for years by the local Hindus was demolished by the Muslim Jamaat. She says that the villagers have been protesting since the morning asking government officials to take action. However they have been made to run pillar to post between Tahsildar office and police station in an attempt to quell the issue. She also says that the Jamaat members have been surveying and measuring the land wrongly. “The neem tree planted 40-50 years back which people worship is also being usurped by the Jamaat”, she says. She requests all organizations working to preserve Tamil culture to lend support.

In another video, an old lady names a few members of the Jamaat – Peer Mohammad, Sheikh Mohammad – and said that they had come and demolished the temple hall. She says that the police have not taken any action and are failing to register a case. “They haven’t filed a case.. all they are asking us to do is wait, wait, wait.” She says that the villagers won’t budge until action is taken on the Muslim land grabbers.

The issue meanwhile is beginning to get traction on social media.

After returning to school, Greta Thunberg finds a new cause to show her ‘activism’

By
The Commune
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Greta Thunberg, who shot to fame as a climate ambassador overnight, now has a new cause: stopping the Indian government from conducting the NEET and JEE exams.

She tweeted on Tuesday saying conducting exams during coronavirus pandemic and extreme floods was deeply unfair to students. The hashtag #postponeJEENEET started trending on Twitter following her tweet. “I stand with their call to #PostponeJEE_NEETinCOVID,” Thunberg, who has 4.1 million followers on Twitter, wrote on the microblogging website where the hashtag “MODIJI_POSTPONEJEENEET” was already trending. While her tweet invited many responses from young men and women across the globe, the climate activist – who has just returned to school after a gap year of creating awareness about the climate emergency – also faced a lot of backlash for her stand.

Students all over the country have been demanding to cancel these two entrance exams highlighting how badly the country has been hit with the pandemic and floods in several states. Several politicians have also supported this demand saying that the current conditions post by coronavirus, as well as the various disastrous conditions in several states, is not conducive to conduct exams.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education has maintained that it will conduct exams in September, and responded to the various petitions that were filed, saying ‘life cannot be stopped.’

TN Archaeology Department releases status report of excavation sites, Interesting finds from Keezhadi, Adichanallur and Kodumanal

By
The Commune
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On Monday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami released the status report of the different archaeological excavation happening in the states. The report compiled by the Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department includes details about the excavations done at the Keezhadi cluster (Keezhadi, Manalur, Agaram and Kondhagai) in Sivaganga district, Adichanallur and Sivagalai in Thoothukudi district and Kodumanal in Erode district in addition to the explorations at Vellore, Krishnagiri, Tiruvannamalai, Dharmapuri, Salem, Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts.

Speaking about this Minister for Tamil Official Language, Tamil Culture and Archaeology Mafoi K Pandiarajan, said that over 3959 artefacts had been excavated from the Keezhadi cluster and Kodumanal in Erode till July 2020 and ₹31.93 crores had been allocated for this year.

Findings from Keezhadi cluster

128 carbon samples have been collected from Keezhadi cluster so far for determining the age of the object of which 75.8% are from Keezhadi itself. Artefacts recovered include objects like globular pots, cattle bones, several iron and copper objects, precious and semi-precious beads like carnelian, agate and amethyst and seals and Graffiti marks that had the Tamil Brahmi inscription. These finding further suggests the trading and economic activities of the Sangam age.

17 human skeletons and 2 animal skeletons have been unearthed from Kondhagai. A burial site with 40 urn burials and 16 surface burials were identified. One of the urn had a human skeleton in sitting position with the head facing north. In another burial, a child’s body was laid north-south with head on the north facing the west.

At Agaram, microlithic tools, polished stone axe, carbonised paddy, ceramics, beads, terracotta figurines and decorated shell objects were excavated. A gold coin weighing 300 mg was also unearthed. Rim of a Chinese ware and smoking pipes were also excavated.

Findings from Adichanallur and Sivagalai

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had resumed excavations at Adichanallur in 2003 which are currently in progress. So far, over 160 urns within 600 square metres have been unearthed. From Sivagalai which is 14 kms from Adichanallur, coins, bowls and sherds were excavated.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had in Budget 2020 announced that Adichanallur will be developed as an iconic archaeological site with on-site museums.

Findings from Kodumanal

Kodumanal village lies 40 kms south west of Erode situated along the banks of Noyal river. The site is said to have been a bustling industrial and trade centre. 127 artefacts like pot sherds with Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions, terracotta objects, gold ornaments, punch-marked coins, iron arrowheads, iron sword, beads and animal bones have been collected from this site.

Tamil Nadu State Archaeology department has been collaborating with several reputed institutes such as Madurai Kamaraj University, National Institute of Advanced Studies (Bengaluru), Sharma Centre for Heritage Education (Chennai), Institute of Remote Sensing (Anna University), Vellore Institute of Technology, Deccan College Pune, French Institute Pondicherry, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (Hyderabad), Central University Tiruvarur and Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (Navi Mumbai).

Fire breaks out at Kerala secretariat near the section which is under NIA scanner, files destroyed

By
The Commune
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A fire broke out at the general administration department of the Kerala secretariat complex supposedly due to a ‘short circuit’ at around 5 PM on Tuesday.

The section where the fire broke out is close to the protocol section which is under the NIA scanner regarding the gold smuggling case.

The Mathrubhumi reported that some files, documents and a computer were destroyed. It said that the fire first broke out at the Chief Protocol Officer’s office. it is to be noted that the National Investigation Agency had demanded certain files, documents and visuals relating to gold smuggling case from the protocol officer.

