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INTERNATIONAL: GLOBAL NETWORK OF LAW ENFORCEMENT: CBI Academy joins Interpol Global Academy Network

The network supports academic collaboration among law enforcement training institutions across the world.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Academy on Tuesday joined the Interpol Global Academy Network at a virtual event. The network supports academic collaboration among law enforcement training institutions across the world.

The event was organised by the agency and the Singapore-based Interpol Global Complex for Innovation. The Letter of Acceptance was signed by Mohit Gupta, Deputy Inspector-General (Training), CBI Academy, and his counterpart at Interpol, Glenn Martindale, Director (capacity building & training directorate).

The signing ceremony was held subsequent to the negotiations with Interpol in consultation with the Ministries of Home and External Affairs and the Department of Personnel and Training.

The CBI Academy had become the 10th member of Interpol Global Academy Network. According to the agency, over the years, it has emerged as a major police institution of the country and South Asia.

Since 2005, it has imparted training to over 50,000 police officers, including around 1,432 foreign nationals from SAARC nations, Africa, South East Asia, Central Asia and West-Asia.

Several programmes have been conducted in collaboration with foreign agencies such as U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigation, French Embassy, National Cyber Crime Unit and National Crime Agency (United Kingdom), Interpol and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (Canada), the CBI said.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: INDIA RECORDS: U.S. Lawmakers Introduce resolution to declare August 15 as ‘National Day of Celebration’

Introduced by Indian-American Congressman Shri Thanedar, the resolution seeks to declare August 15, India’s Independence Day as the ‘National Day of Celebration of the World’s Two Largest Democracies’.

Led by Indian-American Congressman Shri Thanedar, a group of U.S. lawmakers have introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives to declare India’s Independence Day as the National Day of Celebration of the World’s Two Largest Democracies.

The resolution expresses the belief that the strong partnership between the United States and India, rooted in shared democratic values, will continue to advance global democracy and foster peace, stability, and prosperity for all nations.

Introduced by Mr. Thanedar and co-sponsored by Congressman Buddy Carter and Brad Sharman, the resolution seeks to declare August 15, India’s Independence Day as the ‘National Day of Celebration’.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official state visit to the United States on June 22, anchored the United States and India in a new level of trust and mutual understanding based on common interests and shared commitments to freedom, democracy, pluralism, the rule of law, and respect for human rights, it said.

Americans with Indian heritage enhance public life in the United States as government officials, military personnel, and law enforcement officers who diligently uphold the principles of the U.S. Constitution and contribute to the enriching diversity of the nation, the resolution said.

It is proper and desirable to celebrate with the Indian people, and to reaffirm the democratic principles on which the two nations were born, it said.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: RIVERS OF INDIA / SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: IIT(ISM) in Dhanbad develops ‘Online Real-Time River Health Monitoring System’

Based on artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, IRHIS is the result of a joint effort by departments of environmental science and engineering at the IIT(ISM).

The IIT(ISM) in Dhanbad has developed an online real-time river health monitoring system called the Integrated River Health Investigation System (IRHIS) that can send early signals on flooding and pollution.

Based on artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, IRHIS is the result of a joint effort by the departments of environmental science and engineering at the IIT(ISM).

“The system developed by faculty member S.K. Gupta in association with his research scholar Sujoy Gupta in 2021-23 is inbuilt with safety alarms and video cameras to facilitate early signals to the decision makers against flooding, theft, and critical pollution locations,” said IIT(ISM) dean (media and branding) Rajni Singh.

Singh said the system was demonstrated last week during a mega exhibition of the Union ministry of education held on the occasion of the third anniversary of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the second edition of the Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam in New Delhi.

“The event was held from July 29-30 at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi and only deep-tech and high-impact innovations were selected for demonstration,” Singh added.

“IRHIS is one of the most advanced AI and IoT-based online real-time river health monitoring systems developed to fulfil the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG-6) keeping in view its vital application in the Namami Gange mission,” Gupta said.

