Thinking about romantic partner may help keep BP in check

Washington:

Thinking about your romantic partner when faced with a stressful situation may help keep your blood pressure under control just as effectively as actually having the significant other present with you, a study claims.


In the study, published in the journal Psychophysiology, 102 participants were asked to complete a stressful task — submerging one foot into three inches of cold water ranging from 3.3 to 4.4 degrees Celsius. Researchers from the University of Arizona measured participants’ blood pressure, heart rate and heart rate variability before, during and after the task.

The participants, all of whom were in romantic relationships, were randomly assigned to one of three conditions when completing the task. They either had their significant other sitting quietly in the room with them during the task, they were instructed to think about their romantic partner as a source of support during the task, or they were instructed to think about their day during the task.

Those who had their partner physically present in the room or who thought about their partner had a lower blood pressure response to the stress of the cold water than the participants who were instructed to think about their day.

Heart rate and heart rate variability did not vary between the three groups, researchers said. The effect on blood pressure reactivity was just as powerful whether the partner was physically present or merely conjured mentally, they added.

Studies have suggested that having a partner present or visualising a partner can help manage the body’s physiological response to stress. The new study, led by UA psychology doctoral student Kyle Bourassa, suggests that the two things are equally effective — at least when it comes to blood pressure reactivity.

The findings may help explain, in part, why high-quality romantic relationships are consistently associated with positive health outcomes in the scientific literature, Bourassa said. “This suggests that one way being in a romantic relationship might support people’s health is through allowing people to better cope with stress,” he said.

Scientists are now teaching body to accept new organs

It was not the most ominous sign of health trouble, just a nosebleed that would not stop. So in February 2017, Michael Schaffer, who is 60 and lives near Pittsburgh, went first to an emergency room, then to a hospital where a doctor finally succeeded in cauterising a tiny cut in his nostril.

Then the doctor told Schaffer something he never expected to hear: “You need a liver transplant.”


Schaffer had no idea his liver was failing. He had never heard of the diagnosis: NASH, for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, a fatty liver disease not linked to alcoholism or infections. The disease may have no obvious symptoms even as it destroys the organ. That nosebleed was a sign that Schaffer’s liver was not making proteins needed for blood to clot. He was in trouble.

The news was soon followed by another eye-opener: Doctors asked Schaffer to become the first patient in an experiment that would attempt something that transplant surgeons have dreamed of for more than 65 years.

If it worked, he would receive a donated liver without needing to take powerful drugs to prevent the immune system from rejecting it.

Before the discovery of anti-rejection drugs, organ transplants were impossible. The only way to get the body to accept a donated organ is to squelch its immune response. But the drugs are themselves hazardous, increasing the risks of infection, cancer, high cholesterol levels, accelerated heart disease, diabetes and kidney failure.

Within five years of a liver transplant, 25% of patients on average have died. Within 10 years, 35 to 40% have died.

Patients usually know about the drugs’ risks, but the alternative is worse: death.

In 1953, Dr. Peter Medawar and his colleagues in Britain did an experiment with a result so stunning that he shared a Nobel Prize for it. He showed that it was possible to “train” the immune systems of mice so that they would not reject tissue transplanted from other mice.

His method involved injecting newborn or fetal mice with white blood cells from unrelated mice. When the mice were adults, researchers placed skin grafts from the unrelated mice onto the backs of those that had received the blood cells.

The mice accepted the grafts, suggesting that the immune system can be modified. The idea is to isolate regulatory T cells from a patient about to have a liver or kidney transplant. Then scientists attempt to grow them in the lab along with cells from the donor. Then the T cells are infused back to the patient.

Mumbai will have its footprint on Nasa’s New Horizon spacecraft’s trajectory

Mumbai will have its footprint on Nasa’s New Horizon spacecraft’s trajectory while executing a nail-biting historic flyby of the most distant and ancient object in the solar system, Ultima Thule, around 11am (IST) on Tuesday. The reason: The person who is playing a key role in navigating the spacecraft to this object, discovered just four years ago, is a Mumbaikar.


Shyam Bhaskaran of Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory was born in 1963 at a clinic in Matunga. Bhaskaran, who has navigated a number of Nasa missions, spoke to TOI on Sunday, recalling that he stayed at Kenilworth, Pedder Road, which housed officials of the department of atomic energy. “My dad was with BARC,” he said.

Bhaskaran, who attended preschool at Kemps Corner, said he remembered playing with friends in and around Kenilworth. “I had a tricycle and I used to pedal it around the area.”

He left for the US in 1968, but returned to Mumbai in 1981 to meet relatives. “I found it was a really big city, full of life and crowded. I will certainly revisit in the future,” he said.

Malaysia king quits amid talks of marriage to Russian beauty queen

King Sultan Muhammad V

Oksana Voevodina

Kuala Lumpur:

Malaysia’s king has abdicated, royal officials said on Sunday, in a historic first for the country that ended weeks of speculation about his future after he took medical leave. Sultan Muhammad V’s decision marks the first time a king has abdicated in the Muslim-majority country since it gained independence from Britain in 1957.


It came after the king took leave at the start of November for two months, during which time unconfirmed reports circulated that he had married a Russian former beauty queen. The Sun reported that Oksana Voevodina was 22 in 2015 when she won the title of Miss Moscow. A statement from the national palace confirmed the resignation of the relatively youthful monarch, known for his fondness for four-wheel driving.

“His majesty tells the people of Malaysia to continue to be united to maintain unity, tolerance, and work together,” said the statement, signed by the Comptroller of the Royal Household, Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz.

It gave no reason for the 49-year-old’s move. But there had been a question mark over the reign of the king, who ascended to the throne in December 2016, since he took a leave of absence for medical treatment. Reports then circulated online that he had married a former Miss Moscow in Russia. Royal officials in Malaysia have so far not commented on the rumoured marriage, or given any details about his health condition.

While their role is ceremonial, Malaysia’s Islamic royalty command great respect, especially from Muslim Malays, and criticising them is strictly forbidden.

Speculation intensified about the king’s future this week when the country’s royals reportedly held a special meeting. Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy, with a unique arrangement where the throne changes hands every five years between rulers of the nine Malaysian states headed by centuries-old Islamic royalty.

