Category: India

“Prototyping and Analysis Software-The new ideal techniques for ideas to turn reality.”

This 21st century is an era where we see big buildings, flying planes,sailing ships, space missions and a number of other things which once seemed impossible and one can only imagine them. The journey from pencil and sheet to reality has transformed human way of living. Ideas and new thoughts have always fascinated humans to something new which thus has resulted in many of the facilities, and comforts which we see around us to be a reality. We have been investing much of our money in things without any hesitation and double thought of assurity in its success. Humans have failed many times in their journey to being out something new and have lost both material as well as money. 

So the problem which early scientists and research workers did face was the loss of much of their resources whether money or material in making something new. This was due to lack of proper information about the required material and operations which needed to be performed on them, and thus resulted in major losses. When we consider the building of airplanes,big buildings and ships especially in the initial phases, we do acknowledge various mistakes, sometimes in calculation and sometimes in the size and construction of the material. This was a serious issue in earlier days and scientists surely wanted to do this out so as to save their time and precious resources. 

The idea of prototyping and analysis came out to be a boon for scientists, manufacturers and customers.

  1. A prototype can be defined as a scaled model of the original object. This helps in reducing the loss of much if the material as well as money. Prototyping helps to make an original model of the product but as a small entity. Various aspects and parts which are estimated to be a part of the desired product are scaled sone to reduce its size. This is an effective technique used by most of the experts and scientists to figure out the final outcome of their product in a much cost effective way.
  2.  The other is the technique of Analysis and 3-d design modelling. This gives a glance of the final product and how it would look after it’s final outcome. This reduces time and more money and various tests can also be performed testing the rigidity, stress and strain graph, toughness and various other factors without making a model and testing on a machine. These have brought a significant change in the field of designing and has helped a number of new ideas to be born without much of expensive, material and technology. 

These do have helped us in our manufacturing production process but still have various drawbacks. The analysis and the results are easy to get but are not 100% correct, which  leaves us with a condition of doubt and work efficiency if the product . We do lack experienced people to work on this simulating softwares. Also these simulation and analysis software are much too expensive. But all these factors lie with the other practices also. These also need much investment to operate. Investment in these techniques are more as compared to others. 

“Many new ways are still in the run to make our dreams turn into reality, with less investment and better return outputs. These have really transformed our way of manufacturing and production techniques, provided ideas to turn reality which ones seems to be just a dream and thus have brought much comfort and ease to the life of the common man”. 

HACCP

“Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points”.
It is basically a preventive approach to food safety which is used to find and then eliminate the biological, chemical and physical hazards which may or may not be there in production processes and can cause the final products to be unsafe and unhealthy for human consumption. These are certain principles which have been designed by the government to ensure the food quality and safety. It is a various step process that is followed in any food industry.
The HACCP system is followed at each and every level of food chain i.e. in food production and preparation processes which also includes packaging, distribution and even consumption by the consumer. It is therefore known as FARM-TO-TABLE process.
This technique was originated by NASA in the 1960s and US food and drug administration gave a particular definition to this. The main objectives of the HACCP system are –
• Prevention of food-borne diseases so that no one is affected after the consumption of food.
• This system mainly focuses on quality assurance unit i.e. maintains the quality of the food.
• HACCP system tends to reduce the cost of analysis of food.
• It also reduces the losses which occur due to product recall.
• And finally it helps in protecting the reputation of government.

HOW TO CONDUCT A HACCP PLAN??????
Conducting a HACCP plan is a 5 step process as mentioned below –

  1. Collection of HACCP resources and assembling of HACCP team which will look into the all steps.
  2. Description of the product by the team and deciding its method of distribution.
  3. Developing a complete list of ingredients and raw materials which are to be used in the production of the final product.
  4. Developing a flow diagram of the process i.e. how the product will be manufactured, its complete process.
  5. Meeting the requirements for the product to be manufactured safely.

PRINCIPLES OF HACCP
There are 7 main principles of conducting successfully a HACCP plan.

  1. To conduct a hazard analysis is the first step in which all the potential physical, chemical as well as biological hazards in the production of the product are identified.
  2. To determine all the critical control points (CCPs). At this step, all the control measures are thought to be applied. Basically at this step, those points are identified where control measures can be applied for the safety. This step is very essential to eliminate hazards completely from the product.
  3. To establish critical limits is the next step i.e. in this step the control measures are actually applied and also the maximum and minimum limits are set for the preventive measures. To each point found in the last step, a critical limit is applied. These limits assure the food safety.
  4. To establish monitoring procedures is the next step in which all the planning which was done yet is monitored and it should be done on a regular basis. This step assures that there is no mishandling of any procedure of the complete plan.
  5. To establish corrective actions is the next step in which appropriate correct actions are taken if after monitoring it is observed that the critical limits are not met. The corrective actions for each point and limit are already pre-decided.
  6. To establish verification procedures is the next and most important step in which the complete HACCP plan is validated. The complete verification of the plan is required to assure that the precautions and preventions are taken carefully.
  7. To maintain record keeping and documentation procedures is the final step in which the record is maintained and established which must be done regularly. It is necessary for validation procedures.

HRD Minister Calls Exams Mandatory for Final Year Students

DU Exams 2020 : HRD Minister Calls Exams Mandatory for Final Year Students

The Union Minister of HRD, in an interview with the Zee News last night, addressed the speculations concerning the fate of the examinations in the universities and the colleges across the country.

The minister highlighted the formation of a UGC taskforce to receive recommendations in order to orchestrate the examinations of the graduation and the post-graduation courses. He mentioned that the students in their first semester/year of study will be entirely evaluated on the basis of their Internal Assessments. The students in their intermediate semester/year will be awarded a composite grade on the basis of their marks in the previous semester/year and the Internal Assessment marks of the present semester/year. These were the provisions for the promotion of the students to the next academic year.

The minister, however, clarified the stance on the examinations of the final year students and emphasized on the necessity of their examinations to be conducted. He said that though the examinations cannot be conducted in the month of July because of the health crisis across the country, the students will have to appear for their final examinations when the situation improves. The new academic session, he declared, will begin only after the final examinations are conducted.

Swarm Of Locusts Reaches Gurugram, But Will They Enter Delhi?

Houses and trees were covered by locusts in some parts of Gurugram as the swarm continues to advance from west to east with steady wind.

A swarm of locusts, about 3 km in length, has hit Gurugram and it is flying across the city in the NCR region from west to east, according to officials.

