Must Read News

Sunita Williams to pilot Boeing’s Starliner

Indian American astronaut Sunita Williams is gearing up for her third journey to the international space station aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, scheduled for May 6. Alongside astronaut Barry “Butch” Wilmore, Williams will embark on the first piloted flight of Starliner, launching atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket at 10:34 pm EDT. Upon a successful launch, they are anticipated to dock at the space station on May 8, with a return to Earth planned for May 15 or shortly after. NASA intends to commence operational Starliner c ..... Read More

India triumphantly conducts a test of the SMART missile system

The Supersonic Missile-Assisted Release of Torpedo (SMART) system was effectively tested by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island, situated along the coast of Odisha. The SMART system, a next-generation missile-based lightweight torpedo delivery system, aims to enhance the Indian Navy’s anti-submarine warfare capabilities beyond conventional ranges. Comprising advanced sub-systems like a two-stage solid propulsion system and precision inertial navigation system, SMART carries an advance ..... Read More

Trudeau Supports Khalistanis in Canada

Amidst strained relations with India, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada is positioning himself as a champion for Khalistanis, which has further soured ties between the two countries. During a Khalsa Day event on Sunday, where pro-Khalistan sentiments were vocalized, Trudeau pledged to safeguard the rights and freedoms of the nearly 800 thousand Canadians of Sikh heritage, stating that his government would stand against discrimination and hatred directed at the Sikh community. This declaration comes at a time when Khalistanis in Canada hav ..... Read More

NHPC partners Norwegian firm for Indian solar tech

NHPC Limited, a hydropower company, has recently entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ocean Sun, a Norwegian firm specializing in floating solar technology. Under this agreement, NHPC and Ocean Sun will collaborate to demonstrate the efficacy of Ocean Sun’s floating solar energy technology, utilizing photovoltaic panels mounted on hydro-elastic membranes. The specific sites for implementing this technology will be identified by NHPC. This collaboration aligns with NHPC’s ongoing commitment to sustainable development ..... Read More

131B UPI transactions in FY24: Finance Minister

During the ‘Viksit Bharat Ambassador’ event, Minister of Finance, Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman, celebrated India’s significant uptick in digital payments. Notably, she cited an impressive 131 billion transactions via Unified Payments Interface (UPI) during FY24, totaling US$ 2.39 trillion (Rs. 200 trillion). Sitharaman commended the widespread adoption of digital payment technologies, emphasizing their penetration even in rural areas, showcasing a broad spectrum of citizens engaging in these transactions. In her address, she spotlig ..... Read More

Century-long dispute: Temple in Thailand, Cambodia

For more than a hundred years, Cambodia and Thailand have been locked in a heated dispute over the ownership of the ancient Hindu temple, Preah Vihear. This contention dates back to Cambodia’s independence in 1954 when Thailand assumed control of the temple, leading to ongoing tensions between the two nations. The disagreement extends beyond just the temple itself, with conflicts over the surrounding land exacerbating the situation, occasionally erupting into violence. Notably, a clash occurred in October 2008, and in April 2009, Thai ..... Read More

USIBC launches AI Task Force for policy, innovation

A new AI Task Force initiated by the US-India Business Council (USIBC) sees Bala Subramanian (UPS), Akash Shah (BNY Mellon), and Inderpreet Sawhney (Infosys) joining to foster collaboration and innovation. The task force aims to shape AI policy and innovation through cross-sector collaboration, as discussed in its inaugural virtual meeting on April 25. The USIBC’s objective is to align U.S. and Indian leadership in the AI ecosystem, promoting common AI concepts and principles and ensuring industry competitiveness. The event gathered leade ..... Read More

India votes in second phase, Modi’s BJP leads

Millions of Indian citizens participated in the second phase of the national elections, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi aiming to rally support through his assertive Hindu nationalist approach. Despite scorching temperatures reaching 42 degrees Celsius, voters queued outside polling stations as voting commenced at 7 a.m. local time. According to election officials, approximately 60.96% of the 160 million eligible voters cast their ballots in the second round. The results of this phase are critical for Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (B ..... Read More

