New Delhi, Jun 18 : In an effort to blend information technology with higher education, Delhi University is working on a project to develop e-content for seven subjects.
The project is part of a Rs 5,000 crore scheme under the National Mission of Education Through Information and Communication Technology.
"Under this project we are developing e-content for seven subjects. The material will be in multi-media format which will include online quizzes, animations, virtual laboratories and audio-video clips," Prof A K Bakshi, Director of the Institute of Life Long Learning (ILL), told Zeack.
Bakshi said the endeavour is also in consonance with the varsity's motto of providing students with "blended learning" with a combination of technology and conventional methods.
At present, ILL, which is handling the project, is developing e-content for chemistry, botany, zoology, history maths, economics and commerce. The project is expected to be completed by December.
The HRD ministry launched the National Mission on Education through ICT this February to encourage integration of information technology in the field of education. Z
11:29 PM
11:29 PM
Lalit K Jha
Washington, Jun 18 : The White House has expressed satisfaction over the productive meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Asif Ali Zarari in Russia early this week.
"We are glad to hear the (two) leaders had a productive meeting in Russia and hope that they will continue to talk and meet regularly," White House National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer told Zeack.
Singh and Zardari met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Russia for the first time after the Mumbai terror attacks which killed 183 people and stalled the composite dialogue process.
"The (Obama) Administration welcomes dialogue between the leaders of India and Pakistan, which we feel is essential to reducing bilateral tensions," Hammer said.
Announcing his new Af-Pak policy, US President Barack Obama on March 27 stressed on the need to engage both India and Pakistan in constructive diplomacy so as to reduce the tension between the two countries.
In the aftermath of the Mumbai terrorist attacks, India had stopped peace dialogue with Pakistan. Z
Washington, Jun 18 : The White House has expressed satisfaction over the productive meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Asif Ali Zarari in Russia early this week.
"We are glad to hear the (two) leaders had a productive meeting in Russia and hope that they will continue to talk and meet regularly," White House National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer told Zeack.
Singh and Zardari met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Russia for the first time after the Mumbai terror attacks which killed 183 people and stalled the composite dialogue process.
"The (Obama) Administration welcomes dialogue between the leaders of India and Pakistan, which we feel is essential to reducing bilateral tensions," Hammer said.
Announcing his new Af-Pak policy, US President Barack Obama on March 27 stressed on the need to engage both India and Pakistan in constructive diplomacy so as to reduce the tension between the two countries.
In the aftermath of the Mumbai terrorist attacks, India had stopped peace dialogue with Pakistan. Z
11:29 PM
Prasun Sonwalkar
London, June 18 : The Labour government has turned down the demand of the recession-hit Indian restaurant industry to raise the threshold at which small companies pay VAT, spreading gloom among thousands of owners and employees.
Buffeted by steep fall in revenues, nearly 150 Indian restaurants that tickled palates across Britain have closed down since last Christmas and many more are likely to shut shop in the next six months.
Owners of Indian restaurants in the east Midlands town of Leicester, which has a large minority of Indian origin, started a campaign at the local and national levels to urge the government to come to their rescue in the same way it had supported failing banks.
But in a letter to the campaign organisers, Treasury minister Angela Eagle said: "The Government cannot change the UK VAT registration threshold without prior agreement with the EU." She added that the current UK threshold of 68,000 pounds was already the highest in Europe and that other businesses in the country were calling for it to be made lower, not higher.
Indian restaurant owners want the threshold to be raised to 95,000 pounds. Z
London, June 18 : The Labour government has turned down the demand of the recession-hit Indian restaurant industry to raise the threshold at which small companies pay VAT, spreading gloom among thousands of owners and employees.
Buffeted by steep fall in revenues, nearly 150 Indian restaurants that tickled palates across Britain have closed down since last Christmas and many more are likely to shut shop in the next six months.
Owners of Indian restaurants in the east Midlands town of Leicester, which has a large minority of Indian origin, started a campaign at the local and national levels to urge the government to come to their rescue in the same way it had supported failing banks.
But in a letter to the campaign organisers, Treasury minister Angela Eagle said: "The Government cannot change the UK VAT registration threshold without prior agreement with the EU." She added that the current UK threshold of 68,000 pounds was already the highest in Europe and that other businesses in the country were calling for it to be made lower, not higher.
