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India restoring Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia: Jaishankar

‘Today, we are restoring and renovating the temples in Angkor Wat. These are contributions which we are making outside because the civilisation of India has gone beyond India’.

The Angkor Wat temple complex in Cambodia is being restored by India because our civilisation is not limited to India, but is spread across countries, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Sunday said.

Addressing the Kashi Tamil Sangamam on the subject ‘contribution of temples in society and nation building’ being held here, Mr. Jaishankar said, “There are temples not only in India, not only in the Indian subcontinent, but in many regions beyond.”

“I had gone with the Vice President to see the biggest temple in the world—the Angkor Wat temple complex. Today, we are restoring and renovating the temples in Angkor Wat. These are contributions which we are making outside because the civilisation of India has gone beyond India,” he said.

“So, today when we are restoring, rebuilding, and re-energising Indian civilisation, our task is not only in India. Our task is all over the world. But, it is not only where our civilisation went, it is also where our travellers went, our traders went, our people of faith went,” he said.

Recalling his days as India’s ambassador to China, the minister said, “Some of you know that for many years, I have been an ambassador to China. I have seen the remnants of Hindu temples even in China on the east coast.” He said that there is a very special connection between Ayodhya and Korea, whose people want to be associated with the developments in Ayodhya, he said.

He also mentioned that Shrinath jee temple in Bahrain, and said, “All these were established by our people, when they went out. It is a matter of pride for us that we are building a temple in UAE, that we got approval to built a temple in Bahrain. We have done a lot of work in Vietnam.”

“So, how do we today take our culture out, take our values, our philosophy, our way of life and share it with the rest of the world through activities outside. We are very committed in the foreign ministry to doing that. We also support what people of India are doing outside … There are more than 1,000 temples in the US,” he said.

He said that there are 3.5 crore Indians and people of Indian origin abroad, who have taken Indian culture with them abroad. “So, it is also our efforts today to support them, and we do it in different ways.” Mr. Jaishankar also informed the audience that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged ₹200 crore to build a Ramayan Circuit into Nepal, “so that all of us will have an opportunity to visit our heritage in close quarters.”

“Even in Sri Lanka, we restored the Thiruketheeswaram Temple in Mannar. This temple was closed for 12 years. So the fact that we took interest, made efforts, has made it possible for the revival of that temple,” he said.

Thiruketheeswaram Temple, one of the five sacred Ishwarams dedicated to Lord Shiva, is venerated by Shaivites throughout the subcontinent and the temple was testimony to the most difficult period in the history of Sri Lanka as it was closed for 12 years during the armed conflict and reopened in 2002.

The minister also said that in Nepal after the 2015 earthquake, many temples were damaged because they were old. “We have committed $50 million for restoration of cultural heritage in Nepal.”

thehindu.com

India test-fires Agni-V ballistic missile having range of 5,000 km

The development comes amid lingering border row with China.

India on Thursday successfully test-fired nuclear-capable ballistic missile Agni-V that can strike targets at ranges up to 5,000 km, marking a significant boost to the country’s strategic deterrence, people familiar with the development said.

The test-firing of the missile from the APJ Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha coast came amid India’s lingering border row with China.

The Agni-V project is aimed at boosting India’s nuclear deterrence against China which is known to have missiles like Dongfeng-41 having ranges between 12,000-15,000 km.

Agni-V can bring almost the entire Asia including the northernmost part of China as well as some regions in Europe under its striking range.

The Agni 1 to 4 missiles have ranges from 700 km to 3,500 km and they have already been deployed.

The Agni-V missile has been successfully test-fired, two people familiar with the matter said.

There is no official word on the night trials of the missile.

The people cited above said the test validated a number of critical aspects of the weapon.

India carried out a similar test of the missile in October last year as well.

The successful test-firing of the missile paves way for its induction into the Strategic Forces Command that takes care of India’s strategic assets, the people cited above said.

The missile has a very high degree of accuracy to hit targets. It has a height of 17 metres and it is capable of carrying a 1.5-tonne warhead.

