Indian PM Narendra Modi will hold virtual talks with Australian PM Scott Morrison to boost bilateral ties. Australia is all set to announce investments in India during virtual talks.

Australia to announce investments in India during virtual talks between PM Modi & PM Morrison

Recently, India and Japan have agreed on various agreements during the Japan-India summit. Among these, are Suzuki's plans to invest $1.4 billion in India to boost EV infrastructure.

Japan's Suzuki to invest $1.4 BN in India to boost EV infrastructure

Indian PM Narendra Modi is all set to hold virtual talks with Australian PM Scott Morrison. Meanwhile, Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar welcomed the Australian Foreign Minister in New Delhi.

Indian PM Narendra Modi to hold virtual talks with Australian PM Scott Morrison

Indian PM Narendra Modi to hold virtual talks with Australian PM Morrison

29 artefacts have been returned to India by Australia. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inspected the antiquities and thanked his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison for taking the initiative to return the antiquities.

Indian PM Modi thanks Morrison after Australia returns 29 artefacts

Winter sports in India is no longer dominated by men. The Jammu and Kashmir government this year specially held winter sports events for women participants. These female athletes had come from over 11 states of the country and were competing in various winter sports activities.&nbsp;

Earlier, there were hardly any female skiers, snowboarders, or snowshoe racers but this year all those barriers were broken. Hundreds of women arrived in Kashmir's scenic ski resort Gulmarg this year to be a part of winter sports.&nbsp;

Bhiwani has been coming to Gulmarg for over four years. She is among top skiers in the country. She says when she started there was hardly any women participation in winter sports but now the numbers have gone up tremendously.&nbsp;

"Obviously, things have changed. I have been coming here for many years and when we started, we hardly used to see any girls. There used to be more men compared to women, but over the years we can see more women participating. There are a lot of competitions coming up for females. The participants are from across the country. Things have been changing and it's good to see that we are getting support. Earlier we couldn't see women standing up and participating," Bhavani Rachana, who is an athlete.&nbsp;

"I believe we need more support from the government, the government has taken many initiatives to support women, especially for winter sports and given the condition I am sure we will have many women participating in the coming winter Olympics. The only motive is to show youngsters my journey. If someone tomorrow says that I want to be like Bhavani, that would be the biggest achievement for me," Rachana added.&nbsp;

Girls like Bhavani are becoming an inspiration for many young female athletes. A local female athlete from Kashmir won the snowshoe race held in Gulmarg recently. She plans to represent India at the Olympics.&nbsp;

"I am extremely happy that I got first prize for Jammu and Kashmir. I was competing with athletes across the country. It's a great opportunity and girls should use these opportunities. There are special sports events for girls and it's a great thing. I want to represent India in the Olympics and will be preparing for that," said Sara, who is a Kashmiri athlete.&nbsp;

The government of Jammu and Kashmir plans to have more and more female participation in various winter adventure sports. The government is organising special sports events for women so that young female athletes can pick up sports as their careers.&nbsp;

"Women are the backbone of the nation, we had a major emphasis on women participation. All the women who are here, we are providing them the best support and we are sure in future we will have more and more women joining us for the winter adventure sports. We recently had a young athlete who won a wushu championship for the country. The women should fight the odds and win and be the face for the women of Kashmir," said Zeeshan Khan, who is an Assistant Director of Tourism.&nbsp;

The female athletes now hope that the government will support them and make teams for every sport to provide a platform for these girls to represent India at international sports events.&nbsp;

Winter sports in India is no longer dominated by men. The Jammu and Kashmir government this year specially held winter sports events for women participants. These female athletes had come from over 11 states of the country and were competing in various winter sports activities.