The rotating monarchy system has been in place since independence from Britain in 1957, and Sultan Muhammad V is the first monarch to have renounced the throne. Sultan Muhammad V studied at St Cross College at Oxford and the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, according to official media. He is known for a relaxed public persona, taking part in walkathons to promote health, and has been photographed wearing a baseball cap backwards. 

How to get wealthy people to donate more

Appealing To Their Sense Of Personal Power Encourages Them To Give More Money To Charity


Appealing to wealthy people’s sense of personal power rather than their community spirit seems to encourage them to give more money to charity.

Psychologists already knew that rich people value their individual ability to control events more than lower-income earners do, says Ashley Whillans at Harvard University. Appealing to this independent mindset encouraged wealthy people to donate more money to a charity aimed at ending poverty, found Whillans and her colleagues. That work was published in 2017.


The team has now tested whether fundraising appeals framed in this way increased the generosity of wealthy graduates of an Ivy League business school in the US, whose average starting salaries were in excess of $100,000 per year. The researchers sent letters to more than 12,000 alumni asking them to donate to the school.

The letters started with one of two sets of words to appeal for their support: “Sometimes, one person needs to come forward and take individual action” or “sometimes, one community needs to come forward and support a common goal”.

Among the 4% who donated, those who received the message that focused on individual action gave an average of $432. In contrast, those who got the more community-minded appeal contributed $270 on average.

We think that giving highincome earners a sense of control makes them want to give more. “We think that giving high-income earners a sense of control makes them want to give more,” says Whillans. She believes that fundraising organisations could use these findings to boost their revenue. “Charities often use messages that highlight how positive the action is, like, ‘it’s so important to help the environment’, but they may benefit from tailoring their messages to people's self-interested motivations instead,” she says.

Torrent Power for Mumbra-Shil-Kalwa region while CESC has bagged contract for Malegaon

New power distributor in Mumbra, Malegaon
Burdened with dues, MahaVitaran tasks CESC and Torrent with drastically cutting distribution losses in five years

Maharashtra government has revived the franchisee model in the power distribution sector in a bid to contain distribution losses, recover mounting arrears, and ensure quality and uninterrupted supply. State power distribution company — MahaVitaran — has awarded contract of power distribution to Torrent Power for Mumbra-Shil-Kalwa region while CESC has bagged contract for Malegaon.

The mandate given to Torrent Power is to bring down distribution losses to 15 per cent in five years from the present level of 44.2 per cent in Mumbra-Shil-Kalwa region and to further lower it to 7 per cent in 20 years.

In Malegaon, CESC will have to reduce distribution losses to 15 per cent in five years from 44.8 per cent and further cut to 7 per cent in 20 years. MahaVitaran has a total consumer base of 2.14 lakh in Mumbra-Shil-Kalwa region and 99,597 in Malegaon. The franchisee will operate the distribution network, collect electricity bills, and crack down on defaulters.


Further, as per the contract, Torrent will have to reduce the aggregate technical and commercial (AT&C) losses to 15 per cent from a record 46.73 per cent in five years in Mumbra-Shil-Kalwa region. CESC will have to bring down AT&C losses to 15 per cent from 45.30 per cent. Both these companies are expected to procure power from MahaVitaran and distribute. The more they distribute, the more they would earn from MahaVitaran.

A MahaVitaran official told DNA, “The arrears from the permanently disconnected consumers in Mumbai-Shil-Kalwa region stand at Rs 374 crore as on date, while the current dues are worth Rs 67 crore yet to be recovered from the consumers. In case of Malegaon, the permanently disconnected consumers owe Rs 62 crore, while the current arrears are Rs 30 crore.” He informed that Torrent Power and CESC are expected to upgrade the distribution system to improve power supply.

The official added, MahaVitaran had first appointed Torrent Power as distribution franchisee in Bhiwandi back in 2007 and its contract was renewed in 2017. “Torrent Power has brought down distribution losses to 17.3 per cent from 39 per cent, while it brought down AT&C losses to the same level from 54 per cent during the same time,” he said.

Subsequently, MahaVitaran had appointed Hyderabad-based IT company SNDL in 2011 as distribution franchisee in Nagpur. Additionally, it appointed GTL as the franchisee for Aurangabad in May 2011, but the contract was terminated in November 2014 after dues to MahaVitaran mounted to Rs 150 crore. Furthermore, Crompton Greaves was appointed as Jalgaon franchisee in May 2011, but was ousted in August 2015, when dues increased to Rs 100 crore.

From cocaine to different strains of marijuana

Of a blunt, in a bong, for a high
From cocaine to different strains of marijuana, the financial capital is staring at an impending epidemic of young children and collegians suffering from substance abuse. DNA tries to trace the root of the problem 

For the Anti-Narcotics Cell of the Mumbai Police, 2018 ended with the seizure of 100 kilogramme of Fentanyl, a potent synthetic and fatal opioid, worth Rs 1,000 crore. The drug was being transported to Mexico via air cargo from the city’s international airport. While on one hand, the police are investigating the money trail involved in this drug haul, the focus also remains on the use of darknet and its far-reaching effects in trading drugs across  countries.

Apart from the recent seizure of Fentanyl, the ANC sleuths said that the year witnessed other big and small drug seizures, mostly being traded within the city and involving less than the set commercial quantity.

With technological advancements, suppliers use smarter ways to trade drugs within the city. Selling narcotics outside schools and colleges is now passe. Some of the recent arrests have brought startling facts to the surface. Law enforcement agencies are trying to understand the use of mobile phone applications and darknet in drug peddling. Orders for narcotics are often placed through WhatsApp calls as these internet calls cannot be intercepted, sources from the police said. According to the police, suppliers are aware of the profitability that darknet can provide them with.

“The calculation is pretty simple. If there is demand for a certain thing, there has to be supply for it too. Peddlers have smartly mended their ways for the sake of business after realising the changing trends; they have adjusted market setups accordingly. Previously, drugs used to be traded in open markets as there was no fear of law. But now, intensified police actions have reduced their trading boundaries to outside government schools and colleges. Young students and teenagers give drug peddlers a vantage point to trade their stuff as children are gullible and do not need much effort to be persuaded,” an ANC officer said on the condition of anonymity.

