Ramana Gove

It is a common, disgusting and unhygienic scene to observe people spitting on the road or spewing out a stream of reddish saliva from pan chewing or a stream of watery ejection from vomiting while on move. Of course, vomiting from the window of moving bus or train or car is understandable to some extent as it is a result of nausea due to motion sickness or gastric disturbance but then, one may keep a carry bag along, and care a bit to peep either side of the window for a while so that the passers by can protect and prevent themselves from getting drenched !The same thing is applicable in the case of those who can not so easily get rid of  other practices. Similarly smoking in public places is another such undesirable habit.A study says that passive smoking( breathing in the smoking of other people ) is no less harmful.If one has never smoked but lived with people who smoke, there are chances of    getting affected from a range of tobacco related diseases such   ...

We often develop a dislike or even look down or undermine the importance of certain branches of knowledge.This happens mostly out of our ignorance in that branch    but certainly not because of our indignation or haughtiness.I must confess that one such subject which I used to think is of lesser importance, is ‘Statistics’.But I understand the height of my ignorance. I believe that figures speak volumes ! Figures compel us to think and analyse and help us to search for a probable cause effect link. Figures provide insights to arrive at certain conclusions which otherwise may not be  possible.     Whether we talk of the GDP data of  trillions of dollars of a nation or the mind blowing findings of the data of observations that estimate a 2 seconds increase in the length of the daily in 100 years’ time due to changes in the earth’s magnetic field, or the data of the weather profiles of the    past decades that help a logical extrapolation with modell...

Marchetti’s constant (Cesare Marchetti is an Italian physicist) speaks of the average commuting time a worker spends.It is said to be an hour a day and quite surprisingly this has been found valid right since Neolithic times.(thousands of years ago)). Taking this in to account and assuming a 38 hour working work , it is said that there would be a substantial increase in productivity due to the elimination of this commuting time. There are some more advantages like :(1)The decreased pollution levels due to an enormous reduction in commuting and (2) the resultant savings in crude import bill for the nations ( more so for energy hungry countries like India ) and (3)the reduced costs of health burden for the nation in the event of this culture continuing for long. Well, it is true that by cutting down the commuting time, the productivity shoots up as perceived, probably fuelled by an undisturbed concentration, reduced stress levels in commuting (more so in buzzing metros),longer connecting...

While the roles of a clinical psychologist and psychiatrist are not to be forgotten and neglected,there is a lot to be done by the near and dear to augment the professional help in mending the things.   The effective tools available for the care takers in dealing with health disorders like anxiety, depression, OCD (Obsessive–compulsive disorder) bi polar disorder are talking,explaining,narrating,instilling(confidence),sympathising,hugging, cuddling, caressing,counselling and consoling,motivating as excessive thinking, fears, phobias, introversion, aloofness, rumination,repetitive gestures,heightened and subdued spirits etc form an integral role in these with an inability to maintain an emotional balance.Introversion and depression often go together while either being the cause and the other, the effect !     Stephen Hawking’s statement that ‘quiet people have the loudest minds’ perhaps applies well to introverts and the depressed as they have loud and chaotic minds,engros...

News of the death of Sean Connery at 90 made me dive into fond memories of Bond movies known for his stellar performance as secret agent 007 ! He brought a distinct glory to the Bond movies by cementing an unforgettable bond with the audience across continents. His gestures, majestic poise in nabbing the culprits and unwinding the ploy of the villains,his sensuous handling of the sizzling blondes,the chasing scenes with serpentine twists and turns of the motor cars and yachts, skurfing and water skiing leaving a long trail of foaming water behind,tubing in a zigzag path on vast s terrains of water,scenes of skiing with a glide on icy mountains, all leave an indelible impression on the minds.Though these features are common in many of the    the Bond movies ,Sean Connery has carved a niche for himself !   James Bond is the iconic character of a Secret Service agent rolled out by the author Ian Fleming in a series of spy novels.Sean Connery was the first actor to portray th...

We see torrential rains lashing the cities, at times breaking century’s old records creating     havoc and almost paralysing civic life.Scenes of cities inundated, roads washed off, lives and livelihoods affected, bunds breached,and many rendered homeless and seeking shelter are common during such spells.This has been the scene of many cities as and when it rains cats and dogs.The most recent instance in the city of Hyderabad is an example when the city reported about 192 mm of rain fall in just 24 hours.The water so available is enough to serve the needs of population of the city for more than 90 days if we take the per capita recommended water need as 135 litres per day for all uses.   All this is just with the rain fall in one day and one city.Then a logical extrapolation to the huge loss of one of the most precious natural resources ( water ) is simply mind boggling when we think of such a large country as ours and it is high time we take measures on a war footing to ...