The Gurugram administration is sounding sirens and blowing horns to make noises so that the locusts don’t settle on green vegetation and destroy them.

Besides, we have been spraying chemicals through vehicle-mounted pump sets in rural areas,” said Amit Khatri, Gurugram Deputy Commissioner (DC).

There is disagreement amid different administrations over whether the swarm will enter Delhi.

“They are flying across the city West to East due to the steady wind. They will most likely enter Delhi,” said Khatri.

Delhi Air Traffic Control (ATC) on Saturday directed pilots of all airlines to take necessary precautions during landing and take-off of aircraft in view of locust swarms seen near the airport in areas along Gurugram-Dwarka Expressway, news agency ANI reported. A team has been set up to monitor the situation.

However, KL Gujjar, deputy director, Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage (PPQS), Faridabad, says that it is unlikely that they will reach Delhi because they are moving in East direction. PPQS comes under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and it is a nodal body to take locust control measures with its various sub-offices across the country.

“They have entered India from Pakistan through Jaisalmer and Barmer border area and reached Jhujhuna. From there, they travelled to Rewari. From Rewari, they came to Jhjhar and from there they have reached Gurugram. Now from here, they will fly to Faridabad and then considering the current wind direction they will move towards Palwal side. I don’t see that they will enter Delhi,” he said.

Meanwhile, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai called an emergency meeting to discuss the situation following a locust attack in Gurugram. The minister also directed the administration to be alert, an official said.

“After the emergency meeting, an advisory will be issued on steps to be taken to deal with the situation,” Rai told PTI.

He asked the officials of the Agriculture department to make field visits to areas close to Gurugram.

On Friday, Gurugram administration reportedly warned its residents about the attack, urging them to keep their windows shut as a precautionary measure. The administration also asked them to make clanging noise by beating utensils to repel the crop-eating insects.

The locust attack has ravaged parts of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab and few other states for over a month.

Experts say that the present locust crisis that many Indian states are faced with is intense due to the younger population of the insect, swarms of which have entered the country from the north-west areas bordering Pakistan.

A young locust is far more dangerous for crops than a mature and older one. While the mature locusts cover shorter distances and focus more on breeding, the younger ones can fly 150 km in a day and devour more green vegetation.

Experts believe that the current locust invasion was part of the residue population that survived after February 17, 2020, in the deserts of Pakistan and Iran. After 1993, for the first time on May 22, 2019, large swarms of locusts invaded areas bordering Pakistan. Locust controlling units thought that they could finish them by the end of October 2019 but the invasion continued till early February 2020.

“On February 17, 2020, we either killed all the locusts or forced them to go across the border in Pakistan and Iran. We stopped our locust control measures and expected that Pakistan and Iran would take similar measures to eliminate them. But somehow, the residue population continued breeding and in April they attacked,” said Dr Rajesh Kumar, Plant Protection Officer, Jaisalmer.

Google adds more security features, New users to benefits the Most

So Google adds more security features for new users. We all know that Google collects our statistics to make the user journey better. But that is simply the vibrant factor we are looking at. But no longer the security and privacy worry being raised. To make things extra impervious and better, Google has now determined to exchange the way it collects and save users’ data. Hence Google adds more security features. According to these features, it will now delete them by using default.

Google’s attempt for better security

The new Google privacy function will now auto-delete your place History, search, voice and YouTube undertaking records through default. This has been announced via a blog post. So, if you enable get entry to your area history, search history, and extra data, you will be capable to allow the auto-delete alternative. All can be done from the Activity settings. However, if you have already finished that, your settings won’t trade. But instead, Google will give you a regular reminder about the auto-delete controls. By this, you can change them each time and also alternate them every time you desire.

Announcement

Alphabet and Google Sundar Pichai have announced new security improvements. It will keep your information safe. This includes adjustments to its statistics reservation practices throughout core merchandise. This is necessary because it holds much less information by way of default.
Location History is off by default. Your auto-delete option will be set to 18 months by default when you first turn it on. This is starting from today itself.
Web and App Activity auto-delete will also default to 18 months for new accounts.

Flip the setting

“It simply indicates the data will be assembled through all the actions you do. It will then mechanically and continuously deleted right after 18 months. This will be done as a substitute than stored until you select to delete it.
“You can continually flip these settings off. And even trade your auto-delete option as well,” Pichai stated in a statement late Wednesday.

Auto-delete control

Google final the latest year to gave rise to auto-delete controls. This control gives customers the desire to have Google robotically. And it can help continuously delete Location History, search, voice and YouTube history. But it may take from 3 t0 18 months. Google says it’s only possible when location and web history are turned on.

“But we will keep reminding you about the auto-delete controls. This can be done via in-product notifications and emails. Hence you can choose the auto-delete setting that works for you,” stated Pichai.

On YouTube, auto-delete will be set to 36 months via default. But this is only if you create a new account or turn on your YouTube History for the first time.
Current customers can, however, choose the 3 or 18 months auto-delete option.

Is this also applicable for Gmail and Drive?

“Default retention periods will now not follow to other products like Gmail, Drive and photos,” stated Pichai.
Google stated it will make it simpler to access key Google Account controls from Search.

Soon, when you’re signed in to your Google Account, you’ll be able to search for matters. This may include “Google Privacy Check-up” and “Is my Google Account secure?” And discipline only viewed to you will exhibit your privateness and protection settings. This is important so that you can except issues assessment or alter them.

Access to Incognito mode

“We’re also making it less complicated to access Incognito mode in our most popular apps, with the aid of long-pressing on your profile picture in Search, Maps and YouTube,” stated Pichai.

It’s on hand on the Google App for iOS and coming quickly to Android and different apps.

We’re also in progress to make it work to continue to be in Incognito mode. This would be available across Google apps, like Maps and YouTube, and will have greater to share soon,” he added.
Each year, extra than 200 million human beings go to privacy Checkup.
The organization is increasing it to new programming languages entirely of Java and Go. And also releasing additional tools to assist builders to use machine getting to know to beautify privateness protections.

Upcoming features

Furthermore, Google will make Password Checkup (the tool to be aware of if your password has been compromised) a part of Security Checkup (the device to shield your Google account). They will continue to invest in the privacy and security of the users. Google adds more security features will help more in securing our privacy. Already added features as well as the upcoming features, is the parts by which we can take a breath of relaxation for the security of our data.

