Month: February 2023

India’s Envoy reiterated the nation’s commitment to the I2U2 partnership and made a strong pitch for all stakeholders to work towards achieving tangible progress in all I2U2 initiatives.

The inaugural Business Forum of I2U2 nations – India, Israel, the UAE and the USA – was held in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, making it the first event of this kind since the launch of the I2U2 group since its leaders’ summit in July 2022.

The Forum brought together senior private and public sector representatives from the member nations with discussions held on investment opportunities to address issues related to the management of the energy crisis and food insecurity.

The I2U2 partnership is a grouping focused on driving tangible economic cooperation between its members across a range of sectors, including food security, water, energy, space, transportation, health, and technology.

It aims to mobilize private sector capital and expertise to, among other objectives, help modernize infrastructure, decarbonize industries, improve public health, and promote the development of green technologies.

Hosted by UAE Minister of State Ahmed bin Ali Al Sayegh, the forum was attended by Director General of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ronen Levi and, India’s Economic Relations Secretary Dammu Ravi, while the US delegation was led by the Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose W Fernandez.

“The officials reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing economic cooperation under the I2U2 framework, noting the significance of direct engagement between decision makers from I2U2 countries and private sector stakeholders interested in forming a future partnership,” said the MEA.

Ravi reiterated India’s commitment to the I2U2 partnership and made a strong pitch for all stakeholders to work towards achieving tangible progress in all I2U2 initiatives, including setting up an I2U2 Innovation Centre in Gurugram. In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s clarion call for LiFE-Lifestyle for Environment, he urged I2U2 partners to work towards a sustainable and environment-friendly lifestyle for all.

The I2U2 Business Forum aims to become a regular platform for private and public entities from India, Israel, the UAE, and the US to convene and establish tangible joint business ventures in I2U2’s core economic and technological fields.

newindianexpress.com

The 700-square kilometer Pangong Lake records a temperature of minus 30 degrees Celsius during winter, making the salt water lake frozen with ice.

The Union Territory of Ladakh has created history by successfully conducting its maiden 21-km trail running event in sub-zero temperature at 13,862 feet high Pangong Tso, which was registered in Guinness world record as the world’s highest frozen lake half marathon.

Spread across the border of India and China, the 700-square kilometer Pangong Lake records a temperature of minus 30 degrees Celsius during winter, making the salt water lake frozen with ice.

The four-hour long marathon started from Lukung and ended at Maan village on Monday with no injury reported to any of the 75 participants, Leh District Development Commissioner Shrikant Balasaheb Suse told PTI.

Named as the ‘Last Run’ to remind the people about the climate change and need to save the Himalayas, the marathon was organised by the Adventure Sports Foundation of Ladakh (ASFL) in collaboration with Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh, Tourism Department, Ladakh and Leh district administration.

“The first Pangong frozen lake half marathon is now officially registered in the Guinness book of world records,” Mr. Suse said.

He said besides spreading the message of ecological awareness among the stakeholders through sports, the marathon was also aimed at promoting sustainable winter tourism in border villages of eastern Ladakh to generate livelihood opportunities for residents especially in winters which is part of ‘vibrant village programme’ announced by Central government.

The run was flagged off by Chief Executive Councillor, LAHDC (Leh) Tashi Gyalson. Five energy stations were set up along the route, consisting of energy drinks, medical teams and oxygen support, along with mobile ambulances.

The district development commissioner said all the participants underwent six-day acclimatisation – four days in Leh and two in Pangong – in accordance with the SOPs decided by the district administration. The participants were also subjected to medical examination to ensure that they were fit for running.

All medical centres along the route were equipped with trained personnel and equipment to tackle any medical emergencies, Mr. Suse said, adding the event saw active support from Indian Army and ITBP in terms of medical support and logistics.

Union Territory Disaster Response Force personnel and Ladakh mountain guide association personnel were deployed along the route to ensure safety of the runners. The route was decided after proper inspection and size of frozen layer of ice, the officer said.

He said the participants were allowed to run only after wearing safety equipment to avoid slipping on ice.

After the successful conclusion of the event, the runners were felicitated with medals and certificates, while cash prizes were also given to first, second and third place finishers in both men’s and women’s categories.