With hectic trials to roll out vaccine at the earliest, the major issue of global concern is its availability, accessibility and affordability to all. The term availability is meant the number of doses required to reach the global population of about 780 crores.Since a lengthy timeline is needed for such a massive production and supply, the terms accessibility and affordability assume significance since the basic law that governs the markets is the demand supply scenario ! It is said that the rich nations are in the first line.The advanced countries are pumping funds to manufacturers globally.If reports are to go by, wealthy nations have already locked up more than a billion doses of vaccines. The probable monopolisation of supply by the wealthier countries as was the situation in the swine flu pandemic seems a cause for concerns among poor nations. In the case of Covid -19,the access is important to the most needy for the safety of every one let alone ethical or humanitarian concerns ...

For a long time I used to work with an assembled table top system.There were occasions when the system used to go defunct abruptly ! One or two instances I would like to present to substantiate my conclusion. Once the display was off all of a sudden ! I called the local servicing man who carried a hand bag with tools such as a brush, a few PCBs, power supply units, a volume of CDs to do the anti virus scanning.The man came all the way ,sat before the table, turned off the system and drew the CPU from its slot out.He unwound the screws and opened it.He then took the brush and gently brushed every nook and corner and then wielded the cloth. Keeping the box opened, he again turned on the system.There it is ! The screen illuminated by the bright bluish tinge of light for a while started behaving well. There was my system right in front of me in full working condition with normal vigour.   Just after two years of warranty period, all of a sudden there were vertical coloured bands with n...

The announcement of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology for the discovery of Hepatitis C virus made me wield my pen today. The award carries a gold medal and prize money of 10 million Swedish kronor [over Rs 8.22 crore]. The event will run through October 12 by which the Nobel Prizes in physics, chemistry, literature, peace and economics too would have been announced. The hepatitis C virus is a blood borne virus . It   is the cause of Hepatitis C ,a liver disease and some cancers such as liver cancer and lymphomas.As per WHO more than 70 million cases of virus are around the globe and cause over 4 lakh deaths every year. The discovery made possible blood tests and new medicines  that have saved millions of lives   At a time when a new virus is ruling the roost having claimed more than 10 lakh lives all over the globe, the work is a source of inspiration and hope for the mankind in general and the scientists in particular. The world is greatly indebted to this s...

A fine is imposed or collected to mend the misconduct.Right from the time we are a child going to the school to the stage where we play the role of governing many we come across various instances of a fine being imposed on us or collected by us.Instances like a student going late to the school or persons violating traffic rules or not wearing a mask or not maintaining social distancing are a few to mention ! In all of these cases it is not for the sake of money that a fine or penalty is being imposed but rather for compliance of rules for a collective well being.   Compliance of rules is of two kinds: voluntary and   forced.It is in the second type that a fine plays key rule when there is a scope for rumbling and grumbling.However forced compliance without fine is also possible at least in select cases with simple practices by citizens.   Look at social vaccine ! There are still   countless instances of violation. Here I suggest an alternative to imposing fines which...

  In continuation of parts I & II: With the technological development of ICBMs (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles) the catastrophic consequences can be spread over continents and wipe away entire countries ! These are designed for delivering nuclear weapons.They have a minimum range of about 5000 km.Some ICBMs have a range of more than 12000 km.A single such missile can carry more than one nuclear warhead and each one can strike a different target. Focus on protection : In the event of an explosion, steps for protection and survival are: to get behind a barrier * to get into the inner part of a building ( thick concrete offers good protection )- underground if possible* to stay near the centre    of the building in a room with thick walls *to stay inside for 24 hours  depending upon the   instructions of the authorities such as when to evacuate, how far and how long to stay etc. ***Three things in one’s hand that can offer protection from radiation ar...

In continuation of Part-I   O n 6 th Aug 1945 Hiroshima in Japan was destroyed by one atomic bomb and a couple of days later,Nagasaki was destroyed by another one.The two bombs killed about 2 lakh people.Some of them died instantaneously while others  within a few months. Another 2 lakh people who survived, suffered severely from the long lasting effects of radiation exposure and had physical and mental agony too ! Over 2000 nuclear weapons have been used in nuclear tests so far above and below the ground.Such tests cause long lasting damage to the environment and public health too.   There are nine countries possessing nuclear weapons and are:the US, the UK,Russia,France, China,Israel, India,Pakistan and North Korea. There are now about 14,000 nuclear weapons.These are enough to end life on the planet. As per SIPRI [ Stockholm International Peace Research Institute ],the total number of nuclear warheads with different nations as of January 2020 is: USA (5800) Russia (637...

