<keyword id="22639420" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Giant-Radio-Galaxies" source="keywords">Giant Radio Galaxies</keyword> (<keyword id="22639421" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="GRGs" source="keywords">GRGs</keyword>) are <keyword id="22639422" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="radio-galaxies" source="keywords">radio galaxies</keyword> that have expanded to sizes spanning megaparsecs. To put this in perspective, while the Milky Way galaxy is approximately 100,000 light-years wide, GRGs stretch across millions of light-years. Ironically, it is their immense size that makes GRGs rare and challenging to detect. One possible formation scenario for GRGs involves the powerful <keyword id="22639424" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="radio-jets" source="keywords">radio jets</keyword> from a galaxy extending into relatively empty regions of <keyword id="22639423" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="intergalactic-space" source="keywords">intergalactic space</keyword>. In an astonishing leap forward for astronomy, a team of Indian researchers has uncovered 34 new GRSs using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (<keyword id="22632818" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="GMRT" source="keywords">GMRT</keyword>). This discovery, not only a testament to India's growing prominence in the field of <keyword id="19929542" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="space-exploration" source="keywords">space exploration</keyword>, provides fresh insights into the enigmatic behaviour of the universe’s largest and most mysterious structures. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111810338" title="Noisy neighbour: The Earth randomly blasted Venus with a Missy Elliott hip-hop song last week, because why not?" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> This groundbreaking discovery stems from the <keyword id="21237895" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="TIFR" source="keywords">TIFR</keyword> GMRT Sky Survey (TGSS), conducted between 2010 and 2012. Covering about 90% of the sky at 150 MHz, the survey has become a treasure trove for astronomers. The team, comprising PhD students Netai Bhukta and Souvik Manik, and astronomers Sabyasachi Pal and Sushanta K Mondal, delved into the TGSS Alternative Data Release 1, leveraging GMRT’s exceptional sensitivity at low frequencies to uncover these colossal structures. Giant radio sources are cosmic behemoths, stretching millions of light-years across and representing the final stage of radio galaxy evolution. Their sheer size and rarity have long puzzled scientists. The recent discovery of 34 new GRSs, among the most distant ever detected, challenges the prevailing theories about their growth. Notably, two of these objects defy the conventional understanding that GRSs predominantly expand in low-density environments, suggesting that other factors contribute to their enormous size. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111855546" title="Budget 2024: How will budget affect India’s position in the global space race?" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> The GMRT, operated by the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA) of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), is situated near Khodad village, 90 km north of Pune. This state-of-the-art facility has placed India at the forefront of radio astronomy, enabling scientists to peer deep into the universe and uncover its secrets. The success of this discovery underscores India’s growing capabilities and ambitions in space research, marking a significant milestone for the country’s scientific community. The study of GRSs is not merely an academic exercise; it has profound implications for our understanding of the universe. These giant structures provide critical insights into the behaviour of the intergalactic medium and the complex interactions between black holes and their surrounding environments. By examining these massive entities, scientists can better understand the distribution of matter in the cosmos and the forces shaping the evolution of galaxies. With plans to present new GRS samples in forthcoming articles, the researchers aim to conduct detailed analyses based on multiwavelength observations. These studies will further unravel the mysteries surrounding the formation and growth of giant radio sources, contributing to our broader understanding of the universe.

Indian astronomers have found 34 new giant alien radio sources using the GMRT near Pune!

