Demolition of India’s constitutional values: Rahul

Naqvi snubs UK MP for ‘Islamophobia’ remark

New Delhi, April 22 (IANS) Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has snubbed UK Labour Party MP Naz Shah, asking her not to convert her prejudiced agenda of 'India Phobia' into 'Islamophobia'. "Please, don't convert your prejudiced agenda of 'India Phobia' into 'Islamophobia'. Every Indian citizen including Minorities is safe and secure in India. 'Co-existence' is our commitment and 'Inclusivity' is our culture," Naqvi said in a tweet tagging Naz Shah. Naqvi's remarks came in response to a tweet by Naz Shah that said: "My message to @BorisJohnson on his visit to India is that our nation's foreign relations must not just be based on trade & internationalism but also on human rights. My plea to the @10DowningStreet is to raise the growing issue of Islamophobia with the Modi Government." "The rising tide of everyday hate & mob lynching against Muslims in India is becoming worrying," Shah had said. Earlier on Thursday, India had strongly condemned the visit of US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar to Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir on April 20. Responding to a question in the weekly media briefing, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Arindam Bagchi, had said that New Delhi has taken note of her visit to a part of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir which is currently illegally occupied by Pakistan. "If such a politician wishes to practice her narrow-minded politics at home, that may be her business. But violating our territorial integrity and sovereignty in its pursuit makes it ours. This visit is condemnable," Bagchi said while briefing the media.

Comments over distribution of ‘Right wing’ newspaper in train put Railways in a fix

Bengaluru, April 23 (IANS) Indian Railways has found itself in a spot over its comments on the distribution of a Right wing newspaper -- ' The Aryavarth Express' -- in the Bengaluru-Chennai Shatabdi Express on Friday. The passengers borading from Bengaluru were surprised to find copies of Aryavarth Express in the train which contained controversial articles, prompting the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to issue a warning to the onboard services licensee later. The Indian Railways authorities were first slammed by Left activists for the distribution of Aryavarth Express copies in the train. The authorities then assured that the vendor has been advised to avoid such incidents in the future. They also assured that the staff will keep a strict vigil to avoid distribution of such newspapers as inserts. The clarification from the IRCTC has angered Right wing activists, who questioned the move saying anything related to the interests of Hindus would meet the same fate and whoever spoke in favour of Hindus would be penalised. The IRCTC then deleted its tweets giving clarification. The issue started with the distribution of Aryavarth Express along with the officially permitted newspaper in the train to the passengers. The newspaper carried a lead article that read 'Genocide of Hindus, Sikhs and Budhists under Islamic rule needs to be recognised'. The other news items in the newspaper also spoke about the plight of Hindus. One of the passengers, Gopika Bashi, a gender justice campaigner, took objection to the distribution of Aryavarth Express in the train. She slammed the IRCTC on its twitter handle and questioned how a 'blatantly propagandist' newspaper be distributed by it. Soon Bashi was joined by others who questioned the distribution of a Right wing newspaper in the train. The IRCTC, on its part, clarified that it was distributed as an insert along with the approved daily. The Railway Ministry has clarified that its tweet was only regarding distribution of newspapers, and had nothing to do with the content.

Demolition of India’s constitutional values: Rahul

New Delhi, April 20 (IANS) The Congress on Wednesday accused the Centre of undermining constitutional authorities after it failed to immediately follow the Supreme Court's order of a status quo on the demolition drive in Delhi's Jahangirpuri area. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said its demolition of Constitutional values and shared picture of preamble which is threatened by a bulldozer. "This is a demolition of India's constitutional values. This is state-sponsored targeting of poor & minorities," he said in a tweet. Earlier Congress leaders had termed it "brazen contempt" and a very dangerous precedent of defiance by the civic agency and Delhi police. Senior advocate Dushyant Dave on Wednesday again mentioned the Jahangirpuri demolition matter before a bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana, saying despite the top court's order, the municipal corporation had not stopped the demolition drive. Dave said the top court in the morning ordered status quo on the demolition, yet the municipal corporation did not stop the demolition drive at Jahangirpuri. He urged the top court to ask the secretary general to communicate the court's order to the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), Mayor NDMC, and Commissioner of Delhi Police. "Once it's widely reported in the media, this is not appropriate...," said Dave. The Chief Justice then asked the registry to communicate the court's status quo order on the demolition drive to the respondents in the matter -- NDMC Commissioner, Mayor and Delhi Police Commissioner.

Political temperature soars in Telangana as parties warm up for 2023 state polls

Hyderabad, April 24 (IANS) There is still one-and-a-half years to go for Assembly elections in Telangana but the hectic activities by the main parties are already raising the political dust and heat in the state. Already in the grip of heat wave conditions, Telangana is also witnessing a rise in political temperatures with the main contenders for power and even the smaller parties vying with each other to catch the public attention. Padyatras or foot marches, foundation day celebrations and rallies by top leaders have already created a poll-like atmosphere in Telangana, where Assembly elections are due towards 2023-end. Aiming for a hat-trick of electoral victories, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) is gearing up for the fight with foundation day celebrations next week while confident of wresting power, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is in the midst of a padyatra by its state unit chief Bandi Sanjay. Looking to regain the lost ground in its former stronghold, the Congress party will be joining the bandwagon with its leader Rahul Gandhi scheduled to address a public rally in Warangal on May 6. Bandi Sanjay on April 14 embarked on the second leg of his Praja Sangrama Yatra with a bitter attack on the TRS government. During the month-long foot march, Bandi Sanjay will cover 385 kilometres in five districts. He will pass through 105 villages in 10 Assembly constituencies. Sanjay, who is also a Member of Parliament from Karimnagar, will walk 10-15 km every day to interact with people to know their problems. Several union ministers and chief ministers of BJP-ruled states will join the yatra. The second leg of the yatra will conclude on May 14 at Maheshwaram in Ranga Reddy district. He has invited Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the concluding programme. The first phase of the yatra had started in Hyderabad in August 2021. It lasted for 36 days covering 19 Assembly constituencies and half a dozen Parliamentary constituencies in eight districts. According to BJP central leader and in-charge of party affairs in Telangana, Tarun Chugh, the yatra is aimed at liberating Telangana from family rule and to achieve "Golden Telangana" with double engine growth. However, Bandi Sanjay is not the only politician currently undertaking a padyatra. YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP) leader Y. S. Sharmila is already on a 'Praja Prasthanam' padyatra to know the people's problems. Sharmila, sister of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, had launched the padyatra from Chevella on October 20 but had to suspend it due to the election code in force for the Legislative Council elections and the third wave of Covid-19. She resumed her walkathon on March 11. Sharmila's padyatra is to expose the �failure' of the TRS to fulfil its promises and deliver �Bangaru (golden) Telangana'. She is promising to bring back the welfare rule of her father and former chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, and walks 12-15 km every day to meet farmers, women and other people. Sharmila, who floated the party on July 8 last year, plans to walk 4,000 km covering 16 of the 17 Lok Sabha constituencies and all Assembly constituencies except those coming under the limits of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka is also undertaking a padyatra, �People's March' in Madhira Assembly constituency represented by him. Bahujan Samaj Party state coordinator and former IPS officer R. S. Praveen Kumar is also on a �Bahujan Rajyadhikara Yatra'. He launched a 300-day-long yatra on March 6. The 21st formation day celebrations of TRS on April 27 will add to the political heat in the state. The party will hold a day-long plenary in Hyderabad to mark the day. TRS president and Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao will kick-off the party foundation day celebrations by hoisting the party flag. Later, he will deliver a welcome address and introduce 11 resolutions. The meeting will debate these resolutions and adopt them. The plenary to be attended by about 3,000 delegates is likely to set the agenda for the party to retain power in the state. It is after a gap of two years that the TRS will be holding foundation celebrations on a grand scale. For the last two years, the celebrations were low-key due to the pandemic. KCR, who floated the TRS on April 27, 2001 to revive the movement for a separate state, is likely to not only highlight the tremendous all-round progress the state has made under TRS rule during the last seven years but may also launch a spirited attack on the BJP to counter its determined bid to project itself as a viable alternative. The TRS chief is likely to come down heavily on the Narendra Modi government at the Centre for �discrimination' against Telangana. The refusal of the Centre to procure paddy from Telangana has already provided fresh ammunition to the TRS to step up its attack on the BJP. KCR, who is also aiming for a larger national role at the Centre, is also likely to reveal his plans to bring together non-BJP parties at the national level to provide an alternative to the BJP. The first week of May will further intensify the political activities with the two-day visit of Rahul Gandhi. He will address a public meeting at Warangal on May 6 and the next day he will hold a meeting with the party leaders in Hyderabad. This will be Rahul Gandhi's first visit to Telangana after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and this comes close on the heels of his intervention to put the Congress house in order in Telangana in the wake of differences among leaders coming to the fore. The second week of May is likely to see the activities gathering further momentum with Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressing a public meeting on May 14 to mark the end of the second leg of the state BJP president's padyatra.

