Indian Environment Minister launches TRAFFIC/NTCA Tiger database : Nature India journal covers story on website

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Subhra Priyadarshini

Editor, NATURE India

Welcome to Indigenus, Nature India's <http://www.nature.com/nindia> blog.

Drop by every day to know who or what is making news in the Indian

scientific community. Brew a debate on the future of Indian science or just

catch up with the buzz in seminars you missed out on. If you wish to

initiate a discussion or send feedback, please e-mail indigenus 'at'

nature.com

Bookmark in Connotea Tiger

ticker<http://blogs.nature.com/indigenus/2010/01/tiger_ticker.html>

 

Close on the heels of Indian scientists demonstrating the invaluable genetic

diversity <http://blogs.nature.com/indigenus/2009/08/genetic_advantage.html>of

the subcontinent’s big cats, here's some more good news for tiger

conservation in India.

 

 

© WWF

 

Last week, India officially launched an online database of authentic record

of tiger deaths and other key wildlife species across the country.

Tigernet<http://www.tigernet.nic.in/Alluser/Default.aspx>is a

collaborative effort of the National Tiger Conservation Authority of

the environment and forests ministry and TRAFFIC-India, the wildlife trade

monitoring network.

 

The idea is to compile and analysis such data as a management tool for tiger

conservation in India. The website is a refreshingly candid venture that

promises to be a transparent official record of deaths of the big cats in

India. It gives tiger reserve directors and chief wildlife wardens in India

the ability to key-in crucial information about tiger deaths, poaching and

seizures.

 

Conservation experts have been crying fowl for long on the lack of accurate

information on such issues. The website answers a lot of questions raised

time and again by NGOs and conservation workers and should go a long way in

assisting anti-poaching efforts.

 

By significantly simplifying the tiger death reporting system and even

findings of post mortem examinations, the government has shown its

willingness to go a step further in its seriousness over transparency in

wildlife conservation efforts.

 

Posted by Subhra Priyadarshini on January 11, 2010

Categories: Wildlife <http://blogs.nature.com/indigenus/wildlife/> |

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Bookmark in Connotea Double R & D

funds<http://blogs.nature.com/indigenus/2010/01/double_rd_funds.html>

 

National funds for research and development are poised to double from the

current 1% of the GDP to 2%, according to India's science and technology

minister Prithviraj Chavan. The next ten years, in fact, have been labeled

by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as the 'decade of innovation' following

which the government plans to focus on Research & Development efforts to

translate lab research into product and process innovations that benefit the

masses.

 

At an annual meet <http://www.pbdindia.org/index.html#> of non-resident

Indians last week, which included scientists in good numbers, Chavan did

concede that challenges in science and technology were tougher now since

scientists have to find solutions to myriad problems ranging from energy

security, food security, water availability & quality and affordable health

care to terrorism and internal security.

 

The government shoulders about 75% of the entire R & D spend and has been

urging private players to chip in more in this area.

 

Echoing the Prime Minister's views

<http://blogs.nature.com/indigenus/2010/01/new_year_new_hope.html>at the

Indian science Congress, Chavan sent out some positive signals to the Indian

diaspora scientists urging them to collaborate with scientific institutions

in their home country.

 

Looks like the year has begun on a positive note for Indian science.

 

Posted by Subhra Priyadarshini on January 11, 2010

Categories: Policy <http://blogs.nature.com/indigenus/policy/> |

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Bookmark in Connotea New year, new

hope<http://blogs.nature.com/indigenus/2010/01/new_year_new_hope.html>

 

The new year brings new hope for all those weary of red tape plaguing Indian

science. For, the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself

acknowledged<http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=56577>the rot

while addressing one of the largest annual congregations of Indian

scientists -- the Indian Science Congress -- last weekend.

 

Here's what he said at the Thiruvananthapuram meet: " It is unfortunately

true that red tape, political interference and lack of proper recognition of

good work have all contributed to a regression in Indian science in some

sectors from the days of Dr. C V Raman, Meghnad Saha, J C Bose, Homi Bhabha,

Vikram Sarabhai, Satish Dhawan and other great pioneers of Indian science.

 

I urge all our scientific institutions to introspect and to propose

mechanisms for greater autonomy, including autonomy from the government,

which could help to improve standards for research and development. We must

make a special effort to encourage scientists of Indian origin currently

working abroad to return to our country including coming to our universities

or scientific institutions for a short period. In this way we can, convert

the “brain drain” of the past into a “brain gain” for the future. This will

require special incentives. We need to think creatively on how this can be

done so that high quality minds are attracted to teaching and research in

our country.

