Category Archives: World Opinion

NATIONAL: DEFENCE: India’s DRDO and Indian Navy Conducts Successful Trial of BMD Interceptor Missile. Enters Elite Club of Nations having Naval Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) Capability.

Country enters elite club of nations having Naval ballistic missile defence capability.

India has successfully conducted a maiden flight trial of a sea-based endo-atmospheric interceptor missile off the coast of Odisha.

The missile test was conducted by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy on Friday.

“The purpose of the trial was to engage and neutralise a hostile ballistic missile threat thereby elevating India into the elite club of nations having Naval BMD capability,” the Ministry of Defence said on Saturday.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO, Indian Navy and industry involved in the successful demonstration of ship-based ballistic missile defence (BMD) capabilities.

source/content: tribuneindia.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: SPORTS / ARCHERY: World Cup Archery | Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Ojas Deotale claim Gold in compound mixed team

This was also India’s second ever World Cup gold medal in the mixed compound event.

Jyothi Surekha Vennam and her debutant partner Ojas Deotale were at their ruthless best and prevailed over Chinese Taipei 159-154 as India grabbed the compound mixed team gold to open their account in the World Cup Stage 1 in Antalya on April 22.

This was also India’s second ever World Cup gold medal in the mixed compound event. Jyothi and veteran Abhishek Verma had clinched their maiden gold in World Cup-3 in Paris 2022.

In the absence of India’s multiple World Cup winner Verma, who failed to make the cut from the national trials, the new-look Indian pair hardly looked short on experience and hit the centre an incredible 15 times from 16 arrows to defeat their 12th-seeded rivals in a lopsided final.

Of the 15 perfect 10s, 12 times they hit the X (closer to the centre).

The second seeded Indian duo of Jyothi and 20-year-old Deotale dropped just one point only once in the final end otherwise it would have been a perfect 160/160.

There was no stopping Jyothi and Deotale who drilled in a string of perfect 10s to race to a 120-116 lead in the penultimate end.

The second end was a fairytale affair as they hit the X all on their four attempts to make it 80-76 in favour of them.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: INT’L BUSINESS : Tim Cook launches Apple’s First India Store in Mumbai, April 18,2023

Likely to meet PM Modi tomorrow; open second store in Delhi.

Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook on Tuesday launched the iconic consumer technology company’s first retail store in India, welcoming customers into the facility inside a mall in suburban Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai. Hundreds of customers had queued up since last night to be among the first ones to shop or get a feel of the store.

The added attraction of the presence of company’s CEO had added to the buzz and the fact that India will have an Apple store before Malaysia but after Singapore and Thailand.

Despite having 3% market share, the buzz around the Apple store indicated the mind space it has come to occupy. The day began with Tim Cook and his senior vice-president for retail Deirdre O’Brien standing behind the closed glass front doors of the store as co-workers in green shirts began a countdown.

Despite having carved out a special niche for its products, Apple wasn’t taking any chances with its competitors. The 20,000-sq ft space at Jio Mall in BKC has been taken on lease for 11 years at a cost of Rs 42 lakh per month provided there are none of the 22 competing brands in the vicinity. These include Amazon, Facebook, Google LG, Microsoft and Sony.

Cook is expected to open the second store in the national capital at Saket to a similar frenzy on Thursday and call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The first two customers, interviewed by the media, said they had been camping before the store since the previous night because of their love for Apple products. One had flown in from Rajasthan for the occasion and, undaunted after 15 hours spent in front of the Mumbai store, is planning to attend the opening of the Saket store as well. The first lot of customers took selfies with Cook and one of them got more time than the rest after he brought his Mac of 1984 vintage.

However, though there is local iPhone assembly, it still remains extremely expensive with hopes belied of a drop in prices. The base model iPhone 14 Pro costs $1,600 in India as against $999 in the US. Moreover, iPhone owners in India do not get several services such as News+, Fitness+, and Apple Pay.

source/content: tribuneindia.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: BUDDHISM CONFERENCE: India to Host 02-day ‘International Buddhist Conference’

Over 170 delegates from foreign countries and 150 from India would participate in the summit to be held on April 20-21 in the national capital.

