mosquito-borne disease risk due to climate change: Expert

NEW DELHI, MAY 1

(PTI): As the planet heats up and climate change causes the mosquito-breeding season to extend, the deadly insect will expand its range and emerge in areas where mosquito numbers had previously decreased, says an expert.

Mosquito-borne diseases are already endemic in sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America, but they are re-establishing populations in areas such as Europe, warns Avijit Das, R&D Director, Global Pest Control Innovation at Reckitt Benckiser.

“As temperatures rise and environmental conditions change, mosquito-borne diseases will travel to more locations. The time of mosquito breeding in a specific location is predicted to increase, leading to longer mosquito seasons. If mosquito season in India previously lasted for five months, in ten years, it may increase to six months or even seven months,” Das told PTI.

Das believes that this trend will continue to

BSP’s Afzal Ansari disqualified as Lok Sabha member

expand, based on current evidence, and notes that there is a lot of research out there that predicts this.

In a research paper published last year in the journal Exploration in Laboratory Animal Sciences, it was noted that climatic factors, such as an increase in temperature, precipitation levels, sea level elevation, rainfall, wind, and duration of sunlight, are important for both the vector and host.

Dr Katie Anders, an epidemiologist and director of impact assessment at the World Mosquito Program (WMP), explains that climate change also increases the risk of mosquito-borne diseases in less obvious ways.

“For instance, when households store water in response to drought, it can increase the number of local mosquito breeding sites and disease risk.

Land use changes can also drive migration to cities, increasing the population at risk of explosive outbreaks of dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases,” Anders said.

According to the Early Warning System for Mosquito Borne Diseases (EYWA), malaria cases have increased by 62 per cent, and dengue, Zika, and chikungunya by 700 per cent in Europe.

EYWA is a prototype system that addresses the critical public health need for prevention and protection against mosquito-borne diseases.

Experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) emphasize the urgent need to re-evaluate the tools available and how they can be used across diseases to ensure efficient response, evidence-based practice, equipped and trained personnel, and community engagement.

Das believes that it is necessary to continuously monitor the changing trends in mosquito-borne diseases to ensure an efficient response.

in Karnataka in the past three years and “taking 40 per cent commission in all kinds of work done by the government”, Gandhi said that instead of doing work of public good, “they looted from the pockets of the common man and poor”.

“It is not that the Prime Minister is not aware of this corruption and 40 per cent commission. He is aware of everything...so my question to PM is despite knowing about this loot for the last three years, did you take any action? You did not. Why? You should answer this to the people of Karnataka,” he said.

He also urged the Prime Minister to answer what he did to get Karnataka its right share of tax money, how he helped the state during floods, and how he tried to resolve the inter-state water dispute between Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra.

Urging the people to ensure that the BJP, which is “involved in 40 per cent corruption”, would get only 40 seats, Gandhi appealed to them to give Congress at least 150 seats, so that “they (BJP) don’t buy MLAs and bring down the democratically-elected government”.

LUDHIANA, MAY 1 (PTI): A five-member Punjab Police Special Investigation Team (SIT) will probe the Giaspura locality gas leak incident here in which 11 people died after allegedly inhaling toxic gas, officials said on Monday. The tragedy struck the densely populated area in Punjab’s industrial hub on Sunday. District authorities said the locality underwent a night-long decontamination process, involving putting caustic soda in drains and sewerage lines to counter the hydrogen sulphide build-up.

Teams of the Punjab Pollution Control Board are looking into the possible reasons behind the build-up of the poisonous gas in the sewer that might have led to the incident, the officials said.

Traces of the gas are no longer present in the area, they added. Hydrogen sulphide, also called sewer gas, is poisonous and smells like rotten eggs. It can lead to unconsciousness and death.

Speaking to the media here, Ludhiana Police Commissioner Mandeep Singh Sidhu said the SIT will be led by Deputy Commissioner of Police (Investigation) Harmeet Singh Hundal.

He said the team would investigate if any industrial unit dumped waste in the sewerage line. Sidhu said police would seek cooperation of the Punjab Pollution Control Board on this, and if its officials do not cooperate, action would be taken against them too.

The officials earlier said the poisonous gas might have been released after some chemical was disposed of in the sewerage in the area. The authorities are scouring through CCTV footage to confirm this.

A magisterial inquiry has already been ordered, and police have registered an FIR under IPC section

304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) against unidentified persons.

The incident came to light on Sunday morning when some people, who had come to a grocery store in the Giaspura locality, fainted. Four died on the spot, while the others were rushed to a hospital.

