DailyWorld News - The First International Newspaper From India https://dailyworld.in/ Thu, 25 Sep 2025 19:26:23 +0530 en https://dailyworld.in/science/ab-pm-jay-turns-7-moving-toward-a-healthier-india-where-no-one-is-left-behind-says-nadda-640088.html New Delhi Sep 23 The Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana AB PMJAY has redefined healthcare in India and is now moving towards a healthier India where no one is left behind said Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Tuesday on the seventh anniversary of AB PMJAY Launched on September 23 2018 AB PMJAY is the worlds largest health insurance scheme providing accessible and affordable healthcare to the common manThe AB PMJAY provides health cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation to approximately 55 crore beneficiaries This corresponds to 1237 crore families constituting the economically vulnerable bottom 40 per cent of Indias populationToday marks seven successful years of Ayushman Bharat PMJAY the worlds largest governmentfunded health assurance scheme launched under the visionary leadership of PM Narendra Modi Nadda shared in a post on XReaching over 55 crore beneficiaries it now provides universal health coverage for every citizen above 70 regardless of socioeconomic status This scheme has been a true friend to families providing support during their most vulnerable times he addedThe health insurance scheme has been key in reducing OutofPocket Expenditure OOPE through increased social security and primary health spendingTill June more than 984 crore hospital admissions worth over Rs 140 lakh crore have been authorised under the flagship AB PMJAY scheme as per Health Ministry dataFurther a total of 31466 hospitals have been empanelled under the scheme across the country out of which 14194 are private hospitals till June More than 41 crore Ayushman Cards have also been created across the countryA Swasth Bharat is key to achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat With over 18 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs nationwide the initiative has redefined healthcare bridging disparities and providing millions with safe reliable and dignified access to medical services Nadda saidHe credited the success of Ayushman Bharat to the united efforts of the government healthcare providers and citizens Together we move toward a healthier India where no one is left behindAs we celebrate seven years of Ayushman Bharat our aim is a future where every Indian regardless of income or geography has equal access to highquality health care The task is immense but our resolve is firm Nadda saidIn the years ahead Ayushman Bharat will remain a symbol of PM Narendra Modis vision the governments commitment and the nations determination to protect the health of its people he added IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/ab-pm-jay-turns-7-moving-toward-a-healthier-india-where-no-one-is-left-behind-says-nadda-640088.html Tue, 23 Sep 2025 12:31:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/gst-cut-on-renewable-energy-to-save-rs-115-trillion-by-2030-pralhad-joshi-640090.html New Delhi Sep 23 The reduction of Goods and Services Tax GST on the renewable energy value chain from 12 per cent to 5 per cent will save up to Rs 115 trillion by 2030 Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi has said The savings will be essential to reaching the nations goal of 500 gigawatts GW of installed renewable energy RE capacity by 2030 Joshi stated during a media eventIndia has already added 252 GW of this and an additional 248 GW is anticipated to be installed over the next five yearsThis GST cut will result in savings of approximately Rs 1 to 15 trillion This will be the biggest advantage the minister saidThe Ministry of New and Renewable Energy MNRE projects that the tax cut will lower project costs and increase consumer access to clean electricityA utilityscale solar projects capital cost which was previously approximately Rs 354 crore per MW will now be reduced by Rs 2025 lakh per MW This results in cost savings of more than Rs 100 crore for a 500 MW solar park increasing tariff competitivenessA 3 kW rooftop solar system will cost between Rs 9000 and Rs 10500 per household which will encourage adoption under the governments PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli YojanaThe Centre is also creating a detailed plan to create an ecosystem for solar manufacturing that is selfsufficient encompassing polysilicon wafers and ingotsJoshi suggested using programs like Production Linked Incentive PLI or Viability Gap Funding VGF to promote domestic manufacturingIn addition to modules and cells MNRE is working to add wafers and ingots to the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers ALMMALMM List III for wafers would be implemented starting in June 2028 according to a draft amendment provided that at least three separate manufacturing facilities with a combined 15 GW capacity are in place IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/gst-cut-on-renewable-energy-to-save-rs-115-trillion-by-2030-pralhad-joshi-640090.html Tue, 23 Sep 2025 12:54:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/gst-reforms-to-boost-operating-profit-of-cement-companies-by-rs-100-150-per-mt-in-fy26-640106.html New Delhi Sep 23 The reduction in Goods and Services Tax GST will boost the operating profit of cement companies by Rs 100150 per metric tonne MT a report said on Tuesday The government move will also reduce overall construction expenses in rural housing by 081 per cent boosting volumes and supporting enhanced capacity additionBacked by the healthy cement demand average cement realisation exfactory price excluding GST is expected to rise by 35 per cent in FY26 even as the input prices are expected to remain rangebound credit rating agency ICRA said in its reportFurther Operating Profit Before Interest Taxes Depreciation and Amortisation OPBIDTA is likely to improve by 1218 per cent to Rs 900950MT in FY2026 it addedCement volumes increased by 85 per cent in 5 months of FY26 due to strong demand from the housing and infrastructure segments despite the early onset of the monsoons in a few regionsCement prices have increased by 74 per cent in the first five months of the current fiscal on a yearonyear YoY basis with major hikes in the northern and eastern regionsThe trajectory of input prices especially for pet coke and freight is linked to global crude which remains exposed to geopolitical dynamicsWith the recent GST rate cut from 28 per cent to 18 per cent expected to be passed on to customers and the average retail price of cement currently ranging between Rs 350360 per bag consumers are projected to benefit by Rs 2628 per bag the report saidAccording to the report in FY25 the OPBIDTAMT had declined by 16 per cent YoY due to weak realisations especially during H1 FY2025 because of extended monsoon and impact on Government capex amid the General ElectionsOverall the credit profile of large cement producers is expected to remain stable driven by a healthy growth in operating income expected improvement in operating margins and comfortable leverage metricsThe industry has witnessed consolidation in recent years and the performance of larger players is expected to outperform compared to that of midsize players in the medium termICRA estimates green power to account for 4345 per cent of the total power mix by March 2026 compared to around 35 per cent as of March 2023 for the cement companies in ICRAs sample set said Anupama Reddy Vice President and CoGroup Head Corporate Ratings ICRAThe major cement players in the country aim to reduce their emissions by 1517 per cent over the next 810 years by increasing the share of blended cement which uses less clinker and consequently less fuel boosting the share of green power consumption through a mix of solar wind and waste heat recovery system WHRS capacities Reddy added IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/gst-reforms-to-boost-operating-profit-of-cement-companies-by-rs-100-150-per-mt-in-fy26-640106.html Tue, 23 Sep 2025 13:53:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/more-than-76-lakh-women-children-participate-in-swasth-nari-sashakt-parivar-abhiyaan-640107.html New Delhi Sep 23 More than 76 lakh women and children have participated in the Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan the government has said The Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan launched on September 17 continues to witness overwhelming participation across India with lakhs of women children and families benefitting from comprehensive health servicesTill September 20 over 283 lakh health camps screening and speciality camps have been held under the Abhiyaan registering a footfall of more than 76 lakh citizens nationwide the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare saidAt the nationwide health camps more than 37 lakh citizens have been screened for hypertension and 35 lakh for diabetes over 9 lakh women have been screened for breast cancer and more than 47 lakh for cervical cancer Oral cancer screening has covered more than 16 lakh peopleMore than 18 lakh antenatal checkups have been conducted while over 51 lakh children received lifesaving vaccinesOver 15 lakhs have been screened for anaemia and nutrition counselling sessions have reached lakhs of familiesThe health camps also conducted screening for tuberculosis over 22 lakh citizens and Sickle Cell Disease 23 lakh More than 16 lakh blood donors registered while 47 lakh new AyushmanPMJAY cards were issuedCentral government institutes medical colleges and private organisations cumulatively organised 3410 screening and specialty health camps benefiting more than 58 lakh citizensThe Abhiyaan is being celebrated as a Jan Andolan across states and UTsIn Delhi mega health camps were set up at Safdarjung Hospital CGHS RK Puram and Ayushman Arogya Mandirs which offered TB NCD mental health and maternal screeningIn Gujarat camps in Dahod Kutch and Navsari provided cancer screening and NCD care directly benefiting over 42000 women while in Jammu and Kashmir mega health camps in Srinagar and RS Pura saw large community participation under Sewa PakhwadaThe campaign which will run till October 2 aims to ensure healthy women a strong family and a resilient nation IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/more-than-76-lakh-women-children-participate-in-swasth-nari-sashakt-parivar-abhiyaan-640107.html Tue, 23 Sep 2025 13:54:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/we-will-make-our-nation-proud-sridhar-vembu-after-ashwini-vaishnaw-opts-for-zoho-640114.html New Delhi Sep 23 Zohos Chief Scientist and Cofounder Sridhar Vembu has said that the companys engineers will continue to make the nation proud after Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that he is shifting to Zohos homegrown platform for documents spreadsheets and presentations Reacting to Vaishnaws post on X Vembu wrote Thank you Sir this is a huge morale boost for our engineers who have worked hard for over two decades to build our product suite We will make you proud and make our nation proud Jai HindEarlier Vaishnaw had said he is moving to Zoho to support the call for Swadeshi I am moving to Zoho our own Swadeshi platform for documents spreadsheets amp presentations I urge all to join PM Narendra Modis call for Swadeshi by adopting indigenous products amp services he postedThe ministers statement comes after Prime Minister Modi in his letter to citizens urged people to buy MadeinIndia products during the festive season as part of the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047PM Modi had stressed that every purchase of local goods helps families artisans and workers while creating job opportunities for youthEvery time you buy a product made by our artisans workers and industries you are helping families earn their living and creating job opportunities for our youth the Prime Minister had said while also encouraging traders to promote local goodsThe Prime Minister also linked the appeal with the recent GST Bachat Utsav introduced under Next Generation GST reforms which is aimed at reducing household expenses simplifying business processes and supporting growth for farmers women traders MSMEs and othersZoho a software major with a strong focus on building indigenous technology solutions has often been highlighted as a successful example of Indias capability in creating globalstandard productsVaishnaws announcement to adopt Zoho reflects the governments larger push for selfreliance and greater use of indigenous platforms IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/we-will-make-our-nation-proud-sridhar-vembu-after-ashwini-vaishnaw-opts-for-zoho-640114.html Tue, 23 Sep 2025 14:24:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/ayurveda-gaining-global-recognition-as-system-of-holistic-healthcare-prataprao-jadhav-640140.html New Delhi Sep 23 Ayurveda is gaining global recognition as a system of holistic healthcare said Prataprao Jadhav Union Minister of State Independent Charge for Ayush on Tuesday The Ministry of Ayush celebrated the 10th National Ayurveda Day celebrations at the AllIndia Institute of Ayurveda AIIA GoaThe celebrations marked a significant milestone in the Ministrys continuous efforts to promote ayurveda as a holistic system of health and wellbeing rooted in sustainability and natural livingJadhav in his keynote address spoke about the growing global recognition of ayurveda as a system of holistic healthcareThe decision to fix 23rd September as the permanent date for Ayurveda Day is historic and aligns with the autumnal equinox a symbol of balance in nature which lies at the heart of ayurvedic philosophy he saidThis years theme Ayurveda for People and Planet reflects the Ministrys commitment to positioning ayurveda not only as a healthcare science but also as a framework for planetary health and sustainability the MoS addedSpeaking on the occasion Ashok Gajapathi Raju Governor of Goa highlighted the remarkable global growth of ayurveda stating that in less than a decade Ayurveda Day has evolved from a national observance into a global health movementOver 150 countries now celebrate the day recognising ayurveda not just as an alternative therapy but as a comprehensive healthcare system Raju saidRaju praised this years theme as timely and relevant to the United Nations Sustainable Development GoalsChief Minister of Goa Dr Pramod Sawant emphasised the contemporary relevance of ayurveda in tackling rising lifestylerelated disorders such as obesity diabetes and stressThe timetested concepts of Dinacharya daily routine and Ritucharya seasonal regimen provide sustainable models for preventive healthcare he saidFurther referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modis concern over the growing prevalence of obesity Sawant said Ayurveda offers simple yet powerful tools such as detoxification balanced diet herbal medicines and yoga for promoting longterm wellness IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/ayurveda-gaining-global-recognition-as-system-of-holistic-healthcare-prataprao-jadhav-640140.html Tue, 23 Sep 2025 16:10:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/icici-bank-to-clear-cheques-on-same-day-from-oct-4-640142.html New Delhi Sep 23 ICICI Bank has announced a major change to its cheque settlement process aimed at reducing delays and improving customer convenience From October 4 cheques submitted across the bank branches will be cleared and credited to accounts within one working day according to the banks official website The action is consistent with the Reserve Bank of Indias RBI new cheque clearing system which aims to expedite settlements The previous batchbased procedure will be replaced by the new framework which will clear cheque within hours of submissionThe Cheque Truncation System CTS which sends an electronic image of the check and its details to the drawee bank is currently used by banks This removes the need for cheques to be physically transferred but when deposited in drop boxes or automated teller machines settlement usually takes two working daysAdditionally ICICI Bank has emphasised the significance of its Positive Pay feature which gives highvalue cheques an additional degree of securityTo avoid fraud customers can electronically preconfirm important details before writing cheques for more than Rs 50000 For cheques totaling more than Rs 5 lakh the positive pay feature is mandatory otherwise the cheques will be returned The RBIs dispute resolution process will only apply to cheques that have been verified under Positive PayThe RBI declared in its August 2025 directive that batch clearing would give way to continuous clearing and settlement Phase 1 will begin on October 4 2025 and Phase 2 will begin on January 3 2026 cheques presentations will be permitted starting on October 4 during a single daily session from 1000 am to 400 pmCustomers are advised to ensure all cheque details are accurate to avoid rejection The amount in words and figures must match the date must be valid and there should be no overwriting in the payees name or amount The drawers signature must also match the banks records IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/icici-bank-to-clear-cheques-on-same-day-from-oct-4-640142.html Tue, 23 Sep 2025 16:11:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/stock-market-settles-flat-auto-and-financial-services-stock-gain-640154.html Mumbai Sep 23 The domestic equity indices settled flat on Tuesday amid persistent selling in IT stocks amid buying in the auto and financial services sectors Sensex ended the session at 8210210 down 5787 points or 007 per cent The 30share index started the session flat at 8214737 against last sessions closing of 8215997 The index remained rangebound amid selling in IT and FMCG stocksNifty closed at 2516950 down 3285 points or 013 per centThe markets experienced significant volatility on the Nifty indexs weekly expiry day The Nifty formed a high wave candlestick pattern on the daily chart indicating a consolidation phase marked by trader indecision and a lack of clear directional conviction an analyst saidThe index has strong psychological support at the 25000 level and as long as it holds above this mark a pullback towards the 2530025400 zone remains likely the analyst addedTech Mahindra Trent Ultratech Cement Hindustan Unilever Asian Paint Eternal ITC Bharti Airtel HCL Tech Sun Pharma and HDFC Bank were the top losers While Axis Bank Bajaj Finance Maruti SBI Kotak Bank Tata Steel NTPC Tata Motors Mahindra and Mahindra and PowerGrid settled higherSectoral indices experienced a mixed approach Nifty Bank rose 225 points or 041 per cent Nifty Fin Services ended the session 31 points or 012 per cent higher and Nifty Auto surged 167 points or 062 per cent Meanwhile Nifty FMCG fell 725 points or 129 per cent and Nifty IT slipped 251 points or 071 per centThe broader indices followed the trend as well Nifty Smallcap 100 dipped 97 points or 053 per cent Nifty Midcap 100 fell 202 points or 035 per cent and Nifty 100 ended the session 48 points or 019 per centThe domestic equity market traded rangebound and ended flat indicating the continuation of the consolidation Broader sentiment stayed cautious with small and midcap stocks lagging the benchmarks Sectorwise autos metals and financials gained on signs of robust festive demand postGST cuts while FMCG and realty stocks came under pressure from profit booking according to an market analyst IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/stock-market-settles-flat-auto-and-financial-services-stock-gain-640154.html Tue, 23 Sep 2025 16:56:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/paracetamols-link-to-autism-not-supported-by-strong-scientific-evidence-experts-640158.html New Delhi Sep 23 There is no strong scientific evidence to prove that paracetamol is linked to autism said health experts on Tuesday after US President Donald Trump linked the painkiller to the neurodevelopmental condition Autism also known as autism spectrum disorder is a condition characterised by differences or difficulties in social communication and interactionSpeaking at a White House event on Monday Trump called on motherstobe to tough it out rather than take acetaminophen also known as paracetamol the main ingredient in TylenolPresident Trumps suggestion that acetaminophen Tylenol use during pregnancy may cause autism is not supported by strong scientific evidence Dr Manish Narang DirectorProfessor Department of Pediatrics University College of Medical Sciences and Guru Teg Bahadur GTB Hospital Delhi told IANSExisting studies are limited and inconsistent and do not establish a causal link major medical and research organisations warn that such claims can unnecessarily alarm parents while clinical guidance continues to recommend discussing painmanagement choices with a clinician he addedAcetaminophen is the most commonly used overthecounter medication taken during pregnancy withmore than 50 per cent of pregnant women using the medicine worldwide It is widely used for headaches pain or fever by pregnant womenIt has been recommended by regulatory and clinical agencies as safe to use in pregnancyBut Trump noted that taking Tylenol is not good while also urging pregnant women to fight like hell not to take it He added that only an extremely high fever could justify its useEven as Trumps statement raised health concerns among pregnant women Dr Soumya Swaminathan a paediatrician and former World Health Organization WHO Chief Scientist said paracetamol is a proven safe drug and there is no need to panic about its useSpeaking to the media she also cited the lack of proven scientific evidence on paracetamols association with autismThe American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has long cited acetaminophen as one of the safest painkillers during pregnancyDr Steven Fleischman also shared with the media that more often than not treating fever during pregnancy may cause more adverse effectsDr Abha Majumdar Senior Consultant Obstetrics and Gynaecology at a citybased hospital stated that people must not stop using treatment out of fear but we also need to be mindful about limiting potential harm and riskVery frequent and prolonged use of crocin during pregnancy could raise a potential risk but untreated maternal fever or pain can also pose a risk to the pregnancy and child development So it is important to treat fevers or conditions that are leading to pain because they could also cause risk to the baby Majumdar saidIf pain relief is necessary one must think of using the lowest effective dose and duration for crocin to alleviate these conditions the expert said IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/paracetamols-link-to-autism-not-supported-by-strong-scientific-evidence-experts-640158.html Tue, 23 Sep 2025 17:38:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/headcount-of-indias-internet-subscribers-crosses-1-002-million-during-apriljune-640173.html New Delhi Sept 23 India is one of the fastestgrowing digital nations in the world with internet connectivity playing a crucial role in its progress This momentum is reflected in the staggering 100285 1002 bn million internet subscribers reported during AprilJune 2025 highlighting the scale and impact of Indias digital revolution according to an official statement issued on Tuesday In line with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 satellite internet is emerging as a key enabler of digital connectivity extending reliable access to remote and underserved regions while strengthening critical applications in defence and disaster responseRural internet penetration stands at approximately 46 subscribers per 100 population highlighting the need for satellite internet to bridge the digital divide the statement saidIndias broadband reach is steadily expanding through highthroughput satellites HTS developed by ISRO which use advanced spotbeam technology to provide faster speeds and higher capacity India has a fleet of 19 operational communication satellites among which GSAT19 GSAT29 GSAT11 and GSATN2 are specifically geared towards boosting Indias broadband servicesThese satellites are designed to enhance internet connectivity in underserved areas support inflight communication defence networks and disaster management Together they form the backbone of satellitebased broadband infrastructure in India complementing groundbased networks like BharatNetIndias satellite communication Satcom ecosystem is undergoing a transformative shift Traditionally dependent on the Geostationary Satellite GSAT of the Indian Space Research Organisation ISRO and other satellite operators series the sector is now witnessing more active private participation and the adoption of nextgeneration Low Earth Orbit LEO and Medium Earth Orbit MEO satellite systems The rollout of space sector reforms has enabled private sector participation in space activities India is moving towards LEO and MEObased satellite internet services to deliver faster and more reliable broadband services nationwide as a key driver of Digital India the statement explainedOver 10 satellite operators including the licensed Starlink have entered India with the private sector allowed up to 100 per cent FDIHowever internet penetration remains limited in certain regions of the country underscoring the need for satellite internet to complement existing networksSatellite internet refers to the internet service provided through satellites placed in Geostationary Orbits GSO or NonGeostationary Orbits NGSOFor realising the Digital India vision of a digitally inclusive nation satellite internet is an emerging technology with the potential to provide connectivity from space to any location This makes it particularly valuable for remote villages hilly terrains border areas and islands where terrestrial internet services are either difficult to reach or economically unviableThrough the power of space technology India is reinforcing its strategic autonomy and leadership in spacebased communications ensuring that the benefits of connectivity reach every citizen From operationalising HTS to enabling private participation in satellite communications the country is steadily bridging its digital divide the statement added IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/headcount-of-indias-internet-subscribers-crosses-1-002-million-during-apriljune-640173.html Tue, 23 Sep 2025 18:22:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/mp-launches-ai-chatbot-suman-sakhi-to-empower-womens-health-access-640179.html Bhopal Sep 23 In a significant step toward digital healthcare the Madhya Pradesh government has launched SUMAN SAKHI an artificial intelligencepowered chatbot aimed at improving access to womens health information The initiative falls under Prime Minister Narendra Modis Safe Motherhood Campaign and is being hailed as a major success in the states public health strategyDeveloped by the National Health Mission NHM in collaboration with the Madhya Pradesh State Electronics Development Corporation MPSeDC the chatbot is designed to provide roundtheclock assistance in HindiIt offers pregnant women vital information on antenatal care highrisk conditions and government health and welfare schemesThis is a very significant initiative in Madhya Pradesh Through SUMAN SAKHI our sisters will be able to get timely and accurate health information said Kailash Vijayvargiya Urban Development Minister and government spokespersonThe chatbot is accessible directly via WhatsApp a platform widely used across Madhya PradeshOfficials say this choice was deliberate aiming to reduce barriers to adoption by eliminating the need for separate applications or technical knowhowIn its first phase SUMAN SAKHI will respond to queries related to maternal health and pregnancy Future updates will expand its scope to include other health and social welfare programmes for womenThe rollout will begin in select districts with gradual expansion planned across the stateThe minister Vijayvargiya further emphasised the chatbots role in bridging the information gap It will act as a support system for women in need of guidance on health schemes and pregnancyrelated careThe launch aligns with the states Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar campaign reinforcing its commitment to womens health and family welfareAuthorities said that SUMAN SAKHI is among the first AIbased digital tools for womens health introduced at the state level in IndiaBy embedding AI into a familiar messaging platform the government hopes to reach women who may not otherwise have regular access to healthcare providers especially in rural and underserved areas IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/mp-launches-ai-chatbot-suman-sakhi-to-empower-womens-health-access-640179.html Tue, 23 Sep 2025 18:30:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/nearly-73-pc-rural-households-expect-income-growth-by-next-year-report-640188.html New Delhi Sep 23 Nearly 73 per cent of households in rural areas expect their income to grow by next year according to a report The report is based on a bimonthly survey conducted by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development Nabard in SeptemberWhile this represents a rise from the 702 per cent of respondents expecting their income to rise a year ago it slightly declined from 747 per cent in July this yearIt is possible that Trump tariffrelated risks for the farm and nonfarm exports and the associated impact on rural income and employment might have dampened the sentiments of rural households expressed through this survey revealed the Nabard surveyFurther just 18 per cent of households reported a decrease in income over the last year in September It is the lowest level recorded since the survey began in September 2024 In comparison nearly 24 per cent of rural households reported a fall in income last yearHowever about 45 per cent of rural households reported stagnation in income the highest in all seven surveys conducted over the past yearIn September consumption among rural households also saw an increase more than 76 per cent In comparison in September 2024 more than 80 per cent of respondents had reported higher consumptionWhile the consumptionled buoyancy in the rural economy continues there is some slackening of momentum in recent months partly reflecting the impact of severe floods and landslides in a few states including Himachal Pradesh and Punjab Nabard saidA major part of the survey was completed before the announcement of the GST reduction on September 3 2025 Therefore household responses do not reflect the expected positive impact of the measure on consumption the report said IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/nearly-73-pc-rural-households-expect-income-growth-by-next-year-report-640188.html Tue, 23 Sep 2025 19:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/agnikul-launches-indias-first-additive-manufacturing-hub-for-rockets-640191.html New Delhi Sep 23 Taking a step forward towards an Atmanirbhar Bharat in space technology domestic spacetech player Agnikul Cosmos has launched the firstofitskind additive manufacturing facility The Large Format Additive Metal Manufacturing LFAMM Unit is dedicated to aerospace and rocket systems It will for the first time in India enable 3D printing of aerospace and rocket components up to one metre in heightThe facility inaugurated by Dr V Narayanan Secretary Department of Space amp Chairman of ISRO and Prof V Kamakoti Director of IIT Madras among others introduces a fully integrated ecosystem covering design simulation printing postprocessing and finishing It will enhance quality reliability and supply chain resilience while lowering the cost of building for space by 50 per centInaugurated our new endtoend Large Format Additive Metal Manufacturing LFAMM Unit a step forward towards an Atmanirbhar Bharat in space technology Agnikul shared in a post on social media platform XThis facility houses Indias largest 3D metal printer for large spacetech systems an indigenous depowdering machine designed and built inhouse for repeatable post processing and a lot more it addedWith the LFAMM Unit Agnikul can now deliver fully finished flightready hardware within a few daysAgnikul was started with the goal of making space available to everyone One way to do that is to build capability that allows us to advance rocket manufacturing with precision while also focusing on quality said Srinath Ravichandran cofounder and chief executive officer of Agnikul CosmosBy developing not just printing capacity but also fullscale machines inhouse we are equipping ourselves to build space transportation systems faster bringing us one step closer to taking Agnikuls innovations and our customers to space he addedIn 2024 Agnikul also launched the worlds first rocket with a singlepiece threedimensional 3D printed engineThe rocket Agnibaan SOrTeD SubOrbital Technological Demonstrator is also Indias first semicryogenic enginepowered rocket launch that was completely designed and manufactured indigenouslyThe IIT Madras incubatee holds a US patent for singlepiece 3Dprinted rocket engines IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/agnikul-launches-indias-first-additive-manufacturing-hub-for-rockets-640191.html Tue, 23 Sep 2025 19:33:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/new-niti-aayog-report-delves-deeper-into-indias-innovation-story-640194.html New Delhi Sep 23 NITI Aayog on Tuesday a landmark report capturing Indias remarkable journey in science technology and innovation providing a detailed assessment of the countrys achievements challenges and opportunities to strengthen its position as a global innovation hub The report provides a holistic view of Indias innovation ecosystem encompassing national and state initiatives industry and grassroots innovations startups universityindustrygovernment collaborations and Indias positioning in global innovation rankings It also identifies systemic challenges and lays out a forwardlooking roadmap that includes scaling successful models fostering deep technology innovation strengthening knowledge creation enhancing global integration and building innovation capacity across states At the launch of the report titled Pathways to Progress Analysis and Insights into Indias Innovation Story Dr Deepak Bagla Mission Director Atal Innovation Mission AIM elaborated on the transformative role of AIM in nurturing entrepreneurial talent fostering innovation at scale and creating a vibrant startup culture across the countryDr VK Saraswat Member NITI Aayog emphasised the strategic importance of science technology and innovation in shaping Indias development trajectory He noted that the report provides critical evidencebased insights that can guide policymaking strengthen institutional linkages and enhance collaboration between academia industry and governmentUnion Minister Dr Jitendra Singh emphasised that innovation in India is pervasive and not confined to frontier technologies alone He highlighted the governments initiatives to advance research promote technology development and facilitate the commercialization of innovations across all sectors He also underscored the importance of inclusive and contextdriven innovation that addresses realworld challenges while strengthening Indias overall capacity to compete globally and drive sustainable equitable growth said NITI AayogEducation Minister Dharmendra Pradhan underscored Indias progress in building a robust innovation ecosystem and stressed the importance of positioning Bharat as a global brand of excellence in knowledge science and technology He called for harnessing Indias youth talent and institutional strengths to drive innovation that is both scalable and inclusive IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/new-niti-aayog-report-delves-deeper-into-indias-innovation-story-640194.html Tue, 23 Sep 2025 19:37:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/trump-administration-proposes-to-scrap-h-1b-lottery-system-floats-new-rules-640217.html Washington Sep 23 Days after US President Donald Trump signed a proclamation to significantly curtail the H1B visa programme the US Department of Homeland Security DHS has proposed to amend its regulations governing the process The DHS proposal seeks to scrap the existing lottery system and implement a weighted selection process that would generally favour the allocation of H1B visas to higherskilled and higherpaid aliens while maintaining the opportunity for employers to secure H1B workers at all wage levelsThe initiative will be opened for a 30day public comment periodThe H1B programme capped at 85000 new visas annually allowed US companies to hire skilled foreign workers in fields like technology and engineering through a random lottery systemLast week Trump signed a proclamation to crack down on H1B visas announcing a 100000 fee for each new applicationThe proclamation caused immense confusion over the weekend as it seemed to suggest that it would impact the current H1B visa holders who may face hurdles in returning to the United StatesThe White House issued a clarification to IANS on Saturday saying that this is a onetime fee that applies only to new visas and not renewals or current visa holdersThis is a onetime fee that applies only to the petition It ONLY applies to new visas not renewals or current visa holders It will first apply in the upcoming lottery cycle a White House official told IANSA White House spokesperson also clarified to IANS that the policy would discourage companies from spamming the systemPresident Trump promised to put American workers first and this commonsense action does just that by discouraging companies from spamming the system and driving down wages It also gives certainty to American businesses who actually want to bring highskilled workers to our great country but have been trampled on by abuses of the system White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers saidSigning the proclamation at the White House on Friday Trump said the incentive is to hire American workersThe new proposal was announced as two senior Ministers External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal met Trump administration officials in New York on MondayAfter his meeting with Jaishankar US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that India is of critical value to his country and welcomed its ongoing interaction in tradeJaishankar posted on X Our conversation covered a range of bilateral and international issues of current concern Agreed on the importance of sustained engagement to progress on priority areasCommerce and Industry Minister Goyal also met US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Monday in New York to negotiate the first tranche of a trade agreement between the two sidesSources told IANS that the meeting focused on addressing key sticking points and both sides remain hopeful of reaching an interim understanding soon IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/trump-administration-proposes-to-scrap-h-1b-lottery-system-floats-new-rules-640217.html Tue, 23 Sep 2025 22:07:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/stock-market-opens-marginally-lower-nifty-it-down-268-pc-639854.html Mumbai Sep 22 The Indian benchmark indices opened marginally lower on Friday despite positive global cues with IT stocks leading losses owing to some concerns over the new US H1B visa rules As of 926 am the Sensex was down 189 points or 023 per cent at 82772 and the Nifty was down 40 points or 016 per cent at 25286 Sensex and Nifty had opened with dips of 040 per cent and 033 per cent respectively but later cut down on the lossesIT giants such as Tata Consultancy Services TCS Infosys Wipro HCL Technologies Tech Mahindra and Coforge slipped in the morning tradeThe US government has clarified that visa holders returning to the country are exempt from the new 100000 fee which provided marginal relief to Indian IT companiesWhite House said the visa fee would be a onetime payment applicable only to new applications from the next lottery cycle MarchApril 2026 and not on renewalsThe broad cap indices Nifty Midcap 100 dipped 005 per cent and the Nifty Smallcap 100 lost 012 per centThe losers were Tech Mahindra TCS Tata Motors Apollo Hospitals and Dr Reddys LabsAmong sectoral indices Nifty IT the top loser lost 268 per cent Nifty Pharma down 045 per cent and Nifty Healthcare down 033 per cent also weighed down on the indices All other sectoral indices were trading with marginal gainsThe Nifty index has held firmly above the 25300 mark closing at 25327 in the previous session It continues to trade above its key moving averagesthe 20day 50day and 200day EMAsreaffirming the broader bullish undertoneAnalysts predicted that sentiment will remain positive as long as the index remains above these averages Immediate resistance is placed at 25500 followed by the 25600 and 25850 zones The support lies at 25150 and 25000 zonesThey said that the market is likely to exhibit mixed behaviour with the IT sector being affected by the H1B visa issue and domestic consumption themes responding positively to the potential increase in consumption from lower GST rates kicking in from todayAccording to them the present low interest rate regime will aid the consumption boost and will also facilitate an increase in credit demand boosting the profitability of financialsAsiaPacific markets mostly rose on Monday tracking Wall Streets gains from Friday and boosted by Chinas