India will host an international summit on Buddhism which would be attended by delegates from 30 countries, a notable exception being China. Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, was also unlikely to attend the two-day conclave.

The maiden conference being organised by the Union Culture Ministry and the International Buddhist Confederation will discuss contemporary global issues through a Buddhist perspective.

“India is the birthplace of Buddhism. The summit aims to find solutions to problems such as climate change, poverty, and conflict, among others, by exploring the Buddhist teachings and practices,” Union Culture Minister G. Kishan Reddy said.

Over 170 delegates from foreign countries, including Mexico, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Japan, and 150 from India would participate in the summit to be held on April 20-21 in the national capital.

The delegates include prominent scholars, monks, diplomats and members of Buddhist organisations across the globe.

The largest number of delegates are from Sri Lanka (20) and Vietnam (30), Abhijit Haldar, Director General of International Buddhist Confederation, said.

He said that while no delegate had confirmed from China, there would be two participants from Taiwan.

“The invitations were sent to various Buddhist institutions and not to governments,” he added.

He also mentioned that the Dalai Lama might not attend the event due to “health issues”.

The Tibetan spiritual leader has been at the centre of a controversy earlier this month over an incident with a minor boy.

PM to inaugurate conclave

The conference themed “Responses to Contemporary Challenges from Philosophy to Praxis” would be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The discussion would be under four themes Buddha Dhamma and Peace, Buddha Dhamma: Environmental Crisis, Health and Sustainability, Preservation of Nalanda Buddhist Tradition and Buddhist Pilgrimage, Living Heritage and Relics.

The conference was expected to produce a document for further academic research and study the viability of Buddhism as a tool for the conduct of international relations on global stage.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: HEALTH, MEDICAL & WELLNESS SERVICES / MEDICAL TOURISM: Over 1.4 million Medical Tourists visited India in past one year, says Tourism Minister

Highlighting India’s efforts in promoting health and wellness tourism, the minister said the country remained one of the top destinations in this regard.

Over 1.4 million medical tourists visited India in the past one year, making it one of the top destinations for medical tourism, said Union Minister of State for Tourism Shripad Naik on Monday.

Highlighting India’s efforts in promoting health and wellness tourism, the minister said the country remained one of the top destinations in this regard.

Foreign tourists travelling to India for medical tourism saw a 66 percent rise in 2021, despite the Covid pandemic. In 2020, at the peak of the Covid outbreak when India was in lockdown and travel was restricted, 1.83 lakh tourists came for medical treatment. The number went up to 3.04 lakh in 2021, the Centre had informed Parliament in March.

Speaking at the second G20 Health Working Group Meeting in Goa, Naik called for a collaborative and sustainable global health strategy.

He also appealed to the delegates to engage in meaningful discussion on various aspects of the global health architecture.

Deleivering the keynote address, Union Minister of State for Health Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar emphasized India’s priorities and contributions to global health preparedness.

“India’s G20 priorities focus on reformed multilateralism that creates an accountable, inclusive, equitable and representative forum fit for addressing the many challenges in the 21st century,” she said.

She said India is striving to converge ongoing initiatives towards building resilient healthcare delivery systems supplemented with equitable access to vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics to ensure that no one is left behind.

She noted that there is a need to leverage the momentum of ongoing discussions in the global health field and focus on critical aspects such as collaborative surveillance, community protection, access to medical countermeasures and emergency coordination. “We cannot be sure of when the next health emergency may hit us,” she said.

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan underscored the need to invest in health systems substantially more than in the past through the “One Health” approach in order to reduce the drivers of pandemic risks.

He emphasised on continuing with the containment and control of Covid-19 by ensuring availability of vaccines and therapeutics.

He also highlighted that while all aspects of pandemic emergency preparedness and response are important, prevention is usually underfinanced relative to preparedness and response.

