New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that Hindi has brought India special honour globally and that its simplicity and sensitivity always attract people.In his tweet on Hindi Diwas, Mr. Modi expressed heartfelt thanks to all who have made tireless efforts to enrich and strengthen the country's largest spoken language. -PTI&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that Hindi has brought India special honour globally and that its simplicity and sensitivity always attract people.

Hindi's simplicity, sensitivity always attract people: PM Modi

San Francisco (The Hawk): According to reports, tech giant Apple has abandoned its intention to include the $49 Pencil with the new iPhone.
In order to save money, the Apple Pencil did not include pressure sensitivity or a rechargeable battery; instead, it was powered by an internal chip through the iPad or iPhone screen.
In comparison to the prices of the first-generation and second-generation devices, which are $99 and $129, respectively, the unreleased Apple Pencil would have cost $49.
At their presentation in September 2022, the tech giant was slated to debut the new Apple Pencil, codenamed "Maker" or, more likely, "Marker."
According to the story, the corporation allegedly got as far as to mass produce more than a million of the items before abruptly cancelling the launch for an undisclosed reason.
The tech giant included compatibility for the Apple Pencil's "Scribble" in the German, French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese languages in the iPadOS 14.5 beta released in February of last year.
Prior to that, the business introduced an Apple Pencil function dubbed "Scribble" with iPadOS 14, allowing users to scribble in any text field on the iPad, with the handwritten text subsequently being turned into typed text automatically.
Only English and Chinese were supported when Scribble initially went live.
(Inputs from Agencies)

According to reports, tech giant Apple has abandoned its intention to include the $49 Pencil with the new iPhone. In order to save money, the Apple Pencil did not include pressure sensitivity or a rechargeable battery; instead, it was powered by an internal chip through the iPad or iPhone screen.

Possibly not a $50 pencil with the next iPhone from Apple

Washington: Sharks are known as "super smellers," as they employ olfaction to detect smells associated with finding prey and mates, communicating with their own species, and avoiding predators. Unlike humans, their olfactory system is independent of their respiratory system. Sharks and other fish use gills to help them absorb oxygen, while two nares or nostrils on the shark's head absorb scents from their surroundings.
The research was published in the Journal of Morphology.
Despite general similarities among elasmobranch species' (sharks, rays and skates) olfactory systems, the morphology or structure of their olfactory organ, or "rosette," differs substantially. Located in their snouts, the multi-lamellar (layered tissue) rosette is covered with both non-sensory and sensory tissue that responds to distinct odor molecules in an aquatic environment. The number, size and arrangement of lamellae differ among elasmobranch species, but the functional consequences for these differences are not fully understood.
Researchers have not yet been able to correlate organ size and complexity to odor sensitivity in teleosts (ray-finned fishes) nor elasmobranchs. Differences in sharks' olfactory systems are of particular interest not only because of their reputation for having an incredible sense of smell but also because these remarkable animals have been around since before the dinosaurs. They somehow managed to thrive in every known marine habitat for millions of years - their sense of smell may have been key to their success.
Researchers from Florida Atlantic University are the first to quantify olfactory organ morphology by examining rosette shape and other internal structures among a diverse set of shark species using dissections, phylogenetic comparisons, and a fairly new technique, called diffusible iodine-based contrast-enhanced computed tomography (diceCT) imaging.
Results, published in the Journal of Morphology, reveal that the organs did not change in shape or number of lamellae throughout the life stages, suggesting that olfaction is a key sensory modality throughout the life of elasmobranch fishes.
Overall, researchers found more lamellae in rosettes with an elongated shape than in organs with a short and wide shape. Phylogenetic analyses showed that 2D shape and lamellar count are critical to understanding rosette variations in unrelated species.
Researchers also used in situ values of rosette volume and 2D shape from diceCT to assess the impacts of dissection on morphological measurements. Rosette measurements from dissected organs did not differ significantly compared to those from CT scans, supporting the validity of both methods.
"From our CT scans, we used raw data files that have 2D x-ray images. We then created 3D reconstructions to visualize the data. As such, we were able to examine the internal morphology from the top of the head to the tip of the snout from different angles," said Aubrey Clark, corresponding author and a doctoral student in FAU's Biomechanics Lab within the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. "Think of this method as taking a stack of sticky notes and removing them one at a time to see the sticky note underneath. It is incredibly useful to help us understand the internal morphology in situ or as it exists naturally inside the shark because dissections can alter structures."
Among the species studied included the bonnethead sharks (S. tiburo) with rosettes that are narrow and elongated; the common thresher sharks (A. vulpinus) and shortfin mako sharks (I. oxyrinchus), which share similarities in their rosettes: a shape that is almost as wide as it is long, a thicker raphe, fewer lamellae and wider interlamellar distances; and blacktip sharks (C. limbatus) and Atlantic sharpnose sharks (R. terraenovae) with rosettes that are intermediate to the two aforementioned groups. Other members of the hammerhead shark family have long, thin olfactory organs, similar to the bonnethead shark.
"The shape and internal structure should be considered when characterizing olfactory rosettes in sharks in future studies because fineness ratio (2D shape) and lamellar number were the largest contributors to our phylogenetic analyses," said Marianne E. Porter, Ph.D., senior author and an associate professor, Department of Biological Sciences, FAU's Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. "Data from our study also should be used to further investigate rosette variation among elasmobranch species by examining the hydrodynamics of the olfactory system with 3D models and quantifying the physiological impacts of flow on odorant binding." —ANI