Among the dead are three members of the family that owned the store and five from another. The administration has announced Rs 2 lakh compensation each for the family of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each for those who were taken ill in the incident.

Cong mocks BJP’s Karnataka polls manifesto

NEW DELHI, MAY 1

(PTI): The Congress on Monday called the BJP’s manifesto for the Karnataka assembly polls as “bogus” and a “JhootLoot BJP Moneyfesto” and asserted that people will vote out the party.

In its manifesto for the May 10 assembly polls released on Monday, the ruling BJP promised to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Karnataka. It also promised to provide three free cooking gas cylinders to all BPL families -- one each during the months of Yugadi, Ganesh Chaturthi and Deepavali.

“Ninety per cent of promises made by the ‘40 per cent BJP Commission Government’ in its 2018 manifesto were never fulfilled. Today, another set of bogus manifesto promises have been made by the corrupt and incompetent BJP and Bommai Government,” AICC general secretary in-charge for Karnataka Randeep Surjewala said on Twitter.

He charged that the promise of UCC is

Nagaland Medical Council

just another attempt at “distraction away from the tag of #CryPMPayCM government”.

The Congress has accused the BJP dispensation in Karnataka of engaging in rampant corruption and “taking 40 per cent commission in all kinds of work done by the government”.

In a tweet, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “Modi government has tripled the price of LPG cylinder in the last 9 years. Last election in UP, BJP promised 2 free cylinders in a year. Today in Karnataka, JhootLoot BJP

Moneyfesto has promised 3 free cylinders in a year. People are fed up of price rise, BJP’s lies and their bogus jumlas!”

Surjewala also said a government which tripled the prices of LPG cylinders from Rs 400 to Rs 1,100 is offering three cylinders free to below poverty line (BPL) families, a promise which BJP had made and never fulfilled in Uttar Pradesh and other states.

“A government which tried to merge the pride of Karnataka, Nandini, with Amul is now trying to save face by offering half litre milk free. A government which shut down Indira canteens wants to open the same by renaming them. A government which ruined Bengaluru’s brand image is now proposing fancy names such as ‘state capital region’ as a solution.

“Contrast this with the Congress government which ruled Karnataka between 2013-18 which fulfilled 95 per cent of the promises made to the people. Congress always delivers as it promises and this time too we will 100 per cent deliver on our 5 Guarantees. With BJP, the only assurance is 40 per cent commission,” the Congress leader said.

NEW DELHI, MAY 1

(PTI): BSP’s Afzal Ansari was disqualified as a member of Lok Sabha on Monday after being convicted and sentenced to four years imprisonment in a kidnapping-and-murder case by a court in Uttar Pradesh.

Ansari, the Lok Sabha member from Ghazipur, was sentenced by an MP/ MLA court on Saturday, while his brother, criminalturned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, was also convicted in the same case and sent to 10 years in jail.

The brothers were booked under the UP Gangsters Act in connection with the murder of the then BJP MLA from Ghazipur, Krishnanad Rai, on

November 29, 2005 and the kidnapping-murder of Varanasi-based trader Nand Kishore Rungta in 1997. “Consequent upon his conviction...Afzal Ansari, Member of Lok Sabha representing the Ghazipur Parliamentary Constituency of Uttar Pradesh, stands disqualified from the membership of Lok Sabha from the date of his conviction i.e. 29 April, 2023 in terms of the provisions of Article 102(1) (e) of the Constitution of India read with Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951,” according to a Lok Sabha secretariat notification.

On March 24, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi lost his Lok Sabha membership after his conviction and two-year jail term in a 2019 defamation case. Ansari will not be able to contest elections as his disqualification period is 10 years.

Ansari can get his disqualification revoked if a superior court stays his conviction and sentencing.

(CONSTITUTED UNDER THE NAGALAND MEDICAL COUNCIL ACT OF 2014) PMTI Complex, Merhulietsa Colony Kohima : Nagaland NMC/25/Election/2017-18/1778 Dated Kohima, the 1st of May 2023

ELECtION NOtIfICAtION

In accordance with Section 3 of the Nagaland Medical Council Act. 2014 and in exercise of the power conferred by the Nagaland Medical Council Rules 2014, do hereby notify the election of 7(seven) members of registered medical practitioners to be elected amongst the registered practitioners and constitute the 3rd Five years term to the Nagaland Medical Council.

All the registered medical practitioners under Nagaland Medical Council who are registered shall be eligible for nomination and voting.