Winter sports in India is no longer dominated by men. The Jammu and Kashmir government this year specially held winter sports events for women participants. These female athletes had come from over 11 states of the country and were competing in various winter sports activities. Earlier, there were hardly any female skiers, snowboarders, or snowshoe racers but this year all those barriers were broken. Hundreds of women arrived in Kashmir's scenic ski resort Gulmarg this year to be a part of winter sports. Bhiwani has been coming to Gulmarg for over four years. She is among top skiers in the country. She says when she started there was hardly any women participation in winter sports but now the numbers have gone up tremendously. "Obviously, things have changed. I have been coming here for many years and when we started, we hardly used to see any girls. There used to be more men compared to women, but over the years we can see more women participating. There are a lot of competitions coming up for females. The participants are from across the country. Things have been changing and it's good to see that we are getting support. Earlier we couldn't see women standing up and participating," Bhavani Rachana, who is an athlete. "I believe we need more support from the government, the government has taken many initiatives to support women, especially for winter sports and given the condition I am sure we will have many women participating in the coming winter Olympics. The only motive is to show youngsters my journey. If someone tomorrow says that I want to be like Bhavani, that would be the biggest achievement for me," Rachana added. Girls like Bhavani are becoming an inspiration for many young female athletes. A local female athlete from Kashmir won the snowshoe race held in Gulmarg recently. She plans to represent India at the Olympics. "I am extremely happy that I got first prize for Jammu and Kashmir. I was competing with athletes across the country. It's a great opportunity and girls should use these opportunities. There are special sports events for girls and it's a great thing. I want to represent India in the Olympics and will be preparing for that," said Sara, who is a Kashmiri athlete. The government of Jammu and Kashmir plans to have more and more female participation in various winter adventure sports. The government is organising special sports events for women so that young female athletes can pick up sports as their careers. "Women are the backbone of the nation, we had a major emphasis on women participation. All the women who are here, we are providing them the best support and we are sure in future we will have more and more women joining us for the winter adventure sports. We recently had a young athlete who won a wushu championship for the country. The women should fight the odds and win and be the face for the women of Kashmir," said Zeeshan Khan, who is an Assistant Director of Tourism. The female athletes now hope that the government will support them and make teams for every sport to provide a platform for these girls to represent India at international sports events.

Winter sports in India: Huge number of female participants from across country

Aggressive China has alleged that the Quad alliance between the US, India, Japan and Australia aims to create an Asian NATO.

Aggressive China takes on Quad alliance: 'Quad aims to create Asian NATO'

In Pics: In a historic move, Australia returns 29 antiques to India

Indian PM Narendra Modi is holding virtual talks with his Australian counterpart PM Scott Morrison. New initiatives for the partnership to be announced.

India-Australia bilateral summit: PM Narendra Modi holds virtual talks with PM Scott Morrison

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has lauded India's foreign policy for being "independent and neutral" amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

In a public address, he said,&nbsp;"Mai Hindustan ko dath deta hun, inho ney hamesh Azad foreign policy rakhi, Aj Hindustan unkey sath Mila hua hai, unka alliance hai, quad key ander amerika ki alliance ki hui hai, aur apney ap ko kahta hai neutral hun. Russ se tel mangwa ra hai, jabki sanctions lagi hui hai. Kyon ki Hindustan ki policy unki logon ki behtri key liye hai." (I laud India for its Independent foreign policy. It's part of the Quad, along with US and says it neutral. It is getting oil from Russia despite sanctions. This is because India's policy is for betterment of its citizens",

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/imran-khan-led-government-faces-tough-task-ahead-of-pakistan-no-confidence-vote-464058">Imran Khan's government faces tough task ahead of Pakistan no-confidence vote</a>

He was addressing a rally at Dargai Malakand.&nbsp;The rare praise by Pakistan PM for archrival India comes amid mounting pressure on him ahead of the no confidence motion he faces in the Parliament. In the past, Imran Khan has been sharply critical of India, especially after New Delhi removed special status for the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Pakistani Prime Minister also slammed European Union envoys for&nbsp;asking Islamabad to condemn Russia over Ukraine invasion and said, "Kya ap Hindustan ko kahein gaye, inki jan jati hai inki Hindustan ko kahtey huey" (Will they ever say this to India ever? they are scared of doing so). Pakistan had abstained at United Nations General Assembly when Russian invasion of Ukraine was taken up.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-fires-multiple-rocket-launcher-says-south-korean-military-463984">North Korea fires multiple rocket launcher, says South Korean military</a>

