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It also accorded in-principle approval for Phase 1B and Phase 2, as per the master plan by raising funds through voluntary resources/contributions and their execution after raising the funds.

The NMHC was conceived by Prime Minister Modi to showcase 4,500 years old maritime heritage of India and is being implemented by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterway.

Its masterplan has been prepared by renowned architecture firm Architect Hafeez Contractor and the construction of phase 1A has been entrusted to Tata Projects Ltd.

Phase 1A will have the NMHC museum with 6 galleries, which also includes an Indian Navy & Coast Guard gallery envisaged to be one of the largest in the country with external naval artefacts (INS Nishank, Sea Harrier war aircraft, UH3 helicopter etc.), a replica model of Lothal township surrounded by an open aquatic gallery, and a jetty walkway.

The phase is under implementation with more than 60 per cent physical progress and is planned to be completed by 2025.

Phase 1B will have eight more galleries, a lighthouse museum which is planned to be the world’s tallest, and a Bagicha complex (with a car parking facility for about 1,500 cars, food hall, medical centre, etc.). Phase 2 will have Coastal States Pavilions (to be developed by respective coastal states and Union Territories), a hospitality zone (with maritime theme eco-resort and museuotels), a recreation of real-time Lothal City, a Maritime institute and hostel and 4 theme-based parks (Maritime & Naval Theme Park, Climate Change Theme Park, Monuments Park, and Adventure & Amusement Park).

Phases 1A and 1B of the project are to be developed in EPC mode and Phase 2 will be developed through land subleasing/ PPP to establish the NMHC as a world-class heritage museum.

The construction of the lighthouse museum will be funded by the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships (DGLL).

A separate society will be set up, for the development of future phases, to be governed by a Governing Council headed by the Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 for implementation, development, management, and operation of the complex.

Around 22,000 jobs are expected to be created in the development of the NMHC project, with 15,000 direct employment and 7,000 indirect employment, while the NMHC will boost growth and immensely help the local communities, tourists and visitors, researchers and scholars, government bodies, educational institutions, cultural organisations, environment and conservation groups, and businesses. (IANS)

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“I decided within three weeks to join the BJP. I joined the party because of PM Modi. I see the joining as an instrument to help serve the people,” said Sreelekha.

K. Surendran, who draped a shawl and gave a bouquet of flowers to Sreelekha, said that she always has been a popular figure in Kerala and a very bold police officer.

“Sreelekha has always stood firm on her beliefs. We are excited to have joined the party on the eve of Navarathri and I feel proud that I got the opportunity to welcome her into the BJP. More people will be joining the BJP in the coming days,” said Surendran.

Sreelekha is the third DGP to have joined the BJP. The first was T. P. Senkumar who after his retirement in 2017 joined the BJP and Jacob Thomas, who contested from the Chalakuddy Assembly constituency in Thrissur district.

Sreelekha is also a writer and has published several books including a collection of poems and also a crime thriller.

Sreelekha retired as Director General of the Fire and Rescue Services in March 2023 after a glittering 33-year career.

She joined the IPS in 1987 after briefly working with the Reserve Bank of India.

In the Police Department, she held important assignments and also had a stint with the CBI where she was known for conducting numerous raids.

While serving as the Transport Commissioner she made a mark by enforcing traffic discipline which led to a decrease in road accidents besides also saw the revenues of the Motor Vehicle Department reaching new heights.

While serving as the Director General of Prisons, she brought in several reforms which brought cheer to the prisoners.

She also was in the news when she informed the IPS Officers Association not to hold any retirement function for her. (IANS) 

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The prize is divided into two halves, with one half awarded to David Baker for his work on "computational protein design" and the other half jointly awarded to Demis Hassabis and John M. Jumper for their discoveries in "protein structure prediction," according to the Academy.

The Academy noted that both awardees had "cracked the code for proteins' remarkable structures," with Baker successfully creating entirely new types of proteins, while Hassabis and Jumper developed an artificial intelligence model that solved a 50-year-old problem of predicting complex protein structures, offering significant potential for understanding protein structures.

Proteins typically consist of 20 different amino acids, often referred to as the building blocks of life. In 2003, David Baker used these blocks to design a new protein unlike any previously seen. Since then, his research group has generated numerous innovative protein designs, including proteins that can serve as pharmaceuticals, vaccines, nanomaterials, and tiny sensors.

The second discovery relates to the prediction of protein structures. In proteins, amino acids are linked together in long chains that fold into three-dimensional structures, which are crucial for their function. Since the 1970s, researchers have struggled to predict protein structures from amino acid sequences, a task that was "notoriously" difficult. However, a significant breakthrough occurred four years ago.

In 2020, Demis Hassabis and John M. Jumper introduced an AI model called AlphaFold2, which has enabled the prediction of the structure of nearly all 200 million proteins identified by researchers. Since its introduction, AlphaFold2 has been used by over two million people from 190 countries. This model has had wide-ranging applications, including aiding research into antibiotic resistance and creating images of enzymes that can break down plastic.

"One of the discoveries recognised this year involves the construction of extraordinary proteins. The other fulfils a 50-year-old dream: predicting protein structures from amino acid sequences. Both discoveries open up immense possibilities," said Heiner Linke, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry.

The diversity of life underscores proteins' incredible ability as chemical tools. They control and drive all the chemical reactions that underpin life. Proteins also act as hormones, signalling molecules, antibodies, and the building blocks of various tissues.

The Swedish Royal Academy will award 11 million Swedish kronor to the laureates, with half going to David Baker and the other half shared by Demis Hassabis and John M. Jumper. (ANI)

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