Drugs are supplied according to the demands of locals. The market for local drugs like ganja, charas, cocaine, heroine and mephedrone is wider. Other international drugs are only consumed by the upper middle class and can barely be tracked.

The city police have also identified quite a few soft spots that witness nominal, marginal and significant activities by drug peddlers. “Parts of South Mumbai have more prominent places when it comes to drug peddling. Such areas are also inhabited by people from other nationalities, who work quite actively to set up their markets. A few soft spots in the western and northern parts of the city also witness active drug smuggling,” the ANC officer added. Speaking about party drugs, especially LSD and MDMA, another ANC officer said that they are traded through darknet.

Bostik sniffing in Malwani
Another trend that has emerged in the Malwani area is the smelling of Bostik. Bostik is an adhesive and a sealant that is used in industries. Bostik is accompanied by thinner which is used to dilute oil-based paints. These two things have a complex organic chemical composition that relaxes the mind when smelt. The liquids are easily available at hardware stores. They come in small bottles and teenagers constantly sniff the smell by applying them on a handkerchief or a long piece of rope.
The locals of Malwani alleged that the police and the administration have not taken concrete steps to curb drug trading in the locality.

“Majority of the area has slums. Peddlers supply drugs near government schools. Also, illegal hookah parlours serve flavoured hookah that comes with other intoxicants. Children and youth are getting addicted to cough syrups and are stealing money to buy drugs. Mobile thefts and house breaking incidents are related to the menace of drugs,” founder of a Malwani based non-governmental organisation Janhit Vichar Foundation Abdul Chaudhary said.

 “Famous historsy-sheeters like Raju Plaster and Salim Tempo are trying to flood the area with drugs but, even the police are not taking measures to stop them,” Chaudhary said.

Fifty-three-year-old Iqbal Patel’s son Irfaan (23), is back home from a rehabilitation centre. “My son was down with all sorts of addiction at the age of 13. Every time he returned home from the rehab, he sniffed thinners and Bolstik. If we tried to stop him, he became violent. If I would not have been forceful with him, I would have lost him a long time back. I have spent my life to drag him out of that phase and even now, I urge the Malwani Police to wake up and save other children and teens who are into drug abuse.”

An administrative staff of the Holy Angel High School in Malwani on the condition of anonymity said, “The world of drugs and crime has a one-way entry. If you get involved once, it is very hard to get out of it. We are seriously concerned about the situation in the area. We don’t know how drugs are circulated in Malwani but, we know that if appropriate steps are not taken at the earliest, we might be headed to a sad state of affairs.”

On the other hand the Malwani Police have said that a total of 47 cases have been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. “In Malwani, the prominent drugs consumed are ecstasy, nitro 10 — a medicine used by cardiac patients, marijuana, charas and jaradh. Peddlers bring drugs concealed in the tyres of vehicles or inside an ambulance. Women too trade drugs in the area. We are seizing considerable amounts of drugs and are also apprehending the accused in such cases. Young children and teens fall prey to drugs because of curiosity, peer pressure, personal and family problems, anxiety and depression,” a police officer from the Malwani Police Station said.

The ANC that operates in five units namely Azad Maidan, Worli, Bandra, Ghatkopar and Kandivali said that it had rescued close to 150 youth from the clutches of drugs in 2017.

“We focus on breaking the supply chain of the operational drugs syndicate across the city and once the chain breaks, there will neither be any demand nor any supply. We have seized drugs worth Rs 10.5 crore and have arrested a total 130 people for the same. The ANC registers cases under the NDPS and not the Indian Penal Code and therefore, all arrested have been booked under relevant sections and are facing legal trials. We expect to take more vigilant action in the future with regard to drugs,” Deputy Commissioner of Police, Anti-Narcotics, Shivdeep Lande said.

In the weeds
After the state government banned hookah parlours in the city, the youth have gotten more inclined to the consumption of weed. As per recent observations made by the police, peddlers are now adding different flavours to weed. They are also claiming that the drug is a herbal product without any side effects. In the last week of November 2018, a 27-year-old autorickshaw driver, Raj Bhagvansingh Thakur, was arrested by the ANC from Parel, for allegedly possessing 1.88 kg of mango weed worth Rs 2.50 lakh. His interrogation led to the arrest of a 39-year-old Tanaji Kate on December 19, for supplying mango weed, a hybrid variant of marijuana. The drugs were sourced from Andhra Pradesh, the police claimed. While taking cognizance of the same, the Anti-Narcotics Cell sleuths have seized about 1,060 kilogramme of weed and have arrested 168 people in 2018. The new flavours available in weed are orange, pineapple, mint, chocolate. They take after the widely available flavours of hookah. Weed being easily available and cheaper than other drugs is consumed at a wider and more significant scale in the city.

WILD WILD MANGO
Mango weed or Mango Marijuana is an invention of bio-technology in which two seeds are mixed for flavours. It was already there in foreign countries. 

Water, land and rail: Drug trade at Punjab border uses all routes

Law enforcement agents, on the condition of anonymity, explained how trading of drugs goes on across the 550-kilometre-long international border that India shares with Pakistan. In the late eighties, the area was known for arms and gold smuggling. However, now the traffickers focus on smuggling heroin and other psychotropic drugs. The problem is more pronounced in the border districts of Punjab namely Pathankot, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Amritsar and Gurdaspur. These are some of the most affected districts in the state.

The Indo-Punjab border is an interesting tale in itself. The Indian side of the border is fenced. The fence exists a few kilometres from India’s international border. There are farms beyond the fenced border that belong to Indian farmers. Hence, the BSF allows farmers to enter these restricted areas on the other side of the border in the morning. The farmers return in the evening after doing their chores. These farmers and all those who cross the fenced part of the Indian border are exposed and susceptible to drug dealers on the Pakistani side of the border. The Pakistani side of the border is not fenced and hence, open to drug dealers, who often connive with Pakistani intelligence agencies and use Indian farmers as carriers. These dealers use counterfeit currency as a bait.