After differences crop up, Kerala’s top bureaucrat removed by Pinarayi Vijayan’s son-in-law

Thiruvananthapuram, April 25

(IANS) V. Venu, one of the senior-most bureaucrats in Kerala, has been moved out of the Tourism department after differences cropped up with the Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas, who is also the son-in-law of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Venu has been serving in the tourism department for close to three decades in various positions and is credited with Kerala tourism success story. He belongs to the 1990 IAS batch and presently holds the additional chief secretary rank. Ever since Riyas married Vijayan's daughter Veena Vijayan in 2020, his (Riyas) stocks have been rising. At the 2021 Assembly polls, he was given a very safe seat Beypore in his hometown -- Kozhikode replacing sitting legislator V.K.C. Mammed Koya. After winning, Riyas, a first time legislator, was made a cabinet minister and the biggest surprise came when he was given the prized Public Works Department portfolio and also the Tourism portfolio. With no administrative experience, other than heading the Youth Wing of the CPI-M, Riyas as Minister, was making waves by making surprise inspections in offices and places in his departments with the media always toeing him and giving him good coverage. Medical professional-turned IAS, Venu along with the present Chief Executive officer of Niti Ayog -- Amitabh Kant, was largely instrumental in first identifying the tourism potential of Kerala in the late nineties and since then Venu has practically held every top post in the Tourism department in the state, till he was removed the other day from the post of Tourism Secretary. What's more important is that the sudden shifting was effected when Vijayan left for the US for further medical treatment and will be there for three weeks. Incidentally, Venu in the past was moved out from the Rebuild Kerala Initiative and also as Revenue Secretary, but for some reason, he continued to be in the good books of Vijayan. Venu's wife Saradha Muraleedharan is also a high-ranking IAS official here holding key posts.

Windows 10 version 21H2 is now available to all

San Francisco, April 19 : Tech giant Microsoft has announced that Windows 10 version 21H2 -- which made its debut back in November -- is now ready for broad deployment. According to XDA Developers, this essentially means that anyone checking for updates will now be able to find and install this version on their machine. The main audience for Windows 10 version 21H2 is business users who would rather not install a full upgrade that can interfere with their workflow, which would be Windows 11. Windows 10 version 21H2 is a much smaller risk and less time-consuming, and the only changes made here are geared towards business users, the report said. All that's new with this version is support for WPA3 H2E standards to enhance Wi-Fi security, GPU compute support in Windows Subsystem for Linux for machine-learning workflows, and simplified deployment of passwordless Windows Hello-enabled systems in business environments. The report said that Microsoft is not limited to adding features with big feature updates like this anymore, though, so more features can be added over time via cumulative updates. A recent example is the new Search Highlights feature that's available for both Windows 10 and Windows 11. The broad availability of Windows 10 version 21H2 comes as Microsoft is preparing to drop support for some older versions of Windows 10 next month.

Hero Electric, Bolt to set up 50K EV charging stations across India

New Delhi, April 20: Electric two-wheeler company Hero Electric on Wednesday announced that it has partnered with EV infrastructure provider Bolt to set up 50,000 charging stations in India in the next one year. As part of the collaboration, Bolt chargers will be installed in more than 750 Hero Electric's touch points across India benefitting over 4.5 lakh customers. Furthermore, around 2,000 Hero Electric riders will avail free of cost Bolt charging units set up at their homes. "We are delighted to partner with Bolt as its charging network will offer affordable charging solutions further, encouraging the switch to electric vehicles," Sohinder Gill, CEO, Hero Electric, said in a statement. With rising fuel prices, this tie-up is expected to boost EV adoption and the movement towards carbon-free mobility in India. "Our mission is to enable carbon-free mobility and fasten EV adoption in the country by building a strong charging ecosystem and reskilling mechanics to offer an enhanced EV riding experience," Gill said. "We are positive that this collaboration will broaden our efforts to reach the set objective. This partnership will benefit the industry overall and allow e2W riders easy access to charging stations pan India," he added. The partnership will help both Hero Electric and Bolt achieve their shared goal of providing a robust, affordable and accessible EV charging infrastructure to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles in the country. The Bolt charging network will be leveraged both by Hero Electric's enterprise partners and EV customers, significantly curbing range anxiety. Additionally, Bolt will be integrated within the Hero Electric App and website, offering a one-stop solution for locating a charging station, booking a slot, and payment. Post-installation of Bolt charging stations, individuals can choose between private/public mode of operation for their charging stations and decide the price depending on existing commercial/EV tariffs. Moreover, subscription-based plans will be announced for Hero Electric riders to ease their usage, the company said.

IIT Madras develops VR tools to tackle maternal & newborn deaths in India

Chennai, April 20 (IANS)

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras developed tools using virtual reality (VR), gaming, cloud, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Learning (ML), to help improve newborn and maternal health India. Using these technologies, the researchers aim to train the health workers at the primary health cares (PHCs). The training will begin from PHC health workers in Tamil Nadu under National Health Mission and will later be scaled to other states in India where neonatal health and maternal health is very high. An IIT Madras team at the Centre of Excellence on Virtual Reality (VR) and Haptics, called Experiential Technology Innovation Center (XTIC), identified that skill training of the health workers was a major challenge that India was facing, specifically at the primary health centres in rural settings. Infant Mortality is the biggest contributor is Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR) which is death within 28 days of birth. Around 40 babies are lost per every 1,000 births. “We want to bring this down to single digits and all these initiatives are towards this direction. We assure that these tools will now be provided to the healthcare workers in delivery points and we will also have special training points,” said Dr Darez Ahamed IAS, Mission Director, National Health Mission Tamil Nadu, in a statement. He requested IIT Madras to also develop tools to train healthcare among numerous others. The team also launched a SmartFHR project to reduce Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR). It is aimed at monitoring foetal health using smartphones anywhere and anytime without clinical assistants. This project also will be scaled subsequently to other states where MMR is very high. Neonatal Health and Maternal health are crucial to increasing equity and reducing poverty in any country, which leads to solving large broader, economic, social and developmental challenges. “We need to bring in technology that will be accessible to rural India and this technology is a step in that direction. This was one of the key learnings from Covid-19 Pandemic,” said Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, in the statement. “I am sure Virtual Reality will make an impact not only in healthcare verticals but in other areas as well,” Kamakoti said.

Drivers take charge of Uber, Indian riders have nowhere to go

New Delhi, April 19 : As cab-hailing platforms grow in sheer size and number in India, local residents are in for more trouble as of late, the drivers have become more aggressive and demanding, forcing people to cancel their rides when drivers do not want to ferry them or find the travel fare less. For Noida-resident Utkarsh, a local cab wallah has always been a preferred option than calling an Ola and Uber but while travelling to other states, he has no choice but to call an online cab. This week, two Uber drivers refused to drive him to his destination from the Kolkata airport. He called them to cancel the pick-up but one of them "ended" the trip by terminating it at the airport, for which "he was billed". For women, taking an Uber has become another hassle in Delhi-NCR and Gurugram, especially during traffic hours and on holidays. For Meenakshi, while booking an Uber for a mere 5-km distance in Noida, surge pricing happened on a regular day when the sky was clear and there was no holiday. The Uber app showed the travel fare more than double - Rs 416 -- to the original fare and suddenly, two drivers were willing to accept the ride -- to be paid in cash, obviously. To her surprise, when she cancelled and booked again, the price went considerably low - at Rs 312 -- and there was no driver ready to take her to her destination then. The original fare to her destination always used to be around Rs 180-Rs 200. "I find drivers have become more aggressive. There were days when I used to get drivers with nearly 5-star ratings but now, their ratings are further diminishing. It is becoming increasingly difficult to get an Ola or Uber without facing some kind of hassle," she told IANS. Envisioned to lessen the travel woes, cab-hailing platforms like Uber and Ola have come a long distance in India, but riders are increasingly facing more issues. "Once you board an Ola car, you cannot change the mode of payment. It has put me in odd situations with drivers when they do not have change for cash transactions and I cannot use UPI or credit card, running around for exact cash change," Delhi-resident Rachel told IANS. Most of the time, Uber and Ola drivers now ask the riders to reveal what fare the Uber app is showing, and then decide if they want to take the ride or not depending on the amount and if it is in cash, forcing the riders to cancel the ride. When contacted, an Uber spokesperson told IANS that drivers canceling trips goes against the company's promise to bring a magical experience to riders each time they book an Uber. "We are doubling down on our efforts to ensure a reliable service through driver education and improvements to our app and procedures. We have begun showing the destination of the trip to drivers before a ride begins provided they meet a threshold to reduce potential friction between riders and drivers," the spokesperson told IANS. On dealing with temperamental issues the riders are facing with driver-partners, the company said it has a clearly defined code of conduct to maintain quality standards on the platform. "In case of driver's inappropriate behaviour, riders have the option to reach Uber via in-app chat messages and post-trip feedback. They could also make use of our dedicated 24X7 Safety Helpline number for riders to speak directly to a representative of Uber's safety team should they have an urgent, non-emergency issue, during a trip or up to 30 minutes after the trip has ended," said the company. "Continued negative feedback towards drivers may lead to them losing access to the Uber app," it added. However, there has been a surge in such incidents as more and more drivers are getting restless and riders are asking cab-hailing platforms to fix their daily woes.