In June, India successfully carried out a night launch of the nuclear-capable Agni-4 ballistic missile, in a boost to India’s military capabilities.

Following the test, the Defence Ministry had said that it reaffirmed India’s policy of having a ‘credible minimum deterrence capability.” India has been steadily enhancing its overall military might in the last couple of years.

It has carried out successful tests of a number of missiles during the period.

In May, the extended range version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was test-fired from a Sukhoi fighter jet.

It was the first launch of the extended range version of the BrahMos missile from a Su-30MKI aircraft.

An anti-ship version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was successfully test-fired jointly by the Indian Navy and the Andaman and Nicobar Command in April.

thehindu.com

Missile destroyer INS Mormugao commissioned into Indian Navy

Remarking that the state-of-the-art warship INS Mormugao was a major example of the country’s indigenous defense production capability, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on December 18 expressed confidence about India being able to cater to not just local but global ship-building needs as well.

Mr. Singh was speaking at Mumbai’s Mazagaon docks during the Commissioning Ceremony of the INS Mormugao, the second of four ‘Visakhapatnam’-class destroyers (also classed as P-15B stealth, guided-missile destroyers) indigenously designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau.

The warship, christened after the historic port city in the coastal State of Goa, was built by the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDSL).

Also present on the occasion were General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the Indian Armed Forces; Navy Chief Admiral R. Hari Kumar; Goa CM Pramod Sawant along with Goa Governor Sreedharan Pillai among others.

“The commissioning of this warship is proof of excellence in India’s warship design and development. The INS Mormugao is one of India’s strongest warships and I have full confidence that it will facilitate remarkable growth in country’s maritime capability. The ship will be among one of the world’s most technologically-advanced missile carrier and is a major example of our indigenous defence production capability. There is no doubt that in the near future, we will cater to India’s ship-building needs but that of the world’s as well,” said Mr. Singh, adding that the country was en-route to attaining the objective of not only ‘Make in India’ but ‘Make for World’.

The INS Mormugao is said to be equipped state-of-the-art weapons and sensors, surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles besides modern surveillance radar which provides target data to weapon systems. Capable of achieving speeds of over 30 knots, the warship is said to be able to fight under nuclear, biological and chemical warfare conditions.

Noting the continuous increase for demand in military equipment owing to global security reasons, the Defence Minister said that the country had every opportunity to utilise its capabilities to the fullest and move forward towards making India “an indigenous shipbuilding hub.”

Commenting on the name of the warship and the historic importance of Mormugao, Mr. Singh said: “Even as a port, Mormugao has contributed significantly to the growth of India’s maritime trade. Even today, it is one of the oldest and largest ports in the country and will retain this special place due to the services it provides…be it Mormugao fort or Mormugao port, both are recorded with great distinction in Indian history of India,” he said, noting the 17th century Maratha campaign against the Portuguese under Chhatrapati Sambhaji (Shivaji’s son).

The INS Mormugao was launched in September 2016 and commenced her sea trials on December 19, 2021, coinciding with 60 years of Goa’s Liberation from Portuguese rule. Her commissioning on today (December) coincides with the day that ‘Operation Vijay’ was launched in 1961 to free Goa from Portuguese rule.

Navy Chief, Admiral R. Hari Kumar said the achievement was “indicative of the large strides” the country had taken in warship design and building capability over the last decade, while stating that the Navy had a tradition of naming ships after cities which created an enduring umbilical link between the two.

thehindu.com

Railways bags nine awards for conservation of energy

The Kacheguda station bagged the first and the Guntakal Railway Station bagged the second award for adopting the best practices for energy conservation.

Indian Railways has won nine National Energy Conservation Awards for the year 2022, with the South Central Railway (SCR) bagging the first and second prize in railway station category. These awards were given for the best energy management practices and presented by President Droupadi Murmu at a function held by Bureau of Energy Efficiency under the aegis of Ministry of Power.