Schedule of election shall be as follows:

MKG4010, MKG4011, MKG4005, MKG4018

Mon MON5004, MON5025, MON5009, MON5001, MON5013

Peren PRN6008, PRN6001

KMA3009

MON5021

PRN6002

Phek PHK7030, PHK7003, PHK7022, PHK7026, PHK7023 PHK7001, PHK7004

Tuensang TSG8005, TSG8019, TSG8010, TSG8004, TSG8003, TSG8001, TSG8008, TSG8012

TSG8007, TSG8002, TSG8006, TSG8016 Wokha WKA9009, WKA9002, WKA9014 WKA9005 Zunheboto ZBT023, ZBT013, ZBT022, ZBT014, ZBT009 ZBT002 date of issue of this result.

Liveability in a growing city

Dimapur reflects the spirit of enterprise of Nagaland as it is the heart of trade and commerce besides being the home of all tribes of the state including many from outside. It is the gateway of Nagaland and a self-dependent economic foundation and not dependent on government salaries or bills to sustain its economy. That Dimapur has been self sufficient is a matter of pride for its inhabitants. However, certain aspects of development of infrastructure such as road, electricity, amenities are the responsibility of the government. In recent years, Nagaland Post has been highlighting the condition of roads, drainage and waste management in order to draw the attention of the authorities. What has been largely ignored and for a long time remains drainage of which so much had been written in this column in the past. Dimapur lacks drainage and here, it would be far off target to even term it as inadequate. A few months back this newspaper published a photo caption showing collection of sewage on the road. The sewage had collected on the road side and created a puddle. The sewage collected at the roadside was a horrible sight and the odour emitting from it polluting the air. The civic body attempted to clear the sewage collected but after a few weeks it was back to square one. After another picture of the same spot was again published the civic body attempted to get to the cause of the spillage from the nearby drains. The cause of the seepage was due to poor workmanship of the drain where the water could not flow as there was no angled slope to facilitate water flow. In other places, collecting sewage by the roadside, also caused by drains that are not functional. It is to be reminded that such neglect also poses potent threat on the roads which get damaged well before the normal time. Many roads are already damaged due to stagnated water that eventually collects by the roadside. There is also another aspect of civic neglect in Dimapur. It is over decades that there has been lack of proper drainage and also the abundance of garbage. Another potentially harmful consequence of the absence of sewerage system is when effluents from soak pits seep to the groundwater, thereby polluting the only water source. Dimapur’s stagnant water in clogged drains continue to pose serious health problems in the spread of mosquitoes. Besides Malaria, outbreak of encephalitis and even dengue is not uncommon. Besides drainage and road condition that need regular inspection, there is also an urgent need for regular and thorough inspection of all food items and cooking places of restaurants and hotels to ensure that cooking medium and food items are not of high quality and standard. Often things like precautionary measures in living and eating habits are taken for granted as much as the concept that doctors are always there when need arise. Authorities in Dimapur need to undertake a serious effort to ensure that issues like health, hygiene, infrastructure and environment occupy the top item on the agenda. The monsoon has arrived and it has already exposed the poor health and infrastructure that people are faced with and which will continue to be a problem in the coming months.

DailyDevotion Faith— Not Emotion

We walk by faith, not by sight. —2 Corinthians 5:7

For a while, we are fully aware of God’s concern for us. But then, when God begins to use us in His work, we begin to take on a pitiful look and talk only of our trials and difficulties. And all the while God is trying to make us do our work as hidden people who are not in the spotlight. None of us would be hidden spiritually if we could help it. Can we do our work when it seems that God has sealed up heaven? Some of us always want to be brightly illuminated saints with golden halos and with the continual glow of inspiration, and to have other saints of God dealing with us all the time. A self-assured saint is of no value to God. He is abnormal, unfit for daily life, and completely unlike God. We are here, not as immature angels, but as men and women, to do the work of this world. And we are to do it with an infinitely greater power to withstand the struggle because we have been born from above.

If we continually try to bring back those exceptional moments of inspiration, it is a sign that it is not God we want. We are becoming obsessed with the moments when God did come and speak with us, and we are insisting that He do it again. But what God wants us to do is to “walk by faith.” How many of us have set ourselves aside as if to say, “I cannot do anything else until God appears to me”? He will never do it. We will have to get up on our own, without any inspiration and without any sudden touch from God. Then comes our surprise and we find ourselves exclaiming, “Why, He was there all the time, and I never knew it!” Never live for those exceptional moments— they are surprises. God will give us His touches of inspiration only when He sees that we are not in danger of being led away by them. We must never consider our moments of inspiration as the standard way of life— our work is our standard.

By Oswald Chambers

Quotes

Biology without Darwin. Next, physics without Newton and Einstein?