 

Much of what we have to do to improve science requires money but this is

only one part of what is needed. It also requires a change in mindset,

including, if I may say so, the mindset of senior faculty and university

administration. Sometimes that is the hardest thing to do.

 

I invite you all to explore all these issues and engage with the Government

so that we can do what is needed to liberate Indian science from the

shackles and deadweight of bureaucratism and in-house favouritism. Only then

we can unleash the latent talent and creative energies of our vast

scientists and engineers too. "

 

The Prime Minister has made similar observations in the past and seems to

have taken serious note of the issue that makes life difficult for many

scientists across government set-ups in this country. The regressive nature

of scientific establishments is the talk of many coffee table discussions

but whistle blowers are far to come by. As one senior scientist at the

Congress remarked -- even scientists have families to feed, jobs to defend.

 

That said, the Prime Minister's statement has shown a ray hope to many such

scientists for whom doing science is more than just defending a job in this

country.

 

Posted by Subhra Priyadarshini on January 04, 2010

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Bookmark in Connotea Year-end

rant<http://blogs.nature.com/indigenus/2009/12/yearend_rant_1.html>

 

This evening, BBC Radio asked me what I thought were the most significant

events in Indian science this year. As always, year-enders are the best way

to take stock and scribble down what to follow-up on next year.

 

So here goes my off-the-cuff top-five list:

 

1. First up, Chandrayaan

<http://www.nature.com/nindia/2008/081022/full/nindia.2008.304.html>scored

very high this year. Though India's Moon mission took off late last year, it

made a big splash when NASA and ISRO announced the water

find<http://www.nature.com/nindia/2009/090924/full/nindia.2009.298.html>.

Most certainly, the biggest science story of the year.

 

2. Though not strictly science, India's completing the nuclear triad with

its nuclear submarine

Arihant<http://www.nature.com/nindia/2009/090727/full/nindia.2009.256.html>was

keenly watched by nuclear experts, policy makers, journalists willing

to

give an arm and a leg for a picture of the submarine, and the common man

alike. Nuclear capability of a nation always makes a good talking point in

scientific circles, I noticed, and hence Arihant finds a mention here.

 

3. Despite his work in faraway Cambridge, India-born American

scientist Venkataraman

Ramakrishnan<http://www.nature.com/nindia/2009/091007/full/nindia.2009.308.html>\

became

an instant idol for many young scientists in India when he won the

year's Nobel Prize in chemistry. " When can we do it sitting here in an

Indian lab? " was the question being asked in every single forum. A healthy

dollop of much-needed inspiration, that!

 

4. Science police wise, the government

nod<http://www.nature.com/nindia/2009/090225/full/nindia.2009.64.html>for

researchers to have an equity stake in scientific enterprises and

spin-offs while still being employed in their organisations was among the

most cheered. It means, like their peers in all developed countries, Indian

scientists can now enjoy the commercial benefits of their inventions and

patents. This figures high on my follow-up list next year!

 

5. The sequencing of the genome of an Indian

<http://blogs.nature.com/indigenus/2009/12/indian_man_sequenced.html>was

widely discussed. Though some scientists thought it wasn't such a big feat

and anyone with a machine could do it, the event itself stood out as a

stepping stone for more Indian genomic studies to come.

 

Anything else you think should figure in this list? Or something that

shouldn't?

 

Posted by Subhra Priyadarshini on December 22, 2009

Categories: Sciences <http://blogs.nature.com/indigenus/sciences/> |

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Bookmark in Connotea Indian

genome<http://blogs.nature.com/indigenus/2009/12/indian_man_sequenced.html>

 

The human genome sequence of an Indian has now been mapped, putting the

country in the league of five others -- United States, Britain, Canada,

China and South Korea -- who have demonstrated similar capabilities. This

means the 3.1 billion base pairs describing every function of the body of an

Indian are now available for further study and as an important diagnostic

tool for predictive healthcare.

 

Devoting over two years on the background work, a team of young scientists

from the Indian Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB) in New

Delhi mapped the genome sequence of a man in his fifties from Jharkhand. The

sequencing revealed his susceptibility to bipolar disorder, collateral

cancers, five variations of ulcer and three types of coronary disease.

 

The project will be followed up with sequencing of various Indian

communities -- regions, races and castes.

 

The world’s first human genome sequence was completed in 2003 by the

International Human Genome Project with scientists from the US, UK, France,

Germany, Japan and China. Resource constraints hindered India's

participation in that project.

 

IGIB scientists had earlier sequenced the genome of a zebrafish -- 1.8

billion base pairs -- setting the stage for human genome sequencing.

