Category Archives: Amazing Feats

GLOBAL & NATIONAL: AGRICULTURE & FOOD: India a food surplus country; working to provide solutions for global food security: PM Modi at the 32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists (ICAE)

Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the 32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists (ICAE), which is being organised in India after 65 years, the Prime Minister also said the Union Budget 2024-25 focuses on sustainable agriculture.

Noting that the last time when the conference was hosted here, India had just achieved Independence, and it was a challenging time for the country’s agriculture and food security.

“Now, India is a food surplus country,” he said, adding that the country is the number one producer of milk, pulses and spices in the world.

Also, the country has become the second-largest producer of foodgrains, fruits, vegetables, cotton, sugar and tea.

“There was a time when India’s food security was a concern for the world. Now, India is working to provide solutions for global food security and global nutritional security,” he said at the conference, attended by about 1,000 delegates from around 70 countries.

The triennial conference, organised by the International Association of Agricultural Economists, is being held from August 2 to 7.

The theme for this year’s conference is “Transformation Towards Sustainable Agri-Food Systems”.

The Prime Minister also said India has provided 1,900 new climate-resilient varieties of crops in the last 10 years.

India is promoting chemical-free natural farming, he added.

He said the country is moving towards achieving the 20 per cent ethanol blending target in petrol.

The conference will highlight India’s proactive approach to global agricultural challenges and showcase the nation’s advancements in agricultural research and policy.

The event will provide a platform for young researchers and leading professionals to present their work and network with global peers.

It aims to strengthen partnerships between research institutes and universities, influence policymaking on both national and global scales, and showcase India’s agricultural progress, including advancements in digital agriculture and sustainable agri-food systems.

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 (headline edited)

NATIONAL: INDIAN ARMY – FIRSTS: Lt-Gen Sadhna Saxena Nair takes charge as Army’s first woman DG of medical services

Military doctors, once inducted into the Army Medical Corps, can be seconded to any service.

 Lt Gen Sadhna Saxena Nair has become the first woman to be appointed as the Director General Medical Services (Army). She has other firsts to her name: she was the first woman to hold the post of DG Hospital Services (Armed Forces) on promotion to the rank of Air Marshal.

Nair began her journey in the forces in December 1985 after graduating from the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, with a distinguished academic record and was commissioned into the Army Medical Corps.

Her other academic and professional qualifications include a postgraduate degree in family medicine and diplomas in maternal & child health and healthcare management. She has undergone a two-year training in medical informatics at AIIMS, New Delhi.

She was trained in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear warfare with the Israeli defence forces and in military medical ethics with the Swiss Armed Forces in Spiez. She is also the first woman Principal Medical Officer of Western Air Command, and Training Command, Indian Air Force.

Military doctors, once inducted into the Army Medical Corps, can be seconded to any service. They wear the rank and uniform of the service they are with.

Lt Gen Nair was nominated as an expert member of Dr Kasturirangan Committee for drafting a part of the medical education component of the National Education Policy.

For her meritorious service, she has been awarded the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command and Chief of the Air Staff Commendations as well as Vishisht Seva Medal by the President.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: ARTS & CRAFTS: Jammu Kashmir administration celebrates ‘World Craft City’ tag for Srinagar

The recognition would not only provide a new identity to Srinagar in the global market but craftsmanship would re-establish its position as a prestigious occupation, J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said.

Srinagar was the venue of a special function on July 31 to celebrate its recognition as ‘World Craft City’. Sa’ad Hani Al-Qaddumi, president of the World Crafts Council International (WCCI), present on the occasion.

Mr. Al-Qaddumi, who visited a few craft clusters after his arrival in Srinagar, praised local craftsmanship and efforts to preserve old and traditional hand techniques by locals, including women. “I congratulate the J&K government on the recognition of Srinagar as a World Craft City. Srinagar has joined the well-deserved ranks of craft cities across the world,” Mr. Al-Qaddumi said.

Hundreds of artisans and traders attended the function at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre. “In honouring Srinagar city, the World Crafts Council has also honoured the 5,000-year rich Indian civilisation, which kept alive creative traditions and always promoted gifted artisans for their ingenuity and craftsmanship,” J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said.

Srinagar earned the World Craft City tag from the council, which works to empower artisans and safeguard heritage globally, in June this year. Many see the tag as a window for Kashmir to reopen its old linkages with craft centres in Central Asia and Iran.