Microsoft announces 2 startup initiatives in India

New Delhi, April 20 :Microsoft India on Wednesday announced two new initiatives to help startup entrepreneurs innovate and grow in the country. Under the Microsoft AI Innovate initiative, the company will introduce its second cohort of startups, as well as a new hackathon for startups to provide resources and support to developers for creating digital solutions. Microsoft AI Innovate's second season is inviting nominations from software-as-a-service (SaaS) startups whose core applications or services are built using Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. "With deepened focus on core AI startups in the second season of Microsoft AI Innovate, we are bringing the best of Microsoft's AI capabilities in creating the magic with the power of data and AI," said Sangeeta Bavi, Director, Startup Ecosystem, Microsoft India. Supported by SaaS Insider, the initiative is designed to help startups scale their operations, drive greater innovation, and build industry expertise. Across the 10 weeks of the programme, startups get to partner closely with Microsoft's engineering and product teams to build their core AI models. The company said that selected startups will receive OpenAI preview and credits, access to industry and technology deep-dive sessions and AI masterclasses by experts and mentoring by startup founders and industry leaders. The first cohorts of 16 startups from fintech, manufacturing and logistics sectors graduated last month. Bavi said that the hackathon "provides an opportunity for some of the most innovative ideas to come to life on the trusted platform of Microsoft Azure". "We are hopeful that both initiatives will help startups build securely and scale faster through the Microsoft ecosystem," she added. Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub is a new digital and truly inclusive platform for startup founders, offering over $300,000 worth of benefits and credits.

Investors likely to lose up to $545 mn worth Bitcoin in 2022

New Delhi, April 27 (IANS) Bitcoin investors are likely to lose up to $545 million this year, owing to various reasons like forgetting passwords to their wallets or making a mistake in recording their "seed phrases", according to a new report. A seed phrase is a series of words generated by your cryptocurrency wallet that give you access to the crypto associated with that wallet. Analysts have estimated that at least 20 per cent of all Bitcoin is lost and that the majority of those funds are irretrievably lost. According to new research from CryptoAssetRecovery.com, between $272 million to $545 million of Bitcoin will be lost this year. "Crypto gets lost for a host of reasons: People forget the passwords to their wallets; people make a mistake in recording their seed phrases and some die without giving adequate instructions for how to access their funds," according to the report. "However, this does not include Bitcoin lost to scams or theft. "While such funds are lost to the original wallet holder, they are not lost to the total money supply of Bitcoin. Those funds will likely continue to circulate," the report noted. People also unintentionally (or occasionally intentionally) send crypto to a burn address, or to an address on a different network, and lose it. A new Bitcoin block reward is issued every 10 minutes, and in 2022, the block reward is 6.25 Bitcoin. The block reward will halve again in 2024, to 3.125 BTC/ block reward. "Since there are 525,600 minutes in a year, and a block reward is issued every 10 minutes, 52,560 block rewards or 328,500 BTC will be issued in 2022," the report noted. "It's clear that the vast majority of the approximately 3.8 million lost Bitcoin were lost early in the blockchain's history, before it had any economic value. Given that between 2-4 per cent of the 328,500 Bitcoin mined in 2022 is likely to get lost, somewhere between 6,570-13,140 Bitcoin are likely to get lost. "When Bitcoin's price is approximately $41,500, this means that between $272 million and $545 million in Bitcoin alone is likely to be removed from the Bitcoin money supply in 2022," the report claimed. Bitcoin's price on Wednesday fell below $40,000 as other major cryptocurrencies were trading in the red, according to Coindesk data.

Coinbase unveils NFT marketplace in limited beta

New Delhi, April 21 (IANS)

Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has announced that its non-fungible tokens (NFT) marketplace is now in beta version and accessible to "a small set of beta testers who will be invited based on their position". The company said now anyone can check out the first version of Coinbase NFT and explore the vast collection of NFTs on the Ethereum blockchain. "Beta testers will be able to create a Coinbase NFT profile to buy and sell NFTs using any self-custody wallet, whether that's Coinbase Wallet or something else," said Sanchan Saxena, VP of Product, Ecosystem Products, in a blog post. "For a limited time, there will be no Coinbase transaction fees. We will eventually add fees, which will be in line with Web3 industry standards, and we will provide notice before anything changes," Saxena added. The company said it is starting with a small set of beta testers who will be invited based on their position on the company's waitlist. It will start at the top of the waitlist and open access to more people over time. Users can create a profile that represents them by curating it with the NFTs that tell their story. Users can connect any self-custody wallet to select the NFTs they want to highlight or hide on their profile. In the coming weeks and months, the company said it will add more features that will gradually bring the company's vision for a web3 social marketplace to life. "We are planning to add drops, minting, token-gated communities, and the option to buy NFTs with your Coinbase account or a credit card," the company added. "We will also add support for NFTs on multiple chains. And over time, we intend to decentralise more features by moving them from Coinbase tech to decentralised solutions," it said.

Sitharaman raises fears cryptocurrency could be used to fund terror

Washington, April 20 (IANS)

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday raised doubts about the size of the cryptocurrency market worldwide and stressed the need for a regulatory mechanism acceptable to all countries to prevent its use to launder money and fund terrorism, which, she said, were big concerns for India. "I think the biggest risk for all countries across the board will be on the money laundering aspect and also on the aspect of currency being used for financing terror," Sitharaman said at a seminar hosted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The Finance Minister is in Washington DC for the Spring Meetings of the World Bank group. The minister pitched the need for a common international approach on regulating the sector, in addition to all the changes that have taken place in the last few years. "Unless there's going to be a global approach at regulating and also an understanding of the technology even as it keeps evolving, to be on the top of things, and to have technology driven solutions to regulate and monitor. Not so much to interfere, but, of course to keep an eye on � money laundering." The minister had earlier at the seminar raised doubts about the size of the cryptocurrency market. "We are not sure about the veracity of the data, which says the volume is this much or that much. Those numbers are questionable." India distinguishes between cryptocurrency and crypto assets as a result, and the minister had in February announced a 30 per cent tax on income from these transactions, which includes a 1 per cent deduction at source. "We were trying to make sure that we are keeping a trail and also making sure these are going to be eventually compliant with anti-money laundering rules. Additionally, we are making sure that these kind of operations don't end up inadvertently to funding any kind of terror activities." Sitharaman had used the seminar to detail India's growing e-economy and plans on entering the cryptocurrency market with its own currency sometime during the year.