 

Earlier in this blog<http://blogs.nature.com/indigenus/2008/04/our_genes.html>,

we had featured the Indian Genome Variation Consortium, a public-private

partnership that networks six Council of Scientific and Industrial Research

(CSIR) labs and some private software firms, when they completed the genetic

mapping of one of the world’s most ethnically diverse populations -- Indians

-- last year.

 

More sturdy steps for Indian genomic studies!

 

Posted by Subhra Priyadarshini on December 09, 2009

Categories: Genetics <http://blogs.nature.com/indigenus/genetics/> |

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Bookmark in Connotea Don't talk

emissions<http://blogs.nature.com/indigenus/2009/12/dont_talk_emissions.html>

 

India has made its stand more than clear before the Copenhagen climate

change summit -- no legally binding emission cuts, something India has

repeatedly clarified at more public fora than one in recent past.

 

Jairam Ramesh, minister for environment and forest, in his trademark style,

made the announcement today in the lower house of Parliament -- India will

never accept a legally binding emission reduction agreement. The three hour

'green debate' in Parliament itself was a historic first.

 

The view is in line with what IPCC chief Rajendra Pachauri thinks

should be India's

line <http://www.nature.com/nindia/2009/091201/full/nindia.2009.347.html>at

the meet.

 

Despite the pressure on developing countries to announce when their

emissions will peak, Ramesh is confident India should not sign a peaking

year agreement. India owes a responsibility, not to the world, but to itself

-- that is the official stand days before the climate change talks open in

Copenhagen. " Forget Copenhagen. Forget the world..... we are going to

Copenhagen with a positive frame of mind, " Ramesh reiterated.

 

Though the minister's posturing did make for good headlines, what he left

unsaid was more relevant. By not spelling out what India is expecting the

western world to bring on to the negotiating table, he did not go too far in

signaling what the country might see as a 'good deal'. Doing that might have

been more 'positive' than a mere announcement of the obvious.

 

India's stand of not wanting to be a 'deal breaker' will be seen in the

right light only if the government reflects at Copenhagen what it is

claiming to be armed with -- flexibility. On why and how India would benefit

from being part of a climate deal, we have heard the

view<http://www.nature.com/nindia/2009/091203/full/nindia.2009.348.html>of

the Pew Center on Global Climate Change.

 

Let's look at a deal first, is what India seems to be saying at present, and

we will take if further from there. Till then, where's the need for a

commitment?

 

Posted by Subhra Priyadarshini on December 03, 2009

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India launches Tigernet

 

<http://www.tigernet.nic.in/>Delhi, India, 7 January 2009—A website

launched this week by Mr Jairam Ramesh, Hon. Minister of State

(Independent

Charge), Ministry of Environment and Forests will give Tiger reserve

directors and chief wildlife wardens in India the ability to

key-in crucial

information about Tiger deaths, poaching and seizures.

 

The Tigernet website, at www.tigernet.nic.in, will be the first

consolidated database on mortality and poaching related to

Tigers and other

protected species within Tiger reserves.

 

Gathering accurate information on such Tiger activities is crucial to

assisting anti-poaching efforts.

 

The new system will allow enforcement officers to record information

on Tiger mortalities, to monitor patterns of where poaching incidents are

occurring and use this information to strengthen anti-poaching efforts.

 

TRAFFIC has helped develop the new website, in collaboration with the

government's National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

 

The information will be available in the public domain, while Field

Directors and Chief Wildlife Wardens will be required to log in to key in

information on Tiger-related issues.

 

The accurate reporting of Tiger deaths and the circumstances

surrounding them has been a contentious issue in India, with conflicting

information from official sources and NGOs, and accusations of

secrecy over

some findings.

 

It is anticipated the new website will simplify the whole Tiger death

reporting system and allow a more accurate and transparent picture to be

generated of the poaching and other threats facing the nation's Tiger

population. Automatic reminders will be sent to official staff to upload

details surrounding any Tiger mortalities, including the findings of post

mortem examinations. The NTCA recently made funding available for the

purchase of cold storage facilities so Tiger carcasses can be preserved

until a thorough post mortem can be carried out.

[image: Date]Thursday, January 7, 2010 at 18:40

-

- http://www.traffic.org/home/2010/1/7/india-launches-tigernet.html

Regards

Programme Officer

TRAFFIC India

WWF India Secretariat

172-B, Lodi Estate, New Delhi 110003, India

Tel: +91-11-41504786, Fax: +91-11-43516200

Visit us at " *www.traffic.org* <http://www.traffic.org/> "

 

TRAFFIC- the wildlife trade monitoring network- is a joint programme of

WWF and IUCN-The World Conservation Union. It works to ensure that trade in

wild plants and animals is not a threat to conservation of nature.

Regards

Programme Officer

TRAFFIC India

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