A law enforcement officer formerly engaged with the Punjab border police, on the condition of anonymity, said the problem is more pronounced during winters when the visibility is reduced to as low as one feet. It is during this time that border mafias tie up with Indian smugglers to establish a link and miss the sight of BSF soldiers posted at the border. Smugglers are known to build tunnels to facilitate entry at the other end of the border. The officer agreed that it is difficult to man every junction along the 550-kilometre-long border.

During the monsoon season, smugglers adopt a riverine route to trade drugs. The fast flowing current of the Ravi, Sutlej and Beas rivers allow them to tie drug packets beneath ships that go unnoticed by the authorities. The Samjhauta Express is also used to ferry drugs across the border. Officers privy to drug control operations said that it is a cat and mouse chase that continues between smugglers and law enforcement agencies.

The main operators of the narcotics ring are located in the UAE and Dubai. The people, who operate here, are only carriers or facilitators mainly from the border districts of Punjab. Law enforcement authorities like the Border Security Force (BSF) have taken several steps to stop such cross-border activities. The entire stretch of India’s border is guarded with barbed wire. There are floodlights and thermal imaging devices to catch smugglers at night. There is round the clock BSF vigil present at every kilometre along the border.

SC defers Ayodhya case, further orders to be passed on Jan 10

New Delhi: After a gap of two months, the Supreme Court was supposed to begin the hearing on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit dispute case but it did not. Sitting with Justice SK Kaul, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi passed a crisp one-line order posting the matter to January 10.

No sooner the matter came up than the bench without hearing anybody, directed: “Further orders in the matter will be passed on January 10 by the appropriate Bench, as may be constituted.”

This order has heightened suspense as a new ‘appropriate bench’ could be constituted to hear the matter. The politically-charged title suit case has been pending in the SC since 2011. The appeals followed a September 2010 judgment by the Allahabad High Court which by a 2:1 decision held that the 2.77 acre land under dispute be partitioned equally between the Sunni Central Waqf Board, the Ram Lalla and the Nirmohi Akhara. Going by the past orders, the matter was last heard by a three-judge bench of CJI Ranjan Gogoi, Justices SK Kaul and KM Joseph on October 29, 2018. On that day it was ordered, “List the matters in the first week of January 2019 for fixing a date of hearing before the appropriate Bench.”


It was meant that the bench which took up the case on Friday was the appropriate bench. However, Friday’s order has created doubts on whether CJI will continue on the bench.
Assigning matters to a bench is the prerogative of the CJI, who is the master of the roster. Exercising this power in the past, the Ayodhya title suit case has been heard by different judges sitting in combination of two or three.
     The first hearing of the case was held on May 9, 2011 by a two-judge bench. This position remained unaltered till August 10, 2015 when the matter was first heard by a three-judge bench of Justices TS Thakur, V Gopala Gowda and R Banumathi. The matter again reverted back to a two-judge bench from the next hearing onwards on October 16, 2015 till the matter went again to a three-judge bench on August 11, 2017.

‘Pinarayi Admin Tainted Tradition In Name Of Second Renaissance’

Kerala govt cheated us: Wife of ‘wall’ convener
‘Pinarayi Admin Tainted Tradition In Name Of Second Renaissance’


Kochi:

In a twist in the upheaval over the entry of women into the Sabarimala shrine, Preethi Natesan, wife of Vellapally Natesan — leader of the influential Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP) — has accused the Pinarayi Vijayan government of cheating them by allegedly tainting the tradition in the name of the ‘Second Renaissance’.


SNDP is an organiation identified with the Ezhavas, a backward caste which constitutes approximately onefifths of Kerala’s population and has been the poll mainstay of CPM for decades.

Preethi, whose husband had supported the CPM-inspired ‘Vanitha Mathil (Women’s Wall)’, told TOI, “I am disturbed that women were escorted by police and taken to Sabarimala, a day after ‘Women’s Wall’. This is no renaissance.”

Vellapally, who is SNDP general secretary, was the convenor of the Wall and had shared a dais with chief minister Vijayan where the decision to organise the event was taken. Preethi had read out the pledge at the event. “They asked me to read the pledge. I was not informed before that I would be reading. I didn’t say no, there was nothing unacceptable in it.’’ “If there was a mention of Sabarimala or women’s entry, I would have walked out. If we were told that this wall is for women’s entry, none of us would have gone. Even if my husband had told me, I wouldn’t have gone. Of course, he would never force me to do anything I don’t want to,” she said.

Preethi’s remarks are significant in view of the portrayal of the Wall as a pushback against the movement opposing the SC verdict for letting women in the Sabarimala shrine.

The entry of young women into the Sabarimala temple has cleared the air for Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS), which fearing the backlash of the Ezhava community, the political arm of SNDP, had been extra cautious while grouping with Sangh Parivar, despite being part of the NDA in Kerala.

BDJS state president Thushar Vellappally said ties between BDJS and BJP are stronger now. “We have even started seat sharing talks and will soon come out with more plans after the NDA meeting in a couple of days. Sabarimala and Women’s Wall are two different issues. SNDP and BDJS have already pledged their support for protests to protect tradition at Sabarimala,” he said.

RIP AIR’s national channel, India’s first all-night radio station

Even as public broadcaster Prasar Bharati announced its decision to close down All India Radio’s national channel and its regional training academies in five cities as part of “cost-cutting measures”, AIR old-timers recalled the appeal and reach of India’s first allnight radio channel in a pre-internet, pre-FM era.

Launched in 1988 in Hindi, Urdu and English, it broadcast from 6.50pm to 6.50am. “It was primarily intended for students and those who worked night shifts,” says Rajni SK Dutta, a Hindi presenter who made the channel’s first-ever announcement on May 18, 1988.


Kakoli Banerjee, an English presenter who has worked with the national channel since the late ’80s, often got letters from engineering students and aspiring MBAs who tuned in while burning the midnight oil. “At that time, all other channels would stop broadcasting by midnight. We had a variety of programmes for people who wanted to stay awake,” Banerjee says. “But it also meant we had to do graveyard shifts.”