A team of <keyword id="3110393" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="international-scientists">international scientists</keyword>, led by those from India, has found a distinctive signature of cosmic X-rays to identify the boundary around <keyword id="4740034" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="black-holes">black holes</keyword>, which "unmistakably separate them" from other objects in the cosmos such as neutron stars that are comparable in mass and size. According to the astrophysicists, including <keyword id="3959965" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="sudip-bhattacharyya">Sudip Bhattacharyya</keyword> from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (<keyword id="176816" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="TIFR">TIFR</keyword>) in Mumbai, the current discovery is by far the strongest steady signature of the smaller, but more extreme stellar-mass black holes to date, from the cosmic X-rays observed with a satellite. Although black holes does not have a surface, it is confined within an invisible boundary, called an event horizon, from within which nothing, not even light, can escape, the scientists said. While definitive proof of the existence of such objects is a holy grail of modern physics and astronomy, they said only one supermassive black hole with the mass more than six billion times the mass of the <keyword id="24879" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sun">Sun</keyword> has so far been imaged using the surrounding radiation in radio wavelengths. But according to the study, accepted for publication in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, understanding stellar-mass black holes, which have masses about ten times that of the Sun, is indispensable to probe some of the extreme aspects of the cosmos. In order to prove the existence of these stellar-mass black holes, the researchers said these need to be distinguished from neutron stars which are the densest known objects in the universe with a hard surface. While the stable stellar-mass black holes shine mainly in X-rays by devouring material from a companion star, the study noted that neutron stars can also shine in X-rays by accreting matter from a companion star in a similar way. In the current study, the scientists analysed archival data from the now decommissioned astronomy satellite Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer, and have identified the effect of the lack of hard surface in black holes on their observed X-ray emission. From this analyses, they have found an extremely strong signature of accreting stellar-mass black holes. "The study has found by far the strongest steady signature of smaller, but more extreme, black holes to date, from the cosmic X-rays observed with a satellite," Bhattacharyya told PTI in an email. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/yes-bank-ceo-prashant-kumar-clarifies-that-the-forensic-investigation-isnt-restricted-to-the-top-10-defaulters/articleshow/78255868.cms">EXCLUSIVE: YES Bank CEO Prashant Kumar clarifies that the forensic investigation isn't restricted to the top 10 defaulters</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/dailyhunt-to-launch-family-of-bharat-apps-claiming-it-can-push-a-new-mobile-app-every-three-days/articleshow/78250283.cms">EXCLUSIVE: Dailyhunt is curating an entire family of 'Bharat' apps — claims it can push a new mobile app every three days</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/rajya-sabha-passes-banking-amendment-bill-2020/articleshow/78251384.cms">Rajya Sabha passes Banking Amendment Bill 2020 bringing cooperative banks under RBI's umbrella</a>

Indian astrophysicists find distinctive signature of cosmic X-rays to identify the boundary around black holes

By Shakoor Rather New Delhi, Apr 23 () The trajectory of COVID-19 cases could have plateaued and might even fall for some weeks after the lockdown is lifted but India is likely to see a second wave in late July or August with a surge in the number of cases during the monsoon, say scientists.The timing of the peak will depend on how India is able to control physical distancing and on the level of infection spreads after restrictions are relaxed, they said. "It looks apparent that the trajectory of daily new cases has reached a plateau and eventually it will take a downward fall, maybe for some weeks or even months," Samit Bhattacharya, associate professor at the Department of Mathematics, Shiv Nadar University, told ."Still, we may get a surge of new cases of the same coronavirus and this will be considered a second wave," Bhattacharya explained.The second epidemic may come back in late July or August in the monsoon, although the peak timing will depend on how we control social distancing during that time, he said.Rajesh Sundaresan, professor at Bengaluru's Indian Institute of Science (IISc), agreed. "Once we return to normal activity levels, there is a chance that infection may begin to rise again. China is seeing this to some extent post easing of some restrictions on travel," Sundaresan, corresponding author of a working paper by researchers at IISc and the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Mumbai, told .On March 25, when the number of coronavirus cases was 618 with 13 deaths, the government announced a nationwide lockdown that was later extended to May 3. On Friday, the death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 718 and the number of cases to 23,077, according to the Union Health Ministry.In good news, officials said this week that the doubling rate of cases has slowed down in the period, going from 3.4 days before lockdown to 7.5 days, with 18 states doing better than the national average. The recovery rate has also almost doubled in the last 10 days. "Looking at the new cases in the past few days, it seems the growth of new daily infection is much slower than earlier. This apparently indicates that we might have reached at the plateau of the growth curve," Bhattacharya said. He noted that recent studies in China and Europe observed that the infection might relapse in those people who have already recovered from earlier phases."So, there is no evidence that the earlier infection may help acquire immunity against the second infection. And in that way, the entire population may be vulnerable to the second wave to some extent," said the scientist.In their study unveiled this week, IISc and TIFR researchers analysed the impact of strategies such as case isolation, home quarantine, social distancing and various post-lockdown restrictions on COVID-19 that might remain in force for some time.The study modelled on Bengaluru and Mumbai suggests the infection is likely to have a second wave and the public health threat will remain, unless steps are taken to aggressively trace, localise, isolate the cases, and prevent influx of new infections.The new levels and the peaking times for healthcare demand depend on the levels of infection spreads in each city at the time of relaxation of restrictions, they said. "The lockdown is currently upon us. It has given us valuable time. Let us test, trace, quarantine, isolate, practice better hygiene, search for a vaccine, etc. We should do these anyway, and these are being done. When and how to lift the lockdown is going to be a difficult decision to make," said Sundaresan."It's clear that it's going to be phased. What our team is focusing on is to come up with tools to help the decision makers assess the public health impact of various choices," he said.According to the experts, infectious diseases spread via contact between infectious and susceptible people. In the absence of any control measures, an outbreak will grow as long as the average number of people infected by each infectious person is more than one.Once enough people are immune there will be fewer people susceptible to the infection and the outbreak will die.However, when an outbreak is brought under control by social distancing and other interventions, it is possible only a small proportion of the population will have been infected and gained immunity, they said.This means enough susceptible people may remain to fuel a second wave if controls are relaxed and infection is reintroduced."Until the vaccine comes on the market, we have to remain alert… Once sporadic cases occur here and there in the country, we immediately need to implement quarantine or social distancing locally for the people in that region, and also need to perform tests to identify positive cases irrespective of showing symptoms," Bhattacharya explained."Note that these monsoon months are also flu season in many places of India. So, we should not ignore the early signs of the flu symptoms. Irrespective of symptoms, we need to increase tests in the hotspots to identify people and contain the surge," he said.Sundaresan added that the timeline for a second wave will depend on a lot of circumstances which may change as the time passes."Significant testing may have been underway, there may be behavioural changes with people becoming more careful about their hygiene, wearing masks may become more common, etc. All these responses may help restrict the second wave," he said.A study published in The Lancet journal earlier this month modelled the potential adverse consequences of premature relaxation of interventions, and found it might lead to a second wave of infections.The finding is critical to governments globally, because it warns against premature relaxation of strict interventions, the researchers said."While interventions to control the spread of SARS-CoV-2 are in place, countries will need to work toward returning to normalcy; thus, knowledge of the effect of each intervention is urgently required," they said in the study. According to a recent analysis by the Harvard Chan School of Public Health, the best strategy to ease the critical care burden and loss of life from COVID-19 might be on-again, off-again social distancing. "In the absence of such interventions, surveillance and intermittent distancing may need to be maintained into 2022, which would present a substantial social and economic burden," the researchers wrote. SAR MIN MINMIN