Hackers steal $180 mn in crypto from Beanstalk Farms

San Francisco, April 19 (IANS)

Hackers have stolen nearly $180 million in cryptocurrency from Beanstalk Farms, a decentralised finance (De-Fi) project. Beanstalk operates a system where participants earn rewards by contributing funds to a central funding pool that is used to balance the value of one token at close to $1, reports The Verge. "Beanstalk suffered an exploit. The Beanstalk Farms team is investigating the attack and will make an announcement to the community as soon as possible," the company admitted in a tweet. The hackers exploited Beanstalk's majority vote governance system, a core feature of many DeFi protocols. The attack was first spotted by blockchain analytics company PeckShield. The Beanstalk attacker "used a flash loan obtained through the decentralised protocol Aave to borrow close to $1 billion in cryptocurrency assets and exchanged these for enough beans to gain a 67 per cent voting stake in the project". The attacker then instantly repaid the flash loan, netting an $80 million profit, the report said. In January this year, hackers stole crypto tokens worth $120 million from Blockchain-based decentralised finance (DeFi) platform BadgerDAO. Several crypto wallets were drained before the platform could stop the cyber attack. In December last year, cyber criminals stole cryptocurrency worth $80 million from Qubit Finance, a decentralised finance (DeFi) platform. The US this week blamed North Korean hacker group Lazarus for stealing $625 million in cryptocurrency from the Ronin Network, owned by developer group Sky Mavis.

Coinbase CEO calls out Apple’s ‘potential antitrust issues’

San Francisco, April 23 (IANS) Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase's CEO and co-founder Brian Armstrong has called out Apple over "potential antitrust issues" in a recent episode of the Superstream Podcast. Armstrong appeared on the April 20 episode of Superstream Podcast to talk about the current state of cryptocurrency, entrepreneurship, and the company he co-founded: Coinbase, reports AppleInsider. Coinbase is a cryptocurrency exchange platform on desktop and mobile, allowing users to purchase and exchange popular cryptocurrencies. The Coinbase App is the 18th most popular Finance app on the App Store, as pointed out by 9to5mac. When asked if Coinbase would release its own cryptocurrency hardware wallet, Armstrong pointed out that he does not believe that most people would carry a separate wallet used solely for crypto. He stated that most people would be more comfortable using something inside of their phones. However, he believes that big tech, and goes as far as naming Apple specifically, does not allow features that would be required to make a user-friendly phone-based wallet plausible. "Apple so far has not really played nice with crypto, they have actually banned a bunch of features that we would like to have in the app, but they just won't allow it - so there's potential antitrust issues there," he said. While Armstrong does not say what features have been banned, he does go on to say that he believes crypto-compatible phones will be necessary in the future and that they could become popular. This is not the first time that Armstrong has spoken out against Apple. In 2020, he argued that Apple's App Store regulations stifle innovation in the cryptocurrency space.

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TN targets Rs 23 lakh cr investments in manufacturing sector

Chennai, April 19 (IANS)

Manufacturing sector in the state has to take the centre-stage in economic development so that Tamil Nadu can progress towards the $1 trillion economy by 2030-21, said Minister for Industries Thangam Thennarasu on Tuesday. According to the Policy Note presented in the Assembly by Thennarasu for 2022-23, Tamil Nadu is recognised for its well-developed manufacturing eco-system and the state is on track to ensure this sector grows from $48.1 billion in financial year 2020-21 (18 per cent of gross state domestic product-GSDP)AGSDP) to $250 billion in fiscal 2030-31 (25 per cent of GSDP). Thennarasu said that the Tamil Nadu government is undertaking several measures to attract the approximately Rs 23 lakh crore of investment in manufacture and for the creation of employment opportunities for 46 lakh persons, which are necessary to achieve its growth target. In the fiscal 2021-22, the state government has signed 130 MoUs with companies, with a cumulative investment of over Rs 68,375 crore with employment opportunities for over 2.05 lakh persons. The investments were across areas in focus sectors such as electronics, auto-components, industrial parks, Free Trade Warehouse Zones, IT/ ITeS, general manufacturing, food processing, footwear, pharmaceuticals and textiles, as well as new areas such as furniture manufacturing, EV charging infrastructure and others. As part of the state's efforts towards achieving the export target of $100 billion by 2030, the Tamil Nadu government is establishing a special fund of Rs 100 crore to develop necessary public infrastructure for exporting organisations in Tamil Nadu with contribution from industry and industry associations, Thennarasu said.

Projects worth Rs 11,495 cr approved in K’taka

Bengaluru, April 18 (IANS) In a massive push to the industrial growth, the State High Level Clearance Committee (SHLCC) on Monday approved a slew of industrial projects worth Rs 11,495 crore that would generate jobs for over 46,984 persons in Karnataka, officials said. This includes Rs 6,000 crore investment from Exide Industries, which will set up India's largest Lithium-Ion cell manufacturing Giga factories for Advanced Cell Chemistry Technology near Bengaluru airport and expected to generate 1,200-1,400 jobs. The 58th SHLCC meeting held at Vidhana Soudha under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and vice chairmanship of Large and Medium Scale Industries Murugesh R Nirani cleared the projects. The High Level Clearance committee has considered and approved 5 new projects and 4 additional investment projects that are expected to further push the industrial growth and generate huge direct and indirect employment opportunities in Karnataka. Seeking to dispel the notion that Karnataka would lose investments owing to some extraneous factors and apprehensions raised in some quarters, Large and Medium Industries Minister Murugesh Nirani said that the massive investment proposals approved by the government shows the position of Karnataka as a preferred destination for investors. "These industrial projects have the potential to generate nearly one lakh jobs in the state. Our government has been giving preference to investment proposals that have the potential to create jobs. Our policies, pro-active steps and the prevailing business ecosystem are encouraging investors to invest in Karnataka. The investor-friendly atmosphere in the state is not available anywhere in the country," Nirani said. The projects which are approved are Exide Energy Solutions Limited -- Rs 6,002 crore investment in Lithium-Ion cell manufacturing Giga factories at Phase-2 of Hi-tech Defence and Aerospace Park near Bengaluru International Airport with the potential of creating over 1,400 jobs. Nsure Reliable Power Solutions Private Limited -- Rs 1,050 crore investment in Lithium-Ion cell manufacturing near Malur in Kolar with employment potential for 450 persons. Rs 679.51 crore project by M/s JSW Renewable Energy (Vijayanagar) Limited to generate 130 MW Hydro power with employment potential for 65 persons. Rs 530 crore investment by Web Works India Pvt. Ltd to open Data Services Centre at KR Puram in Bengaluru with job creation for 69 people. Rs 2,231 crore investment by Tetrarch Developers Limited in social infrastructure activities at Phase-2 of Hi-tech Defence and Aerospace Park near Bengaluru airport with employment potential for 45,000 people. Additional investment proposals of Rs 471 crore investment by M/s ACC Ltd in limestone mining in Kalaburagi; Rs 280 crore investment by M/s Goodrich Aerospace Services Pvt Ltd in aircraft system at Aerospace SEZ near Bengaluru airport; Rs 242.89 crore investment in cement and thermal power plants by JK Cements Works at Bagalkot; Rs 9 crore investment by CV Projects Pvt Ltd in infrastructure for IT SEZ at Yelahanka were cleared in the meeting. Chief Secretary to Government, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Industries and Commerce and senior officials of various departments attended the 58th State High Level Clearance Committee meeting.

TN pays over 2 million euros to FIDE; 100 days to go for Chess Olympiad

Chennai, April 18 (IANS) With 100 days to go for the 44th Chess Olympiad to be held at Four Points By Sheraton Chennai OMR in Mahabalipuram, the Tamil Nadu government has made the necessary payment to the International Chess Federation, also known as FIDE, as per the agreement, an official said. The Tamil Nadu government is the major sponsor of the global chess event in which over 1,500 players are expected to compete. The officials are busy finalising the requirements and the tender norms for various services, including construction of a spectator gallery. The event is set to start on July 28, while the first round will be played on July 29. "On Monday, the Tamil Nadu government -- the main sponsor of the Olympiad -- issued a cheque to FIDE as per the agreement signed," an official told IANS on condition of anonymity. An official of the All India Chess Federation (AICF) told IANS that the Olympiad organiser has to pay FIDE a sum of 2,623,000 euros to cover all financial obligations such as travel expenses for the delegations of some national chess federations, stipends for foreign match arbiters, principals, expenses towards inspections, travel subsidy for participants of FIDE Congress and to provide pocket money to the participants from some countries. According to the Tamil Nadu government official, planning of the works related to the mega chess event is on and tenders that have to be issued will soon be issued. The official also said the process of finalising the logo, tag line and others is also on. While Four Points Sheraton has a huge convention hall, additional civil structure measuring about 25,000 sq ft is required for a spectator gallery and other event related office space, the official added. Accordingly, tenders for the same will be issued soon. "FIDE has taken our drawings. It will decide on the event's needs like a noiseless playing area etc. The room and other rates are yet to be finalised," Satish Murthy, Manager, Four Points Sheraton, told IANS. Similarly, plans for opening and closing ceremonies are also being discussed and will be finalised soon. Queried about the hotel rooms, the official said that more than 20 hotels on the East Coast Road (ECR) belt and till TIDEL Park in Chennai have been finalised. "We have to arrive at the rates and make an offer to the hotels. We will take the average hotel room tariff during July-August of the past three years, excluding the Covid-19 years, and also the current rates of the hotels and make an offer. Ours will be a bulk booking, so we expect the rates to be attractive," the official said. As regards the logistics, the official said that each country's teams will be provided with two/three cars for travelling from their hotel to the playing venue and back. Going by the number of players and officials, the event may need about 600-700 cars. Players may not prefer buses as they may not like to discuss their strategy while travelling, he said. Similarly, tenders for tables and chairs as per FIDE specifications will also be issued. As for the sightseeing options for the players and accompanying officials, the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation will handle that part. "The security of the players and officials is important. So, the sightseeing trips will be handled by the government," the official said. On the revenue side, the government is seeking other sponsors and many corporates have expressed their interest and that aspect will also be finalised, he said. The opening ceremony and technical meeting will be held on July 28. The first round will be played on July 29, while the last round will be played on August 9, after which the closing ceremony will be held. The players will have their free day on August 4, as per the schedule. The departures will be on August 10.