“We are determined to ensure that their creative products are financially attractive and the work is professionally satisfying. I am sure this recognition as World Craft City will not only provide a new identity to Srinagar in the global market but that craftsmanship will re-establish its position as a prestigious occupation,” Mr. Sinha said.

Srinagar is the fourth city in India to secure the prestigious World Craft City tag. The L-G said J&K was proud to have an inclusive cultural ecosystem, which always inspired weavers and craftspeople. He commended the efforts of the Handloom and Handicrafts Department, and the Industries and Commerce Department for leading the change in a sector that is vital to J&K’s economy.

Saleem Beg, head of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage’s (INTACH) Kashmir chapter said the tag could open a window to trace Kashmir’s journey into the craft sector. “I expect a fillip to Kashmir’s traditional linkages with Central Asia and Iran after this recognition. Fourteen Iranian cities are already listed as craft cities, and I look forward to knowledge exchange too,” Mr. Beg said.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: DEFENCE MANUFACTURING: India’s new light tank to pack a punch in mountain warfare

The tank will demonstrate its capabilities in summer and winter trials that will be conducted in deserts and mountains during the next two years before it goes into production.

In a shining moment for the local defence manufacturing sector, India on Saturday unveiled a light tank designed for rapid deployment and high mobility in the mountains and it is expected to be ready for induction into service in 2027, strengthening the army’s posture against the Chinese forces along the contested Line of Actual Control (LAC), officials aware of the matter said.

The 25-tonne tank has been jointly developed by Larsen & Toubro and the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) under Project Zorawar in around two years to meet the Indian Army’s requirement for 354 light tanks. It will now head into a set of rigourous trials.

The tank was developed from scratch within the shortest possible time, said one of the officials cited above.

“It will be capable of operating in challenging conditions along LAC with minimal logistics support. The tank will demonstrate its capabilities in summer and winter trials that will be conducted in deserts and mountains during the next two years before it goes into production,” he said.

DRDO chief Samir V Kamat on Saturday reviewed the first prototype of the tank at L&T’s Hazira facility in Gujarat where it performed some basic manoeuvres.

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army has inducted and fielded several modern tanks, including light tanks with a high power-to-weight ratio, across LAC. The military standoff between India and China in eastern Ladakh is now in its fifth year, with no indication of a resolution to the lingering problems even as India is hoping that ongoing negotiations with the neighbour will help restore the status quo ante of April 2020.

The Indian Army has deployed scores of heavier Russian-origin T-72 and T-90 tanks in the Ladakh theatre, but they have their own limitations as they were designed for operations in plains and deserts. The need for light tanks with adequate firepower, protection, surveillance and communication capabilities was felt after the border row began, the officials said. The new capability will cost around ₹17,500 crore.

“The tank can be transported by air and is capable of amphibious operations. It can fire at high angles of elevation and perform the role of limited artillery,” said a second official, adding that the platform’s modular design can accommodate future upgrades.

The tank is expected to be packed with cutting-edge technologies including artificial intelligence, drone integration, active protection systems and superior situational awareness.

Not for nothing has the tank been named Zorawar. The legendary general, Zorawar Singh, led the Dogra forces a record six times, between 1834 and 1841, to victories in Ladakh and Tibet. In May 1841, he led a 5,000-strong Dogra force into Tibet and within weeks overran the Chinese forces and captured their Mantalai flag.

In December 2022, the defence acquisition council gave its acceptance of necessity (AoN) and greenlit defence projects worth ₹84,328 crore to sharpen the combat potential of the armed forces with new military hardware, including the light tanks. Under India’s defence procurement rules, AoN by the council is the first step towards buying military hardware.

In a request for information published in April 2021, the army said the light tank must have the versatility to execute operations in diverse terrain conditions and to tackle a raft of threats and equipment profile of the country’s adversaries.

In a follow up note, the army said the light tank is envisaged as a lethal and survivable platform and will have major mobility advantage in high-altitude frontiers.

“These tanks with superior mobility, all terrain agility, multi-layered protection, precision lethal firepower and real time situational awareness duly integrating niche technology will offer multiple options for rapid operational employment, enabling the army to execute operations across the entire continuum of conflict,” the note said.