India may see second wave of COVID-19 outbreak in monsoon, say scientists

<ul><li>Urban cities in the country including Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad are showing a dip in the number of infections and cases. </li><li><keyword id="48434" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="BMC">BMC</keyword> Sero survey indicates that 57% from slums in three wards in Mumbai have developed antibodies </li><li>Experts now believe that some parts of the country, especially the slums of India’s financial capital have developed Herd Immunity. </li><li>Herd Immunity occurs when a large number of people become immune to a contagious disease after being infected to it. </li><li>Business Insider India spoke to experts to understand the road ahead from here. </li></ul>Herd immunity occurs when a large number of people become immune to a contagious disease after being infected to it. The latest sets of data from the two of India’s biggest metro cities, New Delhi and Mumbai, has sparked the hope for herd immunity against COVID-19 but experts warn it may be too soon to rejoice. More than half of the population residing in slums in three different regions in Mumbai contracted coronavirus and developed its anti-bodies, according to a sero-surveillance study conducted by the city’s civic body, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFRE) and NITI Aayog (India’s premier think tank). <div type="image" title="Mumbai Sero Survey" msid="77238688" hostid="261"></div> Mumbai, where 800,000 people live in slums, has reported over 110,000 infections and 6,000 fatalities till June 29. The sero-surveillance started on June 3 and 6,936 samples out of an estimated 8,870 were collected from slum and non-slum population of three civic wards - R-North, M-West and F-North - in the first half of July. The case for possible herd immunity <div type="image" title="Dharavi2" msid="77238788" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Tempreature check up at Dharavi&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> “Although it is still unclear what level of prevalence leads to herd immunity, findings indicate at least in slums this could be attained sooner or later if the immunity exists and persists in a significant proportion of the population." the BMC statement read. “If someone is exposed and they develop antibodies, we can detect those antibodies and it gives us a relatively decent indicator that they were exposed. The interesting thing about the study is it was only looking for asymptomatic individuals. Symptomatic people are going to the system, they are getting treated, managed etc. Asymptomatic is something none of us could understand,” Dr. Marcus Ranney, General Manager (India) Thrive Global explained. This comes a week after a Delhi government survey stated that 30% of the people living in the national capital had anti-bodies of COVID-19. However, the jury is still out on whether herd immunity can stave off COVID-19 infections in the future. Here’s why herd immunity can’t be taken for granted <div type="image" title="Dharavi" msid="77238726" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;A child walks holding his grandfather&amp;#39;s walking stick at Dharavi&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> “We have to be very careful with the concept of allowing people to get infected with this virus to develop natural (herd) immunity. This approach does not seem to work (in this case). This is a very contagious infection, and it is clear that the virus can be devastating to those over the age of 60 or with underlying medical conditions,” said Issac Bogoch from the University of Toronto, Canada <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/herd-immunity-doesnt-seem-to-work-for-covid-19-need-to-be-careful/articleshow/77218380.cms">said in an interview with IANS</a>. The other downside of living in the hope of herd immunity is that it could put a lot of vulnerable people at risk. “Asymptomatic carry the same viral load as a symptomatic patient and they are not protected. An asymptomatic carrier is as lethal and as vulnerable as symptomatic. One asymptomatic can spread it to 217 people if the person is in a closed/family range, ” Prof. Dr. Sanjeev Bagai, the chairperson of Nephron Clinics, told Business Insider India Many of these people who get the virus passed on to them could be older people and those with co-morbidities like diabetes, Hepatitis and heart diseases to name a few. India has been the third-worst affected country and has reported 1.5 million cases. And even if a person does develop antibodies to fight COVID-19, they may not stay in the body forever. Research studies across the world have shown that the immunity drops 8 weeks or so after contracting COVID-19, according to Bagai. Even Ranney, who hopes that there will be herd immunity someday, warns against lowering the guard too soon. “We do not know the period of time this immunity lasts. We could see a repeated infection in the same individual (recovered patients). A King’s College study in London was suggestive that the immunity drops quite significantly,” <a href="https://twitter.com/BiIndia/status/1288331087832182786">Dr. Ranney </a>said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/mahindra-and-mahindra-finance-managing-director-gets-candid-about-the-rights-issue/articleshow/77212386.cms">EXCLUSIVE: M&amp;M Financial Managing Director gets candid about the rights issue, the bleak prospects for this year and why there should be no more loan moratorium</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/india-stock-brokers-hit-by-sebi-direct-market-access/articleshow/77198064.cms">India's broking industry just got the shock of its life – SEBI may soon allow investors to trade directly on the exchanges</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/these-10-indian-colleges-have-produced-indias-most-funded-startup-owners/slidelist/77140792.cms">These 10 Indian colleges have produced India’s most funded startup owners</a>