He said the event was recorded as ‘Highest Altitude Frozen Half Marathon’ and a certificate was issued by Guinness officials on the occasion to LAHDC Leh and ASFL.

“Congratulations, we have made it to the world record. Indeed a successful event inspired by Prime Minister @narendramodi’s #VibrantVillages Programme for border regions,” Mr. Gyalson tweeted.

thehindu.com

The move will aid the Indian diaspora in Singapore, especially students and migrant workers, by allowing instantaneous and low-cost money transfers between the two countries.

India’s Unified Payments Interface — better known as UPI — and Singapore’s PayNow were officially connected on Tuesday, allow for a “real-time payment linkage”. The virtual launch was led by a phone call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong. 

“Today is a special day for India-Singapore friendship and for our efforts to deepen collaboration in FinTech and innovaton. The participation of my friend PM Lee Sien Loong made this morning’s programme even more special,” Mr. Modi said. The linkage is set to ease financial transactions for the Indian diaspora.

Singapore has now became the first country with which cross-border Person to Person (P2P) payment facilities have been launched. “This will help the Indian diaspora in Singapore, especially migrant workers/students and bring the benefits of digitalisation and FINTECH to the common man through instantaneous and low-cost transfer of money from Singapore to India and vice-versa,” said the Ministry of External Affairs. UPI payments through QR codes are already taking place in Singapore, though at a limited number of outlets. 

“Delighted to launch the linkage between PayNow and India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with PM Narendra Modi today. Congratulations to the Monetary Authority of Singapore, the Reserve Bank of India and all the stakeholders in Singapore and India who have helped make the linkage a reality,” Lee Hsien Loong said at the event.

Demonstrating the link, the Reserve Bank of India’s Governor Shaktikanta Das and the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s Managing Director Ravi Menon made live “cross-border transactions” to each other using their mobile handsets. 

thehindu.com

35-year-old Mira Murati was born and raised in San Francisco, United States, however, her parents are of Indian origin.

Mira Murati is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at OpenAI, the company behind Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered chatbot ChatGPT.

35-year-old Mira Murati was born and raised in San Francisco, United States, however, her parents are of Indian origin.

She has completed her Bachelor of Engineering from the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth.

According to her LinkedIn bio, she started her career as a Summer Analyst at Goldman Sachs and among notable assignments, was the senior product manager, of Model X at Tesla between 2013 to 2016.

Murati joined Open AI in June 2018 as Vice President, of applied Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Partnerships, and is currently CTO of Open AI, the California-based research and publishing company behind the development of ChatGPT.

Mira Murati says, AI can be misused

The AI chatbot ChatGPT was created by San Francisco-based OpenAI, a startup that conducts artificial intelligence research. The application was made available in November 2022. It is capable of talking about anything from history to philosophy, generating song lyrics and making changes to computer programme code.

ChatGPT has now become very popular across the globe. As per media reports, now experts are raising concerns about the dangers associated with AI software.

Mira Murati recently expressed her concerns about the chatbot and said that AI can be misused.

”AI can be misused, or it can be used by bad actors. So, then there are questions about how you govern the use of this technology globally. How do you govern the use of AI in a way that’s aligned with human values?” she told Time Magazine.

”But we’re a small group of people and we need a ton more input in this system and a lot more input that goes beyond the technologies–definitely regulators and governments and everyone else,” she noted.

siasat.com

The prize-winning picture was captured on the final day of his week-long photography trip to Alaska, in Eagle Preserve, where he watched bald eagles catch salmon from the water.

Karthik Subramaniam, an Indian-origin software engineer in the U.S. and a hobbyist photographer, has won the prestigious National Geographic’s ‘Pictures of The Year’ award with his photograph titled “Dance of the Eagles”.

Selected from nearly 5,000 entries, Subramaniam’s picture won the grand prize on Friday, earning him a feature in the magazine’s May issue alongside Nat Geo’s leading photographers.

The award-winning photograph captured a bald eagle intimidating its peers to claim a prime log while salmon hunting in the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve in Alaska.

“Every year in November, hundreds of bald eagles gather at Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska, to feast on salmon. I visited there last two November to photograph them,” Subramaniam was quoted as saying in the statement.