key lending rate decision that kept key rates unchangedIn the US markets Nasdaq has added 072 per cent the SampP 500 edged up 049 per cent and the Dow inched up 037 per cent in the last trading sessionMost of the Asian markets were trading in the green during the morning session While Chinas Shanghai index edged up 007 per cent and Shenzhen advanced 017 per cent Japans Nikkei added 145 per cent while Hong Kongs Hang Seng Index lost 082 per cent South Koreas Kospi added 106 per centOn Friday foreign institutional investors FIIs purchased equities worth Rs 390 crore while domestic institutional investors DIIs were net buyers of equities worth Rs 2105 crore IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/stock-market-opens-marginally-lower-nifty-it-down-268-pc-639854.html Mon, 22 Sep 2025 10:05:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/domestic-investors-buy-record-rs-53-lakh-crore-worth-equities-in-2025-to-date-beat-2024-total-639863.html New Delhi Sep 22 Even with a quarter remaining in 2025 domestic institutional investors have net bought a record Rs 53 lakh crore of equities surpassing the fullyear total of Rs 522 lakh crore in 2024 according to the stock exchange data Mutual funds were the largest driver of this buying spree purchasing Rs 365 lakh crore aided by monthly SIP inflows of more than Rs 25000 crore while their cash holdings remained elevated at Rs 198 lakh crore in AugustInsurance companies and pension funds added more than Rs 1 lakh crore with the remainder coming from portfolio managers alternative funds banks and other institutionsBut analysts suggest that early signs of slowdown in momentum are emerging as market returns stagnate and global headwinds weigh on sentimentDespite robust inflows from DIIs Indian equities have lagged global peers with the Sensex having gained just 2 per cent and the Nifty 4 per cent in 2025 in dollar terms compared with doubledigit advances in major Asian and Western marketsMarket onlookers doubt the sustainability of mutual fund inflows even as equity fund inflows were Rs 33430 crore in August and Rs 42702 crore in JulyThey took cues from rising redemptions from smallcap and thematic funds as investors booked profits and diverted money into real estate Further GST rationalisation and festive spending such as home renovation could put pressure on household savings limiting fresh allocations to equities as Indias consumption cycle enters a highgrowth phaseMeanwhile foreign institutional investors FIIs remained net sellers dumping Rs 180443 crore so far in 2025 after selling Rs 121 lakh crore last yearHowever FIIs have been consistently buying through the primary market even while selling through the exchanges and they have bought Rs 1559 crore worth of equities in SeptemberAs lacklustre earnings stretched valuations and uncertainty over US tariffs act as headwinds analysts feel that there is a high likelihood of above 15 per cent growth in corporate earnings in FY27 leading to a turnaround in FPI sentiments IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/domestic-investors-buy-record-rs-53-lakh-crore-worth-equities-in-2025-to-date-beat-2024-total-639863.html Mon, 22 Sep 2025 10:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/indias-real-estate-investment-landscape-remains-resilient-in-h1-2025-attracting-3-billion-639892.html New Delhi Sep 22 India continues to stand out as a promising country within the Asia Pacifics APAC real estate investment landscape attracting significant capital inflows of 30 billion in the first half of 2025 H1 2025 a report said on Monday Foreign investments stood at 16 billion accounting for around 52 per cent of the investment in the sector during H1While the investment declined YearonYear YoY overall investor interest remained intact The foreign capital continued to dominate overall investments meanwhile domestic capital deployment gained significant traction surging 53 per cent YoY Colliers said in a reportAround 48 per cent of the real estate investments during H1 2025 came from domestic investorsIndia continues to stand out as a promising country within the Asia Pacifics real estate investment landscape Foreign investments remained strong at 16 billion and accounted for around 52 per cent of the institutional investments in India during H1 2025 said Badal Yagnik Chief Executive Officer Colliers IndiaInterestingly APAC investors accounted for over onethird of the foreign inflows into the country in the first half of the year reiterating Indias strategic importance in crossborder capital flows he addedWith strong demand for highquality spaces overhauling and simplification of GST regulations and anticipation of elevated consumption levels in the upcoming festive season institutional investors are confident about their India exposureReal estate investments in 2025 are likely to end on a high note with core assets like residential and office continuing to demonstrate high traction Yagnik saidResidential and office assets together drove over half of the investment inflows in H1 2025 with residential assets leading at 08 billionWithin the office segment institutional investors are increasingly acquiring developmental assets by partnering with local developersInvestments in earlystage activities like land acquisition and construction have also picked up a significant pace in recent timesAdditionally mixeduse and retail assets too saw a notable surge together accounting for more than 30 per cent of the real estate investments in India during H1 2025 up from 7 per cent share during the corresponding period in 2024 the report saidIndias prominence in the Asia Pacific region continues to grow driven by strong demand traction across real estate asset classes Investor confidence is reflected in its recent rise to fourth place in terms of crossborder capital deployment in land and development sites up from seventh position in the previous quarter said Vimal Nadar National Director amp Head of Research Colliers India IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/indias-real-estate-investment-landscape-remains-resilient-in-h1-2025-attracting-3-billion-639892.html Mon, 22 Sep 2025 13:15:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/lower-gst-rates-to-boost-hospitality-transport-and-cultural-sectors-639895.html New Delhi Sep 22 The revamped GST rates implemented from Monday will make the countrys tourism sector more affordable enhance public transport use and support artisans and cultural industries the government said Early this month the GST Council reduced the GST on hotels less than Rs 7500day from 12 per cent to 5 per cent without ITC GST on buses with a seating capacity of over 10 persons was brought down to 18 per cent from 28 per cent Similarly the GST on art and cultural goods was also reduced from 12 per cent to 5 per centThe reductions will strengthen the domestic tourism ecosystem promote cultural heritage and encourage investment in related sectors an official statement saidUnder the leadership of PM Modi these reforms align with the vision of sustainable and inclusive growth fostering job creation and investment in hospitality transport and traditional crafts while also accelerating the postpandemic recovery of Indias tourism sector it addedThe lower GST rates on hotels are expected to make hotel stays more affordable for middleclass and budget travellers It also aligns with Indias hospitality tax structure with international tourism destinations becoming more attractive for foreign touristsThe move is also expected to boost weekend travel pilgrimage circuits heritage tourism and ecotourism as well as encourage investment in new midsegment hotels homestays and guesthouses creating jobs and improving infrastructureThe revamped GST on buses cuts the upfront cost of buses and minibuses making them more accessible for fleet operators schools corporates tour providers and state transport undertakingsIt will help bring down ticket fares especially in semiurban and rural routes and encourage a shift from private vehicles to sharedpublic transport reducing congestion and pollutionIt will also support fleet expansion and modernisation improving comfort and safety standards in public transportFurther the GST reduction on art and cultural goods which applies to statues statuettes original engravings prints lithographs ornamental articles stone art ware and stone inlay work will provide direct support to artisans craftsmen and sculptorsThe move will also help preserve living traditions of temple art folk expression miniature painting printmaking and stone craftsmanship and promote Indian culture and craftsmanship globally integrating heritage economy with modern markets the government saidThese GST reductions reflect a strategic effort by the government to boost Indias tourism and cultural sectors by enhancing affordability supporting traditional artisans and encouraging sustainable transport the official statement saidBy fostering greater accessibility and preserving cultural heritage these measures are poised to generate significant economic growth create jobs and promote Indias image globally as a vibrant and inclusive destination it added IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/lower-gst-rates-to-boost-hospitality-transport-and-cultural-sectors-639895.html Mon, 22 Sep 2025 13:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/global-payments-revenue-to-reach-24-trillion-by-2029-report-639901.html New Delhi Sep 22 Global payments revenue is projected to grow to 24 trillion by 2029 according to a new report on Monday The report by Boston Consulting Group BCG showed that realtime AccounttoAccount A2A payments are gaining critical mass with Indias UPI now powering over 19 billion transactions monthlyWhile growth is expected to moderate to 4 per cent annually over the next five years the industry is undergoing a foundational reset as agentic AI digital currencies and fintech business models are beginning to shape the next wave of expansionPayments are no longer just about moving money it is about shaping the very fabric of commerce and financial sovereignty Realtime A2A digital currencies and agentic AI are expected to redefine how trillions flow not just within borders but across borders Those who act decisively now will set the pace for the industrys next chapter said Vivek Mandhata Managing Director amp Partner BCGThis is a turning point for the industry Traditional growth levers are losing force but new drivers including agentic systems programmable money and fintech innovation are rapidly coming into focus The players that align to these shifts now will lead the next decade added Inderpreet Batra BCG Managing Director and Senior Partner and Global Head of the firms Payments and Fintech segmentThe findings showed that after growing at 88 per cent annually since 2019 revenue expansion is expected to ease to 4 per cent annuallyTransactionbased revenues remain strong while deposit margin tailwinds slacken The report noted agentic AI is set to influence over 1 trillion in ecommerce spendingStablecoins reached 26 trillion in volume although realworld payments account for only 1 per cent of that total The market remains heavily concentrated in facilitating crypto tradingFurther payment fintechs generated 176 billion in revenue in 2024 and are growing at 23 per cent annually Paymentsfocused fintechs have attracted over 135 billion in equity funding over the past 25 years and now make up 45 per cent of total fintech revenueRealtime A2A payment volumes rose 40 per cent globally in 2024 These systems now account for around a quarter of digital retail payments worldwide even exceeding 50 per cent of transactions in selected markets like India and BrazilWere entering an era where growth and complexity go hand in hand said Markus Ampenberger BCG Managing Director and PartnerThe next winners in payments wont just be fast adopters of technology They will be the firms that deeply integrate new capabilities into business and operating models and customer value propositions IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/global-payments-revenue-to-reach-24-trillion-by-2029-report-639901.html Mon, 22 Sep 2025 14:08:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/indias-logistics-sector-to-triple-to-rs-120-trillion-by-2035-report-639916.html New Delhi Sep 22 Indias logistics sector is set to grow nearly threefold to around Rs 120 trillion over the next decade a new report said on Monday The growth will be driven by a wave of infrastructure investments government reforms and the formalization of the industry according to a report by Omniscience CapitalThe report highlights that Indias GDP is expected to rise from 42 trillion in 2025 to 10 trillion by 2035 with industry and agriculture contributing 4 trillion to this growthSince logistics costs account for about 30 per cent of Indias agriindustry GDP the logistics market is projected to touch 12 trillion or roughly Rs 120 trillion by 2035Ashwini Shami President and Chief Portfolio Manager at Omniscience Capital said the sector is on the verge of a multidecade boom supported by record public spending and reformsGovernment initiatives such as the National Infrastructure Pipeline PM Gati Shakti and the National Logistics Policy directly address the sectors inefficiencies he saidMeanwhile digitalisation and the Goods and Services Tax GST are accelerating the formalisation of the largely fragmented logistics industry he addedAccording to the report the governments infrastructure spending has already increased from 21 per cent of GDP in 2021 to 31 per cent in 2025 and is expected to touch 5 per cent by 2030Massive investments in roads railways and dedicated freight corridors along with projects like the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor IMEEC are expected to cut costs reduce transit time and strengthen Indias role in global tradeThe sectors growth will also be supported by rising manufacturing output under Make in India and ProductionLinked Incentive schemesAt the same time digitisation through platforms like the Unified Logistics Interface Platform eway bills and RFIDenabled tracking has improved efficiencyPolicies such as GST 20 and the National Logistics Policy are expected to formalise up to 60 per cent of the industry by 2035 compared to the current unorganised base of around 80 per cent IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/indias-logistics-sector-to-triple-to-rs-120-trillion-by-2035-report-639916.html Mon, 22 Sep 2025 15:07:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/10th-ayurveda-day-to-showcase-indias-commitment-to-holistic-healthcare-639921.html New Delhi Sep 22 The 10th Ayurveda day will showcase Indias commitment to holistic healthcare and reaffirm its role in global health said the Ministry of Ayush on Monday The 10th Ayurveda Day will be celebrated on September 23 nationwideAt a press event in Goa the Ministry highlighted the significance of ayurveda its contributions to holistic health and the special events planned to mark the milestone celebrationThe theme ayurveda for people ayurveda for planet underscores personal health global wellbeing ecological balance and sustainable development said Professor Vaidya Pradeep Kumar Prajapati Director All India Institute of Ayurveda AIIA GoaThe 10th Ayurveda Day is an opportunity to take Ayurveda to every individual and reaffirm its role in global health he addedProf Prajapati further urged citizens physicians researchers students and policymakers to actively participate in this national campaignCalling it a peoples movement he underlined the need to blend ayurvedas ancient wisdom with modern research and evidence bringing it to the forefront of global healthcareAyurveda day reflects a decadelong journey of health balance and global recognition said Prof Dr Sujata Kadam Dean AIIA Goa while underlining ayurvedas role as a bridge between tradition and science individuals and society and humanity and natureShe also highlighted the contributions of AIIA Goa as a 250bed hospital with 22 OPD services daily benefitting more than 800 patients including international visitors and emerging as a leading centre for education research and patient careEstablished in 2022 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi the AIIA Goa acts as a premier centre for ayurvedic education research and healthcare It has been designated as the nodal agency for hosting the national celebrations of the 10th Ayurveda Day this yearSince its inauguration the institute has made remarkable progress in patient care and medical facilities and is also promoting medical value travel and health tourism IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/10th-ayurveda-day-to-showcase-indias-commitment-to-holistic-healthcare-639921.html Mon, 22 Sep 2025 15:11:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/worldwide-spending-on-ai-is-expected-to-be-nearly-15-trillion-in-2025-report-639935.html New Delhi Sep 22 Worldwide spending on artificial intelligence AI is expected to be nearly 15 trillion in 2025 up nearly 50 per cent up from 987904 in 2024 a report said on Monday Further the overall global AI spending is likely to top 2 trillion in 2026 led by AI integration into products such as smartphones and PCs as well as infrastructure according to a business and technology insights company Gartner Inc reportMirroring last years spending graph generative AI integration in smartphones would lead the spending at 298189 this year as well followed by AI services 282556 AIoptimised servers 267534 AI processing semiconductor 209192 AI application software 172029 and AI infrastructure Software 126177The forecast assumes continued investment in AI infrastructure expansion as major hyperscalers continue to increase investments in data centres with AIoptimised hardware and GPUs to scale their services said JohnDavid Lovelock Distinguished VP Analyst at GartnerThe AI investment landscape is also expanding beyond traditional US tech giants including Chinese companies and new AI cloud providers Furthermore venture capital investment in AI providers is providing additional tailwinds for AI spending he addedAccording to the report the AI spending would reach 202 trillion in 2026 following a similar growth trajectoryIn 2026 spending on Generative AI integration in smartphones is likely to be at 393297 Meanwhile the spending on AI Services would reach 324669 and for AIoptimised servers it would go around 329528Similarly AI processing semiconductor 267934 AI application software 269703 and AI infrastructure software 229885 will also put weight in spending on AIThe other segments attracting AI spending would be AI PCs by ARM and x86 AIoptimised IaaS and GenAI ModelsGartner providers equip tech leaders and their teams with rolebased best practices industry insights and strategic views into emerging trends and market changes to achieve their missioncritical priorities and build the successful organisations of tomorrow IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/worldwide-spending-on-ai-is-expected-to-be-nearly-15-trillion-in-2025-report-639935.html Mon, 22 Sep 2025 16:16:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/atal-community-innovation-centres-grassroot-visionaries-shaping-self-reliant-india-niti-aayog-639962.html New Delhi Sep 22 The Atal Innovation Missions AIM Community Innovator Fellows CIFs are grassroot visionaries that are shaping up a selfreliant India said Niti Aayog on Monday The AIM marked the graduation of its fifth cohort It has so far supported a total of 100 CIFsThe Atal Community Innovation Centres are not merely incubators of ideas they are transformative ecosystems that empower local innovators to turn their vision into reality driving sustainable development and societal progress said Dr Deepak Bagla Mission Director AIM Niti AayogBagla celebrated the CIF programme for its remarkable impact noting its role in empowering innovators who serve as role models for their communities and society at largeThe Community Innovator Fellows are the torchbearers of change exemplifying resilience creativity and an indomitable spirit Their innovations are not just solutions they are a testament to the power of grassroots ingenuity in shaping a selfreliant and prosperous India he saidThe Community Innovator Fellows programme a cornerstone of AIMs Atal Community Innovation Centres ACICs is dedicated to empowering innovators in unserved and underserved regions of the nation This initiative underscores AIMs resolute commitment to nurturing entrepreneurial spirit and driving societal progress through localized innovation by building a selfreliant nationDr Bagla highlighted the pivotal role of ACICs in catalysing innovation at the grassroots level particularly in Tier 2 and Tier 3 citiesHe emphasised that these centres serve as beacons of hope fostering solutions that address pressing challenges in critical sectors such as healthcare education agriculture and financial servicesThe Atal Innovation Mission a flagship initiative by NITI Aayog remains steadfast in its mission to foster a vibrant ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship across IndiaThe graduation of the fifth cohort of CIF stands as a testament to AIMs vision of empowering every citizen to contribute to a sustainable and inclusive future IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/atal-community-innovation-centres-grassroot-visionaries-shaping-self-reliant-india-niti-aayog-639962.html Mon, 22 Sep 2025 17:38:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/how-undernutrition-raises-obesity-and-diabetes-risk-639971.html New Delhi Sep 22 While undernutrition is generally associated with a lack of proper nutrition health experts on Monday contended it is also an increasing risk factor for obesity and diabetes According to UNICEF in 2025 the global prevalence of obesity among schoolage children and adolescents exceeded underweight for the first timeThis dramatic shift in the face of malnutrition jeopardises the health and future potential of children communities and nationsThe UN agencys Child Nutrition Report revealed how unhealthy food environments are contributing to the worldwide surge in overweight and obesity in children and adolescentsWhen we think of undernutrition we usually picture thin children or adults who havent grown properly But in todays world undernutrition can also lead to obesity People from poorer backgrounds with less awareness often end up buying cheap foods and drinks that are high in sugar and fat but low in nutrition Dr Rajeev Jayadevan Chairman Scientific Committee IMA Cochin told IANSSugary soft drinks for example are heavily advertised by celebrities and sold cheaply yet they fuel obesity and diabetes Unlike relatively educated individuals who might consume water and a balanced diet complete with protein fibre fruits and vegetables these individuals opt for sugary sugarsweetened beverages caloriedense oilfried snacks and packaged foods which are relatively cheap he addedThe expert noted that undernourished mothers give birth to children who are prone to obesity as they grow up into adulthood especially when food becomes abundantThis can be seen in a recent study published in the journal Cell Metabolism where Indian researchers looked at a rat model of undernutrition over 50 generations closely mimicking human populations in developing countriesThe undernourished rats had higher circulating insulin and lower vitamin B12 and folate levels compared to control ratsThe findings revealed that undernourished rats display metabolic abnormalities associated with epigenetic changes which are not reversed following unrestricted access to normal chow in two subsequent generationsIn India the paradox of undernutrition heightening the risk of obesity and diabetes is often explained through the concept of the double burden of malnutrition Dr Sanjeev Galande Dean School of Natural Sciences Shiv Nadar University DelhiNCR one of the authors of the paper told IANSGalande explained that earlylife undernutrition conditions the body to conserve energy store fat efficiently and develop lower muscle mass leading to longterm metabolic changesWhen such individuals are later exposed to caloriedense diets and sedentary lifestyles now increasingly prevalent in India they face a significantly higher risk of obesity type 2 diabetes and other noncommunicable diseases he addedThe experts also cited a lack of exercise and a sedentary lifestyle in raising the risk of obesity among these people which can be further compounded by smoking and alcohol useWith both obesity and diabetes increasing the experts called for more action to strengthen the accessibility of nutritious affordable food and to tackle the marketing of unhealthy foods IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/how-undernutrition-raises-obesity-and-diabetes-risk-639971.html Mon, 22 Sep 2025 18:21:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/why-integrating-perinatal-mental-health-in-national-programmes-is-important-639984.html New Delhi Sep 22 There is an urgent need to integrate perinatal maternal mental health into national programmes to help fight postpartum depression anxiety and other such conditions among new mothers said health experts on Monday According to the World Health Organization WHO worldwide about 10 per cent of pregnant women and 13 per cent of women who have just given birth experience a mental disorder primarily depressionIndia has more than 25 million births per year but most women with mental health problems during pregnancy and one year after birth the perinatal period go undetected and untreated especially in rural areasA recent systematic review among perinatal women in India found that the prevalence rates for perinatal depression ranged from 1424 per cent in communitybased studies while some metaanalyses reported a pooled estimate of around 22 per cent for postpartum depressionAlthough maternal mortality in India has reduced by over 50 per cent since the early 2000s to 97 deaths per 100000 maternal suicide constitutes an increasing proportion of maternal deaths A recent report in Kerala estimated that maternal suicide accounted for nearly one in five maternal deaths in 2020There is an urgent need to integrate perinatal maternal mental health into national programmes in India said Prof Rajesh Sagar AIIMSSpeaking at an expert consultation on perinatal mental health in the national capital the expert raised concerns over the lack of a dedicated initiative to support new mothers facing mental health issuesWhile womens mental health is mentioned in policies such as the National Mental Health Policy 2014 the Mental Health Care Act 2017 and others there is no dedicated programme or screening mechanism in place Sagar saidThe experts including Prof Prabha Chandra from NIMHANS highlighted gaps in training for doctors nurses and ASHAs the lack of culturally relevant tools and the stigma that prevents women from seeking psychological help even when screened positiveThey called for statespecific strategies collaboration across states capacity building and mandatory historytaking during antenatal careIt is critical to ensure that perinatal mental health is not seen as a standalone as this might increase the stigma and discrimination that women with perinatal mental health problems face rather it should be included within the routine antenatal and postnatal care that pregnant and lactating women receive thus making it sustainable said Dr YK Sandhya Program Lead Mental Health The George Institute for Global Health India IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/why-integrating-perinatal-mental-health-in-national-programmes-is-important-639984.html Mon, 22 Sep 2025 19:16:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/stalin-launches-chennai-one-app-unifying-citys-transport-services-on-a-single-platform-639996.html Chennai Sep 22 Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Monday launched Chennai One Indias first fully integrated public transport mobile application that brings together all modes of urban transport in the metropolitan city on a single digital platform The launch took place at the Secretariat during the second meeting of the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority CUMTA chaired by the Chief MinisterThe session also approved a comprehensive 25year transport master plan for the Chennai metropolitan area aimed at ensuring seamless mobility for its fastgrowing populationThe Chennai One app available on both iOS and Android platforms allows commuters to plan and pay for their entire journey across buses suburban trains metro rail autorickshaws and taxisIn what is being described as a gamechanger for urban mobility in India passengers can purchase tickets digitally using UPI or bank cards and use a single QR code to travel across multiple modes of transportBeyond digital ticketing the app also provides realtime tracking of buses and suburban trains helping commuters manage their schedules more effectivelyTo make the service more inclusive the platform supports multiple Indian languages including Tamil English Telugu and Kannada ensuring accessibility for the citys diverse populationOfficials said the apps integrated approach is designed to reduce the hassles of switching between different transport providers long queues at counters and the need for multiple ticketsBy streamlining services the state government hopes to encourage greater use of public transport thereby easing congestion on Chennais busy roads and reducing carbon emissionsChief Minister Stalin unveiling the app said the initiative marked a major step toward building a modern commuterfriendly ChennaiWith Chennai One we are pioneering a model of urban mobility that reflects inclusivity efficiency and sustainability Our goal is to make public transport the preferred choice of every citizen he saidTransport experts welcomed the development noting that integrated ticketing and realtime updates had long been a demand of urban commutersThe 25year transport plan approved alongside the app launch will cover infrastructure upgrades expansion of metro and suburban networks and improved lastmile connectivity With Chennai One the city has set a new benchmark in digital public transport integration putting Chennai at the forefront of Indias urban mobility transformation IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/stalin-launches-chennai-one-app-unifying-citys-transport-services-on-a-single-platform-639996.html Mon, 22 Sep 2025 20:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/adani-group-shares-extend-rally-add-rs-17-lakh-crore-in-market-value-in-two-sessions-639999.html New Delhi Sep 22 Shares of Adani Group companies continued their upward momentum on Monday rising sharply for the second straight session after the Securities and Exchange Board of India SEBI gave the conglomerate a clean chit in the Hindenburg shortselling case The Adani Groups total market capitalisation has increased by Rs 17 lakh crore in just two days after the prolonged rally surpassing the Rs 15 lakh crore markAfter hitting the 20 per cent upper circuit during the session Adani Power led the rally and closed at Rs 170 In just two trading days the stock has gained almost 35 per cent after undergoing a 15 splitAdani Total Gas saw a nearly 20 per cent increase to close at Rs 781 bringing its twoday gain to roughly 27 per cent Additionally Adani Green Energy saw a nearly 12 per cent increase on Monday giving investors a 17 per cent return over two sessionsAdani Enterprises gained 398 per cent to close at Rs 2624 marking a nearly 10 per cent increase over the same period while Adani Energy Solutions rose 652 per cent to Rs 934 up more than 11 per cent in two daysAdani Ports increased 120 per cent to Rs 1445 bringing its twoday gain to about 3 per cent A significant cement subsidiary of the group Ambuja Cement also increased by 130 per cent to Rs 590 or roughly 25 per cent in two sessionsMeanwhile the Indian benchmark indices ended in negative territory after a volatile sessionThe IT stocks dragged the market in the early trade after the US administration announced 100000 fee for new H1B visas However the market rebounded quickly buoyed by GST reforms that came into effect from MondayThe Sensex ended the session at 8215997 down 46626 points or 056 per cent while Nifty closed at 2520235 down 12470 points or 049 per cent IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/adani-group-shares-extend-rally-add-rs-17-lakh-crore-in-market-value-in-two-sessions-639999.html Mon, 22 Sep 2025 20:15:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/gst-rate-cuts-375-items-to-get-cheaper-from-tomorrow-639755.html New Delhi Sep 21 From automobiles and electronics to food items and medicines as many as 375 goods and services will become cheaper from Monday September 22 as the new GST framework comes into effect The major rate rationalisation approved by the GST Council earlier this year reduces the tax structure from four slabs to just two 5 per cent and 18 per centA special 40 per cent rate will apply on a select list of luxury and sin goodsFinance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had described the reform as a Diwali gift for consumers saying the move will not only lower costs for the middle class but also make business operations smoother under GSTThis reform is not just about rationalising rates It is also about ease of living and structural reforms We have reduced slabs to just two and addressed issues related to compensation cess FM Sitharaman had saidEveryday food items such as milkbased beverages biscuits butter cereals dry fruits fruit juices ghee ice cream jam ketchup namkeen paneer pastry sausages and tender coconut water will now attract lower GSTDailyuse goods like shampoos soaps hair oil shaving cream talcum powder and face creams will also see price reductionsElectronics such as ACs washing machines TVs and dishwashers will become cheaper while GST on several medicines and medical devices has been cut to 5 per centThe government has directed pharma companies to revise their MRPs and pass on the benefits to consumersIn the services sector GST has been reduced for salons barbers gyms fitness centres and yoga servicesFor homebuyers the tax on cement has been slashed from 28 per cent to 18 per cent which is expected to make housing more affordableBig brands have already started passing on the benefits Hindustan Unilever has announced cuts across products such as Dove shampoo Lifebuoy soaps Horlicks and Kissan JamDairy giant Amul has reduced prices on over 700 products including butter ghee paneer cheese ice creams and bakery itemsThe Indian Railways has also cut prices of Rail Neer bottled water with a 1litre bottle now priced at Rs 14 instead of Rs 15The automobile sector will be one of the biggest beneficiaries with small hatchbacks now taxed at 18 per cent instead of 28 per cent and without any compensation cessCompanies like Maruti Suzuki India Tata Motors and Hyundai India have announced major price cuts on popular hatchbacks ranging from Rs 70000 to over Rs 13 lakh effective from September 22 IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/gst-rate-cuts-375-items-to-get-cheaper-from-tomorrow-639755.html Sun, 21 Sep 2025 14:09:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/ciis-model-state-gcc-policy-aims-to-create-millions-of-high-quality-jobs-across-india-director-general-639768.html New Delhi Sep 21 The Confederation of Indian Industry CII on Sunday released its Model State Policy on Global Capability Centres GCCs offering a comprehensive roadmap for states to attract support and scale the next generation of global enterprise hubs The policy aims to create millions of highquality jobs expand innovation ecosystems beyond metropolitan areas and strengthen Indias position as a global destination for knowledge and digital servicesCII Director General Chandrajit Banerjee said the rapid growth of GCCs over the past two decades has been a key driver of Indias economic journeyTo sustain leadership and deepen our integration into global value chains states must adopt clear competitive and innovationoriented policies This model policy provides a ready framework to guide states accelerate GCC growth beyond the metros and generate highquality employment he saidCurrently nearly 95 per cent of Indias 1800plus GCCs are concentrated in six Tier1 citiesThe CII policy seeks to change this by enabling Tier2 and Tier3 cities to become attractive destinations for global enterprisesIt provides actionable measures across infrastructure development fiscal incentives regulatory frameworks digital infrastructure talent development and sustainability allowing states to create seamless resilient and globally competitive GCC ecosystemsThe policy proposes the establishment of statelevel Facilitation Cells as single points of contact for investors along with targeted fiscal and regulatory incentives such as tax holidays customs duty exemptions for imported RampD equipment and viability gap funding for integrated infrastructure projectsIt also encourages investment in digital infrastructure including AIML computing support and edge data centres to ensure emerging hubs operate at global standardsIn addition the policy recommends collaboration between GCCs startups and research institutions to drive innovation in technologies like quantum computing ESGaligned solutions and enterprise softwareGreen infrastructure smart mobility affordable housing and civic amenities are highlighted as key factors to make statelevel hubs attractive for professionals and their familiesData security and IP facilitation frameworks tailored to local conditions are also emphasised to support dataintensive GCCsBanerjee said the model policy is designed to make GCC growth geographically inclusiveStates that act early and decisively will benefit from highquality employment stronger innovation ecosystems and deeper integration into global value chains Banerjee statedCII is ready to partner with states to operationalise these recommendations through task forces investment promotion campaigns and skill development initiatives he addedThe CII estimates that a wellexecuted GCC strategy across India could contribute nearly 200 billion in direct economic value by 2030 IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/ciis-model-state-gcc-policy-aims-to-create-millions-of-high-quality-jobs-across-india-director-general-639768.html Sun, 21 Sep 2025 16:22:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/kabul-residents-complain-of-challenges-faced-due-to-reduced-internet-speed-639773.html Kabul Sep 21 Several people in Kabul have complained about reduced internet speed and the challenges caused by this after fibre optic services stopped working in 10 provinces of Afghanistan Kabul residents said that the reduction in internet speed affected their work Wajid an employee at a pharmaceutical company in the capital city said 90 per cent of his work relies on the internet However the drop in internet service speed has caused difficulties for him Afghanistanbased Tolo News reportedWe need fast internet because sometimes when we send a location it doesnt go through or get delivered This creates a lot of problems for us in the office he saidSeveral other residents in Kabul said that disruptions in internet service have negatively affected their online education program personal and worklinked communicationShams questioned how they can progress in marketing if internet access is better He said If we have highspeed internet we can progress in marketing and in areas where internet access is better and we can help our country move forwardAnother resident Saleem Rahini said Since our lessons were progressing through the internet slides WhatsApp and YouTube now with the internet weakening our access to these resources has decreased significantlyResidents of Kabul raised complaints after fibre optic services were suspended in 10 provinces of Afghanistan Balkh Kandahar Herat Helmand Nangarhar Laghman Badakhshan Takhar Kunduz and Baghlan over the past week Tolo News reportedFibre optic internet was suspended in over 10 provinces of Afghanistan after the Talibans order Abdul Hadi Qane a social activist in Herat stated We expect that no restrictions will be imposed on internet access If any programs are to be implemented in this regard they should be designed in a way that minimises harm to the publicResidents of Balkh province said that internet disruption has negatively affected their business educational and social activities One resident of Balkh said Cutting off home internet can have serious negative impacts on all aspects of life A major portion of public services such as the issuance of ID cards passports and the banking system depends on the internet IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/kabul-residents-complain-of-challenges-faced-due-to-reduced-internet-speed-639773.html Sun, 21 Sep 2025 16:49:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/hm-amit-shah-to-inaugurate-startup-conclave-2025-in-gandhinagar-on-sep-23-639830.html Gandhinagar Sep 21 Union Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate the Startup Conclave 2025 at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar on Tuesday The twoday event organised by the Gujarat governments Education department will see the participation of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and the State Higher and Technical Education Minister Rushikesh Patel at the opening ceremonyBringing together the countrys most dynamic voices in innovation entrepreneurship