28th Feb

Completed morning program. In the Supreme Court of India and the chamber from 1 to 5 pm.
Retired to sleep at 11.15 pm.

26th Feb

Completed morning program. In  the Supreme Court of India and chamber from 1 to 4 pm. On way back visited Hanuman temple at Chanakyapuri.

Retired to sleep at 10.30 pm.

25th Feb

Completed morning program. Attended a meeting along with Advocate Atiar Singh Dey at Oberoi hotel from 1.30 to 3 pm. In chamber from 3.15 to 5 pm.
Retired to sleep at 11.15 pm.

24th Feb

Completed morning program. Spent the day reading magazines and newspapers. 2 boycame requesting donation for "Cry". Gave them a small donation.Retired to sleep at 10.45 pm.

News of the day : 1."Early life stress may up risk of heart disease

Washington: Early life stress like that experienced by ill newborns appears to take an early toll of the heart, affecting its ability to relax and refill with oxygen-rich blood, researchers have revealed.

The researchers found that pat pups separated from their mothers a few hours each day, experienced a significant decrease in this basic heart function when - as life tends to do - an extra stressor was added to raise blood pressure, said Dr. Catalina Bazacliu, neonatologist at the Medical College of Georgia and Children`s Hospital of Georgia at Georgia Regents University." ZNews.com, Health,24th Feb.2013. on line

2 : "Malfunctioning glands linked to kidney stones

Excessive calcium levels, linked to formation of kidney stones, can be traced to the over activity of parathyroid glands (hyperparathyroidism), affecting women and the elderly, suggests a new study. 

Researchers from the University of CaliforniaLos Angeles, (UCLA) determined that hyperparathyroidism is the leading cause of high blood-calcium levels and is responsible for nearly 90 per cent of all cases. 

Calcium loss from bones often leads toosteoporosis and fractures, and excessive calcium levels in the blood can cause kidney stones and worsening kidney function, researchers from the UCLA said, the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism reports. 

The four parathyroid glands, located in the neck, next to the thyroid, regulate the body's calcium levels. When one is dysfunctional, it can cause major imbalances -- for example, by releasing calcium from the bones and into the bloodstream, according to an UCLA statement. 

"The findings suggest that hyperparathyroidism is the predominant cause of high calcium levels, so if patients find they have high calcium, they should also have their parathyroid hormone level checked," said Michael W. Yeh, associate professor of surgery and endocrinology at the David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, who led the study. 

Researchers utilized a patient database from Kaiser Permanente Southern California that included information on 3.5 million individuals. 

Using data from lab results, researchers identified 15,234 cases of chronic high-calcium levels. Of those cases, 13,327 patients (87 per cent) were found to have hyperparathyroidism. The incidence of hyperparathyroidism -- reported as the number of cases per 100,000 people per year -- was found to be highest among African Americans, followed by Caucasians, Asians and Hispanics."The Times of India, Health, dt.24.02.2113 on line

23rd Feb

Completed morning program. Spent the day reading magazines and newspapers.
Hyderabad type of  blasts will continue to occur unless politics stops in dealing with terror and all join in fighting the menace.
Retired to sleep 11.45 pm

22nd Feb.

Completed morning program. Attended a meeting of the sub- committee of Arsispo to work out a plan for Research Based Policing which involves data collection in urban and rural areas. Shri Jaruahar, a retired Director of BPRD, was requested to prepare a paper on the subject for a meeting with the  DG BPRD/Home Secretary/Home Minister. It was decided to take up the issues relating to Victims of Crime and Level of satisfaction with Police action to start with. Later other matters could be taken up one by one.
In the Supreme Court of India and chamber from 1 to 3.30 pm.
Retired to sleep at 10.30 pm.

21st Feb.

Completed morning program. Visited CGHS(Aurvedic). In the Supreme Court of India and and chamber from 1 to 4.45 pm.
Retired to sleep at 10 pm.

20th Feb.

Completed morning  program. Along with Venita attended Winter lunch at Nizamuddin BSF Mess, organised by Arsispo. About 55 persons including ladies attended. Met most of them. The food was good.
In chamber from 2.30 to 4 pm.
Retired to sleep at 10 pm.

19th Feb.