The tank was unveiled a day after defence minister Rajnath Singh announced that India had recorded the highest ever growth in the value of local defence production in the financial year 2023-24 on the back of enabling policy measures, with the figure reaching almost ₹1.27 lakh crore. The figure is around 17% higher than what it was in the previous year.

Of the total value of defence production in 2023-24, 79.2% was contributed by defence public sector undertakings and other PSUs, and the remaining 20.8% by the private sector.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: U.K / INDIAN HERITAGE : Sojan Joseph of Labour Party Wins Ashford Seat, Celebrations Erupt in His Native Kottayam Village

Lights at the home of Sojan Joseph in the sleepy village at Athirampuzha near Kottayam were not switched off on Thursday night as the entire household was anxiously waiting to hear the result from Ashford, one of the constituencies in Kent in the United Kingdom.

Sojan Joseph’s father burst into tears and clapped his hands when his son, the Labour Party’s candidate, won with a margin of 1,779 votes defeating Damien Green of the Conservative and Unionist party.

“Of course , I am really happy and excited with my son’s victory . We have been waiting to hear this right from the time my son told me he is going to contest the polls,” said his beaming father.

The house was full of Joseph’s relatives and friends and soon came the sounds of crackers being burst.

His brother’s wife said that Joseph and his six siblings and their children are all in the UK.

“He is a nurse in the psychiatry department of the National Health Service. After he finished college in Kottayam, he went to study nursing in Bengaluru. Now for the past 23 years he is working in the NHS. We were expecting that he will win,” said his sister – in –law.

A sister of Joseph said while he was in college here he was never into politics.

“ It was after he reached the UK, that he developed an interest in politics and now his and our dream has come true. Now we are just waiting for him to come to his village,” said the sister.

Joseph is currently a borough councillor representing Aylesford and East Stour ward. –IANS

source/content: theweekendleader.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: ARTS & CULTURE / INDIAN AMERICAN : Maya Neelakantan: I’m representing all of India on America’s Got Talent stage

Guitarist Maya Neelakantan, who has gone viral for her America’s Got Talent audition, opens up about her dreams, representing India and friendship with legends.

For Maya Neelakantan, who is being dubbed the ‘rock goddess’ after her America’s Got Talent (season 19) audition clip went viral, fame is incidental. “I had never expected all this,” she gushes.

The young guitarist, who hails from Chennai (Tamil Nadu), feels the fusion of Indian classical music with rock and metal is “exciting and hasn’t been explored much”. “These genres are so underrated together! I want to create my own music, which is more like the AGT performance,” she shares.

The 11-year-old went on the reality show stage dressed in an embellished lehenga-kurta set, complete with traditional jewellery, and played Papa Roach’s Last Resort infused with notes of classical Carnatic music, creating an audio-visual juxtaposition. “I was representing all of India and wanted to make a place for traditional music, too. My amma helped me organise the outfit, with the earrings and everything,” says the school student.

Neelakantan, who fell in love with Carnatic music at the age of two, learns it online with Prasanna Ramaswamy (Guitar Prasanna).

Speaking about business tycoon Anand Mahindra sharing her video, she said, “I did not expect that at all. It was very nice of him to do this… I have received love and support from guitar lengends, many of whom are close friends. But for him to discover me in this way was very unexpected, and got me love from the entire country!”

Support Matters

Counting her blessings, Neelakantan says that she’s grateful for all the support she gets from her parents (Indian dad and Australian mum) and others: “I’ve received so much support from legends like Gary Holt (American guitarist), who flew all the way from Sacramento to Los Angeles to watch my AGT audition.” She enjoys good following on the internet with 15.8K followers on YouTube and 49.2K on Instagram.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: DEFENCE SERVICES: For the First time in Indian Military History, 2 classmates to be Chiefs of Indian Army and Navy together

Hailing from the Sainik School Rewa in Madhya Pradesh, Admiral Tripathi and Lt Gen Dwivedi were together in the school from class 5.

For the first time in Indian military history, two classmates, Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi and Admiral Dinesh Tripathi, will be service chiefs of Indian Army and Navy.

Hailing from the Sainik School Rewa in Madhya Pradesh, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Tripathi and Army Chief Designate Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi were together in the school from class 5th-A in the early 1970s.

The roll numbers of the two officers were also around each other, as Lt Gen Dwivedi’s roll number was 931 and Admiral Tripathi’s was 938.

