Dehradun's University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES) announced its collaboration with the online learning platform Coursera to provide future -focused and relevant courses to its students.
As part of this alliance, the students will have access to technical courses such as Data in Database, Object Oriented Programming in Java, Service-Oriented Architecture along with popular courses on the platform like Blockchain Basics, Programming for Everybody.
The content will be made part of curricular learning, electives and other self-development modules. Students will be duly credited and will be awarded course completion certificates for each course completed, at no additional fee.
Quota in Kendriya Vidyalayas May be Extended to OBCs
The Union human resource development (HRD) ministry cleared the decks for extending reservation to Other Backward Class candidates in admission to state-run Kendriya Vidyalaya and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas.
African Swine Fever Spreads to Indonesia
Indonesia became the latest Asian country to face an outbreak of African swine fever, a deadly pig virus devastating farmers across the region.
The country's Agriculture Ministry said that nearly 30,000 pigs have died from the disease in North Sumatra.
According to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), although it's harmless to humans, the disease can kill pigs within a few days, and the fatality rate can be up to 100%.
The virus is particularly robust, and is able to survive for seven days without a host, and for months in frozen pork products.
Dec 18, 2019
India Slips on Gender Gap
India has slipped four places to rank 112th globally in terms of gender gap amid widening disparity in terms of women's health and survival and economic participation—the two areas where the country is now ranked in the bottom-five.
While Iceland remains the world's most gender-neutral country, India moved down the ladder from its 108th position last year on the World Economic Forum's Gender Gap Report to rank below countries like China (106th), Sri Lanka (102nd), Nepal (101st), Brazil (92nd), Indonesia (85th) and Bangladesh (50th).
Yemen is ranked the worst 153rd, while Iraq is 152nd and Pakistan 151st.
Workplace Gender Equality Years Away
According to a report published by the World Economic Forum (WEF), while women appear to be gradually closing the gender gap in areas such as politics, health and education, workplace inequality is not expected to be erased until the year 2276.
As per WEF, the worldwide gender gap in the workplace had widened further since 2018.
The Geneva-based organisation's annual report tracks disparities between the sexes in 153 countries across four areas: education, health, economic opportunity and political empowerment.
Chemotherapy Could Become more Effective
In a world first, doctors in the UK are trialling an innovative new way of delivering targeted chemotherapy to cancer tumours, which could improve treatment and lead to fewer side effects for patients.
The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust is testing acoustic cluster therapy which uses ultrasound waves and microscopic clusters to pump more chemotherapy drugs into tumours, without attacking nearby healthy cells.
Karen Childs is the first patient on the clinical trial and is receiving treatment for a tumour in her liver.
It will be some time before the success of the trial can be assessed and many more trials would be needed before it could be used more widely.
Dec 15, 2019
Dengue Cases Highest in Gujarat and Karnataka
After consistently reporting the third highest number of dengue cases in the country, Karnataka now stands second. While Gujarat tops the list of total dengue cases in 2019.
According to data from the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) under the Union Ministry's Directorate General of Health Services, Karnataka reported 15,232 from January till November 2019 and Gujarat followed with 14,835 cases in this period.
MGM Medical College Gets Rs. 175cr to Double PG Seats
Union ministry of health and family welfare has approved Rs 175.61 crore for creating new 169 seats in 18 PG courses of MGM College.
The ministry granted an increase of total 803 PG seats in various courses in five medical colleges in state. This will be the second highest in state followed by Gandhi Medic al College Bhopal, which got approval for 285 seats.
The ministry allowed increase of eight seats each in anatomy, physiology, anaesthesia, 10 in bio-chemistry, 15 in pathology, 14 in microbiology, seven in forensic medicine, 14 in community medicine, one in dermatology, 5 in radio diagnostic, 20 in surgery, 5 in orthopaedic, 21 in medicine, 6 in psychiatry, 10 each in obstetrics and gynecology, 5 in transfusion medicine and 4 in ENT department of MGM.
The college can use funds for improvement in facilities for patients, academic improvement and construction of new hostels. This is first time in history of 70 years that PG seats in a medical college in state have been doubled.
Dec 14, 2019
Thai Massage Enters UNESCO Heritage List
At Bangkok's Reclining Buddha temple, Krairath Chantrasri said that he is a proud custodian of an ancient skill - the body-folding, sharp-elbowed techniques of Thai massage, which was added to UNESCO's prestigious heritage list.
Nuad Thai's addition to UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage practices is historic, said the Thai delegate at the UN Economic, Scientific and Cultural Organisation meeting in Bogota, Colombia.
Dec 13, 2019
Magic Mushroom Medicine Passes First Clinical Safety Trial
A UK-based mental health start-up has reportedly taken a step closer to getting its psilocybin medicine licensed for the treatment of depression.
According to the Financial Times, psychiatrists at King's College London found no serious negative effects during the first controlled clinical study of psilocybin, the main psychoactive ingredient in magic mushrooms.
The psilocybin was produced synthetically, rather than being extracted from magic mushrooms, by London-based company Compass Pathways.
The development comes as interest grows on both sides of the Atlantic around the use of psychedelic drugs to treat psychological conditions.