According to an official statement of the Ministry of Railway, the South Central Railway bagged the first and the second awards for energy conservation measures in railway station category. The Kacheguda station bagged the first and the Guntakal Railway Station bagged the second award for adopting the best practices for energy conservation.

The certificates of merit were awarded to the Kanpur Central Railway station under the Northern Central Railway, the Rajahmundry railway station and the Tenali Railway station. Under the buildings category, Ajmer workshop of North Western Railway was awarded the first prize. Certificate of merit was awarded to the Railway hospital Guntakal (SCR), Electric Traction Training Centre, Vijayawada (SCR) and Divisional Railway Hospital, Pratapnagar (Western Railway).

newindianexpress.com

In a first, deaf advocate Saudamini Pethe enrols with Bar Council of Delhi

The 45-year-old woman lawyer would be arguing her matters in courts through the medium of an Indian Sign Language (ISL) interpreter and seeks to be an inspiration for the deaf youth.

Saudamini Pethe — the first deaf advocate enrolled with the Bar Council of Delhi — wants to work for the rights of the hearing impaired and help them gain access to education, healthcare and justice.

The 45-year-old woman lawyer would be arguing her matters in courts through the medium of an Indian Sign Language (ISL) interpreter and seeks to be an inspiration for the deaf youth to join the legal profession and contribute to the cause of their community.

Pethe, who suffered hearing loss after being infected with meningitis at the age of nine and subsequently taking strong medicines, feels that words like ‘disability’ and ‘impairment’ have negative connotations.

“My aim is to use my law degree to advocate for the cause of deaf rights. To make it possible for the deaf community in India to gain access in every aspect of life, be it education, health care, or career and most importantly get access to justice,” she said.

“I also want to spread more awareness, and empower the deaf by equipping them with the knowledge of their legal rights and become capable of ensuring that these rights are fulfilled. I want to inspire more deaf youth to join the legal profession and contribute to the cause of the deaf,” Pethe, who communicated with PTI through WhatsApp messages, said.

Senior advocate K K Manan, chairman of the Bar Council of Delhi, said “We have given the licence to her to practice, which is rarely given in such a situation. But we would like to settle her so that she can stand on her own feet. So that she can do things on her own. She can earn a livelihood for herself and her family. We have taken all these things into consideration and that is why we did it”.

Born in Mumbai’s Dombivli, Pethe said she has faced many communication barriers and majority of these challenges arose due to lack of accessibility in schools, colleges, public transport or even hiring a cab.

Explaining the challenges she faced to get enrolled as a lawyer, Pethe said from collecting provisional certificate to enrolling at the Bar no communication access was available.

“I had to borrow my son’s precious pre-exam time and take him to interpret for my formalities and filings at the university, at the court to prepare affidavits, and arranging meetings with authorities concerned. I was surprised to find that there was neither any category for the disabled in the bar council form nor any relevant quota. I seriously feel this needs to be addressed on a national level,” she said.

Pethe, who did her masters in English from Mumbai University in 2000, said she learnt the ISL after 2008 while working as a documentation executive at the Noida Deaf Society.

Prior to learning ISL, she used to communicate by reading lips or sometimes by writing.

Presently, she is the director at All India Foundation of Deaf Women and a trustee at the Access Mantra Foundation.

She pursued LLB at the Institute of Law and Research, Faridabad and completed her course in August this year, after which she got enrolled with the Bar in November.

newindianexpress.com

Sundar Pichai awarded with Padma Bhushan, says, ‘India is a part of me…’

India’s Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu handed over the award to Pichai.

Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai was awarded the Padma Bhushan – India’s third-highest civilian award – for 2022 in the Trade and Industry category on Friday in the presence of his close family members in San Francisco. India’s Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu handed over the award to Pichai and said that his “inspirational journey reaffirms Indian talent’s contribution to global innovation”.

“Delighted to hand over Padma Bhushan to Google CEO Sundar Pichai in San Francisco. His inspirational journey from Madurai to Mountain View, strengthening India-America economic and tech ties, reaffirms Indian talent’s contribution to global innovation,” Sandhu wrote on Twitter.