>Coronavirus update: Record 18,500 new cases in India in 24 hours, 2.9 lakh cured so far

Coronavirus cases in the country have breached the 5 lakh-mark after India registered 18,552 new cases in the last 24 hours. The new cases have crossed the previous record of 17,296 that was registered on Friday. The total number of people in India who tested positive for coronavirus has reached 5,08,953.

The current total includes 1,97,387 active cases. 2,95,881 Covid-19 cases have been cured or discharged from the hospital. The total recovery now stands at 58.13%. The death tally has also increased to 15,685.

Maharashtra continues to be the worst affected state in the country with 1,52,765 cases. Out of the total cases in the state, 79,815 have recovered from the coronavirus disease and 65,844 are still active. The state has reported a total of 7,106 deaths so far.

The national capital is second in terms of total cases. Delhi’s Covid-19 tally now stands at 77,240. The capital has registered 2,492 deaths, so far and 47,091 have recovered out of it. The tally of active cases stands at 27,657.

Delhi Chief Minister conducted a press conference on Friday claiming that the current situation in the capital is under control. He also claimed that the testing rate has been increased by three times.

Tamil Nadu has reported 74,622 total cases of coronavirus and the death tally in the state has grown to 957. Out of the total cases in the state, 32,308 are active and 41,357 have recovered.

Globally, the Covid-19 cases have increased to over 9.4 million and the death toll has reached over 4,80,000, as per the World Health Organisation on Friday. The total increase in cases was over 1,77,000 in 24 hours and the deaths over the same period were reported at 5,116. The United States continues to be the worst affected country with over 4.7 million cases. Brazil is the second-worst affected country with over 1.1 million positive cases. India is fourth in the list.

 

GTU to conduct Examination for final year students, here’s how it will be conducted…!

GTU – Gujarat Technological University to conduct online as well as offline exams on 2nd of July. V.C. of GTU Navin Seth and V.C. of MS University Parimal Vyas raised an issue about exams and said that:

“All private universities are conducting examinations and if state universities do not conduct exams, the students enrolled with them are going to face serious repercussions for the same – in terms of not being able to go for higher study, or even bag a job. “Their competence in the time to come will be challenged.”

So, the GTU has decided to conduct examination for final year candidates.

GTU (@GTUoffice) | Twitter

“Allow universities to frame examination guidelines as per their requirement and local dynamics. The new proposed guidelines may create further issues, so the framework of new guidelines regarding cancellation of examination must incorporate the flexibility of giving autonomy to individual universities for taking the decision regarding the date, mode of examination and other related guidelines in line with the set norms of UGC,” – the V.C. said.
GTU also plans to conducts for those who have fear and lives in containment zone via online mode as well as off in the month of September-October.
We have students from 32 states. To bring uniformity in exam patterns for Gujarat, out of state and of India students, we decided to conduct online exams for all. I raised only one point and asked All India University members that they should convey to UGC that universities should be given autonomy to decide and conduct exams. No mandatory guidelines for all universities should be set for blanket implementation,” Vyas said
GTU gets 'Most Trusted State University' - Times of India
The online mode of exam will be conducted with high safety in hand on hand with varasity, and planned to conduct exams of around 1600+ students with 1 supervisor for each 15 student and the computers will be completely checked there will be no copy-paste option available as well as browsing on the internet will also be disabled for an additional security each and every 1600+ students movement will be recorded, computers will be properly sanitized before and after use.
The offline exams will be conducted for those who are willing to go for offline mode. There will only 15 students on each class and 1 supervisor for each 15 students proper distance will be allotted between each student and proper sanitation procedure will be followed up.
The timings of the online mode is 2.5 hours where as for offline mode is 2 hours with the reduced question. For different typing speed of each student differs additional half hour time is allotted for students of online mode of examination.
GTU diploma, PDDC and BPH December 2018 exam result declared at ...

WHO : Astrazeneca leading in Covid-19 vaccine race, Moderna not far behind

The WHO is in talks with multiple Chinese manufacturers, including Sinovac, on potential vaccines

syringe and pills on blue background
Photo by Anna Shvets on Pexels.com

AstraZeneca’s experimental Covid-19 vaccine is probably the world’s leading candidate and most advanced in terms of development, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) chief scientist said on Friday.

The British drugmaker has already begun large-scale, mid-stage human trials of the vaccine, which was developed by researchers at University of Oxford.

This week, AstraZeneca signed its tenth supply-and-manufacturing deal.

“Certainly in terms of how advanced they are, the stage at which they are, they are I think probably the leading candidate,” WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan told a news conference.

“So it’s possible they will have results quite early.”

Swaminathan said Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine candidate was “not far behind” AstraZeneca’s, among more than 200 candidates, 15 of which have entered clinical trials.

ALSO READ: Coronavirus LIVE: Vaccine tests need over $30 bn in 12 months, says WHO

“We do know that Moderna’s vaccine is also going to go into phase three clinical trials, probably from the middle of July, and so that vaccine candidate is not far behind,” she said.

“But I think AstraZeneca certainly has a more global scope at the moment in terms of where they are doing and planning their vaccine trials.”

The WHO is in talks with multiple Chinese manufacturers, including Sinovac, on potential vaccines, as well as with Indian researchers, Swaminathan said.

She called for drugmakers to consider collaborating on Covid-19 vaccine trials, similar to the WHO’s ongoing Solidarity trial for drugs. A WHO-led coalition fighting the pandemic on Friday asked government and private sector donors to help raise $31.3 billion in the next 12 months to develop and deliver tests, treatments and vaccines for the disease. The initiative is called the ACT-Accelerator.

Andrew Witty, Special Envoy for the ACT-Accelerator, said it was important to consider a “portfolio of research efforts” for vaccines.

“It’s still very early days in this journey, we may be super lucky – which would be terrific – and have an early win,” Witty said. “Even if it takes 12 to 18 months that would be without precedent, the world’s fast development of vaccine.”

 

How television shaped our views on police

Television and media, the one source for early all people to tune to whether they need entertainment, news or anything else. It is a portal which connects us to others within the world. It is also a place from where we form most of our opinions. In the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, many are wondering not just in US but throughout the world as to why this chain of thoughts not grip us sooner. Why is it that most of the people were oblivious to the abuse of power police use throughout the world? One of the main reasons for this are cop shows and movies. Its usually because as individuals not many of us have much actual experience with the police. We form our opinions through the junk that is fed to us by the television.