and investment the conclave will feature more than 1000 startups 5000 innovators 100 industry mentors 50 plus venture funds and leading policymakers on a single platformSpread across September 23 to 24 the event aims to set a new benchmark for Indias startup ecosystem by bridging the gap between earlystage ventures and top investorsA highlight of the conclave will be investor pitching sessions where more than 50 shortlisted startups will present their ideas across multiple parallel tracks before Indias leading venture capitalistsThese sessions are expected to unlock funding opportunities worth Rs 250 crore building on the success of the Startup Conclave 2023Ahead of the event investors interest has already resulted in letters of intent and financial commitments of Rs 150 crore for promising startupsThe conclave will also showcase 170 startups from 20 states including those selected by Startup India Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology MeitY and innovations for defence excellence iDEXExhibitions will span critical sectors such as defence aerospace healthcare clean energy agritech deep tech and social impact innovations underlining Indias entrepreneurial drive towards Atmanirbhar BharatThe thematic pavilions will highlight Gujarats strengths in electric vehicles semiconductors augmented realityvirtual reality fintech green hydrogen drones and space technologiesThe opening session will feature the release of a Startup Conclave Coffee Table Book NEP2020 Dashboard and Indian Knowledge System CompendiumThe state government will also facilitate the signing of 50 MoUs between startups investors and financial institutions alongside the distribution of funding cheques and Letters of Intent to selected venturesIn addition to exhibitions and B2B networking opportunities the conclave will host plenary sessions and roundtable conferences on key themes such as emerging opportunities in sunrise sectors the journey of Indias unicorns the role of womenled startups and the impact of digital transformationA special Unicorn Roundtable chaired by Minister Rushikesh Patel will bring together unicorn founders policymakers and investors to shape the future of Indias innovation economyThe Startup exhibition a central attraction of the conclave will offer startups direct access to policymakers industry leaders investors and mentorsExperts from platforms such as iDEX Startup India MeitY Startup Hub Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre INSPACe Gujarat Venture Finance Limited and Gujarat International Finance TecCity GIFT City will participate offering B2B mentorship gotomarket strategies and investor linkages IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/hm-amit-shah-to-inaugurate-startup-conclave-2025-in-gandhinagar-on-sep-23-639830.html Sun, 21 Sep 2025 22:22:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/poco-festive-madness-battery-kings-under-rs-30-000-unleashed-this-big-billion-days-639737.html New Delhi Sep 21 This festive season power meets performance as POCO brings you a lineup of smartphones that redefine battery innovation and endurance Designed to keep up with your nonstop lifestyle these devices combine cuttingedge performance longlasting power and unbeatable festive discounts Whether its gaming marathons allday streaming or nonstop social scrolling these flagshipgrade smartphones ensure you never run out of charge or speed making them the ultimate picks under Rs 30000 this Flipkart Big Billion DaysPOCO M7 5GThe POCO M7 5G stands out with its massive 5160mAh battery supported by 33W inbox charging ensuring reliable power that easily lasts up to 15 days on moderate useAlongside its impressive endurance it packs up to 12GB RAM including 6GB Turbo RAM the powerful Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 chipset a 50MP Sony camera and a large 688 HD display making it the segments fastest 5G smartphone built for both performance and longevityThe POCO M7 5G originally launched at Rs 10499 will now be available at an exciting 17 per cent discount for just Rs 8499POCO M7 Plus 5GThe POCO M7 Plus 5G is a powerhouse packing the largestinsegment 7000mAh battery with 18W reverse charging that keeps you going for days without worry It features a massive 69 FHD display with up to 144Hz refresh rate for a smooth immersive experience and is now available in a new 4GB RAM variant due to strong consumer demandThe M7 Plus also delivers reliable performance and versatile cameras making it a wellrounded choice for power usersOriginally priced at Rs 12999 the smartphone will be up for grabs at an irresistible 15 per cent discount bringing the price down to just Rs 10999POCO X7 Pro 5GAt the heart of the POCO X7 Pro is its massive 6550mAh Silicon Carbon battery designed to deliver allday endurance while keeping the phone slim and lightweight In realworld usage it easily provides up to 9 hours of screen time and with 90W fast charging it powers back to 100 per cent in just 45 minutesComplementing this powerhouse battery is the MediaTek Dimensity 8400 Ultra chipset which helps the X7 Pro clock an impressive 17M Antutu score making it the segments most powerful smartphone for heavyduty usersOriginally priced at Rs 27999 the smartphone is now available at just Rs 19999 a massive 29 per cent discountPOCO F7 5GBuilt for performance seekers the POCO F7 5G combines flagshiplevel power with Indias largest 7550mAh siliconcarbon battery and the cuttingedge Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 processor Its massive cell is almost impossible to drain in a day even heavy testing barely dents the chargeAnd when its time to top up 90W fast charging takes it from 0 to 100 per cent in just about 85 minutes With an AnTuTu score crossing 21 million the F7 5G delivers unmatched endurance and seamless performance making it the ultimate choice for users who demand moreLaunched at Rs 31999 the POCO F7 5G is now available for just Rs 28999 a 9 per cent discountWith unmatched endurance performance cuttingedge innovation and festivefirst pricing POCO is ensuring Indias young techsavvy generation has more reasons to celebrate this Big Billion DaysPOCO is fueling excitement among Indias young techsavvy consumers and ensuring that the 2025 Big Billion Days Sale is one to rememberFlipKart Link httpswwwflipkartcompocobbdintrigue2025atstorePOCO C71 Airtel Edition Launched at Rs 6499 now available at Rs 5599 with a 14 per cent discountPOCO C71 Priced at Rs 6499 now at Rs 6299 after a 3 per cent discountPOCO C75 Originally Rs 8499 now available for Rs 7399 at a 13 per cent discountPOCO M7 5G Airtel Edition Launched at Rs 10499 now just Rs 7799 with a massive 26 per cent discountPOCO M7 5G Priced at Rs 10499 now at Rs 8499 with a 19 per cent discountPOCO M7 Plus 5G From Rs 12999 now available at Rs 10999 after a 15 per cent discountPOCO M7 Pro 5G Launched at Rs 14999 now priced at Rs 11499 with a 23 per cent discountPOCO X7 5G Originally Rs 21999 now down to Rs 14499 with a massive 34 per cent discountPOCO X7 Pro 5G From Rs 27999 now just Rs 19999 with a 29 per cent discountPOCO F7 5G Launched at Rs 31999 now available for Rs 28999 at a 9 per cent discount IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/poco-festive-madness-battery-kings-under-rs-30-000-unleashed-this-big-billion-days-639737.html Sun, 21 Sep 2025 12:19:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/sugary-drinks-may-worsen-colorectal-cancer-study-639560.html New Delhi Sep 20 US researchers have found that the glucosefructose mix found in sugary drinks directly fuels the spread in cases of advanced colorectal cancer To meet nutritional needs many patients with cancer are encouraged to have nutritional supplement drinks and concentrated juices that contain high glucose and fructose contentA team from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center studied how sugary drinks may affect latestage colorectal cancerOur findings highlight that daily diet matters not only for cancer risk but also for how the disease progresses once it has developed said Jihye Yun Assistant Professor of Genetics at the varsityUsing laboratory cancer models they compared the effects of the glucosefructose mix found in most sugary drinks with those of glucose or fructose aloneOnly the sugar mix made cancer cells more mobile leading to faster spread to the liver the most common site of colorectal cancer metastasisThe sugar mix activated an enzyme called sorbitol dehydrogenase SORD which boosts glucose metabolism and triggers the cholesterol pathway ultimately driving metastasisThis is the same pathway targeted by statins common heart drugs that inhibit cholesterol productionBlocking SORD slowed metastasis even with the sugar mix present These findings published in the Nature Metabolism journal suggest that targeting SORD could also offer an opportunity to block metastasisSugar has long been indirectly linked to an increase in cancer risk through obesityA previous study by Yuns lab showed that even moderate intake of sugary drinks directly fueled tumour growth in earlystage colorectal cancer independent of obesityFurther Yun explained it may be worthwhile to consider revisions to current dietary recommendations to reduce sugary drink consumption in cancer patientsWhile these findings need further investigation they suggest that reducing sugary drinks targeting SORD or repurposing statins may benefit patients with colorectal cancer Yu said IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/sugary-drinks-may-worsen-colorectal-cancer-study-639560.html Sat, 20 Sep 2025 10:56:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/us-tech-firms-urge-h-1b-visa-workers-to-return-before-sunday-deadline-639570.html New Delhi Sep 20 US tech films like Microsoft have advised employees with H1B and H4 visas who are currently outside the United States to return immediately ahead of the September 21 deadline set by President Donald Trump when the 100000 fee on H1B visa comes into effect The US administration has imposed a 100000 annual fee on each visa The new rule will take effect on September 21 and remain in force for 12 months the US President saidAccording to reports companies like Microsoft and JPMorgan have instructed H1B workers currently in the US to continue their employment in the country for the foreseeable future and avoid international travel until further guidanceMicrosoft has also reportedly recommended H4 visa holders to remain in the US We strongly recommend H1B and H4 visa holders return to the US tomorrow before the deadline according to the companyThere was no official statement yet from either Microsoft or JPMorganPresident Trump expects the revised feebased visa programme to generate over 100 billion for the US Treasury designated for national debt reduction and tax cuts Critics however argued that the new fee hinders talent mobility and stifles innovationApproximately 71 per cent of H1B visa holders are from India primarily working for technology companies including Infosys Wipro Cognisant and Tata Consultancy ServicesShares of major IT services firms including USlisted Indian companies dropped by 2 per cent to 5 per cent following the announcementWith visas typically valid for three years and renewable up to six the new 100000 annual fee could make it expensive for companies to retain Indian professionals especially given the decadeslong wait for Green CardsThe H1B programme allows US companies to hire skilled foreign workers in fields like technology and engineering IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/us-tech-firms-urge-h-1b-visa-workers-to-return-before-sunday-deadline-639570.html Sat, 20 Sep 2025 11:32:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/mauritius-it-minister-lauds-indias-c-dot-lab-urges-deeper-bilateral-collaboration-639577.html New Delhi Sep 20 Mauritiuss Minister for Information Technology Communication and Innovation Dr Avinash Ramtohul who visited the Centre for Development of Telematics CDOT here has urged the need for deeper collaboration between the two countries in emergency alerting and telecom innovation the Ministry of Communications said The minister commended the centres disastermanagement and cybersecurity initiatives Ramtohul assessed CDOTs Early Warning System and Cell Broadcast solution and commented on its implementation nationwide to notify citizens including fishing communities of impending natural hazardsCDOTs cybersecurity stack includes a realtime Security Operations Centre Quantum Key Distribution PostQuantum Cryptography and SAMVADa a secure chat and calling application the Ministry saidCDOT CEO Dr Rajkumar Upadhyay introduced the Mauritius delegation to diverse telecom product portfoliossolutions in the areas of key applications such as Disaster management solution using ITU CAP protocol and Cell Broadcast solutionThe CEO also demonstrated new telecom innovations including 4G and 5G core and RAN networks switching and routing platformsThe solution is highly beneficial and would help in saving the lives of citizens including the fishermen community This engagement has set the stage for deeper forwardlooking collaboration in emergency alerting and telecom innovation Ramtohul saidHe also appreciated the RampD efforts of CDOTs research community and stressed the need for a larger collaboration for the development of futuristic and cuttingedge telecom solutions for mutual benefitsCDOT the RampD arm of the Department of Telecommunications has led Indias rural connectivity efforts and is currently exploring 6G use cases the Ministry notedOver the past four decades CDoT has been at the forefront of Indias telecom revolution bringing connectivity to rural areas powering the ambitious BharatNet NOFN project and delivering cuttingedge solutions in cyber security disaster management 4G5G next generation networks AI Network Management Systems IoTM2M applications among others IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/mauritius-it-minister-lauds-indias-c-dot-lab-urges-deeper-bilateral-collaboration-639577.html Sat, 20 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/india-aims-to-double-seafood-exports-to-15-billion-by-2030-639603.html New Delhi Sep 20 India has emerged as a global leader in seafood exports currently supplying to 132 countries and the nation has set an aim to double its exports to 15 billion by 2030 a report said on Saturday India has shipped 1698170 tonnes of seafood worth Rs 6240845 crore 745 billion during 202425 as against exports of 1781602 tonnes in 202324 worth Rs 6052389 crore 738 billion reflecting the sectors strong resilience despite global trade fluctuationsThe fisheries sector also supports the livelihood of more than 30 million fishers and fish farmers highlighting its crucial role in the nations economy Seafood Exporters Association of India SEAI said in a report ahead of SEAIs India International Seafood Show 2025The 24th edition of the India International Seafood Show Asias premier seafood trade fair will be held from September 25 to 28 at Bharat Mandapam hereThis years edition will be part of World Food India 2025 the Government of Indias flagship global food innovation event that celebrates Indias culinary heritage and fosters partnerships across the food value chainIISS showcases the tremendous growth of Indias seafood export sector As we mark our golden jubilee this event will help us strengthen our global position and expand into new markets said SEAI President Pawan KumarSEAI SecretaryGeneral KN Raghavan added Our motto Sustainably Harvested Humanely Sourced reflects our deep commitment to ethical sourcing and responsible aquaculture practicesIISS2025 will be a platform to address challenges such as skill development sustainability and innovation he said furtherIISS2025 will feature over 260 stalls technical sessions and roundtables bringing together participants from more than 15 countries Including major markets such as the United States the European Union Vietnam the UAE Germany Belgium Japan China and others SEAI stated in the report IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/india-aims-to-double-seafood-exports-to-15-billion-by-2030-639603.html Sat, 20 Sep 2025 13:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/centre-enables-gst-grievance-redressal-on-national-consumer-helpline-639604.html New Delhi Sep 20 The Department of Consumer Affairs on Saturday launched a dedicated GST grievance category on the National Consumer Helpline to address queries and complaints related to the GST 20 reforms The National Consumer Helpline can be accessed at the tollfree number 1915 or online in 16 Indian languages and in English functioning as a single prelitigation point of access for consumers across the country to register grievances at the prelitigation stageConsumers can also register GSTrelated complaints through the Integrated Grievance Redressal Mechanism INGRAM portal covering key sectors such as automobiles banking consumer durables ecommerce and fastmoving consumer goods The GST reforms will take effect from September 22To address the expected consumer queries and complaints on National Consumer Helpline following the implementation of revised GST charges rates and exemptions a dedicated category has been enabled on the INGRAM portal the Ministry of Consumer Affairs Food amp Public Distribution saidOn September 11 officials from the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs conducted an inaugural training session to equip National Consumer Helpline counsellors to handle GSTrelated queries and grievances effectivelyConsumer complaint data and insights will be shared with affected companies the CBIC and other authorities to enable prompt action under relevant laws enhance GST compliance and support a participatory governance model the Ministry saidThe omnichannel platform supports multiple registrations via WhatsApp SMS email a dedicated app web portal and the Umang app the ministry saidThe technological transformation of the National Consumer Helpline has significantly boosted its callhandling capacity the government informed Call volumes grew from 12553 in December 2015 to 155138 in December 2024Similarly the average number of complaints registered per month has surged from 37062 in 2017 to 170585 in 2025Around 65 per cent of grievances are now filed digitally Each complaint is assigned a unique docket number for transparent tracking and resolution the ministry noted IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/centre-enables-gst-grievance-redressal-on-national-consumer-helpline-639604.html Sat, 20 Sep 2025 13:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/last-solar-eclipse-of-2025-to-grace-skies-on-sunday-night-639610.html New Delhi Sep 20 After witnessing a Total Lunar Eclipse or Blood Moon skygazers across the globe are in for a treat today as the last solar eclipse of 2025 will grace the skies on Sunday night The last solar eclipse of 2025 scheduled for September 21 will be partial and will not be visible from India People living in parts of Australia Antarctica the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean may be able to witness the celestial eventA solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly between the Sun and Earth and the Moon casts a shadow on the Earth and blocks sunlight completely But during a partial eclipse only 85 per cent of the Sun will be obscured in some places by the MoonIn a partial eclipse Earths shadow appears very dark on the side of the Moon facing Earth What people see from Earth during a partial lunar eclipse depends on how the Sun Earth and Moon alignThe event will begin at 1059 pm IST on Sunday night reach its peak at 111 am IST early on Monday and end at 323 am ISTThe year 2025 had four eclipses two partial solar eclipses and two total lunar eclipses The partial eclipse on Sunday night is the second and last eclipse of 2025It will also occur a day before the autumnal equinox or the official start of fall in the northern hemisphere marked on September 22Astronomically this is the time when the Sun finds itself exactly above the equatorOn this day Earth isnt tilted toward or away from the Sun and both day and night are almost exactly 12 hours with a few small exceptionsMeanwhile the next solar eclipse is slated for February 17 and August 12 2026 While these will again not be visible from India the country will get to witness a solar eclipse in August 2027 IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/last-solar-eclipse-of-2025-to-grace-skies-on-sunday-night-639610.html Sat, 20 Sep 2025 14:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/h-1b-visa-fee-hike-govt-assessing-the-situation-with-nasscom-639611.html New Delhi Sep 20 The government and the IT industrys apex body Nasscom are assessing the fallout of the US administrations decision to impose a 100000 annual fee on H1B visas from September 21 According to government sources New Delhi is in touch with the Indian Embassy in Washington DC and is also holding consultations with the leading tech industry body Nasscom hereThe new H1B costs are expected to affect the US companies the most as these rely heavily on Indians for specialised and highskilled tech rolesAccording to experts this may also trigger a new wave of global capability centres GCCs in India to meet the shortage of talent in the US after the new visa fee ruleIndians hold the highest number of H1B visas followed by ChinaMeanwhile GCCs are preparing for a talent expansion in India with 48 per cent of GCCs planning to increase their workforce beyond 2024 levelsFinance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said this week that India today hosts nearly half of the worlds Global Capability Centres GCC which are now at the forefront of innovation RampD and leadership creationGCCs will consolidate Indias leadership in innovation and job creation and with the right policies infrastructure and skilling this sector can define our journey to Viksit Bharat 2047 she said while addressing the Special Ministerial Plenary and Report Back at the CII GCC Business SummitThe USbased companies have traditionally accounted for nearly 70 per cent of total GCC absorption since 2021 In recent years GCCs from the UK EMEA and APAC regions have also expanded their footprint steadily strengthening their presence in IndiaIndia has approximately 1700 GCCs with a projection to reach over 2100 by 20292030According to CP Gurnani Cofounder and Chief Executive Officer AIonOS over the past several years the Indian IT firms have significantly reduced their reliance on the H1B visa with filings dropping by over 50 per centThis shift is a result of our ongoing strategy to hire more locally invest in automation and enhance our global delivery models While visa fees may change the impact on our business will be minimal as weve already adapted to this evolving landscape he mentioned IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/h-1b-visa-fee-hike-govt-assessing-the-situation-with-nasscom-639611.html Sat, 20 Sep 2025 14:13:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/apple-to-clock-record-sales-in-india-during-festive-season-with-28-pc-growth-analysts-639624.html New Delhi Sep 20 US tech giant Apple is set to achieve its highest festivesales count in India with analysts forecasting a 28 per cent yearonyear sales increase in 2025 owing to the early success of the iPhone 17 series Counterpoint research forecasted record growth in sales owing to an aggressive n1 strategy during the festive season and the 17 series performed better than the 16 seriesAnalysts said that the first week of sales for the iPhone 17 series is 19 per cent higher than the iPhone 16 seriesApple is effectively capitalising on the premiumisation trend in India said Research Director at Counterpoint Research Tarun PathakPro and Pro Max models are experiencing the highest demands with stockouts reported across various channels and the Cosmic Orange variant being particularly popular Pathak saidUpgrading the base variant to 256GB along with cashback offers and up to 24month EMIs enhances its value significantly he saidThe new iPhone 17 Air despite a higher price is gaining stronger traction than last years Plus model Pathak addedFurther the initial demand is outpacing supply and securing inventory especially for the 17 Pro models is a challenge for retailersPrabhu Ram VP Industry Research Group IRG CMR said that Apple is on track to cross 45 million shipments this festive quarter with the new iPhone Air poised to generate fresh tractionHe also said that prebookings for the iPhone 17 line are surpassing last years figures positioning Apple for continued momentum through DiwaliApple launched iPhone 17 on September 9 featuring the new Centre Stage front camera a 48MP Fusion Main camera with an optical quality 2x Telephoto and a new 48MP Fusion UltraWide camera that captures expansive scenes and macro photography in more detailThe 63inch Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion is bigger and brighter the company claimed With the new Ceramic Shield 2 the front cover is reported to be tougher with 3x better scratch resistance than the previous generation and reduced glare The phone is powered by the latestgeneration A19 chip for higher performance and longevity IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/apple-to-clock-record-sales-in-india-during-festive-season-with-28-pc-growth-analysts-639624.html Sat, 20 Sep 2025 15:47:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/study-unlocks-secrets-of-ancient-life-through-fossil-feces-639631.html Sydney Sep 20 An Australianled study used prehistoric feces to uncover how molecular fossilization occurs revealing new insights into what ancient animals ate the world they lived in and what happened after they died The study published in the journal Geobiology examined 300millionyearold fossilized droppings or coprolites mostly from the Mazon Creek fossil site in the United States according to a statement released Friday by Australias Curtin UniversityThe coprolites were already known to contain cholesterol derivatives which is strong evidence of a meatbased diet but the new research explored how those delicate molecular traces were preserved and survived the ravages of timeUsually soft tissues are fossilised due to phosphate minerals but scientists from Australia the United States Sweden and Germany found molecules were preserved thanks to tiny grains of iron carbonate scattered throughout the fossil acting like microscopic time capsulesFossils dont just preserve the shapes of longextinct creatures they can also hold chemical traces of life said study lead Madison Tripp adjunct research fellow at Curtins School of Earth and Planetary Sciences Xinhua news agency reportedIts a bit like discovering a treasure chest in this instance phosphate but the real gold is stashed in the pebbles nearby Tripp said adding the findings deepen scientists understanding of molecular preservation crucial to gaining insights into the ancient worldCarbonate minerals have been quietly preserving biological information throughout Earths history said Curtin University Professor Kliti Grice adding expanded analysis of diverse fossils spanning different species environments and eras confirmed consistent mineralmolecule preservation patternsUnderstanding which minerals best preserve ancient biomolecules lets scientists target fossil searches more effectively focusing on conditions that increase the chances of finding molecular clues about ancient life Grice saidResearchers said the findings could help build richer pictures of past ecosystems including diets interactions and decomposition processesIt brings prehistoric worlds to life in molecular detail Grice said IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/study-unlocks-secrets-of-ancient-life-through-fossil-feces-639631.html Sat, 20 Sep 2025 16:45:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/epfo-makes-pf-transfer-easier-annexure-k-now-available-online-639634.html New Delhi Sep 20 The Employees Provident Fund Organisation EPFO has introduced a significant change that will make it easier for professionals to transfer their provident fund balance when switching jobs Members can now download Annexure K a crucial document needed for PF transfers straight from the EPFO Member Portal according to a circular released earlier this week by the Union Labour MinistryUntil now employees could only access Annexure K upon request and it was only shared between PF offices which frequently caused delays and inconvenience By giving members immediate online access to the document the reform seeks to improve convenience and transparencyBecause it includes detailed information about an employees provident fund account including member information the PF balance with interest full service history job details and joining and exit dates Annexure K is essential for the PF transfer processWhen an employee changes jobs this transfer certificate guarantees that their pension service and PF accumulations are correctly transferred to a new accountAccording to the Labour Ministry the new rule will guarantee a smoother transfer process enable employees to check the status of their transfer applications online and confirm the accuracy of their PF balance and service period in the new accountBy logging into the EPFO member portal going to the online services section selecting Track Claim Status and then selecting the option to download Annexure K in PDF format employees can obtain the documentSteps to download Annexure K Log in to the EPFO member portal using your details go to Online Services select Track Claim Status and click on Download Annexure KEarlier Union Minister for Labour and Employment Dr Mansukh Mandaviya also introduced a new facility called Passbook Lite which will enable members to easily check their passbook and related summarised view of their contributions withdrawals and balance in a simple and convenient format through the member portal itself without having to go to the passbook portalAs part of the changes made to guarantee that members receive effective transparent and userfriendly services the EPFO has added a new feature called Passbook Lite to its member portalBy offering all essential services including passbook access with a single login this initiative is anticipated to enhance the user experience However members can still use the current Passbook Portal to view all of the passbook details including a graphical display IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/epfo-makes-pf-transfer-easier-annexure-k-now-available-online-639634.html Sat, 20 Sep 2025 17:14:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/fossilised-faeces-help-bring-prehistoric-worlds-to-life-study-reveals-639639.html Sydney Sep 20 An Australianled study used prehistoric feces to uncover how molecular fossilization occurs revealing new insights into what ancient animals ate the world they lived in and what happened after they died The study published in the journal Geobiology examined 300millionyearold fossilized droppings or coprolites mostly from the Mazon Creek fossil site in the United States according to a statement released Friday by Australias Curtin University The coprolites were already known to contain cholesterol derivatives which is strong evidence of a meatbased diet but the new research explored how those delicate molecular traces were preserved and survived the ravages of timeUsually soft tissues are fossilised due to phosphate minerals but scientists from Australia the United States Sweden and Germany found molecules were preserved thanks to tiny grains of iron carbonate scattered throughout the fossil acting like microscopic time capsulesStudy lead Madison Tripp an Adjunct Research Fellow at Curtins School of Earth and Planetary Sciences said the findings add a new dimension to how scientists understand molecular preservation which is crucial to gaining insights into the ancient worldFossils dont just preserve the shapes of longextinct creatures they can also hold chemical traces of life Tripp saidBut how those delicate molecules survive for hundreds of millions of years has long been a mystery since phosphate minerals help preserve the fossils shape and structure we might have expected these to also help preserve molecules but we found instead that it was the iron carbonate that shielded the molecular traces insideIts a bit like discovering a treasure chest in this instance phosphate but the real gold is stashed in the pebbles nearbyCarbonate minerals have been quietly preserving biological information throughout Earths history said Curtin University Professor Kliti Grice adding expanded analysis of diverse fossils spanning different species environments and eras confirmed consistent mineralmolecule preservation patternsTo determine whether this mineralmolecule association was unique to the Mazon Creek site researchers expanded the analysis to include a diverse range of fossils spanning different species environments and time periodsFounding Director of Curtins WAOrganic and Isotope Geochemistry Centre and ARC Laureate Fellow Professor Kliti Grice said this revealed the findings were consistent across the samplesThis isnt just a oneoff or a lucky find its a pattern we are starting to see repeated which tells us carbonate minerals have been quietly preserving biological information throughout Earths history Professor Grice saidUnderstanding which minerals are most likely to preserve ancient biomolecules means we can be far more targeted in our fossil searchesRather than relying on chance we can look for specific conditions that give us the best shot at uncovering molecular clues about ancient lifeProfessor Grice said by revealing how biomolecules are preserved scientists were gaining powerful new tools to reconstruct the world hundreds of millions of years agoThis helps us build a much richer picture of past ecosystems not just what animals looked like but how they lived interacted and decomposed Professor Grice saidIt brings prehistoric worlds to life in molecular detail he was quoted as saying in a statement released by Curtin University IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/fossilised-faeces-help-bring-prehistoric-worlds-to-life-study-reveals-639639.html Sat, 20 Sep 2025 17:17:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/repression-in-china-both-a-political-imperative-and-a-profitable-business-report-639645.html New Delhi Sep 20 Leaked documents from two Chinese firms infrastructure builder Geedge Networks and AI company GoLaxy have revealed how repression in China is both a political imperative and a profitable business illustrating that the country is not only perfecting digital authoritarianism at home but also packaging it for export according to a report in The Diplomat The leaked internal files from Geedge Networks laid bare how Geedge sold itself as a cybersecurity company while actually building censorship and surveillance infrastructure the report mentionedGoLaxy was exposed when researchers at Vanderbilt University uncovered nearly 400 pages of internal planning documents It is a Beijingbased company that has emerged as a major player in deploying AI tools that monitor influence and manipulate narratives onlineTogether these leaks have provided an unprecedented window into the mechanics of Chinas censorship and propaganda apparatus the report addedIt further stated that the products they sell differ though they complement each other within the larger control systemGeedge is an infrastructure builder Its flagship product the Tiangou Secure Gateway is essentially a turnkey firewall in a box It performs deep packet inspection blocks VPNs and other circumvention tools fingerprints devices analyzes metadata and even offers prototype reputationbased access controls according to the reportGoLaxy systems ingest opensource social media data map relationships among political actors and influencers and use artificial intelligence to generate content for orchestrated campaignsDashboards allow operators to monitor discourse around sensitive topics Taiwan Hong Kong Xinjiang US politics and plan interventions by seeding narratives or amplifying favoured voices Where Geedge builds the pipes for information control GoLaxy provides the tools to flood those pipes with content aligned to government priorities the Diplomat report explainedGeedge has even reached abroad marketing its Great Firewall in a box to regimes that want Chinesestyle control Reports show deployments in Kazakhstan Pakistan Ethiopia and MyanmarUnlike Geedge GoLaxy does not yet appear to export its tools widely to foreign regimes instead it focuses on strengthening the CCPs domestic propaganda system and building the capacity for global influence campaigns said the reportThe report further stated that these client patterns reveal how both firms embody the partystates dual strategy to perfect control at home and to promote its model abroadBoth companies also maintain close ties to the Chinese Academy of Sciences CAS Chinas premier research institution This makes clear that China has turned repression into an export industry the report stressed IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/repression-in-china-both-a-political-imperative-and-a-profitable-business-report-639645.html Sat, 20 Sep 2025 17:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/all-efforts-to-promote-make-in-india-start-yielding-robust-results-piyush-goyal-639667.html New Delhi Sep 20 All the efforts that were taken to promote the Make In India programme have started yielding stronger results Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Saturday The minister while addressing an event on Celebrating 10 Years of Make in India said that we are all in the mission mode to make it easier to do business in India to promote manufacturing in India and to support trade and industry business and commerce including international tradeGoyal stated that by doing so we can see faster growth in the country indicating the recent GDP growth rate in the first quarter of this fiscal yearAnybody in the room would imagine we would grow 78 per cent in this first quarter It beat all economists expectations and well continue to beat them right up to 2047 the minister highlightedThe commerce minister underlined that its a race to make India a 3032 trillion economy when we celebrate 100 years of independenceHitting out at previous governments Goyal said that in the past once the roads were clogged then the infrastructure was built once the ports were overburdened then new ports were built and once airports ran out of capacity then we started planning a new airportNow Jewar international airport in UP is coming up next month whereas we still have capacity in the New Delhi airport We are anticipating growth the minister told the gatheringBy the end of this month the new airport in Mumbai will start opening up a plethora of opportunities for the state of Maharashtra and for that whole region he addedThe minister highlighted the outcome of his recent twoday visit to the UAEWe just came back many of us in this room were in the UAE for the last two days 1819 September where more than 75 industry leaders across the sectors textiles marine fisheries pharmaceuticals leather goods all of them converged Goyal saidHe said it was a fruitful event and the excitement in the Gulf region for India particularly in the UAE was palpableI really can see a lot of potential in that initiative in that region We have crossed a 100 billion bilateral trade between the UAE and India after the FTA Goyal notedIn the HighLevel Task Force on Investments we have reset our target that in the next three to four years where we will do 100 billion of nonoil nonprecious metal trade with the UAE he informedThe minister said that the Bharat Mart is coming up by early 2027 which will give MSMEs an opportunity to showcase their products have a warehousing facility and have quick logistics from there to be able to supply across the globe IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/all-efforts-to-promote-make-in-india-start-yielding-robust-results-piyush-goyal-639667.html Sat, 20 Sep 2025 18:56:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/all-efforts-to-promote-make-in-india-started-yielding-results-piyush-goyal-639668.html New Delhi Sep 20 All the efforts that were taken to promote the Make In India programme have started yielding results Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Saturday The minister while addressing an event on Celebrating 10 Years of Make in India said that we are all in mission mode to make it easier to do business in India to promote manufacturing in India to support trade and industry business and commerce including international tradeGoyal stated that by doing so we can see faster growth in the country indicating the recent GDP growth rate in the first quarter of this fiscal yearAnybody in the room would imagine we would grow 78 per cent in this first quarter It beat all economists expectations and well continue to beat them right up to 2047 the minister highlightedThe commerce minister underlined that its a race to make India a 3032 trillion economy when we celebrate 100 years of IndependenceHitting out at previous governments Goyal said in the past once the roads were clogged then the infrastructure was built once the ports were overburdened then new ports were built and once airports ran out of capacity then we started planning a new airportNow Jewar is coming up next month whereas we still have capacity in the New Delhi airport We are anticipating growth the minister statedBy the end