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IndianExpress:  PAVING the way for a complete revamp of indigenous medicines in the country, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Anbumani Ramadoss on Sunday announced a series of steps by the government to promote plant-based medicine in India and abroad. These steps include setting up of Medicinal Plant Promotion Boards in the country, which would then serve as special zones for cultivation and development of medicinal plants.

Inaugurating the second World Ayurveda Congress at the University of Pune, Ramadoss said in a scenario where the world was turning to plant-based system of medicine, India’s rich tradition needed to be tapped and packaged more effectively for the global market

IndianExpress:  GAZING into a cluster of galaxies, some 600 million light years back in time, Pune-based scientist Joydeep Bagchi has discovered a unique set of ring-like structures, which may explain the origin of the mysterious ultrahigh energy cosmic rays. The find has drawn the attention of scientists across the world, as, among other things, understanding cosmic rays is vital to future human space explorations. A report on the find has been published in the current issue of Science Journal.

A team of international researchers led by Bagchi from the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) discovered the giant, ring-like structures after a three-year study of a galaxy cluster called Abell 3376. “I came across a faint trace of the structures accidentally three years ago while looking for something else. A detailed three-year study using a Very Large Array (VRA) radio telescope revealed the full structures,” Bagchi told Pune Newsline

IndianExpress: THE traditional practice of ayurveda will now receive a fillip from the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) through the launch of the software AyuSoft, a decision support system that will facilitate ayurvedic research, diagnosis and treatment for practitioners, hospitals, researchers and academia alike. The software will be displayed at the World Ayurveda Congress being held at the Pune University till November 12.

The software consists of a one-gigabyte repository of ayurvedic data, including applications for physiological and psychological constitution assessment, disease diagnostics and treatment based on symptoms and causative factors, as well as personal information management, wherein records can be maintained of each patient’s case details. Apart from automatic generation of certificates and prescriptions, the software can also transfer a patient’s case to a panel of doctors for collaborative consultation.

IndianExpress: THE Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) will employ 157 computer-trained graduates to update some of its octroi-related work. Reeling under a severe manpower shortage, the department, which has 30 staff members, has floated tenders to outsource the work of upgrading the octroi payment accounts of companies and industries. The PCMC earns Rs 55 crore every month as octroi.

Octroi department head assistant municipal commissioner Vijaysinh Deshmukh said it was the first time the civic body was looking at outsourcing the work. “The system will be monitored by the PCMC. The octroi department staff will supervise the work,’’ he said.

IndianExpress: Three policemen from the Faraskhana police station were injured when an armed gang of four robbers, suspected to be sandalwood smugglers, attacked them near Cummins Compound at 2.40 am on Sunday. The police team led by inspector V T Pawar also opened three rounds of fire after the gang attacked them with choppers and knives.

“We were on the night patrol, when we spotted some persons moving under suspicious circumstances near Cummins Compound. When we tried to detain them, they attacked us with sharp weapons. We were able to catch hold of two of them, but they attacked us and slipped away. They had applied grease on their body,” Pawar said.