Completed morning program. Venita left for Gurgaon to look up Subhash and Neha who were not keeping well for the last few days. She too was to accompany Neha to the hospital for consultation with a physician.  She desired to spend some time with Alaynah on way back. She is always keen to spend  sometime with Alaynah. Venita says that after sometime Alaynah will start going to pre-nursery classes and  get preoccupied with new faces in the school. Then she won't be available much to play with. Despite her plan, Venita could not spend much time with Alaynah today. Alaynah was not too well and in no mood to play. She met Subhash and Sunita. Subhash is now much better. Neha consulted her physician.
A child's brain fully develops by 2 years. Alaynah is 2+  It starts gathering knowledge of the things around and reacts later in tune with the acquired knowledge .This process continues upto about 5 years.
After 5 and upto 12, it is at different levels of understanding. Depending upon the level, it's liability under civil and criminal is determined. The Indian Law treats it as minor upto18 irrespective of the understanding. The level of understanding is, however, quite  relevant in almost all western legal systems.The Supreme Court of India is examining the issue in the context of a minor's involvement in the recent Delhi gang rape case. The minor is reported to have played a horrendous role in the commission of crime. It is hoped that the Indian Law will be changed to conform to more sensible western laws in this regard
In chamber from 1.30 to 4 pm.
Retired to sleep at 11.45 pm.

18th Feb

Completed morning program. In the Supreme Court of India and chamber from 1 to 4 pm.
Retired to sleep at 10.45 pm.

17th Feb.

Completed morning program. Attended betrothal ceremony of Tarun/Sangita's son, Anand, at CSOI  Kasturba Gandhi Marg. Earlier attended Dikshit's son's marriage at CSOI, Chanakyapuri. Dikshit is a member of Fatehpur Forum at Delhi.  CSOI's Kasturba Gandhi Marg has not yet fully shifted to its new building at Chanakyapuri.
Retired to sleep at 11.45 pm.

16th Feb.

Completed morning program. Spent the day reading magazines and newspapers. 
Retired to sleep at 9.45 pm / 

15th Feb.

Completed morning program. In chamber from 1.30 to 3.30 pm. Venita returned from Gurgaon where she had gone 4 days back to spend time with grandchildren.
Retired to sleep at 9.30 pm.

News of the day  : "Meteor shower hits Central Russia, 400 injured"
"Moscow: The Ural region of Central Russia was on Friday hit by a meteor shower, causing sharp explosions and reportedly injuring more than 400 people. 

According to reports, loud explosions were heard in the mountainous Russian region this morning combined with brightly burning rocks that could be seen from several hundreds of kilometres. 
The burning rocks were identified as possible meteorites, falling from the sky. 

"A meteorite exploded above the Chelyabinsk region (of the Urals). At several places the windows were blown away due to the shock waves”, an emergency official recounted. 
He further remarked, "It was definitely not a plane. We are gathering the bits of information and have no data on the casualties so far." 

Witnesses in Chelyabinsk reported hearing a huge blast early in the morning and feeling a shock wave in a 19-storey building in the town center. 

The residents in the region also reported occurrences like shaking ground, windows being shattered and car alarms being set off during the shower.

The trace from a falling object could be seen in Yekaterinburg, some 200 kilometers (125 miles) southeast of Chelyabinsk, as added by another witness.

The Russian Interior Ministry later confirmed that more than 400 people have been hurt in the meteorite fall." Z News. com dt 15.02.2013 on line

14th Feb

Completed morning program. Visited the Supreme Court of India, In chamber from 1.30 to 5 pm.
Retired to sleep at 10 pm.

13th Feb.

Completed morning program. Visited North avenue CGHS. And later the Supreme Court of India. In chamber from 1.30 to 3.30 pm  Sh. Nikhil Kumar, Governor of Nagaland addressed the Arsispo at their office, RK Puram on 'Situation in North East' Attended. He dwelt upon the distinctive tribal identities of the North East. In this connection his focus was on the Nagas in the North East. Efforts were afoot to settle the Naga problem.
He is an ex-IPS officer of 1963 batch of the State of Bihar.
Retired to sleep at 10.45 pm. 

News of the day : "Forget hedonism - today's young prefer lenten abstinence

IT might not quite fit the image of youthful rebellion and excess but young people are more willing than their elders to give something up for lent"

By John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor

"The survey by YouGov for The Church Times found that 35 per cent of people aged 18 to 24 were planning to give something up for lent this year.

It compares with 30 per cent of 25 to 34-year-olds and only 21 per cent of those over 35.

But the survey, conducted to mark the Church Times’s 150th anniversary, also revealed some confusion over the meaning of the 40-day period of fasting and self denial leading up to Easter.

Asked to write what they thought lent was, most variously described it as a time “for giving things up”, a Christian festival or a 40-day observance" The Telrgraph, dt.13.01.2013

12th Feb.

