105 items in this section. Displaying page 9 of 11
Made to Order
December 9: We’ve heard of gene therapy for humans. But for seeds? And yet, this is exactly what seeds in India will be treated for in the future. Thanks to gene therapy, the seeds will have made-to-order properties. Some scientists are introducing a gene (the element that gives hereditary characteristic to a living thing) from a weed into the Indian mustard seed to make the crop consume less water. This is to help farmers survive droughts in India....
The Olympic Gold Rush
September 30: At the Millennium Olympics in Sydney, Barbados, the tiny island nation in the Caribbean, has overtaken the United States and China to head the medals tally – if you calculate the number of medals against the population. When sprinter Obadele Thompson won the bronze in the 100-metre race in 10.04 seconds, on September 23, Barbados topped the medal table list maintained by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). This is because Barbados has a population of only 270,000....
A Soldier's Death is a Soldier's Death
Where: New Delhi, India May 16, 2000: Today’s newspapers must have given some relief to Indian Army men. For, George Fernandes, the Defence Minister of India, has finally agreed to their demands. Their demand was that the family of every jawan, or soldier, killed in action must get the same compensation amount of Rs 1 million ($23,255) from the Government of India. It did not matter where the soldier died: Kargil, Srinagar, or the north-eastern part of India....
The First Dream of a Soccer Star
In 1981, Invalappil Mani Vijayan was 12 years old. He sold cold drinks at a football stadium near his home in Thrissur, Kerala, to earn some money for his family. Today he is not only the captain of the Indian football team, he has started a coaching centre at the same football stadium. He wants to help youngsters like him who have dreams but very few ways of making them come true. The five feet ten inches tall Vijayan is one of the best goal scorers in Indian football today....
Death Threat
March 19: The Olive Ridleys are olive-green coloured sea-turtles that have existed for more than 200 million years. The Gahirmatha beach in Orissa is one of their nesting sites, but unfortunately the fishermen have started catching these turtles for meat to sell in the local market. This has alarmed environmentalists. Nature lover and scientist, BR Ray says that this trend will surely lead to the extinction of the turtles. Thousands of female ridleys travel thousands of kilometres to lay their eggs at Gahirmatha beach....
Finding a Match for an Elephant
Where: Rome, Italy July 1, 2000 : Calimero, a twenty-year-old African elephant, who has been pining for his lost love, may soon find a new love. But romance may not come easy for this lovelorn jumbo because he will have to travel across the Alps in order to find his dream girl. Calimero was brought to the Rome Zoo when he was barely a year old. Soon after, Carla, an African she-elephant from Gabon, joined him....
The Filmmaker
Shooting ‘Shores of Silence’, was probably more exciting than shooting a high-voltage action thriller for Mike Pandey and his two crewmembers. The small fishing boat that they rode the high seas in, was tossed by huge waves like a cork, threatening their life and equipment several times. But the three hung on, determined to shoot the sequence that was to be the highlight of the film – the capturing and slaughtering of giant whale sharks....
India Votes for Stability, Not Change
Where: New Delhi, India May 16, 2009 : The results of India’s general elections, the largest democratic elections in the world, were announced on May 16, 2009.The Indian National Congress party won 205 of 543 seats in the Lok Sabha (the House of the People, or the lower house of the Indian Parliament). This was its best performance in the last 25 years. The party and its coalition partners, who make up the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) won a total of 261 seats, only 12 short of an absolute majority....
Slumdog Millionaire's Big Haul at the Golden Globe Awards
Where: Los Angeles, U.S.A. January 12, 2009 : Slumdog Millionaire, an Indian story set and shot in India, is based on the novel ‘Q&A’ by an Indian diplomat and first-time novelist Vikas Swarup. It was directed by the well-known British director Danny Boyle, and released in 2008. The film won awards for best director, best picture, and screenplay (by Simon Beaufoy) in addition to best musical score. The prestigious Golden Globe awards are presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association every year in Los Angeles....
Indians All the Way As 'Slumdog Millionaire' Sweeps Oscars
Where: Los Angeles, USA February 22, 2009 : India awoke to the sound of cheers and applause last Monday as ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ fetched two Oscars* for A.R. Rahman and one for Resul Pookutty. With the American-made film ‘Smile Pinki’ about an Indian girl winning the Oscar for the best short documentary, the focus was definitely on India. Slumdog Millionaire, directed by the recognised British filmmaker Danny Boyle, is about an Indian boy. The film has an all Indian cast, and was shot in Mumbai with Indian technicians....