Towards this, he stated that India welcomes the proposal by the Pandemic Fund focusing on surveillance, lab systems and strengthening the public health workforce.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: Miss. INDIA: Rajasthan’s 19-year-old Nandini Gupta Wins ‘Femina Miss India World 2023’

Nandini Gupta was crowned by the former Femina Miss India 2021 winner, Sini Shetty.

Rajasthan’s Nandini Gupta was crowned Femina Miss India World 2023 in a grand ceremony on Saturday, 15 April.

The 19-year-old beauty queen, who hails from Kota, will represent India at the 71st edition of the grand Miss World Pageant in the United Arab Emirates.

Along with Nandini, Delhi’s Shreya Poonja was announced as the first runner-up, and Manipur’s Thounaojam Strela Luwang was crowned the second runner-up.

Femina Miss India also made the big announcement on their official Instagram handle and wrote, “WORLD – here she comes! Nandini Gupta has conquered our stage and taken over our hearts with her magnetism, charm, endurance and beauty! We’re so proud and can’t wait to see her on the Miss World stage! We’re so proud of your journey and all the hard work you’ve undertaken to earn the crown to your full credit. May you shine always! Ladies and gentlemen, welcome your new reigning queen, Nandini Gupta, Femina Miss India World 2023. Heartiest congratulations to you @nandiniguptaa13.”

Here, take a look:

The 59th edition of Femina Miss India was held in Manipur this year. The grand finale of the pageant was held on 15 April in a star-studded ceremony that celebrated the ethos of beauty in diversity.

The evening kicked off with performances by the former winners of the pageant, including Sini Shetty, Rubal Shekhawat, Shinata Chauhan, Manasa Varanasi, Manika Sheokand, Manya Singh, Suman Rao, and Shivani Jadhav.

Several Bollywood actors, including Kartik Aaryan and Ananya Panday, also performed at the ceremony.

Whereas, Manish Paul and Bhumi Pednekar kept the audience engaged with their witty hosting.

source/content: thequint.com (headline edited)

WORLD RECORDS: ARTS & CULTURE / DANCE: Assam’s Bihu Dance sets 02 World Records with over 11,000 Dancers and Musicians taking the stage

With over 11,000 dancers and musicians, Assam’s Bihu dance breaks two world records and is inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records.

Assam’s Bihu dance has made history by setting two world records with over 11,000 dancers and musicians taking the stage at the Sarusajai Stadium in Guwahati. More than 7,000 dancers, most of whom were female, and more than 3,000 drummers and musicians from all districts of the state performed the popular traditional dance style, which is practised across Assam, particularly during the spring festival of Bohag Bihu or Rongali Bihu.

Himanta Biswa Sarma, the chief minister of Assam, posted unforgettable moments of the MegaBihu rehearsal on Twitter. He added that two world records set in Sarusajai had earned them entry into the Guinness Book of World Records today.

The event sought to break two world records: the largest Bihu dance performance and the largest performance by traditional folk musicians employing instruments including the “dhol,” “pepa,” “gogona,” and “toka.”

Rishi Nath, the official Guinness World Records judge, claimed that 500 Bihu dancers made up the previous record-breaking crowd before the event. He described the event as “mesmerising.”

Speaking at the event, the Assam chief minister expressed his belief that the people of Assam need to present themselves as a proud race on the world stage, and that their mentality of limiting themselves to certain boundaries has held them back.

He also spoke about the need to showcase the bravery and valour of historical figures from Assam, such as Lachit Barphukan, to the rest of the world. The event was well-received, with Guinness World Record adjudicator Rishi Nath describing it as “absolutely fantastic.”

While the exact number of musicians who participated in the second performance is yet to be determined, officials have indicated that it will be recorded in the official certificates.

The event was organised by the Assam government, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will present them with their official Guinness World Records certificates during a similar performance on Friday.

source/content: indiatvnews.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL TRADE: NATIONAL: India’s Mobile Phone Export crosses USD 11 bn in FY23, Apple clocks 50 per cent share

With iPhone maker Apple accounting for around half of the total mobile phone exports, handset exports from India reached close to $11.12 billion, according to industry body ICEA.

