Three Indian scientific journals have featured, for the first time since their inception, special issues authored exclusively by women scientists to trigger a debate on lower representation of women in science.

Centred on International Day of Women and Girls in Science (February 11) and International Women's Day on March 8, an all-female authorship is the focus in Current Science journal (forthcoming issue) and the March issue of Resonance (published by the Indian Academy of Sciences) and Physics News (Indian Physics Association publication).

Researchers Prajval Shastri and Sudeshna Mazumdar-Leighton, guest editors of the Resonance issue write in the editorial that "such a 'special' issue should not have been necessary".

Expanding on the gender gap in sciences and other arenas, they note: "Science faculty in Indian universities, (i.e., trained science PhDs) have about 45 per cent women."

"Yet, this fraction is not matched in elite research institutions, in institutional leadership, in awards and honours, and also, it turns out, in the authorship of Resonance, which is under 16 per cent even over the last three years."

The Resonance edition is oriented towards the physical sciences as the field "has a very large gender gap", say the guest editors.

Resonance showcases Lise Meitner, an "extraordinary physicist who discovered nuclear fission and the world has never been the same since. Sadly for Meitner, like for many scientists of her time and after who happened to be women, acknowledgement was far from proportional to their contributions to humanity."

Shastri also guest-edited Physics News, along with Bindu Bambah and Vandana Nanal.

Current Science (launched in 1932) features articles by young Indian women scientists and also includes a short paragraph about them to highlight their career graph.

"Even though the recent successes of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have brought the achievements of its women scientists to the forefront, other than Tessy Thomas, the others remain unknown. This special section is a small attempt towards redressing this situation, by focusing on the work of young women scientists," write guest editors Sulabha Kulkarni and Neelima Gupte in the preface.

"We therefore hope that this attempt to showcase good scientific work by young women scientists, will not only be encouraging to women researchers, but will also be seen as a good initiative to encourage and bring to the force the work of women scientists," they say.

Three Indian scientific journals have featured, for the first time since their inception, special issues authored exclusively by women scientists to trigger a debate on lower representation of women in science.

Centred on International Day of Women and Girls in Science (February 11) and International Women's Day on March 8, an all-female authorship is the focus in Current Science journal (forthcoming issue) and the March issue of Resonance (published by the Indian Academy of Sciences) and Physics News (Indian Physics Association publication).

Researchers Prajval Shastri and Sudeshna Mazumdar-Leighton, guest editors of the Resonance issue write in the editorial that "such a 'special' issue should not have been necessary".

Expanding on the gender gap in sciences and other arenas, they note: "Science faculty in Indian universities, (i.e., trained science PhDs) have about 45 per cent women."

"Yet, this fraction is not matched in elite research institutions, in institutional leadership, in awards and honours, and also, it turns out, in the authorship of Resonance, which is under 16 per cent even over the last three years."

The Resonance edition is oriented towards the physical sciences as the field "has a very large gender gap", say the guest editors.

Resonance showcases Lise Meitner, an "extraordinary physicist who discovered nuclear fission and the world has never been the same since. Sadly for Meitner, like for many scientists of her time and after who happened to be women, acknowledgement was far from proportional to their contributions to humanity."

Shastri also guest-edited Physics News, along with Bindu Bambah and Vandana Nanal.

Current Science (launched in 1932) features articles by young Indian women scientists and also includes a short paragraph about them to highlight their career graph.

"Even though the recent successes of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have brought the achievements of its women scientists to the forefront, other than Tessy Thomas, the others remain unknown. This special section is a small attempt towards redressing this situation, by focusing on the work of young women scientists," write guest editors Sulabha Kulkarni and Neelima Gupte in the preface.

"We therefore hope that this attempt to showcase good scientific work by young women scientists, will not only be encouraging to women researchers, but will also be seen as a good initiative to encourage and bring to the force the work of women scientists," they say.

Bollywood actress Disha Patani on Tuesday discarded the news of replacing Sara Ali Khan in Student of the Year 2.

"I am also reading this news. It is weird to read the news that says sometimes Sara sometimes me. I don't know what's going on," she said at the launch of her own app on Tuesday.

Asked if she has been approached for the film, the MS Dhoni actress said: No comments.

Reports were doing round that, director Punit Malhotra is keen to cast Disha Patani opposite Tiger Shroff in the second instalment of 2012 blockbuster. Punit is very impressed with Disha as they had recently shot for a commercial together.

The young actress who is set to accelerate her popularity further by connecting with her fans by launching her new mobile app said: "She will be super-friendly and expressive on the platform but not going to break the fine line between being personal and professional."