Completed morning program. Looked up Akshat at Gurgaon. He is having fever for the last few days. Venita will stay with him for 4 days.  In chamber from 3.30 to 5 pm.
Retired to sleep at 11.30 pm.

News of the day : "London: Scientists have discovered 24 new genes that cause refractive errors and myopia (short-sightedness).

Myopia is a major cause of blindness and visual impairment worldwide, and currently there is no cure. 

These findings could lead to finding better treatments or ways of preventing the condition in the future.

During visual development in childhood and adolescence the eye grows in length, but in myopes it grows too long, and light entering the eye is then focused in front of the retina rather than on it. This results in a blurred image. This refractive error can be corrected with glasses, contact lenses or surgery. 
However, the eye remains longer, the retina is thinner, and this may lead to retinal detachment, glaucoma or macular degeneration, especially with higher degrees of myopia. Myopia is highly heritable, although up to now, little was known about the genetic background.
To find the genes responsible, researchers from Europe, Asia, Australia and the United States collaborated as the Consortium for Refraction and Myopia (CREAM
To find the genes responsible, researchers from Europe, Asia, Australia and the United States collaborated as the Consortium for Refraction and Myopia (CREAM
he new genes include those, which function in brain and eye tissue signalling, the structure of the eye, and eye development. The genes lead to a high risk of myopia and carriers of the high-risk genes had a tenfold increased risk.

It was already known that environmental factors, such as reading, lack of outdoor exposure, and a higher level of education could increase the risk of myopia. The condition is more common in people living in urban areas. 

An unfavourable combination of genetic predisposition and environmental factors appears to be particularly risky for development of myopia. How these environmental factors affect the newly identified genes and cause myopia remains intriguing, and will be further investigated by the consortium.
Professor Chris Hammond from the Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology at King`s College London, and lead author of the paper, said: "We already knew that myopia - or short-sightedness - tends to run in families, but until now we knew little about the genetic causes. This study reveals for the first time a group of new genes that are associated with myopia and that carriers of some of these genes have a 10-fold increased risk of developing the condition."

These findings have been published in the journal Nature Genetics." The Z News on line dt 12.02.2013

11th Feb.

Completed morning program. Visited PNB. Also  the Supreme Court of India. In chamber from 1.30 to 4.30 pm.
Retired to sleep at 11.15 m.

10th Feb

Completed morning program. Spent the day reading magazines and newspapers.
Retired to sleep at 10.15 pm

News of the day :  "NASA's Curiosity rover gets first Mars rock samples"
"NASA's Curiosity rover has become the first spacecraft ever to drill into a Martian rock and collect stone powder samples for further study, NASA said.

The rover, which landed on the red planet in August 2012, used a drill carried at the end of its robotic arm to bore into the rock and collect a sample from its interior.

The rock is believed to hold evidence about long-gone wet environments.

"The most advanced planetary robot ever designed is now a fully operating analytical laboratory on Mars," said John Grunsfeld, NASA associate administrator for the agency's Science Mission Directorate.

"This is the biggest milestone accomplishment for the Curiosity team since the sky-crane landing last August."

Curiosity will soon use its laboratory equipment to analyse rock powder collected by the drill.

Small portions of the sample will be processed by the rover's Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) instrument and the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument.

Curiosity landed safely in the Gale Crater for a two-year mission to determine if life exists now or has in the past, to characterise the climate and geology, and prepare for future human exploration on Mars." The Times of India, dt,10.02.2013 on line

9th Feb.

Completed morning program. Spent the day reading magazines and newspapers. Attended the cremation  of late VP Chaudhury, a resident of the Society.
Retired to sleep at 10.15 pm.
News of the day : "China's economy shows no fear of Year of Snake"

"China bids farewell to the luckiest year of its zodiac, the Dragon, and ushers in the Year of the Snake, associated with fear and bad tidings.

But its economy is starting the new year on an upswing, if last month’s trade data is any indication.

Exports grew a robust 25 per cent year-on-year in January and imports performed similarly well, up 28.8 per cent, according to data released Friday on the last working day before the country’s biggest holiday of the year. The country’s trade surplus is also up, 7.7 per cent year-on-year to $29.2-billion in January." The Globe and Mail dt.09.02.2013 on line

8th Feb

Completed morning program. Visited the Supreme Court. Met Pravesh in his office. In  chamber from 3 to 4.30 pm.
Retired to sleep at 11.15 pm.

7th Feb.

Completed morning program. In chamber from  1.30 to 3.30 pm.
Retired to sleep at 11 pm. 

