Current Science

Umesh K. Singh ¹, Z. Ahmad ¹, Ashish Kumar ²

Affiliations
1 Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee 247 667, IN
2 Department of Civil Engineering, Jaypee University of Information Technology, Waknaghat, Solan 173 234, IN

Abstract

This article describes results of an experimental study on incipient motion of gravel particles present in the cohesive mixtures, i.e. clay–silt–gravel and clay–silt–sand–gravel, in which the percentage of clay varied from 10% to 50% on weight basis. Incipient motion condition is visually and quantitatively identified which responds to sheet and line erosion type appearance on the top surface of the channel bed for clay up to 30% and mass erosion pattern for 40% and 50% of clay. The clay percentage, weighted geometric standard deviation and bulk density of the cohesive sediment mixture are found to be the main parameters that affect the incipient motion of gravel particles. A functional relationship is proposed to determine critical shear stress of gravel particles present in cohesive sediment mixtures. The regression analyses as well as goodness of fit test were conducted for the proposed relationships which were found to be in good agreement with the present data.

Keywords

Clay Content, Cohesive Sediment Mixture, Critical Shear Stress, Incipient Motion, Sediment Transport.

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Jayanta Barman ¹, Ashish Kumar ¹, H. V. Warrior ¹, P. A. Maheswaran ², Hareesh Kumar ²

Affiliations
1 Department of Ocean Engineering and Naval Architecture, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur 721 302, IN
2 Naval Physical Oceanography Laboratory, Thrikkakara, Kochi 682 021, IN

Abstract

The idea of wide area surveillance (WAS) is to develop and utilize sensors which give continuous views of expansive areas. The traditional camera/optical/acoustic methods can only monitor small area, while the WAS system can monitor an area several thousand times larger. WAS is usually provided by airborne/satellite-borne cameras which cover a wide swath of area. It was primarily used in the US as military surveillance technology for safeguarding the homeland. WAS technology is slowly making its way from the battlefields into the Police/Coast Guard Departments in all countries.

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Amrita Kumari Pandal ¹, Ashish Kumar ¹, Aseem Kerketta ¹, Satpal Singh Bisht ²

Affiliations
1 Department of Biotechnology, Sarguja University, Ambikapur - 497 001, IN
2 Department of Zoology, Kumaun University, Nainital - 263 002, IN

Abstract

The recent unfortunate demise of Prof. Lalji Singh, also known as the ‘Father of DNA Fingerprinting in India’ on 10 December2017 in Varanasi, at the age of70 years, has created a void among the biotechnology fraternity spread all over the country. Singh was an excellent scientist, a talented administrator, institution builder and a social worker. He followed the maxim ‘simple living and high thinking’, which advocates that a person should lead his life with minimum wants, but one’s thinking should be high to serve the people with great deeds. He was born on 5 July 1947 in a small village named Kalwari in Jaunpur district, Uttar Pradesh, India. His father Suryanarayan Singh was a farmer and Mukhiya (Head) of the village. Singh completed his primary and secondary school education at Kalwari and Pratapganj villages respectively. He obtained his B Sc degree in Zoology and Cytogenetics in 1964from Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, followed by an M Sc degree with gold medal for having secured first rank in the merit order. In 1971, he was awarded his doctoral degree at BHU, for his work on the ‘Evolution of karyotypes in snakes’ under the guidance of S. P.Ray Chaudhuri. A summary of his findings was published in Chromosoma¹.

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Ashish Kumar ¹, Bakul Rao ¹, Arun Kumar De ²

Affiliations
1 Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai 400 076, IN
2 Central Island Agricultural Research Institute, ICAR, Port Blair 744 101, IN

Abstract

Increasing evidence supporting the correlation between bovine beta-casein and disorders in milk consumers has led to the development and popularity of A2 milk and milk products worldwide. The indigenous cattle population of India harbours the preferred A2 allele of beta casein; however, genetic improvement of this cattle population by crossbreeding with exotic breeds is spoiling the gene pool as most of the exotic breeds contain A1 allele of the gene. In this study, we aim at evaluating the status of beta-casein in the Indian dairy sector and provide a discussion of future implications to the A2 milk industry. Our results show that the genotypic frequencies of A1 and A2 genes in a sample cattle population were 0.365 and 0.635 respectively. Based on the pure nature of the A2 allele in indigenous cattle, the presence of the A1 allele was assumed to be attributable to crossbreeding with exotic cattle breeds. Current options to drift the frequency of herds towards A2 are highly limited, raising serious questions regarding breeding policies in India and the lack of availability of certified A2 semen straws. The absence of any official standards and certification procedures in the country for A2 milk and milk products aggravates the situation from a food safety perspective. The future focus of sorted sexed semen and embryo transfers by the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries in India for dairy development should include A2 certification as an integral component. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India should define and establish standard protocols for certification of A2 milk and milk products to safeguard the rights of consumers against the potential food fraud.

Keywords

Beta-caseins, Genotyping, Livestock Breeding Policy, Milk Safety, Milk Proteins.

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Ashish Kumar ¹, Bakul Rao ¹, Rahi Jain ¹

Affiliations
1 Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai 400 085, IN

Abstract

In India, the major indicators used to assess the dairy sector are the age-old criteria of considering only the total production and per capita availability. Such indicators may not be able to adequately assess the development of the dairy sector. First, the indicators inadequately capture the complete scenario of the dairy sector. Secondly, dairy as a sector has multistake-holder dependency. Different stakeholders want to direct the sector in their perspective which pertains to social, economic or environmental domains. Thirdly, India is a resource-constraint nation, which makes it important for it to judiciously allocate its resources to achieve maximum benefits for which such indicators provide incomplete scenario.

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