She also spoke about trolls on social media, "We have freedom of speech and anybody's idea can't be a fact. If I am writing down something and it is my idea, my imagination. It won't be fact. I don't take others' views seriously because that isn't a fact. I do respect everyone's view but I am not affected."

"When I see anyone on social media write nasty things I block them immediately," she added later.

Disha was seen in her last release MS Dhoni: The Untold Story and Kung Fu Yoga with Jackie Chan.

Bollywood actress Disha Patani on Tuesday discarded the news of replacing Sara Ali Khan in Student of the Year 2.

"I am also reading this news. It is weird to read the news that says sometimes Sara sometimes me. I don't know what's going on," she said at the launch of her own app on Tuesday.

Asked if she has been approached for the film, the MS Dhoni actress said: No comments.

Reports were doing round that, director Punit Malhotra is keen to cast Disha Patani opposite Tiger Shroff in the second instalment of 2012 blockbuster. Punit is very impressed with Disha as they had recently shot for a commercial together.

The young actress who is set to accelerate her popularity further by connecting with her fans by launching her new mobile app said: "She will be super-friendly and expressive on the platform but not going to break the fine line between being personal and professional."

She also spoke about trolls on social media, "We have freedom of speech and anybody's idea can't be a fact. If I am writing down something and it is my idea, my imagination. It won't be fact. I don't take others' views seriously because that isn't a fact. I do respect everyone's view but I am not affected."

"When I see anyone on social media write nasty things I block them immediately," she added later.

Disha was seen in her last release MS Dhoni: The Untold Story and Kung Fu Yoga with Jackie Chan.

The ski resort of Gulmarg received fresh snowfall on Wednesday as the weather office forecast light to moderate rain and snow in Jammu and Kashmir during the next 24 hours.

"Fresh two inch deep snow has been recorded on ground in Gulmarg today (Wednesday) while Srinagar city received 6.8 mm of rain during the last 12 hours, an official of the Met department told IANS.

"10.8 mm of rain were also recorded in Pahalgam during this period," he added.

The official said Srinagar recorded 4.9 degrees Celsius as the minimum temperature on Wednesday while it was 3.4 and minus 1.5 in Pahalgam and Gulmarg respectively.

Leh town of Ladakh region recorded 1.5 degree Celsius and Kargil minus 4.5 as the night's lowest temperatures.

The Met official said Jammu city recorded 18.5 degree Celsius, Katra town 17.6, Batote 11.2 , Banihal 8.3 and Bhaderwah 7.6 as the minimum temperatures on Wednesday.

Despite two days of inclement weather, locals are already looking forward to an eye-soothing spring in Kashmir.

Almond blooms dot the highlands in the Kashmir Valley as also the historic 'Badamwari' (Garden of Almonds) in old city Srinagar these days.

Pansies, daffodils and other early summer flowers have also come to bloom in the historic Mughal Gardens of Kashmir.
 

The ski resort of Gulmarg received fresh snowfall on Wednesday as the weather office forecast light to moderate rain and snow in Jammu and Kashmir during the next 24 hours.

"Fresh two inch deep snow has been recorded on ground in Gulmarg today (Wednesday) while Srinagar city received 6.8 mm of rain during the last 12 hours, an official of the Met department told IANS.

"10.8 mm of rain were also recorded in Pahalgam during this period," he added.

The official said Srinagar recorded 4.9 degrees Celsius as the minimum temperature on Wednesday while it was 3.4 and minus 1.5 in Pahalgam and Gulmarg respectively.

Leh town of Ladakh region recorded 1.5 degree Celsius and Kargil minus 4.5 as the night's lowest temperatures.

The Met official said Jammu city recorded 18.5 degree Celsius, Katra town 17.6, Batote 11.2 , Banihal 8.3 and Bhaderwah 7.6 as the minimum temperatures on Wednesday.

Despite two days of inclement weather, locals are already looking forward to an eye-soothing spring in Kashmir.

Almond blooms dot the highlands in the Kashmir Valley as also the historic 'Badamwari' (Garden of Almonds) in old city Srinagar these days.

Pansies, daffodils and other early summer flowers have also come to bloom in the historic Mughal Gardens of Kashmir.
 

In a major development to the 1992 Babri masjid demolition case involving senior BJP leaders L K Advani and others, the Supreme Court on Wednesday adjourned its hearing till Thursday and said an appropriate bench will hear the case.

The apex court was on Wednesday expected to decide whether senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti should face trial in the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case.