Upon receiving the prestigious award, Pichai in his blog said India is a part of him.

“India is a part of me and I carry it with me wherever I go. I was fortunate to grow up in a family that cherished learning and knowledge, with parents who sacrificed a lot to make sure I had opportunities to explore my interests,” he said.

Pichai added, “I am deeply grateful to the Indian government and the people of India for this immense honour. It is incredibly meaningful to be honoured in this way by the country that shaped me.”

Pichai also recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of technology to combine the 3s -speed, simplicity, and service.

“We recently announced that we’ll be investing USD 10 billion in India’s digital future, working to enable more affordable internet access, building products for India’s unique needs, helping businesses of all sizes in their digital transformation, and using AI to tackle big societal challenges,” the Google CEO said.

“I look forward to continuing the great partnership between Google and India, as we work together to bring the benefits of technology to more people,” Pichai added.

(With inputs from agencies)

hindustantimes.com

India’s ‘generous humanitarian support’ for Afghanistan draws US envoy’s praise

The US envoy also mentioned about meeting Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, the chairman of the National Reconciliation Committee.

India’s support for Afghanistan – at a time when the neighboring country is struggling with multiple civic and economic concerns under the Taliban rule – has drawn praise from an envoy from the United States. New Delhi had re-established its presence in Kabul, months after pulling out.

Thomas West, the US special representative for Afghanistan, during his India visit discussed issues related to the conflict-ridden country that evoke global concerns. He met Deputy National Security Advisor Vikram Misri and Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Joint Secretary (PAI) JP Singh. “1/2 Great to see @VikramMisri, @MEAIndia JP Singh and other Indian colleagues in Delhi to discuss shared interests in Afghanistan. As fellow friend of Afghan ppl, US deeply appreciates India’s generous humanitarian support and commitment to Afghans’ fundamental rights. (sic),” Thomas West wrote in one of the tweets. While this is West’s third visit to the country, it is his first visit after India re-established its diplomatic presence in the country.

The US envoy also mentioned about meeting Dr. Abdullah, the chairman of the National Reconciliation Committee, in Afghanistan. “Also valuable to meet with @DrabdullahCE about urgent need for national political dialogue among Afghans. There is consensus in int’l community on this imperative, which Afghans must lead and shape,” he further added.

Apart from India, Japan and the United Arab Emirates are also included in his three-nation visit. He is said to be engaging with the Afghan diaspora, including human rights, business, political, and media leaders on how to address these challenges, news agency ANI reported.

This visit comes as the UN mission in Afghanistan has urged the Taliban to take immediate steps to end violence against women.

Meanwhile, security concerns linked to Afghanistan also remain on top of agenda as National Security Adviser Ajit Doval meets his counterparts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan on Tuesday.

(With inputs from ANI)

hindustantimes.com

Drugs regulator approves first indigenous TB testing kit

TB is an infectious disease, and according to the government data, India reported 1.93 million new TB cases in 2021.

India’s national drugs regulator has approved Pune based Mylab’s test kit to detect tuberculosis (TB) , making it the first made in India test kit to be approved for TB diagnosis, the company announced on Tuesday.

The kit simultaneously detects drug resistance to the two most commonly used drugs in TB treatment— Rifampicin and Isoniazid, the company added.

TB is an infectious disease, and according to the government data, India reported 1.93 million new TB cases in 2021, making it one of the major public health concerns in the country. India currently uses imported test kits; most of them come from US and Europe.

Apart from the central drugs standard control organization (CDSCO), the kit has also received approval from the national TB expert committee and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

“We are addressing several problems simultaneously here. First being able to speed up testing by automated systems that can do multiple tests at one time. Secondly, there is scarce trained manpower for RT-PCR testing, which India can now overcome with fully automated system which does not need highly technical person to handle samples and reagents,” said Hasmukh Rawal, managing director, Mylab.