India, trusted partner for Nepal: Minister Piyush Goyal

In a video message at the third Nepal Investment Summit, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, expressed India’s enduring commitment to Nepal’s development, emphasizing their longstanding partnership. Goyal underscored the deep-seated friendship and mutual aspirations for prosperity shared between Nepal and India, highlighting India’s consistent support in fostering Nepal’s growth. During the summit’s inaugural session, Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava, reiterated India’s pledge ..... Read More

Chandrayaan-3 impacts Indian perception abroad: Jaishankar

In his address on Monday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar highlighted the shifting perception of India globally, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and technological achievements such as the Chandrayaan-3 mission. He emphasized that decisions made within India are closely observed and have far-reaching implications worldwide. Jaishankar noted the significant impact of India’s COVID management and space exploration endeavors on Indians living abroad, showcasing the country’s prowess on the global stage. Jaish ..... Read More

Tesla eyes India, Mexico for 2025 plants

Tesla intends to produce its $25,000 electric car in India and Mexico by 2025 or later, following Elon Musk’s strategy of maximizing current factory capabilities. The company aims to reach an annual production of 1.8 million vehicles by 2023, with factories in the US, Germany, and China, although its total capacity amounts to 3 million vehicles yearly. During an earnings call, Musk forecasted a 50% production surge by 2023, suggesting full utilization of existing capacity by 2024, potentially extending into 2025. This timeline aligns w ..... Read More

Are plant meats healthier than meat?

In a recent study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers examined the impact of diets containing real meat versus plant-based meat alternatives on cardiovascular health and diabetes risk. Plant-rich diets are known to benefit heart and metabolic health due to their abundance of vitamins, fibers, and antioxidants. However, transitioning to such diets can be challenging for regular meat consumers due to cultural, historical, and social influences, as well as economic factors. Plant-based meat analogues (PBMAs), de ..... Read More

India’s power output to grow fastest in a decade

India is expected to witness a robust growth of 9.3% in power generation, reaching 1,900 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) by March 2025, as projected by the internal federal power ministry. This acceleration, the swiftest since at least 2011-12, is attributed to intense heatwaves and a rebound in the economy, resulting in an average annual increase of around 8% in electricity production post the pandemic slump in 2020-21. The surge in power generation is anticipated to be primarily driven by fossil fuel-fired plants, constituting over 76% of the to ..... Read More

India leads global AI race, data shows

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has delineated a distinct divide among nations, with some leading the charge while others lag behind. According to a recent study conducted by NetApp, a prominent player in data infrastructure, countries such as India, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States (US) are spearheading AI adoption and innovation. In contrast, countries like Spain, Australia, and Germany are categorized as trailing in this technological evolution. Collaborating with Savanta, the report surveyed over 1,300 executive ..... Read More

Dr. Ashish S. Patel named chief at Phoenix Children’s

Phoenix Children’s Hospital, a premier acute pediatric facility in Arizona, has appointed Ashish S. Patel, MD, an Indian American, as physician-in-chief of its expanding health system. Dr. Patel now heads four of the hospital’s eight clinical centers, including Emergency and Diagnostic Medicine, the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, the Aerodigestive Clinic, and Medical Subspecialties, according to an official statement. In his new capacity, Dr. Patel also supervises hospitalist medicine, mental and behavioral health services, and Ph ..... Read More

India urges SCO: Zero-tolerance to terrorism

During the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ meeting convened in Astana under the chairmanship of Kazakhstan, Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane underscored the imperative of adopting a stringent stance against terrorism in all its manifestations. The gathering, attended by heads of defence departments from SCO member states, the Secretary General, the Director of the Executive Committee of the Organisation’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), and Belarus’ Minister of Defence, culminated in a joint declaration. T ..... Read More

AI reveals gut-brain links in Alzheimer’s

Machine learning algorithms have been harnessed to forecast how gut-produced metabolites bind with receptors in both the gut and the brain. A recent compilation of metabolite-receptor pairs offers researchers insights into the microbiome’s potential role in Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, conducted an extensive evaluation of over 1 million metabolite-receptor shapes to identify potential binding pairs. This method shed light on the biological pathways influenced by these metabolites and revealed the functio ..... Read More