Sharks are known as "super smellers," as they employ olfaction to detect smells associated with finding prey and mates, communicating with their own species, and avoiding predators. 

Study Examines Connection Between Shark Nose Shape, Size, Smell Sensitivity

New Delhi: While gender-sensitive language should be encouraged, use of derogatory terms that perpetuate gender stereotypes and undermine the dignity and rights of individuals based on their gender should not be used in legal documents and pleadings, the Delhi High Court has said.
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma made the observation while hearing a woman's plea challenging a trial court's grant of anticipatory bail to a man accused of raping her under false pretenses of marriage.
While the court did not cancel the anticipatory bail, it strongly objected to the derogatory language used by the accused against the woman in his counter affidavit.
Justice Sharma cited the recent 'Handbook on Combating Gender Stereotypes' launched by the Supreme Court, suggesting its use in drafting pleadings, orders, and judgements.
The court noted that legal professionals can contribute to dismantling entrenched biases by challenging and discarding gender stereotypes in their language, actions, and interactions.
The court called upon the legal community to promote a culture of gender sensitivity and uphold values of fairness and respect in both professional conduct and legal documents.
While recognising the adversarial nature of the criminal legal system, the court stressed that strong language should not cross the line into offensiveness and should always align with the dignity of the legal profession.
The accused had employed inappropriate language, making derogatory remarks about the woman's character and marital status.
Justice Sharma condemned the use of such language, stating that it went beyond the permissible boundaries of language expected in legal pleadings.
The court said that using derogatory language that undermines an individual's dignity based on their gender is incompatible with the principles of equality, dignity, and respect.
—IANS

While gender-sensitive language should be encouraged, use of derogatory terms that perpetuate gender stereotypes and undermine the dignity and rights