Photo by Alou00efs Moubax on Pexels.com

It can be noted by anyone that most tv shows and movies far too readily show the cops as trustworthy and infallible, all the while undermining real life claims of systemic racism and abuse of power. There are many reasons for this, ranging from the money hungry producers simply chasing after TRP to negligence from the writers and directors about not showing realism within the shows. However one of the main reasons for this is that no matter whether it is a movie or a TV show cops are not only consulter during the making of such shows but are also aware that their portrayals impact public perception and thus have a vested interest in making sure that the portrayal stays positive. A 2015 study showed that viewers of crime dramas are more likely to believe that police are very often successful at lowering crime, use force only when necessary and misconduct never results in false arrests. Now part of it is due to the viewers human nature, everyone wants to believe that the people who enforce laws do so effectively and fairly so that we as citizen don’t have to take the burden. The shows and movies like Law and order or Singham and Dabangg show the cops using force only when they necessarily have to. They make it seem that bending the rules set in place to govern their misbehaving is the only way to keep the general populace safe.  This is the power of such shows they make us believe that the only way the police can truly be effective is if they broke the rules that society created to protect us from the police. And the way they show mainstream cops bending the rules is by plain torturing a suspect who may have committed the crime. And showing that if the suspect hadn’t committed the crime it would serve as a deterrent from committing one in the first place. By that logic a parent should pre-beat their children to make sure that they do not stray to a bad path, but that is not the case. One has to realize that the cop shows are the only profession-based show where they show wanton unwarranted abuse of power as a good thing. However, beating a suspect in real life makes a person confess to a crime they didn’t commit. Which means an innocent was locked away while the real guilty party walks free. Beating a suspect to solve crimes has the same effect that washing a computer to remove a virus would have, sure the virus is gone but so is the computer.

What we do further is upon us but as Trevor Philips once said “The media and the government would have us believe that torture is some necessary thing. We need it to get information, to assert ourselves…… Torture’s for the torturer or for the guy giving orders to the torturer. You torture for the good times – we should all admit that. It’s useless as a means of getting information.”

Monsoon

Last Sunday morning my father entered from balcony for lifting up his call he was looking annoyed after attending the call, when I enquired what was the reason he told me that he was dreaming and this telephone woke him up from the dream and brought him back to the reality.

As he told he was dreaming about his lost childhood…….

On a lazy Sunday morning, sitting in balcony, sipping hot tea and enjoying rain is an unparalleled experience. Vivid memories of past passes through the mind like sequence of a movie. People from hinterlands of the country migrate in search of job and choose to stay in busy cities like Mumbai always bear a nostalgic feeling about their “lost villages”. Rain always help memories to take shape and take back us to the “good old days”.

During Late 60s and 70s, each Kerala village use to have one or two primary schools and one high school.  Study after seventh standard involve some extra walking through paddy fields or palm groves along with rocky areas. To reach nearest High school, some students used to take bus for a short distance. My village was blessed with a high school with reasonable educational facilities and excellent set of teachers.

Education starts from home, enjoying walk through paddy fields crossing a canal and then the most difficult balancing act of crossing a narrow path way over slippery rock and flowing water during monsoon. After reaching school there will be a foot ball session till the school bell rang. Playground used to be uneven and filled with stones and hard rock pieces. Some areas were slippery and hard. These challenging conditions never affect the zeal of players. Injuries were order of the day due to hard condition of ground as well as aggressive nature of few individual players.

Way back home after school was also equally interesting. People discuss about the day’s events and express their views. Some interactions used to end up in fight between two groups. Walking back home in heavy rain used to be a normal affair during monsoon. Summer evening used to be hot and sticky. People used to prefer shady routes to reach home.

On Sundays and school holiday we used to go to the nearest forest for grazing cows. The forest was not dense, but it used to be the source for fresh grass for cattle and timber for households. Women folk used to go to the forest during early hours of the day and collects logs. They used to pack their days collection and carry by head and exit the forest area before the forest guards become active.

Villages in Kerala were always blessed with its natural water bodies and amazing greenery. Area close to Sahya mountains receive heavy rain from June to October. Due to this the nature used to be fresh and clean during most part of the year but hot and humid during the summer. From February to mid of May, weather used to be very hot and humid during the day. Summer is the time of heat and humidity as well as the temple festivals. Evening Summer rain used to give respite from scorching heat often. Smell of the soil after the first rain fall was a refreshing experience.

April and may were mid-summer vacation days for schools. Day start with busy playing session in harvested paddy fields along with friends and an hour-long bath and swimming session in village pond by noon. After noon was the time for relishing summer delicacies such as mangos and jackfruits. Visiting temple on special days to witness annual temple fest was in the card on few days of the month. During this period, porticoes of temple used to witness various temple art forms like ‘Kalmezhuthu Pattu’ (Color full Rangoli display of portraits of goddess on floor and a musical concert), Chenda  melam (a drum concert). Some temples used to organize Kathakali during late evening. Annual festival used to prolong from twelve to fifteen day for each temple with final day as “Vela” or “Uthsavam’. A procession of elephants along with plots depicting men dressed in various Hindu gods and legendary heroes used to be a common mix in these processions. The tallest among the tuskers   will carry the deity on its back with ceremonial outfits and other elephants will position either side during the procession. The culmination of the fortnight long festival will be marked with heavy fireworks which will tremble the whole village.

The ringing phone caught my attention and I was brought back to reality. As expected that my boss’ s call. Working from Home gives him a privilege to call me even on holiday morning when I was trying to go back to my golden days in my lost village.

Electrified Fabric Could Zap the Coronavirus on Masks and Clothing

Prototype mask made from a fabric that can inactivate pathogens. Credit: Vomaris Innovations, Inc.

Wearing masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) can slow the spread of COVID-19. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends everyone wear some kind of face covering in public places, especially where social distancing is difficult to maintain. And health workers are donning additional coverings, such as gowns. Yet all such protective gear shares one significant problem: people still risk becoming infected with the novel coronavirus if they accidentally touch areas of the fabric that are contaminated with viral particles. So researchers are working to develop cloth that could inactivate or repel coronaviruses—ideally including the one that causes COVID-19—and other pathogens.

People transfer infectious particles to their hands if they touch the front of a mask during use or when they remove gowns or other PPE, according to Chandan Sen, director of the Indiana Center for Regenerative Medicine and Engineering at Indiana University. He and his colleagues have been developing a way to render those particles and other infectious agents harmless. The team researches “electroceutical” materials that wirelessly “generate electric fields across the surface of the fabric,” Sen says. Those fields can disrupt the behavior of bacteria or viruses on the cloth.