The slums in India's financial capital are showing signs of herd immunity but it is too soon to conclude

<ul><li>India’s <keyword id="431538" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Astrosat">AstroSat</keyword> and <keyword id="6360409" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nasa">NASA</keyword>’s <keyword id="2228961" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chandra-X-Ray-Observatory">Chandra X-Ray Observatory</keyword> have confirmed the discovery of a <keyword id="6409890" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="black-hole">black hole</keyword> spinning close to the maximum possible speed. </li><li>A black hole spinning that fast can make <keyword id="41531" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="space">space</keyword> itself rotate according to Einstein’s theory of relativity.</li><li>In comparison, the Milky Way's own supermassive black hole moves much slower hardly taking in any energy around it.</li><li>This black hole is only one of five to have an accurately measured high spin rate. </li><li>Researchers hypothesise that this could be the key to understanding how galaxies are formed.</li></ul><keyword id="4740034" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="black-holes">Black holes</keyword>, while fascinating, are hardly a new discovery - but a black hole spinning at one of the highest speeds ever, according to the <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/isro-nasa-project-finds-black-hole-that-spins-near-max-possible-rate/story-fKCARQcL31VY74fVjgTrJJ.html">Hindustan Times</a>, is a completely different story — especially when there have only ever been four others like it. In comparison, the Milky Way's own supermassive black hole — <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/milky-ways-supermassive-black-hole-just-lit-up/articleshow/70671308.cms">Sagittarius A*</a> — is relatively inactive. It moves at a much slower speed. While observing it using infrared, the black hole flickers every now and then as it takes in dust as gas. NASA initially estimated that Sagittarius A* was only taking in 1% of the energy that comes it away only to realise that its consumption is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/our-very-own-black-hole-in-the-milky-way-doesnt-quite-eat-up-everything/articleshow/69684893.cms">even lower </a> at 1% of that 1%. In 2016, India's first dedicated astronomy satellite, the AstroSat, first <a href="https://www.isro.gov.in/pslv-c30-astrosat-mission/astrosat-observes-high-energy-x-ray-variability-of-black-hole-system">spotted the black hole</a> in the binary star system called 4U 1630-47, which is bursting out X-rays that astronomers found unusual. NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory later confirmed the outburst. Those X-rays were caused by gas and dust falling into the black hole, which is about 10 times the mass of the sun, and they revealed to researchers that the object is spinning very, very rapidly. In fact, according to <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/chandra/news/08-003.html">NASA</a> this particular black hole is spinning very close to the limit set by Albert <keyword id="433617" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Einsteins-theory-of-relativity">Einstein's theory of relativity</keyword>, according to Rodrigo Nemmen, the lead author on the research paper. That means it is spinning close to the speed of light. Spinning to break barriers Currently, scientists only have two ways of measuring <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/Physicists-have-discovered-that-rotating-black-holes-might-serve-as-portals-for-hyperspace-travel/articleshow/68434150.cms">black holes</a> - either by their mass or by their spin rate. A spin rate can be anywhere between 0 and 1: this black hole was spinning at the rate of 0.9. Einstein's theory further implies that if a black hole spinning that fast, then it is capable of making space itself rotate. In fact, if the conditions around black holes are hypothesised to be correct, then the high spin rate coupled with the gaseous elements entering the black hole and high temperatures, could be the key to understanding how galaxies are formed. Including the black hole discovered by the AstroSat, there are only five black holes have accurately measured high spin rates. Even if you're not taking spin rates into account, this black hole of one of only 20 others that have been spotted in the Milky Way Galaxy. The Indian Space Research Organisation's (<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/here-is-a-list-of-isros-biggest-launches-over-the-last-2-years-that-showcase-indias-space-prowess/slidelist/52401346.cms">ISRO</a>) AstroSat along with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Chandra X-Ray Observatory have confirmed the speed of the spinning black hole. The study was conducted by researchers from multiple institutions led by the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) and has been accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/milky-ways-supermassive-black-hole-just-lit-up/articleshow/70671308.cms">There was a big spark — 75 times brighter than usual — from the black hole at the heart of the Milky Way</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/a-black-hole-bigger-than-the-sun-is-pulling-on-the-fabric-of-space-and-time/articleshow/69127080.cms">A black hole bigger than the sun is pulling on the fabric of space and time</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/our-very-own-black-hole-in-the-milky-way-doesnt-quite-eat-up-everything/articleshow/69684893.cms">Our very own black hole in the Milky Way doesn’t quite eat up ‘everything’</a>