of this month the new airport in Mumbai will start opening up a plethora of opportunities for the state of Maharashtra and for that whole region he addedThe minister highlighted the outcome of his recent twoday visit to the UAEWe just came back many of us in this room were in the UAE for the last two days September 1819 where more than 75 industry leaders across the sectors textiles marine fisheries pharmaceuticals leather goods all of them converged Goyal saidHe said that it was a fruitful event and the excitement in the Gulf region for India particularly in the UAE was palpableI really can see a lot of potential in that initiative in that region We have crossed a 100 billion bilateral trade between the UAE and India after the FTA Goyal notedAnd in this visit to the HighLevel Task Force on Investments we have reset our target that in the next three to four years we will do 100 billion of nonoil nonprecious metal trade with the UAE he saidThe minister informed that the Bharat Mart is coming up by early 2027 which will give MSMEs an opportunity to showcase their products have a warehousing facility and have quick logistics from there to be able to supply across the globe IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/all-efforts-to-promote-make-in-india-started-yielding-results-piyush-goyal-639668.html Sat, 20 Sep 2025 18:57:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/nearly-85-pc-of-oral-problems-are-preventable-experts-639671.html New Delhi Sep 20 With proper awareness and technology nearly 85 per cent of oral problems are preventable said health experts on Saturday Speaking at the threeday 35th Annual Conference of the Indian Society for Dental Research ISDR held here over 30 national and international keynote speakers emphasised the need for researchdriven collaboration across oral and craniofacial sciencesOral diseases may not always be lifethreatening but they silently erode the quality of life Nearly 85 per cent of oral problems are preventable if addressed through awareness preventive research and the use of affordable technologies Prof Dr Mahesh Verma Vice Chancellor Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University GGSIPU told IANSOur challenge is big Millions across rural and urban India either cannot access or cannot afford dental care Technology and innovation must bridge this gap Today as lifestyles change and the standard of living rises wellness cannot be achieved without oral health added Verma organising Chairman of the conferenceHe also urged the need to give attention to oral health in the national health agendaVerma said that dental research can be conducted in 36 categories including regenerative therapies revitalising dead tissues material sciences and public health approachesThe experts also noted how alcohol begins to silently erode oral health from the very first sipDr Aswini YB from the Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences stated that although it is commonly known that alcohol is harmful to the liver and body the damage begins much earlier right inside the mouthOur mouth has a delicate protective lining called the mucosa Alcohol dries it out almost instantly This dryness weakens the lining triggers painful blisters and makes the mouth far more vulnerable to infections Aswini saidAlcohol also reduces the flow of saliva the mouths natural cleansing system Without enough saliva harmful bacteria thrive infections spread faster and over time the risk of developing oral cancer increases the doctor addedAshwini also issued a stark warning about mixing alcohol with tobaccoThis deadly combination multiplies the risk of serious oral diseases including cancers Unfortunately its a habit far too common especially in India the dentist saidOther experts at the conference urged the public to recognise early warning signs such as persistent mouth dryness sores or discomfort and to take them seriously They stressed that protecting oral health is not just about brushing twice a day but also about making smarter lifestyle choicesThe threeday conclave has drawn more than 600 delegates including 150 international participants from 20 countries IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/nearly-85-pc-of-oral-problems-are-preventable-experts-639671.html Sat, 20 Sep 2025 18:59:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/link-between-vascular-disease-dementia-risk-overlooked-study-639678.html New Delhi Sep 20 Vascular dementia cognitive impairment caused by disease in the brains small blood vessels is a widespread problem but it has not been as thoroughly studied as Alzheimers disease in which abnormal plaques and protein tangles are deposited in neural tissue according to researchers The team at the University of New Mexico developed a new model for characterising and categorising different forms of vascular dementia to better understand the various forms of the disease and find effective treatmentsConditions like hypertension atherosclerosis and diabetes have been linked to vascular dementia but other contributing causes including the recent discovery of significant quantities of nano and microplastics in human brains remain poorly understood said Elaine Bearer Professor at the varsityWe have been flying blind The various vascular pathologies have not been comprehensively defined so we havent known what were treating And we didnt know that nano and microplastics were in the picture because we couldnt see them she addedIn the study published in the American Journal of Pathology Bearer and team identified 10 different disease processes that contribute to vascularbased brain injury typically by causing oxygen or nutrient deficiency leakage of blood serum and inflammation or decreased waste elimination These cause tiny strokes that harm neuronsShe listed new and existing experimental techniques including special stains and novel microscopy to detect themMeanwhile a fresh area of concern is the unknown health consequences of nanoand microplastics in the brain Bearer saidNanoplastics in the brain represent a new player on the field of brain pathology she saidAll our current thinking about Alzheimers disease and other dementias needs to be revised in light of this discoveryWhat Im finding is that theres a lot more plastic in demented people than in normal subjects she said It seems to correlate with the degree and type of dementiaThe quantity of plastics was also associated with higher levels of inflammation she said IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/link-between-vascular-disease-dementia-risk-overlooked-study-639678.html Sat, 20 Sep 2025 19:35:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/nanotech-ai-robotics-shaping-up-healthcare-as-much-as-space-exploration-isro-chairman-639683.html New Delhi Sep 20 Advanced technologies such as nanotechnology Artificial Intelligence and robotics are playing a similar role in shaping healthcare and space exploration said ISRO chairman Dr V Narayanan Speaking at the IADR Asia Pacific Regional amp 35th ISDR Annual Conference 2025 here he elucidated ISROs advancement in the field of spaceNarayanan Chairman Space Commission and Secretary Department of Space ISRO also spoke of Indias rise on the global stage and the importance of scientific convergenceIndia has put itself firmly on the global map Chandrayaan made us the only country to achieve a successful soft landing Engineering and medicine cannot remain apart he saidNanotechnology AI and robotics are transforming healthcare as much as they are shaping space exploration he addedThe noted cryogenic engineer and rocket scientist shared about his hobby of reading medical books He also urged for a collaboration between ISRO and medical institutes to boost innovationReading medical books has always been my hobby and I strongly believe that collaboration between ISRO and medical institutes will take innovation further Narayanan saidThe expert also lauded medical science for increasing longevity among humansToday Indias literacy has reached 79 per cent and the average healthy lifespan of Indians has increased because of medical progress We have made significant advances across all fields he addedAt the event Prof Abhijat Sheth Chairman National Medical Commission emphasised the need to strengthen the foundations of medical educationTwo critical areas often overlooked in medical training are clinical research and communication These must be made an integral part of the basic curriculum Sheth saidEmbedding them early will help nurture a culture of research innovation and discovery he addedThe threeday conclave drew more than 600 delegates including 150 international participants from 20 countries IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/nanotech-ai-robotics-shaping-up-healthcare-as-much-as-space-exploration-isro-chairman-639683.html Sat, 20 Sep 2025 20:13:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/india-eu-partnership-to-bolster-global-stability-639492.html New Delhi Sep 19 The new EUIndia Strategic Agenda unveiled in September aims to strengthen mutual prosperity security and global stability as the world navigates shifting geopolitical realities With the current realignment of global power a rising India is seen by Europe as a vital partner for diversifying supply chains mitigating security threats and fostering an open rulesbased international order In turn the EU as Indias largest trading partner provides access to advanced technologies investments and stable markets according to an article in India NarrativeExpansion of security ties is a top priority The agenda outlines cooperation in crisis management maritime security particularly in the Indian Ocean cyber defence intelligence sharing and counterterrorismThe new agenda was jointly announced by the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU High Representative Kaja Kallas following intensive dialogue between the Commission and the Indian government Ratification by all 27 EU member states is required with formal adoption scheduled at the EUIndia Summit in early 2026The FTA negotiations are targeted to conclude by the end of 2025 though complex issues remain Ongoing work includes setting up new dialogues on space cooperation mobility and cyber issuesThe agenda strengthens Indias global standing as a key interlocutor for Europe balancing Indias relations with Russia and China For the EU it signifies deeper Asian engagement beyond traditional partners the article statesThe launch of negotiations for a Security of Information Agreement will facilitate classified information exchange There will also be enhanced engagement in the IndoPacific with joint responses to hybrid threats and a focus on countering malign activitiesBesides India is invited to participate in EU defence initiatives including the Permanent Structured Cooperation PESCO mechanism and a new EUIndia Security and Defence Partnership modelled on those with Japan and South KoreaOn the economic front tariff removal regulatory harmonisation and investment facilitation are set to expand bilateral commerce innovation and industrial collaboration especially in hightech and green sectorsA centrepiece is finalising a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement FTAaiming to become the worlds largest such deal The FTA negotiations which have intensified in 2025 seek to lower tariffs improve market access for services and products harmonise standards and secure sustainable development commitmentsAddressing nontariff barriers and regulatory cooperation are core objectives while the EU also encourages investment in strategic sectors infrastructure and innovation with joint business forums and startup initiatives the article added IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/india-eu-partnership-to-bolster-global-stability-639492.html Fri, 19 Sep 2025 21:02:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/india-envoy-in-mongolia-highlights-itecs-role-in-fostering-global-cooperation-639494.html Ulaanbaatar Sep 19 The Indian Embassy in Mongolia celebrated the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation ITEC Day recently marking the 61st anniversary of the ITEC Scholarship Programme During the event Indias Ambassador to Mongolia Atul Malhari Gotsurve highlighted the important role played by ITEC in fostering global cooperation He noted that the ITEC is a demand driven programme that offers fullyfunded training courses in various sectors including IT finance governance and defence enabling professional to enhanced their skills and contribution to their countries developmentThe Embassy on Friday stated that the event honoured the enduring partnership between India and Mongolia Established on 15th September 1964 the ITEC Programme is a flagship initiative of the Government of India focused on technical assistance and human resource development for developing countries The programme operates on the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutubakam the world is one family and is testament to Indias longstanding tradition of sharing its knowledge and expertiseThe ITEC Day celebration brought together around 250270 people including prominent alumni of the ITEC programme Mongolian government officials and dignitaries from various sectors in the countryThe Chief Guest of the event HE Mr Damdinnyam Gongor Minister of Industry amp Mineral Resources Government of Mongolia an ITEC Alumni appreciated and expressed his heartfelt gratitude for ITEC programme in enhancing and sharing valuable skills for working professional across key sectors of Mongolias state ministriesdepartments He also thanked Government of India for the support given in building the Oil Refinery Project at Dornogibi which will enhance the energy security of Mongolia the Embassy highlightedDuring the event several ITEC alumni shared their experiences on how the training programmes have positively impacted their careers and provided them with valuable insights about Indias culture and societyN Enkhbayar 3rd President of Mongolia A Bayar Speaker of Citizens Representative Council of Ulaanbaatar City O Nyamdavaa former Ambassador of Mongolia to India and Kh Chinbat President of the IndiaMongolia Alumni Association were also present during the eventSince its inception the ITEC Programme has been instrumental in strengthening bilateral relations and promoting SouthSouth cooperation The programme offers over 15000 fully funded training slots annually across a diverse range of discipline with course conducted at more than 100 premier institution in India with active participation from more than 160 countries Over 3500 professionals from Mongolia have benefited from these initiatives till now Every year 200 scholarship slots are available for Mongolian nationals the Embassy statedThe ITEC programme embodies Indias commitment to supporting the aspirations of its partners focusing on model of cooperation that is voluntary free of conditionalities and aligned with the priorities of the recipient countries It continues to be a powerful symbol of friendship and shared progress between India and Mongolia it added IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/india-envoy-in-mongolia-highlights-itecs-role-in-fostering-global-cooperation-639494.html Fri, 19 Sep 2025 21:03:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/customer-inquiries-surge-15-20-pc-post-maruti-suzuki-announcing-rate-cut-report-639502.html New Delhi Aug 19 Customer enquiries for cars have increased significantly by 1520 per cent across segments after Maruti Suzuki India MSIL announced passing on the full benefits of GST 20 a report said on Friday Dealers have been witnessing a surge in enquiries in both online and walkin and especially for entrylevel cars like K10 Celerio Spresso and Wagon R in Tier1 cities HSBC Global Investment said in its reportAccording to the report the share of firsttime buyers has increased by 57 per cent in total bookings so farThe premium hatchback segment Swift Baleno and others is also seeing a decent uptickThe report highlighted that the passenger vehicle PV segment is now expected to grow by double digits YoY during the upcoming festive season compared to single digits before the GST cut announcementMSIL announced steep price cuts on its entrylevel portfolio more than the impact of the GST cutMSIL took a price cut of 1121 per cent on its entrylevel portfolio 911 per cent on premium hatchbacks and up to 8 per cent on Brezza more than the impact of the GST cut 358 per cent the report notedMaruti Suzuki announced a reduction in car prices across its portfolio on Thursday allowing customers to fully benefit from the recent drop in the GST rates on carsEntrylevel models will see the biggest reductions with the Alto K10 and SPresso seeing price reductions of up to Rs 107 lakh and Rs 129 lakh respectivelySignificant savings of between Rs 71300 and Rs 129 lakh will also be available for other hatchbacks including the Celerio WagonR and IgnisThe cost of small SUVs will also decreaseThe GST Council approved the 5 and 18 per cent tax structure scrapping the earlier four slab 512181nd 28 per centBy primarily setting GST rates at 18 per cent for small cars and 40 per cent for larger or luxury vehicles this reform streamlines the tax structure and does away with the previous compensation cess EVs are still under a favourable 5 per cent GST rate IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/customer-inquiries-surge-15-20-pc-post-maruti-suzuki-announcing-rate-cut-report-639502.html Fri, 19 Sep 2025 22:01:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/ncds-mental-health-silent-killers-more-cost-effective-solutions-imperative-who-chief-639331.html New Delhi Sep 18 Noncommunicable diseases NCDs such as diabetes hypertension and cancers as well as mental health conditions like anxiety and depression are a silent killer World Health Organisation WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Thursday He urged countries to strengthen costeffective solutions to tackle the rising burden of NCDs and mental healthNoncommunicable diseases and mental health conditions are silent killers robbing us of lives and innovation said GhebreyesusIn a new report titled Saving lives spending less the WHO revealed that an additional investment of just 3 per person annually in tackling NCDs could yield economic benefits of up to 1 trillion by 2030Interestingly the report showed 82 per cent of countries achieved reductions in NCD mortality between 2010 and 2019However the rate of progress slowed significantly 60 per cent across most regions with some countries even experiencing a resurgence in NCDrelated deathsNCDs are responsible for most global deaths while more than one billion people live with mental health conditions Alarmingly nearly 75 per cent of deaths related to NCDs and mental health conditions occur in low and middleincome countries accounting for 32 million lives lost each yearWe have the tools to save lives and reduce suffering Countries like Denmark South Korea and Moldova are leading the way while others are stalling Investing in the fight against NCDs isnt just smart economics its an urgent necessity for thriving societies the WHO DirectorGeneral saidWithout urgent and sustained action to tackle the conditions millions more lives will be lost prematurelyThe solutions to tackle NCDs and promote mental health and wellbeing are both affordable and highly costeffective the report saidThe WHO urged actions by governments against powerful industries whose products contribute to disease These include tobacco alcohol and ultraprocessed food companies who frequently attempt to block weaken or delay lifesaving policies ranging from health taxes to marketing restrictions aimed at protecting childrenIt is unacceptable that commercial interests are profiting from increasing deaths and disease said Dr Etienne Krug Director of WHOs Department of Health Determinants Promotion and PreventionGovernments must put people before profits and ensure evidencebased policy is not derailed by corporate pressure Krug said IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/ncds-mental-health-silent-killers-more-cost-effective-solutions-imperative-who-chief-639331.html Fri, 19 Sep 2025 00:27:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/sensex-nifty-open-marginally-lower-amid-mixed-global-cues-639362.html Mumbai Sep 19 The Indian benchmark indices opened marginally lower on Friday with IT stocks leading the losses in early trade As of 926 am Sensex was down 241 points or 029 per cent at 82772 and Nifty was down 63 points or 025 per cent at 25360The US Federal Reserve resumed interest rates cut cycle by reducing rates by 25 basis points but the outlook on further easing in the months ahead failed to meet the investors dovish expectations while markets awaited more cues into US policy path according to analystsNifty Midcap 100 inched up by 016 per cent and the Nifty Small cap 100 lost 004 per centHero MotoCorp Shriram Finance Maruti Suzuki NTPC Tech Mahindra were among major gainers on Nifty while losers were ICICI Bank Bajaj Finance Tata Consumer and Titan CompanyAmong sectoral indices Nifty IT the top loser lost 040 per cent Nifty FMCG and Nifty Private bank also weighed down on the indices Except Nifty Realty and PSU Bank all other sectoral indices were trading in the red or with marginal gainsThe Nifty50 held firmly above the 25400 mark in the previous session signalling investor confidence with upside momentum intactAnalysts said that while buying interest is visible at lower levels the 2550025600 zone remains a stiff hurdle on the upside On the downside support is placed at 2530025100 for any minor pullbackMarket is on an uptrend and is well positioned to set new records soon Fundamentals technicals and sentiments are favourable for a steady uptrend Earnings are likely to improve from Q3 onwards Technically short covering is happening and can accelerate said Dr VK Vijayakumar Chief Investment Strategist Geojit Investments LimitedFrom the market sentiment perspective a USIndia trade deal without the penal tariff and a lower reciprocal tariff is likely he addedMajor US indices made gains overnight as the Nasdaq added 094 per cent the SampP 500 edged up 048 per cent and the Dow inched up 027 per centMost of the Asian markets were trading in the green during the morning session While Chinas Shanghai index dipped 012 per cent and Shenzhen advanced 023 per cent Japans Nikkei edged up 077 per cent while Hong Kongs Hang Seng Index moved up 012 per cent South Koreas Kospi lost 046 per centOn Thursday foreign institutional investors FIIs purchased equities worth Rs 366 crore while domestic institutional investors DIIs were net buyers of equities worth Rs 3326 crore IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/sensex-nifty-open-marginally-lower-amid-mixed-global-cues-639362.html Fri, 19 Sep 2025 10:15:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/adani-power-a-turnaround-in-indias-corporate-history-says-morgan-stanley-with-29-pc-stock-upside-639366.html Mumbai Sep 19 Shares of Adani Power Ltd APL surged in the morning trade on Friday after global brokerage Morgan Stanley initiated Overweight on the company with a target price of Rs 818 projecting an upside of 29 per cent from its previous closing price The brokerage said in a note that Adani Power is a good illustration of turnaround in Indias corporate history with resolution on most regulatory issues and multiple valueaccretive acquisitionsAPL will deliver strong earnings growth driven by timely completion of projects and more PPA wins medium term Initiate at OW Overweight and Top Pick said the brokerageNew coal power purchase agreements PPAs should improve investor confidence in earnings power Morgan Stanley addedIt also forecast that the companys capacity and earnings before interest taxes depreciation and amortisation EBITDA will rise 25 times and 3 times by the financial year 2033 respectivelyWe believe coal holds the key to Indias energy security with nuclear being a driver in the next decade India is looking to add 80GW of coal by F32 there is currently a large power purchase agreement PPA pipeline of 20GW according to the noteThe stock was trading about 78 per cent up in the morning trade Shares of Adani Power ended the previous session 05 per cent upAdani Ports is Indias largest independent power producer and secondlargest power producer after NTPC with 8 per cent share in both coal and generationWe forecast its market share to reach 15 per cent by F32e with a 419GW portfolio 25x vs F25 APL has seen favourable resolution of most regulatory issues and has a strong balance sheet F25 net debtEBITDA 15x We expect 6065 per cent of its US27 billion capex for a 237GW addition to be met through internal accruals said the brokerageIncrementally timely project completions land acquired boiler turbinegenerator orders placed construction execution by Adani Group and lower external debt combined with PPAs getting signed would drive earningsWe see upside to our estimates if APLs merchant portfolio declines from 20 per cent currently and profitability in recently acquired 29GW power plants improves the brokerage note said IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/adani-power-a-turnaround-in-indias-corporate-history-says-morgan-stanley-with-29-pc-stock-upside-639366.html Fri, 19 Sep 2025 10:45:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/poshan-maah-initiative-significantly-advanced-indias-fight-against-malnutrition-govt-639394.html New Delhi Sep 19 The Poshan Maah initiative under the Poshan Abhiyaan has significantly advanced Indias fight against malnutrition the Union government said Launched in March 2018 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Rajasthans Jhunjhunu Poshan Abhiyaan is a flagship multiministerial convergence mission designed to place nutrition at the forefront of Indias national development agendaThe Poshan Maah initiative has played a key role in building a healthier and stronger nation through nutrition reducing stunting among childrenThe National Family Health Survey NFHS5 201921 reports reduced stunting among children under five from 384 per cent to 355 per cent As per the NFHS5 report underweight prevalence in children dropped from 358 per cent to 321 per centThe Poshan Maah initiative a cornerstone of the Poshan Abhiyaan has significantly advanced Indias fight against malnutrition by promoting dietary diversity community engagement and technologydriven solutions the government saidPoshan Maah empowers communities and schools to foster sustainable nutritional practices for a healthier stronger nation it addedOn Wednesday PM Modi launched the 8th Rashtriya Poshan Maah along with the Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar Abhiyan aligning strongly with his vision of Sashakt Nari and Suposhit BharatThis years edition highlights innovative and inclusive approaches to address malnutrition and promote sustainable health It aims to create awareness on obesity by reducing sugar and oil consumption to build a healthier IndiaObesity is becoming a big problem for our country In the coming years every third person will be a victim to it We must save ourselves from obesity Therefore I would like to give you a small suggestion use 10 per cent less oil in cooking PM Modi said during his Independence Day speech in AugustThe Poshan Maah will focus on early childhood care and education ECCEPoshan Bhi Padhai Bhi PBPBFurther with the EK Ped Maa Ke Naam initiative it aims to integrate environmental sustainability with nutrition awareness encouraging tree plantation and ecofriendly practices to support longterm health and wellbeingThe campaign also aims to enhance feeding practices for children under two years to improve nutrition outcomes emphasising optimal breastfeeding and complementary feeding In addition it will promote active male participation in nutrition awareness and caregiving roles to foster shared responsibility in family and community healthPoshan Maah is a nationwide initiative to promote nutrition and healthy living and everyone can play a vital role in making it a success by educating the community planting nutrition gardens and promoting kitchen gardens supporting Anganwadi Centres and ASHA Workers by volunteering at local Anganwadi centres IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/poshan-maah-initiative-significantly-advanced-indias-fight-against-malnutrition-govt-639394.html Fri, 19 Sep 2025 12:34:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/india-is-largest-flexible-office-market-in-asia-pacific-report-639399.html New Delhi Sep 19 India is the largest flexible workspace market in the AsiaPacific region APAC with 797 million square feet MSF of stock across top 8 cities as of the Q2 2025 a report said on Friday It is expected to reach 85 MSF by yearend and surpass 100 MSF by 2026 Cushman and Wakefield said in its report on FridayThis growth has been matched by surging demandAccording to the report flex demand has risen nearly sixfold since 2020 fuelled by occupiers prioritising shorter commitments managed solutions and speedtomarket strategiesIn 2024 alone flexible space accounted for 15 per cent of total new office leasing confirming its mainstream adoptionOperator expansion has also accelerated sharplyOver the past three years 20222024 flexible workspace providers leased 335 MSF equivalent to more than 5 lakh seatsAnnual operator takeup has tripled in just five years from 43 MSF in 2020 to 154 MSF in 2024 firmly establishing flexible workspace as a core workplace solution rather than an alternate option the report statedFlexibility and agility are driving Indias flex space story and this trend is set to accelerate as firms actively seek businessready offices to rapidly scale or adjust headcount as neededThe bulk of this demand is coming from international enterprises which accounted for 72 per cent of flex seat absorption in 2024 while startups took up 28 per cent the report notedThe significant influx of Global Capability Centres and other new companies entering India is accelerating this shift further solidifying flexible workspaces as the preferred model for companies seeking speed resilience and growth in a dynamic marketThe managed officeenterprise model now dominates accounting for 7080 per cent of demand postCOVID well ahead of traditional coworkingAccording to the report the bulk of this stock remains concentrated in the top 8 cities with Bengaluru leading the charge holding 30 per cent of the national flex inventory followed by DelhiNCR Pune and HyderabadBengaluru also leads the demand accounting for an average of onethird of annual enterprise transactions in the countryBeyond these leading Metros occupiers are increasingly expanding to TierII cities such as Chandigarh Jaipur Kochi Trivandrum Coimbatore Visakhapatnam and Bhubaneswar to tap into new talent pools and capitalise on lower operating costsIndia stands out for the strength and maturity of its flexible workspace marketScoring a perfect 100 on Cushman and Wakefields maturity index India has outpaced its global peers with wellestablished office markets including the United Kingdom at 98 per cent France at 97 per cent the United States at 81 per cent and both Japan and Singapore at 77 per cent respectively the report highlighted IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/india-is-largest-flexible-office-market-in-asia-pacific-report-639399.html Fri, 19 Sep 2025 12:55:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/iphone-17-pre-bookings-in-india-surpass-iphone-16-levels-report-639401.html New Delhi Sep 19 Prebookings for Apples iPhone 17 series in India have surpassed those of the iPhone 16 during the launch period with the new series projected to account for 1520 per cent of sales as per industry sources The prebooking numbers for iPhone 17 indicate a potentially strong Diwali quarter for Apple according to analysts despite supply constraints of iPhone 17 Pro modelsThe data indicated that total iPhone shipments in India are expected to surpass 5 million units in the JulySeptember period in 2025 Apple shipped approximately 4 million iPhones in Q3 2024 with new models accounting for 10 per cent of salesAnalysts said that demand for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max is particularly high creating the possibility of supply shortages in the early weeks of launch Basemodel preorders for the upgraded 256 GB storage have surged with Cosmic Orange being the most soughtafter colourThe base variant has been upgraded to 256GB making it a better value proposition compared to last years launch they saidiPhone 17 series will be available for purchase in India starting today Apples latest lineup starts at Rs 82900 for the iPhone 17 256GB The new iPhone Air a slimmer model begins at Rs 119900 while the iPhone 17 Pro 256GB is priced at Rs 134900 At the top end the iPhone 17 Pro Max 256GB comes in at Rs 149900Retailers indicate that base models will be widely available while Pro and Pro Max allocations are significantly limited comprising only about 10 per cent of typical deliveries This scarcity is leading to blackmarket premiums of 1020 per centAnalysts noted that the iPhone 16 was Indias highestselling model in H1 2025 driving 9650 per cent growth in the premium smartphone segmentApple has recently opened two new stores in Bengaluru and Pune as part of its retail expansion in India anticipating it to be the next key market In Apples largest overseas market China sales grew by only 44 per cent in the June quarter following two years of declinesIndia is also becoming central to Apples manufacturing plans with one in every five iPhones now being produced in the country IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/iphone-17-pre-bookings-in-india-surpass-iphone-16-levels-report-639401.html Fri, 19 Sep 2025 12:56:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/indias-smartphone-market-grows-2-pc-in-1h25-report-639408.html New Delhi Sep 19 Indias smartphone market grew by 2 per cent yearonyear YoY in the first half of 2025 with 60 million units shipped a new report said on Friday Apple emerged as the fastestgrowing brand with a strong 35 per cent jump in shipments according to data compiled by International Data Corporation IDCThe report said that premium smartphones priced above Rs 50000 played a big role in driving growth while the midrange segment of Rs 1000020000 remained the largest in terms of overall volumesRegionally the northern states led the market with 33 per cent share while the southern region grew the fastest the report saidSmaller Tier4 cities including Mysore and Shimla also recorded strong doubledigit growth showing rising demand beyond metros and big townsMeanwhile another report by CyberMedia Research CMR said Indias premium smartphone market is set to grow by 18 per cent in sales and 24 per cent in value during the upcoming festive seasonWithin this superpremium devices in the Rs 50000100000 category are expected to grow 15 per cent while the uberpremium segment priced above Rs 100000 could see a massive 167 per cent surgeAccording to Prabhu Ram VPIndustry Research Group at CMR aspirational buyers especially Gen Z and millennials are driving the premium segment as they seek powerful devices that match their digital lifestylesWith increasing accessibility and affordability initiatives more consumers are now looking to buy the latest premium devices he saidSamsung Apple and OPPO led the premium smartphone market in July with 28 per cent 23 per cent and 11 per cent share respectivelyApple backed by its latest iPhone 17 series and steady demand for older iPhones is well placed for a strong festive season the report addedConsumers are also giving more importance to chipsets that power smartphones Features such as seamless multitasking highend gaming advanced cameras and AIdriven experiences are becoming top priorities for buyersAnalysts said that while overall smartphone market growth remains modest strong demand in the premium segment and intensifying competition among brands will give Indian buyers more options this festive season IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/indias-smartphone-market-grows-2-pc-in-1h25-report-639408.html Fri, 19 Sep 2025 14:01:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/softbanks-vision-fund-to-lay-off-20-pc-of-its-workforce-to-focus-on-ai-639412.html New Delhi Sep 19 Japanese investment giant SoftBank Group Corps Vision Fund is laying off approximately 20 per cent of its workforce as founder Masayoshi Son shifts the 100 billion funds focus towards artificial intelligence Over 50 of Vision Funds 282 employees are expected to be laid off due to job cuts according to multiple reports The company spokesperson said that the decision aligns with the organisations longterm strategy to focus on significant investments in AI and breakthrough technologiesMasayoshi Sons AI plans include an investment of around 30 billion in OpenAI and a 65 billion deal to acquire chip designer Ampere Computing which faces regulatory scrutiny SoftBank has so far invested roughly 10 billion in OpenAIIt has partnered with OpenAI and Oracle on a proposed 500 billion Stargate initiative to establish US AI data centres and is considering a 1 trillion AI industrial park with TSMCThe Vision Fund launched in 2017 had a workforce of 474 at its peak in March 2020 SoftBank has reduced its assets and cut its workforce by 40 per cent to secure funding for sizable AI investments as it felt unnecessary to have an army of investment advisers to oversee fresh or existing dealsLast month Softbank signed a securities purchase agreement under which SoftBank will make a 2 billion investment in Intel Both companies said that they have deepened their commitment to investing in advanced technology and semiconductor innovation in the United StatesMasayoshi said that the strategic investment reflected the companys belief that advanced semiconductor manufacturing and supply will further expand in the United States with Intel playing a critical roleUnder the terms of the agreement SoftBank will pay 23 per share of Intel common stock SoftBanks investment in Intel builds upon its longterm vision of enabling the AI revolution by accelerating access to advanced technologies that support digital transformation cloud computing and nextgeneration infrastructure IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/softbanks-vision-fund-to-lay-off-20-pc-of-its-workforce-to-focus-on-ai-639412.html Fri, 19 Sep 2025 14:25:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/mission-saksham-anganwadi-poshan-20-to-boost-nutrition-of-children-amp-pregnant-women-pmo-639413.html New Delhi Sep 19 Government initiatives Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 20 aim to strengthen the nutrition of children adolescent girls and pregnant women said the Prime Ministers Office PMO on Friday In a post shared on the social media platform X the PMO lauded a media article by Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annapurna Devi on the integrated nutrition support programme undertaken by the Ministry of Women and Child DevelopmentThe programme seeks to address the challenges of malnutrition in children adolescent girls pregnant women and lactating mothers through a strategic shift in nutrition content and delivery and by the creation of a convergent ecosystem to develop and promote practices that nurture health wellness and immunityMission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 20 is a major initiative taken to improve the nutrition of children adolescent girls and pregnant mothers the PMO said in the postThrough this millions of beneficiaries are receiving help via the vast network of Anganwadi centers spread across the country How this scheme of the Ministry of Women and Child Development is shaping the future of our millions of children Union Minister Annapurna Devi ji has explained in detail in this article the post addedIn the article Devi underscored the efforts of the 14 lakh Anganwadi centers spread across the country providing services to nearly 10 crore beneficiariesThis article highlights the fact that through Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 20 the Ministry of Women and Child Development is developing an integrated mechanism to improve the nutritional outcomes of children adolescent girls pregnant women and lactating mothers Devi saidThe centerpiece of this campaign is the vast network of 14 lakh Anganwadi centres spread across the country which is providing services to nearly 10 crore beneficiaries The Ministry of Women and Child Development working on the principle of one meal at a time is nourishing Indias future through the health and nutrition of over eight crore children she addedPoshan 20 aims to contribute to human capital development of the country address challenges of malnutrition promote nutrition awareness and good eating habits for sustainable health and wellbeing and address nutritionrelated deficiencies through key strategies IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/mission-saksham-anganwadi-poshan-20-to-boost-nutrition-of-children-amp-pregnant-women-pmo-639413.html Fri, 19 Sep 2025 14:26:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/gst-reforms-suzuki-motorcycle-slashes-two-wheeler-prices-by-up-to-rs-18-000-639422.html New Delhi Sep 19 Passing on the full benefit of Goods and Services Tax GST reforms Suzuki Motorcycle India on Friday announced to cut prices on its twowheeler range by up to Rs 18000 from September 22 According to the twowheeler subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Corporation