Bijapur is known for its "Gol Gumbaz"

Gol Gumbaz is the mausoleum of Mohammed Adil Shah (1627–55) of the Adil Shahi dynasty of Indian sultans, who ruled the Sultanate of Bijapur from 1490 to 1686.
The tomb, located in the city of Bijapur, or Vijapur in Karnataka, southern India, was built in 1659 by the famous architect, Yaqut of Dabul. The structure consists of a massive square chamber measuring nearly 50 m (160 ft) on each side and covered by a huge dome 44 meters/137.5 feet in diameter making it among one of the largest dome structures in world. The dome is supported on giant squinches supported by groined pendentives while outside the building is supported by domed octagonal corner towers.

Gol Gumbaj in Bijapur

The Dome is the third largest surviving from the pre-modern world after the Hagia Sophia of Constantinople and the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome. It while its general diameter is just a shadow larger than the Pantheon in Rome, the area it covers is substantially larger. Covering one of the biggest single chamber spaces in the world over an area of 18,225 square feet (1,693 square meters), it is a fifth larger than the better known Pantheon in Rome which is 14,996 square feet (1,393 square meters).

Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey in Oscar Library

Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey

The Screenplay of Aushotosh Gowarikar’s historical drama Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey will soon be part of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences archives.

The Library has asked Gowariker for the screenplay of the movie for the permanent core collection which is made for filmmakers, writers, actors and students worldwide for their research work, said press statement.

Members of Movie Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey

Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey featured Abhishek Bachchan and Deepika Padukone in lead roles.

The period movie, which failed to click at the Box office, is based on journalist Manini Chatterjee’s book Do & Die – The Chittagong Uprising 1930-34, about the lesser known freedom struggle.

Endangered Species

Polar Bear

Arctic Fox

Arctic foxes, Polar Bears and Musk Oxen are now in the list of endangered species, a US based ecosystem watchdog has said.

Polar Bear

Polar Bears are not the only species in danger from global warming. Center of Biological Diversity (CBD) has claimed that 17 Arctic animals are at risk from the melting ice in the region, according to the Telegraph.

Musk Oxen

Musk Ox

Oxytocin under Scrutiny

Sale and use of chemicals such as Oxytocin, a Schedule H drug is under scrutiny. It has already been banned in India for use on animals. But it is increasingly used by farmers to enhance the growth of fruits and vegetables such as pumpkins, watermelon, brinjal, gourd and cucumber. it is causing health hazards.

The drug was cheap and readily available. Oxytocin is a mammalian hormone that acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain which is used clinically to help begin or to sustain labour, to control bleeding after delivery and stimulate the secretion of breast milk. Another glaring issue is the use of chemicals such as copper sulphate for artificially colouring of fruits and vegetables.

Nalanda University Bill, 2010

Ruins of Nalanda University

A Bill named “The Nalanda University Bill, 2010” has been approved by Government for introduction in Parliament.  Bill is being piloted by the  Ministry of External Affairs.

Map of Nalanda District in Bihar

The proposed bill aims at revival of the Nalanda University as a 21^st century learning institution linking both South and East Asia and its development as place for meeting of minds from the national and international arenas, to carry out research that would link philosophy to science, technology, economy and spirituality and integrate both ancient and modern thinking.

Government of Bihar has issued a Notification transferring Nalanda University established under University of Nalanda Act, 2007 to the central Government for setting up of the Nalanda University.

India makes good progress in reducing Maternal Mortality Rate

According to WHO-UNICEF-UNFPA-World Bank report 63,000 of estimated 3, 58,000 deaths due to complications during pregnancy and child births worldwide occur in India.  That means one in Six women who dies due to pregnancy-related causes worldwide live in India. There are few facts deserving greater attention.

1.    MMR in India fell from 570 per lakh births in 1990 to 230 in 2008, a decline of 59%.
2.  Uncertainty of estimation, possibly MMR could range between 150 to 380 in 2008.
3.   Estimate of 230 implies an annual decline in MMR of 4.9% between 1990 to 2008, only slightly below the 5.5% annual decline needed to achieve the ambitious Millennium Development Goal of 75% reduction in MMR by 2015.

Please join hands to fight cancer

Each year 127 lakh people discover that they have cancer and of them 76 lakh die. 

The WHO projects that unless immediate action taken, deaths from cancer will increase by nearly 80 percent by 2030; most of them occuring in low and middle income countries.


Research suggests that "one-third of cancer deaths can be avoided through prevention" and "one-third through early detection and treatment."

There are so many known causes acting directly or indirectly on the systems to produce cancer. Many of them are related to "lifestyle" and avoiding these can prevent or protect against cancer.

Measures to prevent cancer include eschewing tobacco, having good dietary habits, physical activity, maintaining a healthy diet, environmental health, prevention of cancer causing infections and limited alcohol intake. 

“Dissatisfaction, a major cause”

Dissatisfaction was one of the root causes for disturbances in internal security.