ISRO, NASA just spotted a black hole spinning so fast that it could be making space itself rotate

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/50281226.cms" /> Over a month back, we told you about the notices that <keyword id="56459" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="University-Grants-Commission">University Grants Commission</keyword> (<keyword id="44171" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="UGC">UGC</keyword>) sent to ten of India's best-known institutes, including TIFR, NMIMS, HBNI, and <keyword id="6442381" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="BITS-Pilani">BITS Pilani</keyword>. The notices had asked these universities to 'immediately' shut down their allegedly 'unauthorised' off-campus centres. 
 
However, one of these universities hasn’t quite liked the matter, and has moved to court to fight a legal battle. 
 
The institute in question is BITS, Pilani, an institute which is a deemed university and is quite reputed in India. Last week, the institute’s management filed a writ petition in the Delhi High Court, challenging the said UGC notice. The petition would be heard in the high court today. 
 
Senior advocate Harish Salve would be fighting the case for BITS Pilani, and would aim to seek a stay on UGC's closure orders for its off-campus centres. 
 
BITS-Pilani has in the past opined that the 2010 deemed university guidelines quoted in the UGC notice had "no statutory force, and the establishment of our campuses pre-dates the regulations in question, which are prospective in nature, and further that the validity of these regulations is itself sub judice, and so it is beyond the legal power of UGC to issue such a notice". 
 
<a href="https://d13yacurqjgara.cloudfront.net/users/598046/screenshots/2184309/dribbble_800_600-2.png">Image source</a>

BITS Pilani drags UGC to court over shutting down of off-campus centres

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/44479034.cms" /> India, as a country, today stands at the crossroads as it tries to take the centre stage in the world economy; harness its innate strengths; gain a stronghold in the world’s political stage; and reinforce its place in the global scientific fraternity. The recent ‘<keyword id="6354869" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="make-in-India">Make in India</keyword>’ campaign and <keyword id="1506013" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="mangalyaan">Mangalyaan</keyword> success was just a teaser for the world. 
 As the world wakes up to the power that lies within the sub-continent, it’s time that Indians should start focusing on education says Dr Govind Swarup, the Emeritus Professor from National Centre for Radio Astrophysics of TIFR. The well-known <keyword id="2546530" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Radio-Astronomer">radio astronomer</keyword> shared several insights and perspectives on how India can establish the intellectual potential and become one of the world’s best developed nations in a candid conversation with Richa Sharma, Deputy Editor-Business Insider India. Below are the excerpts: 
 
Q. Sir, you laid the foundation of radio astrophysics in India, and built the GMRT, a lot has changed, right from technology to science governing the Physics. How do you view all these changes? 
I look at them with positivity and lots of hope. But my fear is brain drain. Today, very few bright students join research institutes or Indian universities as many get attracted to software industries in lieu of handsome salary package. Many go abroad. This must change and for this we need to overcome the ‘caste system’ dividing our education system into four buckets/boxes. (He pauses and then explains) I say, we have a caste system in education because we’ve science colleges and research institutes in one box, engineering colleges in second, medical colleges in third box and humanities in fourth. In most American Universities, all are offered in one campus and students at undergraduate and postgraduate level are required to take 20 to 30 % courses outside their discipline. 
 
