News in Short

• Recent research has shown that a stone pillar discovered recently changes its colour to red during summer, and hence isnamedNetturu Sthambam
• But consequent research discover it as a menhir, which are upright stones planted in the earth during the megalithic age or the Iron Age, to indicate memorial sites.
• The structure was in memory of a chief leader in the megalithic culture. With expansion of habitat and agriculture, the structure faces threat of destruction.

• Famous cinematographer of Malayalam and south film industry, P S Nivas passed away in Calicut. He was 73.
• PS Nivas is known for his work in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Hindi cinema. He started his film career as an assistant to cinematographer Ashok Kumar.
• Nivas branched out on his own with Sathyathinte Nizhalil (1975). He went on to win the National Film Award for Best Cinematography for Malayalam film Mohiniyaattam (1976).
• His other work includes films like 16 Vayathinile (1977), Kizhake Pogum Rail (1978), Sigappu Rojakkal (1978), Solva Sawan (1978), Vayasu Pilichindi (1978), Puthiya Vaarpugal (1979), and Saagara Sangamam (1983).

• Bhavya Lal, the Indian-American scientist who oversaw NASA’s transition under President Joe Biden’s administration, has been appointed as the Acting Chief of Staff of the U.S. space agency.
• Lal has previously served as a member of the research staff at the Institute for Defence Analyses Science and Technology Policy Institute (STPI) from 2005 to 2020.
• She led the analysis of space technology, strategy, and policy for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and National Space Council, as well as federal space-oriented organisations, including NASA, the Department of Defence, and the intelligence community.
• Ms. Lal served as a member of the Biden Presidential Transition Agency Review Team for the agency and oversaw the agency’s transition under the administration of President Biden.
• She is an active member of the space technology and policy community, having chaired, co-chaired, or served on five high-impact National Academy of Science committees.

• ‘Aatmanirbharta’ implying self-reliance has been named by Oxford Languages as its Hindi word of the year 2020 as it validated the day-to-day achievements of the countless Indians who dealt with and survived the perils of a pandemic.
• The word was chosen by an advisory panel of language experts Kritika Agrawal, Poonam Nigam Sahay, and Imogen Foxell.
• The Oxford Hindi word of the year is a word or expression that is chosen to reflect the ethos, mood, or preoccupations of the passing year, and have lasting potential as a term of cultural significance.

• A company jointly owned by the State government and pineapple farmers, is exploring the possibility of producing a Bromelain-enriched nutraceutical as well as pineapple leaf-based biodegradable, disposable cutleries, and plates.
• The basic mandate of the company, set up in the heart of pineapple business in the State, was to add value to the produce and support farmers through procurement.
• Bromelain has therapeutic applications and is a natural mixture of proteolytic enzyme. It can be extracted from the fruit or the stem of the plant. The extract is found to reduce the side effects of antibiotics.
• Consumption of Bromelain also increases immunity. It has anti-cancerous properties and is anti-inflammatory. The cream produced from Bromelain is used to treat burns and remove damaged tissues from wounds and has great business potential in the rapidly growing nutraceutical market.