the Gixxer SF 250 model would see the highest price cut of Rs 18024 in the exshowroom price followed by VStrom SX Rs 17982 Gixxer 250 Rs 16525 and Gixxer RS 11520Among the scooter range the Burgman Street Ex will become Rs 9798 cheaper the Burgman Street price will go down by Rs 8373 the Avenis will have a price reduction of Rs 7823 and the Access price has been reduced by Rs 8523The twowheeler manufacturer said that the GST 20 reforms will make Suzuki twowheelers and spare parts more affordable and accessible across the countryRecently the union government announced GST 20 which reduced indirect tax rates from 28 per cent to 18 per cent on all twowheelers up to 350cc and on all auto componentsThe reforms have been introduced to rationalise taxation and provide direct benefits to consumersIn line with this initiative SMIPL has undertaken a comprehensive revision of its price structure across all variants of its scooters and motorcyclesAlongside twowheelers the reduced GST on spare parts and accessories will directly translate into lower maintenance costs collectively enhancing the overall ownership value for Suzuki customers the company saidOur customers are always at the core of everything we do We welcome the Government of Indias GST 20 reforms which are a progressive step towards making mobility more affordable for the masses In keeping with our customerfirst approach we pass on the complete benefit of these reforms on both our twowheelers and spare parts reducing the purchase as well as maintenance costs said Deepak Mutreja VicePresident Sales and Marketing Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt LtdComing just ahead of the festive season this move is expected to further uplift customer sentiment make our product range even more attractive and give a strong push to demand in the twowheeler marketThe new prices will come into effect from September 22 IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/gst-reforms-suzuki-motorcycle-slashes-two-wheeler-prices-by-up-to-rs-18-000-639422.html Fri, 19 Sep 2025 14:54:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/mumbai-tops-indias-data-centre-capacity-surpassing-4-gw-milestone-report-639430.html New Delhi Sep 19 Mumbai has emerged as Indias data centre capital accounting for 40 per cent of the nations total capacity and 44 per cent of live IT capacity a report said on Friday In the first half of 2025 Mumbais capacity jumped 143 per cent to exceed the 4 GW milestone comprising 591 MW operational 185 MW under construction and 32 GW in the pipeline according to a report from real estate services firm Knight FrankThis growth builds on Indias data centre market surpassing 10GW in H2 2024 supported by 14GW live and 400MW under construction the report addedWith 976 MW of takeup over six months the citys vacancy rate at data centres is at 54 per cent less than half Indias overall vacancy of 123 per cent Twothirds of underconstruction space is already preleased to companiesThree live Mumbai sites can support hyperscale deployments above 25 MW and just one offers more than 10 MW available Hence the fragmented market of smaller 1 MW2 MW facilities has encouraged global players and joint ventures to plan highcapacity campuses such as NTTs 500 MW NAV2 project and BlackstonePanchshil Realtys 500 MW AI facilityHyderabad Indias secondlargest datacentre market at 21 GW is positioning itself for hyperscale growth with over 500 MW in new capacity via two major projects the report notedWith over 3GW of capacity in the pipeline and strong policy support for green data centre parks Mumbai is attracting sustained global investment said Shishir Baijal Chairman and Managing Director Knight Frank IndiaIts robust subsea cable connectivity scalable power infrastructure proximity to enterprise hubs and progressive state policies make it South Asias gateway for cloud AI and enterprise workloads he addedMumbai has firmly established itself as the epicentre of Indias digital infrastructure growth While other metros like Chennai Hyderabad and Bengaluru are gaining traction none match Mumbais scale speed and ability to serve as South Asias gateway for cloud AI and enterprise workloads IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/mumbai-tops-indias-data-centre-capacity-surpassing-4-gw-milestone-report-639430.html Fri, 19 Sep 2025 15:22:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/ayurveda-offers-sustainable-healthcare-for-humans-and-environment-prataprao-jadhav-639431.html New Delhi Sep 19 Ayurveda offers a sustainable healthcare solution for both humans and the environment said Prataprao Jadhav Union Minister of State Independent Charge for Ayush on Friday Speaking at the curtain raiser for Ayurveda Day 2025 at the National Media Centre NMC organised by the Ministry of Ayush Jadhav highlighted key initiatives planned for the 10th Ayurveda Day It will be celebrated on September 23 at the All India Institute of Ayurveda AIIA GoaThe Minister underlined Ayurvedas potential as a holistic evidencebased and environmentally sustainable healthcare systemAyurveda is more than a medical science it is a way of life that harmonises individuals with their environment Jadhav saidReferring to the first allIndia NSSO survey on Ayush the MoS emphasised Ayurvedas widespread acceptance across both rural and urban India where it remains the most practiced system of treatmentJadhav informed that the government has taken a historic step by notifying September 23 as the fixed annual date for Ayurveda Day thereby giving it a universal calendar identityThe theme this year is Ayurveda for People amp PlanetIt reflects Indias commitment to advancing Ayurveda as a sustainable integrative solution for global health and environmental wellbeing Jadhav saidThe Minister also announced a series of peoplecentric initiatives by the Ministry of Ayush to mark Ayurveda Day 2025These include awareness campaigns such as Little Steps to Wellness for students Lead the Mislead to counter false advertisements Ayurveda Aahara for Obesity along with programmes on Ayurveda for plant and veterinary healthTracing the journey of Ayurveda Day since its inception in 2016 Jadhav recalled that the 2024 edition witnessed participation from more than 150 countriesHe further informed that investments worth Rs 12850 crore have strengthened Ayurvedas role in holistic healthcare in the country IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/ayurveda-offers-sustainable-healthcare-for-humans-and-environment-prataprao-jadhav-639431.html Fri, 19 Sep 2025 15:24:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/blue-economy-is-central-to-indias-growth-pm-modi-639438.html New Delhi Sep 19 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday highlighted that the Blue Economy is central to Indias growth combining prosperity sustainability and national strength Initiatives like Sagarmala Deep Ocean Mission and Harit Sagar Guidelines to harness ocean resources are empowering communities driving innovation and strengthening Indias leadership in global ocean governance PM Modi statedThe Prime Minister was responding on X to a post by Union Minister of State Dr Jitendra Singh who wrote the articleThe article states that with a revised coastline stretching now over 11098 kms and a vast Exclusive Economic Zone spanning 24 square million kms India is exceptionally wellplaced to build a 100 billion growth engine through a sustainable use of ocean resources creating jobs supporting coastal communities protecting marine ecosystems and strengthening our global maritime presenceWe are now in Blue Economy 20 focusing just not on traditional sectors but also the emerging Highpotential areas that will define our future growth For example the Deep Ocean Mission is helping our scientists explore the deep sea using the Matsya submersible Aiming to find strategic resources and create new technologies for the future The Sagarmala Programme is modernising our ports to make our trade more efficient and our business more competitive For our coastal communities the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana PMMSY is a flagship scheme to bring a blue revolution to our fisheries sector Singh saidBut our vision goes far beyond this It empowers people and protects our planet It includes creation of new opportunities for the empowerment of women by encouraging them to lead in sustainable fields like seaweed farming and ecofriendly tourism providing them new income streams and a greater voice in their communities he addedThe PMMSY scheme completed five years of its launch on September 10 2020 as a landmark initiative that has ushered in the Blue Revolution in Indias fisheries sector with the country becoming the second largest fish producer in the worldThe scheme has enabled India to achieve record fish production of 195 lakh tonnes in 202425 a sharp rise from 14164 lakh tonnes in 201920 contributing nearly 8 per cent of global fish productionIndias fisheries exports have shown robust growth increasing from Rs 4666285 crore in 201920 to Rs 6052489 crore in 202324 strengthening the countrys position in the global seafood marketPMMSY has also succeeded in creating 58 lakh employment opportunities as of December 2024 surpassing the target of 55 lakh It has also led to the empowerment of 99018 women through an outlay of Rs 406196 crore sanctioned from 202021 to 202425 the statement saidThe scheme has been working towards making the fisheries sector ecologically healthy economically viable and socially inclusive by addressing critical gaps in production and productivity quality technology infusion and postharvest infrastructurePMMSY promotes womens participation in fisheries by providing up to 60 per cent of total project cost as financial assistance up to Rs 15 crore per project under beneficiaryoriented activities and the entrepreneur model IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/blue-economy-is-central-to-indias-growth-pm-modi-639438.html Fri, 19 Sep 2025 15:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/gst-reforms-will-not-pose-major-fiscal-burden-on-government-report-639446.html New Delhi Sep 19 The recent Goods and Services Tax GST rationalisation will not have a significant fiscal burden on the government a Crisil report has said The government has estimated a net loss of an annualised Rs 48000 crore in revenue in the short term on account of GST reformsTotal GST collections in the previous fiscal were Rs 106 lakh crore hence the loss does not seem significant according to a Crisil Ratings reportCiting the method of recalibration of the tax rates the report emphasised that the move to reduce rates will unlikely to pose a major pressure on the government revenueAs of fiscal 2024 the majority 7075 per cent of GST revenue came from the 18 per cent slab Only 56 per cent was from the 12 per cent slab and 1315 per cent from the 28 per cent slab the report notedReducing the tax rates of items from 12 per cent may not render a significant revenue lossMeanwhile tax rates are unchanged on several fastgrowing services such as mobile tariff chargesNew services such as ecommerce delivery were also brought under GST and are taxed at 18 per cent and some increase in disposable incomes due to benefits on other mass consumption items could further drive up their demand and tax collections the report highlightedDifferentiated taxes between lower and highervalue items within a category can also help mitigate the fiscal impact the report highlightedFor instance the rate was hiked for highervalue items of clothing and twowheelers even as taxes on lowervalue items were loweredPremium demand from upperincome segments could remain intact supporting revenue the report statedAdditionally GST simplification from four to two slabs can bring more goods and services under the formal net which could gradually support tax buoyancy over the medium termWhile their impact on consumption depends on the speed and the extent to which the GST cuts are passed to consumer prices tax cuts on essentials can increase purchasing power creating a broader boost for consumption gradually the report notedAlongside there are other macro tailwinds for consumption this fiscal such as low inflation easing borrowing costs the governments incometax relief announced at the start of this year and healthy agricultureThe new GST rates will come into force on September 22 and play out over the second half of this fiscal IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/gst-reforms-will-not-pose-major-fiscal-burden-on-government-report-639446.html Fri, 19 Sep 2025 16:24:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/new-study-shows-how-malaria-parasite-damages-brain-639455.html New Delhi Sep 19 Researchers have identified how the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum affects the brain an advance that may help develop potential therapeutics that could help prevent or even reverse the damage Cerebral malaria kills one out of five children who suffer from it and also causes longterm disabilities in half of the survivorsMalaria is caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum which reproduces in our red blood cells and then breaks out of them to continue infecting new cellsOnce the parasite makes it to the bloodbrain barrier BBB a structure that protects the brain from harmful substances it can damage it causing severe complicationsTo understand its effects researchers from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory EMBL in Barcelona Spain created a labgrown BBB to show how the parasite damages itYou have to imagine the BBB as a system of tightly sealed pipes that prevent leaks The malaria parasite is capable of developing cracks in those pipes and creating a leak that starts dripping infected fluid into the brain causing swelling and making the disease irreversible said Livia Piatti postdoctoral student at EMBLThe labgrown infection model of the human BBB included the key cellular players endothelial cells that line the blood vessels supporting pericytes and astrocytes which are starshaped brain cells all arranged in a 3D structure with flowing fluidThe miniature BBBonachip 3DBBB was exposed to the parasite at its most explosive stage the moment it bursts out of red blood cells in a process called egressThe findings published in the journal Nature Communications indicated that the barrier had become more permeableIn addition analysis of gene expression at the singlecell level showed that cells were producing less of the proteins that keep the BBB sealed and more of the molecules that cause inflammationFurther the researchers successfully tested an approved drug Ruxolitinib on their 3DBBB model with results suggesting that it could be effective for deadly cases of malariaBy helping calm the inflammation in the blood vessels of the brain the drug reduced the leakiness of the BBB they said IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/new-study-shows-how-malaria-parasite-damages-brain-639455.html Fri, 19 Sep 2025 17:03:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/dsci-siemens-launch-ot-cyber-security-lab-to-strengthen-indias-critical-infrastructure-639472.html New Delhi Sep 19 Industry body Data Security Council of India DSCI and Siemens Limited inaugurated an Operational Technology OT Cyber Security Lab at the Nasscom campus in Noida on Friday The initiative aims to strengthen cybersecurity of national infrastructure and as serve as an innovation platform for startups providing access to technology equipmentIt will provide expertise necessary to develop and test their cybersecurity solutions in realworld OT scenarios in a safe and controlled environment an official statement saidThe lab is envisioned as hub for training awareness and skill development by providing handson exposure to professionals across critical sectors on OT cybersecurity practicesThis testbed is equipped to allow the latest tests including defenseindepth for OT environments the release saidIt also offers handson training and promotes collaboration among government academia and private sector stakeholdersKK Singh Joint Secretary Ministry of Electronics and IT inaugurated the facilityand said that securing OT environments is vital for national security He urged startups and researchers to utilise the lab to enhance defences for critical infrastructureVinayak Godse CEO DSCI announced that the lab will serve as an extension of the National Centre of Excellence a joint initiative between MeitY and DSCIThe lab will facilitate collaboration between government agencies academia industry and startups involved in critical infrastructure he addedSuprakash Chaudhuri Head of Digital Industries Siemens Limited stressed that rapid digitalisation led to the convergence of IT and OT exposing the systems to new vulnerabilitiesThe lab will help empower industries in India to build resilient and Cybersecure operations he addedIndias digital forensics market is projected to skyrocket at a compound annual growth rate CAGR of nearly 40 per cent to reach Rs 11829 crore 139 billion by FY 202930 more than triple the global average of 11 per cent IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/dsci-siemens-launch-ot-cyber-security-lab-to-strengthen-indias-critical-infrastructure-639472.html Fri, 19 Sep 2025 18:30:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/google-picks-20-indian-startups-for-ai-accelerator-programme-639478.html New Delhi Sep 19 US tech giant Google on Friday announced the latest cohort of its free threemonth AI accelerator programme a group of 20 startups selected from over 1600 applicants in the country The programme titled Google for Startups Accelerator AI First in India began this week and aims to scale AIdriven solutions across healthcare finance climate education and more The programme is designed for AI First startups between Seed to Series A based in India that are building core AI products applications or foundational models a release from the company saidThe support for founders includes Google Cloud infrastructure and access to cuttingedge Gemini models with technical mentorship and gotomarket strategiesAt Google we see startups as our cocreators in building the future of AI with scalable impactful and responsible AI solutions that will set new standards for the industry said Darren Mowry VP Global Startups Google CloudThe strategic focus of this cohort is aligned with the IndiaAI Mission said Abhishek Singh Additional Secretary MeitY and CEO IndiaAI MissionAmong the cohort are startups which offer a fullstack agentic platform where AI creates AI a healthtech startup offering a webcambased autism screening toolThe program pairs founders with Google engineers and industry mentors to tackle scaling challenges refine product roadmaps and ensure ethical AI deploymentThe new cohorts strategic focus directly aligns with the IndiaAI Missions startup pillar with 45 per cent of the program dedicated towards leveraging Agentic AI Multimodal AI solutions account for 30 per cent of the programme curriculum with the remaining 25 per cent dedicated to foundational models and Responsible AIIndias generative AI ecosystem has grown 37fold over the past year making it the worlds secondlargest GenAI startup hub the company said in the release IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/google-picks-20-indian-startups-for-ai-accelerator-programme-639478.html Fri, 19 Sep 2025 19:11:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/hydrogen-offers-immense-potential-for-space-missions-transport-clean-energy-isro-chairman-639479.html Bengaluru Sep 19 Hydrogen is set to play a transformative role in Indias space missions transportation and clean energy future said Dr V Narayanan Chairman ISRO on Friday Speaking at a National Workshop on Hydrogen Fuel Technologies and Future Trends at Alliance University Bengaluru in association with the Indian Institute of Science he highlighted the applications of hydrogen in engines and turbines beyond rocketsNarayanan also pointed out Indias advancements in hydrogen technology and the global need to use clean fuelThe world today faces twin challenges the growing demand for energy and the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions In this context hydrogen one of the greenest and cleanest fuels available to us is a beacon of hope It remains key in many of our breakthroughs at ISRO the ISRO chief saidHe noted the successful launch of the GSLV Mk III rocket marking its 100th successful mission in JanuaryIt was powered by a cryogenic stage using liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen a technology once denied to India but now mastered by the country Last year we demonstrated a 100watt oxygenbased fuel cell in space with a 20kilowatt version under testing Narayanan saidBeyond rockets hydrogen has applications in aircraft trains automobiles and fuel cells he addedHe noted how in 201011 ISRO and Tata Motors collaborated to build a hydrogen fuel cellpowered bus which was safely tested despite concerns proving our confidence in the technologyIn June 2025 five hydrogenpowered buses began commercial operations Companies like BHEL and NTPC are now working on hydrogen systems and gas turbine engines Narayanan saidHe also cautioned against ignoring safety risks as hydrogen flames are colourless and dangerous and stressed the urgent need for better hydrogen sensors to millisecondlevel detectionOn the achievements of ISRO in cryogenic engines Narayanan stated that we now have three cryogenic propulsion systems flyingDr Vijay Kumar Saraswat Chairman CIIS and Member NITI Aayog reinforced the call for a robust hydrogen economyIndia must accelerate its journey towards a hydrogen economy if we are to achieve our netzero ambitions Hydrogen offers immense potential across mobility industrial heating and energy generation he said IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/hydrogen-offers-immense-potential-for-space-missions-transport-clean-energy-isro-chairman-639479.html Fri, 19 Sep 2025 19:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/adani-shares-rally-as-investors-gain-rs-46-000-crore-in-a-single-day-639480.html Mumbai Sep 19 The shares of Adani Group companies staged a strong rally on Friday after market regulator the Securities and Exchange Board of India SEBI gave the conglomerate a clean chit in the Hindenburg case adding over Rs 46000 crore to investors wealth in a single day With this the groups combined market capitalisation jumped to Rs 138 lakh crore marking a major turnaround in sentiment nearly 33 months after the controversy first eruptedThe rally was led by Adani Power which surged 1342 per cent to close at Rs 71610 followed by Adani Total Gas which gained 755 per cent to end at Rs 65280Adani Enterprises Ltd advanced 525 per cent to Rs 2528 while Adani Green Energy climbed 548 per cent to Rs 103250Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone also followed suit and closed higher by 115 per cent at Rs 1429The surge came after SEBI dismissed Hindenburg Researchs allegations ruling that the transactions involving Milestone Tradelinks Rehvar Infrastructure and Adicorp Enterprises did not amount to violations of market regulationsThe regulator clarified that these deals did not fall under relatedparty transactions and complied with listing and disclosure normsReacting to the verdict Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani said on social media platform X that SEBIs detailed probe had reaffirmed what the company had always maintained that Hindenburgs claims were baselessAfter an exhaustive investigation SEBI has reaffirmed what we have always maintained that the Hindenburg claims were baseless Gautam Adani wroteWe deeply feel the pain of the investors who lost money because of this fraudulent and motivated report Those who spread false narratives owe the nation an apology the billionaire industrialist addedHe emphasised that transparency and integrity had been the Groups core values and called for accountability from those who spread misinformationTransparency and integrity have always defined the Adani Group Gautam Adani statedOur commitment to Indias institutions to Indias people and to nation building remains unwavering Adani Group Chairman addedA Supreme Courtappointed expert panel had also earlier found no prima facie evidence of wrongdoing IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/adani-shares-rally-as-investors-gain-rs-46-000-crore-in-a-single-day-639480.html Fri, 19 Sep 2025 19:14:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/hindustan-copper-ltd-oil-india-join-hands-to-explore-critical-and-strategic-minerals-639484.html New Delhi Sep 19 In a significant development Oil India Limited and Hindustan Copper Limited HCL on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding MoU to cooperate and collaborate for exploration and development of critical and strategic minerals including Copper and associated minerals The move is aimed at strengthening Indias selfreliance in critical and strategic mineral sourcingHindustan Copper Limited a Miniratna PSU under the Ministry of Mines is engaged in mining production processing and marketing of copper and related products The company is currently focused on mining and beneficiation of copper ore and the sale of copper concentrateOil India a Maharatna PSU under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas is a premier integrated oil and gas company with proven expertise in exploration development production and transportation of crude oil and natural gas Recognizing the growing importance of critical minerals OIL has diversified into this sector to complement its core energy portfolioThe MoU was signed and exchanged in the presence of Sanjiv Kumar Singh Chairman and Managing Director of HCL and Dr Ranjit Rath Chairman and Managing Director of Oil India and senior officials of both the companiesThe collaboration between HCL and OIL represents a crucial milestone in Indias pursuit of mineral security Aligned with the objectives of the government of Indias National Critical Mineral Mission this partnership will play a pivotal role in securing strategic mineral resources essential for the nations energy security industrial growth and technological advancement said Ministry of Mines in a statementEarlier this month the Union Cabinet approved a Rs 1500 crore incentive scheme under the National Critical Mineral Mission NCMM to boost Indias recycling capacity for critical minerals from secondary sources such as ewaste lithiumion battery scrap and endoflife vehicle partsBy fostering both new and existing recyclers the initiative aims to build 270 kilo tonnes annual recycling capacity produce 40 kilo tonnes of critical minerals attract around Rs 8000 crore in investments and generate nearly 70000 jobs a strategic step to strengthen supply chain resilience and reduce import dependency according to the governmentCritical minerals are fast becoming the oil of the 21st century scarce strategic and fiercely contested They are the building blocks of a modern economy IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/hindustan-copper-ltd-oil-india-join-hands-to-explore-critical-and-strategic-minerals-639484.html Fri, 19 Sep 2025 19:21:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/one-in-10blood-cancers-in-kids-driven-by-radiation-exposure-to-medical-imaging-study-639485.html New Delhi Sep 19 While medical imaging can be lifesaving an alarming study showed that one in 10 blood cancers in children is driven by exposure to radiation from medical imaging Medical imaging saves lives by enabling timely diagnosis and effective treatment but it also exposes patients to ionising radiation a known carcinogen particularly through computed tomography CTResearchers from the University of California San Francisco and Davis examined data from nearly four million children and estimated that some 3000 cancers in all may be attributable to radiation exposure from medical imagingThe risk increased proportionally based on the cumulative amount of radiation the children received revealed by the study appearing in The New England Journal of MedicineChildren are particularly vulnerable to radiationinduced cancer due to their heightened radiosensitivity and longer life expectancy said Rebecca SmithBindman radiologist and professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at UCSFThe findings underscore the critical need to carefully evaluate and minimise radiation exposure during paediatric imagingThis involves ensuring that imaging is performed only when it provides essential information for the childs care and in cases such as CT scans using the lowest possible radiation doses said SmithBindmanThe researchers cautioned that doctors and parents should avoid excessive radiation doses and minimise exposure when clinically feasibleThe study used a retrospective cohort design looking back at the complete imaging histories of 37 million children who were born between 1996 and 2016Investigators found a significant relationship between cumulative radiation dose and the risk of a hematologic malignancy which includes tumours affecting the blood bone marrow lymph and lymphatic systemFor children who underwent a head CT the researchers attributed about a quarter of the childrens subsequent hematologic malignancies to radiation exposureFor those who had radiographs by contrast they estimated that only a small fraction of the childrens subsequent cancers were associated with radiation exposureGetting one or two head CTs was associated with a 18fold increased risk of a cancer diagnosis and this rose to 35 times for children who received more scans and were therefore exposed to more radiationLymphoid malignancies accounted for 793 per cent while myeloid malignancies and acute leukemia together accounted for 155 per cent About 58 per cent of cancers occurred in males and about half were diagnosed in children under 5 IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/one-in-10blood-cancers-in-kids-driven-by-radiation-exposure-to-medical-imaging-study-639485.html Fri, 19 Sep 2025 19:21:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/climate-change-may-up-health-risks-exceed-15-trn-productivity-loss-by-2050-report-639244.html Geneva Sep 18 The rise in global temperatures is likely to cause severe health risks and result in the loss of more than 15 trillion in productivity according to a new report from the World Economic Forum on Thursday The loss will be borne mainly by sectors such as food and agriculture the built environment health and healthcareThe report published ahead of the World Economic Forums Sustainable Development Impact Meetings 2025 arrived as preparations intensify for COP30 in Belém BrazilThe findings highlight that adapting to extreme heat infectious diseases and other health risks accelerating due to climate change is now a strategic business imperativeWe are entering an era in which protecting worker health is proving essential to business continuity and longterm resilience said Eric White Head of Climate Resilience World Economic ForumEvery year we delay embedding resilience into business decisions the risks to human health and productivity climb and the costs of adaptation rise White addedSharing sectorspecific vulnerabilities the report showed that in food and agriculture climate health impacts could lead to 740 billion in lost output triggering serious consequences for global food securityIn the built environment sector climate health impacts are projected to result in productivity losses of 570 billionFurther the health and healthcare sector stands to lose 200 billion in productivity due to workforce climate health illness while rising climatedriven disease rates among the wider population could compound demand pressuresThe insurance industry meanwhile is projected to experience a sharp rise in climate health claimsThe report developed in collaboration with Boston Consulting Group BCG urged companies to act now to protect workforce health build operational resilience and safeguard productivity before the costs of climate adaptation become unmanageableIt showed that investing early in climate health adaptation can benefit beyond risk mitigation unlocking new opportunities for innovation and growth while meeting emerging market needsThis includes developing climateresilient crops that protect food systems heatstable medications that expand medicine availability cooling technologies that keep construction workers safe and new insurance models protecting communities against climate health shocks the report said IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/climate-change-may-up-health-risks-exceed-15-trn-productivity-loss-by-2050-report-639244.html Thu, 18 Sep 2025 16:44:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/govt-focusing-on-raising-share-of-natural-gas-in-indias-energy-mix-639246.html New Delhi Sep 18 The government plans to accelerate the use of piped natural gas PNG complementing renewables through gasbased power and scaling opportunities in CBG hydrogen and LNG mobility Addressing the ASSOCHAM India Gas Infrastructure Conference Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board PNGRB Secretary Anjan Kumar Mishra said With industry collaboration and policy support we can raise the share of natural gas in Indias energy mix well beyond 15 per cent and make clean affordable energy a reality for every householdLauding the sectors achievements in promoting the ease of doing business including efforts to transition households from LPG to PNG he noted the progress made in laying the groundwork in rural areas and stressed the importance of scaling access and boosting power generation through natural gas A collective commitment is required to build a resilient futureready gas infrastructure aligned with Indias vision for sustainable growth and carbon neutrality he addedMishra said that over the past few years the government has laid the foundation authorising more than 300 geographical areas advancing rural access and fostering ease of doing businessASSOCHAM Task Force on Hydrocarbons CoChairman amp Pipeline Infrastructure Limited MD Akhil Mehrotra emphasised the need for a faster rollout of city gas networks supported by a robust gas to power strategy He called for greater integration of renewables expanded energy storage solutions and a strong mobility ecosystem to drive adoptionIndraprastha Gas Ltds Director Commercial Mohit Bhatia emphasised that the nations vision to achieve a 15 per cent share of natural gas in the energy mix by 2030 is not merely an aspirational figure but a collective mission anchored in actionHighlighting the transformative role of the City Gas Distribution CGD sector he underlined how every new pipeline CNG station and household connection brings the country closer to cleaner air healthier communities and globally competitive industriesBhatia reflected on the growing strength of the global LNG landscape where India has already emerged as the fourthlargest importer and outlined how expanded regasification capacity innovative solutions like SSLNG hubs and transparent gas exchanges will shape the future Stressing natural gas as the bridge fuel for decarbonization he spoke of its pivotal role in reducing industrial emissions modernising logistics and balancing renewable power IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/govt-focusing-on-raising-share-of-natural-gas-in-indias-energy-mix-639246.html Thu, 18 Sep 2025 16:45:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/millionaire-indian-households-jump-90-pc-to-87-lakh-mumbai-leads-report-639265.html New Delhi Sep 18 Indias millionaire households with net worth over Rs 85 crore surged 90 per cent in number to 871 lakh in 2025 up from 458 lakh in 2021 a report said on Thursday Mumbai is the countrys millionaire capital with 142 lakh wealthy households followed by Delhi with 68200 and Bengaluru with 31600 said a report jointly authored by MercedesBenz and Hurun India Maharashtra leads states with 178 lakh millionaire families backed by a 55 per cent jump in Gross State Domestic Product GSDPThe MBHX a composite measure of MercedesBenz sales new billionaire entrants Sensex performance and GDP has surged nearly 200 per cent signalling resilient wealth creation despite global uncertainties the report notedThe survey revealed that millionaire Indians prefer digital payments with 35 per cent using UPI apps and view stocks real estate and gold as their main investment optionsA recent survey showed that Indias highnetworth HNW families can help the country become a 5 trillion economy by utilising their capital for social impact using impact investing and blended financing techniquesMany HNW families continue to operate in silos and exhibit low retention in impact investing the report from wealth advisory firm Waterfield Advisors and NPO organisation Impact Investors Council IIC saidOf the 316 HNW families who entered impact investing in 2021 just 64 remain active in 2024 the report said Recent surveys showed that the top 1 per cent of Indias wealthiest citizens have parked 60 per cent of their money in real estate and goldThis segment holds 116 trillion in total wealth and 70 per cent of Indias financial assets the report said Indias total household wealth is estimated at 196 trillion out of which 116 trillion or 59 per cent is held by this wealthy segment of the populationThe countrys economy continued its strong momentum in the first quarter of 202526 Q1 FY26 with GDP growing 78 per cent compared to 65 per cent in the same period last year IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/millionaire-indian-households-jump-90-pc-to-87-lakh-mumbai-leads-report-639265.html Thu, 18 Sep 2025 17:57:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/smartphone-exports-see-55-pc-jump-over-330-million-devices-a-year-being-manufactured-in-india-639268.html New Delhi Sep 18 Smartphone exports surpassed Rs 1 lakh crore in just the first five months of FY 202526 a 55 per cent jump over the same period last year and over 330 million mobile phones a year are being manufactured in India and on average there are about a billion mobile phones in use an official statement said on Thursday In Q2 2025 India overtook China to become the top smartphone exporter to the United States The overall picture is also bright for instance Indias mobile phone manufacturing sector has generated over 12 lakh jobs over the past decade uplifting families and strengthening Indias socioeconomic fabric according to the official statementIndias smartphone market is evolving rapidly with consumer preferences increasingly leaning toward 5G adoption and premium features According to market research 5G smartphone shipments surged to 82 per cent of total shipments last year reflecting a remarkable 49 per cent YoY growth Midrange devices priced between Rs 10000Rs 13000 continue to see strong demand expanding the base for highperformance yet affordable smartphonesAt the same time the premium segment above Rs 25000 witnessed robust growth posting a 26 per cent YoY increase as consumers embrace highperformance devices as lifestyle statements This dynamic demonstrates Indias market adaptability with growth spanning across premium midrange and value segments catering to a diverse and increasingly techsavvy consumer baseAccording to Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Indias journey in electronics manufacturing has evolved through distinct phases beginning with finished goods progressing to subassemblies and now entering the critical phase of deep component manufacturing The sector is steadily advancing into this third phase which marks a significant leap in value addition selfreliance and ecosystem depth Total production of electronics has increased from Rs 19 lakh crore in 201415 to Rs 113 lakh crore in 202425Mobiles have been the crowning accomplishment of the electronics manufacturing sector boom Production of mobile phones has soared from Rs 18000 crore in 201415 to Rs 545 lakh crore in 202425 a 28fold riseIndia is the secondlargest mobile phone manufacturer globally with over 300 manufacturing facilities Tamil Nadu has over 47 manufacturing units of electronics supported under various schemes of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology MeitY as per the official statement IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/smartphone-exports-see-55-pc-jump-over-330-million-devices-a-year-being-manufactured-in-india-639268.html Thu, 18 Sep 2025 18:00:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/gst-reforms-to-reduce-counterfeit-goods-trade-ficci-cascade-chairman-639274.html New Delhi Sep 18 The GST reforms will lead to a reduction in the trade of counterfeit goods in the country FICCI CASCADE Chairman Anil Rajput said on Thursday Speaking to IANS at an event in the national capital Rajput said FICCI CASCADE organises its annual flagship conference MASCRADE every year which is a movement against smuggling and counterfeiting activitiesHe further said that smuggling and counterfeit goods trade harm the economy and we need to sensitise everyone involved be it policymakers industry or consumersWhen asked about GST 20 Rajput said that it is a transformative reformOne of the reasons for the trade of counterfeit goods is high taxes Therefore the government has reduced the taxes with the GST reform This will help us reduce the trade of counterfeit goods in several sectors Rajput notedThe GST 20 reforms will reduce household tax burdens support MSMEs and combat illicit tradeAccording to a report by FICCI CASCADE and Thought Arbitrage Research