Q. So, you want to say that science education should be revamped? 
 Yes, precisely. Almost all universities in India impart only education in science, but very little research isencouraged. Unless we combine undergraduate education with research and experiments in all disciplines (e.g in social sciences with field surveys), we cannot expect our universities to become world-class. 
 
Q. What’s your take on Mangalyaan success? ISRO scientists have created history by successfully inserting the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) into the Martian Orbit. This makes India the first country in the world to accomplish the feat in its maiden attempt. 
It’s a great achievement. Not only it has proved the technical skills of ISRO scientists but also mathematical ability by few in ISRO who calculated and mastered the gravitational variations across the solar system from the earth to mars that led to the unique success. But there’s a lesson that we should learn from this success. 
 
(Lesson?) We should enhance mathematics teaching and learning—right from primary levels to secondary levels across India in private schools, municipal schools and rural schools. Science can’t exist without Maths, you can even say vice-versa. A group in Orissa and Pune selects undergraduate students in Degree colleges and encourages them to go to municipal schools, interact with 20 students studying in class 5th or above, and impart mathematical knowledge. Imagine the impact we can create if we implement the same rule across thousands of science and engineering degree colleges in India. How do we tell Smiriti Irani? 
 
Q. From discovery of Type U solar radio bursts, gyro-radiation model for microwave radio emission from solar active regions; lunar occultation observations using the ORT to high angular resolution studies (about 1 to 10 arc sec) of more than 1,000 weak radio galaxies and quasars-you have done it all. Now, what’s next in your list? 
Next on my list is education. I dream of India, where we’ve world-class universities. I feel that’s the only way to capture the intellectual potential we have in the country, and make India one of the world’s best developed nations as well. 
 
From 1996 to 2004, I and Professor Bhide (former VC of the Pune University) struggled to set up a 5-year integrated Science Education and Research at the University of Pune. Our initiative was approved by the Cabinet in 2004, which later lead to the establishment of: 5 Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs); another National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER); and Center of Excellence in Basic Sciences at the Bombay University. I consider this as a bigger achievement than building the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT). 
 
I hope that the Modi Government would select four State Universities across India on competitive basis, provide sufficient funds, ensure that faculty is selected on a national basis and thus in due course improve our ~ 250 or more universities. There’s tremendous talent going untapped in our young population. Apart from education and nurturing talents at the bottom of the pyramid, we need to take special care of the top that would contribute to innovation. At age of 85, I can’t contribute more to these dreams, but I am sure there are others who can pave us on the road to faster growth and success. 
 
Q. That’s an intriguing thought sir, but we would still like to know what are you researching these days? We heard that you are making observations with the GMRT for problems related to cosmology. 
Currently, I am closely guiding a student from VSSC (isn’t it Trivandrum??), ISRO, to analyze observations made with the GMRT of the planet Venus and to investigate any heat flow and its magnitude from its interior. Along with Dr Sandeep Sirothia of NCRA, currently in South Africa, we are also analyzing GMRT data of "Extremely Cold Spot" in the microwave background that has cosmological implications. 
 
Q. You are probably the reason why people think of being a radio astronomer—the term however, is not known to many. Can you please explain what it’s all about in simpler words? 
Radio Astronomy is a new subject. Using radio telescopes (large antennas connected to very sensitive electronics), it has been discovered that one in a million galaxy is a very powerful source of radio emission emitting trillions of power due to presence of massive black holes at the centre of certain galaxies that give rise to outflow of powerful jets of electrons and positrons as matter spirals from galaxy to the central black holes. Many other discoveries have been made in Radio Astronomy and has brought Nobel Prize to 8 radio astronomers over the last 50 years. 
 
India has GMRT, the world's largest radio telescope operating from 130 MHz to 1430 MHz. It is being used by astronomers and students from India and 31 countries in the world including astronomers from Cambridge, Oxford, Harvard and Stanford. There are only a few other scientific instruments in India that has been used by international scientists and that too on a limited occasions. 
 
Q. Any tips for our readers, who want to become a radio astronomer? 
A good education background and exceptional analytical skills is all that you need. If you have completed B.Sc. and M.Sc levels in Physics and Mathematics, Or B.Tech in Electronics and telecommunications, you can sit in for competitive tests held in this field. National Centre of Radio physics of TIFR at Pune, Raman Research Institute at Bangalore and a few other places, annually select students through JEST, IUCAA-NCRA (INIAT) and TIFR entrance exams. 
 
<a href="http://www.iiap.res.in/Swarup">(Dr Govind Swarup is an internationally well known pioneer in the field of radio astronomy who is known for building ingenious, economical and powerful observational facilities for front-line research in radio astronomy, namely, the Ooty Radio Telescope (ORT) in South India and the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) near Pune, that are amongst the largest in the world.) </a> 
 
 
Image: <a href="http://ncra.tifr.res.in/ncra/people/academic/emeritus-professor/Swarup">ncra.tifr.res.in</a>

Build World-Class Indian Universities, Take India To The Top: Govind Swarup

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/54460892.cms" /> 

	31 Indian colleges have entered the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Times+Higher+Education+World+University+Rankings+&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Times Higher Education World University Rankings </a>2016-17. 
	 