 

Meet the 3 year old baker who has baked and delivered 1000 cookies to COVID frontline workers

By
Vaibavi Jayakumar
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Mia Villa, a 3-year-old girl from Stillwater, Oklahoma, is thanking those on the frontlines fighting COVID-19 by delivering homemade cookies. She has been baking ever since she was 18 months old, and has become a sensation after she baked and delivered over 1000 cookies to the frontline workers of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Named Mia’s Cookie Jar, this venture was started by Mia and her mother Devin, who make deliveries a few times a week to police stations, hospitals, fire stations, and other places. Each batch that they deliver is baked fresh that morning and gets boxed up, with a picture from Mia. At every place they’ve delivered cookies to, Mia has gotten to learn a bit more about what each first-responder does, from fighting fires to healing wounds.

“With the pandemic and everything being shut down, [there’s] a lot of pressure on the first-responders,” Devin said, “I use this is a way to teach her about the people that we are most grateful for and she can do something she loves.” “She does it all by herself,” Devin added. But Mia’s younger brother Gino is her quality assurance team, taste-testing cookies whenever he’s needed.

She is the great-granddaughter of the former mayor of Amsterdam, and has become viral on Facebook and Instagram, gaining what she calls “cookie followers”. She regularly bakes and posts recipes about the project.

Source: The Daily Gazette

India Army readying itself on Eastern Ladakh: Shoulder-fired Igla air defence missiles deployed

By
Balaji Subramanian
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After Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, yesterday (July 24) had said, the military option to push back the Chinese transgressors is still on the table, Indian forces have been equipped with shoulder-fired air defence missiles in Ladakh heights, reported by Times of India.

China is not willing to deescalate and Chinese helicopters are now flying very close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh.

“Indian troops armed with the Russian-origin Igla air defence system have been deployed on the crucial heights along the border to take care of any enemy aircraft trying to violate the Indian air space there,” sources told ANI.

The Russian-origin Igla air defence systems are capable of shooting down enemy fighter jets or helicopters. This is a preventive measure that has never been previously exercised by the Indian military which shows hostilities have still not ceased.

India has deployed radars and surface to air missile systems to keep track of the enemy air movement after Indian forces had observed that a number of Chinese choppers had tried to come inside Indian territory.

India has also deployed its frontline fighters, the Su-30MKI is keeping a close eye on the Hotan, Gar Gunsa, Kashghar, Hopping, Dkonka Dzong, Linzhi and Pangat airbases of the PLAAF in the Xinjiang and Tibet region that has seen a lot of activity in the last week or so.

DCGI gives approval for phase 2 and 3 trials of COVID-19 Vaccine in India

By
Balaji Subramanian
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The phase 2 clinical trial of the Oxford University’s COVID-19 vaccine by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) is set to start from Tuesday (25 August).

This is an important step towards finding a cure for the Wuhan virus and approval for the phase 2 and 3 trials has been received from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) earlier this month, reported Times of India.

Serum Institute is a manufacturer of immunobiological drugs including vaccines in India and they have partnered with British-Swedish pharma company AstraZeneca to manufacture the potential Covid-19 vaccine, which has been developed by the Oxford University.

According to the report, the observer-blind, randomised controlled study of the Serum’s ‘Covishield’ on the health of Indian adults will begin at Bharati Vidyapeeth Medical College and Hospital in Pune.

Across 17 sites in India, phase 2 and 3 trials of the Covishield will be conducted on 1,600 healthy adults.

The testing sites include AIIMS Delhi, B J Medical College in Pune, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences (RMRIMS) in Patna, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, AIIMS-Jodhpur, Nehru Hospital in Gorakhpur, Andhra Medical College in Visakhapatnam and JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research in Mysore.

“We have got all approvals from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). We are going to start the human clinical trial process at the Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University) Medical College and Hospital from 25 August,” Prakash Kumar Singh, additional director, government and regulatory affairs, SII was quoted as saying.

Rohingyas mark third anniversary of exodus to Bangladesh with silent protest

By
Vaibavi Jayakumar
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The Rohingya Muslim refugees marked the third anniversary of their exodus to Bangladesh with a silent protest. This exodus, as a result of clashes between Myanmar army and Rohingya insurgents, set off a huge movement of Rohingya Muslims as refugees into Bangladesh.

Ideally, they would have gathered in a mass gathering to commemorate this day. Owing to the novel coronavirus pandemic, they said that they had decided against it and marked what they call the Remembrance Day with a silent protest. Since 2018, they have been observing August 25 as “Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day” as on the same day in 2017, Myanmar army began a brutal crackdown against Rohingya insurgents, forcing more than 750,000 people to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh.

More than 1.2 million Rohingya have been living in makeshift settlements in Bangladesh’s southeastern district of Cox’s Bazar for years. Authorities say 88 cases of the virus have been found in the camps and six people have died. The Myanmar military crackdown that followed forced 730,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh, joining more than 200,000 already there.

Meanwhile, the United Nations said the crackdown by the Myanmar military was carried out with genocidal intent. Myanmar denies genocide, saying its forces were engaged in a legitimate campaign against the Rohingya insurgents, and it was the insurgents who were responsible for most of the violence, including the torching of villages.

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TheCommune
The Commune is a news and views portal focusing on social and political issues of the southern part of India with a focus on Tamil Nadu.
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