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has dropped the theory of evolution as propounded by Charles Darwin from the science syllabus for the tenth standard. This has been done as a part of the ‘rationalisation’ exercise taken up during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic to reduce the ‘content load’ on students. The purging of the section on evolution on the pretext of the pandemic could not have been more ironical – the novel coronavirus that caused the pandemic is indeed a result of the natural selection process that Darwin sought to explain and children ought to learn more about it. The theory of evolution is fundamental to understanding the basis of several sub-branches of modern biology like genetics, immunology and so on. It is hard to believe that the change effected by NCERT, particularly relating to the chapter on evolution and heredity, has anything to the stated goal of reducing the burden on students in the wake of the pandemic. In 2018, minister of state for human resources development Satyapal Singh declared that Darwin’s theory of evolution was scientifically wrong because “no one had ever seen a monkey turn into a human” and that ever since man had come on the earth, he was a man. Singh later defended his comments and asserted that schools and colleges should stop teaching the evolution theory. Singh is no more in the education ministry but what he desired is being implemented.

Darwin has raised the hackles of obscurantist groups and different religions in many parts of the world including the US during the past several decades, but only a few have taken the extreme step of stopping teaching evolution to their children. Most of these countries are in the Middle East and India’s neighbourhood. Science textbooks in Pakistan, for instance, have been rubbishing the evolution theory for a long time. The theory has been banned completely in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Algeria and Morocco, and it is not taught in Lebanon. It is taught within the framework of religion in Jordan and is portrayed as an unproven hypothesis in textbooks in Egypt and Tunisia.

Darwin is also a subject of many fatwas. In the US, a creationism lobby – backed by some Catholic groups – has been advocating the teaching of creationism as an alternative to the human evolution theory. Creationists believe that the world – humans, natural life, the universe – is a creation of the divine power or the god, and it did not evolve.

Implications The removal of Darwin from the school syllabus is not an innocuous change. Seen in the context of revivalism and a return to the so-called ancient science, it is a retrograde step for the teaching of science and an onslaught on rational thinking and scientific temper. It can adversely impact the quality of higher education in science, scientific research and India’s position as a formidable science and technology power in the world community.

The concept of evolution is fundamental to all branches of biology and research in this field is going to help the world fight against some of the biggest challenges facing humanity – be it climate change or antibiotic resistance or future pandemics emanating from the increased animal-human-environment interface.

As it is, the teaching of science in Indian schools is a matter of concern. With the new changes in the school curriculum – and perhaps more in the future in line with the drive to reinforce traditional values and mythology – the teaching of science at the school and college levels could suffer more. Just imagine the state of Indian science in future if our schools start teaching

Are we ready for the age of AI?

The age of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is upon us, and it has the potential to revolutionize the way we live and work. AI is already being used in a wide range of industries, from healthcare and finance to transportation and manufacturing. In this article, we will discuss how we can benefit from AI and the steps we can take to ensure that its benefits are shared fairly across society. One of the key benefits of AI is its ability to automate repetitive and mundane tasks, allowing humans to focus on more complex and creative work. This can lead to increased productivity, improved efficiency, and cost savings for businesses. For example, in the healthcare industry, AI can be used to analyze large amounts of patient data to identify patterns and make more accurate diagnoses. In the transportation industry, self-driving vehicles can help reduce traffic congestion and improve road safety. AI can also be used to improve customer experiences, through personalized recommendations and more efficient customer service. For example, e-commerce platforms can use AI to analyze customer data and provide personalized product recommendations based on their interests and previous purchases. Chatbots powered by AI can also provide 24/7 customer service support, reducing wait times and improving customer satisfaction. However, to fully realize the benefits of AI, we need to ensure that its development is guided by ethical and responsible principles. This includes ensuring that AI is designed to be transparent and explainable, so that humans can understand how it works and make informed decisions based on its outputs. It also includes ensuring that AI is developed in a way that is inclusive and does not perpetuate biases or discrimination. To benefit from AI, individuals and organizations need to in-

Dashavatara as an alternative to the evolution theory. The dashavatara theory was propagated by Andhra University Vice Chancellor G. Nageshwar Rao at the Indian Science Congress session in 2019. ‘Papers’ were also presented debunking theories of Newton and Einstein at this meeting.

The school curriculum change has serious implications for scientific research in the country. In recent years, we have witnessed the rise of pseudoscience activities in research institutions and universities in the name of research on ancient knowledge and to provide a scientific basis to myths. Funding agencies like the Department of Science and Technology and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) have also been forced to support research on some topics concerning ‘ancient science’ – cow urine, cow dung, spiritual farming, medical astrology etc. With a state agency (NCERT) discarding the theory of evolution, funding agencies may soon have to deal with proposals to study alternatives to the evolution theory and to find a ‘scientific basis’ for ancient ideas. All such trends don’t augur well for the future of Indian science.