According to people familiar with the matter, this kit is more automated that others in the market and reduces the need for high expertise to run the test. Also, the kit can be stored at Indian room temperature; thus catering to look temperature requirements.

The kit is priced around ₹650 per unit, which is almost comparable to the prices of others in the market.

“We have technology to detect TB and drug resistance in the form of genexpert that’s a cartridge based nucleic acid amplification test. But this is an expensive test in the private sector and the advantage of made-in-India kit will be its low cost. We will still have to be sure how reliable the technology is,” said Dr Vikas Maurya, director, department of Pulmonology, Fortis Healthcare.

According to the company, the kit has been approved after rigorous and large scale field trials and recommended by TB Expert Committee under the aegis of ICMR. Multicentre centre evaluation study and field feasibility testing studies were also carried out for the test kit.

Emphasizing on the important point of drug resistance, Rawal said, “There is a huge problem of resistance to drugs when it comes to TB. Until now, India had to conduct 2 tests: one to detect TB first and to check drug resistance – that against only one drug (Rifampicin). With Mylab’s PathoDetect™ kit, in a single test – patients can know their active TB infection as well as drug resistance to 2 most common drugs – Isoniazid and Rifampacin – so that they take treatment that will actually work. This is a milestone moment in India’s TB Testing.”

The test kits have been designed to work in ambient temperatures compared to existing PCR options which need 2-8 degree cold storage. Mylab Compact device systems do not require special infrastructure for operations and feasibility studies done on mobile van in rural areas indicate them to be very robust, said the company.

hindustantimes.com

India to assume G20 presidency from today; 100 monuments to be illuminated for a week

India will assume the presidency of the G-20 grouping today. The Group of 20 (G20) is a premier forum comprising 19 of the world’s largest advanced and developing economies, as well as the European Union, which meets every year to discuss their most pressing global issues.

On this occasion, 100 monuments including UNESCO world heritage sites bearing the G-20 logo will be illuminated for seven days from December 1 to 7 including Srinagar’s Shankaracharya temple to Delhi’s Red Fort to Thanjavur’s Great living Chola temple.

Apart from this, Humayun’s Tomb and Purana Quila in Delhi to Modhera Sun Temple in Gujarat, and Konark Sun Temple in Odisha to Sher Shah Suri’s Tomb in Bihar, are in the list of these 100 sites.

During the course of this year’s presidency, India will host 200 meetings across the nations in over 50 cities and in 32 different sectors.

For next year’s Summit, India’s objectives include the supply of affordable technology for sustainable environmental development, highlighting the digital transformation of the country.

The G-20 was founded back in 1999 after the Asian financial crisis as a forum for Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors to discuss global economic and financial issues.

The Group of Twenty (G-20) comprises 19 countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkiye, the United Kingdom and the United States) and the European Union.

The G-20 members represent around 85 per cent of the global GDP, over 75 per cent of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population.

The group’s focusses on policy coordination between its members in order to achieve global economic stability, sustainable growth; to promote financial regulations that reduce risks and prevent future financial crises and to create a new international financial architecture.

India will host the G-20 leaders’ summit in New Delhi on September 9 and 10 in 2023 under its Presidency, said the Ministry of External Affairs press release.

As per the sources, the meetings will take place in less explored parts of the country at very exotic locations of India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision is to connect all districts and blocks with G-20 so that the message will reach to masses through Jan Bhagidari initiatives.

“Jan Bhagidari” refers to the participation of people in governance at the local level. The government of any country can stand on its feet only when the people of the nation consider themselves to be indispensable organs of it. Hence the involvement of people in governance at all levels is of utmost importance.

During the last Maan Ki Baat address, PM Modi had said, “the G20 has a partnership comprising two-thirds of the world’s population, three-fourths of world trade, and 85% of world GDP. You can imagine – India is going to preside over such a big group, such a powerful group, 3 days from now i.e. from December 1.”

