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India.com
5 days ago
- Politics
- India.com
These six people took Iran's nuclear programme to next level with exceptional contribution until June 13 when..., they were...
New Delhi: Israeli jets destroyed many military and nuclear sites in Iran on June 13, 2025. Their main focus was on in and around Tehran and Natanz. This attack eliminated some of the most prolific names engaged in the Persian country's nuclear programme and the top brass of the military. However, a few names stand out due to the vital knowledge and expertise. They were the pioneers in Iran's nuclear project. They include Fereydoun Abbasi, Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, Motlabizadeh, Syed Amirhossein Feqhi, Ahmadreza Zolfaghari and Abdolhamid Minouchehr. These six scientists were on the radar of Israel's establishment. Let us try to figure out what their deaths mean to Iran. Abdolhamid Minouchehr: Abdolhamid Minouchehr was a nuclear physicist at Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran and widely celebrated for his work on uranium enrichment. Minouchehr played a crucial part in advancing Iran's centrifuge systems at Natanz. It was due to his research that Iran could enrich uranium to 20% purity. Ahmadreza Zolfaghari: Ahmadreza Zolfaghari was also from Shahid Beheshti University. He specialised in the design and upkeep of advanced centrifuges. Ahmadreza Zolfaghari had worked with the teams at Natanz and Fordow. He and the teams at Natanz and Fordow pushed the limits of IR-8 technology, an Iranian model capable of enriching uranium at unprecedented speeds. Seyed Amirhossein Feqhi: Seyed Amirhossein Feqhi was a reactor design expert. Seyed Amirhossein Feqhi's work on the Arak heavy water reactor marked a key milestone in Iran's ambitions to produce plutonium. He was deeply involved in the safety architecture of nuclear facilities. Motlabizadeh: Motlabizadeh was an engineer and a senior leader within Iran's Atomic Energy Organization. He was closely linked to dual-use research straddling nuclear technology and ballistic missiles. According to multiple defense analysts, he played a role in developing the trigger mechanisms for nuclear weapons and that made him a prime target. Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi: Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi was president of the Islamic Azad University. He was a physicist who played a vital role in bridging academic research with Iran's nuclear infrastructure, shaping young talent to sustain the country's nuclear programme over the next decade. Fereydoun Abbasi: Fereydoun Abbasi was a former chief of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran and a UN-sanctioned person for his alleged work on nuclear weaponisation. The killing of these professionals has hurt Iran's nuclear programme badly.
New Indian Express
25-05-2025
- Science
- New Indian Express
Made-in-Philippines new rice variety rolled out in east India to boost output
NEW DELHI: The Centre has introduced a new high-yielding paddy variety, developed from two varieties in the Philippines, to farmers in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha, in an initiative to boost rice production. According to experts, the new variety, 'Malaviya Manila Sinchit Dhan-1' (MMSD), has the potential to transform rice cultivation in eastern India, where productivity has stagnated. After nearly 18 years of research, the drought-resistant and high-yielding MMSD variety was developed through a collaboration between the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and the International Rice Research Institute in Manila. The productivity of this new variety surpasses that of conventional varieties. Additionally, it matures early and has a strong stem that allows it to withstand wind and drought conditions. 'The productivity of the variety is 55-64 quintals per hectare, double the average productivity in India. It increases production by 5-10% over normal varieties,' Dr Shravan Kumar Singh, BHU's lead scientist who developed the variety said. India's average rice production is nearly 29 quintals. 'Maturity time of the variety is 115-120 days against 135-150 of normal varieties,' said Singh. Scientists used two IR-series rice varieties, indigenous to the Philippines, to develop MMSD. IR-8, famous variety of the IR series, was considered 'miracle rice' in the 1970s. It helped increase global food production to counter hunger. According to the ICAR assessment, MMSD has an encouraging response in Bihar, UP and Odisha. Grain production was higher than 10% in these states compared to others. This early variety takes 115 days to ripen, and grain quality is better than the existing variety, which would help fetch higher prices to growers. 'During the de-husking, hulling, and milling process, head rice (whole rice) recovery percentage is 63.5%, whereas conventional rice gets more broken and reduces market value,' said Singh.