The top court adjourned the case on a CBI plea challenging a trial court’s decision to drop criminal conspiracy charges BJP and other Hindu right-wing leaders in the Babri masjid demolition case.

The hearing comes a day after the Supreme Court on Tuesday called for an amicable settlement to the Ayodhya dispute, terming it most sensitive and sentimental matter.

In a major development to the 1992 Babri masjid demolition case involving senior BJP leaders L K Advani and others, the Supreme Court on Wednesday adjourned its hearing till Thursday and said an appropriate bench will hear the case.

The apex court was on Wednesday expected to decide whether senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti should face trial in the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case.

The top court adjourned the case on a CBI plea challenging a trial court’s decision to drop criminal conspiracy charges BJP and other Hindu right-wing leaders in the Babri masjid demolition case.

The hearing comes a day after the Supreme Court on Tuesday called for an amicable settlement to the Ayodhya dispute, terming it most sensitive and sentimental matter.

The Supreme Court suggested on Tuesday that it is sympathetic to Microsoft Corp in a dispute with disgruntled owners of the Xbox 360 video-game system who sued saying the console has a design defect that scratches game discs.

The justices heard arguments on Tuesday in a case that involves the Xbox 360 owners' attempts to get class action status for their lawsuit, which was filed several years ago in the state of Washington, where Microsoft is headquartered.

Xbox 360 owners were initially denied class action status in the lawsuit. Several justices seemed sympathetic to Microsoft's argument that the Xbox 360 owners shouldn't be permitted to use a procedural maneuver to force an appeals court to weigh in after the appeals court declined to do so.

Microsoft has sold millions of Xbox 360 consoles since they were introduced in 2005. It says only 0.4 per cent of owners report disk scratching and that in many cases damage is the result of consumer misuse.

The company says consumers were warned both in the instruction manual and on a sticker affixed to the console not to move it while a disc was inside.

When a handful of Xbox 360 owners sued, a federal judge initially said the lawsuit couldn't proceed as a class action, and an appeals court declined to consider an appeal of that decision.

The Xbox 360 owners then asked the judge to dismiss their case, a procedural move designed to get the appeals court to weigh in, which it did. Microsoft says that shouldn't be allowed to happen.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg told the attorney for the Xbox 360 owners, Peter Stris, that "rule makers went through a lot of work" to come up with the rule governing appeals in class action cases and suggested he was making an end run around it.

And Justice Stephen Breyer suggested the "simplicity" of ruling for Microsoft seemed preferable, asking Stris if there was "anything terrible that would happen" if the justices ruled against his clients.

Arguing for Microsoft, lawyer Jeffrey Fisher told the court that ruling for the Xbox 360 owners would "upend" the "carefully considered" rule governing an appeal of a class action determination.

Business groups including the US Chamber of Commerce have urged the court to side with Microsoft. In briefs to the court they say a ruling for the Xbox 360 owners gives those who file questionable class action lawsuits another chance to pursue class action status if they fail to get it at an early stage of the litigation. 

The Supreme Court suggested on Tuesday that it is sympathetic to Microsoft Corp in a dispute with disgruntled owners of the Xbox 360 video-game system who sued saying the console has a design defect that scratches game discs.

The justices heard arguments on Tuesday in a case that involves the Xbox 360 owners' attempts to get class action status for their lawsuit, which was filed several years ago in the state of Washington, where Microsoft is headquartered.

Xbox 360 owners were initially denied class action status in the lawsuit. Several justices seemed sympathetic to Microsoft's argument that the Xbox 360 owners shouldn't be permitted to use a procedural maneuver to force an appeals court to weigh in after the appeals court declined to do so.

Microsoft has sold millions of Xbox 360 consoles since they were introduced in 2005. It says only 0.4 per cent of owners report disk scratching and that in many cases damage is the result of consumer misuse.

The company says consumers were warned both in the instruction manual and on a sticker affixed to the console not to move it while a disc was inside.

When a handful of Xbox 360 owners sued, a federal judge initially said the lawsuit couldn't proceed as a class action, and an appeals court declined to consider an appeal of that decision.

The Xbox 360 owners then asked the judge to dismiss their case, a procedural move designed to get the appeals court to weigh in, which it did. Microsoft says that shouldn't be allowed to happen.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg told the attorney for the Xbox 360 owners, Peter Stris, that "rule makers went through a lot of work" to come up with the rule governing appeals in class action cases and suggested he was making an end run around it.

And Justice Stephen Breyer suggested the "simplicity" of ruling for Microsoft seemed preferable, asking Stris if there was "anything terrible that would happen" if the justices ruled against his clients.