	<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Indian+Institute+of+Science&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Indian Institute of Science</a> (IISc) Bangalore has climbed to the highest position ever achieved by an Indian institute till date. Though, no Indian institute has yet broken into the top 200, IISc holds a rank in the 201-250 band. The last time around it was in the band of 251-300. Beside IISc, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Indian+Institute+of+Technology+&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Indian Institute of Technology </a>(<keyword id="6354859" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="IIT">IIT</keyword>) <keyword id="6356654" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bombay">Bombay</keyword> also made it in the top 400. IIT Bombay however, remains in the same 351-400 band as in last year. 
	 
	 <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=IIT+Delhi&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">IIT Delhi</a>, IIT Kanpur and IIT <keyword id="6357595" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Madras">Madras</keyword> were placed in the 401-500 bracket; IIT Kharagpur, IIT <keyword id="115248" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Roorkee">Roorkee</keyword> and <keyword id="6361218" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jadavpur-University">Jadavpur University</keyword> in the 501-600 group; and, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Aligarh+Muslim+University%2C+&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Aligarh Muslim University, </a>Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, University of Calcutta, University of Delhi, IIT Guwahati, NIT Rourkela, Panjab University, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Sri Venkateswara University, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and <keyword id="171517" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tezpur-University">Tezpur University</keyword> in the 601-800 group. 
	 
	 India has a number of 19 institutions in the top 200, which is 2 more than the last year. 
	 "India has four new entries in the top 800, the country's strong performance is partly thanks to the country recognizing the importance of participating in global benchmarking exercises; just last month the government launched a new funding-backed project aimed at catapulting <keyword id="6386086" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Institutes-of-Technology">Indian Institutes of Technology</keyword> to the top of world university rankings, " said Phil Baty, editor of <keyword id="1161482" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Times-Higher-Education-World-University-Rankings">Times Higher Education World University Rankings</keyword> in a statement. 
	 "The government's focus on improving India's standing in global rankings - and even the introduction of the India-specific rankings - has started to yield results. Going forward, there needs to be discussions between ministries to facilitate free flow of students and faculty “Rohin <keyword id="53" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kapoor">Kapoor</keyword>, director at <keyword id="6358918" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Deloitte">Deloitte</keyword> in India, told ET.”Once internationalization and globalization happens, India's rankings will improve significantly. This is one of the critical areas where India is lagging behind," Kapoor further added. 
	 This year Times <keyword id="3676089" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="higher-education-world-university-rankings">Higher Education World University Rankings</keyword> expanded their rankings to 980 as compared to 800 last year. Institutes ranked in the 801+ bandare Acharya Nagarjuna University, Amity University, Amrita University, <keyword id="6386394" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Andhra-University">Andhra University</keyword>, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Manipal University, Osmania University, SASTRA University, Sathyabama University, SRM University and Vellore Institute of Technology. 
	 
	 Amrita University and Andhra University slipped down to the 801+ group. However, on the brighter side NIT Rourkela, Sri Venkateswara University, TIFR and Tezpur University made their way in the top 800 list. 
	 “This year's expanded list is a testimony to how competitive global <keyword id="6375224" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="higher-education">higher education</keyword> has become. The 980 universities come from 79 different countries,” <keyword id="3660284" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="batty">Batty</keyword> told ET. 
	 US for the first time in 12 years lost the first rank in the list with <keyword id="150557" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="University-of-Oxford">University of Oxford</keyword> becoming the world's top university. Others in the top five include California Institute of Technology, <keyword id="101399" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Stanford-University">Stanford University</keyword>, University of Cambridge and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