With iPhone maker Apple accounting for around half of the total mobile phone exports, handset exports from India reached close to $11.12 billion, according to industry body ICEA.

The India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) said mobile phone export from the country has doubled to surpass Rs 90,000 crore, about $11.12 billion (91,000 crore) in the financial year 2022-23 (FY23) from Rs 45,000 crore in FY22. The government has set a target of $10 billion worth of mobile phone exports from the country.

ICEA Chairman Pankaj Mohindroo said, “No economy or sector in the economy can become a great and vibrant global economy without large exports. Riding on the 100% growth in mobile phone exports, which have crossed Rs 90,000 crore for FY 23, electronics exports have also grown by 58% to Rs 1,85,000 crore. It is satisfying that we have crossed the targeted figure of Rs 75,000 crore for the year.”

According to a PTI report, citing industry sources, Apple is estimated to have clocked 50% share with export of ‘made in India’ iPhones worth $5.5 billion, about Rs 45,000 crore while Samsung accounts for about 40% share with export worth Rs 36,000 crore. 

“With the doubling of exports of smartphones to more than $11 billion, India is well on its way to become a leader in the mobile device market of the world and play a major role in India’s electronic exports. This is a major win for PM Modijis Make in India program,” said telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on record smartphone exports from India.

The government has set the target of achieving $300 billion worth of electronics manufacturing by 2025-26, with $120 billion expected to come from exports. Mobile phones are expected to contribute more than $50 billion worth of exports by 2025-26. 

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: HISTORY / TREASURES: Chhatrapati Shivaji’s Ceremonial Sword ‘Jagdamba’ may travel to India from the U.K. for a year

Maharashtra is in talks with the Centre to be guarantor for the journey of the sword, gifted by Shivaji IV to the then Prince of Wales, to commemorate the 350th anniversary of the warrior king’s coronation.

‘Jagdamba’, the ceremonial sword of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji, may soon return to Maharashtra from a museum in the United Kingdom for about a year, to commemorate the 350th anniversary of the famed Maratha ruler’s ascension to the throne.

The sword, set with several diamonds and rubies, was presented to Albert Edward, then Prince of Wales and later King Edward VII, by Shivaji IV “as a relic of the Maratha Chief Shivaji to whom it formerly belonged” during the former’s visit to India in 1875-76.

The Maharashtra Government has started talks with the Centre to get the sword from Saint James’s Palace in London, State Cultural Affairs Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar told The Hindu.

The Minister, who is likely to visit London in May to hold discussions with officials in the U.K., said that the Centre would be the guarantor to get the sword back to India for a brief period. “I will personally reach out to U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in this regard. We wish to keep it in Maharashtra for at least one year. It is touched by the Maharaj [Shivaji Maharaj] and is extremely valuable for us since,” Mr. Mungantiwar said.

The first effort to bring back the sword was made by freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak, and after Independence, several Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, including the first CM, Yashwantrao Chavan, pursued the matter.

“It will be a moment of pride if we get back the Jagdamba sword to mark the 350th anniversary of Shivaji’s coronation in 2024. Once we get the sword, we will organise a series of events across the State for the special day,” Mr. Mungantiwar said.

Shivaji was crowned as emperor of his realm at Raigad Fort on June 6, 1674, and he was said to had three swords named ‘Bhavani’, ‘Jagdamba’, and ‘Tulja’.

Bhavani and Tulja, both battle swords, are currently at Satara and the Sindhudurg Fort, respectively. Jagdamba, the ceremonial sword, is at Saint James’s Palace under the purview of the British Royal Family.

The Prince of Wales was a keen collector of antique weapons, and before his scheduled visit to India, he instructed all the British officials here to find which ruler had the “best antique” weapons with historical significance, historian Indrajit Sawant, author of Shodh Bhavani Talwaricha (‘In search of Bhavani sword’), said.