Delhi HC urges gender-sensitive lang in legal documents, pleadings

Washington [US]: According to new research, drinking black tea every day may help to reduce the risk and progression of type 2 diabetes in people by improving blood sugar control. Researchers from the University of Adelaide in Australia and Southeast University in China discovered that daily dark tea drinkers had a 53 per cent lower risk of prediabetes and a 47 per cent lower risk of Type 2 diabetes, even after controlling for established risk factors such as age, gender, ethnicity, body mass index (BMI), average arterial blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, and cholesterol. “The substantial health benefits of tea, including a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, have been reported in several studies over recent years, but the mechanisms underlying these benefits have been unclear”, notes the study’s co-lead author Associate Professor Tongzhi Wu from the University of Adelaide and The Hospital Research Foundation Group Mid-Career Fellow. “Our findings hint at the protective effects of habitual tea drinking on blood sugar management via increased glucose excretion in urine, improved insulin resistance and thus better control of blood sugar. These benefits were most pronounced among daily dark tea drinkers.” These beneficial effects on metabolic control may lie in the unique way dark tea is produced, which involves microbial fermentation, a process that may yield unique bioactive compounds (including alkaloids, free amino acids, polyphenols, polysaccharides, and their derivatives) to exhibit potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, improve both insulin sensitivity and the performance of beta cells in the pancreas, and change the composition of the bacteria in the gut. The latest cross-sectional study included 1,923 adults (562 men,1,361 women aged 20-80 years) living in the community across 8 provinces in China. In total, 436 participants were living with diabetes and 352 with prediabetes, and 1,135 had normal blood glucose levels. Participants included both non-habitual tea drinkers and those with a history of drinking only a single type of tea. They were asked about the frequency (i.e. never, occasionally, often and every day) and type (i.e. green, black, dark, or other tea) of tea consumption. The researchers examined the association between both the frequency and type of tea consumption and excretion of glucose in the urine (assessed by the morning spot urine glucose-to-creatine ratio [UGCR]), insulin resistance (measured using the triglyceride and glucose index [TyG] derived from fasting plasma glucose and fasting triglyceride levels), and glycaemic status (defined as a history of type 2 diabetes, current use of antidiabetic medications, or an abnormal 75g oral glucose tolerance test). People with diabetes often have an enhanced capacity for renal glucose reabsorption, so their kidneys retrieve more glucose, preventing it from being excreted in urine, which contributes to higher blood sugar. According to Associate Professor Wu: “These findings suggest that the actions of bioactive compounds in dark tea may directly or indirectly modulate glucose excretion in the kidneys, an effect, to some extent, mimicking that of sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, a new anti-diabetic drug class that is not only effective at preventing and treating type 2 diabetes, but also has a substantial protective effects on the heart and kidneys.” Co-lead author Professor Zilin Sun from Southeast University adds, “Our findings suggest that drinking dark tea every day has the potential to lessen type 2 diabetes risk and progression through better blood sugar control. When you look at all the different biomarkers associated with habitual drinking of dark tea, it may be one simple step people can easily take to improve their diet and health.” —ANI

According to new research, drinking black tea every day may help to reduce the risk and progression of type 2 diabetes in people

Drinking dark tea may regulate blood sugar, minimise risk of diabetes

Muzaffarnagar: The inclusion of colourful 'Burqa' in a recent fashion show, held as part of 'Fashion Splash 2023' at the Sriram Group of Colleges in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar, has created a controversy. The district convenor of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind in Muzaffarnagar, Muqarram Qazmi, has expressed his disapproval, stating that such acts were intended to provoke and hurt the sentiments of the Muslim community. As many as 13 students from the fashion designing course walked the ramp donning 'Burqa and Hizab' in the presence of celebrity judges, Bollywood actress Mandakini and TV actress Radhika Gautam. While the audience appreciated the innovative approach, dissenting voices, particularly from some Muslim clerics, criticised the use of burqa in a fashion show. One of the participants defended the choice, considering it an innovative way to associate burqa with fashion and expressed satisfaction that traditional attire could also be part of the fashion narrative. Despite objections, the district convenor of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind in Muzaffarnagar, others took a more lenient stance. Maulana Nazar, the State Vice-President of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, acknowledged the parental support evident in the audience's applause for their daughters' performances in burqa. In contrast, Maulana Zulfikar, the State President of Imam Association, dismissed the controversy, pointing out that the fashion show was an educational endeavour, unrelated to religious sentiments. Meanwhile, Manoj Dheeman, the Director of Sriram College’s Art department, defended the students' creativity, stressing that the intent was to showcase the versatility of fashion, urging observers not to connect the efforts with religious connotations. —IANS

The inclusion of colourful 'Burqa' in a recent fashion show, held as part of 'Fashion Splash 2023' at the Sriram Group of Colleges