Reliance calls off Rs 24,371 crore Future Retail deal

Mumbai, April 23 (IANS) Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has called off the deal with Future Retail Ltd (FRL) after FRLs secured creditors voted against the scheme. In a filing with the stock exchanges, RIL said, “The Future Group companies comprising Future Retail Limited (FRL) and other listed companies involved in the scheme have intimated the results of the voting on the scheme of arrangement by their shareholders and creditors at their respective meetings. “As per these results, the shareholders and unsecured creditors of FRL have voted in favour of the scheme. But the secured creditors of FRL have voted against the scheme. In view thereof, the subject scheme of arrangement cannot be implemented.” The scheme of arrangement was for the transfer of retail and wholesale business and the logistics and warehousing business of Future Group to Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (RRVL), a subsidiary of the company, and Reliance Retail and Fashion Lifestyle Limited (RRFLL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of RRVL, for Rs 24,371 crore. The deal was opposed by Amazon and intense legal battles have been waged ever since the deal was announced.

Real-time payments to boost India’s GDP by $45.9 bn in 2026

Mumbai, April 26 (IANS) Real-time payments are forecast to boost India's GDP by $45.9 billion in 2026 as real-time payments transaction volumes are set to exceed 206 billion by that time, a new report showed on Tuesday. In 2021, India accounted for the largest number of real-time transactions at 48.6 billion, almost threefold that of China (18 billion transactions) and almost seven times greater than the combined real-time payments volume of US, Canada, the UK, France and Germany (7.5 billion). According to the report by ACI Worldwide, in partnership with GlobalData and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr), the real-time payments helped India unlock $16.4 billion of additional economic output in 2021, equivalent to 0.56 per cent of formal GDP. "India's craving for cash may be plummeting, but there is still a great deal more to do. It is time to accelerate our efforts and expand this impact beyond the top tier metropolitan areas and replicate our success for the benefit of the entire country," said Ankur Saxena, Head of India and South Asia, ACI Worldwide, a software company providing real-time payment solutions. The widespread adoption of real-time payments resulted in estimated cost savings of $12.6 billion for Indian businesses and consumers in 2021. The growing acceptance of UPIbased mobile payment apps and QR code payments among merchants, combined with the increased use of digital payments during the Covid-19 pandemic, helped real-time payments secure 31.3 per cent of total payments transaction volume last year, the report showed. With consumers increasingly shifting from cash to mobile-based real-time payments, skipping payment cards, the real-time payments' share of the total payments volume is likely to rise to over 70 per cent in 2026. This will result in net savings for businesses and consumers rising to $92.4 billion in 2026, helping generate an additional $45.9 billion of economic output, equivalent to 1.12 per cent of the country's forecasted GDP. "By allowing for the transfer of money between parties within seconds rather than days, real-time payments improve overall market efficiencies in the economy," commented Owen Good, Head of Advisory, Centre for Economic and Business Research. "Developing nations continue to drive the majority of real-time volume gains, confirming the industry trend of the strongest growth coming from economies with minimal existing electronic payments infrastructure, and therefore heavier reliance on cash," added Sam Murrant, lead analyst, GlobalData. "India provides the template for mobile wallet integration with underlying real-time payment systems. Mobile will still be the leading form factor in developed markets," he noted.

Pak to take part in Asian Track Cycling Championship in Delhi

Islamabad, April 23 (IANS) In a step that may pave way towards hopes of a positive forward movement and de-escalation of tense ties between Pakistan and India, a team of Pakistan Cycling Federation (PCF) will be travelling to New Delhi to participate in the forthcoming Asian Track Cycling Championship. President PCF Syed Azhar Ali Shah said Pakistani cycling team will participate in the championship in New Delhi, scheduled to be held from June 18-22. "The decision about the participation of the national team in the Asian Track Cycling Championship has been taken in the Executive Council meeting of the federation," said Azhar Ali Shah. "In this connection, trials for selection of cyclists will be held on May 8 at Cycling Velodrome Lahore. All affiliated units of PCF, including Pakistan Army and WAPDA, have been directed to field their riders before the selection committee," he added. It will also be ensured that all the Pakistani riders, who get nominated

by their managers after trial, possess a valid passport for visa application and processing. It was also highlighted that possession of a valid cycling license is also kept as a mandatory requirement. The Pakistan Olympics Association (POA) has not accredited the PCF, which is why cyclists have missed participation in various international events. "In the past, POA did not grant accreditation to PCF in various international sports events due to which the cyclists missed many important international events. POA must change their attitude towards cycling and give due status to PCF," said Azhar Ali Shah. The trend of cycling in Pakistan does not get the spotlight, even in the local channels, dedicated towards promoting sporting events in the country. But, the sport is fast increasing its value as club-level cyclists are said to be trained and equipped with international level facilitations to meet the criteria for participation in international sporting events. Shah urged the relevant sports ministry and its subsidiary quarters to allow PCF to participate in the coming South Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.

India to play five-match T20I series vs South Africa from June 9

Mumbai, April 24 (IANS) India will play a five-match T20 International series against South Africa at home less than a fortnight after the conclusion of the ongoing Indian Premier League, with the opening match scheduled in New Delhi on June 9. The five matches will take place across 11 days, concluding with the final game at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. This will be India's third T20I series in 2022 at home; they swept both West Indies and Sri Lanka 3-0 earlier this year. And with the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia just a few months away, it will be a good opportunity for the hosts to experiment with their bench strength. India have a slightly better record against South Africa in the shortest format, having won nine out of their 15 matches, with the Proteas winning six of those. "We are excited to add these fixtures to the Proteas men's itinerary for the season. It is a massive white-ball season for our team, with an ICC Men's T20 World Cup in Australia later this year and the ICC World Cup taking place in India next year," said Cricket South Africa CEO Pholetsi Moseki. "It goes without saying that game time is vital for our team as they look to get their combinations right. "We look forward to supporting our men in a few weeks' time in what promises to be an explosive and highly competitive series." The schedule: 1st T20I: June 9, New Delhi; 2nd T20I: June 12, Cuttack; 3rd T20I: June 14, Vizag; 4th T20I: June 17, Rajkot; 5th T20I: June 19, Bengaluru.

Formula 3: Kush Maini gets first points at Imola

Imola (Italy), April 25 (IANS) Kush Maini, from Bangalore, demonstrated tremendous maturity over the course of a difficult weekend in the 2022 FIA Formula 3 Championship, finishing fifth in the feature race here on Sunday. Maini's Fifth-place finish earned him his first points of the season. The FIA Formula 3 Championship, with normally 30 cars on the grid, is brutally competitive, with drivers needing near-perfect weekends to finish at the front. Running as a support race to the main F1 weekend, the series will move to the Barcelona race track in Spain on May 20-22. Despite not being able to show his true potential, the Omega-Seiki and JK Racing-backed driver qualified in 10th place. On Saturday Kush Started the Sprint race 3rd on the Grid and was involved in battles in the top 5 when an unlucky drive-through penalty jeopardised his Sprint Race, with the Indian eventually finishing 20th. "It's been another weekend of a lot of learning and I'm glad we were able to finish the weekend so strongly," Maini said. "Fifth is a more accurate reflection of our potential, and I'm confident we could have finished in the top five if other factors had aligned in the Sprint Race".