He said that Shivaji IV was about 11 years old when he gifted the Jagdamba sword used by Shivaji Maharaj to the British prince, like several other Indian kings of the time.

“During their historical meeting in Mumbai, as a return gift, the Prince of Wales presented a sword to Shivaji IV, which is currently at the New Palace Museum at Kolhapur. A catalogue also describes the Jagdamba sword as that of Shivaji Maharaj and its specifications in detail,” Mr. Sawant said.

The 18th century weapon’s whole object dimensions are “127.8 x 11.8 x 9.1 cm” and its blade length is 95 cm.

Mr. Sawant said that a catalogue at the museum read: “Sabre: Maratha straight, one-edged old European blade, with two grooves on each side, in one of which I.H.S. is stamped three times; the raised steel supports at the hilt are damascened with gold in floral designs; the guarded hilt is iron with a broad knuckle guard and a circular pommel, terminating in a spike and encrusted with heavy open-work floral decoration of gild thickly set with large diamonds and rubies. Presented by H.H. the Maharaja of Kolhapur as a relic of the Maratha Chief Shivaji to whom it formerly belonged.”

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: SPACE /SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: 11 Teams to Represent India at the ‘NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge 2023’ in the U.S this month.

At the NASA Rover Challenge 2023 these teams will compete against 61 others selected worldwide for the 3-day contest to be held from April 20-22.

11 Indian teams including three high school groups will participate in the prestigious ‘NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge’ (HERC) 2023 in the  United States this month. These teams are among 61 others worldwide that will represent India at the international level and will travel to the American agency’s space & rocket centre in Huntsville, Alabama, US to take part in the three day competition from April 20-22.

The HERC Challenge demands teams to design, develop, build, and test human-powered rovers capable of traversing challenging terrain and a task tool for completion of various mission tasks, NASA explained, giving an overview about the competition.

The list of Indian teams participating this year:

Amity University, Noida, Uttar PradeshCollege/University
Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, Pilani, RajasthanCollege/University
Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science, Chennai, Tamil NaduCollege/University
KIET Group of Institutions, Ghaziabad, Uttar PradeshCollege/University
Prayatna Charitable Trust, Ahmedabad, GujaratHigh School
Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, PunjabCollege/University
Shiv Nadar University, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar PradeshCollege/University
Tec Mantra Labs, Kurukshetra, HaryanaHigh School
Vellore Institute of Technology, Chennai, Tamil NaduCollege/University
Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil NaduCollege/University
Young Tinker Educational Foundation, Bhubaneswar, OdishaHigh School

Of these, VIT, Vellore, Chennai, HITS, Chennai, BITS Pilani, Rajasthan and Amity Noida, KIET Group of Institutions, Uttar Pradesh featured in the 2022 challenge as well.

Releasing a list of selected teams in October last year(full list here), NASA announced that these teams would be judged based on their ability to design and assemble a rover to traverse a course of approximately half-mile that includes 10 obstacles and 5 tasks with a simulated field of asteroid debris, boulders, erosion ruts, crevasses, and an ancient streambed. “As part of the competition, rover entries are tested to ensure they would fit into a lander storage area, a maximum 5 feet long by 5 feet tall by 5 feet in volume,” NASA said.

The weight and time criteria encourages teams to build their vehicles around its compactness, light weight, high performance, and efficiency. Teams must make real-time decisions on mission objectives – what to attempt or leave behind, driven by limited virtual oxygen supply lasting 8 minutes. The teams earn points on successful completion of these tasks and the one with the highest number of points throughout the project wins the game in each category (high school/college and universities).

Even though Indian teams did not win the overall prize in either category last year, the students are hopeful for international recognition with larger participation this year.

Akanksha Das, a member of one of the participating teams, Young Tinker Educational Foundation, expressing her enthusiasm about the contest, told news agency ANI, “…We sent a proposal to Nasa and they accepted our proposal and we followed all the guidelines. We created a lightweight Rover. In the last edition we got world rank 3, this year we hope to bring 1st position in world rank.”

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)