Staff working for the Urdu channel was no stranger to late nights either. They ran a special programme called Sehar Gahi, aired at 3am for 30 days during Ramzan. It aired religious content from both the Quran and the Gita and was started with the objective of weaning Indian listeners away from a similar programme on Radio Pakistan. “That programme used to contain anti-India messages,” says Dr Shujaat Rizvi, retired station director, AIR. “In the first month, we got 20,000 letters.” Top artistes would take out time out of their busy schedules to record for the channel as it paid them four times more, says Mallika Banerjee, retired programme executive, AIR.

This included maestros such as Parveen Sultana, Girija Devi, Pandit Vishwamohan Bhat, Rajan-Sajan Mishra and Ustad Amjad Ali Khan. “Vishal and Rekha Bharadwaj would do a segment on cinema,” she recollects.

The channel gave a national perspective on current affairs, says Pervaiz Alam, former broadcaster with BBC and AIR. “Presenting there was prestigious,” he says. However, Alam points out that despite having a monopoly on news and broadcast — private FM channels cannot air news — AIR has not utilized this advantage. Thanks to the channel’s nation-wide reach, presenters often forged a close bond with listeners. Duttais heartbroken by the news. “It wasn’t just a job. We thought of it in terms of taking care of a family of Indians,” Dutta says.

150 YEARS OF ST XAVIER’S SCHOOL

Industrialist Adi Godrej (1957 batch) enjoys a quiet moment in a classroom at St Xavier’s School, Fort, on Saturday after being presented the Xavier Ratna. The other alumni felicitated were ex-CM Ashok Chavan, HDFC’s Deepak Parekh, cricketer Sunil Gavaskar and cardiologist Dr Eric Borges

Industrialist Adi Godrej (1957 batch) enjoys a quiet moment in a classroom at St Xavier’s School

Education for all, irrespective of race, caste at Xavier’s: Guv
Padmesh Bagrecha

Mumbai:

St Xavier’s High School, Fort, on Saturday conferred the Xavier Ratna on four of its alumni, to mark its 150th year. Recipients of the award, constituted by the school’s alumni association in 2011, were former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan, industrialist Adi Godrej, Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar and HDFC chairperson Deepak Parekh. Cardiologist, Dr Eric Borges, was specially felicitated for service to his alma mater. Maharashtra governor C Vidyasagar Rao presented the awards at a ceremony at the school on Saturday.


“Since its establishment in 1869 by Jesuits in this wonderful neo-Gothic building, St Xavier School has provided modern education and values to several generations of students. The school transformed students into men of character and integrity. These students, in turn, enriched the city, the state and nation with multifarious contributions to various walks of life. At a time when good education is becoming exclusive, St Xavier’s School stands out as an inclusive institution which has imparted education to every member of society, irrespective of considerations of race, religion, sex, caste or financial status,” he said.

Reminiscing his days at the institute, Godrej said, “It’s really a proud day for me to be conferred with this honor when the school celebrates its 150 years. It has always been a great school and promises a great future for students who study here now.” A student of the 1961 batch, Parekh said, “They say home is not a place, it is a feeling. Returning to school has always felt like coming home. One is very secure when one comes to school. We were well cared for when we were in school and it was a safe haven for us.” On the school’s contribution to nation-building, Chavan said that 150 years was a big span of time which St Xavier’s had achieved graciously, year after year, bringing out eminent personalities, shaping their lives and shaping the future of generations.

School manager Fr Francis Swamy said the event gave the staff a sense of fulfillment.

Governor Vidyasagar Rao presenting the Xavier Ratna to alumnus of St Xavier’s School, Fort, former chief minister Ashok Chavan. The Xavier Ratna was also presented to HDFC chairperson Deepak Parekh (from left), H C Agarwal, chief postmaster general of Maharashtra, industrialist Adi Godrej and cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, who could not make it. Cardiologist Dr Eric Borges (extreme right) was specially felicitated

Governor Vidyasagar Rao presenting the Xavier Ratna to alumnus of St Xavier’s School, Fort, former chief minister Ashok Chavan. The Xavier Ratna was also presented to HDFC chairperson Deepak Parekh (from left), H C Agarwal, chief postmaster general of Maharashtra, industrialist Adi Godrej and cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, who could not make it. Cardiologist Dr Eric Borges (extreme right) was specially felicitated

China has been emerging as a major space power

China isn’t winning the space race
China has been emerging as a major space power

On Wednesday, China successfully landed its Chang’e-4 spacecraft on the moon’s far side — an impressive technological accomplishment that speaks to China’s emergence as a major space power.

Understandably, some Chinese scientists are taking a victory lap, with one going so far as to gloat to the New York Times that “We Chinese people have done something that the Americans have not dared try.” That cockiness speaks to the spirit of great-power competition animating the Chinese space program.


China is open about the fact that it isn’t merely looking to expand human knowledge and boundaries; it’s hoping to supplant the US as the 21st century’s dominant space power. And, if this were still the 1960s, when the American and Soviet space agencies fiercely competed against one another, China’s deep pockets, focus and methodical approach to conquering the heavens might indeed win the day. But the truth is, thanks to the development of a dynamic, fast-moving American commercial space industry, China’s almost certain to be a runner-up for decades to come. That doesn’t mean the People’s Republic isn’t making progress in its attempts to colonise the moon and turn it into the outer-space equivalent of its South China Sea outposts (an avowed goal of Ye Peijian, head of China’s lunar program).

China will launch a mission to bring back samples from the moon later this year. Over the next decade, it plans to launch a space station, a Mars probe, asteroid missions and a Jupiter probe, while continuing to develop reusable rockets and other vehicles that will enhance its access to space. A human mission to the moon is targeted for 2030, and a permanent colony by the middle of the century. By contrast, NASA’s own ambitions seem limited.

American astronauts haven’t left low-Earth orbit since the last Apollo moon landing in 1972, while the US lost the ability to fly to the taxpayer-funded International Space Station with the retirement of the Space Shuttle. Too often, new presidents have shifted space priorities, forcing NASA to cancel or reconfigure expensive missions that have been years in the planning. Worse, many members of Congress still view NASA as a tool to deliver wasteful, pork-barrel spending to politically connected constituencies. But, that hardly describes the entirety of the US space program. 