Institute TARI the number of items taxed at 5 per cent rose from 54 categories under GST 10 to 149 reducing the effective GST incidence for rural families from 603 per cent to 427 per cent and for urban households from 638 per cent to 438 per centFor businesses especially MSMEs GST 20 introduces rationalised rates that address distortions caused by the inverted duty structure Sectors critical for rural employment and manufacturingsuch as tractors farm machinery fertilizers textiles handicrafts auto components and construction inputsare now subject to lower more rational rates the report saidThis change unlocks blocked input tax credits freeing up working capital and enhancing competitiveness Digitalfirst compliance measures including riskbased assessments automated realtime refunds and quicker dispute resolution through the newly established GST Appellate Tribunal GSTAT will aid formalisation of the economyThe report said that moderating the standard slab to 18 per cent and shifting essentials to the 5 per cent bracket reduces price gaps that encourage smuggling and counterfeiting thereby aiding in the formalisation of the economyShortterm revenue losses are anticipated but the doubling of indirect tax collections and growth in taxpayers under GST 10 indicate potential longterm fiscal benefits it notedNoting that the 40 per cent slab for demerit goods particularly tobacco risks perpetuating illicit markets FICCI CASCADE urged that a balanced approach to demerit taxation is essential to disincentivise smuggling IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/gst-reforms-to-reduce-counterfeit-goods-trade-ficci-cascade-chairman-639274.html Thu, 18 Sep 2025 18:38:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/know-all-about-brain-eating-amoeba-infection-that-claimed-19-lives-in-kerala-639278.html New Delhi Sep 18 Exposure to contaminated water is a major reason for infection from a braineating amoeba that has claimed the lives of 19 people including children as young as three years old in Kerala said doctors calling for avoiding swimming in lakes and other water bodies Amoebic meningitisis a rare but fatal central nervous system infection caused by freeliving amoebae Naegleria fowleri also known as the braineating amoeba found in freshwater lakes and riversKerala has recorded 61 confirmed cases of the brain infection and 19 deaths among patients ranging from a threemonthold infant to a 91yearoldThe amoebiosis or amoebic meningitis is a rare disease which is very difficult to diagnose It is one of the Acute Encephalitis Syndrome AES where the diagnosis is very difficult There are no dedicated diagnostic techniques used almost all over the world to detect the condition Dr TS Anish Professor and nodal officer Kerala One Health Centre for Nipah Research and Resilience in Kozhikode Government Medical College told IANSHowever the Nipah outbreak led to the development of a dedicated system that can diagnose as many AES cases as possible It demonstrated an increase in the cases of amoebic meningitis the expert saidHe blamed global warming and climate change for the rise in the number of infectionsThermophilic organisms will definitely grow when the temperature of water bodies increases And there are pollution issues in our water bodies Anish saidThe expert also informed that the death rate due to the disease is low in Kerala it is one of the lowest rates in amoebic meningitis reported all over the worldAmoebic meningitis caused by Naegleria fowleri amoeba has a global death rate of somewhere around 97 to 98 per cent Any type of amoebic meningitis has a high death rate maybe up to 60 to 70 per cent but in Kerala it is almost only 20 per cent That may be because of the early detection Anish saidNeurologist Dr Anshu Rohatgi from a leading citybased hospital linked the outbreak of the disease to rapid urbanisation swimming in water which has not been disinfected or not been chlorinatedThis Naegleria fowleri amoeba enters through the nasal spaces nasal airways and it goes into the brain and it causes an amoebic meningoencephalitis he saidAccording to the health experts the condition is completely treatable and curable if detected earlyThis meningoencephalitis if it is not treated has a 100 per cent fatality But in Kerala because there is a high index of suspicion more and more cases are being diagnosed early added RohatgiRohatgi noted that the important point in identifying the infection is to do a lumbar puncture or a CSF Cerebrospinal Fluid examination a medical procedure in which a needle is inserted into the spinal canalFurther Anish said that the disease is not that rare but it is very rarely diagnosed in most parts of IndiaHe cited a study conducted at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research PGIMER in Chandigarh between 2014 and 2022 which investigated amoebic meningitis in a sample of 156 patients with suspected meningoencephalitisFreeliving amoebae FLA were detected by PCR in 11 of the 156 patient samplesAnish explained that people with a history of CSF rhinorrhoea where fluid that normally surrounds the brain leaks through the nose could be vulnerable to the disease People who underwent some surgical procedures in the brain or skull could also be at riskThe experts noted that the infection does not spread from person to person Swallowing water containing the amoeba does not lead to it either They urged people to avoid swimming in ponds or in rivers that are likely to be polluted They also suggested avoiding rinsing the nostrils with water which is not boiled IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/know-all-about-brain-eating-amoeba-infection-that-claimed-19-lives-in-kerala-639278.html Thu, 18 Sep 2025 18:45:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/online-gaming-acts-rules-to-come-into-effect-from-oct-1-minister-639312.html New Delhi Sep 18 Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday said that the rules under the Promotion and Regulation of Online Games Act 2025 will take effect on October 1 After the bill was passed by the Parliament the government resumed talks with stakeholders such as banks gaming companies and other organisations the minister said Vaishnaw said that the government had been in talks with industry stakeholders for almost three years He emphasised that the government is willing to give additional time if the industry requests it and mentioned that a final round of consultations will take place before implementation startsFor almost everything we do our government believes in a highly consultative process he statedThe act which was notified on August 22 outlaws online realmoney games in India whether they are categorised as skill or chance gamesIt is now illegal to offer or take part in such games and there is no bailA major change from previous regulations which were primarily influenced by state laws and court rulings that distinguished skillbased games from gambling the legislation was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 20 and passed in two daysEarlier on Thursday the Minister at a preevent of the AI Impact Summit 2026 announced that the government will establish over 500 data labs nationwide as part of the India AI Mission to increase artificial intelligence AI talent and infrastructureHe said the initiative is part of the larger IndiaAI mission and eight new companies including Tech Mahindra Fractal Analytics and IIT Bombay consortium Bharatgen have been selected to build large language models LLMsUnder the IndiaAI mission the government has allocated Rs 9886 crore to an IIT Bombayled consortium to build a 1 trillion parameter LLM In LLMs that extract linguistic relations and patterns from training data internal variables are called parametersThe IndiaAI Mission is the Centres initiative to develop autonomous AI capabilities through sectorspecific AI applications sovereign LLMs GPUs and capacity projects 10300 crore was approved earlier this year IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/online-gaming-acts-rules-to-come-into-effect-from-oct-1-minister-639312.html Thu, 18 Sep 2025 23:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/sensex-nifty-make-strong-gains-amid-positive-cues-after-us-fed-rate-cut-639147.html Mumbai Sep 18 The Indian benchmark indices opened higher on Thursday on the back of positive global cues as the US Federal Reserve eased rates by 25 bps As of 924 am the Sensex was up 347 points or 042 per cent at 83041 and the Nifty was up 89 points or 035 per cent at 25419The Federal Reserve resumed interest rates cut cycle by reducing rates by 25 basis points to a target range of 40425 per cent citing shifting risk dynamics in the economy Fed officials projected two additional rate cuts this year forecasting rates to reach 350375 per cent by the end of 2025The rate cuts were anticipated as concerns intensified over weak labour market data and high inflationThe broad cap indices Nifty Midcap 100 inched up by 008 per cent and the Nifty Small cap 100 jumped 068 per centTech Mahindra 110 per cent ICICI Bank TCS Bajaj Finserv Trent were among major gainers on the Nifty while losers were Hindalco Bajaj Finance Apollo Hospitals SBI and SBI Life InsuranceAmong sectoral indices Nifty IT the top gainer jumped 15 per cent Nifty Realty up 066 per cent and Nifty Pharma up 037 per cent were the other notable gainers Except metal all other sectoral indices were trading in the greenThe Nifty 50 held firmly above the 25300 mark in the previous session reinforcing psychological strength and signaling investor comfort at higher levelsAnalysts said that the index now shows potential upside momentum with resistance expected around the 2540025500 zone The support remains intact at 2500024900 zonesSince the labour market is cooling and the GDP growth projection for 2025 is only 16 per cent perhaps two more cuts are possible this year said VK Vijayakumar Chief Investment Strategist Geojit Investments LimitedThe ongoing rally in the Indian market is driven by expectations of earnings revival and a positive outcome from the IndiaUS trade negotiations he addedAsiaPacific markets were largely in the green zone after US President Donald Trump said that the USChina trade negotiations are progressing well Major US indices declined modestly overnight as the Nasdaq dipped 033 per cent the SampP 500 lost 010 per cent and the Dow inched up 057 per centMost of the Asian markets made strong gains during the morning session While Chinas Shanghai index advanced 041 per cent and Shenzhen jumped 109 per cent Japans Nikkei edged up 109 per cent while Hong Kongs Hang Seng Index dipped 008 per cent South Koreas Kospi added 1 per centOn Wednesday foreign institutional investors FIIs net sold equities worth Rs 1124 crore while domestic institutional investors DIIs were net buyers of equities worth Rs 2293 crore IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/sensex-nifty-make-strong-gains-amid-positive-cues-after-us-fed-rate-cut-639147.html Thu, 18 Sep 2025 10:06:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/combined-value-of-listed-firms-on-bse-hits-11-month-high-at-rs-465-lakh-crore-639156.html Mumbai Sep 18 The combined value of all Bombay Stock Exchangelisted companies has crossed Rs 465 lakh crore marking its highest level in 11 months This surge was fuelled by a widespread rally and renewed optimism regarding the resumption of IndiaUS trade talks and the US Fed rate cut The figure is currently just 27 per cent shy of the alltime peak recorded on September 27 2024 with nearly Rs 20 lakh crore added since the beginning of SeptemberPotential easing by the Reserve Bank of India RBI in October also boosted investor sentiments as domestic inflation showed signs of softeningBenchmark indices Sensex and Nifty rose around 35 per cent this month closing the gap to record highs seen on September 26 2024Stateowned firms played a huge role in the recent rally driving the BSE PSU Index up by 75 per cent even as the BSE 500 gained 5 per cent BSE Auto rose by 9 per cent BSE Bankex up 68 per cent BSE Metal added 81 per cent and Oil amp Gas went up 45 per centMidcap and smallcap stocks also showed strong performance with the BSE MidCap index rising 47 per cent and SmallCap edging up by 6 per centAnalysts said that the Indian stock market is unlikely to be impacted by the US Fed decision They said that the ongoing rally in the market is driven by expectations of earnings revival of Indian corporatesAccording to market watchers there is a high likelihood of above 15 per cent growth in corporate earnings in FY27 due to GST reforms leading to a turnaround in FPI sentimentsHowever others maintain that valuations remain high but earnings momentum is set to improve driven by banks NBFCs and the consumption sectorsMeanwhile the Nifty 50 held firmly above the 25300 mark in the previous session reinforcing psychological strength and signalling investor comfort at higher levelsAnalysts said that the index now shows potential upside momentum with resistance expected around the 2540025500 zone The support remains intact at 2500024900 zones IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/combined-value-of-listed-firms-on-bse-hits-11-month-high-at-rs-465-lakh-crore-639156.html Thu, 18 Sep 2025 11:08:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/centre-to-help-itis-become-ai-driven-training-centres-fm-sitharaman-639180.html New Delhi Sep 18 The Union government plans to transform Industrial Training Institutes ITIs across the country into Artificial Intelligence AIdriven training centres Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Thursday Addressing the Indian Foundation for Quality Managements IFQM second annual symposium in the national capital Sitharaman said that the government has been focussed on skilling and upskilling for the last two to three years and has made provisions for it in the annual budgetsShe noted that as the ITIs were not adding to the rapidly changing production environment the central government launched a hubandspoke model to upgrade themSo if these ITIs were to adopt the hub and spoke model within the state we will be able to provide them the entire money required for upgrading these places for AIdriven training centres the FM saidThe government has identified some institutes of excellence such as the IITs or the Indian Institute of Science for setting up institutions of excellence for AIrelated RampD and also training she addedFM Sitharaman explained that the budget aimed to ensure that AIdriven skills are given to youngsters at the ground level even if they are school dropouts or pass outs or had finished some kind of a qualification and have some degree but today want to acquire the AIrelated skillsAll such people will be entertained in the ITIbased formulation that will come up These hubs will provide handson AI training to students she said adding that many states are keen to develop the modelPointing out the need to urgently upskill Indias youth to make them ready for quick and direct employment after completing their education the finance minister sought the private sectors participation in itHow to bridge the human resource insufficiencies not adequately trained not the kind of degree I want The rounding off of the personalities is missing The degree is there but the individual is not groomed adequately enough to be a part of the large multinationals or Indian companies that you are talking about That element has to be done by all of us I would want private sector participation together with the government in readying youth to be fit for quick and direct employment Sitharaman said IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/centre-to-help-itis-become-ai-driven-training-centres-fm-sitharaman-639180.html Thu, 18 Sep 2025 12:07:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/scientists-find-brain-mechanism-behind-infant-parent-bonding-639188.html New Delhi Sep 17 Israeli researchers have discovered that the protein oxytocin plays a key role in how young brains respond to parental separation helping shape emotional development from a very early age Researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science developed a noninvasive method to silence specific brain cells in mouse pups without disturbing their natural behaviour Xinhua news agency reportedUsing this technology the team uncovered how oxytocin activity in the brain influences the way pups cope with being separated from their mothersOxytocin is often called the love hormone because it helps promote social bonding While most studies have focused on adults the new research shows that oxytocin also affects the emotional behaviour of young animalsDuring temporary separation from their mothers mouse pups with an active oxytocin system adapted more easily and cried less Pups whose oxytocin system was turned off did not adapt They continued emitting distress calls at the same rate until reunited with their mothersIn the study published in the journal Science the researchers also found that oxytocin influences how pups behave after reunion Those with active oxytocin systems called more frequently and showed a unique pattern of vocalisations that signaled a need for closeness followed by calmnessThe team also discovered early differences between females and malesFemale pups were more affected by changes in oxytocin activity suggesting that emotional development may begin to diverge between the sexes earlier than previously thought the researchers saidThe researchers noted that the study provides a new understanding of how early life experiences and brain chemistry shape future emotional and social behaviourIt may also offer clues for future research into conditions such as autism where these developmental processes may go off track according to the study IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/scientists-find-brain-mechanism-behind-infant-parent-bonding-639188.html Thu, 18 Sep 2025 12:59:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/lupin-receives-us-fda-approval-for-its-generic-cancer-drug-639192.html New Delhi Sep 18 Indian pharma major Lupin announced that the US Food and Drug Administration has approved its abbreviated new drug application for Lenalidomide capsules in strengths of 25 mg to 25 mg for cancer patients Lenalidomide has been approved for treatment of adult patients with multiple myeloma a deadly blood cancer when used with dexamethasone as maintenance therapy after autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation the company said in an exchange filingIt is also indicated for transfusiondependent anaemia in low or intermediate1risk myelodysplastic syndromes linked to a deletion 5q abnormalityLenalidomide capsules are a generic version of Revlimid capsules developed by American multinational BristolMyers Squibb CompanyThe product will be manufactured at Lupins Pithampur facility in Madhya Pradesh the statement addedLupin announced that its generic product will provide a costeffective alternative to RevlimidLenalidomide capsules 25 mg 5 mg 10 mg 15 mg 20 mg and 25 mg RLD Revlimid had estimated annual sales of 7511 million in the US the company saidLupin headquartered in Mumbai operates as a global pharmaceutical company in more than 100 markets and focuses on branded and generic formulations complex generics biotechnology products and active pharmaceutical ingredientsThe company has 15 manufacturing sites and seven research centres globally with over 24000 employeesLupin had recently also received the US administrations approval for Minzoya a generic contraceptive tabletThe drug remains a generic equivalent of Balcoltra developed by USbased Avion Pharmaceuticals LLC Minzoya will also be manufactured at Lupins Pithampur facilityMeanwhile Lupins shares on Thursday dipped marginally to Rs 203050 down Rs 070 or 003 per cent from the previous days closeOver the past five trading days the stock has been down Rs 530 or 026 per cent Over the past month the pharma giants shares have gained Rs 6230 or 317 per cent IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/lupin-receives-us-fda-approval-for-its-generic-cancer-drug-639192.html Thu, 18 Sep 2025 13:24:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/maternity-breaks-workplace-bias-drive-gender-pay-gap-in-india-report-639202.html New Delhi Sep 18 Nearly half of jobseekers 45 per cent believe that Indias gender pay gap exceeds 20 per cent with maternityrelated career breaks and workplace bias cited as the top drivers a survey report said on Thursday According to a Naukri survey across 80 industries 51 per cent of professionals identified maternity breaks as the primary cause of pay disparity between gendersAround 27 per cent pointed to workplace bias the way women are perceived at workThe views of respondents were strongest in IT 56 per cent pharma 55 per cent and automobiles 53 per cent sectorsProfessionals with 510 years of experience 54 per cent and those with 1015 years 53 per cent reported the most pronounced impact of career breaks the report saidHalf of all surveyed professionals flagged IT as the industry with the widest gender pay gapSectors like aviation 57 per cent education 52 per cent far outpaced real estate 21 per cent FMCG 18 per cent and banking 12 per cent in terms of pay gap perceptions Traditional industries such as Oil amp Gas and Retail offered a more positive outlookThe perception of the gender pay gap was particularly strong among younger professionals freshers and midlevel professionals identifying IT as the biggest offender the report saidTechnology hubs Hyderabad 59 per cent and Bengaluru 58 per cent topped concerns about IT pay inequitiesThe survey found that senior professionals view the gender pay gap more starkly Nearly half of respondents with 1015 years 46 per cent and 15 years 47 per cent of experience said the gap remains above 20 per centProfessionals overwhelmingly responded that performanceled promotions could bridge the pay gap Biasfree and transparent hiring 27 per cent and transparent pay practices 21 per cent were also widely endorsed particularly in city clusters like Noida and Gurgaon where calls for pay transparency were the strongest IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/maternity-breaks-workplace-bias-drive-gender-pay-gap-in-india-report-639202.html Thu, 18 Sep 2025 14:14:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/public-sector-insurers-post-15-pc-premium-growth-at-rs-6-496-crore-in-aug-report-639203.html New Delhi Sep 18 Indias public sector general insurers maintained their faster growth rate for the eleventh consecutive month in August registering a 15 per cent yearonyear growth in premium at Rs 6496 crore a report said on Thursday The public sector insurers premium amount stood at Rs 56495 crore in the same month a year earlier Aug 2024The growth is largely driven by renewals in the fire engineering health and motor thirdparty segments CareEdge ratings said in its reportHowever the switch to the 1n rule due to GST reforms has affected overall headline growthThe nonlife insurance sector continued to experience a slowdown in premium growth till the month with total collections reaching Rs 249530 crore a modest 16 per cent rise YoY compared to a 42 per cent increase in August 2024At the same time private nonlife insurers including SAHI or standalone health insurers retained their dominant 70 per cent market share in August 2024 and August 2025 up from 68 per cent in August 2023On an annual basis private insurers continued to hold the majority share at 648 per cent as of August 2025 although this is slightly lower than the 664 per cent share reported a year agoMeanwhile the share of public sector insurers increased to 352 per cent from 336 per cent in August 2024The report highlighted that health insurance remains the largest segment within the nonlife insurance industry It has recorded a 143 per cent growth in premium from Rs 8038 crore in August 2024 to Rs 91837 crore in August this yearThe group health segment grew the fastest in yeartodate YTD FY26 driven by policy renewals and premium hikes amid rising medical inflationHowever growth moderated to 100 per cent down from 167 per cent in the same period last year Retail health insurance growth moderated to 85 per cent in YTD FY26 down from the 183 per cent pace seen in YTD FY25 IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/public-sector-insurers-post-15-pc-premium-growth-at-rs-6-496-crore-in-aug-report-639203.html Thu, 18 Sep 2025 14:15:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/type-5-diabetes-why-the-malnutrition-related-conditionneeds-to-be-formally-recognised-639204.html New Delhi Sep 18 Formally recognising Type5 diabetes a lesserknown malnutritionrelated form of diabetes can help develop diagnostic criteria and aid in effective management of the condition affecting an estimated six million people in India and 25 million worldwide global experts outlined in a new article published in The Lancet Global Health journal on Thursday Type5 diabetes is a type of diabetes that typically affects lean and malnourished teenagers and young adults in low and middleincome countries It is estimated to affect 20 to 25 million people worldwide mainly in Asia and AfricaIt is more common in lowresource settings and in regions with a higher prevalence of undernutrition An individual with a history of intrauterine undernutrition followed by persistent undernutrition in adulthood is postulated to be at high risk of type 5 diabetes Meredith Hawkins Professor of Medicine at the Global Diabetes Institute at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York US told IANSIt is estimated that approximately about 6 million people in India have type 5 diabetes given 101 million people with diabetes in India with about 6 per cent of those with diabetes being underweight she addedThe condition now known as type 5 diabetes has been reported in many low and middleincome countries LMICs including India Bangladesh Sri Lanka Ethiopia Rwanda Uganda Nigeria and Indonesia over the past 70 years This led the World Health Organization to classify this condition as malnutritionrelated diabetes mellitus in 1985 however this classification was removed in 1999As a result research and funding opportunities became limited which later also caused confusion and inconsistency in diagnostic reportsEstablishing formal recognition with standardised diagnostic criteria wouldhelp bring clarity and consistency to how the disease is defined across different healthcare settings It would also increase awareness among clinicians leading to improved screening and diagnosis especially in individuals who might currently be misclassified as having Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes A structured and evidencebased definition is crucial for the accurate identification and effective management of type 5 diabetes Hawkins saidWhat are the symptoms of Type 5 diabetesHawkins explained that Type 5 diabetes primarily affects individuals under the age of 30 from lower socioeconomic backgrounds particularly in regions with a high prevalence of chronic undernutritionThese individuals typically present with a body mass index BMI below 185 kgm² in contrast to those with type 2 diabetes who are often overweight or obeseClinically patients with type 5 diabetes show symptoms similar to both type 1 and type 2 diabetes including excessive urination polyuria increased hunger polyphagia and excessive thirst polydipsia However the clinical presentation of type 5 diabetes differs from types 1 and 2 diabetes in that patients with type 5 diabetes may exhibit signs of severe undernutrition and dehydration such as sunken eyes stunting wasting pallor and fatigue the noted researcher saidIn addition unlike type 1 diabetes individuals with type 5 diabetes do not have a history of diabetic ketoacidosis characterised by rapid and deep breathing with acetone breath nausea and vomitingBiochemically these patients are insulin sensitive unlike those with type 2 diabetes who are more commonly insulin resistant Their serum insulin levels are lower than those seen in type 2 diabetes but higher than in type 1 diabetes The islet cell antibodies commonly present in type 1 diabetes are also absent in type 5 diabetes Hawkins told IANSNotably type 5 diabetes is often very poorly controlled so patients commonly have severe hyperglycaemia which in addition to vitamin deficiency may lead to complications such as peripheral neuropathyIf individuals with type 5 diabetes are misdiagnosed as type 1 diabetes and are prescribed large doses of insulin they can be at high risk of severe hypoglycaemia due to high insulin doses in addition to preexisting food insecurity On the other hand if these individuals are misdiagnosed as type 2 diabetes and are prescribed medications such as GLP1 agonists resultant weight loss can be detrimental to them as they are already undernourished More research is needed to understand the longterm complications of type 5 diabetes Hawkins saidWith the formal recognition a diagnostic criterion will be developed for type 5 diabetes which can then be applied to diverse populations It will also help develop recommendations for managing type 5 diabetes tailored for use in various healthcare settingsRachel V Thomas can be contacted at Racheltiansin IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/type-5-diabetes-why-the-malnutrition-related-conditionneeds-to-be-formally-recognised-639204.html Thu, 18 Sep 2025 14:15:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/indias-contribution-to-global-gdp-growth-to-reach-9-pc-by-2035-govt-official-639218.html Mumbai Sep 18 Indias dominance in the global economy is rapidly increasing and the countrys share in global GDP growth will increase to 9 per cent by 2035 up from 65 per cent in 2024 M Nagaraju Secretary Department of Financial Services Ministry of Finance said on Thursday Addressing the gathering at the annual infrastructure conclave 2025 organised by the National Bank for Financial Infrastructure and Development NABFID here M Nagaraju said that even in an environment of global uncertainty the countrys economy is progressing rapidly and remains the fastestgrowing economy in the worldHe further said that the countrys economy has been growing at an average annual growth rate of 8 per cent for the past four years and the most recent quarterly GDP growth was 78 per cent the highest in the last five quartersAccording to the Secretary Indias external sector is also performing well and the current account deficit in the last quarter was only 05 per cent of the GDPThe countrys net services exports are also growing rapidly and due to all these strong factors the country can become a developed nation by 2047 the 100th anniversary of IndependenceThis macroeconomic success story sets a solid foundation for our infrastructure ambitions It tells the world that Indias growth is not only resilient but also driven by reforms and prudent policies making us a key engine of global growth and a potential leader in shaping the postpandemic global economic order he notedComplementing the economys strength Indian banking and the financial sector have emerged as pillars of resilienceIn fiscal year 202425 public sector banks have outpaced private sector banks in credit growth This has never happened before in more than a decadeAdditionally NonPerforming Assets NPAs have fallen below one per cent and the capital adequacy ratio is also above regulatory standards indicating that Indias banking sector is in strong shapeOverall these trends point to a strong adequately capitalised financial system that is wellpositioned to meet the aspirations of a developed India IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/indias-contribution-to-global-gdp-growth-to-reach-9-pc-by-2035-govt-official-639218.html Thu, 18 Sep 2025 15:09:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/data-of-nearly-3-million-lotte-card-customers-leaked-639220.html Seoul Sep 18 Lotte Card Co the countrys fifthlargest card issuer said on Thursday that personal data of some 3 million customers has been leaked in a hacking incident last month but there has yet to be any report of improper use Lotte Card said the leaked data estimated at 200 gigabytes included identification numbers internal identification numbers and connecting informationThe leaked data also included card verification codes card numbers and card validity period of some 280000 customers critical information that may expose their owners to credit card fraud according to the company reports Yonhap news agencyLotte Card CEO Cho Jwajin issued a public apology and announced response measures including full compensation for any reported damage caused by improper use of stolen dataLeaked data was created in the online settlement process via online servers between July 22 and August 27 Cho saidThe CEO stressed that leaked data cannot be improperly used for offline settlements Additional identification processes are necessary for online settlements so improper card uses are difficult with only breached dataEarlier this month Lotte Card with some 96 million members disclosed a cyber breach Since then the financial watchdog and the card company have been struggling to gauge the damage caused by the hackingLotte Cards data breach is the latest in a series of massive cyber breach cases in the financial sector Earlier Seoul Guarantee Insurance had suffered a similar hacking incidentLotte Cards cybersecurity lapse also came as Financial Supervisory Service Gov Lee Chanjin has been calling on financial firms to beef up their cybersecurity and better safeguard customersMeanwhile the science ministry here has launched an official probe into a purported attempt to sell personal data allegedly leaked from South Koreas top mobile carrier SK Telecom Co The move came after a global hacking group Scattered Lapsus posted on its Telegram channel that it would sell SK Telecoms client data for US10000 adding that 42 South Koreans had already made contactThe government also recently launched a probe against No 2 mobile carrier KT Corp which reported a total of 278 cases of unauthorized mobile payments worth 170 million won 122000 raising concerns over a possible leak of customer data IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/data-of-nearly-3-million-lotte-card-customers-leaked-639220.html Thu, 18 Sep 2025 15:10:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/gst-20-gives-booster-shot-to-textiles-logistics-sectors-639222.html New Delhi Sep 18 The rationalisation of Goods and Services Tax under GST 20 marks a significant reform aimed at removing structural anomalies reducing costs and boosting demand in the textile and logistics industries both of which are vital for domestic growth employment and export competitiveness according to an official statement on Thursday By aligning tax rates across the value chain the GST reform ensures affordability for consumers sustains jobs in labourintensive sectors and enhances Indias ability to compete globally In the textile sector the rationalisation strengthens the entire value chain from fibre to garment by reducing distortions improving garment affordability reviving retail demand and supporting export competitiveness the statement explainedThe reduction in GST will lead to making apparel more affordable for middle and lowincome households which will stimulating domestic demand with significant impact in small towns and rural regionsGST on readymade garments up to Rs 2500 per piece is now 5 per cent making apparel more affordable and boosting domestic demandGST on manmade fibres and yarns cut from 12 per cent and 18 per cent to 5 per cent removes inverted duty structure and strengthens Small and Medium Enterprises while the reduction in GST on carpets and other textile floor coverings from 12 per cent to 5 per cent will enhance global competitiveness according to the statementSimilarly cut in GST on commercial goods vehicles from 28 per cent to 18 per cent will bring down logistics costs and support exportsThe GST reforms also extend to the transport sector which plays a crucial role in reducing logistics costs and supporting industrial growth Trucks and delivery vans which carry nearly 6570 per cent of Indias goods traffic benefit significantly from tax rationalisation Cheaper freight movement reduced cost per tonnekm benefits the transport of textile FMCG and ecommerce deliveriesThe cascading effect of lower logistics cost helps reduce overall price pressures and bring down inflation Besides lower logistics costs make Indian textiles more competitive abroadThe GST rationalisation across textiles and logistics sectors is a decisive step towards strengthening Indias manufacturing base improving affordability and boosting exports By reducing structural anomalies and easing cost pressures these reforms directly benefit consumers small businesses and exporters alike They reinforce the vision of a globally competitive India powered by resilient supply chains and a thriving textile sector the statement added IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/gst-20-gives-booster-shot-to-textiles-logistics-sectors-639222.html Thu, 18 Sep 2025 15:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/indian-pharma-companies-revenue-to-grow-7-9-pc-in-fy26-amidst-us-market-risks-report-639225.html New Delhi Sep 18 The Indian pharmaceutical sector is expected to achieve 79 per cent revenue growth in FY 2026 driven by strong domestic and European demand despite a significant slowdown in its US market a report said on Thursday Ratings agency ICRA in a report said that global headwinds and regulatory uncertainties cast a shadow over its largest export market in the US but 810 per cent growth is expected in the domestic market with 1012 per cent growth in EuropeThe operating profit margins of the companies are expected to remain resilient at 2425 per cent in FY26 broadly in line with 246 per cent in FY25 aided by favourable raw material prices improved operating leverage and a rising share of specialty productsUS revenues are anticipated to moderate with YoY growth slowing 35 per cent from nearly 10 per cent in FY 2025 the report saidICRAs sample set companies recorded 103 per cent YoY growth in Q1 FY26 driven by market share gains in chronic therapies new product introductions and regular price hikes despite subdued volume growth for branded generics partly due to rising genericisation said Kinjal Shah Senior Vice President amp CoGroup Head ICRAICRA maintained a stable outlook on the sector due to its steady revenue growth and earnings trajectory underpinned by healthy balance sheets strong liquidity and robust operating profit margins OPMThe ratings agency said that domestic drug sales are boosted by sales force expansion improved productivity of medical representatives deeper rural distribution new product launches and recent GST exemptions on lifesaving drugsResearch and development RampD spending is projected to remain steady at 67 per cent of revenues with companies increasingly focusing on complex molecules and specialty products over generics IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/indian-pharma-companies-revenue-to-grow-7-9-pc-in-fy26-amidst-us-market-risks-report-639225.html Thu, 18 Sep 2025 15:38:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/govt-bond-yields-may-dip-10-bps-by-november-amid-stable-inflation-oil-prices-638980.html New Delhi Sep 17 Benchmark Indian bond yields are expected to ease slightly over the next three months driven by favourable inflation data and stable oil prices a report said on Wednesday The 10year government bond yield which stood at 659 per cent on August 31 is expected to inch down to the 642 per cent652 per cent range by the end of September and to 638 per cent648 per cent by November end said the report from research firm Crisil IntelligenceState development loan yields are expected to ease from 723 per cent to the 715 per cent725 per cent range by November while 10year corporate bond yields may fall from 719 per cent to the 708 per cent718 per cent rangeCrisil reported that benign oil prices are offsetting the effects of geopolitical risks and a slowdown in global growth Key factors influencing yields are the upcoming US Federal Open Market Committee decision domestic market liquidity averaging Rs 284 lakh crore in August ongoing USIndia trade negotiations and volatile foreign capital inflowsBetween July 1 and September 8 Foreign Institutional Investors sold Indian equities totalling Rs 102 lakh crore with Rs 7800 crore sold in the first six sessions of SeptemberThere is a low likelihood of the Monetary Policy Committee MPC of the Reserve Bank of India RBI cutting the repo rate in its October meeting as the Central Bank has announced a pause and indicated any further intervention would be datadependent the report saidActual fiscal impact will be smaller than expected due to recent Goods and Services Tax GST rationalisation it addedIndias Q1 GDP growth reached 78 per cent and the governments decision to simplify the GST structure is set to release about Rs 50000 crore into the economy boosting domestic consumptionSBI Capital Markets had recently said that fiscal stress in the US and the UK is adding complexity to global trade tensions with rising debt burdens pushing bond yield curves steeper IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/govt-bond-yields-may-dip-10-bps-by-november-amid-stable-inflation-oil-prices-638980.html Wed, 17 Sep 2025 14:58:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/pm-modi-should-continue-to-serve-when-independent-india-turns-100-mukesh-ambani-638988.html