Researchers from Switzerland, Germany, Austria and India have calculated the distribution of ice thickness or the volume of ice in the glaciers present across the globe.

Scientists have revealed the first ever photograph of a supermassive black hole present at the heart of the distant galaxy Messier 87 in the Virgo constellation. The image, released today shows the shadow of a black hole.

Bacteria like Salmonella and Mycobacterium, which have developed resistance to multiple drugs, are now a global health challenge. Studies estimate that the number of people succumbing to infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria is on the rise, with 33,000 deaths annually in Europe alone.

In a ceremony held at the Vigyan Bhavan in Delhi, the President of India, Shri. Ramnath Kovind announced the NIRF and ARIIA rankings for 2019. The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) ranking evaluates India’s institutes, both public and private, based on five parameters and in seven categories. The Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA), established to rank all major higher educational institutions and universities in India on its innovation and entrepreneurship development, made its debut this year.

Dr Syed Zahoor Qasim, who successfully led India’s first Antarctic expedition in 1981, has been commemorated for his contributions to the Indian polar programme in a special issue of Polar Science. A peer-reviewed academic journal, Polar Science aims to inform people about polar science, primarily in Asia. It is published by the National Institute of Polar Research in collaboration with Elsevier and is one of the few comprehensive academic journals in the field of polar science.

Researchers at the International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington DC, USA, assessed the reach of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) program to the intended beneficiaries and took stock of its shortcomings.

Researchers at King George’s Medical University and Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, has estimated the burden of community-acquired pneumonia among children aged 2-59 months in four districts of Northern India.

Researchers from the University of Turku, Finland describe some interesting differences in the personalities of male and female Asian elephants.

In a recent study, researchers from Canada, Brazil, China, Mexico, India and Switzerland have tried to uncover the reasons behind this alarming statistic by analysing the causes of deaths in these children from India, China, Brazil, and Mexico. These countries have an estimated 40% of kids aged 5-14 years and report an estimated 200,000 deaths annually at these ages. The findings of their study were published in the journal The Lancet.

This week, from the 10th to the 16th of March, is observed as the World Glaucoma Week globally, to spread awareness of glaucoma—a group of eye conditions that damage the optic nerve and lead to total blindness if left untreated. Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world accounting for upto 8% of total blindness.