He said IRHIS, which is equipped with advanced sensors, can help in real-time monitoring of the discharge of any toxic material in the river.

“The patent for the system has already been published,” Gupta added.

On the selection of his system for demonstration at the exhibition, Gupta said: “The education ministry’s innovation cell and the All India Council for Technical Education selected 150 Technology Readiness Level 7 (TRL-7) or above early-stage startups, edutech growth stage startups, innovations and institutions to demonstrate their contributions towards achieving the overall goal as envisioned under NEP 2020.”

“The collaboration with the Telecom startups-MSMEs Mission, SRI, DoT and the ministry of communications is in progress for its implementation in rural development, river monitoring and industrial surveillance,” Gupta added.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: PHARMACEUTICALS: RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT: India has started Manufacturing 38 Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) in past 18 months that were previously being Import Reliant: Mandaviya

Mansukh Mandaviya said that the impetus for a self-reliant strategy came in the aftermath of the 2017 border conflict with China in Doklam.

Over the past eighteen months, India has commenced the production of 38 active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) that were previously reliant on imports, Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Saturday.

Speaking at the inaugural Healthcare Summit hosted by the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A), Mandaviya said this stride towards self-sufficiency was made possible through the implementation of the production-linked incentive (PLI) initiative within the pharmaceutical sector.

Mandaviya said that the impetus for a self-reliant strategy came in the aftermath of the 2017 border conflict with China in Doklam. This in turn prompted India to reassess its dependence on a single source for 95% of APIs used in the formulation industry, he added.

“In our efforts through the PLI scheme, we tried to eliminate the need for importing 54 APIs from foreign sources and instead promote domestic production for our formulation industry. Today, I’m pleased to announce that within just a year and a half, India has successfully initiated the manufacturing of 38 APIs, illustrating a prime instance of Atmanirbhar Bharat,” the Union health minister said.

The government’s commitment to fostering self-reliance is evident in its allocation of a substantial ₹15,000 crore budget for the pharmaceutical sector under the PLI scheme, according to Mandaviya.

Mandaviya further underscored the Centre’s core objective of enhancing healthcare accessibility and affordability in rural areas.

An essential stride in this direction has been the significant expansion of medical education, with the number of MBBS seats surging from 52,000 to 1,07,000 over the past nine years, he said. Additionally, the government has approved the establishment of 54 new medical colleges, reflecting a dedicated effort to address the shortage of medical professionals, added Mandaviya.

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic instigated a comprehensive reevaluation of healthcare strategies, inspiring a fresh approach to planning, redevelopment, and innovation in the sector, said the Union health minister.

He emphasized that India is brimming with intellectual and human resources, and the key lies in recognising the aspirations of its youth and creating avenues for their fulfilment.

The Healthcare Summit, organised by the Centre of Management of Health Services (CMHS) and IIMA Healthcare Alumni Special Interest Group (SIG), showcased two tracks dedicated to pivotal aspects of healthcare innovation.

The summit featured two tracks, each focused on a crucial aspect of healthcare innovation, with panel discussions and competition for healthcare start-ups.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: SPORTS / ARCHERY: Aditi Swami becomes Youngest ever Senior World Champion at 17, India Record best ever Haul of 03 Gold, 01 Bronze

In the individual final, Aditi was up against the Mexican giant-killer, the 16th seed who had knocked out reigning champion Sara Lopez in the pre-quarterfinals.

Aditi Swami on Saturday became the youngest-ever senior world champion at 17 years when she secured India’s first-ever individual title at the World Archery Championships with compound women’s gold here.

Later in the day, Ojas Deotale also became the world champion when he bagged the compound men’s title with a sheer perfect score of 150 as India recorded their best ever finish in the showpiece with four medals — three gold and one bronze.