“The beauty of this [technology] is the inherently simple design,” he says. The polyester material is printed with alternating spots of silver and zinc resembling polka dots. They are one to two millimeters wide and spaced one millimeter apart. When the electroceutical material is dry, it functions as an ordinary fabric. But if it gets dampened—say, with saliva, vapor from a coughed up droplet or other bodily fluids—ions in the liquid trigger an electrochemical reaction. The silver and zinc then generate a weak electric field that zaps pathogens on the surface.

The researchers co-developed the material with the biotechnology company Vomaris Innovations in 2012. Last year they showed that the technology could be used to treat bacterial biofilms in wounds. A clinical trial is underway to further evaluate the fabric’s effectiveness as a Food and Drug Administration–cleared dressing for wound care, Sen says.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sen’s team tested its existing material on a different coronavirus strain that causes a respiratory illness in pigs and on an unrelated type of pathogen called a lentivirus. “We wanted to know how broadly this principle could be applicable,” he says. In a study posted on the preprint server ChemRxiv in May, Sen’s team reported that its electroceutical fabric destabilized both viruses, leaving them unable to infect cells. The researchers plan to submit the results to a peer-reviewed journal as well.

To study the fabric’s action, they placed a liquid solution containing viral particles onto the electroceutical fabric and a polyester control fabric without the metal dots. After the droplets were fully absorbed, and the samples had rested for one to five minutes, the researchers recovered viral particles from both fabrics and tested whether they could still infect the types of cells they typically target.

“The data presented here show that, of the total virus that was recovered, a significant percentage was inactivated,” says Jeff Karp, a professor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and co-leader of an N95 respirator working group at the Massachusetts General Brigham Center for COVID Innovation. Karp, who was not involved with the study, adds that the researchers did not test all of the virus that they had placed on the cloth. “In fact, the majority of virus was not recovered from the textiles examined in this study,” he says. Sen responds that his team focused on sampling only enough viral particles to show that the fabric had rendered them unable to infect cells. The researchers recovered roughly 44 percent of the particles from the electroceutical fabric samples that had rested for one minute. And they retrieved 24 percent of them from the samples that had rested for five minutes.

The material’s virus-fighting abilities have not been tested specifically on SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The researchers’ findings with the two viruses they studied, however, gave them “hope that this could apply more widely,” Sen says. He adds that large-scale manufacturing of the electroceutical fabric is already possible and that the costs of producing it are relatively low. The metal dots could be printed directly onto the front surfaces of masks, he suggests. Or an electroceutical fabric could be inserted between the front of a mask and the wearer’s face.

If a virus-stopping PPE material were widely available, it could limit the novel coronavirus’s ability to spread. “There is a huge unmet need to better understand modes of viral transfer that lead to virus transmission,” Karp says. “As we develop a better understanding of this, there is a huge immediate need to develop and quickly apply solutions that can reduce transmission.”

Metal dots are not the only potential approach. Paul Leu, director of an advanced materials laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh, and his colleagues are developing a textile coating that repels bodily fluids, proteins and bacteria. It also repels one strain of adenovirus that causes respiratory illness and another that causes conjunctivitis, as reported in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces in April. Leu’s team has also not tested the material with the novel coronavirus itself, however. “The main thing with testing [the coating on] SARS-CoV-2 is the biosafety level you need to test it, because it’s very hazardous,” he says. Still, his team plans to see how well textiles with this coating repel a different coronavirus.

Leu says the coating, which remains repellent even after ultrasonic washing and scraping with a razor blade, could make PPE safer for wearers to take off. It could also be used on hospital bed linens, drapes and waiting room chairs, the researchers note in the study. But Leu points out that the coating is intended for use with medical textiles that are already considered reusable. His team has not tested it on single-use masks or N95s, but he thinks it could potentially damage them. Still, he says, the coating could work well for cloth masks such as those now being worn by many among the general public.

By developing materials that kill or repel viruses, researchers hope to make masks and other protective gear safer to remove and more effective against all viruses. “If the common person were to have PPE that wouldn’t spread infection,” Sen says, “I think that’s a big, big deal.”

 

Justice for Jayraj and Fenix – The Need To Stop Custodial Deaths

More than 1,000 people of Sathankulam town in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi district staged a dharna Tuesday after two persons were allegedly killed in police custody here. In a chilling case of police torture, a father and son died in a span of 10 hours, in judicial custody in Thoothukudi, a coastal town in south Tamil Nadu, allegedly after being subjected to third-degree tre­at­ment by the police. The incident triggered widespread political and societal outrage.

The deceased have been identified as Jayaraj (59) and his son Fenix Emmanuel (31).  Two sub-inspectors have been suspended. According to the protesters and other local residents, Jayaraj along with Fenix ran a mobile shop named APJ in the town. On Friday, he closed his shop around 8:15 pm. Personnel from the Sathankulam police station, who was on patrol duty, reportedly pulled him up for running the store beyond the permitted time, and an argument took place.

On Saturday evening, the police personnel visited the shop again and had an altercation with Jayaraj.  When Fenix intervened, both father and son were taken to the police station and booked under several sections of the IPC, including Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 353 (use of force to deter public servant from duty).

On Sunday, after a medical check-up, the duo was lodged in the Kovilpatti sub-jail. That evening, local residents alleged, Fenix complained of chest pain and Jayaraj had a high fever. Both were taken to the Kovilpatti government hospital, where Fenix died on Monday evening and Jayaraj succumbed to respiratory illness Tuesday morning.

Jayaraj’s wife Selvarani has lodged a complaint, alleging that police brutality led to the death of her husband and son. In her complaint letter to the district criminal court and Assistant Commissioner, she said the police brutally attacked her husband and son, used curse words, and threatened to kill them. She urged them to book the police officers responsible under section 302 of the IPC and suspend them from duty.Condemning the killing, all trader union bodies, various political outfits, activists, and the local public staged protests in various parts of the town. Kanniyakumari MP Vasanthakumar, former AIADMK MP Sasikala Pushpa, and other party functionaries participated in the protest. Their demands include the arrest and suspension of the police officers responsible for the incident, compensation of Rs 50 lakh to the family members of the deceased, a doctor from the protesters’ side to be allowed during the autopsy, and a government job to one member of the deceased’s family.

The series of violations in the case mock our procedures. Whenever there is a death in police custody, the concerned police officers are duty-bound to bring it to the notice of senior officers expeditiously.

