The Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) recently unveiled the nominees for its 2024 awards, with special recognition given to two individuals of Indian descent, Alpesh Chauhan and Jasdeep Singh Degun. Alpesh Chauhan, currently serving as the music director of the Birmingham Opera Company, made his debut in 2015 and garnered attention with the release of his inaugural album featuring Tchaikovsky’s orchestral works in June of the previous year. Collaborating with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under Chandos Records, his album received widespread acclaim, earning the title of BBC Music Magazine’s Orchestral Choice of the Month. Hailing from Birmingham, Chauhan has established…
Author: Bhakti Sharma
Bhakti Sharma
Bhakti has been working as a journalist for about twenty years. She holds a postgraduate degree in mass communication from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication and a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Delhi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the formal introduction of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) at the Eiffel Tower, hailing it as a significant stride in the global expansion of UPI. The launch took place during the Republic Day reception in France, aligning with PM Modi’s vision of making UPI a worldwide phenomenon. UPI, India’s mobile-centric payment system, consolidates diverse banking features, facilitating seamless fund transfers and merchant payments. According to the joint statement in 2023, India and France committed to nurturing collaboration for a thriving digital ecosystem, leading to the implementation of UPI in France and Europe. NPCI International Payments…
The inaugural session of the Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC) in Kolkata, led by Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, heralded a significant moment for India’s inland waterways. The meeting, attended by key stakeholders and industry leaders, centered on enhancing the sector’s capacity and viability. A substantial commitment of US$ 5.4 billion was unveiled for river cruise tourism development, with US$ 4.2 billion allocated for cruise vessels and US$ 1.2 billion for cruise terminal infrastructure by 2047. An additional investment of US$ 1.8 billion (Rs. 15,200 crore), decided at the Global Maritime India Summit in October 2023, aims to propel inland waterways…
During the fiscal year 2022-23, there was a notable surge in electronic goods exports, witnessing a robust 24% increase from April to November compared to the same period in the previous fiscal year. This significant growth, ranking as the highest among India’s top 10 export categories, was primarily driven by mobile exports facilitated by the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. Consequently, electronics climbed from the sixth to the fifth position within the top 10 exports. By November, electronics exports reached US$ 17.7 billion, a substantial increase from the previous year’s US$ 14.4 billion during the same period, narrowing the gap…
Ravi Bhalla announced his candidacy for Congress against Robert Menendez Jr. in the Democratic primary. Expressing commitment to community service, Bhalla aims to advocate for New Jersey’s working families, improve healthcare accessibility, address climate change, safeguard reproductive rights, and foster an inclusive economy. In a video, Bhalla shared his personal journey as a Jersey kid, highlighting his parents’ Indian immigrant background and their pursuit of the American dream. Elected as the 39th mayor of Hoboken in 2017 and re-elected in 2021, Bhalla emphasized his dedication to creating an inclusive community, declaring Hoboken a welcome city for all. Motivated by a…
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed concern about the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) for generating deepfake videos, including instances featuring him. During a BJP Diwali event, he disclosed that he had urged the ChatGPT team to identify and flag deepfakes, emphasizing the need for responsible technology use. PM Modi highlighted an example of a deepfake video showing him participating in the Garba dance, a festival tradition in Gujarat. He called on the media to educate the public about such deceptive videos and stressed the importance of responsible AI usage in the era of technology. The Prime Minister’s remarks come amidst…
India’s World Cup journey remains on track as they secured victory against New Zealand in Mumbai. Despite a resilient effort by Daryl Mitchell, who played a remarkable innings, New Zealand fell short by 70 runs in their pursuit of 397. Mohammed Shami’s seven-wicket haul and Virat Kohli’s milestone century were pivotal in India’s triumph. Kohli surpassed Sachin Tendulkar with his 50th ODI hundred, solidifying his position as the tournament’s top run-scorer. The Wankhede Stadium witnessed moments of brilliance as India continued their dominant performance in this home World Cup, maintaining an air of inevitability in their march to the final…
Two Indian American students from MIT’s School of Engineering, Vivek Gopalakrishnan and Priyanka Raghavan, are among the 13 selected Takeda fellows for the 2023-24 academic year. Supported by Takeda, they will focus on groundbreaking research, including remote health monitoring and ingestible devices for diagnostics. The MIT-Takeda Program, now in its fourth year, collaborates on AI applications in health and drug development. Vivek Gopalakrishnan, a PhD candidate, aims to improve neurosurgery through biomedical machine learning, creating real-time computer vision algorithms for precise intraoperative guidance. Priyanka Raghavan, a PhD candidate in Chemical Engineering, focuses on predictive chemistry. With the Takeda Fellowship, she…
Professor Vik Dhillon, an astrophysicist of Indian descent at the University of Sheffield, UK, is a key member of a team that has made remarkable progress in understanding the origins of the universe’s heaviest chemical elements. This breakthrough is credited to an advanced camera. Dhillon, who plays a pivotal role in the University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy and leads the ULTRACAM project, emphasizes the camera’s revolutionary capabilities. It is the first instrument capable of accurately identifying gamma-ray bursts, which signal the onset of a Kilonova explosion. Kilonova, arising from the fusion of two compact neutron stars, is believed to…
The Penn State Alumni Association is set to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of 13 distinguished Penn State alumni in 2023 through the prestigious Alumni Fellow Award. Among the notable recipients this year is Ajay Nair, a highly regarded figure in the realm of student affairs, known nationally for his expertise in addressing issues related to students. With a strong academic background focusing on social justice, race, and ethnicity, Nair currently serves as the president of Arcadia University, located in Glenside, Pennsylvania, where he oversees a vibrant community of nearly 4,000 students. His tenure at Arcadia is marked by a…