Their bonding was strong from the initial days in the school and they remained in touch all along, even though they were in different forces.

A defence official who knows both the officers said that strong friendships among the senior leadership in the military matter a lot in strengthening the working relationship between the forces.

“This rare honour of nurturing two prodigious students, who would go on to lead their respective Services 50 years later, goes to Sainik School, Rewa, in Madhya Pradesh,” Defence Ministry Spokesperson A Bharat Bhushan Babu said in a tweet.

The appointments of the two classmates have also come around the same time, in a gap of around two months.

Admiral took over the command of the Indian Navy on May 1, while Lt Gen Dwivedi would be taking over his new appointment tomorrow.

Lt Gen Dwivedi has had a long tenure as the Northern Army Commander where he has had long exposure to the ongoing operations in the military standoff on the LAC in eastern Ladakh.

Born on July 1, 1964, Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi was commissioned into the Jammu & Kashmir Rifles of the Indian Army on December 15, 1984. (ANI)

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL: SPORTS / CRICKET: Stats – India FIRST Team to Win the men’s T20 World Cup unbeaten

India also joined West Indies and England as the only sides with two men’s T20 World Cup titles in the bag.

1 – India became the first team to win the men’s T20 World Cup without losing a game all tournament. India won all eight matches they played in the tournament, and had one washout: the first-round game against Canada.

India’s eight consecutive wins in completed games is the joint-longest winning streak for any team in the men’s T20 World Cup. Australia won eight successive games across the 2022 and 2024 editions, while South Africa was on an eight-match winning streak before Saturday’s defeat.

8-1 – Win-loss record of the teams winning the toss in the finals of the men’s T20 World Cup. The only team to lose a final despite winning the toss was Sri Lanka against Pakistan in 2009.

It is only the third instance of a team winning a men’s T20 World Cup final while defending a total. India against Pakistan in 2007 and West Indies against Sri Lanka in 2012 won the final while batting first.

2 – India is now the third team to win the men’s T20 World Cup for the second time, having won the inaugural 2007 edition. West Indies were the first team with two titles, having won in 2012 and 2016, while England won in 2010 and 2022.

9 – Players to be part of two men’s T20 World Cup final wins – Rohit Sharma was added to the list on Saturday. Eight West Indies players were part of their both title wins – Daren Sammy, Marlon Samuels, Chris Gayle, Johnson Charles, Dwayne Bravo, Samuel Badree, Andre Russell and Denesh Ramdin.

176 for 7 – India’s total against South Africa on Saturday is the highest by any team in the final of the men’s T20 World Cup. Australia’s 173 for 2 in a run chase against New Zealand in 2021 was the previous highest. The 345 runs scored in Bridgetown is the joint-highest aggregate for a men’s T20 World Cup final.

23 – Balls Heinrich Klaasen needed for his fifty against India, the fastest in any men’s World Cup final. The previous quickest was off 31 balls by Mitchell Marsh against New Zealand in the 2021 T20 World Cup final.

16.95 – Per cent of the target that South Africa needed at the start of the 16th over with six wickets in hand – 30 runs out of 177. It is the second-lowest percentage of the target runs any team failed to chase in the last five overs (16-20) of a men’s T20I with six or more wickets in hand, where ball-by-ball data is available.

New Zealand needed 15.06 % of their target at the start of the 16th over – 141 for 3 chasing 166 against South Africa in 2012. They ended up losing by three runs, finishing on 162 for 7.

16 – Player-of-the-Match awards for Virat Kohli in the T20I format – the most for any player in men’s T20Is, surpassing Suryakumar Yadav’s 15. Eight of Kohli’s 16 match awards have come in the men’s T20 World Cup, while no one else has more than five.

37y, 60d – Rohit’s age on Saturday, making him the oldest captain to win a T20 World Cup. He is also the second-oldest captain to win an ICC tournament final, behind Imran Khan, who was 39 year and 172 days old when Pakistan defeated England in the 1992 ODI World Cup final.

8-0 – Rohit’s win-loss record as captain in T20 finals – six with Mumbai Indians and two for India. Only MS Dhoni has won more men’s T20 finals as captain than Rohit, nine out of 15.

This is also the 11th T20 final where Rohit was part of the winning side of the 12 he has played. Only Dwayne Bravo (17), Kieron Pollard (16) and Shoaib Malik (15) have more men’s T20 final wins than Rohit.