Salmon and chaos

Camped in the preserve, waiting for the perfect click, Subramaniam’s motto was, “Wherever there’s salmon there’s going to be chaos.”

The California-based software engineer started experimenting with wildlife photography only after being grounded by the pandemic in 2020, before which he used to capture landscapes and his travels.

The prize-winning picture was captured on the final day of his week-long photography trip to Alaska, in Eagle Preserve, where he watched bald eagles catch salmon from the water.

“They (the eagles) also seemed to have some favourite spots to hang out, and usually, commotion ensues when an eagle wants an already occupied spot. This photo was taken during one such commotion,” Subramaniam was quoted as saying in the statement.

“Hours of observing their patterns and behaviour helped me capture moments like these,” he added.

Homage to George R.R. Martin

According to the statement, he titled the photograph “Dance of the Eagles” as a homage to a fictional dragon war in George R.R. Martin’s novel A Dance with Dragons.

In recognition of his work, Subramaniam also received a six-month digital subscription to the magazine.

Tied to the annual ‘Pictures of the Year’ list featuring National Geographic’s top images of the year — 118 out of more than 2 million total — the photo contest invited aspiring photographers from across the country to submit the favourite image they captured in 2022, broken into four categories: Nature, People, Places and Animals, the statement said.

thehindu.com

The WSC will start on February 21 to continue till February 23 with experts and officials participating from across the world.

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) is all set to host the International Union of Railways’ 18th World Security Congress (WSC) to deliberate upon the various aspects of security.

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) is the law-enforcing agency of Indian Railways (IR) which is hosting the 18th World Security Congress (WSC) at Jaipur.

The WSC will start on February 21 to continue till February 23 with experts and officials participating from across the world.

The Ministry of Railways on Monday said that the theme of this year’s WSC has been set as ‘Railway Security Strategy: Responses and Vision for Future’.

The International Union of Railways is headquartered in Paris and represents the railway sector promoting rail transport worldwide. Railway said that the WSC will be attended by the heads of security of railway organisations from across the world, apart from the concerned officials of UIC and partner agency RPF of Indian Railway.

“It will be an event befitting with the occasion of India taking on the leadership of hosting railway security delegates from around the world,” said DG PR Railway Yogesh Baweja on Monday in a statement. He added that DG RPF has been made chair of the WSC platform, starting in pink city Jaipur from Tuesday over railway security vision and aspects.

“Sanjay Chander- DG RPF has taken up measures to enhance the involvement of member- organisations operating in Asia, Africa and several other developing countries with similar demographic patterns so that their voice could be heard and concerns addressed at multilateral platforms provided by the UIC,” he said.

The RPF will be the host for engaging with delegates (security representatives) of the member organisations of the International Union of Railways which is called UIC.

The DG PR Railway said that the entire congress has been divided into 4 sessions with underlying sub-themes Protecting Critical Assets and Freights, Human security Approach, the best railway security tools and practices across the world and Visison-2030. Earlier, the same congress was organised in 2006 and 2015 by the RPF hosting the International Union of Railways in New Delhi.

RPF DG Sanjay Chander has also taken over the chairmanship of the International UIC Security Platforms from July 2022 to July 2024. The UIC promotes strategic and tactical cooperation amongst world railway sectors as it negotiates its evolving relationship with global governments and security across the continents.

“In a global scenario where criminal elements exploit the advantages of networking to devise newer ways and means of attack, it is highly imperative that positive forces also come together to face such challenges,” the DG PR Railway said. 

newindianexpress.com

Ayushmann was appointed UNICEF India’s Celebrity Advocate in September 2020 to advocate for ending violence against children and the broader child rights agenda.

NEW DELHI: Actor Ayushmann Khurrana, who has always been vocal about children’s rights, on Saturday joined hands with UNICEF to show his support towards ensuring the right of every child to survive, thrive, and be protected.

Today, UNICEF India announced the appointment of the ‘Dream Girl 2’ actor as a National Ambassador.

