chakravarthy

A sample of microscopic worms that were suspended in a deep freeze in Siberia for 42,000 years have come back to life after being defrosted, scientists say. The findings published in the journal 'Dok-lady Biological Sciences', represent the first evidence of multi-cellular organisms returning to life after spending a long period in Arctic permafrost. Nematodes are tiny worms that typically measure about one millimetre in length. Researchers from Moscow State University in Russia and Princeton University in the US analysed 300 samples of Arctic permafrost deposits and found two that held several well-preserved nematodes. One sample was collected from a fossil squirrel burrow near Alazeya River in the north-eastern part of Yakutia, Russia, from deposits estimated to be about 32,000 years old, the 'Live Science' reported. The other permafrost came from Kolyma River in Siberia, and the age of nearby deposits was around 42,000 years old, scientists said. - Challapalli Sr...

The concept of human dignity was defined more by Supreme Court through some of its authoritative pronouncements than by the Constitution, said Justice A.K. Sikri of Supreme Court, who delivered Justice M.R.A. Ansari memorial lecture in Hyderabad on 18th August, 2018 (Saturday). Recalling some decisions of Justice Ansari, who struck down several preventive detention orders of Delhi police during Emergency, Justice Sikri said judges of eight High Courts displayed remarkable courage, but the Supreme Court failed in its duties at that time. But judgments given by Justice Ansari in matters of preventive detention anticipated rules of law which Supreme Court would later lay down as law, he said quoting P.N. Lekhi, President of Delhi High Court Bar Association, who too was detained under PD Act. Lekhi contested as Bar President and won from jail during the Emergency. "Later, Supreme Court through various judgments expanded the scope of Articles. 14, 19 and 21 that deal with equality, r...

Most stock investors have earned handsome returns in the past 2-3 years. But over-confidence in your stock picking ability can be ruinous. Here are five ways how investors become their worst enemies. Fear of missing out : The fear of missing out (FoMo) factor comes into play when you see everybody and his uncle making big money in stocks. Gripped by the regret of staying away and pushed by the desire to catch some piece of the action, fence sitters and newbies jump headlong into the market. Suddenly every stock  looks worth buying. However, even a good scrip is a bad investment at a high price. Just keep in mind that you won't miss an opportunity of a lifetime by not investing now.  Too much dopamine : Over-confidence is dangerous in the stock market. Investors who are less confident make fewer mistakes than those who are brash. Human biology plays its own tricks here. When a trade goes right and an investor makes money, the brain releases dopamine in the body, which mak...

Like an iceberg, the impact of the Capital Gains Tax will be far more than the 10% that is visible on the surface, with the lack of indexation sinking the real returns for savers. You might resent this tax, or you may console yourself with the fact that it is a lot lower than the 30% income tax slab you are on. If it's the latter, you may be getting ahead of yourself. This tax will cost you a lot more than 10% of your returns. You could actually lose 30-40 or even more, depending on how you invest. Over long periods, you will lose a lot more money because no equity investor is going to hold the exact same investments for such long periods. At some point, you will sell some of your holdings and buy something else. Given the structure of tax laws, capital gains would be taxed on each such switch, leading to less capital being available for compounding subsequently. The eventual impact would be quiet large, but would differ for each investor depending on their buying and selling pat...

When the equity markets make front page news, especially the highs of the indices and the millions of gains in market cap, investors begin to take notice. However, new investors in equity, especially ones drawn in by the gains made by people around them, run the risk of making costly mistakes. Here are the mistakes you should avoid in a bull market. Do not be taken in by the new highs. Once the past peak of an index has been crossed, every new level is a new high and there is nothing extraordinary about it. These are journeys of an index which will go up as the market prices of stocks go up. They are not urgent reminders that tell you about lost opportunities. Do not treat them like immediate calls for action. Do not check the index everyday, and do not make generalisations based on the index. Explanations about why the market is up or down are equally useless. Discount them. How you will do is a function of what you are buying, holding and selling. Stay focused on that micro reality...

Let's face it. There can be nothing more frustrating than trying to surf the Internet using Wi-Fi that is agonisingly slow. While there are several companies that make claims of super-fast speed, there is no dearth of complaints from users about slow internet speed. It is important to remember that Wi-Fi waves are radio waves that travel small distances and are picked up by smart-phones. Unfortunately, if anything comes in the way of these waves, they get blocked causing slow internet speed. Here's what you need to keep in mind when it comes to your Wi-Fi router... -- Never place the router on the floor : Home routers are designed in such a way that they emit signals downward. So, when you place your router on the floor, the signal goes towards the floor instead of your smart-phone/laptop. Wi-Fi waves need no obstruction whatsoever in order to function well. -- Don't place the router in an enclosed space : While you want to protect your precious router from dust, wate...

Maharaja Ranjit Singh's grand-daughter, Princess Sophia Duleep Singh, has been honoured with a Royal Mail stamp for her rights activism. A photograph showing Sophia, daughter of Bamba Mueller and Maharaja Duleep Singh, the last ruler  of the Sikh empire, selling copies of the Suffragette mewspaper in 1913 outside Hampton Court Palace has been used for a stamp to commemorate this heroine of the British movement to get equal voting rights for women. The 1.57 Pound stamp is one of eight issued by Royal Mail on Tuesday to 'mark the centenary of the Representation of the People Act (in the UK) where for the first time women won the right to vote in parliamentary elections'. The stamps will be released for public use on 15th February, 2018. This is the first time a person of Sikh background has been featured on a Royal Mail stamp.  Sophia was the youngest of Maharaja Duleep Singh's five surviving children. Born in the UK in 1876 during her father's lifelong exile, she...

In a welcome move, the Supreme Court has declared that no one has the right to interfere in a marriage between two consenting adults. It sternly told Khap Panchayats not to assume the role of conscience keepers of society. The Apex Court's statement is extremely pertinent in a climate where personal relationships are targeted by self-proclaimed guardians of tradition. From Khap Panchayats that oppose intra-gotra marriages to the love jihad obsession of right-wing Hindu groups, falling in love and choosing one's partner has become risky business. Consider the recent discovery of a Facebook post that called for violence against inter-faith couples, listing names and profiles of 102 couples. This is a serious security matter that should have been followed by arrests of those responsible on charges of incitement to violence, if governments were at all serious about protecting citizens and preserving Rule of Law. Alas, that was not to be - even though the failure of the law to pro...

[ Based on an article written by Indrani Bagchi, published in The Times of India dated 07th February, 2018 (Wednesday) ]. Maldives is in the grip of another internal crisis. President Abdulla Yameen, a thinly veiled autocrat, has thrown a blanket of emergency on the island nation after the Supreme Court ordered the release and re-trial of 12 high profile political prisoners including a former President and Vice-President. The Chief Justice is behind bars as is Yameen's half-brother and former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Others will likely follow, as Yameen seems hell bent on populating his prisons with his opponents. There are calls for India to 'act'. Why should we not be a big power and show muscle in the shape of warships and fighters to cut panda-hugging Yameen down to size? A reprise of Op Cactus? Or sanctions? Something, anything! India would be monumentally stupid to take any of these actions at present. Maldivs has been in a state of low level instability fo...