In view of the perception that custodial deaths take place because of reckless incidents of arrest, amendments have been effected to the Criminal Procedure Code, stating arrests be made only in offences which attract punishment of more than seven years or in those offences where there is apprehension that the accused may commit similar offences or assist other accused to escape. As soon as the accused is arrested, he should be medically examined by competent government medical officers and necessary medical assistance should be provided as per the requirement. Information about the arrest should be communicated to his advocate and relatives/family members. Details of his arrest need to be conveyed to the police control room and displayed on the unit website. In addition, following directives from the Supreme Court, a State Police Complaints Authority has been formulated under the chairmanship of a retired High Court judge to look into grievances in this regard. All complaints about custodial death are also looked into minutely by NHRC and SHRC from time to time.

Even though all these directives are being underlined and well-published from time to time, it is a matter of concern why these are not implemented at the ground level. Once one gets a job in the police department and wears the police uniform, there is a misconception that this is a blanket approval to arrest anyone and obtain a confession by indulging in physical harassment. Several times, suspecting someone for petty theft or because of personal rivalry, complaints are registered by people of means, and this is followed by arrest and physical torture.

If the police officer does not do so, he is declared a good-for-nothing. Many a time, a police officer who indulges in beating a citizen in public and violates all norms is appreciated by people and he is considered a hero.  Kamte was working as officer-in-charge of detecting crimes in Sangli police station for the last three years, and had reportedly detected several offences using high handed tactics and was applauded by the public from time to time. This must-have led him to believe he is beyond any law.

NHRC, as well as SHRC, have clarified more than once that unless a person has gone to a police station to lodge a complaint, whether he is in the lock-up or outside, he would be treated as under arrest and it is the responsibility of the police officer in charge of the police station to take care of his health. The study of custodial deaths reveals that more than 65 per cent are attributed to suicide, about 25 per cent to mental shock and less than five per cent to police harassment. These are official statistics and they tell us that we need a whole range of steps – from safety measures to psychological inputs and an array of methods and systems to keep a check on these violations and create a culture of fair and proper investigations.

Acting with impunity

These incidents have brought into sharp focus the way Indian policemen torture and interrogate suspects in their custody leading to death in several cases. As a result, policemen all over the country have been severely criticised and condemned. Strictures passed against policemen from time to time by learned judges of various courts notwithstanding, the police continue to brazenly torture suspects in their custody.

The Central Bureau of Investigation too uses torture as a method of investigation. In September 2016, B.K. Bansal, Director General of Corporate Affairs, and his son Yogesh committed suicide. In their suicide note, the two men listed the names of officers who had tortured their family in connection with a case of disproportionate assets. Bansal’s wife and daughter too had committed suicide two months earlier. On the directions of the National Human Rights Commission, an inquiry was held by the CBI. Expectedly, the agency exonerated all the accused. Taking cognisance of the matter, the Central Vigilance Commission published a standard operating procedure laying down guidelines for interrogation of accused officials.

Custodial deaths have been on the increase in recent years. They increased by 9% from 92 in 2016 to 100 in 2017, according to the National Crime Records Bureau. Since policemen responsible for custodial deaths rarely get punished, they feel emboldened to continue using torture as the tool to get to the truth. In 2015, for instance, the police registered cases against fellow police officers in only 33 of the 97 custodial deaths.

A historic order

The Supreme Court delivered a historic order in 2006 on police reforms. It stated, among other things, that every State should have a Police Complaints Authority where any citizen can lodge a complaint against policemen for any act of misdemeanour. However, only a few states such as Kerala, Jharkhand, Haryana, Punjab and Maharashtra have implemented the order. Others have not taken the matter seriously.

Until exemplary punishment is meted out to policemen who are responsible for custodial deaths after proper judicial inquiry, not much can be expected to ameliorate the situation. Proper interrogation techniques coupled with the use of scientific methods to extract the truth from suspects can go a long way in reducing custodial deaths.

Therfore, It should be mandatory for every officer in charge of the unit to visit immediately all incidents of escape of prisoners or deaths in custody. If the unit in charge does not reach the spot of the incident promptly, she or he should be held accountable. Otherwise, such serious incidents would continue to recur. The time is now ripe for the Indian government to consider ratifying the international treaty against torture and declare her commitment to human dignity.

Anatomy of eyes.

Eyes are one of the most important parts of our body. They work very similar to camera. Eyes basically convert light into electric signal. Light enters into eyes through cornea. Eyes have pupil which control the amount of light entering our eye. Light then passes through lens which forms an image on retina. Retina has rods and cons cell which convert image into electric signal. Naturally we ought to take best care of this sensitive part of our body. Our senses are the input mechanisms for us to perceive the world and act. Eyes are perhaps the most important of our five senses. They are most sensitive organ. Eyes are perhaps the most favorite body part of poets, they are said to reflect emotions of the being. We rest with our eyes closed, we are said to have closed eyes when we die.

Structure and Working of Eyes and its function

Human eyes are basically designed in two parts- front part, which comprises of lens, cornea and iris; and the interior part which comprises of vitreous, retina and veins.Cornea is the transparent structure found in front of our eyes. Light enters into our eyes through cornea which focuses most of the light. Then light passes through lens and gets further focused.  Behind the cornea is iris. It is a colored, ring shaped membrane. The iris has a circular opening called pupil. Pupil can expand or retract to control the amount of eyes entering our eyes. The pupil may take some time to react to light- that is why eyes take time to adjust to low light.The lens is surrounded by muscles which keep the lens in place. These muscles can relax to flatten the lens or contract to thicken the lens. The lens in our eyes is a convex lens- the surrounding muscles make it of variable focus length. When lens is flattened the focus length is high thus we are able to see far away, and when the lens is thickened, the focus length is small and we can see closer objects.

 The interior chamber of eyeball is filled with vitreous humor. After the light crosses lens, it passes through vitreous humor to reach retina. Retina is like the film in camera. It acts as screen for the image formation. Interesting thing to note here is that the image formed is inverted! This happens because of the convex lens in our eye. And only real image formed in a convex lens are always inverted. It is the magic of our brain that interprets the things right way up.Retina has three tissue layers. The first layer is called sclera which gives eye most of its white color [2]. The middle layer is called choroid which contains blood vessels that supply the retina with nutrients and oxygen and remove its waste products. Retina has millions of light sensing nerves. These nerves are called rods and cones because of their shape. Cones are concentrated in the center of the retina. Cones work more in bright light. They provide clear, sharp central vision and detect colors and fine details. Rods and cones convert light in electric signals. This signal is sent to brain via optical nerves which interprets the signal. Rods are located outside the center of retina. They extend all the way to the outer edge of the retina. They provide peripheral or side vision. Rods also allow the eyes to detect motion and help us see in dim light and at night.