49 – Wins for Rohit as captain out of the 62 T20Is where he led India, the most for anyone in men’s T20Is, surpassing Babar Azam’s 48. India have lost only 12 T20Is under Rohit’s captaincy, while another game ended in a tie, which India went on to win in the Super Over.

2 – Number of players, including Kohli, to be part of the winning team in the finals of all three ICC white-ball events (ODI World Cup, T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy). MS Dhoni was the first to be part of all three, and he did it as a captain.

source/content: espncric.info.com / Sampath Bandarupalli (headline edited)

INDIA: MANUFACTURING: 80% of Indian Steel Producers have Labelled ‘Made-in-India’ on products

The source said that the ‘Made in India’ branding, along with a QR code, provides for labeling of domestic steel products with details of the product. “

Following the Ministry of Steel’s initiative to brand products with ‘Made in India’, Indian steel producers (ISPs) have labelled 80 per cent of their products since November last year, said an official on Monday.

“Ministry of Steel was the first to initiate and complete the branding exercise. The efforts would result in branding of 80 million tonnes of steel out of the production of 125 million tonnes in the first phase,” the official added.

Indian steel producers have finalised common labels across the product categories and allocated size and space for the ‘Made in India’ logo for each label.

“All the ISPs have started roll out of branding with selected categories of steel products in their product portfolio by fixing of new ‘Made in India’ label on their products from November 4, 2023 onwards,” the source said, adding RINL, JSPL and TATA Steel Ltd have covered 100 per cent of their product range, while the rest will complete the branding by the end of June.

Explaining the need of the branding, the source said, “the label will help to create a common brand value for all Made-in-India steel products nationally and internationally and to further encourage manufacturers to maximise their local manufacturing process, thereby giving a much-needed boost to the Indian economy.

In the long run, it will be a key identifier for Indian steel sector markets across the world, further cementing India’s position in global markets. The Made in India Label along with the overall country branding through the Brand India Mission will complement each other and help in achieving the final goal of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ making for India and the world.”

According to sources, the concept was initially suggested by Prime Minister Narendra Modi , which was later conceptualised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and implemented by the Steel Ministry.

The source said that the ‘Made in India’ branding, along with a QR code, provides for labeling of domestic steel products with details of the product. “The vision is to boost credibility of ‘Made in India’ and promotion of domestically-produced steel and to enable the Indian consumers to make an informed choice. ‘Made in India’ Label is intended for both domestic market and also for exports,” the source said.

source/content: indianexpress.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: SPACE : Indian-Origin Shawna Pandya on Virgin Galactic’s New Space Research Flight

Shawna Pandya, an Indian-origin physician and bioastronautics researcher, will be part of Virgin Galactic’s upcoming space research mission. This mission, a collaboration between Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic and the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS), will be conducted aboard the Delta Class spaceship.

Pandya, a prominent figure in space medicine and Director of IIAS’ Space Medicine Group, joins a distinguished crew for this second research mission. The team includes Kellie Gerardi, Director of Human Spaceflight Operations at IIAS, and Norah Patten, an aeronautical engineer from Ireland. The mission follows the success of the ‘Galactic 05’ mission in November 2023, which tested novel healthcare technologies and analyzed fluid dynamics in microgravity to aid the design of future medical technologies and life-support systems.

Pandya, who has extensive experience in space research, was part of the first crew to test a commercial spacesuit in zero gravity in 2015. Her impressive record includes flying in 10 parabolic flight campaigns, amassing over 160 parabolas in micro- and reduced gravity conditions.

“We were thrilled with the results from our fluid cell experiment on ‘Galactic 05’, which demonstrated our ability to accurately predict fluid behavior in a weightless environment”, said Gerardi, reflecting on the mission’s success.

Sirisha Bandla, Virgin Galactic’s Vice President of Government Affairs and Research, emphasized the ongoing collaboration with IIAS. “We’re excited to continue our partnership with IIAS in an expanded capacity”, said Bandla, who flew on the ‘Unity 22’ spaceflight, becoming the second Indian-born woman to travel to space.

This mission highlights the growing role of Indian-origin researchers in advancing space science and technology, further solidifying international collaborations in space exploration.

source/content: siliconindia.com (headline edited)