Author: Bhakti Narayanan

Marking a significant milestone, India and Greece have upgraded their relationship to a strategic partnership during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s historic visit to Greece. The move aims to rejuvenate political, security, and economic ties, with both leaders recognizing their shared historical heritage. The leaders expressed the need for an invigorated approach to bilateral relations amid the evolving global landscape. The joint statement released after talks between Prime Minister Modi and Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis highlighted their commitment to enhancing cooperation in various sectors, including defense, security, infrastructure, agriculture, and skills development. Greece’s appreciation for India’s support on issues like its…

Dr. Surinder (Suri) Sehgal, an Indian-American philanthropist renowned for his extensive career as a crop scientist, entrepreneur, and global hybrid seed industry expert, has been honored with the esteemed Dr. M S Swaminathan Award for Leadership in Agriculture for the year 2022. This annual accolade recognizes distinguished agricultural professionals who have significantly contributed to enhancing food security, reducing poverty, and creating positive transformations within the farming community and the national agricultural landscape. Dr. Suri Sehgal has played a pivotal role in advancing the hybrid seed industry on a worldwide scale. He played a key part in establishing the Proagro Group…

Amidst national jubilation over the successful placement of ISRO’s lunar lander ‘Vikram’ on the moon’s uncharted South Pole, agency chairman S Somanath confirmed the upcoming launch of its inaugural solar mission ‘Aditya’. In response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reference to future missions to the Sun and Venus in his post-landing address, Somanath revealed that “Aditya” is set for launch in September. He also highlighted plans for a crew module demonstration by the end of September or October, followed by various test missions leading up to the anticipated manned mission to space, “Gaganyaan,” potentially by 2025. Reflecting on the successful…

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa has surged into the finals of the World Cup chess tournament with a remarkable triumph over the second-ranked player globally, Fabiano Caruana, during the semifinals held in Baku, Azerbaijan. This remarkable achievement places the 18-year-old prodigy from Chennai in a historic position as the youngest grandmaster ever and only the second Indian player, following in the footsteps of Viswanathan Anand, to secure a spot in the final of the World Cup chess tournament. His impending showdown will be against the reigning world number 1, Magnus Carlsen, in today’s match. In an intense semifinal round, the Indian…

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi departs for the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, all attention is focused on a potential meeting between him and Chinese President Xi Jinping. This would mark their first planned bilateral interaction since the border standoff emerged in May 2020. While officials haven’t ruled out the possibility, they acknowledge that the schedule is still evolving. The BRICS summit, happening in-person after three years of virtual gatherings, is addressing the expansion of the group as a major agenda item. Approximately 23 countries have reportedly applied for membership in BRICS. Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra stated that India maintains…

The most recent photographs of the Moon, taken by a camera located on the Chandrayaan-3 lander called Vikram, have successfully identified notable craters situated on the far side of the Lunar surface. This side is always hidden from Earth’s view due to the Moon’s synchronous rotation in orbit. The primary purpose of the camera on Vikram is to aid in locating a secure landing site on the unexplored southern polar region of the Moon. It aims to ensure a safe landing area devoid of large rocks and deep craters. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) shared, “We present images of…

From Anushka Sharma to Lara Dutta, many individuals from military families, often called ‘army brats’, have achieved success in the film industry due to their upbringing in disciplined and diverse environments. Their resilience, adaptability, and determination are influenced by their military backgrounds. Here are examples of celebrities who grew up in military families. Anushka Sharma’s father, Colonel Ajay Kumar Sharma, fought in the historic 1999 Kargil War. She attended the Army School in Bengaluru. Priyanka Chopra’s father, Dr. Ashok Chopra, was an army doctor who opened hospitals after retirement. Priyanka has a tattoo to honor her father. Neha Dhupia Bedi’s…

Spot gold concluded the week with a decline of approximately 1.40% at $1913.88, affected by higher yields and a stronger dollar. Concerns about potential inflation resurgence in the US amid a robust economy contributed to this trend. In the week ending August 11, gold’s peak touched $1946.81, while its lowest point reached $1911.73. The eagerly awaited US July CPI inflation report unveiled that Core CPI posted its smallest consecutive increase in two years, with a 0.20% month-on-month (m-o-m) rise for the second month. Similarly, headline CPI inflation also saw a 0.20% m-o-m increase. Annual headline CPI inflation rose to 3.20%…

In the forthcoming 2024 U.S. presidential election, slated for November 5, the 60th quadrennial event, voters will elect a president and vice president for a four-year term. Joe Biden, the incumbent Democratic President, seeks re-election. Republican Donald Trump, his predecessor, vies for a non-consecutive second term. This electoral anticipation is generating interest in India, where four Indian Americans have announced their candidacy. 1. Nikki Haley Nikki Haley, born as Nimrata Randhawa Haley in 1972 in South Carolina, represents the Republican Party. Daughter of Sikh immigrants from Punjab, she declared her campaign in February 2023. Haley’s political journey commenced as a…

Dr. Jitendra Singh, the Union Minister of State overseeing Science and Technology, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy, and Space, has revealed plans for 45 international capacity-building initiatives aimed at training 1,750 international civil servants in the upcoming fiscal year 2023-24. Responding in writing to an inquiry in the Lok Sabha, Dr. Jitendra Singh detailed that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has allocated a total of Rs. 17,60,26,500 (equivalent to US$ 2,128,653.26) to facilitate the capacity-building of 1,425 international civil servants hailing from countries such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Gambia. The allocation also covers multi-country…