Category: Business & Economy

 ** Know Your City: How World War II pushed IMD’s headquarters from Pune to Delhi

The commencement of World War II in 1939 boosted meteorological operations, particularly those required for aviation services, and necessitated the closer presence of weather experts for aviation in Delhi.

Had the Second World War not broken out in 1939, Pune would probably have continued to be the headquarters of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for a longer period. In fact, it was only about a decade before the war – on April 1, 1928 – that Pune became the IMD’s headquarters.

As many as 74 meteorological observatories had been operational in British India, including some of the world’s oldest ones located in the then cities of Bombay, Calcutta and Madras.

As meteorology developed in the country, the secretary of the state of India, after consulting several meteorologists in England , decided to appoint an Imperial Reporter tasked with supervising meteorological activities across India.

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** Vemulawada man expert in both Agamam and Sthapatyam 

Unique World Records recognises his feat

According to Indian culture, ‘Agamam’ means ways to perform the ‘puja vidhi’ (Vaidik system) in temples. It is an expertise known only to a very few people.

‘Sthapatyam’, on the other hand, means temple architecture, mostly used in reference to those who construct and design temples, following religious protocols. A person who studies Sthapatyam is called a ‘Sthapathi’.

High concentration and years of dedication are needed to become an expert in one of the two fields. Bagging a world record as a mark of recognition is something that Chamarthi Balabhaskaran Sthapathi, presently working as an assistant Sthapathi at Vemulawada Temple Area Development Authority (VTADA), has achieved.

In February, Unique World Records Limited had recognised him as the world’s first Shilpa and Agama Shastra Sthapathi.

“I have completed both the courses. I am the first person in the world to have completed both. The Unique World Records Limited has recognised the feat and communicated to me,” said Mr. Balabhaskaran, adding that these two were the two pillars for a Hindu temple system.

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** India gets S-400 training equipment

There is a delay in the delivery of the second regiment of S-400 from Russia due to the ongoing war in Ukraine . However some training equipment and simulators arrived in India, official sources confirmed.

“Simulators and training equipment have arrived. The second operational unit is likely to be delayed by a few months,” a defence source said and this was confirmed by another official.

Last December, India took delivery of the first S-400 regiment, five of which were contracted from Russia under a $5.43 bn deal signed in October 2018. The first unit has been deployed in Punjab and is operational, officials have confirmed.

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** e-DAR portal to speed up accident compensation claims

Integrated data and instant information on road accidents will bring relief to victims’ families, check fake claims

A web portal designed by the government in consultation with insurance companies will provide instant information on road accidents with a few clicks and help accelerate accident compensation claims, bringing relief to victims’ families.

The Ministry of Roads, Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has developed the portal named ‘e-DAR’ (e-Detailed Accident Report). Digitalised Detailed Accident Reports (DAR) will be uploaded on the portal for easy access.

The web portal will be linked to the Integrated Road Accident Database (iRAD). From iRAD, applications to more than 90% of the datasets would be pushed directly to the e-DAR.

Stakeholders like the police, road authorities, hospitals, etc., are required to enter very minimal information for the e-DAR forms. Thus, e-DAR would be an extension and e-version of iRAD.

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** Alliance Air shifts to own passenger service system; to sell tickets with ‘9I’ code

Regional carrier Alliance Air was not part of the deal when the central government sold off Air India to the Tata Group

Centre-run Alliance Air said it will sell tickets with “9I” code and has shifted to its own cloud-based passenger service system (PSS) from Friday onwards.

Even though parent airline Air India’s control was shifted to the Tata Group on January 27, Alliance Air till date was using the full-service carrier’s PSS and its “AI” code to sell tickets.

A PSS is used for various functions such as ticket reservation and flight scheduling.

Regional carrier Alliance Air was not part of the deal when the central government sold off Air India to the Tata Group on October 8 last year.

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** Stent maker SMT sets up global hub near Hyderabad

Company will invest ₹ 250 crore on the facility at Medical Devices Park, Sultanpur

Vascular devices maker Sahajanand Medical Technologies (SMT) has opened the first phase of its ₹ 250 crore global hub for manufacturing and R&D at Telangana government-promoted Medical Devices Park in Sultanpur, near Hyderabad.

CEO Ganesh Sabat said the company makes coronary stents, balloon catheters, occluder and valves and has manufacturing units in Surat, Bengaluru as well as Thailand. It intends over time to make all the products at the plant in Telangana. The plan is to make, by the end of the first year, 1 million stents and 2 million balloon catheters – in Surat where its largest facility is located SMT makes about 7 lakh stents.

Initially balloon catheters will be made followed by stents, at Sultanpur, he said, adding of the ₹ 250 crore investment proposed, the company has spent ₹ 130 crore on the first phase. In two years, 1,000 people are likely to be employed at the plant here.

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** SVPIA sets a national record in runway work

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA), managed by the Adani Group, has completed the recarpeting work on its 3.5 – kilometre-long runway in a record time of 75 days. This duration is an all-time best among brownfield runways in India.

Ahmedabad’s SVPIA is the busiest airport in Gujarat with over 200 flights every day in the pre-covid time. The challenge of recarpeting the runway without impacting the operations of scheduled flights was tackled by Adani Airport Holdings Ltd (AAHL) by using only nine hours of NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) daily. During the 75 days it took to complete the project, SVPIA kept the runway open daily for 160 flights on an average during the remaining 15 hours of the day.

The quantum of asphalt laid for the recarpeting was equivalent to a 200 km stretch of road, while the concrete used for the runway drainage system was sufficient to build a 40-storied structure.

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** Allahabad University students develop device to check backflow after injection

he students of the chemistry department in Allahabad University (AU), led by their supervisor and dean faculty of science Prof Shekhar Srivastava, have developed a device which will prevent backflow of injected liquid in humans.

The device will automatically lock the output pipe after the stipulated amount of medicine or for that matter any liquid as being injected by the doctor has been injected in the body.

The device has been granted patent for a period of 10 years by the Kolkata-based office of General of Patent, Design and Trademark, ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.

The device is the effort of a team led by Prof Srivastava and included research scholars Rahul Kannaujia, Ghulam Mustafa and Mukta Singh.

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** Successful trials of Enhanced Pinaka Rocket System at Pokhran pave way for production

The enhanced Pinaka is the upgraded version of the rocket system, which has been designed with advanced technologies to destroy targets at long ranges.

 In a series of trials, India successfully tested multiple rounds of the Enhanced Pinaka Mk-I Rocket System (EPRS) and Pinaka Area Denial Munition (PADM) rocket system. The rocket system that can act as a short-range missile is now ready for user trials and production.

Defence sources said the EPRS and PADM systems were successfully test-fired from the Pokhran firing range. A total of 24 rockets were fired for different ranges during the last fortnight.

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** One Nation-One Product stall launched at Guntur Railway Station

Mangalagiri textiles, Tenali jute products and banana fibre products are being sold here

‘One station One Product’ – aimed at making a railway station a promotional hub for local products – was launched at the Guntur Railway Division on Saturday . 

The initiative, announced in the Union Budget 2022-23, would be implemented for 30 days (in two spells of 15 days each), from April 9 to May 7.

A fully-functional stall is earmarked for promoting and selling the product at select stations, to give a boost to the livelihood opportunities to local artisans, potters, weavers/handloom weavers, etc.

Guntur is famous for Mangalagiri textiles and handlooms and handicrafts. To give a fillip to artisans here, the Guntur railway station has been identified for the ‘One Station One Product’ initiative.

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