  It is time we are aware of the potential lethality of nuclear radiations at a time we hear day in and day out, attempts to deescalate tensions among nations and global efforts to prevent a nuclear war ! As far as electromagnetic radiations such as gamma rays and X rays are concerned, apart from their incredible benefits in various fields such as industry, medicine, agriculture and research, there is a great amount of risk also associated with them if there are safety lapses.The quality of consequences in the event of an accident in a thermal power plant and that in a nuclear power plant would vastly differ ! Needless to speak of the effects with the use of nuclear weapons ! Radiation is a source of danger if levels are beyond permissible limits !The hazards due to radiation vary from minor short lived problems like nausea, diarrhoea to long term irreparable damages such as still birth, impairment of fertility, cancer or even instant death etc, besides genetic damages which can sp...

Man has always been fascinated by the glittering stars and the boundless dimensions of the universe.The need for a safer habitable planet for mankind led him to focus the attention on the red planet Mars, slightly larger than half the size of the earth with about 1/3 of gravity of that of the earth.It is the fourth planet from the sun and second closest planet to the Earth. The average distance between the two planets is 140 million miles (225 million km). If a space craft probe travelling at 58000 kmph travels in straight line to Mars, it can reach it in an average 162 days. Mars takes longer than Earth to complete one trip round the sun.But it rotates about its axis at almost the same speed as that of Earth.Thus one year on Mars is equal to 687 Earth days and one day on Mars is just 40 minutes longer than on Earth.Studies have helped to assess that the planet was once a place for ecosystems.It is still believed to be an incubator for microbial life.The conditions such as its so...

The lockdown has highlighted the importance of social interaction. Man is a social animal ! He is basically instinctive, intuitive and interactive too ! All through the life, he struggles, sweats for the welfare of the near and dear and after passing through a busy phase of working tenure, there comes a day when he has to retire or rest either by intention or by compulsion.Realisation dawns and he understands the interchange of roles from that of a care taker to that of a care receiver.As age advances, the elderly may behave differently. They may go on diving into their past with a repetitive narration, or   ask or remind certain things again and again, partly because of     loss of memory or partly because of experience of the losses from forgetfulness.They may complain of lack of sleep or strength, or taste of food, some times indeed genuine and   some times psychological.A patient suggestion than a harsh silencing in general does well though a bit of harsh...

Teaching is one of the noblest professions ! A teacher shapes our personalities, thought processes, outlook towards the environs around us and leaves an indelible impression on our minds becoming an unforgettable guide ! The way they make us learn, try to inculcate interest in the subject, behave in the class, the rapport they establish with us are all an integral part of our lives ! A teacher should invariably make the students feel at ease with themselves.For that, he or she may have to be humorous and humble, gentle and galvanising, patient and perseverant too ! Too much of discipline or too little is equally dangerous, distracting destructing too.It may even kill the appetite for learning and once that is lost, any amount of scholarliness of the teacher may go in vain. A teacher should allow the student to ask doubts and try to clarify them to the extent of need.In case it is not possible to satisfy the student with an appropriate answer, he should do some ground work later...

We know that the Sun is a rich source of energy the mankind is blessed with ! One component of this energy is the ultra violet radiation called UV light. This is made up of three components; UVA, UVB and UVC. More than 95% of UV radiation that reaches earth is UVA, while the other two are absorbed in the ozone layer. The  UVC   of shorter wavelength (200-280nm) and hence of higher energy has been known for years to have a great role as a disinfectant. UVC is said to have been  successful in inactivating H1N1 influenza and other coronaviruses  such as (SARS-CoV) and (MERS-CoV).A study published is said to claim that UVC can also inactivate SARS-CoV-2. At a wavelength of 254 nm UVC is believed to cause lesions in DNA and RNA and an enough exposure damages them such that they can not replicate.This effectively inactivates or kills a microorganism or virus. Thrust on research must be on with an optimism till an effective breakthrough is seen in...

The pandemic has proved beyond doubt, the hollowness of preparedness in facing crises of current magnitude even by the developed countries let alone the developing and the underdeveloped !.The greatest challenges for mankind today are terrorism, climate change and of course, the pandemic. It is no wonder the much dreaded but an unlikely “nuclear war” or “another nuclear apocalypse” have taken one step backwards in view of the greater pellmell of the three. Needless to say that a major by product of all these is the “wealth inequality” ! All the three are global problems and need global efforts through exchange of information and intelligence ,expertise and experience and call for a mutual trust. But unfortunately, this kind of sharing of information and acting in synergy     is not seen among the global leaders to the extent observed     among the scientists toiling all over the globe. Leaders of well developed economies must make a trans border outreach for ...