31 Indian colleges
enter the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, IISc Bangalore
ranked highest

The ‘one step forward, two steps back’ ballad that the Indian solar industry is enduring since the time the industry first crawled out of the well, continues unabated. While the investigation by the <keyword id="6365809" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Commerce-ministry">Commerce Ministry</keyword>’s anti-dumping watchdog into the anti-dumping case launched by the <keyword id="1642339" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="Indian-Solar-Manufacturers-Association">Indian Solar Manufacturers Association</keyword> (ISMA) against solar developers buying cheap solar cells and modules continues, the Domestic Content Requirement (DCR) clause has forced the delay of the 2nd phase of the <keyword id="93638" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Jawaharlal-Nehru-National-Solar-Mission">Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission</keyword> (JNNSM) since DC requires <keyword id="70990" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="Solar-power">solar power</keyword> developers to buy a substantial percentage of their equipment from Indian equipment and component manufacturers. 
 Now, the government is trying to give us a consolation pill by launching the <keyword id="1853234" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="National-Institute-of-Solar-Energy">National Institute of Solar Energy</keyword> (NISE) to replace the faceless <keyword id="326830" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Solar-Energy-Centre">Solar Energy Centre</keyword> in Gurgaon, Haryana. 
 The aim of this institute, as per a Press release from the Ministry of New and <keyword id="34553" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="renewable-energy">Renewable Energy</keyword> (MNRE), is to “accelerate the process to support induction of the latest technologies to ensure maximum cost benefit and lead to early commercialisation.” That’s pretty vague, to say the least, and any attempt to predict the institute’s success in this decade might bounce way off the shifting goalposts of India’s <keyword id="6357019" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="solar-energy">solar energy</keyword> landscape. While the long-term output has looked bright for years, the short and medium-term is hazy at best. 
 <keyword id="6362476" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="investments">Investments</keyword> in the solar power sector (both equipment manufacturing and power production) nosedived 67% to $1.7 billion in 2012, from the all-time high of $5.2 billion, touched a year earlier. However, 2012 was perhaps just a bad day in the office, not only in India but all over the world. Last year, total investments in the clean and renewable energy sector saw a 12% decrease to $244 billion globally while investments in India fell 45% to $6.5 billion from the $12.9 billion registered in 2011. 
 Data for the year 2013 are yet to come in, but it has definitely been a better year in terms of scale project size. For instance, a consortium led by <keyword id="85847" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Bharat-Heavy-Electricals">Bharat Heavy Electricals</keyword> and Power Grid (both of them public sector heavyweights) announced the launch of the world’s biggest solar power plant near Sambhar Lake in Rajasthan, with a total capacity of 4,000 MW. It is one of the world’s top locations in terms of highest solar energy incident on the earth’s surface during a year. The project will cost around Rs 30,000 crore ($4.5 billion). 
 Soon after, Welspun Energy announced another significant project – the 2nd biggest solar power plant in the country with a total capacity of 151 MW, to be commissioned in <keyword id="6355554" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Madhya-Pradesh">Madhya Pradesh</keyword> by 2017. Moreover, <keyword id="6360089" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Reliance-Power">Reliance Power</keyword> will be commissioning 100 MW capacity in Rajasthan by March 2014, currently the largest solar power project in Asia. Therefore, big-ticket investments are just beginning to shape the dynamics of India’s solar sector. However, public sector R&amp;D and adequate financial support will be crucial for long term to unleash the real potential of this industry, which could grow much bigger than thermal power during the second half of this century. 
 Globally, public sector and university R&amp;D in solar has flourished in collaboration with the industry, backed by huge government subsidies. NISE can only be successful if efficient product patenting, technology transfer and royalty pricing mechanisms are in place. But sadly, India has always been a laggard in this respect. Secondly, if we put the entire R&amp;D in the hands of one institute, it will require massive <keyword id="6357455" type="EVENT" weightage="40" keywordseo="Funding">funding</keyword> since the current shallow pockets of the industry can’t allow private players to fund cutting-edge R&amp;D projects. Thirdly, proven mechanisms such as priority sector/subordinated lending and take-out financing are not allowed for solar developers although other priority sectors like roads, ports, thermal power and steel plants enjoy that privilege. 
 
The initial goal of the institute is to establish a national review-cum-strategy board to study and evaluate different models across the globe for a future roadmap. But the commercialisation of any new technology developed from the scratch could take at least a decade and by that time, JNNSM’s deadline of facilitating a capacity of 20 GW of solar power would have long passed. There’s just one bright spot in the entire exercise. If the institute works along the lines of a few state-of-the-art institutions like IISc, ISRO and TIFR, it might ensure some future technologies being disseminated at relatively cheaper cost to the industry in the 2020-2029 decade. 
 
The immediate requirement is to allow private sector R&amp;D through massive subsidies and tax credits in excess of 200% for all R&amp;D expenses incurred by any private player in India. Also, solar energy purchase should be made mandatory for industries and state governments who can buy a certain percentage out of their total power purchases. Currently, only a few state governments follow such purchase obligations, but that’s hardly enough to ensure feasibility. Issues like take-out financing and priority sector lending must be immediately implemented as similar incentives are already available for the solar energy sector in countries like China, the US and Germany – the Big Three of the global solar power industry. 
 
The National Institute of Solar Energy could be a step in the right direction although a bit too late. But it must work in tandem with industry developments and set up stringent annual targets for project completion and knowledge dissemination. That’s the only way to add real power to the fledgling sector. 
 
Image: ThinkStock

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