Former India women’s hockey captain Elvera Britto passes away

New Delhi, April 26 (IANS) Former India women's hockey captain Elvera Britto, the eldest of the three famous Britto sisters who ruled the roost for nearly a decade in the 60s, passed away in Bengaluru in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Elvera, and her two sisters, Rita and Mae, were synonymous with women's hockey and played for Karnataka between 1960 and 1967, during which they won seven national titles with the three sisters at the helm. Elvera was conferred with the Arjuna award in 1965 and played for India against Australia, Sri Lanka and Japan. Condoling her demise, Gyanendro Ningombam, president, Hockey India said, "It is saddening to learn about the passing away of Elvera Britto. She was ahead of her times and achieved so much in women's hockey and continued to serve the sport as an administrator with the State. On behalf of Hockey India and the entire hockey fraternity, we would like to express our deepest condolences to her family."

Oslo chess: Praggnanandha, Carlsen to fight for title in final round

Oslo (Norway), April 28 (IANS) Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa will fight it out with World N.o 1 Magnus Carlsen for the Oslo Esports Cup title after losing his penultimate round match in the rapid chess tournament on Wednesday night Three points ahead going into the penultimate round of the $210,000 event, thev16-year-old Pragg suffered a painful defeat against Poland's World Cup winner JanKrzysztof Duda. It handed world Champion Carlsen a golden opportunity to go level on points with the youngster and overtake him on the leaderboard due to their head-to-head score. Carlsen, as always, grabbed the opportunity with both hands by thrashing the lowest-ranked player in the field, Canad's Eric Hansen. The Norwegian is now hot favourite to win the first Major of the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour season. Carlsen, meanwhile, faces the dangerous Shakhriyar Mamedyarov in Round 7 while Pragg is up against Anish Giri. For Pragg, it was nowhere near as comfortable a day as he'd hoped. Game 1 started unconventionally as Duda played an English Opening with 6.e3 and then the ultra-rare 9.b3. Duda was allowed to advance a pawn on the f-file to the seventh rank and the result was inevitable. Pragg resigned on move 65, according to a report by the organisers In the second game, the 16-year-old from Chennai overstretched with 24.c6 and from there Duda was ruthless. Pragg shook his head as he resigned in an impossible position on move 37. It left the youngster with an uphill struggle needing to win both remaining games on demand just to take it to tiebreaks. It wasn't to be as the third game ended in a draw after the queens came off. The match ended 2.5-0.5 in Duda's favour. Asked if he can win the tournament, Pragg said: "I just want to play better chess and then we'll see." So far, both matches had finished in three games and the third was no different as Liem Quang Le thrashed Play Magnus Group's new ambassador, Dutch No.1 Anish Giri 2.5-0.5. The last match to finish was �which went to a fourth game in which the Azeri needed to win to take it to tiebreaks, which the former won 2-0.

Sakshi Dhoni’s tweet on Jharkhand power crisis goes viral

Ranchi, April 26 (IANS) Sakshi Dhoni, the wife of former India captain and talismanic Chennai Super Kings (CSK) player Mahendra Singh Dhoni, has lent her voice to the deteriorating power situation in her home state Jharkhand, saying that as a tax payer she wants to know the reason for the crisis. With the state registering temperatures upward of 40 degrees C, and frequent power cuts becoming the norm, Sakshi tweeted her dismay saying, "As a tax payer of Jharkhand just want to know why is there a power crisis in Jharkhand since so many years? We are doing our part by consciously making sure we save energy!" Reports said that the state's demand for electricity crosses 2500 MW during peak hours and only two units of the Tenughat Vidyut Nigam Limited, which have a power-generating capacity of about 350 MW, cater to the demand of the state. The rest of the demand is met by the Indian Energy Exchange. The biggest reason for the latest crisis is the shortage of coal for power plants across the country, and efforts are on to ensure unhindered supply of the commodity soon. Sakshi's tweet received thousands of likes and re-tweets, with a fan saying, that she was lucky to be staying in Ranchi, where the situation was better compared to other cities. "Ma'am, that too when you're living in capital (Ranchi), just think what would be the situation of other cities. This became fate of all Jharkhand's people." MS Dhoni is currently playing in the IPL in Maharashtra where his team CSK has registered just two wins and is languishing in the bottom half of the table.

Loss of vision leading cause of anxiety, depression in elderly: Experts

New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) Agerelated macular degeneration (AMD), which accounts for 8.7 per cent of all blindness worldwide, is the most common cause of anxiety, and depression seen among people older than 60 years, health experts said on Monday. AMD is a disease where abnormal blood vessels grow in the macula - centre part of the retina - causing damage to the central vision and making it difficult to cope. Recent projections estimate that globally the number of individuals suffering with AMD will reach 288 million in 2040. In India, the overall prevalence of AMD currently ranges from 1.4 per cent to 3.1 per cent. The earliest symptom of AMD is difficulty in seeing at night. At a later stage, AMD patients see blind spots and their ability to read, watch television, drive and recognise faces gets affected. It later progresses to blindness. The impaired vision disturbs the routine of the patients, makes them dependent and also increases functional disability. "People suffering from AMD, who have lost over 80 per cent of their central vision are more likely to have anxiety and depression. This is mainly as they have plans to retire smoothly, and find it difficult to read and perform recreational activities at this stage in life, which causes frustration and discomfort. Their life involves multiple visits to hospital accompanied with expensive treatments, which adds to deterioration in the quality of life," Dr. Indu Singh, Consultant Retinal surgeon and Director, Dr Daljit Singh Eye Hospital, Amritsar, told IANS. A recent study by International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health also confirmed that AMD has a negative psychological impact, and it reduces the quality of life to levels comparable to severe illnesses like cancer and stroke. While it is important to go for walks, supervise things at home, to manage depression, Dr. Vishali Gupta, Professor, Vitreoretinal and Uvea, Advanced Eye Centre, PGIMER, Chandigarh suggested the patients to engage in activities that they can do within the comfort zone of their vision. "These patients should use magnifiers, iPads or other low vision aid devices that can help them read the script. Today there are apps that can read books to them. The idea is to keep oneself busy and feel useful," Gupta told IANS. Another way to fight AMD related stress is to go for regular screening in order to avoid worsening of vision. Early diagnosis of AMD can help early treatment and also halt progression to vision loss. Dr. Daraius Shroff, a retina specialist at Shroff Eye Centre in Delhi, suggested patients with AMD share with family and friends their anxieties to help relieve mental stress as well as to gain support to find solutions to

Modi lays foundation stone of WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine

New Delhi, April 19 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday laid the foundation stone of WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) in Gujarat's Jamnagar in the presence of Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth and World Health Organisation Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The GCTM will be the first and only global outpost centre for traditional medicine across the world. The video messages from the Prime Ministers of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and President of Maldives were played on the occasion. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandavia, Ayush Minister Sabananda Sonowal, MoS for Ayush Munjapara Mahendrabhai and Chief Minister of Gujarat Bhupendra Patel were among those present. Tedros Ghebreyesus termed the centre as a truly global project as 107 WHO member countries have their country specific governmental offices which means the world will come to India for its leadership in the traditional medicine. He said traditional medicines products are abound globally and the centre will go a long way in bringing the promise of the traditional medicine to fruition. For many regions of the world traditional medicine is the first line of treatment. "The New Centre will focus on data, innovation and sustainability and will optimize the use of traditional medicine, he added. The centres five main areas will be research and leadership, evidence and learning, data and analytics, sustainability and equity and innovation and technology," said Tedros Ghebreyesus. He thanked PM Modi for his leadership in providing all the support for the establishment of WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in Jamnagar. Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister thanked Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus for his kind words. The Prime Minister noted Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus's connect with India and his personal involvement in the project of WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) he said that his affection has manifested in the shape of the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine. Prime Minister also highlighted the three-decade long association with the Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Kumar Jugnauth and his family and thanked him for his words and presence. Prime Minister Modi also thanked the leaders whose video messages were played. "The WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine is a recognition of India's contribution and potential in this field. India takes this partnership as a huge responsibility for serving the entire humanity," said Modi. Jamnagar's contributions towards wellness will get a global identity with WHO's Global Centre for Traditional Medicine, the Prime Minister said, adding that more than five decades ago, the world's first Ayurvedic University was established in Jamnagar. The city has a quality Ayurvedic institute in Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda. "India's traditional medicine system is not limited to treatment. It is a holistic science of life. Ayurveda goes beyond just healing and treatment. Apart from healing and treatment; social health, mental health-happiness, environmental health, sympathy, compassion and productivity are included. Ayurveda is taken as the knowledge of life and it has been deemed as fifth Veda," Modi said. Prime Minister laid down five goals for the new Center. First, to create a database of traditional knowledge system using technology; second, GCTM can create international standards for testing and certification of traditional medicines so that confidence in these medicines improves. Third, GCTM should evolve as a platform where global experts of traditional medicines come together and share experiences. He also asked the centre to explore the possibility of an annual traditional medicine festival. Fourth, GCTM should mobilize funding for research in the field of traditional medicines. Finally, GCTM should develop protocols for holistic treatment of specific diseases so that patients could benefit from both traditional and modern medicine. PM Modi invoked the Indian concept of 'Vasudhaiv Kutumbkam' and prayed for whole world to always remain healthy. He said that with establishment of WHO-GCTM, this tradition will get further enriched.