A calm and composed Deotale, who hails from Nagpur in Maharashtra, defeated Lukasz Przybylski of Poland by one point in a thrilling finish en route to the men’s title. The Olympic discipline recurve archers on the other hand came a cropper, returning empty-handed. Incidentally, both Aditi and Deotale train at the same under academy in Satara under coach Pravin Sawant.

Hailing from Maharashtra’s drought-prone Satara, the teenager shot a near perfect score of 149 out of a possible 150 points to prevail over Andrea Becerra of Mexico by two points.

The class 12 student also became a double world champion in less than two months, having won the Under-18 title in Youth Championships in Limerick, Ireland on July 8.

She is now the first individual world champion in archery from India, across any discipline and gender.

Aditi along with Parneet Kaur and Jyothi Surekha Vennam had secured India’s first ever World Archery Championships gold by winning the compound women’s team final on Friday.

In the individual final, Aditi was up against the Mexican giant-killer, the 16th seed who had knocked out reigning champion Sara Lopez in the pre-quarterfinals.

But Andrea faced a tougher challenge against the Indian sixth seed who started off with a bang, drilling in all her first three arrows closer to the centre (X) to take a 30-29 first round lead.

Aditi was on target in all of her 12 arrows in the first four rounds to extend her lead by three points.

It was only in the final end, she shot one 9 out of the three arrows, but by then she had already sealed India’s second World Championship gold ever.

Aditi earlier defeated the Netherlands’ Sanne De Laat in a tense quarterfinal shoot-off and came up against her idol and senior teammate Jyothi Surekha Vennam in the semifinals, who was hoping upgrade to gold, having won bronze in 2019 and silver in 2021.

But she ousted her ‘idol’ and the most successful Indian compound archer Jyothi 149-145 in an all-Indian semifinal.

Aditi was simply unbeatable on a day where she dropped just four points, including scores of 149 in both her semifinal and final contests, shooting four consecutive ends of 30 in the final.

“Bas India ke pehla liye gold jitna tha, aur kuchh soch dimag mein nahin aaya (I was just focused on winning the first gold for the country),” Aditi told PTI.

“I knew she was very experienced and someone whom I grew up watching and idolising but I just kept my focus on my shooting, rest just fell in place.” “I am very proud, I wanted to hear the 52 seconds of the national anthem to be played at the World Championships.” “This is just the start. We have the Asian Games coming up, I want to win gold for the country and continue to win team gold for the country.” “It is really great that at 17 I could become the world champion. I want to thank all my supporters and everyone in India who helped me become the world champion.” Jyothi however went on to win a bronze medal when she shot a perfect 150 to defeat Ipek Tomruk of Turkey by four points in the third-place playoff.

“It’s not much of disappointment, though. Afterall, I could win a gold — in team event — this time,” Jythi, who now has one gold, four silver and three bronze medals from three editions of the World Archery Championships, said.

Later in the afternoon session, Deotale gave the icing on the cake by becoming the men’s compound world champion.

In an end-to-end shooting, both Deotale and his Polish rival were locked 90-all after three ends (nine arrows).

Deotale continued his perfect 10-hitting spree and made it 150 out of 150 as Przybylski crumbled under pressure and dropped a point to settle for the silver.

“It’s no fluke and a result of strong team work, focus on sports science and 100 per cent faith on our technical team,” Archery Association of India secretary general Pramod Chandurkar told PTI.

With Asian Games in two months’ time, this would give the sport a huge boost, he said.

“We are expecting at least four medals from the Asian Games. It’s a big moment for Indian archery.”

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.

source/content: telegraphindia.com / PTI (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: EDUCATION: Government launches ‘Study in India’ Portal to attract Foreign Students

Union Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar jointly launched the portal in Delhi on Thursday, in the presence of ambassadors of over 10 countries.

The government on Thursday launched the Study In India (SII) portal to offer a one-stop solution for student registrations and visa applications, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of establishing India as a global education hub. Union Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar jointly launched the portal in Delhi on Thursday, in the presence of ambassadors of over 10 countries.