When Satyapal Singh rubbished the theory of evolution in 2018, the scientific vest in the necessary skills and infrastructure to support its development and implementation. This includes investing in education and training programs to help individuals develop the skills needed to work with AI, as well as investing in the necessary hardware and software infrastructure to support AI development and deployment.

In conclusion, the age of AI presents both opportunities and challenges for society. While AI has the potential to improve productivity, efficiency, and customer experiences, it is important that its development is guided by ethical and responsible principles. By investing in the necessary skills and infrastructure to support AI, we can ensure that its benefits are shared fairly across society and that we are able to fully realize its potential to improve our lives and work.

Serfudin Ali, Immanuel College, Dimapur community condemned it strongly. In a rare move, three academies – Indian National Science Academy (INSA), the Indian Academy of Science (IASc) and the National Academy of Sciences-India (NASI) – issued a joint statement. They categorically stated that “Evolutionary theory, to which Darwin made seminal contributions, is well established. There is no scientific dispute about the basic facts of evolution. This is a scientific theory, and one that has made many predictions that have been repeatedly confirmed by experiments and observation.”

Referring to Singh’s statement that the theory should be removed from the syllabus, the academies said:

“It would be a retrograde step to remove the teaching of the theory of evolution from school and college curricula or to dilute this by offering non-scientific explanations or myths.”

Evolutionary biologists presented their arguments and requested the minister to retract his statement.

Now that what Singh said then is being implemented by NCERT, the academies should reiterate their stand and use their collective clout to reverse the decision. Science academies the world over have been fighting anti-science and pseudoscience tendencies, and proactively trying to promote public understanding of science. Indian science academies should be no exception.

An independent group of scientists and educators, Breakthrough Science Society, has written an open letter criticising NCERT. It said “an understanding of the process of evolution is also crucial in building a scientific temper and a rational worldview. The way Darwin’s painstaking observations and his keen insights led him to the theory of natural selection educates students about the process of science and the importance of critical thinking. Depriving students, who do not go on to study biology after the 10th standard, of any exposure to this vitally important field, is a travesty of education.”

The voices of rationality need to become stronger because the onslaught against science is not going to stop at Charles Darwin and the theory of evolution, if the developments leading to this decision are any indication. It should not be seen as just a matter of science education or science academies but as something that concerns society and the country as a whole.

Dr Dinesh C. Sharma is a New Delhi-based journalist and author. (The Wire)

Web of Uncertainties

Web is a complex system of interconnected elements. And the meaning of uncertainty is the quality or state of being uncertain. If life had no uncertainties, it wouldn’t be life. It would be mere existence. If we know what is going to happen the very next minute, we wouldn’t be as thrilled or excited to live. If things go according to our plan, it’s great but if it doesn’t, it’s even better. Because this unpredictable nature of life is what makes life interesting.

Similarly, if we look into the life of a twenty-year-old student, it is a web, an ever growing and maddening web of uncertainties. One is being exposed to the adult world which demands him/ her to discover their true selves and potentialities whilst having to cop up with the mental issues, strive for academic excellence and strike a balance between them. Everything here seems uncertainillusionary like a mirage. You think you discovered who you are and the next minute everything comes lashing down on you - every single decision. It feels like the rights are not always right and the wrongs are not always wrong. You feel the weight of the world coming down on you when you aren’t guaran- teed tomorrow. Pressure is everywhere: the pressure to be like everyone else, the pressure to be liked, the pressure to look a certain way. There’s the pressure we place on ourselves. And the pressure that others place upon us. But no matter where the pressure is coming from, we need to find a way to handle it. Then there’s the issue of peer pressure. What is peer pressure anyway? It’s when your peers or people around you who are your age, try to get you to do something that you might not do otherwise. We all face it from time to time and it can be hard to stand up to, especially if the people pressuring you are your friends or people you hope to hang out with. It comes in all shapes and sizes, from not-so-serious issues like wearing a certain kind of clothing just because it’s “in”. It is just a matter of time before the web is altered by some external force and each string of silk force is broken. This web of Uncertainties we dwell in is not permanent. A person is capable of breaking oneself loose from the numerous uncertainties in life and emerge to be someone, a youth aware of their ideal or true selves.

Visedenuo Niswentso, BA 4th Semester, Modern College Piphema Campus