Speaking at the conferment Ayushmann said,” It is truly an honour to further my advocacy for children’s rights with UNICEF India as a National Ambassador. I am passionate about the issues facing children and adolescents in India. As UNICEF’s Celebrity Advocate, I have interacted with children and spoken on internet safety, cyberbullying, mental health, and gender equality. In this new role with UNICEF, I will keep up a strong voice for children’s rights, especially for the most vulnerable supporting solutions for issues that impact them the most.”

Welcoming Ayushman Khurrana as the National Ambassador for children’s rights, Cynthia McCaffrey, UNICEF India Representative said, “I am delighted to welcome Ayushmann Khurrana as UNICEF India’s National Ambassador. Ayushmann’s strong commitment over the last two years as UNICEF’s Celebrity Advocate has helped amplify and drive the work of protecting the rights of children. He is one of India’s biggest movie stars, and we are thrilled that he is using that powerful voice to stand with children and challenge harmful social norms and gender stereotypes. And it is a voice that resonates with UNICEF’s work and ethos in its sensitivity and passion. We look forward to working with him on the most critical child rights issues of our time – ending violence, mental well-being, and gender equality- and towards a better future for every child.”

Ayushmann was appointed UNICEF India’s Celebrity Advocate in September 2020 to advocate for ending violence against children and the broader child rights agenda.

His active participation in World Children’s Day, adding his voice and influence on International Women’s Day, International Day of the Girl Child, World Day Against Child Labour, and Safer Internet Day raised the profile of children’s causes and received wide public attention.

Most recently he focused attention on inclusion and non-discrimination through gender-inclusive sports on World Children’s Day 2022 with Sachin Tendulkar, Regional Ambassador for UNICEF South Asia, and with girls and boys participating from across India.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Ayushmann will be seen in the sequel to his hit franchise Dream Girl 2. The film will also feature Ananya Panday.

newindianexpress.com

Schoolgirls had to remotely build payloads (transport of data across a network) and write codes for the satellite to be launched into space.

It seemed like a flight of fancy a year ago for Tanvi Patel. The tenth grader and a science enthusiast from Shri BS Patel Kanya Vidyalaya in Mahesana, Gujarat, was chosen to be part of an ambitious space plan. Called AzaadiSAT, the project involved 750 girls like her from government schools across India.

They had to remotely build payloads (transport of data across a network) and write codes for the satellite to be launched into space. On February 10, as part of the ISRO’s SSLV-D2 launch, the small, eight-kg CubeSat blasted off into space from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. How does Patel wish to celebrate? 

“I want to hug Srimathy ma’am for making me a Space Star,” she says. Dr Srimathy Kesan is the brain behind the communication satellite. The 49-year-old founder and CEO of Space Kidz India (SKI), a Chennai-based science and space technology incubator, made AzaadiSAT the first STEM project in the world comprising all girls.

Founded in 2011 with the mission to help young minds ‘savour space sciences’, SKI runs three-month modules—from the solar system and galaxy to robotics and drones—for various age groups. So far SKI has trained 3,500 kids in space exploration of whom about 100 are already working with companies that are into robotics and drone startups across India.

Incidentally, Kesan herself is neither a space scientist nor an aeronautical engineer. “In school, 
I was an NCC cadet and was chosen as a paratrooper. Paratrooping put me in the sky and the space bug bit me,” she recalls.

The tipping point came in 2009 when her friend mentioned a global conference being held in Miami. “I had to be there,” she says. It was in Florida that she got an opportunity to interact with NASA representatives who had set up a kiosk to talk about their programmes. NASA had several initiatives for young school students and that same year, she managed to fly a batch of 108 students to the US to give them a taste of space.

Since then, Kesan has taken around 3,500 youngsters to various space workshops. In 2013, SKI started the Young Scientist India programme to identify high school students who could be mentored to become space scientists. Kesan herself was part of the one-day astronaut programme in Florida in December 2022 where she was handpicked to join celebrity NASA astronaut Charlie Duke, becoming the first Indian woman to experience zero gravity.

How did a commerce student become a space ninja? “Reading NASA news, attending workshops/seminars at the US space agency, taking copious notes and googling like crazy about anything related to satellites,” she says with a twinkle in her eyes. 

In 2022, Kesan pitched the idea to include 750 girls from government schools to build an indigenous satellite to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a Zoom call where some space startups were meeting. “The PM instructed the government officials to offer me all help needed,” she says.