As parents grapple with drug abuse by their children

When kids do drugs... ...tune in, but don’t drop out
As parents grapple with drug abuse by their children, they can’t help but take on a vigilante role. Somendra Sharma & Yogesh Pawar explore the contours of what parenting looks like when drugs come easy 


A Bandra resident who works in a private firm in South Mumbai in a senior position was concerned for her 19-year-old. He’d get upset over trivialities and start shouting. With her husband away at work in Dubai and her elder son in the US to pursue higher studies, she decided to find out what was bothering her college-going son.

One day she snooped into his cellphone while he was in the bath. What she found shocked her. On a WhatsApp group, members were discussing prices, sellers and pick-up points for weed. Concerned, she sifted through more of her son’s stuff over the next two-three days and found a narcotic substance in his wallet. When the teen found out, he threw a fit, angry that his mother had gone through his stuff.

Helpless, the woman approached Shivdeep Lande, Deputy Commissioner of Police of Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC), Mumbai Police. “She showed me the small polythene packet from her son’s wallet which I identified as charas [hash],” he said. “She wanted to take him to a counsellor. But I told her pressure wouldn’t work as much as talking to him. Soon, she began talking to him about his life, challenges and anxieties. I and my team also spent time counselling him,” said Lande.

The efforts bore fruit over the following months. The mother recently called Lande to tell him that her son was now totally clean.

Capital concern

In Delhi’s tony Safdarjung Enclave, a Marwadi entrepreneur and his wife were puzzled over the disappearance of cash and bits of jewellery from their home from time to time.

Concerned, they questioned the house help. They began ensuring nobody accessed the bedrooms when the family was not around. But money and trinkets continued to vanish.

“My husband didn’t want to go to the cops fearing the shame that would bring,” said the woman of the house. “A relative from Jaipur suggested a private investigator whose services she had used before. The sleuth forbade us from telling anyone of the surveillance cameras they set up in the house. Worried that my son would tell the help whom he is quite friendly with, we didn’t keep him in the loop.”

The footage left the Marwadi couple stunned as the “thief” turned out to be their 23-year-old son, who is a business management student.

“When confronted, he broke down but insisted he was only lending to friends,” the woman said. “I kept asking him if he spent it on women or booze. But my husband asked me to back off. After my daughter’s wedding, he had spoiled him with things like an expensive bike and a holiday abroad.”

This Delhiite went back to the private investigator without telling her husband. “I asked her to track my son,” she said. “Within a fortnight, she found out that he was doing drugs. Some stuff was really expensive and he took money and jewellery from the house to fund it.”

She recounted the tension over the next few days. “But now thanks to rehab and counselling, my son’s back on track and seems interested in life. We got him out of management school, where he had gone only because of his dad. He’s gone back to learning classical music. He wants to sing Sufi sings and form his own band and set up a small cafe,” and said. “In the whole episode, getting my husband to come around was tough but my gentle yet firm persistence paid off.”

Copping onto it

These are not isolated occurrences. As substance abuse spreads its tentacles from metropolises to tier-3 cities and townships, parents are suddenly finding themselves taking on the roles of detectives, counsellors and more.

Anti-Narcotics Cell DCP Lande said it was great that parents were coming forward and proactively alerting the police about such issues.

“They may be driven by an urge to save their children from the menace of drug addiction, but it ends up providing us with some very valuable inputs in tracking drugs and their movement,” he said.

The senior policeman cited the instance of an alert Mumbai builder who not only helped ween his son off drugs, but helped the police discover a new variant of weed now gaining notoriety.

“The builder’s son, a second-year B Tech student, was into drugs. The builder was concerned that right after getting back from lectures in college, he would go out partying with friends every day. When he checked his son’s Instagram profile, the builder came across a photograph on one of his Insta groups showing what he suspected to be some sort of a narcotic,” said DCP Lande. “When confronted, the son told him it was a new drug called mango weed and cost around Rs 3,000-4,000 per gram.”

The builder approached the cops and told them about the drug, even showing them a screen grab. “Initially we couldn’t believe that the weed was so expensive. A long ‘chat’ with the son helped us find out about this new strain, so priced because of its different  flavour,” said one of DCP Lande’s team members who was present when the son was questioned.

It was the alertness of this parent that wised up the police about the ‘newest trend’. In the last week of November, this led to the arrest of a 27-year-old autorickshaw driver, Raj Bhagvansingh Thakur, from central Mumbai’s Parel neighbourhood while he was allegedly in possession of 1.88 kg of mango weed worth Rs 2.50 lakh. His interrogation led to the arrest of his 39-year-old associate, Tanaji Kate, on December 19, who the cops said was supplying the hybrid variant of marijuana which is sourced from Andhra Pradesh.

“Parents coming forward to seek the police’s help is a good trend. They have a major role to play in ensuring that the demand chain is broken. Closer analysis of the affected children has shown that these children, in search of a false identity, are joining groups and getting addicted to drugs,” said DCP Lande.

The identity churn

Eminent psychologist Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development can be helpful in dealing with such a situation. It says that roughly between the ages of 12 and 18, as adolescents explore their independence, they develop a sense of self. Kids who are not allowed to explore and test out different identities might be left with what Erikson referred to as role confusion. These individuals are not sure who they are or what they like. The developmental conflict needs be resolved for the primary virtue of that stage to establish itself.

Intervene wisely

Well-known psychiatrist Dr Pavan Sonar says a vacuum in communication means that children are hungry for social interaction and relationships which are critical to their development and growth.

“With both parents working and unable to afford the bandwidth for time and attention that their kids need, they try to make up for it with consumerist things like expensive gadgets, bikes, cars or designer clothes. This makes the child vulnerable to seeking this time and attention elsewhere. Unfortunately, this may come from the wrong kind of peers or people, and often at an undesirable cost,” Dr Sonar says.

“Teenagers are not mature enough to understand the long-term consequences of drugs. Research has now shown this may set off schizophrenia and other kinds of psychosis along with behavioural problems,” he adds.

As some parents might be taking cues from a nanny state increasingly interested in surveilling citizens, Dr Sonar says snooping by parents might not be bad in itself.

But he adds a caveat: “It is important for parents to remember that they are not dealing with tots but young adults. So they are well advised to broach the topic generically, keeping it non-confrontational and non-judgemental.” 