Arguing for Microsoft, lawyer Jeffrey Fisher told the court that ruling for the Xbox 360 owners would "upend" the "carefully considered" rule governing an appeal of a class action determination.

Business groups including the US Chamber of Commerce have urged the court to side with Microsoft. In briefs to the court they say a ruling for the Xbox 360 owners gives those who file questionable class action lawsuits another chance to pursue class action status if they fail to get it at an early stage of the litigation. 

Trivendra Singh Rawat, who recently took over as the Uttarakhand chief minister, is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Wednesday.

In his first visit after assuming office, Rawat is scheduled to meet Modi at 1200 hrs in Parliament House, an official said.

Rawat, who met Home Minister Rajnath Singh in the morning, is also expected to meet President Pranab Mukherjre in the evening, the official added.

Rawat, who sworn in as the 9th chief minister of Uttarakhand on March 18 after BJP's landslide win in assembly polls, arrived here yesterday evening.

BJP bagged 57 of the 70 seats in assembly.

Trivendra Singh Rawat, who recently took over as the Uttarakhand chief minister, is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Wednesday.

In his first visit after assuming office, Rawat is scheduled to meet Modi at 1200 hrs in Parliament House, an official said.

Rawat, who met Home Minister Rajnath Singh in the morning, is also expected to meet President Pranab Mukherjre in the evening, the official added.

Rawat, who sworn in as the 9th chief minister of Uttarakhand on March 18 after BJP's landslide win in assembly polls, arrived here yesterday evening.

BJP bagged 57 of the 70 seats in assembly.

Reality TV star Khloe Kardashian, who has her own denim line, says she used to avoid wearing denim for years after constantly being snubbed by boutiques over her size.

Khloe, whose denim line is called Good American, says jeans made her felt insecure earlier as she often struggled to find any that would fit her figure when she used to go on shopping with her sisters Kim and Kourtney, reports dailymail.co.uk.

"When I used to shop at high-end boutiques for jeans with my sisters, they would ask for waist size 28 or 26," Khloe told Grazia magazine.

"I would ask for a 31 and the sales assistants would look at me, make this hissing sound and reply, ‘We don't carry that size here'.

"It made me feel so embarrassed and ashamed that for a long time in my life I didn't wear denim… It does scar. I've held on to those words for so long," she added. 

Reality TV star Khloe Kardashian, who has her own denim line, says she used to avoid wearing denim for years after constantly being snubbed by boutiques over her size.

Khloe, whose denim line is called Good American, says jeans made her felt insecure earlier as she often struggled to find any that would fit her figure when she used to go on shopping with her sisters Kim and Kourtney, reports dailymail.co.uk.

"When I used to shop at high-end boutiques for jeans with my sisters, they would ask for waist size 28 or 26," Khloe told Grazia magazine.

"I would ask for a 31 and the sales assistants would look at me, make this hissing sound and reply, ‘We don't carry that size here'.

"It made me feel so embarrassed and ashamed that for a long time in my life I didn't wear denim… It does scar. I've held on to those words for so long," she added. 

In a key advance for safely navigating future human exploration of the solar system, NASA said it is set to send its next-generation atomic clock to space in late 2017.
This clock will be smaller, lighter and magnitudes more precise than any atomic clock flown in space before, NASA said.

Engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California have completed integration of the instrument, the Deep Space Atomic Clock, with the spacecraft that will take it into orbit later in 2017, the US space agency said in a statement on Tuesday.

Timekeeping plays a critical role in spacecraft navigation and will be especially important for future deep space missions. 

Most spacecraft are tracked using "two-way" methods — the ground-based antenna 'pings' the spacecraft and waits for the signal to return. 

By measuring how long the signal takes to travel, the distance to the spacecraft can be calculated. 

A navigation team then processes this information to determine the spacecraft's flight path and also determine if any course corrections are required. 

The next-generation atomic clock developed by NASA enables "one-way" tracking, where the spacecraft does not need to send the signal back to Earth. 

The tracking measurements could be taken onboard and processed with a spacecraft-based navigation system to determine the path and whether any manoeuvre are needed to stay on course. 

This will be a key advance for safely navigating future human exploration of the solar system by providing astronauts with their position and velocity when they need it, according to NASA.

It will lighten the load on the antennas in NASA's Deep Space Network, allowing more spacecraft to be tracked with a single antenna.

The Deep Space Atomic Clock would also improve the precision and quantity of the radio data used by scientists for determining a planet's gravity field and probing its atmosphere, NASA said.