'Burqa' On The Catwalk Leads To Controversy In UP's Muzaffarnagar

Muzaffarnagar: Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, a Muslim body, has raised objections to a recent fashion show held in a local college where participants walked down the ramp wearing burqas.
The convener of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind in Muzaffarnagar, Maulana Mukarram Qasmi, in a statement alleged that the organisers of the show targeted a religion and demanded an apology for what he deemed as a disrespectful portrayal of the traditional garment.  The controversy erupted after a video from the fashion show organised at Shri Ram College here on Sunday went viral on social media which showcased participants walking down the ramp in burqas.
Qasmi said that the burqa holds cultural and religious significance, representing the tradition of 'purdah' (veil).  "Burqa should not be treated as an item for display in a fashion show," he said, adding that the incident goes against the cultural values associated with the attire.  Qasmi condemned the use of the burqa in such a manner and called for an immediate apology from the college authorities.  "If they fail to apologise, our organisation will take legal steps against the college authorities," he said.  The demand for an apology is rooted in the belief that such representations not only disrespect religious sentiments but also contribute to the misinterpretation of cultural practices, he said.
—PTI

Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, a Muslim body, has raised objections to a recent fashion show held in a local college where participants walked down the ramp wearing burqas.

Controversy erupts over burqa-clad women on catwalk in UP college, Muslim body seeks apology

Panaji: The Congress and Aam Aadmi Party have demanded action against the organisers of the Sunburn EDM festival here claiming that they insulted Lord Shiva.
While Congress leader Vijay Bhike filed a police complaint at Mapusa on Friday night against the organisers of Sunburn, AAP Goa chief Amit Palekar said the state government should take action against them for hurting “Sanatan Dharma”.  Sunburn EDM, a popular electronic dance music festival, started on December 28 at Vagator in North Goa and will wind up on Saturday, December 30.  “We saw that Lord Shankar’s image was used during the festival. It was flashed on the LED screen when people were drunk and dancing,” Palekar told reporters on Friday.
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The AAP leader said they have demanded from the government that action be taken as “the sanctity of our Sanatan Dharma” was compromised.  “The use of our God for the purpose of the EDM festival where alcohol is served is not right. We have called up the director general of police demanding registration of an offence against Sunburn festival organisers,” he added.  In his complaint to the Mapusa police station, Congress leader Bhike said the “organisers have intentionally insulted the religious feelings of Hindus by portraying that Lord Shiva supports drinking alcohol, consumption of prohibited substances and all other illicit activities that take place during the event”.  A senior police official said that they have received a complaint from the Congress and are looking into it.
—PTI

The Congress and Aam Aadmi Party have demanded action against the organisers of the Sunburn EDM festival here claiming that they insulted Lord Shiva.

Congress, AAP demand action against Sunburn festival organisers for 'hurting' religious sentiments

Bharuch: The parents of some girl students appearing for Class X examination in a Gujarat school have alleged that the administrator of the exam centre forced their wards to remove hijab before a paper, prompting the education department to take action against the school official.
According to the parents, the incident occurred at Lions School, a private school in Ankleshwar town in Bharuch district, on Wednesday before the mathematics paper.  Following the allegation, the state education department on Thursday ordered the removal of the exam centre administrator, Ilaben Suratiya, who is also the principal of that school.
The action against her was taken by District Education Officer Swati Raol, after she met the parents of these girl students, officials said. The Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB), which conducts the Class X exams, made it clear that there are no specific rules about the clothes worn by the examinees, and they can appear for the exam in any "decent" attire.  Talking to reporters, a parent said, "The school principal and other staff harassed the girl students, including my own daughter, by asking them to remove their hijab ahead of the exam. My daughter cried for three hours after returning home. It happened with nearly a dozen girls yesterday. We want the authorities to take action against those involved in this act."  Lions School has been selected as one of the exam centres by the GSHSEB. As per the rules, it is compulsory to have CCTV recording of each and every classroom, where students write their exam papers. According to the parents, one such CCTV footage accessed by them showed that some women supervisors asked two Muslim girl students to remove their hijabs.  The women can be seen collecting the hijab from the two students. When confronted by the parents, Suratiya told them that she asked the girls to remove the hijabs because their faces were not clearly visible in the video recording.  "As per the rules, the faces of all the students must be clear in the video recording. That's why we had asked the girls to remove their scarves before the exam so that we don't have to disturb them during the exam and others also don't get disturbed," Suratiya said.  After meeting the parents, Raol ordered the removal of Suratiya as the exam centre administrator and ordered a probe into the incident. "I have seen the CCTV footage and the parents also gave their application to me in this regard. I have ordered an inquiry into the incident and also started the process to change the exam centre administrator because I found merit in the complaint. There are no specific instructions or guidelines from the board about the attire to be worn during exams," said Raol.  Exam Director of the GSHSEB, M K Raval, said students can appear for the exam wearing any decent attire. "There are no specific rules about clothes to be worn during exams. Students can wear any decent attire. Any woman supervisor can check the identity of a female student ahead of the exam by matching her face with the photo on the receipt. After that, we have no issues," Raval said.
—PTI

Gujarat school's hijab removal incident before Class X exams leads to swift action against principal, highlighting the importance of attire freedom in educational institutions.