Pakistan has tried to increase engagement with Russia even as its ties with Washington comes under pressure. There has not been any telephonic conversation between Imran Khan and Joe Biden since the latter became the President of the United States last year. Last month Pakistan PM was on a bilateral visit of Russia and held talks with Russian President Putin. The visit began on 24th February, the day Russia began its invasion of Ukraine.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has lauded India's foreign policy for being "independent and neutral" amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In a public address, he said, "Mai Hindustan ko dath deta hun, inho ney hamesh Azad foreign policy rakhi, Aj Hindustan unkey sath Mila hua hai, unka alliance hai, quad key ander amerika ki alliance ki hui hai, aur apney ap ko kahta hai neutral hun.

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has lauded India's foreign policy for being "independent and neutral" amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In a public address, he said, "Mai Hindustan ko dath deta hun, inho ney hamesh Azad foreign policy rakhi, Aj Hindustan unkey sath Mila hua hai, unka alliance hai, quad key ander amerika ki alliance ki hui hai, aur apney ap ko kahta hai neutral hun. Russ se tel mangwa ra hai, jabki sanctions lagi hui hai. Kyon ki Hindustan ki policy unki logon ki behtri key liye hai." (I laud India for its Independent foreign policy. It's part of the Quad, along with US and says it neutral. It is getting oil from Russia despite sanctions. This is because India's policy is for betterment of its citizens", Also read | Imran Khan's government faces tough task ahead of Pakistan no-confidence vote He was addressing a rally at Dargai Malakand. The rare praise by Pakistan PM for archrival India comes amid mounting pressure on him ahead of the no confidence motion he faces in the Parliament. In the past, Imran Khan has been sharply critical of India, especially after New Delhi removed special status for the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistani Prime Minister also slammed European Union envoys for asking Islamabad to condemn Russia over Ukraine invasion and said, "Kya ap Hindustan ko kahein gaye, inki jan jati hai inki Hindustan ko kahtey huey" (Will they ever say this to India ever? they are scared of doing so). Pakistan had abstained at United Nations General Assembly when Russian invasion of Ukraine was taken up. Also read | North Korea fires multiple rocket launcher, says South Korean military Pakistan has tried to increase engagement with Russia even as its ties with Washington comes under pressure. There has not been any telephonic conversation between Imran Khan and Joe Biden since the latter became the President of the United States last year. Last month Pakistan PM was on a bilateral visit of Russia and held talks with Russian President Putin. The visit began on 24th February, the day Russia began its invasion of Ukraine.

Amid Russian invasion of Ukraine, Pakistan PM lauds India's "independent & neutral" stance

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett confirmed that he will pay his official visit to India in April. This visit is to focus on strategic alliance between the two countries.

Israeli PM Naftali Bennett to visit India after invitation by PM Modi

During 14th India-Japan summit, Japanese PM Fumio Kishida said Japan will invest $42 bn in India over the next five years.

Indian PM Modi hosts 14th India-Japan summit, Japanese PM pledges investment worth $42 billion

With the Ukraine crisis and further strengthening of Quad grouping, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will reach India to take part in the 14th annual India Japan summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.&nbsp;

Both leaders will meet around 5:00 pm IST in New Delhi, this is the second such in-person meeting after both leaders met last year on the sidelines of the Glasgow Climate Summit.&nbsp;

Japan's chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno ahead of the visit said, "From March 19th to 21st, PM Kishida will visit India and Cambodia. During his travel, PM Kishida will meet PM Modi of India...to discuss the international and regional affairs as well as the bilateral relationship. They will address broad range of topics...through Quad we would like to advance efforts to achieve free and open Indo Pacific", adding, "will discuss Ukraine situation".