India’s e-commerce to surpass $800B digital economy by 2030

India’s e-commerce landscape is poised for exponential growth, with projections indicating a surge to USD 325 billion by the same year, while the digital economy is anticipated to soar to USD 800 billion. Invest India reports India as the second-largest Internet user-base globally, expected to become the third-largest online retail market by 2030, with 881 million users. By 2030, India aims to cement its status as a global e-commerce leader, buoyed by a flourishing digital economy and a rapidly expanding internet user base. Forecasts e ..... Read More

GOPIO convention: Diaspora Indian opportunities

The annual convention of the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) is scheduled to take place from April 26 to April 28 in New Jersey, under the theme “Opportunities for Diaspora Indians in India’s Big Manifest Future.” According to a press release, the timing of the GOPIO-2024 convention at Royal Albert Palace, Fords, New Jersey, is particularly significant as it aims to delve into India’s present and future trajectory, and the potential roles that diaspora Indians can undertake to contribute to this vision. The co ..... Read More

Aditya Kunjapur wins BII Science Prize for Innovation

Aditya Kunjapur, an Indian American biomolecular engineer, has been awarded the 2024 BioInnovation Institute & Science Prize for Innovation for his groundbreaking research aimed at improving the effectiveness of bacterial vaccines. This prestigious prize recognizes scientists who excel in bridging the gap between life sciences and entrepreneurship. Kunjapur’s research addresses the challenge of bacterial proteins evading the body’s immune response, particularly in diseases like staph infections. His team developed a novel strate ..... Read More

Commerce Ministry targets US$ 1 trillion exports by 2030

The Department of Commerce, under the leadership of Additional Secretary Mr. Anant Swarup, is actively engaged in identifying crucial infrastructure requirements and strategic sectors crucial for achieving India’s ambitious goal of reaching US$ 1 trillion in merchandise exports by 2030. Working closely with the Asian Development Bank for an extensive analysis, Mr. Swarup stresses the necessity of evaluating the country’s capacity to handle an anticipated US$ 2.5 trillion in export-import (EXIM) trade, with imports projected at US ..... Read More

Veddas of Sri Lanka share genes with Indians

A groundbreaking study conducted by 10 researchers from five institutions unveiled a close genetic relationship between the Vedda, an indigenous community in Sri Lanka, and the Indian population. The study, published in the journal Mitochondrion and reported by CSIR-CCMB, employed an extensive analysis of high-resolution autosomal and mitochondrial genomes. It sheds new light on the early settlement of Sri Lanka and the ancient genetic connections between the Vedda and other Asian populations. Despite the Vedda’s status as one of Sri L ..... Read More

Modi avoids religious politics: Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, speaking at an election rally in Greater Noida, emphasized that Prime Minister Narendra Modi refrains from politics based on religion or societal divisions. Singh pointed out a past remark by former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in 2006 about extending reservation for Muslims, which Modi referenced in a recent rally in Rajasthan. Singh defended Modi against opposition criticism, highlighting their efforts to undermine the Prime Minister’s reputation. He questioned the objections raised over the surve ..... Read More

PM Modi urges resilient infrastructure investment

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the 6th International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), urging nations to prioritize the development of resilient infrastructure to counter the escalating frequency and severity of natural disasters. He emphasized that such investments are crucial for ensuring a safer future, noting the profound impact of disasters not only in terms of monetary losses but also on individuals, families, and communities. Highlighting the interconnectedness of global resilience, Modi called for collec ..... Read More

India’s 80% financial inclusion in 6 years: Ruchira Kamboj

Highlighting India’s strides in digital public infrastructure, Ruchira Kamboj, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, remarked on Thursday that India accomplished an 80 percent financial inclusion rate within six years, a feat facilitated by its digital framework, which otherwise would have taken decades. Speaking at a United Nations Security Council session, Kamboj emphasized that India’s journey serves as a guiding light for nations embarking on digital transformations, stressing the importance of continu ..... Read More