ISRO gave them technical support and other incidental expenses for the programmes were sanctioned by Hexaware Technologies, a Mumbai-based IT services company. Anna University, Chennai, gave them the space to build the satellite. The students were picked based on their enthusiasm to learn fast. The space lover, wants to take kids to the moon in the next five years. Audacity is, indeed, Kesan’s first name.

newindianexpress.com

The Tamil Nadu government on Saturday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ola Electric Mobility Pvt. Ltd., with an investment potential of ₹7,614 crore, in the presence of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin at the Secretariat.

The project comprises an electric vehicle cell plant and an electric four-wheeler plant to be set up on the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu Limited (SIPCOT) premises in Bargur, Krishnagiri district, and generate employment for 3,111 people, according to a release.

Earlier this week, the State government had unveiled the Tamil Nadu Electric Vehicle (EV) policy, 2023. It also signed an MoU with Renault-Nissan alliance with plans for making six models including two electric vehicles at its plant near Chennai with an investment of ₹5,300 crore.

Ola will set up the world’s largest EV hub with integrated two-wheeler, car and lithium cell giga factories in Tamil Nadu. Bhavish Aggarwal, CEO, Ola, thanked Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Twitter for his support.

Ola has indicated that it would provide more jobs for women. The company’s decision to invest in Tamil Nadu shows the confidence they have in the State, Industries Minister Thangam Thennarasu, told The Hindu.

“With the revised EV policy and these MoUs, Tamil Nadu is poised to become the EV capital of India,” V. Vishnu, MD and CEO, Guidance Tamil Nadu, said.

Mr. Stalin also inaugurated Inox Air Products’s 200 TPD ultra-high pure medical oxygen manufacturing unit in SIPCOT, Hosur. The project, with an investment of ₹150 crore, will provide employment for 105 people.

He also laid the foundation stone for a 4.98-acre mini Tidel Park in Vellore district, to be set up at an estimated cost of ₹30 crore. This is a part of the government’s plan to establish Tidel Park in Tier II and Tier III towns across Tamil Nadu, as announced in the State Budget for 2021-22.

Mr. Stalin also unveiled GX Group’s research and development centre in Chennai. The Group had signed an MoU with the State government in July 2022 for setting up the centre, with an investment of ₹110 crore, to employ 100 people in hi-tech engineering jobs.

thehindu.com

Kohi also has a 53-plus average while making the 25000-plus runs, the highest among the members of the exclusive club with Kallis second at 49.10.

Virat Kohli added another feather in his cap on Sunday as he became the sixth and the fastest batter in the world to score 25,000 runs across formats during the second Test against Australia, which India won by six wickets, in New Delhi.

Kohli achieved the feat when he reached 8 during India’s run chase of 115 as he flicked Nathan Lyon for a boundary in the 12th over in the second innings. He had come into his 492nd match overall with 52 runs needed to reach the milestone. He made 44 in India’s first innings and was out for 20 in the second essay to end at 25012 runs.

“Milestone Unlocked. Congratulations @imVkohli on reaching 25000 runs in international cricket! Simply sensational,” the BCCI tweeted.

“… And heartiest congratulations to @imVkohli on becoming the fastest to get to 25000 international runs,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah said in his tweet to congratulate the team for winning the Tests.

The other stalwarts to have scored more than 25,000 runs across formats are Indian icon Sachin Tendulkar (34357 from 664 matches), Sri Lankans Kumar Sangakkara (28016 from 594 matches) and Mahela Jayawardene (25957 from 652 matches), Australian Ricky Ponting (27483 from 560 matches) and South African Jacques Kallis (25534 from 519 matches).

The 34-year-old Kohli, who made his India debut in 2008, reached the milestone in his 549th innings, the least among the six batters. Tendulkar had taken 577 innings to reach the 25000-run mark while Ponting did it in 588 innings.

Kohi also has a 53-plus average while making the 25000-plus runs, the highest among the members of the exclusive club with Kallis second at 49.10.

Kohli has 8195 runs from 106 Tests, 12809 from 271 ODIs and 4008 from 115 T20Is.

thehindu.com