New Delhi Sep 17 Prime Minister Narendra Modi should continue to serve when independent India turns 100 said industrialist Mukesh Ambani while extending wishes on PMs 75th birthday on Wednesday Mukesh Ambani the Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries and Reliance Retail lauded PM Modi for working tirelessly to transform India into a global superpowerIt is not a coincidence that Modi Jis Amrit Mahotsav is coming in Bharats Amrit Kaal It is my deepest wish that Modi Ji should continue to serve India when independent India turns 100 he addedAmbani said that PM Modis efforts are working to turn India into a global superpowerI have never seen a leader who worked so tirelessly for a better future for India and Indians Ambani saidHe first transformed Gujarat into an economic powerhouse Now he is transforming the whole of India into a global superpower I join all my 145 crore fellow Indians in wishing our Prime Minister a happy birthday and praying for his continuous good health Jai Shri Krishna Jai Hind he addedEarlier Kotak Mahindra Bank director Uday Kotak lauded PM Modis habit of learning from global best practices and adapting them for India to lead the country towards a developed nationCalling every interaction with the Prime Minister an experience filled with learning and inspiration Kotak said what impressed him most about PM Modi was the way he blends vision with execution and curiosity with humilityBharti Enterprises Founder and Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal hailed the forwardthinking technologyfirst approach of the Prime Minister which has laid a strong foundation to use technology for inclusive progressAccording to Kumar Mangalam Birla Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group PM Modi always wants to know how the economy is doing and what should be done to get the private sector to invest moreHe is also a very keen listener so if he asks you a question he will very patiently listen to what you have to say absorb it Birla saidPM Modis 75th birthday is being celebrated with nationwide events and the launch of health welfare and development programmes It has become a national moment of celebration marked by a wave of greetings and tributes from political leaders across the country IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/pm-modi-should-continue-to-serve-when-independent-india-turns-100-mukesh-ambani-638988.html Wed, 17 Sep 2025 15:04:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/mobikwik-fraud-triggers-demand-for-deeper-probe-into-fintech-platforms-638998.html New Delhi Sep 17 A major fraud of around Rs 40 crore has raised serious concerns about the safety of fintech platforms after Gurugram Police arrested six people for exploiting a technical glitch in the MobiKwik app The incident has triggered calls for a deeper investigation into why such glitches are frequently occurring putting millions of users at riskAccording to police the glitch in the MobiKwik app allowed transactions to be recorded as successful even when users had insufficient balances in their bank accounts or wallets or when incorrect passwords were enteredThe accused allegedly misused this flaw to transfer money to their bank accounts causing heavy losses of around Rs 40 croreIndustry experts said the MobiKwik case is not an isolated one In August Policybazaar Insurance Brokers Private Limited also lodged a complaint with Gurugram Police after fraudsters impersonated its employees forged documents and misused the companys ID cards and email IDs to cheat customersIn that case at least 11 customers were duped into paying amounts ranging from Rs 8510 to Rs 35000 with the total fraud amounting to Rs 208 lakhExperts warn that repeated cases of such technical flaws and fraudulent activities in fintech platforms could undermine consumer trustThey have urged regulatory bodies and government agencies like the ED and CBI to carry out a thorough probe into why these vulnerabilities continue to surface and whether there are deeper systemic risks involvedIn Mobikwik case police officials said that about 2500 bank accounts were linked to the fraud all of which have now been frozenNearly Rs 8 crore has already been recovered The six accused identified as Rehan Mohammad Sakil Wakar Yunus Wasim Akram Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Ansar were arrested from Gurgaon and sent to judicial custody after being produced in courtThe fraud came to light after MobiKwik filed a complaint with Gurugram Police on September 13 The company had detected suspicious transactions during an internal audit a day earlierInvestigations revealed that some merchants registered on the platform along with unknown individuals misused the flaw to get funds credited despite failed transactionsThis resulted in wrongful gains for the accused and losses for the company The police have registered a case under Sections 3184 cheating of a valuable security and 314 dishonest misappropriation of property of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita BNS Officers said the probe is still on and more people involved may be identified as the investigation progressesIn an exchange filing the company said that they are undertaking all possible and necessary efforts to recover the amount However since the police investigation and recovery efforts have just started its not yet possible to ascertain the impactThe company is taking aggressive collection efforts while pursuing legal course of action to recover the full amount over a period of time it added IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/mobikwik-fraud-triggers-demand-for-deeper-probe-into-fintech-platforms-638998.html Wed, 17 Sep 2025 15:47:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/indias-domestic-consumption-gst-reforms-cushion-us-tariff-impact-report-639002.html New Delhi Sep 17 The potential impact of US tariffs has been cushioned by Indias strong domestic fundamentals robust domestic consumption and GST 20 reforms a report said on Wednesday GST reforms and frontloading of rate cuts by RBI will be supportive of Indias equity market growth and would help cushion it from external shocks the report from Bank of Baroda saidSensex grew by 665 billion in market capitalisation during 2025 despite the US tariff on Indian imports Markets have accounted for tariff uncertainty and are now focussing on underlying economic fundamentals the analysts saidThe report noted that India was among the four countries alongside Hong Kong Brazil and China that gave positive returns from January to April period after US President Trump started announcing tariffsFrom January to April US indices Dow Jones and SampP 500 recorded losses wiping out 61 trillion in market valueGlobal stock markets rebounded sharply in mid2025 it noted A 90day tariff pause announced in April along with US trade agreements with the UK Japan Indonesia and Vietnam and a truce with China led to a rebound in the market from April to SeptemberApart from the US most of the member countries of trade agreements along with Hong Kong China and Thailand posted doubledigit growthThe Dows market capitalisation increased by 2 trillion yeartodate while the SampP 500 gained 49 trillion Chinas Shanghai Composite rose by 16 trillion while Japans Nikkei gained 7564 billionGlobal head of equity strategy at Jefferies Christopher Wood on Tuesday said that domestic mutual fund inflows have shielded Indian equities from a decline of 2030 per cent this year amidst persistent selling by foreign portfolio investors FPIAugust marked the 25th consecutive month of net inflows from domestic investors with 376 billion invested in equities in the first five months of FY26 IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/indias-domestic-consumption-gst-reforms-cushion-us-tariff-impact-report-639002.html Wed, 17 Sep 2025 15:51:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/india-to-remain-worlds-fastest-growing-major-economy-despite-global-uncertainty-639014.html New Delhi Sep 17 Amid global market volatility Indias growth is resilient and the country remains the worlds fastestgrowing major economy with its GDP forecast to continue growing 65 per cent this fiscal FY26 SampP Global said on Wednesday The positive outlook is being framed by the interplay of the nations domestic buffers and external challengesIndias growth performance with that of advanced economies shows that while past external shocks have caused shortterm challenges for India they have not derailed the countrys longterm growth trajectory SampP Global said in its reportMoreover the country has managed to enhance its growth advantage over developed countries by pursuing economic reforms infrastructure development and process improvementsAccording to the report the nation is likely to encourage more participation in global trade which offers increasing gains in economic growth capital attraction and to generation of employment opportunitiesIts strategy has become increasingly integrated and the economy needs reforming especially in terms of centre state and bureaucratic alignmentAt the same time the private credit industry is also poised for strong growth driven by a significant financing gap left by traditional lenders and strengthened by domestic insolvency frameworksAdditionally the aim to localise the nuclear value chain and use its vast thorium reserves to enhance domestic capacity building and technology transfer will pave the path for growth aheadThe report also highlighted Indias potential to increase its share of the global shipbuilding market over the next decadeWhile the countrys ambitions are well defined India needs a clear strategy to become a topfive shipbuilding nation by 2047 a challenging journey from less than 1 per cent global market share today the report notedIndias digital landscape is undergoing an unprecedented transformation which is driving significant investments in digital infrastructure such as data centres and supporting the expanding digital economyThe nation is expected to become the secondlargest market for data centers electricity demand in the AsiaPacific region over the next two years surpassing Japan and Australia the report stated IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/india-to-remain-worlds-fastest-growing-major-economy-despite-global-uncertainty-639014.html Wed, 17 Sep 2025 16:40:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/icmr-researchers-develop-new-approach-to-tackle-fungal-pathogens-639020.html New Delhi Sep 17 A team of researchers from the Indian Council of Medical Research ICMR has developed a oneofakind approach to fight the fungal pathogen called Candida albicans CAL Candida albicans is the primary cause of systemic candidiasis a major global health threat with a high mortality rate up to 636 per cent in severe casesThe researchers including those from Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI WSAI and Indian Institute of Technology IIT Madras developed a multidisciplinary approach to identify some of the critical metabolic pathways that can be targeted to modulate the virulence of the pathogenThe team combined largescale computational modelling and experimental validation to identify unknown critical metabolic vulnerabilities in CALUnlike other studies the oneofakind integrated hostfungal metabolic model combined the CAL model iRV781 with the human metabolic model Recon3D said corresponding author and principal investigator Dr Susan Thomas from ICMRNIRRCH MumbaiThis allowed the researchers to simulate how CAL metabolism responds during a host infection identify and reveal hidden metabolic vulnerabilities not evident in laboratory cultures and highlight the role of arginine metabolism in CAL pathogenicity Thomas explainedThe groundbreaking novel research is vital for diversifying and improving antifungal drugs to bypass resistance Further it aims to improve patient survival reduce mortality and lower treatment costs added Prof Karthik Raman Faculty IBSE WSAI IIT MadrasThe findings published in the reputed peerreviewed journal Cell Communication and Signaling also underline Indias growing strength in interdisciplinary research and its potential to contribute solutionsCandida albicans is a species of fungus yeast that normally lives in the human body as part of the normal microbiota It is commonly found in the mouth throat gut vagina and on the skin without causing harm in healthy individualsIt causes Systemic candidiasis a severe invasive fungal infection caused by Candida species most often Candida albicans that spreads beyond the mouth skin or genital area into the bloodstream and internal organsThe annual incidence of invasive candidiasis in India is about 470000 or 34100000 population Globally about 1565000 people have a Candida bloodstream infection or invasive candidiasis each year with 995000 deaths 636 per cent IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/icmr-researchers-develop-new-approach-to-tackle-fungal-pathogens-639020.html Wed, 17 Sep 2025 16:46:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/stock-market-continues-positive-momentum-ahead-of-fed-rate-cut-bank-stocks-jump-639028.html Mumbai Sep 17 Continuing the previous sessions gaining momentum the Indian equities ended the session on a positive note on Wednesday amid buying in heavyweights like SBI BEL and Maruti Suzuki The market remained steady as investors remained cautiously optimistic following prolonged discussions between India and the United States on tariffrelated issuesSensex ended the session at 8269371 up 313 points or 038 per cent The 30share index opened with a decent gapup at 8250640 against the last sessions closing of 8238069 The index extended the early gain a bit to hit an intraday high at 8274195 following buying in heavyweightsNifty closed at 2533025 up 9115 points or 036 per centMarkets edged higher in a subdued session on Wednesday reflecting a positive yet cautious undertone After a firm start the Nifty index traded in a narrow range throughout the day before settling at the 2533025 level said Ajit Mishra of Religare BrokingSectoral performance was mixed with IT banking and auto emerging as the top gainers while metals FMCG and pharma witnessed profittakingDespite the rangebound move underlying sentiment remains supported by optimism around policy reforms and robust domestic flows However persistent FII selling and caution ahead of the US Fed policy outcome capped the momentum he addedSBI BEL Kotak Bank Maruti Trent Tech Mahindra TCS Mahindra and Mahindra Tata Motors Infosys Asian Paints Sun Pharma and LampT were the top gainers from the Sensex basket While Bajaj FinServ Titan ITC Tata Steel and Hindustan Unilever settled lowerThe majority of sectoral indices escalated amid a mixed approach Nifty Fin Services jumped 68 points or 026 per cent Nifty Bank moved 345 points or 063 per cent Nifty Auto surged 148 points or 055 per cent and Nifty IT ended the session 235 points or 065 per cent higher Nifty FMCG fellBroader indices remained buoyed due to value buying in smallcap stocks Nifty Small Cap 100 moved 124 points or 068 per cent Nifty 100 jumped 8690 points or 034 per cent and Nifty Midcap 100 closed 49 points higher IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/stock-market-continues-positive-momentum-ahead-of-fed-rate-cut-bank-stocks-jump-639028.html Wed, 17 Sep 2025 17:35:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/indias-it-services-firms-to-grow-6-7-pc-in-fy27-in-ai-era-report-639032.html New Delhi Sep 17 The Indian IT services firms are expected to witness 56 per cent revenue growth next fiscal FY27 which could mean 810 per cent growth in the volume of work a report said on Wednesday Indias IT firms are poised to benefit from a strong US macroeconomic backdrop as their top American clients reported one of their strongest quarters in many years the report from HSBC Global Investment Research saidAnalysts at the research firm expected this momentum to lift corporate confidence and spur higher technology spending through 2025 offsetting some of the deflationary effects of artificial intelligence adoptionAs AI agents are evolving into multiagent systems prompting potential redesigns of enterprise software architectures and infrastructure the shift could create new opportunities for Indian IT firms the report saidFurther the report cited industry estimates that suggested that AI could reduce the value of IT services by 810 per cent over the next three to four years as contracts renew translating into an annual impact of up to 34 per cent in 202527However Indian IT companies said they have so far compensated for this through higher project volumes from customers and hence total revenues continue to growIn 2026 we believe there will be a push and pull between this deflationary impact and macrotailwind HSBC saidThe firm dismissed concerns over Agentic AI or advanced multiagent systems that can potentially kill the software industry and impact IT services in the long term While hyperscalers are capturing a growing share of enterprise tech budgets HSBC argued that a complete shift away from services is unlikelyIndias largest IT services firm Tata Consultancy Services TCS in August announced a wage revision for around 80 per cent of its workforce largely covering mid to juniorlevel employees The move came even as the company is preparing to lay off about 12000 staff or 2 per cent of its workforce in 2025 IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/indias-it-services-firms-to-grow-6-7-pc-in-fy27-in-ai-era-report-639032.html Wed, 17 Sep 2025 17:39:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/hyundai-india-inks-wage-agreement-with-employees-union-639055.html Chennai Sep 17 Hyundai Motor India on Wednesday informed that it has signed a wage settlement agreement with the United Union of Hyundai Employees UUHE for the period of 20242027 As per the agreement the revised allinclusive compensation package sets a new benchmark in the automotive industry The package includes an industrybest salary increase of Rs 31000 per month structured over three years in the ratio of 55 25 and 20 per centYoungmyung Park Function Head People Strategy Hyundai Motor India Limited HMIL stated At Hyundai our people are the cornerstone of our success This agreement built on mutual trust respect and constructive dialogue reflects our shared commitment to fostering a progressive workplace culture that prioritises employee welfare and supports longterm organisational growthThe longterm wage settlement will be effective from April 1 2024 through March 31 2027In addition to the salary increase agreed between the company and the union HMIL continues to lead the industry in employee welfare including bestinclass health coverage and advanced wellness programs the company said in a statementThe announcement in India came amid wagerelated unrest at Hyundais South Korean home baseEarlier this month in the US as part of President Donald Trumps crackdown on illegal migrants officials raided a Hyundaioperated EV battery plant in GeorgiaFollowing this they arrested approximately 475 people primarily South Korean nationalsThe UUHE which was founded in 2011 is the official representative organisation for HMIL employeesUUHEs continued dedication to promoting employee rights welfare and positive interactions with the firms management is demonstrated by the 1981 employees it represents as of August 31 2025 90 per cent of whom are technicians or workersMeanwhile Hyundai India shares ended the session in the green surging 182 per cent or Rs 4730 to settle at 265040 In the last five sessions the scrip rose nearly 6 per cent and in a month it jumped over 9 per cent IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/hyundai-india-inks-wage-agreement-with-employees-union-639055.html Wed, 17 Sep 2025 18:41:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/changing-weather-conditions-driving-h3n2-cases-in-delhi-ncr-experts-639078.html New Delhi Sep 17 Changing weather conditions are driving influenza A strain H3N2 cases in DelhiNCR said health experts on Wednesday City doctors have reported a sharp increase in viral illness in DelhiNCRH3N2 is a seasonal flu that circulates in humans and mutates over timeChildren older adults and pregnant women are most vulnerable to the disease It also causes more severe symptoms in highrisk populations such as those with weakened immune systems and patients with asthma COPD cardiovascular disease or diabetesCases of influenza due to H3N2 are rising Major symptoms include fever cough sore throat myalgia muscle pain Animesh Ray Additional Professor Department of Internal Medicine AIIMS told IANSThe expert noted that the condition is usually mild but can turn severe in people with other conditionsThough most cases are mild yet those with comorbidities like kidney problems diabetes heart diseases lung diseases may have complications in the form of pneumonia lung failure etc Ray saidAccording to a survey of over 11000 households by social community platform LocalCircles 69 per cent reported at least one member displaying symptoms such as fever cough sore throat and respiratory distressThe cases are rising because of changing weather conditions and lack of vaccination Dr Atul Gogia senior consultant medicine at the leading citybased hospital told IANSThe symptoms are similar to seasonal flu in the form of cough cold running nose and can involve the lungs leading to pneumonia he addedIn children the symptoms may include nausea vomiting or diarrhoea Many patients have also reported fever lasting over 57 days with cough persisting even after other signs subsideThe experts advised proper hand washing the use of masks and vaccination to prevent H3N2 They also suggested getting annual vaccinations avoiding close contact with sick people and isolating those who are ill IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/changing-weather-conditions-driving-h3n2-cases-in-delhi-ncr-experts-639078.html Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:44:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/soon-a-simple-mouth-swab-may-enable-tuberculosis-screening-study-639081.html New Delhi Sep 17 From the currently used sputum testing soon tuberculosis screening can be done via a simple tongue swab according to a study The potential breakthrough using an enhanced CRISPRbased technology could allow easier communitybased screenings for the worlds deadliest infectious disease said researchers from Tulane University in the USLead author Zhen Huang an assistant professor at Tulanes School of Medicine said developing a viable tuberculosis tongue swab test could transform testing in lowresource communitiesTongue swabs are painless easy to collect and dont require trained medical staff Huang said That opens the door to largescale screeningsCurrent TB tests rely on sputum mucus collected from the lungs and lower respiratory systemCollecting sputum is not only difficult but is also unfeasible in about 25 per cent of symptomatic cases and nearly 90 per cent of asymptomatic cases a gap which contributes to an estimated 4 million tuberculosis cases going undiagnosed annuallyThe study published in the journal Nature Communications worked to address that gap by refining a previously developed CRISPRbased assay to better detect TB in samples with very low levels of bacteria such as stool spinal fluid and tongue swabsThe new CRISPR method called the ActCRISPRTB increased amplification and detection of genetic signals from TB bacteria DNA and offered a rapid streamlined approach that can return a diagnosis in under an hourClinical testing showed markedly enhanced detection of TB in tongue swabs over traditional testing 74 per cent compared to 56 per centThe test also showed high sensitivity in detecting TB in respiratory 93 per cent pediatric stool 83 per cent and adult spinal fluid samples 93 per centWith children HIV patients and those with extrapulmonary TB unable to produce sputum the research marks a significant step forward toward offering effective diagnoses via a variety of samples IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/soon-a-simple-mouth-swab-may-enable-tuberculosis-screening-study-639081.html Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:47:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/govt-notifies-national-policy-on-geothermal-energy-to-achieve-net-zero-goal-639108.html New Delhi Sep 17 The government has notified the National Policy on Geothermal Energy 2025 reinforcing its commitment towards achieving the ambitious 2070 Net Zero Goal and strengthening the countrys energy security through diversified renewable energy sources India with its untapped geothermal resources is poised to leverage this clean and reliable energy source for power generation and directuse applications such as district heating agriculture aquaculture and space cooling and heating via Ground Source Heat Pumps GSHPs The newly unveiled policy provides a comprehensive framework to promote exploration development and utilisation of geothermal energy in India according to a statement issued by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy MNREThe new policy encourages research interministerial collaboration and adoption of global best practices for geothermal energy development Regulatory and stewardship responsibilities for geothermal energy will rest with the ministryIt targets integration of geothermal energy with Indias Net Zero 2070 and renewable energy objectives with a focus on electricity generation space heatingcooling agriculture greenhouses cold storage tourism and desalinationThe policy aims to promote RampD of advanced systems such as hybrid geothermalsolar plants retrofitting abandoned oil wells and EnhancedAdvanced Geothermal Systems EGSAGS It lays emphasis on local innovation joint ventures and repurposing existing oil and gas infrastructureThe policy also provides for collaboration with international geothermal bodies and pioneering nations as well as collaboration with state governments oil and gas companies and research institutions for building a robust publicprivate ecosystem for the longterm development of the geothermal sectorBesides it promotes knowledge sharing and human resource development in the sectorAs a first step towards the exploration of geothermal energy the ministry has sanctioned five projects in the sector These include both pilot initiatives and resource assessment projects aimed at exploring the viability and potential of geothermal energy in IndiaThe Ministry of New and Renewable Energy further stated that it will continue to monitor the progress while providing a conducive environment for developers industries and research institutions to actively participate in Indias clean energy transition IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/govt-notifies-national-policy-on-geothermal-energy-to-achieve-net-zero-goal-639108.html Wed, 17 Sep 2025 23:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/telanganas-new-education-policy-to-help-students-compete-with-the-world-cm-639113.html Hyderabad Sep 17 Telanganas new education policy will be a blend of language basic knowledge and skills to enable students to compete with the world Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said on Wednesday At a review meeting the Chief Minister said that the new policy is being designed to suit the ground reality studies and future needs He said the policy should be a beacon of the countrys education in future He observed that the current education system lacks important elements of language basic knowledge and skills and the new policy will have these elements so that students can compete globally The new education policy will also be included in the TelanganaRising Vision Document2047 which is to be released on December 9 this year The CM instructed the educationists to form subcommittees according to their interests and prepare the best documentHe stated that the government has decided to overhaul the entire education sector in the state Stating that there is no land and funds for distribution among the poor to eradicate poverty he said that the only weapon to root out poverty is quality education for the needy Recalling that Indias first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru recognised the importance of education and established higher educational institutions like universities and IITs in the country CM Revanth Reddy expressed concern that the existing education system was not generating talented persons to grab the opportunities created in the country and across the world after the introduction of the economic liberalisation policies He noted that a large number of our youth are excelling in the software sector due to the advent of engineering colleges However not more than 10 per cent of the lakhs of students passing out as engineers are getting jobs The main reason according to him is a lack of sufficient skillsHe voiced concern that despite allocating huge funds to the education sector the number of students in government schools is decreasing day by day Private schools are offering education from nursery LKG and UKG while the education in government schools starts from Class 1 Those who admit their children to private schools for nursery are not ready to shift to the government schools Parents are admitting their children to private schools because the students are given adequate attention The Chief Minister also reminded that the state government recruited teachers soon after coming to power to maintain a healthy teacherstudent ratio in government schools Promotions and transfer of teachers were also taken up to ensure the teaching staff focus on delivering quality education to the students Reiterating that the government is ready to spend money on education liberally CM Revanth Reddy said that the government has decided to set up a special Education Corporation and spend the funds to improve infrastructure and educational standards IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/telanganas-new-education-policy-to-help-students-compete-with-the-world-cm-639113.html Wed, 17 Sep 2025 23:49:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/sensex-nifty-open-higher-on-hopes-of-fed-rate-cut-thaw-in-india-us-ties-638911.html Mumbai Sep 17 The Indian benchmark indices opened higher on Wednesday buoyed by hopes of a Fed rate cut tonight and positive cues around the renewed IndiaUS trade negotiations As of 928 am the Sensex was up 151 points or 018 per cent at 82532 and the Nifty was up 58 points or 023 per cent at 25297The broad cap indices outperformed benchmark indices as Nifty Midcap 100 inched up by 028 per cent and the Nifty Small cap 100 moved up 060 per centTata Consumer Products up 265 per cent Tata Motors Trent NTPC and ONGC were among major gainers on the Nifty while losers were Bajaj Finance Cipla ICICI Bank and Tech MahindraAmong sectoral indices Nifty IT the top gainer jumped 091 per cent Nifty Realty up 052 per cent and Nifty Oil and gas up 043 per cent were the other notable gainers All sectors except Nifty Metal down 007 per cent and Nifty Pharma were trading in the greenTechnically Nifty is positioned above its key nearterm averages Analysts said that the immediate support for the Nifty has now shifted up to the 25000 level and the 2542025500 zones could offer resistanceMarkets are pricing in a 25basispoint cut at the conclusion of the twoday Federal Open Market Committee FOMC meeting on Wednesday responding to labour market deterioration shown in recent economic dataTraders will also scrutinise the accompanying statement and officials economic projections for guidance on the rate outlookA US trade representative delegation led by Chief Negotiator Brendan Lynch met with Indian Commerce Department officials on Tuesday to advance discussions on the IndiaUS Bilateral Trade Agreement BTAThe talks were described as positive and forwardlooking with both sides agreeing to intensify efforts toward early conclusion of a mutually beneficial trade dealMajor US indices declined modestly overnight as the Nasdaq dipped 008 per cent the SampP 500 lost 013 per cent and the Dow slipped 027 per centMost of the Asian markets made strong gains during the morning session While Chinas Shanghai index advanced 041 per cent and Shenzhen jumped 102 per cent Japans Nikkei edged up 023 per cent while Hong Kongs Hang Seng Index inched up 123 per cent South Koreas Kospi dipped 094 per centOn Tuesday foreign institutional investors FIIs purchased equities worth Rs 308 crore while domestic institutional investors DIIs were net buyers of equities worth Rs 1518 crore IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/sensex-nifty-open-higher-on-hopes-of-fed-rate-cut-thaw-in-india-us-ties-638911.html Wed, 17 Sep 2025 10:06:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/30-lakh-join-pm-vishwakarma-scheme-in-2-years-47-lakh-loans-worth-rs-41-188-crore-approved-638921.html New Delhi Sep 17 Around 30 lakh artisans and craftsmen have been registered under the PM Vishwakarma Scheme in two years and for the support in business development more than 47 lakh loans worth Rs 41188 crore have been approved the government has informed Nearly 26 lakh artisans and craftsmen have completed skill verification where 86 per cent of them completed their basic training too Raajmistri Mason is the most registered trade under the schemeThe PM Vishwakarma Scheme has emerged as a transformative initiative of the government that has supported traditional artisans and empowered themTo directly equip the skilled worker with the necessary equipment and encourage the promotion of modern technologies more than 23 lakhs evouchers have been issued as a toolkit incentive according to the governmentThe PM Vishwakarma Scheme was launched on September 17 2023 on the occasion of Vishwakarma Day with a financial outlay of Rs 13000 crores starting from FY 202324 to FY 202728The Pradhan Mantri Vishwakarma Kaushal Samman Yojana was launched to uplift the lives of these artisans and craftsperson by enhancing their skills and increasing the reach of their products and servicesIt aims to provide endtoend holistic support to artisans and craftspeople for their respective trades It emphasises encouraging the trades in rural and urban areas with special attention to women empowerment and marginalised or underserved groups like the Scheduled Castes Scheduled Tribes OBCs Specially Abled Transgenders residents of NER states Island Territories and Hilly AreasTo expand the reach in every district District Project Management Units DPMUs have been appointed in almost all the districts The role of DPMUs is to generate awareness about the scheme benefits and also inform the Vishwakarmas about training dates batch timings location of training centres stakeholder coordination and regularly monitoring the training centres to ensure adherence and compliance with the training guidelinesThe total number of DPMUs appointed under the scheme is 497 as of July 2025 who are covering 618 districts of the countryWith the support of ministries and DPMUs the scheme focuses on achieving the goal of recognising artisans as Vishwakarmas providing them with skill training modern tools and easy access to collateralfree credit along with incentives for digital transactions It also focuses on brand promotion and market linkages enabling artisans to enhance productivity quality and growth opportunitiesThe scheme brings small artisans under one umbrella and empowers them with recognition The initiative also focuses on financial support skill upgradation and connects them with global markets With this initiatives ageold traditions can thrive in a competitive world while preserving their traditional art and knowledge IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/30-lakh-join-pm-vishwakarma-scheme-in-2-years-47-lakh-loans-worth-rs-41-188-crore-approved-638921.html Wed, 17 Sep 2025 11:19:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/isro-will-invite-companies-specialising-in-on-orbit-servicing-and-refueling-tech-chairman-638936.html Bengaluru Sep 17 The Indian Space Research Organisation ISRO will invite companies specialising in onorbit servicing and Refueling tech OOSR said Chairman Dr V Narayanan on Wednesday He was speaking at the inauguration of the new RampD facility of OrbitAID Aerospace Indias first spacetech startup in the field of OOSR hereThe facility spanning 6500 sq ft in Bengaluru with an investment of over 2 million aims to extend the lifetime refueling services to current and upcoming satellitesCongratulating the OrbitAID team on their achievement Narayanan emphasised the importance of developing technologies such as docking and refueling interfaces and the significance of providing services such as life extension for satellites in shaping the future of Indias space ecosystemISRO has recently opened up to private players in the space ecosystem and in the upcoming missions the space organisation will also invite companies specialising in OnOrbit Servicing and Refueling OOSR technologies to work with it he addedOrbitAIDs new RampD facility is Indias largest commercial and one of the worlds biggest for Rendezvous Proximity Operations and Docking RPOD infrastructure for servicing and refueling operationsThe facility consists of a highend control room for operating the RPOD facility a class 10000 cleanroom and fuel transfer facilities for assembling and integrating its satellitesOrbitAIDs new RampD center also represents a significant step in Indias journey towards space sustainability at a global stage after the success of ISROs SPADeX missionIn January with the successful docking of the satellites of the SpaDEX mission India became the fourth nation to achieve space docking technologyThe new facility begins a new story in OrbitAIDs journey in making India the champion of space sustainability at a global stage With this new development and our TRL 7 docking and refueling interface SIDRP we are positioned to provide life extension services for the current and upcoming satellites in both Indian and global markets said Sakthikumar Ramachandran Founder amp CEO OrbitAIDOrbitAID which raised initial funding earlier this year from Unicorn India Ventures is also planning to expand its footprint in Tamil Nadu where the company will establish a manufacturing facility to build Indias first private propellant handling and satellite servicing hub to build a circular economy for the global space tech ecosystemThe company will strengthen collaborations with local universities startups and global partners IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/isro-will-invite-companies-specialising-in-on-orbit-servicing-and-refueling-tech-chairman-638936.html Wed, 17 Sep 2025 11:44:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/indias-office-space-leasing-by-gccs-set-to-grow-15-20-pc-in-2-years-report-638951.html Mumbai Sep 17 Global Capability Centres GCCs acted as the major driver of Indias commercial real estate sector with leasing projected to grow by 1520 per cent over the next two years said a report on Wednesday GCCs are projected to lease 6065 million square feet of Grade A office space by 2027 according to a report by real estate services firm ColliersThese centres have leased around 100 million square feet in Indias top seven cities since 2021 accounting for 36 per cent of total office demand Leasing activity by global corporates is expected to touch 28 million square feet by 2025 nearly doubling the 2021 figure the report saidFurther the share of GCCs in overall office leasing which had dipped to less than 30 per cent in 2022 has rebounded sharply to nearly 40 per cent in 2025 it addedCapability centres in India are steadily evolving into innovationdriven domainspecialised and technologically integrated centres and are likely to drive over 40 per cent of Indias office space demand said Arpit Mehrotra Managing Director Office Services Colliers IndiaTechnology firms accounted for 37 per cent of GCC demand leading the chart while the banking financial services and engineering sectors are expanding rapidly projected to contribute 4050 per cent of future leasingWithin GCCs the share of engineering and manufacturing occupiers has risen from 11 per cent to 17 per cent driven by growing RampD and product engineering needsBengaluru and Hyderabad accounted for 60 per cent of GCC activity since 2021 Chennai has experienced a 53fold surge in GCC leasing this year from 2021 levelFlex spaces too are likely to gain traction as GCCs seek greater scalability and agility in their workplace portfolios At the same time Tier II cities are likely to see a steady uptick in GCC activity supported by cost arbitrage infrastructure development and talent availability said Vimal Nadar National Director and Head of Research Colliers IndiaThe USbased companies have traditionally accounted for nearly 70 per cent of total GCC absorption since 2021 In recent years GCCs from the UK EMEA and APAC regions have also expanded their footprint steadily strengthening their presence in India IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/indias-office-space-leasing-by-gccs-set-to-grow-15-20-pc-in-2-years-report-638951.html Wed, 17 Sep 2025 12:27:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/india-emerging-as-global-leader-on-green-path-to-growth-638973.html New Delhi Sep 17 India is rapidly emerging as a global leader in sustainable development as it is not just following the global climate agenda but developing its own positive approach to a green future as a pathway to economic prosperity and a strong nation By combining