Yoga institute working on new course to counter addiction

Now, yoga can help battle binge-watching
Binge it on | yoga institute working on new course to counter addiction 

Mumbai: There may soon be a new way of fighting mobile and binge watching addiction: Yoga. The Yoga Institute, the oldest institute of its kind in the world, is about to start a course to battle binge watching, and expects to have it underway by March this year.

“Without even realising, people are addicted to binge watching. We are starting a de-addiction programme on this. Binge watching takes away several hours of the day and causes relationship issues. It also results in strained eyes, bad posture, spine problems, etc. Our research is on, and we would be able to start a course by March,” said Hrishi Yogednra, assistant director of Santacruz-based The Yoga Institute (TYI). Founded in 1918, the institute witnesses over 2,000 visitors daily, and prides itself on the traditional way of teaching yoga.

“The other, more recently introduced forms of yoga focus on body, energy and stamina. However, we have still stuck to the traditional and holistic approach, that covers physical, emotional, mental, interpersonal, and spiritual health. It is applied science. When a person is not happy, sickness creeps in. Traditional or ‘ashtanga’ yoga (eight-fold path of yoga) is about living every moment, and not just the two hours of exercise people do,” said Hansa J Yogendra, TYI director.

Regarding treatment to cure binge watching, Hrishi said the research was first tested on volunteers and teachers from the institute who have shown signs of addiction. “We first believe in testing on our own selves. We have been working with behavioral scientists, psychiatrists, doctors and yoga experts who were part of the research. We look to address this neuro-scientifically. Bad habits need to be replaced with good habits because habits don’t just die out,” Hrishi said. “The course will last six months, including training, lectures and asanas. The idea is to help people channelise their energy into something positive.”

4 Things that will make any man a great catch

In today’s day and age, dating isn’t that simple at all. There are many factors you need to keep a close check on and if they don’t go in accordance then you’ve got to try harder. Dating is all about making the girl realise that you’re a good catch because you’re done with the bookish know-how on how to charm women and you rather just try it out the way you think you should.

Apart from clichéd aspects, women also look for other things in men, which eases their psyche and paves their way to be with someone who can really understand them in this crazy rat race. So, it’s not just about good looks or a sense of humour or even the strength you carry in your arms. For her to see you’re worth a catch today, it takes a lot more than these three pinnacles and once you have everything mapped out, it’s a lot easier for you. Here are three things that will definitely make you a catch for her.


1 BE A CHALLENGE

You don’t have to go all the way to impress her today. It’s not 1950, where women were charmed by just your presence. It’s a different time and an absolutely different kind of an effort you require to make her see you as a catch. First off, don’t act extra smitten around her. If you’ve established contact with the woman you’re interested in, play it slow from there. Let her see you as a challenge she needs to take up as well.

Men who’re usually experienced with how to get a women, can’t make it too easy for her and that’s what attracts a woman. She should rather see you as a mysterious creature than someone who is out there trying his best to make things work. Work it slow with her and keep your actions limited to what you want from this. When she sees your very little attempt at wanting her, she’ll truly come around.

2 BE SENSITIVE YET CONFIDENT

Showcase confidence and charm when you can. Don’t be meek or start having performance malfunctions around her. If she sees you as a confident bloke who knows what he’s doing and how he’s doing it, she’s definitely locked in because she’s going to think she’s lucky enough to meet a man who is sensitive yet confident. That’s exactly what women are looking for in today’s day and age.

3 KEEP YOUR CONVERSATIONS BALANCED

By balanced we don’t mean be one of those who keeps talking and move on with another conversation. Balancing a conversation is an art and if you get it right, your game is strong. Don’t ask too many questions while talking to her. You can start talking about what you need to know about her by maybe talking about it yourself. For instance, if you want to know where she went to college, you can start by saying, ‘I went to college in Mumbai, where did you go?’ This makes the conversation a lot more interactive and lighter. If you pose too many questions or pull the conversation towards yourself, she’s going to lose interest and head the other way. Remember, when you go on talking about yourself, the last thing she will want to do is spend time with you. And when she talks, make sure you listen!

4 SURPRISE HER WHEN SHE LEAST EXPECTS IT

While it’s alright to be a bit of a mystery when it comes to attracting a woman, there’s no harm in doing something for her when she least expects it. You don’t have to go out of your way to do something special but even the small unexpected things you do won’t go unnoticed. For example, if she’s told you she’s having a bad day, figure out what she likes so that you can unwind together at the end of the day. If she doesn’t want to talk about it, don’t push her. Similarly, if she’s mentioned that she likes a particular theatre star, take her to a play in which he/ she’s acting in as a surprise. If she does something similar for you, don’t hesitate to profess your gratitude.

These four things are fundamental in approaching women and getting to know them better without revealing too much of yourself. It helps build a base due to the curiosity you foster and makes approaching women rather friendly. So, the next time you wish to approach a woman, so that he can see you as a fine catch, maybe try these three things out?

Bacteria found in Irish soil may fight superbugs

Scientists have discovered a strain of bacteria in Irish soil that can effectively fight superbugs resistant to antibiotics. The World Health Organisation describes the problem of antibiotic resistant superbugs as “one of the biggest threats to global health, food security, and development today”. The strain, named Streptomyces sp myrophorea, was discovered by a team based in Swansea University in the UK.


The soil they analysed originated from an area of Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, which is known as the Boho Highlands. It is an area of alkaline grassland and the soil is reputed to have healing properties.

Dr Gerry Quinn, a resident of Boho, County Fermanagh, had been aware of the healing traditions of the area for many years. Traditionally a small amount of soil was wrapped up in cotton cloth and used to heal many ailments including toothache, throat and neck infections. This area was previously occupied by the Druids, around 1500 years ago, and Neolithic people 4,000 years ago.

Cambridge picks ‘Nomophobia’ as the word of 2018

Nomophobia has been named as Cambridge Dictionary’s word of 2018. While the word itself might sound unfamiliar, the phenomenon it describes is one we can all relate to.

According to the dictionary, nomophobia means “a fear or worry at the idea of being without your mobile phone or unable to use it”.


Its meaning can be derived by examining the word itself, which is a combination of “no”, “phobia” and “mo”, in reference to a mobile phone, leading the phrase to mean “no mobile phone phobia”.