“Zealandia- 8th Continent Soon ?”

Science and technology has helped humans in discovery of a number of things hidden deep inside sea, land, and even outer space. The invention of internet had gave birth to globalization  and people could travelling around the world, talk to people from on end to other end, get information about any topic they want, just with a single click and many more. While most of the earth secrest remain hidden, there have been some human advancement to discover some of them and thus gain more knowledge.There have been various theories reflecting the facts of drowned cities and islands due increase in water level or tsunamis or any other factotre like tectonic shift. Scientists have really been fascinated towards these facts and thus they have been finding some of those and thus get an idea about how early life was. The search of these led them to find the 8th continent which was expected to be lost crores of years ago. “Zealandia” is the name given to this continent and soon we can see it as an accepted continent around the world. 

Zealandia is present between Australia and New Caledonia in the South Pacific Ocean. The interesting fact to know is that about 94% of the land is submerged under water. According to the American Geological Society, Zealandia has an area of 50 lakh square km, which equals to about 66% of total Australian land. Zealandia was expected to be a part of Australia, but due to tectonic shift, it got away from it and drowned in water. So It’s fascinating to know about such a place and scientists went on a drilling experiment and collected some samples of rocks of Zealandia.The results were really good enough as they were rich in silica, granite and limestone. But how could be find a continental, suddenly. The first theory of Zealandia was given in 1995 and after then in 2017 , it was accepted to be land which could be named as a continent by most of the scientists but still not official. So with the help of the latest technologies , we were able to reach this place  and find the lost continent probably. 

Zealandia can be provided the designation if a continents, since it fulfills some of requirements required for it to be a continent .These include.:

  1. Continent needs to have elevation above the ocean floor , surrounding it. Which surely is as we see most of the land above the ocean floor through the images captured. 
  2. The crust of the continent must have igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, which certainly are present in it as per the experiments done by the experts. 
  3. The crust must be thicker and less dense than the oceanic crust. We see the thickness of Zealandia is thicker than the ocean floor we see, which makes it visible and also less than the oceanic crust. 
  4. It must be spread across a wider area. Interesting fact about Zealandia is that it’s size lie between the biggest island and smallest continent, so it might be a confusion to name it as an island or a continent. 

The benefits of such a piece of land which was under land for so many years could be enormous. It Would be rich in resources, new metals and stones and also would help us to understand what earth would have been so many years ago and most if its parts are untouched and pure. This could surely lead us to open up new possibilities and resources. 

But the big question still remains is will Zealandia get a position of a new continent. It’s still a question  most scientists have been conflicting up for. The main issue is that we do not actually know the pure definition of what a continent truly is, and how we separate it from other big islands. Maybe in the future we would be able to notice a wide change in our geography with 8 continents, new possibilities of research and development and a lot more understanding about our earth and it’s hidden secrets. 

Sole Testimony of Victim of Sexual Abuse, If Found Reliable, is Sufficient

In a fresh, firm and favourable ruling for victims of sexual abuse and delivered just recently on June 15, 2020, the Uttarakhand High Court has in a latest, landmark and extremely laudable judgment titled Bhuwan Chandra Pandey Vs Union of India and others in Writ Petition (S/B) No. 153 of 2013 held in no uncertain terms that the sole testimony of the victim of sexual abuse is sufficient to hold the perpetrator guilty of misconduct in a departmental enquiry. There is no reason why the sole testimony of sexual abuse not be sufficient to hold the perpetrator guilty of misconduct in a departmental enquiry. There are so many notable rulings of Supreme Court and High Courts also which have held the perpetrator accountable even in such cases of sole testimony of sexual abuse!

                                         To start with, this noteworthy judgment authored by Chief Justice of Uttarakhand High Court – Ramesh Ranganathan for himself and Justice RC Khulbe sets the ball rolling by first and foremost posing a series of thought provoking questions in para 1 which goes as: “Is the sole testimony of the victim of sexual abuse, sufficient to hold the perpetrator guilty of misconduct in a departmental enquiry? Is the punishment of dismissal from service, imposed on the perpetrator as a consequence thereof, grossly disproportionate warranting interference by this Court in the exercise of its power of judicial review? These questions, among several others, arise for consideration in this writ petition.”

                                          While elaborating further, it is then stated in para 2 that, “The extra-ordinary jurisdiction of this Court, under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, has been involved by the petitioner seeking a writ of certiorari to quash the order of punishment of dismissal dated 10.05.2012, the appellate order, the order directing initiation of a de-novo enquiry, and the fresh charge sheet, declaring the same as illegal, dehors the rules and unconstitutional; to issue a writ of mandamus commanding the respondents to treat the petitioner as continuing in service, and reinstate him with all consequential benefits including promotion, upgradation of pay, revised pay scales and arrears of salary, as he would have been entitled to, if the impugned orders had not been passed; for a writ of mandamus to consider the petitioner’s claim for payment of damages on account of the tortuous act of the respondents; and to quantify the damages to be recovered from the erring officers, and persons who were instrumental and responsible for the same.”    

                                              While dwelling on the facts of the case, it is then stated clearly in para 3 that, “Facts, to the limited extent necessary, are that, for the para medic course (the duration of which was for a period of three months), the petitioner was nominated, for the three day period 16.08.1998 to 18.08.1998, as a guest instructor for an outdoor exercise with trainees, for conducting a half day theory class, a half night march exercise at the S.S.B. Academy Gwaldum, and to impart them training on military topics such as night navigation and map reading. On 18.08.1998 the trainees, including two lady members of the 94 medic course, were imparted training on theoretical subjects. The half night training exercise included a night march. However, because of heavy rains in that area, it was decided by the petitioner’s superior officers not to permit both the lady trainees to march in the wet and muddy hilly areas to prevent any casualty occurring thereby. In the affidavit, filed in support of the writ petition, the petitioner states that it was decided to give minimum or grace marks for the night march training to the two lady trainees as they did not participate in the night march.”

                                              In continuation of the above, it is then stated more relevantly in para 4 that, “After completion of the night training exercise, the petitioner, along with several other members including the two lady trainees, sat in the cabin of a truck which was coming back to Gwaldum station. It is in the cabin of the truck that the petitioner is said to have molested one of the lady trainees, and to have sexually harassed her.”        