Pigs can spread deadly antibiotic-resistant superbug to humans: Study

London, April 25 (IANS) Danish researchers have found evidence that pigs can spread dangerous antibiotic-resistant superbug Clostridioides difficile to humans. A team from the University of Copenhagen and Statens Serum Institut in Denmark found samples of the superbug C.difficile more commonly in piglets and sows than slaughter pigs across 14 pig farms in Denmark. The difference may be due to the younger pigs having a microbiota composition that makes them more susceptible to a successful colonisation, the researchers said. C. difficile is a bacterium that infects the human gut and is resistant to all but three current antibiotics. Some strains contain genes that allow them to produce toxins that can cause damaging inflammation in the gut, leading to life-threatening diarrhoea, mostly in the elderly and hospitalised patients who have been treated with antibiotics. "Our finding of multiple and shared resistance genes indicate that C. difficile is a reservoir of antimicrobial resistance genes that can be exchanged between animals and humans," said Dr. Semeh Bejaoui from the varsity. "This alarming discovery suggests that resistance to antibiotics can spread more widely than previously thought, and confirms links in the resistance chain leading from farm animals to humans," Bejaoui added. The study was presented at this year's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) being held in Portugal. In the study, the team investigated the prevalence of C. difficile strains in livestock pigs and the potential for zoonotic spread of antimicrobial resistance genes by comparing to clinical isolates from Danish hospital patients. Stool samples were collected from 514 pigs in two batches from farms across Denmark between 2020 and 2021. The 184 samples in batch B were collected during slaughtering in 2021. Out of 514 pigs samples, 54 had evidence of C. difficile. Further analyses of 40 samples, found that C. difficile was more common in piglets and sows than slaughter pigs. The researchers speculate that this may be due to the difference in age between piglets and adult pigs -- with the younger pigs having a microbiota composition that makes them more susceptible to a successful colonisation. In total, thirteen sequence types found in animals matched those found in patient's stool samples. ST11, an animal-associated strain, was the most common. In sixteen cases, ST11 strains in humans and animals were identical. All isolates from animals were positive for the toxin genes and ten were also hypervirulent, with an even greater capacity to cause disease. In total, 38 isolates from the animals contained at least one resistance gene and overall, resistance was predicted for seven classes of antibiotics, of which the most common were macrolides, beta-lactams, aminoglicosides and vancomycin -- which are important for treating severe bacterial infections. "Of particular concern is the large reservoir of genes conferring resistance to aminoglycosides, a class of antibiotics to which C. difficile is intrinsically resistant -- they are not needed for resistance in this species. C. difficile thus plays a role in spreading these genes to other susceptible species," Bejaoui said.

How to maintain a healthy liver

New Delhi, April 19 (IANS) Liver, which is the second largest and the most complex organ in the body, after the brain, can be easily damaged if not taken good care of, said experts on the occasion of World Liver Day. World liver day is observed every April 19 to spread awareness about liver related disease. The liver is a key player in our body's digestive system, and helps in proper digestion, metabolism, removal of toxins, and nutrient storage. The organ plays a vital role in affecting our overall health and wellness, thus to improve its functioning to prevent damage, a healthy lifestyle is important, the health experts said. "A healthy liver is the key to a long life term. With slight changes in lifestyle you can maintain good liver health," said Dr Ameet Mandot, Senior consultant and Clinical lead - Adult Hepatology and Liver Transplant unit - Global Hospital, Parel, Mumbai. "Maintaining the health of the liver is quite necessary as it performs many functions and plays a vital role in the human digestive system. Everything you eat or drink passes through the liver. You cannot survive without a liver. It is an organ that can be easily damaged if you don't take good care of it," added Dr. Abhishek Deepak, Senior Consultant - Gastroenterologist at Sharda Hospital, Greater Noida. The health experts explained that leading an unhealthy lifestyle - with improper diet, lack of physical activity, being overweight, can all lead to conditions like diabetes, hypertension, thyroid disorders, and

abnormal cholesterol levels. All these are major risk factors for developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which then progresses to liver cirrhosis -- latestage liver disease in which healthy liver tissue is replaced with scar tissue and the liver is permanently damaged. Mandot suggested maintaining a healthy diet along with weight management. "Avoid fatty foods, exercise regularly, consume alcohol responsibly and in moderation, cut down or stop smoking, avoid use of illicit drugs," Mandot noted. According to Dr. Gaurav Gupta, Consultant & Chief Surgeon, Department of Liver Transplant & HPB Surgery, Fortis Hospital Mulund, not drinking enough water, taking stress as well as taking some painkillers and other drugs may also contribute to liver disease. Gupta said that "painkillers containing acetaminophen, paracetamol, and narcotics; sleeping pills; stimulants/ADHD drugs like ritalin, amphetamine; and cocaine, marijuana, and ecstasy," can easily surpass a safe threshold of liver tolerance and can cause significant damage to the organ. "Intravenous drugs can transmit infections like hepatitis B and C, which can also lead to chronic liver disease and even liver cancer," he added. The experts also suggested to avoid use of contaminated needles, getting proper medical care if exposed to blood, do not share personal hygiene items, practice safe sex, wash hands, follow directions on all medications and importantly get vaccinated.

BJP leader moves Delhi HC to adopt Indian holistic integrated medicinal approach

New Delhi, April 26 (IANS)

BJP leader and lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay on Tuesday moved a PIL in the High Court seeking directions to the Centre to adopt an Indian Holistic Integrated Medicinal Approach rather than colonial segregated way of Allopathy, Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy in order to secure the right to health. In the Public Interest Litigation (PIL), Upadhyay said that a substantial proportion of active health workers were found not adequately qualified and more than 20 per cent of qualified health professionals are not active. Around half of the population is living below the poverty line and around 70 per cent dwelling in rural areas and 52 per cent of these doctors are practicing in just five states Maharashtra (15 per cent), Tamil Nadu (12 per cent), Karnataka (10 per cent), Andhra Pradesh (8 per cent) and Uttar Pradesh (7 per cent). Thus, rural Indian areas still remain deprived of medicinal benefits. These results reflected highly skewed distribution of health workforce across States. Since the majority of Allopathic doctors reside in five states, thereby restricting the medical benefits of other states by just providing them with remaining 48 per cent population of doctors, the PIL read. As doctors are confined to a few states but patients reside across India, it has led to introduction of several health care mediators and they are ruining the integrity of Indian health care system as they tend to fetch more money from patients in the name of providing better treatment. This situation is highly un-ethical and illegal as it will deprive the diseased individuals from attaining health benefits due to their inability to pay high health expenses, he said. The petitioner also stated that there are 7.88 lakh Ayurveda, Unani and Homeopathy (AUH) doctors. Assuming 80 per cent availability, it is estimated that 6.30 lakh AUH doctors may be available for service and considered together with allopathic doctors, it gives a doctor population ratio of around 1:1000. He sought implement a Holistic Integrated Common Syllabus and Common Curriculum of Allopathy, Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy for all Medical Colleges in order to secure right to health guaranteed under Articles 21, 39(e), 41, 43, 47, 48(a). The Centre should be directed to constitute an Expert Committee having Experts of Allopathy, Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha & Homeopathy to examine Integrated Healthcare Approach of the developed countries and particularly China and Japan, the plea read.