While nomophobia is not a scientific term, it’s one that has become increasingly popular among researchers in recent years as technology addictions are now more prevalent than ever before.

It’s sometimes referred to as “smartphone separation anxiety”, though it rarely has anything to do with a fear of not being able to make phone calls or send text messages.

Cambridge Dictionary revealed that nomophobia had been selected as “the people’s word of 2018” in a public vote that called on its blog readers and social media followers to choose from a shortlist of four words they thought best summed up the year.

Just as nomophobia reflects the anxieties of the times, so do the other three words on the shortlist.

For example, ecocide, which is the noun describing “the destruction of the natural environment of an area, or very great damage”, feels apt given the increasing concerns about deforestation in the UK and around the world.

Also on the shortlist is noplatforming, which refers to “the practise of refusing someone an opportunity to make their ideas or beliefs heard publicly because you think these beliefs are dangerous or unacceptable”.

Gender gap was also on the dictionary’s shortlist, referencing “a difference between the way men and women are treated in society, or between what men and women do and achieve”.

Although, given everything that’s happened this year with regards to the pay gap and other measures of inequality, we doubt this is a phrase whose use will die out in 2019. THE INDEPENDENT


Nomophobia means a fear or worry at the idea of being without your mobile phone or unable to use it

Bandra-Worli Sea Link photo

Bandra-Worli Sea Link photo

Matunga-born carves his own space in Nasa

Mumbai will have its footprint on Nasa’s New Horizon spacecraft’s trajectory while executing a nail-biting historic flyby of the most distant and ancient object in the solar system, Ultima Thule, around 11am (IST) on Tuesday. The reason: The person who is playing a key role in navigating the spacecraft to this object, discovered just four years ago, is a Mumbaikar.


Shyam Bhaskaran of Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory was born in 1963 at a clinic in Matunga. Bhaskaran, who has navigated a number of Nasa missions, spoke to TOI on Sunday, recalling that he stayed at Kenilworth, Pedder Road, which housed officials of the department of atomic energy. “My dad was with BARC,” he said.

Bhaskaran, who attended preschool at Kemps Corner, said he remembered playing with friends in and around Kenilworth. “I had a tricycle and I used to pedal it around the area.”

He left for the US in 1968, but returned to Mumbai in 1981 to meet relatives. “I found it was a really big city, full of life and crowded. I will certainly revisit in the future,” he said.

8-yr-old maths whiz among UK’s smartest

SPOTLIGHT ON 2 PIOS WHO KEEP MUMBAI FLAG FLYING HIGH OVERSEAS

An eight-year-old PIO boy is one of the smartest people in Britain, having entered Mensa with an IQ of 152 at the age of four.


Arav Ajaykumar, from Leicester, whose parents moved to the UK in 2009 from Mumbai, also just got a gold award and the top marks in his school for the Primary Mathematics Challenge, a logical reasoning test organised by the Mathematical Association.

His mother Varsha Ajaykumar, who was raised in Bandra and used to work as a radiologist at the Advanced Radiology Centre in Andheri, said the Primary Maths Challenge is aimed at older kids in years 5 and 6. “He is in year 4 but because he is so advanced the school let him appear for it. We were not expecting him to get the highest score in school,” she said.

Arav was born in the UK and at the age of two could count to 1,000. He told TOI: “I like maths because there is only one right answer. I was shocked when I got the result and then I was really happy. I was pretty nervous when I sat for the Mensa test, but I did not find that one difficult, it was quite easy.”


‘Don’t want Arav to became a geek’

When asked what he did apart from maths, he said: “I like to play chess and ride my bike if the weather is good. I would like to be a chess grandmaster one day.” Arav plays in the U9 Leicestershire county chess team.

The secret to being good at maths is “practising a lot”, he said and the secret to being good at chess is “understanding why your opponent does something”. The only subject he said he does not excel at at school is sport. “I like playing cricket. I just don’t like football or rugby,” he said. Arav now has one-toone tuition at his school to make sure he remains stretched.

Outside maths, Arav enjoys normal children's activities like playing video games, watching TV and Bollywood movies and reading. But he also has a penchant for solving puzzles and sums. Once he had to say exactly where 0.5678 would be on a line in a maths game and he got it exactly correct.

“He has always had a liking for numbers,” Varsha explained. “When he was about 15 months old, he would keep observing these toys with digits on them. Then he started counting very early. At 17 to 18 months he could count to 20. When he was three he joined pre-school nursery and the other children were learning to count to 10 and he could already count to 1,000. The teacher asked him to read from a book and he could read a whole passage. That was when we took him to an educational psychologist.” The psychologist, Dr Peter Congdon in Solihull, who organised Arav’s Mensa test, wrote in his report that when Arav was four he had the reading ability of an 8-year old, the spelling of a 7-year old and the maths ability of a 10-year old and that his IQ was in “very superior range at 99.5 percentile” and that he was “of very superior general intelligence”.

Varsha who moved to the UK from Juhu because her husband Ajaykumar Maliyakkal landed a job in the NHS as a consultant radiologist, said she had mixed feelings to discover her son was a genius. “Children like this constant stimulation. He keeps us on our toes. We don’t want him to become a geek ,” she said.

Fortunately Arav has plenty of friends. “He is friendly and very humble. He does not show off,” Varsha said. “We have no clue who he has inherited this from. I don’t have anyone good at maths in my family so I have no idea what he can do with it in the future either,” she added. “Maybe he will be good at coding and algorithms.”

Nasa mission challenging: Scientist
About the challenges involved in navigating the mission, he said that compared to the flyby of Pluto on July 14, 2015, Ultima Thule which is nearly six billion km from Pluto, would be easier since there are no objects around. “But it was not without challenge because we have never done such an encounter of an object which was unknown, small and dark. Finding the object is difficult,” he explained. Ultima Thule is a traditional name of distant places beyond the known world.

On January 1, the New Horizons spacecraft will be flying 3,500 km above the surface of Ultima Thule. This distance is three times closer to how far it was from Pluto.

Bhaskaran said that at 4am on Sunday, the navigation team, after a meeting, concluded that with regards to navigating the spacecraft, everything looked good.