Japan, along with the West has announced sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine that started on February 24.&nbsp;

Japan is also sanctioning Russia's state-owned arms exporter Rosoboronexport. Russia's Rosoboronexport is involved in K-203 Kalashnikov project in Amethi and other defence pacts with India.&nbsp;

India meanwhile has abstained at the United Nations over the Ukraine crisis and is looking to import discounted Russian oil something that is seen as a pragmatic approach domestically.&nbsp;

The visit comes even as India and Japan celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of formal diplomatic ties.&nbsp;

This is the first visit by any Japanese PM to India in four and half years. While India and Japan have ab annual summit-level mechanism under which prime ministers of both countries travel to each other's countries alternatively, the delay has been due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.&nbsp;

PM Fumio, become the Japanese PM in October of last year and had visited India earlier in his capacity as foreign minister.&nbsp;

According to reports by Japanese newspaper Nikkei, the incoming Japanese PM plans to announce five trillion yen or $42 billion investment in India for the next five years during the two-day visit.&nbsp;

During the weekly ministry of external affairs presser on Thursday, spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "The summit will provide an opportunity for both sides to review and strengthen the bilateral cooperation in diverse areas, as well as exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest, so as to advance partnership for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo Pacific region and beyond."&nbsp;

Later this year, PM Modi is expected to visit Japan for the second Quad in-person summit in Japan. Quad, involving India, US, Australia, Japan is been evolving fast amid the Chinese aggressive actions in the Indo Pacific.&nbsp;

This is the first head of government/head of state-level incoming visit to India this year. Japan has been one of the closest partners for India in Asia and the world.&nbsp;

The country has been involved in building major infrastructure projects, especially in India's north-east. PM had last year laid the foundation stone of a 20 km-long bridge over the Brahmaputra river between Assam and Meghalaya.&nbsp;

Varanasi Convention Centre (Rudraksh) was inaugurated by PM last year where the then Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga had sent a video message. C

The country has a major role in India's first bullet train or Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail and in terms of defence, both sides have signed a Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services Agreement (RPSS).&nbsp;

As part of getting a trained Indian workforce, India and Japan have signed the Specified Skilled Workers Agreement. Under Technical Intern Training Programme (TITP), 220 Indian youth have been sent to Japan to work.&nbsp;

The Japanese side has since January this year started examination for nursing care under this programme.

WATCH |&nbsp;WION Ground Report: The story of Kyiv's first responders

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With the Ukraine crisis and further strengthening of Quad grouping, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will reach India to take part in the 14th annual India Japan summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

With the Ukraine crisis and further strengthening of Quad grouping, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will reach India to take part in the 14th annual India Japan summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Both leaders will meet around 5:00 pm IST in New Delhi, this is the second such in-person meeting after both leaders met last year on the sidelines of the Glasgow Climate Summit. Japan's chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno ahead of the visit said, "From March 19th to 21st, PM Kishida will visit India and Cambodia. During his travel, PM Kishida will meet PM Modi of India...to discuss the international and regional affairs as well as the bilateral relationship. They will address broad range of topics...through Quad we would like to advance efforts to achieve free and open Indo Pacific", adding, "will discuss Ukraine situation". Japan, along with the West has announced sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine that started on February 24. Japan is also sanctioning Russia's state-owned arms exporter Rosoboronexport. Russia's Rosoboronexport is involved in K-203 Kalashnikov project in Amethi and other defence pacts with India. India meanwhile has abstained at the United Nations over the Ukraine crisis and is looking to import discounted Russian oil something that is seen as a pragmatic approach domestically. The visit comes even as India and Japan celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of formal diplomatic ties. This is the first visit by any Japanese PM to India in four and half years. While India and Japan have ab annual summit-level mechanism under which prime ministers of both countries travel to each other's countries alternatively, the delay has been due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. PM Fumio, become the Japanese PM in October of last year and had visited India earlier in his capacity as foreign minister. According to reports by Japanese newspaper Nikkei, the incoming Japanese PM plans to announce five trillion yen or $42 billion investment in India for the next five years during the two-day visit. During the weekly ministry of external affairs presser on Thursday, spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "The summit will provide an opportunity for both sides to review and strengthen the bilateral cooperation in diverse areas, as well as exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest, so as to advance partnership for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo Pacific region and beyond." Later this year, PM Modi is expected to visit Japan for the second Quad in-person summit in Japan. Quad, involving India, US, Australia, Japan is been evolving fast amid the Chinese aggressive actions in the Indo Pacific. This is the first head of government/head of state-level incoming visit to India this year. Japan has been one of the closest partners for India in Asia and the world. The country has been involved in building major infrastructure projects, especially in India's north-east. PM had last year laid the foundation stone of a 20 km-long bridge over the Brahmaputra river between Assam and Meghalaya. Varanasi Convention Centre (Rudraksh) was inaugurated by PM last year where the then Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga had sent a video message. C The country has a major role in India's first bullet train or Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail and in terms of defence, both sides have signed a Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services Agreement (RPSS). As part of getting a trained Indian workforce, India and Japan have signed the Specified Skilled Workers Agreement. Under Technical Intern Training Programme (TITP), 220 Indian youth have been sent to Japan to work. The Japanese side has since January this year started examination for nursing care under this programme. WATCH | WION Ground Report: The story of Kyiv's first responders ×