While addressing the gathering, Jaishankar said that the portal would help the country establish a strong international footprint in the education sphere. “The integrated approach of the portal enables user-friendly application processes for international students from registration to visa approval. This simplifies their entire journey, facilitating the choice of desired courses and receiving offers from relevant institutions,” he said.

Pradhan said that the portal is guided by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. “With PM Modi’s vision of making education transcend geopolitical boundaries, the SII portal is going to be a pivotal step,” he said.

source/content: indianexpress.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: SPORT / SKATING / RECORDS: 18-year-Female Teen Super Skater, holder of several Guinness World Records Shrishti Dharmendra Sharma shatters ‘Limbo Speed Skating Record’

This isn’t the first time that Shrishti has broken a record. She has been doing so since 2015 when she was just 11 years old.

Shrishti Dharmendra Sharma, an 18-year-old super skater from India, has broken her own record for the ‘fastest time to limbo skate over 50 metres’. Shattering her previous record of 7.38 seconds in 2021, she has now achieved this feat in just 6.94 seconds.

Notably, in the sport, a person drives on roller skates underneath an obstacle like a horizontal pole without any form of touch.

According to Guinness World Records’ official website, Shrishti limbo skated under 51 horizontal bars which were placed just 30 cm or 12 inches above the ground – without touching or dislodging any of them.

Additionally, neither her hands nor arms were permitted to touch the floor at any point during the attempt, so she held her legs for the entire duration whilst maintaining the splits position,” it mentioned.

This isn’t the first time that Shrishti has broken a record. She has been doing so since 2015 when she was just 11 years old, noted the website.

As an avid campaigner for the ‘Save a Girl Child’ humanitarian project, she uses her record attempts to promote the organisation. “Every citizen of civilised society should be made aware of the fact that a girl child is as important as a boy child,” she said.

Notably, the first Guinness World Records title Shrishti achieved as an 11-year-old was the ‘lowest limbo skating over 25 metres’. She managed to successfully skate underneath 25 bars placed at a height of 17 cm. To date, no one has been able to break this record, Guinness World Records shared.

Later in 2017, Shrishti elevated the difficulty level and took her talents to an ice rink, achieving the record for the ‘lowest limbo ice skating over 10 metres’ at a height of 17.78 cm. This record, too, hasn’t been toppled to date.

“As Shrishti grew older in age, her body naturally grew bigger in size, meaning it became harder for her to set new records for low limbo skating. However, she didn’t let this stop her from breaking records, and in 2020, she turned her attention to limbo speed skating ,” the website mentioned.

The teen decided to attempt to break the record for the ‘fastest time to limbo skate under 10 bars’. “In 2020, Shrishti successfully broke the record, becoming the first person to break the 2-second barrier, with a time of 1.72 seconds. Amazingly, in 2021, she again broke her record with a time of 1.69 seconds,” it added.

With her latest record, Shrishti has cemented herself as the “queen of limbo skating”.

source/content: indianexpress.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: SPORT / CRICKET: India beats West Indies by 200 runs in 3rd ODI to Win series 2-1

In response to India’s massive total of 351, West Indies collapsed to 50 for six before being all out for 151 in 35.3 overs.

A clinical India outclassed West Indies by a whopping 200 runs in the third ODI to win the series 2-1 but the lingering questions on the team combination ahead of the World Cup remained in the horizon despite four half-centuries and a top notch bowling effort here on Tuesday, August 1, 2023.

Skipper Rohit Sharma and senior pro Virat Kohli once again opted out to give World Cup hopefuls a fair go but the dominant result isn’t a good enough indication that all boxes have been ticked as the team looks far from settled.

Shubman Gill, who has had a quiet Caribbean sojourn so far, finally found some rhythm with 85 off 92 balls and his opening stand of 143 with an in-form Ishan Kishan (77 off 64 balls) set the platform for a commanding score of 351 for 5 after being put into bat.