We are pleased by simple gestures or expressions in many occasions in daily life.We may be even at the height of anger, irritation, restlessness and even be fretting and frowning ! Even under such turbulent situations a simple word like ‘sorry’ is often enough to act like a cannon of water from the hose of a fire fighter that can douse the flames of an inferno.Just an instance many of us might have come across is     what I want to discuss in this blog You are driving on a high way with your hands on the wheel and fingers tossing on it in rhythm to the tune of a melodious song in the stereo.You are perfectly on track and all of a sudden a vehicle zoomed past you on the wrong side and you were simply caught unawares and heard a small eery noise hardly noticeable and in the whip of a second, that vehicle was far ahead of you and the adrenaline started rushing in you and you were about to cry, shout and yell, honk the horn, all in a frenzied attempt to stop him.But imagin...

There are concerns from scientists on the   recently rolled out vaccine.We are in a world where everything, more so in the field of science is guided by systematic set of mechanisms, methods and metrics.It is important that all phases of trials are extensively carried out and the findings of the studies done on vaccine are available to the world and are peer reviewed. Unless the vaccine is administered to people across wide range of conditions including pre morbidities, its efficacy    may not be established totally. For example, a phase II clinical trial of a Covid-19 vaccine published is said to have excluded obese people ,pregnant women and those with chronic diseases.But all such groups have to get vaccine in future .   Enough testing of safety and effectiveness of its working in a general population along with information on dosage and vaccine schedule all form an integral part in the process.Extensive trials on animals, then extended to humans gradually...

It is likely that higher education almost this entire semester is going to be online in the US.A crisis is sometimes an opportunity too ! Instead of spending  many times the expenditure incurred in the country, staying far away, with the pandemic ruling the roost, swift changes in immigration visa rules, geo political uncertainties and losing precious foreign exchange, if the so called environs can be simulated here,it is a huge gain for the nation.The curriculum almost remains same for a given course across the globe but the methods of teaching and testing, infrastructure and interaction, industry orientation and institutional support for learning and earning differ.So equipping the institutions better with state of the art facilities and hiring faculty from top notch US universities if need be, would be  advantageous for countries like India.   The government’s recent plan to allow the top 100 universities in the world to operate in India is a commendabl...

Often we eat more than what we actually need ! The  estimated energy need per day is 2000 to 3000 kcal ( the actual   figure depending upon  age, gender,physical activity, life style, metabolic rate etc).We eat more to satiate the tongue than to quench the appetite more so on a day when there are special and delicious cuisines. Also it is a perceived feeling that depressed or worried people either eat a lot more or even a lot less.But, the chances of eating more are high, as food acts as a source to lift the mood.Leisure is a good friend of binge eating. It is common   that people who smoke, take tea or coffee and who have the habit of munching some thing frequently would have increased doses of these activities especially when they have more leisure or no specific work to do.The best way to overcome this problem is to engage oneself in an absorbing activity of one’s choice such as reading, writing ,listening to music, exercise etc. The lockd...

I gave vent to my thoughts on the role of sensation of touch.An article read recently on the void created by absence of touch (contact) due to social distancing prompted me wield my pen. Absence  of touch is an emotional impediment to further the bond of rapport or to express affection and to impress others. Science speaks high of the importance of    ‘’kangaroo care” exhibited by mothers when the infants are hugged to them.The kind of comfort and assurance provided by this to the infants is easily seen when the crying baby stops all of a sudden by the gesture.A similar trend is observed even in the case of pet animals such as cats and dogs caressing their new borns when they start cuddling around.Similarly the way we shake hands, pat gently on the cheeks or on the back as a token of appreciation or keep a gentle kiss or brush hair etc matter much in dealing with children.   The hugging by team mates of a pace bowler whose yorker uprooted the middle ...

In response to #GBS, part I, the concern expressed by many was the lack of confidence in the aid     sent to an organisation being     utilised for the purpose.A genuine concern indeed ! It is here the concept of ‘donations in kind’ comes handy where you donate some thing in kind, say a PPE kit or a bundle of sanitisers and hand them over to those in need.In other words, you hunt for the hungry ,net the needy, be after the affected to extend help..Alternatively, some close minded people can form a group and take the responsibility of streamlining the entire process and arranging the help through any one of them. I was impressed by the way when I read about the approach by the Agnelli family, an Italian business dynasty, using its companies to become directly involved in purchasing medical equipment, distributing food and medicine, and supporting distance teaching schemes in schools etc and the   action of large scale distribution of hand sanitiser by the L...