With Ukraine and Quad in focus, Japan PM Fumio Kishida lands in India today

Japanese PM Fumio Kishida is currently on a 2-day visit to India to further deepen bilateral ties. He is holding talks with Indian PM Narendra Modi.

India, Japan ink MoUs for investment in various sectors during 14th India-Japan annual summit

Indian PM Modi: We welcome Japanese investments

The issue of bioweapons being used in the war in Ukraine has now reached the United nations of Security Council. An emergency meeting of the UNSC has been called. Russia alleged that the United States is funding research to create bioweapons in Ukraine. Both the United States and Ukraine have denied these allegations.

Russia renews bioweapons accusations, India backs ban of biological weapons

PM Modi hosts Japanese PM Kishida in New Delhi as 14th India-Japan annual summit starts

India's neutral approach to the Ukraine conflict has upset many. A pressure campaign is underway to compel India into taking sides. Should New Delhi give in? Or should it uphold national interest? Here's what Palki Sharma Upadhyay has to say.

Gravitas Plus | India's Ukraine Dilemma

Indian PM Modi, Japanese PM Kishida discuss Ukraine conflict, Indo-Pacific

Japanese PM Fumio Kishida is currently on a 2-day visit to India to further deepen bilateral ties. He will hold talks with Indian PM Narendra Modi.

Japanese PM Kishida on 2-day visit to India to attend 14th India-Japan annual summit

The better we know how a machine works, the more likely we are to understand the ways and means of fixing any troubles that it may cause. What if that machine happens to be the human brain? That's where the complexity begins. <o:p></o:p>

To study almost any organ in the human body, there are both invasive and non-invasive techniques that doctors employ. But, when it comes to the human brain, studies aren't available in as much detail as doctors would require. It is to bridge this gap that experts from various domains have come together and established a 'Brain Centre' at the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras in Chennai. WION spoke to the key resource persons at this newly inaugurated centre, to understand their work and its applications. <o:p></o:p>

According to those working on this project, the work being performed at the 'Brain Centre', is an intersection of Neuroscience, Engineering, Medicine and advanced computing. It involves mapping the human brain (post mortem) in incredibly high resolution, at the cellular level. Simply put, it is like a mapping company taking billions of photographs of various places, streets, buildings, terrain on earth and combining them to make a digital world map.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/gulmarg-hosts-national-snowshoe-championship-463801" hreflang="en">Gulmarg hosts national snowshoe championship</a>

<o:p></o:p>

When queried about the purpose of such research, Prof. K. Vijay Raghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, explained to WION that scientific understanding of the human brain (in terms of diseases) has been largely gained by looking at it from the outside and by testing certain drugs. "To understand the human brain better, we need to look at it from inside" he added on how the new facility would perform anatomy at high-resolution. <o:p></o:p>

Approved in February 2020, the new facility at IIT Madras was brought to fruition amid the pandemic and is now at a fully functional level. Over the last eight months, the facility has performed high-resolution imagery on three human brains (from cadavers), while mapping is to be commenced shortly. Over the next one year, they are expected to perform imaging of ten human brains.