Sanju Samson (51 off 41 balls) made a compelling case to be picked as a reserve middle-order batter while skipper Hardik Pandya’s (52-ball-70 not out) five sixes and four boundaries added the finishing flourish on a good batting strip.

The chase was always out of question and Mukesh Kumar’s (3/30 in 7 overs) three-wicket burst with some quality seam bowling in the first Powerplay dashed West Indies’ hopes as they were shot out for 151 in only 35.3 overs.

Gudakesh Motie (39 not out) and Alzarri Joseph (26) delayed the inevitable with a 55-run stand for the ninth wicket.

Shardul Thakur (4/37 in 6.3 overs), Jaydev Unadkat (1/16 in 5 overs) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/25 in 8 overs) were also among the wickets as the series decider turned out to be a lopsided contest.

But there would be questions that will beg answers ahead of the upcoming Asia Cup and subsequent World Cup at home.

For Kishan, the performance in this series will keep him in good stead ahead of Asia Cup but the bigger question remains about his batting position in case KL Rahul isn’t fit for the tourney.

The chances of Rohit Sharma sacrificing his place at the top of the order to accommodate Kishan are slim.

And then if Kishan is asked to bat in the middle-order — No 4 or 5, would it be fair to ask him to perform at that slot straightaway? Samson, one of the contenders for the No. 4 slot in case Shreyas Iyer doesn’t get fit in time for the World Cup, gave a good glimpse of his talent and enthralled his millions of followers on social media.

His innings had four lusty sixes — three off leg-spinner Yannic Cariah, where he got his front-foot out of the way to hit some glorious inside-out shots.

But just as it has been Samson’s bane, he failed to convert his fourth half-century into a big one despite a whole lot of time at his disposal.

Suryakumar Yadav (35) did hit his customary pick-up shot — a six behind square with little width to manoeuvre and also a slashed six off Jayden Seals but once again wasted a golden opportunity to make a mark.

Hardik announced his arrival with a picturesque off-drive and a straight six off Cariah was equally eye-pleasing. Hardik and Suryakumar added 65 runs in 8.1 overs for the fifth wicket but the latter will only have himself to blame or not making most of the opportunities.

Not scoring a fifty against this West Indies attack can surely come back to haunt him in case both Rahul and Shreyas Iyer get fit.

Similarly in bowling department, not picking Yuzvendra Chahal for a single game was slightly baffling as now only nine matches (if they play Asia Cup final) are left before World Cup starts.

With Ravindra Jadeja picking himself as the first spinner, there is no way that Axar Patel can make it to the playing XI.

Similarly, Mukesh Kumar despite his performances at best could be in list of five stand-bys if Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur are picked in the squad of 15.

The fifth seamer has to be a left-armer with variation and Jaydev Unadkat, despite his serious limitations, is likely to be persisted with till the end of World Cup.

Brief scores:

India 351/5 in 50 overs (Ishan Kishan 77, Shubman Gill 85, Sanju Samson 51; Romario Shepherd 2/73).

West Indies 151 all out in 35.3 overs (Alick Athanaze 32; Mukesh Kumar 3/30, Shardul Thakur 4/37).

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: SPORTS / ARCHERY: Sangampreet Singh Bisla, Avneet Kaur clinch individual Gold Medals in Archery, World University Games, Chengdu, China

Bisla got the defeated South African Christian de Klerk 149-147; Avneet prevailed over U.S.A.’s Alyssa Sturgill 144-144 in shoot-off.

Sangampreet Singh Bisla and Avneet Kaur clinched the compound men and women individual gold medals to help India ensure an impressive haul of three gold, one silver and three bronze medals in archery competitions of the World University Games in Chengdu on Monday (July 31).

Bisla got the better of compatriot Aman Saini 147-147 (29-30, 30-30, 30-29, 29-29, 29-29, shoot-off 10*-10, shot closer to the centre) in a tense semifinal contest and raised the bar to defeat South African Christian de Klerk 149-147 (30-30, 29-30, 30-30, 30-28, 30-29) in the final to emerge as the champion.

