China grows rice and vegetables on the Tiangong space station

China is gradually becoming an important player in space. It regularly carries out experiments in orbit and uses its own space station the Tiangong 1. The Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) confirms that astronauts aboard their Space Station have successfully grown rice and vegetables. China wants its astronauts to enjoy meals and have access to fresh food. Growing crops in space is totally different from growing crops on Earth. China conducted its experiments with thale cress and rice in an environment of zero gravity. The astronauts proved that it is possible to grow crops in space, far away from Earth. This will have massive implications for long-term exploration missions. China successfully grows rice and vegetables on the Tiangong space station. A researcher at the CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences said - “Crops can only be grown in artificial environments that mimic Earth-like conditions. By comparing plant flowers, we can find crops more adapted to space and microgravity environments.”

The Chinese experiment began on July 29. That is when the astronauts planted the seeds of thal cress and rice on their space station. The team does not have any plan to bring the plants back home until the end of the year. Reports from the CAS mention about satisfactory progress with the plants in the short period since the beginning of the experiment. The stems of the rice seeds have grown 5 to 30 centimeters in length. Thal cress seeds have also sprouted with up to four leaves. This plant represents one specimen of a vegetable. Researchers are excited with the results and believe other crops like rapeseed, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts can successfully develop in space. Two years ago, a Chinese probe took rice seeds to the moon and back. They want to use these to grow new varieties of the staple grain on Earth. Incidentally, the International Space Station have already grown pepper, broccoli and flowers in space.

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'Aahar' - cheap meal at Rs 5 for Odisha government employees

The Odisha government would be extending its cheap meal scheme - Aahar - to all district headquarters. It will consist of rice and dalma (a combination of dal and vegetables) and will be launched on March 5 to coincide with the birth centenary of Biju Patnaik, in whose name the ruling party has been founded.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 13 January 2016.

The scheme is, at present, being implemented in five cities - Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Sambalpur, Berhampur and Rourkela. Subsequently, it would be extended to include all the 103 urban local bodies in the state. AS per the scheme, the government is providing rice and dalma (a combination of dal and vegetables) at Rs 5 to more than 22,000 people at 21 centres in the five cities and, it plans to add nearly 30,000 meals at the 29 district headquarters.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik has spoken to all the 30 district collectors through videoconferencing to give final shape to the populist scheme. The chief minister has directed the officials to get the Aahar kendras (cheap meal serving centers) ready by February 25. These should be complete in all respects with sheds, drinking water, sanitation, transport and training to the employees. A total of 57 centers would be set up in 29 districts (barring Sambalpur) across the state and these centers would serve 30,300 meals every day.

(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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