<o:p></o:p>

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Experts associated with the lab tell me , their work is an intersection of of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/neuroscience?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#neuroscience</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/computing?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#computing</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/medicine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#medicine</a>.. They aim to make high-res images of human brain, Map it (like an earth map) to help better understand the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/brain?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#brain</a> , associated ailments etc. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BrainAwarenessWeek?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BrainAwarenessWeek</a> <a href="https://t.co/jPOJCMvaae">pic.twitter.com/jPOJCMvaae</a>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1505154932244058117?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

"High-resolution imaging of the brain is a complex procedure that requires the highest amount of technical precision, takes months of work and also consumes hundreds of thousands of gigabytes of storage space" said Prof. Mohanasankar Sivaprakasam, Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Madras, and Head, Brain Centre.<o:p></o:p>

While imaging and mapping are half the battle, medical studies from the rest. "Rabies, Encephalitis, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's are all conditions that affect the brain. Unlike other organs, it is unusual to perform a biopsy (removal of tissue for analysis) on the brain. But, with a high-resolution digital reconstruction of the entire brain, we can identify how the diseases manifest and affect different regions, even at a cellular level" Dr. George Varghese, Professor, CMC Vellore told WION. <o:p></o:p>

At the intial level, the researchers have been working on imaging the brains of stillborns. Later, they will move to complex projects that involve brains from adult cadavers. As they progress, IIT Madras plans to train hundreds of undergraduate and postgraduate students at this Centre in neuroscience and computing, machine learning techniques on cutting-edge brain data.<o:p></o:p>

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Thread: In my hand is the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/3dprint?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#3dprint</a> model of the human brain(seen in vessel)..this brain will undergo high-res imaging, detailed mapping over next few months at <a href="https://twitter.com/iitmadras?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@iitmadras</a> newly-inaugurated ‘Brain Centre’ , which is also the first-of-it’s-kind in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/india?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#india</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/research?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#research</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tech?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#tech</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/science?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#science</a> <a href="https://t.co/POPNYmBC09">pic.twitter.com/POPNYmBC09</a>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1505152306311938048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Inaugurated on Saturday, the 'Brain Centre' at IIT Madras is supported by Mr. Kris Gopalakrishnan and Mrs. Sudha Gopalakrishnan. Known as the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre, it is named after the wife of IIT Madras Alumnus Kris Gopalakrishnan, who is the co-founder of Indian IT services giant Infosys. <o:p></o:p>

The facility was inaugurated in the presence of Prof. K. VijayRaghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, IIT Madras Distinguished Alumnus Shri Kris Gopalakrishnan, Shrimati Sudha Gopalakrishnan, and Prof. Mohanasankar Sivaprakasam of IIT Madras, who will be heading this Centre. This state-of-the-art Centre aims to become a world-renowned research centre, generating unprecedented human brain data, scientific output and technology tools.<o:p></o:p>

The better we know how a machine works, the more likely we are to understand the ways and means of fixing any troubles that it may cause. What if that machine happens to be the human brain?

