Author: Akancha Mishra

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Akancha has been a journalist for about twenty years, and she has a Bachelor of Arts in English Honors and a Master's Degree in Mass Communication from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication. She and her husband and children Supriya and Alok currently call New York City home.

Amazon miniTV – Amazon’s free video streaming service, in partnership with Nissan, has officially entered the Guinness World Records with the largest on-ground hip-hop dance activity, on the day of the premiere of its dance reality show ‘Hip Hop India’. A total number of 1864 dancers came together to jointly perform hip-hop dance for over 5 minutes. The grand event was held at Filmcity in Mumbai in the presence of Hip Hop India’s judges Remo D’Souza and Nora Fatehi, alongside Girish Prabhu – Head of Amazon Advertising and Rajesh Srivastava – Head of Marketing, Nissan Motors India who flagged off…

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Indian oil marketing companies (OMCs) are projected to achieve a remarkable pre-tax profit of at least US$ 12.19 billion (Rs. 1 lakh crore) during the current fiscal year (FY24), as per a Crisil report. The report indicates that the operating profit for OMCs is expected to rise to US$ 12.19 billion (Rs. 1 lakh crore) this fiscal year, a significant increase compared to the average of US$ 7.31 billion (Rs. 60,000 crore) recorded between fiscal years 2017 and 2022. This surge in profitability is attributed to higher retail prices in the domestic market and the stable, yet relatively low, crude…

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Following his trip to China, John Kerry, the United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, is set to embark on a five-day visit to India starting on Tuesday, with a focus on climate and clean energy discussions. During his visit from July 25 to 29, Kerry will be traveling to Delhi and Chennai. In Delhi, he will hold meetings with senior government officials to further common goals on climate and clean energy. The objectives include collaborating on investments in renewable energy and storage solutions, supporting the adoption of zero-emission buses, and expanding clean energy supply chains, as stated by the…

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On the day when the opposition’s no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi government was accepted by the Lok Sabha speaker, an old video of the Prime Minister’s 2019 remarks in the Lok Sabha resurfaced and went viral. In the video, PM Modi humorously advises the opposition parties to be well-prepared to bring another no-confidence motion in 2023. During his reply in Lok Sabha to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address in February 2019, prior to the general elections, PM Modi had said, “I want to send you my good wishes that you prepare so much that you get…

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As of now, India has 40 UNESCO World Heritage List sites and 52 sites on the UNESCO Tentative List. In 2022, six new sites were added to the Tentative List. The inclusion in the Tentative List is a prerequisite for being considered for the World Heritage List. The process of adding sites to the Tentative List is ongoing, but only one property (cultural or natural) can be nominated for inscription annually, following strict criteria for authenticity, integrity, and demonstrating “Outstanding Universal Value.” The six sites from India added to the UNESCO Tentative List in 2022 are: Geoglyphs of Konkan Region…

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India’s foreign exchange reserves have witnessed a substantial increase of USD 12.743 billion, reaching USD 609.022 billion in the week ending July 14, as reported by the Reserve Bank of India. This surge marks one of the strongest weekly increments in recent times. In the previous reporting week, the overall reserves had risen by USD 1.23 billion to USD 596.28 billion. It’s noteworthy that in October 2021, India’s forex kitty had reached a record high of USD 645 billion. However, the reserves have been gradually declining due to the central bank’s deployment of the reserves to defend the rupee amidst…

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Anand Ganjam, an Indian American and a member of the Penn State class of 2015, has recently taken on the role of President of the Penn State Alumni Association for a two-year term, making him the 83rd president and the youngest in the association’s history. Expressing his gratitude for the new position, Ganjam stated, “It is the honor of a lifetime to serve as president of the largest and greatest Alumni Association in the world.” He also pledged to assist students and fellow alumni in his capacity as the head of the association. The CEO of the Alumni Association, Paul…

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On July 20, Aparna Sen, a renowned filmmaker, criticized the TMC government in West Bengal for the violence that occurred during the panchayat elections. She asserted that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee could not escape responsibility for the chaos. Speaking at a seminar organized by a human rights group, Sen read from an open letter in Bengali addressed to the Chief Minister, holding the state government and Banerjee accountable for the lawlessness. She expressed her shock and helplessness at the state of affairs, emphasizing that the protests of the people seemed futile. Aparna Sen had been part of the intelligentsia that…

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During the Adani Enterprise’s annual general meeting (AGM) on July 18, Gautam Adani, the chief of the company, highlighted the crucial role of their renewable energy businesses in India’s journey towards achieving net-zero emissions. Adani Green Energy (AGEL), the renewable energy arm of the group, has already commissioned the world’s largest hybrid solar-wind project in Rajasthan, with a capacity of 2.14 GW. Adani announced plans for the construction of an even larger hybrid renewable park in Khavda, spanning over 72,000 acres and capable of generating 20 GW of green energy. Adani emphasized that the company’s new businesses now contribute 50%…

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The US government, led by the Biden administration, has reiterated its stance on the extradition of Tahawwur Rana, a Canadian businessman of Pakistani origin, to India for his alleged involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. The administration has urged a court in California to reject Rana’s writ of habeas corpus. In May, a US court had approved Rana’s extradition to India, and he is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Los Angeles. India had filed a complaint in June 2020, seeking Rana’s provisional arrest with the intent to extradite him. The Biden administration had supported and…

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