                                       While elaborating further on what is stated above, it is then stated in para 5 that, “While this unsavory incident is said to have taken place in the cabin of the truck at around 11 p.m. on 18.08.1998, the victim trainee (hereinafter referred to as the “complainant”) lodged a complaint on 19.08.1998 to the DIG F.A. Gwaldum alleging sexual harassment by the petitioner during the return journey on 18.08.1998. Thereafter the petitioner was informed, by memorandum dated 08.10.1999, that it was proposed to take action against him under Rule 16 of the CCS (CCA) Rules, 1965 (for short the “1965 Rules”). A statement of imputations of misconduct/misbehavior, on which action was proposed to be taken, was issued giving the petitioner an opportunity to submit his representation thereto. Rule 16 of the 1965 Rules prescribes the procedure for imposing the minor penalties as specified under Rule 11. The inquiry committee, constituted thereafter, submitted its report on 21.09.2001 holding the petitioner guilty of the charges. The disciplinary authority agreed with the findings of the Inquiry Committee. Though minor penalty proceedings, under Rule 16 of the 1965 Rules, had been initiated against him by memorandum dated 08.10.1999, the petitioner, on being held guilty of the charges, was imposed, by proceedings dated 12.09.2003, the major penalty of dismissal from service.”         

                                          Importantly, it is then laid bare in para 106 that, “In the present case the Disciplinary Authority imposed, on the petitioner, the punishment of dismissal from service after concurring with the findings and conclusions of the Inquiry Committee that both Charges 1 and 2 were proved. The first charge, as noted hereinabove, related to sexual abuse and molestation by a superior paramilitary officer over his subordinate lady trainee. In the Paramilitary Forces, where the need to maintain discipline is of a very high order, such acts of a superior officer, in taking advantage of the vulnerability of a subordinate lady trainee and in indulging in such heinous acts of molestation and sexual abuse, justified the deterrent punishment of dismissal from service being imposed on him. Under no circumstances, be it in the Paramilitary Forces or elsewhere, can such acts either be condoned or a lenient view be taken thereof. The second charge, as held established is that the petitioner, after having indulged in such heinous acts, as also his father who was a high ranked official, in the cadre of Deputy Inspector General in the Sashastra Seema Bal, had sought to pressurize the complainant to withdraw the complaint.”

                           More importantly, while justifying the punishment imposed on the petitioner, it is then held in para 107 that, “The deponent of the counter-affidavit, filed in the present Writ Petition, is the Commandant, SSB, Gwaldam. It is not for him to sit in judgment over the decision of the President of India in imposing the punishment of dismissal from service on the petitioner for the charges held established. His concession, that the punishment is not proportionate, is therefore of no consequence. Even otherwise, we are satisfied that the punishment, imposed on the petitioner of dismissal from service, is commensurate to the charges held established. The contention urged on behalf of the petitioner, that the punishment of dismissal from service is shockingly disproportionate, therefore necessitated rejection.”

                                       Most importantly, it is very rightly observed in para 43 that, “As the sole testimony of a prosecutrix, in a criminal case involving sexual harassment and molestation, would suffice if it is otherwise reliable, there is no justifiable reason not to accept the sole testimony of a victim, of sexual harassment and molestation, in a departmental inquiry as the enquiry held by a domestic Tribunal is not unlike a Criminal Court, governed by the strict and technical rules of the Evidence Act. (Murlidhar Jena AIR 1963 SC 404). A disciplinary proceeding is not a criminal trial. The standard of proof required is that of preponderance of probabilities, and not proof beyond reasonable doubt. If the inference was one which a reasonable person would draw, from the proved facts of the case, the High Court cannot sit as a court of appeal over a decision based on it. (Sardar Bahadur (1972) 4 SCC 618). If the enquiry has been properly held, the question of adequacy or reliability of the evidence cannot be canvassed before the High Court. The only question is whether the proved facts of the case would warrant such an inference. (Sardar Bahadur (1972) 4 SCC 618; and S Sree Rama Rao AIR 1963 SC 1723). If the disciplinary inquiry has been conducted fairly without bias or predilection, in accordance with the relevant disciplinary rules and the Constitutional provisions, the order passed by such authority cannot be interfered with merely on the ground that it was based on evidence which would be insufficient for conviction of the delinquent on the same charge at a criminal trial. (Nand Kishore Prasad v. The State of Bihar and others AIR 1978 SC 1277).”

                                      Equally significant if not more is what is then stated in para 44 that, “Strict and sophisticated rules of evidence, under the Indian Evidence Act, are not applicable in a domestic enquiry. (State of Haryana vs. Rattan Singh (1977) 2 SCC 491; J.D. Jain v. Management of State Bank of India & Others (1982) 1 SCC 143). Sufficiency of evidence, in proof of the finding by a domestic tribunal is beyond scrutiny. (Rattan Singh). In a departmental enquiry, guilt need not be established beyond reasonable doubt. Proof of misconduct is sufficient. (J.D. Jain). All material, which are logically probative for a prudent mind, are permissible. There is no allergy even to hearsay evidence provided it has reasonable nexus and credibility. (Rattan Singh).”

                                             No less significant is what is then stated in para 45 that, “In the present case, the testimony of the complainant gives graphic and shocking details of acts of sexual molestation perpetrated by the petitioner on her. This evidence is also corroborated in part by the testimony of others. The Enquiry Committee has held that, before this incident, the petitioner and the complainant were not even personally acquainted with each other, and the petitioner’s claim, of the complainant having been instituted for extraneous considerations, was not tenable. In such circumstances, we see no reason why the Enquiry Committee should be faulted for largely relying on the testimony of the complainant. The contentions urged on behalf of the petitioner under this head, necessitate rejection.”

                                            Finally, the key point of the last para 113 is that, “For the reasons stated hereinabove, we see no reason to interfere either with the inquiry proceedings or with the order of punishment of dismissal from service imposed on the petitioner.”

                                    On a concluding note, this extremely laudable and latest judgment by a two Judge Bench of the Uttarakhand High Court including the Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan himself is a strong and stern warning to all men who dare to indulge in sexual harassment that if you dare to indulge in it then be ready to face the dire consequences. Even the sole testimony of sexual abuse, if found reliable, is sufficient to hold the perpetrator guilty of misconduct in departmental enquiry! Such men who dare to commit such heinous crimes must expect no reprieve from the courts anymore!    

Sanjeev Sirohi, Advocate,

s/o Col BPS Sirohi,

A 82, Defence Enclave,

Sardhana Road, Kankerkhera,

Meerut – 250001, Uttar Pradesh.