During the G-20 presidency, India will kick off with celebrations at the Hornbill Festival in Nagaland. Recently, G-20 Chief Coordinator, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, discussed the opportunities to showcase the festival with Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphu Rio, reported The Border Lens.

In adherence to PM Modi’s recommendation to not limit G-20 to major urban cities and to use the opportunity to display India’s rich and diverse cultural landscape, Shringla is reaching out to various states to identify opportunities to showcase the country’s cultural heritage through G-20 events. “India’s G-20 is an opportunity for the state of Nagaland to showcase its cultural diversity, uniqueness, and tourism potential,” Shringla said.

Previously, for the year 2021, Indonesia officially handled the G-20 presidency. Before India assume the G-20 presidency, the G-20 Indonesia took Twitter and said, “The #G20BaliSummit marks the conclusion of the 2022 #G-20Indonesia Presidency. India will serve as the next holder of the G20 Presidency. G20 will continue to move forward to realize a global recovery as well as strong and inclusive growth under India’s G20 Presidency.”

The website G20.org has changed for India and it now reads ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,’ One Earth. One Family. One Future. Meanwhile, the username of Twitter is still G-20 Indonesia which will soon change with India’s presidency.

Earlier this month, the prime minister unveiled the logo, theme and website of India’s G-20 Presidency via video conferencing. The lotus in the logo symbolises India’s ancient heritage, faith and thought.

The Philosophy of Adwait, the Prime Minister said, emphasises the oneness of all creatures and this philosophy will be a medium of resolution of today’s conflicts.

This logo and theme represent many key messages from India. “Message of Buddha for freedom from war, Mahatma Gandhi’s solutions in the face of violence, through G-20, India is giving them a new height”, he said.

The Prime Minister remarked that India’s G-20 presidency is coming at a time of crisis and chaos. He said that the world is dealing with the aftereffects of a disruptive once-in-a-century global pandemic, conflicts, and economic uncertainty.

(With inputs from ANI)

livemint.com

3 Indian-origin women among Australia’s Superstars of STEM

Three Indian-origin women among 60 scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians have been selected as Australia’s Superstars of STEM.

Dr Ana Baburamani, Neelima Kadiyala and Dr Indrani Mukherjee will undertake a two-year program in 2023 and 2024 to step into the media spotlight as STEM experts.

“The new Superstars reflect the strong diversity of women and non-binary people in Australian science and technology,” a Science & Technology Australia (STA) press note stated.

The Superstars of STEM initiative is supported by STA, which is a peak body in science and technology, representing more than 105,000 scientists and technologists.

As a biomedical researcher, Dr Ana Baburamani Aseeks to piece together the complex process of brain development and the mechanisms contributing to brain injury.

She is presently a Scientific Advisor in the Department of Defence — Science and Technology Group.

In addition to her research, she supports early career researchers, making science accessible and promoting wider participation in and uptake of STEM careers.

She is a member of the Royal Society of Victoria and volunteers with BrainSTEM.

Dr Indrani Mukherjee, Deep time geologist at the University of Tasmania, says her “research questions key concepts, and explores links between early Earth evolution, the origin of complex life and formation of precious mineral deposits”.

“Geology has offered me a wonderful medium (the rock record) to travel as far as 3.5 billion years ago,” she said.

Neelima Kadiyala, an IT Program Manager with Challenger Limited, has over 15 years of experience delivering extensive transformation programs across multiple industries including Financial Services, Government, Telco and FMCG.

“I want to further extend my voluntary services for broader IT community across Australia,” Kadiyala, who came to Australia in 2003, said.

The programme, since its inception in 2017, selects 60 women and non-binary STEM experts and gives them the training, networks and experience to become experts in their fields as media commentators.

It also seeks to smash gender assumptions about who can work in science, technology, engineering and maths.

“The need to boost diversity in our science, technology, engineering and mathematics sector is urgent,” said Australia’s Minister for Industry and Science, Ed Husic.

“I just know these talented experts and communicators will play their part inspiring Australia’s young people, from all backgrounds – into science and technology,” Husic added.

daijiworld.com