The better we know how a machine works, the more likely we are to understand the ways and means of fixing any troubles that it may cause. What if that machine happens to be the human brain? That's where the complexity begins. To study almost any organ in the human body, there are both invasive and non-invasive techniques that doctors employ. But, when it comes to the human brain, studies aren't available in as much detail as doctors would require. It is to bridge this gap that experts from various domains have come together and established a 'Brain Centre' at the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras in Chennai. WION spoke to the key resource persons at this newly inaugurated centre, to understand their work and its applications. According to those working on this project, the work being performed at the 'Brain Centre', is an intersection of Neuroscience, Engineering, Medicine and advanced computing. It involves mapping the human brain (post mortem) in incredibly high resolution, at the cellular level. Simply put, it is like a mapping company taking billions of photographs of various places, streets, buildings, terrain on earth and combining them to make a digital world map. Also read | Gulmarg hosts national snowshoe championship When queried about the purpose of such research, Prof. K. Vijay Raghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, explained to WION that scientific understanding of the human brain (in terms of diseases) has been largely gained by looking at it from the outside and by testing certain drugs. "To understand the human brain better, we need to look at it from inside" he added on how the new facility would perform anatomy at high-resolution. Approved in February 2020, the new facility at IIT Madras was brought to fruition amid the pandemic and is now at a fully functional level. Over the last eight months, the facility has performed high-resolution imagery on three human brains (from cadavers), while mapping is to be commenced shortly. Over the next one year, they are expected to perform imaging of ten human brains. Experts associated with the lab tell me , their work is an intersection of of #neuroscience, #computing and #medicine.. They aim to make high-res images of human brain, Map it (like an earth map) to help better understand the #brain , associated ailments etc. #BrainAwarenessWeek pic.twitter.com/jPOJCMvaae — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) March 19, 2022 × "High-resolution imaging of the brain is a complex procedure that requires the highest amount of technical precision, takes months of work and also consumes hundreds of thousands of gigabytes of storage space" said Prof. Mohanasankar Sivaprakasam, Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Madras, and Head, Brain Centre. While imaging and mapping are half the battle, medical studies from the rest. "Rabies, Encephalitis, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's are all conditions that affect the brain. Unlike other organs, it is unusual to perform a biopsy (removal of tissue for analysis) on the brain. But, with a high-resolution digital reconstruction of the entire brain, we can identify how the diseases manifest and affect different regions, even at a cellular level" Dr. George Varghese, Professor, CMC Vellore told WION. At the intial level, the researchers have been working on imaging the brains of stillborns. Later, they will move to complex projects that involve brains from adult cadavers. As they progress, IIT Madras plans to train hundreds of undergraduate and postgraduate students at this Centre in neuroscience and computing, machine learning techniques on cutting-edge brain data. Thread: In my hand is the #3dprint model of the human brain(seen in vessel)..this brain will undergo high-res imaging, detailed mapping over next few months at @iitmadras newly-inaugurated ‘Brain Centre’ , which is also the first-of-it’s-kind in #india #research #tech #science pic.twitter.com/POPNYmBC09 — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) March 19, 2022 × Inaugurated on Saturday, the 'Brain Centre' at IIT Madras is supported by Mr. Kris Gopalakrishnan and Mrs. Sudha Gopalakrishnan. Known as the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre, it is named after the wife of IIT Madras Alumnus Kris Gopalakrishnan, who is the co-founder of Indian IT services giant Infosys. The facility was inaugurated in the presence of Prof. K. VijayRaghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, IIT Madras Distinguished Alumnus Shri Kris Gopalakrishnan, Shrimati Sudha Gopalakrishnan, and Prof. Mohanasankar Sivaprakasam of IIT Madras, who will be heading this Centre. This state-of-the-art Centre aims to become a world-renowned research centre, generating unprecedented human brain data, scientific output and technology tools.

Map the human brain, unravel its mysteries- that's the mission of this Indian Lab

Japanese PM Kishida on 2-day visit to India to further deepen bilateral ties

Amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, global crude oil prices are soaring owing to economic sanctions on Russia. However, Russia is offering crude oil at discounted prices which India has decided to buy.

The US 'recognises' India's move to buy 3 million barrels of Russian crude oil

A new COVID-19 variant was first found in Israel and now, it has spread to several other countries including Cambodia, India, Thailand, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom. Although the variant is spreading quite quickly, experts said that there is no need to worry as it is not considered lethal.<o:p></o:p>

Here’s everything we know about the new BA2.2 COVID-19 variant -<o:p></o:p>

The new variant is the combination of two Omicron sub-variants namely BA.1 and BA.2 and although it is being studied all around the world, Hong Kong scientists are currently calling it BA2.2.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-reports-first-covid-19-deaths-in-more-than-a-year-463705">China reports first COVID-19 deaths in more than a year</a>

The Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data is trying to obtain more data in order to understand the strain better. Two COVID strains combining into a new variant is a common phenomenon, Israel’s Chief COVID Officer Salman Zarka said, adding that when there are two viruses in the same cell and it multiplies, “they exchange genetic material, creating a new virus.”<o:p></o:p>