Saini, who had earlier won a mixed team gold with Pragati and a men’s team bronze with Bisla and Rishabh Yadav, beat Frenchman Victor Bouleau 148-146 (30-29, 29-30, 29-29, 30-30, 30-28) to secure the bronze.

In the women’s competition, Avneet, who had a team silver with Pragati and Purvasha Shende, toppled top-seeded Korean Sua Cho 146-143 (29-27, 27-28, 30-30, 30-29, 30-29) in the last-four and prevailed over U.S.A.’s Alyssa Sturgill 144-144 (28-30, 29-28, 29-29, 29-28, 29-29, shoot-off 10-8) in the title clash.

India had also bagged a bronze medal in recurve women’s team event.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: HEALTH & MEDICAL SERVICES / EDUCATION: NURSING: Japan is now the New Work Destination for Indian Nurses

With an aging population, Japan is actively recruiting Indian nurses, offering salaries that are eight to ten times higher than in India and an extendable three year visa; about 12% of Indian nurses work abroad.

Japan is the newest addition to the list of countries that are actively scouting and opening their doors for skilled Indian nurses and other healthcare support staff.

With its healthcare sector grappling with a rapidly aging population, nurses from Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam currently dominate the job market for caregivers in Japan. Indian nurses and trained medical staff are now entering the market as well.

“Salary that is eight to ten times the Indian remuneration, plus the chance to work and learn cutting edge medical technology for assisted care, and the ability to save anywhere between ₹40,000 to ₹1 lakh a month — these are the main attractions driving the Indian workforce to Japan,’’ said Abhishek Singh, COO, Learnet Skills Limited, a sending organisation for the Technical Intern Training Program (TITP) programme and a skill development venture.

Aging population

More than 20% of Japan’s population is over 65 years, the world’s highest proportion of senior citizens. As per a report by McKinsey, Japan’s working-age population will decline to 71 million in 2025 from 79 million in 2012, and its dependency ratio is set to soar from 0.60 to 0.73 over the same period. There are not enough young people in Japan to fill this vacuum, due to the decline in its fertility rate. In response to this demographic situation, the government of Japan has taken up measures such as the TITP, which promotes the acceptance of foreign human resources, who acquire skills and knowledge by working as technical interns in Japan. 

For Indian caregivers, Japan currently offers a three-year visa, which is extendable by two years. Caregivers who opt to stay back after that five year period must pass a language and nursing test to continue working in Japan.

Quality of life

Puspha Kumari, a health worker from Okhla, has done a short course in patient care, and is now working in Japan along with her sister. They are both happy with the opportunity, she told The Hindu.

“The respect and the quality of life are unmatched. Besides, it’s a beautiful country. Our work involves basic care of the elderly, like ensuring they have had food and water, checking vitals, including daily exercise. Food and culture are something we get used to very quickly, and we can also cook in our apartment,’’ she says. Ms. Kumari is aiming to study for her nurse’s certification in Japan or migrate to another country from there.

Joseline lpecha, who is undergoing training in West Bengal with the aim of working in Japan, says that apart from the pay and the global exposure, she was attracted to Japan because of the beauty of the country and the fact that it is safe for women.

“I plan to work in Japan for three years and then see how it goes. If all goes well, I will go back and prepare to advance my career there,’’ she said, speaking to The Hindu via an online call. Her elder sisters told her about the opportunity and they are trying to migrate to the United States, she added.

Exodus of nurses

According to Health Ministry data, one out of eight nurses from India practices in other countries. Around 88,000 Indian nurses are working in developed countries which belong to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Indian nurses also account for 8.3% of the foreign trained nurses in the U.S. and 8% of those in Singapore.

India skilling centres are working with students to offer language training and hand-hold them in learning the basic social etiquette required to integrate with an international workforce.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)