The Mantle Matrix

ORS has become a household name these days as it acts as the basic treatment for diarrhoea and cholera. This solution can even be prepared by untrained people. July 29 is  observed as ORS day in India. But do you know its history and how it was discovered and most important question is  who discovered it? Dr Dilip Mahalanabis, is the pioneer of ORS (Oral Rehydration Solution). How did he discover?  During the Bangladesh liberation war, he prepared a solution for rapid rehydration to fight diarrhoea and cholera in refugee camps. As he was already a part of research in oral rehydration therapy , he prepared this solution to treat people as the intravenous fluids (saline) stocks were running out. To convince people the new treatment would work, they were told it was an oral form of saline. “The oral solution that we elected to use consisted of 22 gm glucose (as commercial monohydrate), 3.5 gm sodium chloride (as table salt) and 2.5 gm sodium bicarbonate (as baking s...

The Man whose birthday is celebrated as Teachers' Day in India.   The Man who was also  the 2nd President of India “The end -product of education should be a free creative man, who can battle against historical circumstances and adversities of nature .” This is one of the famous quotes by the legendary Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan; the man who dedicated his life to the betterment of education in India. Although he passed away on 17th April 1975, his teaching holds great significance and his idea of education inspires us to acquire knowledge beyond what is present in academics.  Early Life Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born on September 5, 1888, in the small town of Tiruttani. His father always wanted him to be a priest but his talent and curiosity for learning was immense. As a result, he embarked on an academic career by joining the school in Tirupati and Vellore. Further, he enrolled in the prestigious Christian College, Madras, in order to pursue philosophy and expl...

Dr.S Radhakrishnan held the post of Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University from 1931 to 1936, followed by Vice-Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in 1939, succeeding Madan Mohan Malviya. Dr Radhakrishnan was a scholar and was knighted in 1931 to be addressed as Sir S Radhakrishnan till the time India gained independence. He was also named as Spalding Professor of Eastern Religions and Ethics at the University of Oxford. Also, he was elected as the Fellow of the All Souls College  

BAL GANGADHAR TILAK In the eyes of Britishers, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, also known as Lokmanya Tilak, was the ‘Father of Indian unrest’ against the British Raj. ”Swarajya is my birthright, and I shall have it,” said Tilak who along with Bipin Chandra Pal and Lala Lajpat Rai constituted the ‘Lal-Bal-Pal’ trio of extremist leaders. Unlike moderates, they were not satisfied with self-rule under the British crown but wanted complete Independence for India and were not averse to using extra constitutional means to achieve their ends.  Tilak was convicted of sedition and spent 6 years in prison for defending revolutionaries. As a freedom fighter, journalist and as a man who fought against mindless westernization of Indian society his contributions are unparalleled. Lokmanya Tilak Keshav Gangadhar born on 23 July 1856 in Chikhali village in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra province. He worked as a math teacher and later became a journalist publishing two newspapers, one in Marathi and one in...

Important Qualities of a good political leader: He/She should believe in inclusiveness of people from all sections. He/She should be an representative for all sections of society and not discriminate people on basis of religion,caste or sex and give equal respect to all . He/she should have the courage to stand up and say what needs to be said rather than just tell what people like. He/she should work for people’s well-being rather than fighting for their better political positions. He/she must listen to the people and represent them faithfully. He/she should be loyal to the people he/she represents. And he/she should be loyal to other leaders so that they can work together and face problems together. Regardless of political parties and opinions, one should work with a range of other peoples to achieve the greatest good for the general public. He/she should resist themselves from various temptations of the political arena. He/she sh...

Remembering Guru Dutt. Guru Dutt, the veteran actor was a dreamer, a curious breed who impressed all with the films he made and brought an extension of his personality in his films. 97 years ago, an actor was born in Padukone, Karnataka. When an astrologer told his mother, that he would be world-famous, she shied. Little did she know, it was indeed going to be true. Guru Dutt, was a talent hub, someone who brought real-life onto the reel life. On July 9, 1925, Guru Dutt was born to Vasanthi and Shivshankar Rao Padukone, a school headmaster. He was named after Vaishnava saint Madhavacharya, the great philosopher. Guru had a disturbed and financially difficult childhood. Due to his father’s short temper, he did not have a close, emotional relationship with him. However, he did inherit his father’s short temper. As a kid, Guru Dutt was stubborn, never a talkative child, but shared a beautiful relationship with his mother. Lalitha Lajmi, the eminent artist was his younger sister. He was ma...

Who is Anna Mani, the woman on Google’s Doodle today? Anna Mani, the Indian physicist and meteorologist has been featured on Google’s Doodle to celebrate her 104th birth anniversary. But, who is she and what are her significant contributions? One of the country’s first female scientists, Anna Mani is the epitome of the phrase, “Try and try until you succeed”. Popularly known as the ‘Weather Woman of India’ her work and research made it possible for India to make accurate weather forecasts and laid the groundwork for the nations to harness renewable energy. Due to her foundational contribution, today India is able to minimize the impacts of damages caused by weather change. Early days Born on August 23, 1918, Anna Mani grew up in Travancore (present day Kerala). Her formative years were immersed in books. An avid reader, by age 12, she had read almost all the books at her public library. After high school, she did her intermediate science course at Women’s Christian College (WCC). Then ...

  Chettur Sankaran Nair, constitutional activist for Jallianwala Bagh massacre & author of 'Gandhi and Anarchy' A man who stood against all tides and took on the British government's atrocities of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. The president of the Indian National Congress and the author of the book 'Gandhi and Anarchy' was not afraid to speak his mind out. And today on the occasion of the death anniversary of Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair we will look back into his glorious freedom struggle. The journey of freedom struggle for India was a long fight in which many freedom fighters sacrificed their lives. For all the freedom fighters the goal was common but the approach to the fight was different according to their ideology. One such example in our Indian history is Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair (11 July 1857 – 24 April 1934). Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair believed in constitutional reforms and wanted the country to attain freedom with proper empowerment and without fear. Th...

  Remembering Satyajit Ray: The man who changed the course of Indian Cinema  Satyajit Ray - the legendary director who spearheaded a new wave of classic films & creations, has made unparalleled contributions to Indian cinema. Marking Indian cinema on the global map, the auteur became the first Indian director to bring Oscars on this land. From thought-provoking films to literary creations for children, this visionary man is looked upon by filmmakers from across the globe who continues to take inspiration from his work. Today, on his death anniversary, let us take a walk down the memory lane to remember the journey of this cinematic legend.  Rich-cultural heritage of Ray The man of several talents, Ray’s polymath personality led him to not only direct films or write scripts, but to compose music, designing title cards, creating marvellous sets often on ridiculously low budgets and many more. His talents can be traced down to a family with a rich cultural heritage. Ray’...

  Sambhu Nath De: Unsung And UnTold Sambhu Nath De: Another unsung Nambi Narain of India History celebrates the bold, the bravest. However, only when their efforts get recognised. Among those unfortunates, is India’s unsung, uncelebrated, unrecognised research scientist, Sambhu Nath De. Had it not been for his research work, millions of lives would have been affected by the Cholera toxin.  Just like Nambi Narain, the Indian scientist who was deprived of his crown, it is high time we talk about another, whose contribution to medicine remains uncelebrated not just by the world, but at home too.   Sambhu Nath De was born on February 1, 1915, in Garibati village, 30 km away from Calcutta (now Kolkata), West Bengal. During his lifetime he did research on several important subjects, including cholera toxic but remained unappreciated.  On April 15, 1985, at the age of 70, his demise left a black hole in the history of science and research. With his death, a chapter that was...