What is the origin of the new variant?<o:p></o:p>

The variant was first found in Israel when two returning passengers tested positive at the Ben Gurion airport. Since then, the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) reported three cases in Maharashtra, Puducherry and Ladakh. Similar cases were found in Cambodia, Thailand and Hong Kong while there were unconfirmed reports of the BA2.2 variant finding its way to United Kingdom. <o:p></o:p>

“It’s likely that they [the arriving passengers who tested positive] were infected before boarding the flight in Israel. The variant could have emerged here. We don’t know what it means yet,” Israeli Health Ministry Director-General Nachman Ash said in an interview with Israel’s Army Radio.<o:p></o:p>

However, Hong Kong researchers believe that the outbreak came from their country and The Centre for Medical Genomics at Mahidol University claimed the same in their Facebook post.<o:p></o:p>

What are the symptoms of the infection?<o:p></o:p>

The reported symptoms till now are mild symptoms of fever, headache and muscle dystrophy.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/final-game-changer-united-kingdom-ends-coronavirus-travel-restrictions-463566" hreflang="en">'Final game-changer': United Kingdom ends coronavirus travel restrictions</a>

"The two cases of the combined strain, which have been discovered so far, suffered from mild symptoms of fever, headaches and muscle dystrophy, and do not require a special medical response," the Israel health authorities said in an official statement.<o:p></o:p>

How concerning is the new variant? <o:p></o:p>

The Israel health authorities have downplayed the new variant and they believe that the current evidence shows that it is not an extremely harmful variant.<o:p></o:p>

"The phenomenon of combined variants is well known," Israel's pandemic response chief, Salman Zarka told Army Radio. "At this stage, we are not worried about it leading to serious cases".<o:p></o:p>

A new COVID-19 variant was first found in Israel and now, it has spread to several other countries including Cambodia, India, Thailand, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom.

A new COVID-19 variant was first found in Israel and now, it has spread to several other countries including Cambodia, India, Thailand, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom. Although the variant is spreading quite quickly, experts said that there is no need to worry as it is not considered lethal. Here’s everything we know about the new BA2.2 COVID-19 variant - The new variant is the combination of two Omicron sub-variants namely BA.1 and BA.2 and although it is being studied all around the world, Hong Kong scientists are currently calling it BA2.2. Also read | China reports first COVID-19 deaths in more than a year The Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data is trying to obtain more data in order to understand the strain better. Two COVID strains combining into a new variant is a common phenomenon, Israel’s Chief COVID Officer Salman Zarka said, adding that when there are two viruses in the same cell and it multiplies, “they exchange genetic material, creating a new virus.” What is the origin of the new variant? The variant was first found in Israel when two returning passengers tested positive at the Ben Gurion airport. Since then, the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) reported three cases in Maharashtra, Puducherry and Ladakh. Similar cases were found in Cambodia, Thailand and Hong Kong while there were unconfirmed reports of the BA2.2 variant finding its way to United Kingdom. “It’s likely that they [the arriving passengers who tested positive] were infected before boarding the flight in Israel. The variant could have emerged here. We don’t know what it means yet,” Israeli Health Ministry Director-General Nachman Ash said in an interview with Israel’s Army Radio. However, Hong Kong researchers believe that the outbreak came from their country and The Centre for Medical Genomics at Mahidol University claimed the same in their Facebook post. What are the symptoms of the infection? The reported symptoms till now are mild symptoms of fever, headache and muscle dystrophy. Also read | 'Final game-changer': United Kingdom ends coronavirus travel restrictions "The two cases of the combined strain, which have been discovered so far, suffered from mild symptoms of fever, headaches and muscle dystrophy, and do not require a special medical response," the Israel health authorities said in an official statement. How concerning is the new variant? The Israel health authorities have downplayed the new variant and they believe that the current evidence shows that it is not an extremely harmful variant. "The phenomenon of combined variants is well known," Israel's pandemic response chief, Salman Zarka told Army Radio. "At this stage, we are not worried about it leading to serious cases".

Everything we know about new COVID-19 variant found in multiple countries

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