Indian restaurant owners want the threshold to be raised to 95,000 pounds. Z
11:19 PM
New Delhi, Jun 18 : Microbiologists in Maharashtra have found 'magnetic bacteria' in the ancient Lonar lake formed due to meteorite impact, a finding that might open a vista for searching extra-terrestrial life.
The magnetotactic bacteria, which are object of interest of scientists from various fields world over, were isolated from the lake in Maharashtra's Buldana district which is the only impact crater formed in basaltic rock.
The bacteria are unique as they swim along geomagnetic field lines because they contain tiny magnetic crystals called magnetosomes, said Mahesh Chavadar, a microbiologist at the Yashwantrao Chavan College of Science in Karad.
The fact that the bacteria was found in the lake has thrown open doors for research on life outside universe.
"This seems to hint at a certain correlation between these bacteria and meteorites, and that could have tremendous implications on the search for extra-terrestrial life. We need to explore if life outside the earth existed in this form," Chavadar said reporting his findings in a recent issue of 'Current Science'.
The bacteria was first discovered in 1975 and only a few cultures of the micro-organisms are available in laboratories across the world. Z
The magnetotactic bacteria, which are object of interest of scientists from various fields world over, were isolated from the lake in Maharashtra's Buldana district which is the only impact crater formed in basaltic rock.
The bacteria are unique as they swim along geomagnetic field lines because they contain tiny magnetic crystals called magnetosomes, said Mahesh Chavadar, a microbiologist at the Yashwantrao Chavan College of Science in Karad.
The fact that the bacteria was found in the lake has thrown open doors for research on life outside universe.
"This seems to hint at a certain correlation between these bacteria and meteorites, and that could have tremendous implications on the search for extra-terrestrial life. We need to explore if life outside the earth existed in this form," Chavadar said reporting his findings in a recent issue of 'Current Science'.
The bacteria was first discovered in 1975 and only a few cultures of the micro-organisms are available in laboratories across the world. Z
11:19 PM
Sensex sheds 72 points in volatile trade
planetInfo
Mumbai, June 18 : The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex today opened nearly 72 points down, after registering fourth biggest single-session fall this year yesterday, as funds and investors indulged in liquidating their positions, tracking weak overseas markets.
The Sensex, which had lost 435.07 points in yesterday's session, fell by 71.62 points at 14,451.22 in the first five minutes of trade.
The wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty was also down 17.15 points at 4,339.
Stock brokers said trading sentiment was mainly dampened because of sustained pullout by foreign funds in the past few trading sessions, triggering selling by retail investors.
Shares of capital goods, oil and gas auto sectors, continued to face selling pressure at prevailing higher levels, they said.
Among major losers were, the most-weighted RIL down 0.43 per cent at Rs 2,042, Grasim Industries by 1.91 per cent at Rs 2,272.20, HDFC Bank by 1.55 per cent at Rs 1,523, HDFC Ltd by 1.68 per cent at Rs 2,243.15, ACC by 1.64 per cent at Rs 813 and Larsen and Toubro by 0.72 per cent at Rs 1,456.
However, bucking the trend were Infosys up 1.10 per cent at Rs 1,729.30 and TCS by 1.49 per cent at Rs 384.65.
The US Dow Jones Industrial Average had ended 0.09 per cent down yesterday, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng is down almost 2 per cent and Japan's Nikkei 1.75 per cent in the morning trade today. Ze
The Sensex, which had lost 435.07 points in yesterday's session, fell by 71.62 points at 14,451.22 in the first five minutes of trade.
The wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty was also down 17.15 points at 4,339.
Stock brokers said trading sentiment was mainly dampened because of sustained pullout by foreign funds in the past few trading sessions, triggering selling by retail investors.
Shares of capital goods, oil and gas auto sectors, continued to face selling pressure at prevailing higher levels, they said.
Among major losers were, the most-weighted RIL down 0.43 per cent at Rs 2,042, Grasim Industries by 1.91 per cent at Rs 2,272.20, HDFC Bank by 1.55 per cent at Rs 1,523, HDFC Ltd by 1.68 per cent at Rs 2,243.15, ACC by 1.64 per cent at Rs 813 and Larsen and Toubro by 0.72 per cent at Rs 1,456.
However, bucking the trend were Infosys up 1.10 per cent at Rs 1,729.30 and TCS by 1.49 per cent at Rs 384.65.
The US Dow Jones Industrial Average had ended 0.09 per cent down yesterday, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng is down almost 2 per cent and Japan's Nikkei 1.75 per cent in the morning trade today. Ze