Girl students of Class X exam asked to remove hijab in Gujarat school

The Bank of Japan ended eight years of negative interest rates and other remnants of its unorthodox policy on Tuesday, making a historic shift away from a focus of reflating growth with decades of massive monetary stimulus.
Bart Wakabayashi of the Tokyo Branch Manager said, "It's a moment in history! But having said that, dollar/yen has only moved 30 points, so it's a classic 'buy the rumour, sell the fact'. I don't think the BOJ was going for the shock and awe approach this time."  "They are doing what they said they are going to do... essentially we're a normal country!"  "How does this impact households locally and their spending power - I think that's going to be the next big discussion and with an eye to that I don't think the BOJ can do anything beyond what they've announced."  Norihiro Yamaguchi, a senior economist at the Oxford Economics said, "There were no surprises so far. It's all been in line with the market consensus, considering the multiple leaks seen in the local media lately."  "For the time being, I expect equity prices to increase with the uncertainty gone surrounding the meeting. The decision to maintain the ETF and REIT holding amounts could even be an upside surprise."
"Yields are likely to stay at current levels given that there were no surprises in the rate decision: YCC abolishment and continuation in QE."  Dwyfor Evans, the Head of Apac Macro Strategy, State Street Global Markets in Hong Kong said, "The Bank of Japan has finally adjusted its policy rate from negative to a 0-0.1 per cent range, while scrapping yield curve control in a dual-pronged policy adjustment. As a concession to fears over a rise in long-term rates, the bank will continue JGB purchases in the same amounts as previously, although it acknowledged that short-term rates will be the primary policy tool. Continued JGB buying, ostensibly to cap yields, limits support for the Japanese yen, which remains sensitive to relative rates."  Hirofumi Suzuki, the Chief FX Strategist at SMBC said, "As widely expected, the BOJ scrapped negative interest rate policy. It has also begun to normalise monetary policy, including by eliminating the YCC."  "The decision is undoubtedly a historic turning point. This means that the Japanese economy is entering an inflationary economy and that interest rates may be raised gradually in the near future."  Frederic Neumann, the Chief Asia Economist at HSBC, Hong Kong said, "The BOJ today took its first, tentative step towards policy normalisation. The elimination of negative interest rates in particular signals the BOJ's confidence that Japan has emerged from the grip of deflation. The plunge in the value of the yen and structural changes in the labour market are primarily responsible for the pick-up in inflation."  "Further tweaks to the BOJ's monetary policy, including the removal of yield curve control and amended guidelines for asset purchases, will have little direct impact on the central bank's monetary stance in the near term, but the moves signal a first step towards policy normalisation. The big question is what happens next. Likely, the BoJ will find that it is getting "stuck at zero", being unable to lift short-term interest rates meaningfully further in the coming quarters."  Peng Fong NG, the Head of Asia Credit, Schroders in Singapore said, "The concerns about normalisation of BOJ's policy are very different from those of a US bank. For example, according to one bank we spoke to, the domestic Japanese loan book is about 7x its domestic government bonds book, and the duration is 1+ years. It's therefore unlike the past, whereby in perhaps the US, certain small banks would've loaded up on 20-30 years, and it's a big chunk of the asset book. We've seen major entities in Japan being prepared for that already and have shortened duration significantly… so, the mark-to-market, and potential impact on capital, will be a lot lower."
—Reuters

Historic BOJ decision ends negative interest rates, shifts towards monetary normalization, and impacts on the yen and inflation discussed.

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Hindi's simplicity, sensitivity always attract people: PM Modi

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Tag : Sensitivity

Hindi's simplicity, sensitivity always attract people: PM Modi

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