6th Feb

Could not adhere to morning program..Attended "National Conference on Police Reforms", organized by Foundation for Peace, Harmony and Good Governance"  at India  Habitate Center.from 9.45 am to 6 pm.. In between spent an hour in chamber after  lunch break. Also attended marriage and reception of Dadwals'son, our neighbor, in the block at Silver Oak Resorts on Rohatak road, New Delhi..
Retired to sleep at 1.10 am of 7th Jan.

News of the day :"Link found between pesticides and type-2 diabetes"
"Pesticides in food, air and water may be directly linked with the development of type 2 diabetes, regardless of a person's age, gender or body mass index, a new Spanish research study has found. 

These substances tend to concentrate in body fat, and they might be one of the reasons why obese people are more likely to develop diabetes, since the greater the fat, the higher the pesticide concentrations in the body, researchers from the University of Granada found. 
Researchers demonstrate that people with higher concentrations of DDE - the main metabolite in the pesticide DDT - are four times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than other people, the journal Environmental Research reports. 

In addition, the risk of type 2 diabetes is also associated with exposure to I-HCH (beta-Hexachlorocyclohexane), which is present in the formula of the pesticide Lindano, according to a Granada statement. 

Researchers analyzed concentrations of a specific group of pesticides in the adipose tissue of 386 adult subjects at San Cecilio hospital, Granada, and Santa Ana hospital, Motril, Spain.

Granada researcher Juan Pedro Arrebola said: "Human adipose tissue (fat) acts as an energy reservoir and has an important metabolic function. However, adipose tissue can store potentially harmful substances, such as persistent organic pollutants (COPs-pesticides)." 

COPs are a group of chemicals with diverse characteristics which are present in pesticides, industrial waste and building material. These compounds penetrate the body mainly through food, but also through air or the skin. 

COPs are a group of chemicals with diverse characteristics which are present in pesticides, industrial waste and building material. These compounds penetrate the body mainly through food, but also through air or the skin. 

The prevalence of diabetes in the world has significantly increased in the last decades. It is estimated that by 2030, 4.4 per cent of the world population will live with this metabolic disorder.

COPs are a group of chemicals with diverse characteristics which are present in pesticides, industrial waste and building material. These compounds penetrate the body mainly through food, but also through air or the skin. 

The prevalence of diabetes in the world has significantly increased in the last decades. It is estimated that by 2030, 4.4 per cent of the world population will live with this metabolic disorder."

TOI dt. 06.02.2013 on line

5th Feb

Completed morning program. Visited CGHS and CGO complex. In chamber from 1.15 to 4.45 pm. Venita attended 'Sangeet' in the neighbor's house in connection with their son's marriage.
Retired to sleep at 11 pm.

4th Feb

Completed morning program..It drizzled in the morning. Venita visited RML hospital for consultation. Visited CGHS. In chamber from 1.30 to 3.45 pm.
Retired to sleep at 10 pm

3rd Feb

Completed morning program. Attended cremation of late BD Sharma.
Retired to sleep at 10.45 pm. 

2nd Feb

Completed morning program. Spent the day reading magazines and newspapers. Sh BD Sharma, a retired ACP of Delhi Police, less than 70 years old , died at about 11 am. He was a neighbor. He was otherwise quite well. It happened suddenly.
Retired to sleep at 10.45 pm.

News of the day : "Zebrafish stem cells could heal human retinas"

"Stem cells from zebrafish, the staple of genetic research, could regenerate damaged cones in retinas and restore eyesight to people.

Rods and cones in the eyes are the most important photoreceptors. In humans, rods provide night vision, while cones offer a full-colour look at the world during the day.

It was not known, says University of Alberta researcher Ted Allison, whether stem cells could be instructed to only replace the cones in its retina. This could have important implications for human eyesight, the journal Public Library of Science ONE reports.

Almost all success in regenerating photoreceptor cells to date had been limited to rods, not cones. Most previous experiments were conducted on nocturnal rodents, animals that require good night vision and have far more rods than cones, according to an Alberta statement.

“This is the first time in an animal research model that stem cells have only repaired damaged cones,” said Allison. “For people with damaged eyesight, repairing the cones is most important because it would restore day-time colour vision.

Researchers say this shows some hope for stem cell therapy that could regenerate damaged cones in people, especially in the cone-rich regions of the retina that provide daytime/colour vision.

Allison says the next step for his team is to identify the particular gene in zebrafish that activates repair of damaged cones."The Hindu, dt. 02.02.2013 on line.

1st Feb

Completed morning program. In chamber from 12.30 to 4.30 pm.
Retired  to sleep at 10.45 pm.