Kerala-born teen drowns trying to retrieve football from pond in US

New York, April 24 (IANS) An 18-year-old Kerala-born teen has died while trying to retrieve a football that had fallen into a frigid pond in New Jersey, according to media reports. The body of Clinten Ajit was pulled from the depths of the pond in New Milford on Friday night by an emergency service diver, the Daily Voice reported. He "was apparently doing a good deed" when he went into the pond at about 7 p.m. to get the ball, the news outlet said. An emergency service worker quoted by it said, "Some kids accidentally kicked a soccer ball in the water and (he) said he would get it for them. He didn't know how to swim and never came back up". New Milford Mayor Michael Putrino said: "There's no words that can describe the pain that this family is going through right now. Our hearts are broken. Our town will be praying for (them) tonight." According to a Gofundme fundraiser set up for his family, Ajit was born in Niranam, Kerala, and immigrated to the US in 2012. He was in the final year of high school and had been set to study criminal justice at a local university. On Friday evening, the temperatures were down to about 12 degrees Celsius in New Milford, which is about 35 km from New York City. Ten-year-old Sam Rueda, who witnessed the tragedy told the CBS2 New York TV: "The water went up to his waist, then it went up to his neck, then he had his whole, full body in the water."

All seven Indian sailors in captivity of Yemen’s Houthis released

Thiruvananthapuram, April 24

(IANS) Seven Indian sailors, in captivity of Yemen's Houthi rebels since January 2 along with their UAE-flagged merchant ship Rwabee, have been released, relatives of some of the sailors said on Sunday. The sailors included three Keralites - Dipash of Meppayur in Kozhikode, Akhil of Alappuzha, and Sreejith from Kottayam - and their relatives said that they have got information about their release. The Houthi rebels had then claimed that the UAE-flagged vessel Rwabee was carrying "military supplies" and that it had entered the Yemeni waters of the coast of Hodeidah without any authorisation. The External Affairs Ministry was in touch with the UN mission to felicitate the release of the Indian sailors.

EC mulling postal ballots for overseas voters

New Delhi, April 22 (IANS) The Election Commission of India has said that its contemplating postal ballots for overseas voters, an official statement said on Friday. During his recent visit to South Africa and interaction with the members of the Indian community there, Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra urged the community to register as overseas voters as the present numbers are abysmally low. He also shared with the members that extension of Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) facility to overseas voters is being contemplated. The Election Commission delegation, led by the CEC, visited South Africa and Mauritius from April 9-19. During this visit, a series of meetings were held with the Election Commissions of South Africa and Mauritius as well as interactions with the large NRI community in the two countries. Both Election Management Bodies are also MOU partners with ECI. The three countries share a relationship which is fundamental, unique and rooted in the collective experiences and cumulative strength of their people, the statement said. As the Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB), which provides a unique platform for exchange of knowledge and information between its members, completes 10 years of its foundation and steps into a new decade, the meeting was positioned at the right juncture wherein it was time to reflect on the way forward for A-WEB as an organisation, it said. "During the meeting, it was acknowledged that this umbrella organisation had EMBs with a lot of experience and expertise which could assist and advise those EMBs who were looking for further development and upgradation of their systems. It was felt that the focus must now be on increasing membership and enhancing the sense of belonging of the members. More avenues must be explored so that the members can interact and meet more often," the CEC said. Sushil Chandra said that South Africa has made big strides in democracy and would be hosting the next General Assembly of AWEB in October 2022. India has a very intense and active association with AWEB and both it and South Africa are its founding members.

Two students from Telangana killed in US accident

Hyderabad, April 24 (IANS) Two students from Telangana were killed in a road accident in the US. Pavan Swarna (23) of Khammam and his friend Vamshi Krishna Pechetty (23) of Bachupally in Medchal Malkajgiri district were killed in a head-on collision of two cars in Illinois on April 21. Pavan was at the wheels of one of the vehicles. An American woman driving the other car was also killed. Three others travelling with Pavan and Vamshi were injured and the condition of one of them is stated to be critical. Pavan and Vamshi were pursuing their master's in computer science at Southern Illinois University (SIU) in Carbondale. Kalyan Dorna, Karthik Kakumanu and Yashwanth Uppalapati were injured in the accident. Kalyan's condition is stated to be critical. According to information reaching the families of the deceased, the accident occurred when a group of 10 students in two separate cars were returning after shopping. One of the cars was hit by another vehicle which was being driven by an American. Vamshi, second son of a bank officer Varaprasad and JNTU professor Padmaja Rani, had gone to the US five months ago after doing his BTech. Vamshi's elder brother Shashi Krishna was already settled in the US for the last seven years. Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on Sunday condoled the death of two students from the state. "Saddened to hear the loss of two Telangana students in a car accident in Illinois USA," the governor tweeted. She directed the Raj Bhavan officials to render all possible support to the families in bringing back the bodies with the help of Ministry of External Affairs and to provide medical assistance to three others who were injured.

Indians continue their hold on H-1B visas

Washington, April 15 (IANS) Indians cornered nearly three-fourths of H-1B visas issued by the US to speciality foreign workers in 2021, continuing their stranglehold on this highly sought after professional ticket to work, live and, finally, settle down in America. The US approved 407,071 H-1B petitions in 2021 and 301,616 of them � 74.1 per cent � were for Indian workers, according to the latest report on this topic released recently by the Department of Homeland Security, the government agency that oversees immigration. Indians accounted for 74.9 per cent of the approved petitions in 2020. The US allows American employers to hire speciality foreign workers on H-1B for positions they are unable to fill with local Americans. Top American companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and Facebook are among leading users of this visa programme as are US subsidiaries of Indian IT companies such as Infosys, TCS and Wipro. These foreign workers are hired either from their countries of birth or residence or from US colleges and universities � Sundar Pichai, the Google CEO, was hired on H-1B when he was studying in the US. They can live and work here for three years and, if approved, another three years. A large number of them go on to Green Cards � permanent residency � sponsored by their employers. Indians have had a tight grip on the H-B visa programme for years, at that three-fourths mark. People from China have been a distant second � with 12.1 per cent. The next three were Canada with 0.9 per cent, South Korea also with 0.9 per cent and Philippines with 0.7 per cent. The line-up was the same in 2020, with almost the same numbers.

Indian embassy officials in Yemen begin talks to save life of Kerala nurse

New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram,

April 27 (IANS) Indian embassy officials in Yemen have established contact with 'responsible' people who are close to the family of a Yemeni national who was killed by Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya and her friend. The meeting was held to discuss the possibility of saving Priya's life which can be done only if the family of Talal Mahdi pardons her for blood money -- compensation paid by an offender or his kin to the family of the victim -- in accordance with the Sharia law and diplomatic intervention, as per Yemeni rules. According to sources in the know of things, the Indian diplomats are also wary that excessive media attention on the blood money factor could turn counterproductive. It was at the initiative of the 'Save Nimisha Forum' working for her release, that retired Supreme Court judge Kurian Joseph agreed to act as interlocutor to see how her life can be saved. Joseph, along with a team of former and serving diplomatic officials, managed to establish contact with authorities in Yemen. According to rough estimates, a sum equivalent to Rs 1.50 crore might have to be paid in Yemeni currency and perhaps it could be even more as it includes a fine and other charges. Meanwhile, a team led by Joseph, including Priya's mother and her young daughter, are awaiting diplomatic clearance to travel to Yemen to have a direct dialogue with Mahdi's family. Things started to speed up after a Yemeni court last month dismissed Priya's appeal in the murder case of Talal Mahdi, in which she, along with another person, are the prime accused. The two have been sentenced to death for the murder of Mahdi in 2017. Hailing from Palakkad, Priya, a nurse by profession, reached Yemen in 2012 with her husband. In 2015, with the help of Talal Mahdi, she set up a clinic. By this time her husband and their child had returned home. Soon, differences cropped up between her and Mahdi and she accused him of torturing her and taking away her passport, making her trip back to her home state impossible. On July 25, 2017, she injected Talal with sedatives to take back her passport and flee. But the man collapsed after being administered the sedatives. Realising that Mahdi had died, the nurse with another person's help, disposed off his body, which was cut into pieces in a water tank. Four days later, the crime surfaced and both were arrested and while she was sentenced to death, the other person was sentenced to life imprisonment. The incident came to light when a Kerala gospel worker reached a jail in Yemen to preach. Priya handed over a letter to him describing the entire incident.