strong political leadership a thriving private sector and a deeply rooted philosophical connection to nature India is proving that a green future is not only possible but also a direct route to prosperity and power according to an article by Erik Solheim in India NarrativeThis transformation is driven by a powerful combination of factors strong political will a vibrant business sector and an engaged civil society Far from being a burden this green shift is seen as a pathway to economic prosperity and national strength a message framed not around the fear of climate change but the promise of a brighter more prosperous future the article statesIt also points out that India has been unfairly accused of hindering international climate talks and blamed for a crisis it contributed very little to The reality is that the per capita emissions of the United States are currently 25 times higher than Indias This disparity highlights the arrogance of those who point fingers at India while ignoring their own historical and current responsibilitiesThe article highlights that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reframed the climate debate Instead of focusing on the dire consequences of climate change like droughts or floods his message is one of opportunity He speaks of a future where every Indian is lifted out of poverty a thriving middle class emerges and India takes its rightful place as a powerful nation on the world stage Crucially this vision is anchored in green technologies solar wind electric cars and other renewables This positive aspirational message resonates far more deeply than one built on fear and sacrificeIt states that this shift in messaging is a lesson the world should learn from It turns climate action from a negative problemfocused agenda into a positive inspiring one The absence of a significant climate denial movement in India unlike in many Western countries further strengthens this approachThe article underlines the success that India has achieved in setting up solar wind and hydro power projects to fight climate changeIndias green progress is not just a topdown mandate its a nationwide movement with remarkable success stories unfolding across different statesIt mentions Gujarat as a frontrunner with an ambitious goal of generating 100 GW of solar energy by 2030 This alone would make it one of the largest renewable energy economies in the world if it were a separate nation Tamil Nadu is making strides in restoring its windmills and has embarked on a largescale mangrove restoration project while Madhya Pradesh hosts some of the countrys most innovative green projects This includes a 150 MW floating solar plant on the Omkareshwar dam in Khandwa and Indias first solar village SanchiBesides Andhra Pradesh like Gujarat is a leader in solar energy generation with significant capacity installed and Uttar Pradesh is focusing on hydro and pumped storage and has made strides in greening its agriculture sectorThe article also points out that the deeprooted connection between Indian philosophy and nature plays a significant role in this green transformation The ancient Hindu philosophy of Dharma venerates the environment viewing humans as an integral part of nature rather than superior to itThis contrasts sharply with some Western traditions which historically have viewed humans as being above nature free to exploit it for their own ends the article addsErik Solheim the author of the article is a wellknown global leader on environment and development as well as an experienced peace negotiator He served as Norwegian minister of Environment and International Development from 20052012 IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/india-emerging-as-global-leader-on-green-path-to-growth-638973.html Wed, 17 Sep 2025 14:20:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/sensex-nifty-open-higher-as-india-us-trade-talks-set-to-resume-638731.html Mumbai Sep 16 The Indian benchmark indices opened higher on Tuesday amid mixed global cues as US Chief Negotiator Brendan Lynch arrived in India to resume trade negotiations between the two nations As of 925 am the Sensex was up 184 points or 023 per cent at 81970 and the Nifty was up 47 points or 019 per cent at 25117The broadcap indices outperformed benchmark indices as Nifty Midcap 100 inched up by 026 per cent and the Nifty Small cap 100 moved up 070 per centKotak Mahindra Axis Bank and Hero Motocorp were the top gainers on NSE Nifty 50 index Titan Company SBI Life Insurance Asian Paints and Tata Consumer Products weighed on the Nifty 50 indexAmong sectoral indices Nifty Media the top gainer jumped 108 per cent Nifty Auto up 065 per cent and Nifty Oil and gas up 057 per cent were the other major gainers Except Nifty FMCG and Nifty PSU Bank which were marginally down all other indices were in the greenAnalysts said that from a technical standpoint a sustained move above the 25160 level could pave the way for a rally toward 25250 and 25500 zones The immediate support lies at 25000 and 24900 zonesThe bold reforms both fiscal and monetary implemented this year have started yielding results and is likely to gather momentum in near future An IndiaUS trade agreement without the penal tariffs can be a shot in the arm for markets said VK Vijayakumar Chief Investment Strategist Geojit Investments LimitedMajor US indices ended firmly in the green zone overnight as the Nasdaq rose 094 per cent the SampP 500 gained 047 per cent and the Dow advanced 011 per centMost of the Asian markets made strong gains during the morning session While Chinas Shanghai index dipped 01 per cent and Shenzhen inched down 026 per cent Japans Nikkei rose 054 per cent while Hong Kongs Hang Seng Index inched up 007 per cent South Koreas Kospi inched up 12 per centThe US markets are pricing in a 964 per cent probability of a 25basispoint rate cut on September 17 with additional cuts expected through yearendOn Monday foreign institutional investors FIIs sold equities worth Rs 1268 crore while domestic institutional investors DIIs were net buyers of equities worth Rs 1933 crore IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/sensex-nifty-open-higher-as-india-us-trade-talks-set-to-resume-638731.html Tue, 16 Sep 2025 10:03:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/high-intensity-exercise-resistance-training-may-help-fight-cancer-study-638749.html New Delhi Sep 16 Both resistance training RT and highintensity interval training HIIT produced sufficient levels of myokines to help in the fight against cancer according to a study While RT uses external force like weights to build muscle and strength HIIT uses short intense bursts of exercise followed by brief recovery periods to improve cardiovascular fitness and enduranceResearchers from Edith Cowan University ECU found that cancer survivors who followed either resistance training or HIIT had reduced the growth of these breast cancer cells in vitro by 22 per cent and 25 per cent respectivelyThis suggests both types of exercise may help slow cancer cell growth said Francesco Bettariga from the varsityAlthough there was no major difference between the effects of RT and HIIT interestingly with HIIT the reduction in cancer cell growth was linked to an increase in lean muscle and a decrease in body fat after 12 weeks of training Bettariga addedThe team stated that different types of exercise have different impacts on the body with resistance training able to substantially improve muscle strength and mass while HIIT can stimulate cardiorespiratory fitness and reduce fat massIts very important to find out if different types of exercise cause different effects on myokines and their potential cancer suppressive effects Bettariga saidMyokines are a protein produced by muscles during exercise which haveanticancer effectsThe team followed breast cancer survivors through a 12week training programme to investigate how resistance training and HIIT each affect the growth of breast cancer cells in lab tests using blood samples from breast cancer survivorsThe results showed that both groups of participants had higher levels of myokines at the end of the 12week programme than at the beginning which means regardless of the exercise you do you can gain benefit Bettariga said IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/high-intensity-exercise-resistance-training-may-help-fight-cancer-study-638749.html Tue, 16 Sep 2025 11:18:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/cbic-eases-procedures-for-provisional-assessments-of-imports-and-exports-638757.html New Delhi Sep 16 The latest amendments in customs rules on provisional assessments of imports and exports will aid revenue protection trade facilitation and bring closure to longpending cases industry experts said on Tuesday The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs CBIC has issued the Customs Finalisation of Provisional Assessment Regulations 2025 aimed at enhancing speed certainty and transparency in customs administration The new regulations lay down specific timelines for completing provisional assessmentsIndustry experts expect the move to alleviate persistent bottlenecks in trade and customs administrationThe Customs Finalisation of Provisional Assessment Regulations 2025 mark a longawaited move towards certainty and efficiency in customs administration By introducing clear timelines CBIC has addressed a pain point that has long burdened both trade and authorities said Manoj Mishra Partner and Tax Controversy Management Leader Grant Thornton BharatBusinesses will experience faster release of blocked working capital lower compliance costs and improved predictability in supply chains he saidMishra however added that the true test will be in implementation especially in matters tied to Special Valuation Branch proceedings DRI investigations or prolonged litigationTimely finalisation while safeguarding the assessees right to present submissions will be critical If executed in the intended spirit these regulations can balance revenue protection with trade facilitation bringing closure to longpending cases and building greater trust between industry and administration he further saidUnder the new rules importers and exporters must provide required documents within 15 days of requisition with a possible extension of up to two months Customs officers are required to complete enquiries within 14 months The finalisation of provisional assessments is to be completed within two years from the date of provisional assessment except in cases involving appeals stay orders or international information requests the notification saidThe new framework permits voluntary duty payments in the provisional assessment phase which shall be adjusted against the duty finally assessed at the time of finalisationInterest obligations and penalties up to Rs 25000 apply for noncompliance Additionally procedures for refunds duty recovery and bond cancellations have been detailed to streamline processes IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/cbic-eases-procedures-for-provisional-assessments-of-imports-and-exports-638757.html Tue, 16 Sep 2025 12:08:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/manufacturing-services-sector-lead-robust-gdp-growth-in-q1-report-638774.html New Delhi Sep 16 The robust GDP growth in the first quarter Q1 FY26 at 78 per cent which was well above the estimate of 66 per cent was led by a sharp growth in the manufacturing sector and strong momentum in the services sector a report said on Tuesday All three heads within the services Trade Hotels Transport and Commerce and Broadcasting Services 86 per cent as compared to the estimated 6 per cent Financial Real Estate and Professional Services 95 per cent in Q1FY26 as compared to 78 per cent in Q4FY25 and Public Administration and Defence 98 per cent as compared to 87 per cent performed well CareEdge Ratings said in its reportWhile the healthy momentum in the services sector was somewhat reflected by highfrequency indicators like strong growth in central revenue expenditure healthy services exports growth in eway bill collection and cargo traffic the overall growth for this sector turned out higher than expectedWithin the industry the manufacturing sector posted higher growth 77 per cent as compared to 48 per cent likely supported by improving domestic consumption and the frontloading of imports by developed economies ahead of higher tariff implementationThis sharp rise in manufacturing is a positive developmentHowever the gains in manufacturing were partly offset by a sharp contraction in mining 31 per cent compared to 25 per cent and a moderation in utilities 05 per cent as compared to 54 per cent which capped the overall industrial growth The early onset of the monsoon weighed on mining activity the report statedContrary to expectations agricultural growth moderated in Q1 FY26 37 per cent as compared to 54 per cent However a good monsoon along with robust Kharif sowing should support agricultural growth going forwardOverall Gross Value Added GVA growth stood at 76 per cent for Q1 FY26The positive gap between GDP and GVA was in line with expectations as growth in indirect taxes outpaced the growth in subsidies the report noted IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/manufacturing-services-sector-lead-robust-gdp-growth-in-q1-report-638774.html Tue, 16 Sep 2025 13:23:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/govt-initiatives-help-oil-companies-thrive-in-unfavorable-global-environment-report-638780.html New Delhi Sep 16 The Indian governments decisive initiatives have helped oil marketing companies OMCs thrive in a volatile global environment a report said on Tuesday In the last six months Indian oil marketing companies have witnessed volatility in refining margins potential risk on the US urging India to reduce its intake of Russian oil and depreciation of the Indian currency against the US dollarThe Indian government has been backing OMCs by supporting decisions even in August 2025 India imported 13 million barrels per day which are in the best commercial interests of these companies and also promising to pay LPG underrecovery incurred in FY24 HSBC Global Investment Research said in a reportAll this resulted in OMC stocks surging by 1423 per cent as compared to the NIFTY50 up 12 per cent in the last six monthsCombined refining and marketing RampM margins have been the hallmark of this steady performanceWhile refining margins expanded in the interim and then contracted and Indian currency depreciation ate away some of the marketing margins combined margins have stood steady at 2225 barrel which are much higher than our and the streets fullyear estimates the report mentionedThis leaves a comfortable margin of safety for these companies which historically have been associated with highly volatile earningsOur HSBC global team forecasts a big surplus in oil from Q4 CY25 onward with a downside risk to HSBCs Brent oil forecast of 65 per barrel for 2026 This provides further cushioning to estimates the report notedMoreover auto fuel demand continues to maintain momentum despite weakness in ATF In August 2025 auto fuel demand maintained momentum growing 26 per cent yearonyear YoYGasoline demand grew a strong 55 per cent YoY while diesel demand grew 12 per cent YoY ATF demand is negative for a second consecutive month at 29 per cent after 23 per cent in JulyWith recent trends in air traffic improving we expect the decline also to reverse the global investment firm saidOMCs will continue to add new outlets which grew 8 per cent YoY in July 2025 At the same time they have added EV outlets which now account for 30 per cent of their total outletsAccording to the report OMCs have to fund large capital expenditure plans which gives us comfort that the government is unlikely to take away a large part of their margins by tweaking dutiesAlso a downside risk in oil prices provides further support to earnings said the report IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/govt-initiatives-help-oil-companies-thrive-in-unfavorable-global-environment-report-638780.html Tue, 16 Sep 2025 13:57:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/jaguar-land-rover-extends-production-halt-until-sep-24-after-cybersecurity-breach-638787.html New Delhi Sep 16 Tataowned British luxury carmaker Jaguar Land Rover JLR on Tuesday said that it has extended its pause in production until September 24 after being hit by a cybersecurity incident earlier this month The company said that its global operations remain disrupted as investigations into the breach continueIn a statement JLR said it has informed its employees suppliers and partners about the decision to keep production suspended until Wednesday September 24Today we have informed colleagues suppliers and partners that we have extended the current pause in our production until Wednesday September 24 the company saidThe carmaker explained that it is still carrying out a forensic investigation into the cyberattack and is carefully planning different stages of a controlled restart of its operationsWe are very sorry for the continued disruption this incident is causing and we will continue to provide updates as the investigation progresses the company saidThe disruption comes at a challenging time for JLR The automaker has already been struggling with declining profits due to rising costs linked to US tariffsThe cyberattack has added further strain by halting production at a time when the company is working to strengthen its businessJaguar Land Rover had signed a fiveyear contract worth 800 million with Tata Consultancy Services in 2023 to provide cybersecurity and IT supportThe deal was part of JLRs strategy to accelerate digital transformation across its operations Despite these efforts the current breach has caused a significant setbackIndustry analysts say the prolonged suspension could affect JLRs supply chain and sales targets especially in key marketsFor now the company is focusing on restoring its systems securely and ensuring its operations return to normal as quickly as possible IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/jaguar-land-rover-extends-production-halt-until-sep-24-after-cybersecurity-breach-638787.html Tue, 16 Sep 2025 14:20:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/jaguar-land-rover-extends-production-halt-until-sep-24-over-cybersecurity-breach-638788.html New Delhi Sep 16 Tataowned British luxury carmaker Jaguar Land Rover JLR on Tuesday said that it has extended its pause in production until September 24 after being hit by a cybersecurity incident earlier this month The company said that its global operations remain disrupted as investigations into the breach continueIn a statement JLR said it has informed its employees suppliers and partners about the decision to keep production suspended until Wednesday September 24Today we have informed colleagues suppliers and partners that we have extended the current pause in our production until Wednesday September 24 the company saidThe carmaker explained that it is still carrying out a forensic investigation into the cyberattack and is carefully planning different stages of a controlled restart of its operationsWe are very sorry for the continued disruption this incident is causing and we will continue to provide updates as the investigation progresses the company saidThe disruption comes at a challenging time for JLR The automaker has already been struggling with declining profits due to rising costs linked to US tariffsThe cyberattack has added further strain by halting production at a time when the company is working to strengthen its businessJaguar Land Rover had signed a fiveyear contract worth 800 million with Tata Consultancy Services in 2023 to provide cybersecurity and IT supportThe deal was part of JLRs strategy to accelerate digital transformation across its operations Despite these efforts the current breach has caused a significant setbackIndustry analysts say the prolonged suspension could affect JLRs supply chain and sales targets especially in key marketsFor now the company is focusing on restoring its systems securely and ensuring its operations return to normal as quickly as possible IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/jaguar-land-rover-extends-production-halt-until-sep-24-over-cybersecurity-breach-638788.html Tue, 16 Sep 2025 14:20:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/-indias-fitness-tech-sector-raises-989-million-to-date-report-638791.html New Delhi Sep 16 Indias fitness tech sector has raised 989 million across 203 equity rounds till date underscoring its steady expansion despite current cautious funding activity a report said on Tuesday The fitness tech ecosystem currently comprises more than 600 active startups of which 96 have secured equity fundingOver the last decade 20162025 YTD annual funding grew from 242 million in 2016 to a record 3879 million in 2021 before moderating to 483 million in 2024 Meanwhile 2021 marked the most funded year Tracxn said in a reportIn terms of topfunded startups to date Cultfit remains the most funded startup in the sector with 6666 million followed by HealthifyMe with 1453 million while Ultrahuman has secured 549 million in fundingThe sector has recorded four mega funding rounds of over 100M to date all raised by Cultfit These include a 180M Series F in 2021 a 1105M Series D in 2020 a 120M Series D in 2019 and a 120M Series C in 2018Indias Fitness Tech ecosystem is entering a phase of steady maturity shaped by a combination of rising health awareness supportive policy initiatives and rapid digital adoption Investors continue to see strong longterm potential here even as funding in recent years has been more measured said Neha Singh CoFounder of TracxnGeographically Bengaluru led the funding landscape in Indias Fitness Tech sector securing 8976 million in total funding to date Mumbai followed as the secondlargest hub with 332M led by FitCircle RESET Tech and AlphaCoachThe sector spans wearables connected gym equipment fitness apps and AIpowered platforms offering personalised workouts nutrition tracking and health monitoringThe fitness tech sector has recorded 12 acquisitions to date reflecting growing consolidation in the ecosystemNotable deals include Johnson Health Techs acquisition of Schwinn Fitness in 2024 MyAvas acquisition by Bonatra in 2023 and Zyogas acquisition by Appointy in 2023 the report said IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/-indias-fitness-tech-sector-raises-989-million-to-date-report-638791.html Tue, 16 Sep 2025 14:43:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/high-net-worth-families-can-help-india-become-5-trillion-economy-faster-report-638792.html New Delhi Sep 16 Indias highnetworth HNW families can help the country become a 5 trillion economy by utilising their capital for social goals using impact investing and blended financing techniques a report said on Tuesday Impact investing means generating returns by investing in businesses that make a positive social impact Blended finance is a technique where wealthy individuals mix their money in social business initiatives that receive grants or government funds to reduce riskMany HNW families continue to operate in silos and exhibit low retention in impact investing according to the report from wealth advisory firm Waterfield Advisors and NPO organisation Impact Investors Council IICHNW family participation in impact investing is rising but retention is weak Of the 316 HNW families who entered in 2021 just 64 remain active in 2024 the report saidWhile public funding remains the dominant source of social sector expenditure a significant financing gap persists and is expected to widen further in the coming years the report addedHNW families are uniquely positioned to fill this gap by investing in highimpact enterprises in sectors like health education agriculture livelihood climate financial inclusion and affordable housing it notedThis report is a call to move from oneoff experiments to sustained convictionled strategies that can help close Indias social financing gap said Soumya Rajan Founder and CEO of Waterfield AdvisorsWhen discussions turn into conviction and then to action family wealth can truly catalyse systemic change and power Indias 5 trillion journey added Girish Aivalli CEO Impact Investors Council IICThe countrys economy continued its strong momentum in the first quarter of 202526 Q1 FY26 with GDP growing 78 per cent compared to 65 per cent in the same period last year IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/high-net-worth-families-can-help-india-become-5-trillion-economy-faster-report-638792.html Tue, 16 Sep 2025 14:44:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/phonepes-indus-appstore-now-on-10-crore-devices-638797.html Bengaluru Sep 16 Indus Appstore Indias Android app marketplace announced that it has hit the 10crore device mark The app stores localised feature allowing users to discover apps in 12 Indian languages along with English is one of the key factors to its success About 40 per cent of users navigate the app store in a regional language with Hindi Marathi Tamil and Gujarati being the most popular languagesThe app store has a significant presence in states like Uttar Pradesh Bihar and Maharashtra with Karnataka and Telangana following close behind as key user hubsIts a proud moment for all of us to cross the 10crore milestone and it is an important step in our journey of building a horizontal app store for India We will continue to offer our users a seamless safe and rich app selection experience that makes Indus Appstore not only a destination for apps but a platform where users can discover apps that are right for them said Priya M Narasimhan Chief Business Officer Indus AppstoreWe will also continue to support the developer ecosystem by offering a levelplaying field that allows them to distribute and reach the right users with features built for the Indian regional and cultural context she addedFurther the Indus Appstores lifetime user base showed that Indias young population is a key driver of its successGenZ aged 1827 comprised 337 per cent of the user base and when combined with GenY aged 2744 it accounted for nearly 935 per cent of users under the age of 45The core Indus Appstore users in a tier3 location are generally males between 28 and 44 years old More than 70per cent of users belong to tier3 regions demonstrating strong rural and smallcity penetrationIndus Appstore also hosts several app categories with social media apps being the most popular nationwide followed by communication entertainment and finance apps IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/phonepes-indus-appstore-now-on-10-crore-devices-638797.html Tue, 16 Sep 2025 14:48:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/gst-rejig-a-major-push-towards-advancing-indias-climate-goals-centre-638800.html New Delhi Sep 16 In a significant development the GST rationalisation is set to provide a major push towards advancing Indias climate goals by making renewable energy waste management biodegradable products and green mobility more affordable and within reach the government said on Tuesday Moreover by cutting costs encouraging domestic manufacturing and supporting sustainable industries these changes will accelerate the adoption of clean energy and pollution control solutions it saidTo begin with GST on solar and wind devices has been reduced from 12 per cent to 5 per cent This includes solar cookers biogas plants solar powerbased devices solar power generators windmills windoperated electricity generator WOEG wastetoenergy plantsdevices solar lanternssolar lamps ocean wavestidal waves energy devicesplants and photovoltaic cells whether or not assembled in modules or made up into panelsThe reduction in GST will directly decrease the capital costs of solar panels PV cells wind turbines and related devices This reduction will enhance the viability of solar and wind projects leading to lower tariffs for end consumersThe GST rate cuts will bolster domestic manufacturing by supporting Indias solar cell and module manufacturing ecosystem under PLI schemes making domestic products more competitive against imports This will make solar pumps more affordable reducing irrigation costs and providing support to farmers according to the governmentThe installed capacity of solar energy in India has increased more than 42 times from 282 GW in 2014 to 11954 GW as of July 31 2025India has progressively continued the decoupling of economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions The emission intensity of Indias gross domestic product GDP has reduced by 36 per cent between 2005 and 2020Similarly GST on services provided by a common effluent treatment plant CETP has been reduced from 12 per cent to 5 per centReducing taxes on CETPs will motivate industries to use centralised waste treatment methods resulting in a pollutionfree environment and supporting sustainable development in industrial areas This will assist municipal corporations in implementing clean energy solutions for managing waste The GST cuts will create green jobs in areas like waste segregation plant operations and maintenance the government highlightedReduced GST on biodegradable bags from 18 per cent to 5 per cent makes them more affordable encouraging consumers and retailers to move away from singleuse plastics and thereby helping to decrease plastic pollutionThis supports Indias adherence to the Plastic Waste Management Rules 2022 and reinforces the ban on singleuse plastics It will promote investment in research and development and the expansion of biopolymers starchbased and compostable materials said the governmentAs many biodegradable bag producers are small and medium enterprises or startups the lower GST facilitates their market entry and increases demand it added IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/gst-rejig-a-major-push-towards-advancing-indias-climate-goals-centre-638800.html Tue, 16 Sep 2025 15:10:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/google-lays-off-over-200-ai-contractors-report-638802.html New Delhi Sep 16 Tech giant Google has reportedly laid off more than 200 contractors working on its artificial intelligence projects including Gemini and AI Overviews The move has raised concerns over job security low pay and possible retaliation against unionisation effortsAccording to a report by WIRED the layoffs took place in at least two separate rounds last month and were carried out with little or no prior warning Several contractors said they were suddenly cut off from their workI was just cut off said Andrew Lauzon a contractor who reportedly received an email on August 15 informing him that his contract had endedLauzon who joined Hitachiowned GlobalLogic in March 2024 had been working on training Googles Gemini chatbot and other AI toolsI asked for a reason and they said rampdown on the project whatever that means How are we supposed to feel secure in this employment when we know we could go at any moment he addedThe contractors many of whom reportedly hold advanced degrees such as masters and PhDs were part of a group known as super ratersThey were responsible for refining AIgenerated responses and making them sound more natural and accurateWorkers told WIRED that their role was critical in shaping Googles AI products including the AI Overviews feature that summarises search resultsWe as raters play an incredibly vital role said Alex a generalist rater employed by GlobalLogicThe engineers are not going to have the time to finetune and get the feedback they need for the bot Were like the lifeguards on the beach were there to make sure nothing bad happens Alex addedGoogle has reportedly denied direct responsibility for the job cuts stressing that the affected individuals were employed by GlobalLogic or its subcontractorsThese individuals are employees of GlobalLogic or their subcontractors not Alphabet Google spokesperson Courtenay Mencini was quoted as sayingAs the employers GlobalLogic and their subcontractors are responsible for the employment and working conditions of their employees Mencini addedThe reported layoffs come at a time when Google is investing heavily in AI to keep pace with competitors like OpenAI and Microsoft IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/google-lays-off-over-200-ai-contractors-report-638802.html Tue, 16 Sep 2025 15:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/medtech-sector-key-pillar-of-health-transformation-in-india-jp-nadda-638810.html New Delhi Sep 16 The MedTech sector is a key pillar of health transformation in India said Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda on Tuesday Addressing the inaugural session of the 11th Asia Pacific MedTech Forum APACMed 2025 via a video message he highlighted the importance of the MedTech sector for accessible affordable healthcare and innovationThe MedTech sector is a key pillar of health transformation in India The sectors broad scope encompasses diagnostics advanced devices digital health and AIdriven solutions all contributing to making healthcare more accessible efficient and affordable for every citizen Nadda saidHe stated that the sector has become a trusted provider of highquality healthcare supported by the governments focus on access innovation and infrastructure developmentUnion Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel highlighted several major government initiatives undertaken to strengthen Indias MedTech and medical devices sectorThese include a new scheme for supporting component manufacturing development of common infrastructure branding and conducting critical market and clinical studiesIndia is emerging as not only a highvolume manufacturer but also a highvalue player in the global MedTech market The next leap will come from collaborations and I invite all stakeholders to join India in cocreating solutions that will serve both our 14 billion citizens and the broader healthcare needs of emerging markets said PatelThe medical technology sector is being recognised as a sunrise sector she addedShe also emphasised the governments investorfriendly policies including 100 per cent FDI in medical devices the establishment of an Export Promotion Council and the formation of a National Medical Devices Promotion Council to improve ease of doing business and broaden export opportunitiesFurther Dr Vinod K Paul Member Health NITI Aayog outlined the series of transformative measures undertaken by the government in recent years to boost innovation RampD affordability and domestic manufacturing in the medical devices sectorHe highlighted the National Medical Devices Policy 2023 as a landmark step that sets out a comprehensive framework for holistic sectoral growth This is complemented by the Policy on RampD and Innovation in the PharmaMedTech sector the development of Medical Devices Parks modeled on the Andhra MedTech Zone a Productivity Linked Incentive PLI Scheme and the launch of the Promotion of Research and Innovation in the PharmaMedTech Sector PRIP popularly known as the BRICS schemeThe twoday forum being held from 1617 September brought together senior policymakers global industry leaders regulators and healthcare experts from more than 10 countries across the Asia Pacific region to align strategies for shaping Indias MedTech roadmap in line with the Prime Ministers Healthcare Vision 2030 and Viksit Bharat 2047 IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/medtech-sector-key-pillar-of-health-transformation-in-india-jp-nadda-638810.html Tue, 16 Sep 2025 16:03:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/automatic-sirens-in-andhra-villages-to-protect-people-from-lightning-floods-638823.html Amaravati Sep 16 Andhra Pradesh government is installing automatic sirens at village secretariats to protect citizens from lightning and floods a top official said on Tuesday A pilot project in one village has already shown excellent results with sirens operating through ISRO satellite support even without mobile signals Secretary Real Time Governance RTGS Katamneni Bhaskar saidEach system costs around Rs 2 lakh Statewide implementation would cost about Rs 340 crore but in the first phase vulnerable villages will be prioritised at a cost of Rs 1015 crore he said asking the district Collectors to monitor and support this initiativeAddressing the District Collectors on the second day of the Collectors Conference Bhaskar said that the state government is enhancing disaster preparedness and governance efficiency through RTGS Aware 20 advanced data systems and innovation hubsHe urged the district Collectors to fully utilise these cuttingedge tools to improve governance at the district levelThrough RTGS Aware 20 citizens are being continuously alerted about disasters cyclones lightning and weather changes Forecasts down to the mandal level including lightning strikes heavy rainfall and reservoir inflows are being provided in real timeHe said that a dedicated RTGS Aware website has been launched already widely used by private transport and logistics firms to plan operations He urged district administrations to leverage this system for greater local impactBhaskar informed that all districtlevel RTGS centres will be completed by the end of October Collectors were asked to personally review progress and ensure the timely completion of construction worksA centralised Data Lake with over 6 petabytes of data from government departments has been created linked to a realtime Data Lens dashboard This tool enables Collectors to access districtlevel data instantly eliminating duplication of efforts He instructed that no new data silos be created at the district level and that existing data must be integrated with the central systemTo make governance information accessible RTGS has developed an AIenabled single search bar with over 80 lakh government documents including GOs Citizens can access information from any department through this tool which also features voicebased interaction Collectors were directed to create awareness among the public on its usageThe state aims to achieve full mobile connectivity across tribal and remote areas within six months Bhaskar said steps are underway to immediately address connectivity gaps by constructing new mobile towers in underserved areasCollectors were also asked to give special attention to the Ratan Tata Innovation Hub being established at Amaravati Visakhapatnam Vijayawada Tirupati Anantapur and Rajahmundry These hubs will promote 20000 startups and generate nearly one lakh employment opportunities for the states youthRTGS is not just a monitoring mechanism it is a peoples tool for disaster preparedness governance transparency and futureready innovation District Collectors must ensure its full utilisation to bring visible results to citizens Bhaskar said IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/automatic-sirens-in-andhra-villages-to-protect-people-from-lightning-floods-638823.html Tue, 16 Sep 2025 17:04:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/pakistans-digital-economy-plunges-into-deep-crisis-as-online-financial-frauds-soar-638830.html New Delhi Sep 16 Pakistans digital economy has plunged into a deep crisis of cyber scams data breaches and online financial fraud with scammers leveraging online banking platforms and deceptive investment schemes to cheat unsuspecting users according to a report The scale of the problem is staggering Between 2020 and 2024 the Federal Investigation Agency FIA received over 722000 cybercrime complaints Yet fewer than 10 per cent were formally investigated and a mere 152 cases led to convictions In 2024 alone more than 13000 complaints of online financial fraud resulted in 1212 arrests but only 17 verdicts were delivered These figures reveal not just inefficiency but a systemic collapse in justice and deterrence according to the report in Islam Khabar by Khaalid HanifThe financial sector continues to absorb the shock In Q1 2024 the State Bank of Pakistan SBP imposed fines exceeding PKR 776 million on eight major banks for lapses in antimoney laundering customer due diligence and fraud risk protocols The Banking Mohtasib resolved nearly 28000 digital fraud complaints in 2024 with PKR 165 billion in restitution Yet these recoveries are dwarfed by the scale of unrecovered losses and the erosion of consumer confidence said the reportThe report further states that digital fraud has evolved into organised industrialscale crime In July 2025 the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency NCCIA dismantled a massive Ponzi scheme operating out of a Faisalabad call center arresting 149 suspects including foreign nationals Meanwhile the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan SECP flagged 141 illegal lending apps exploiting platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp many of which reappear under new names even after regulatory takedownsIt cites the Pakistan Cybersecurity Councils 2024 report which highlights that over 60 per cent of Pakistani companies fail to implement basic cybersecurity protocols such as encryption and multifactor authentication International institutions have taken noteDespite legislative efforts including the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act PECA 2016 the National Cybersecurity Policy 2021 and the establishment of the Digital Rights Protection Authority DRPA in 2025 Pakistans response remains fragmented Jurisdictional overlaps and turf wars between the FIA and NCCIA have created confusion over investigative primacy further weakening enforcementWith only 350 cybercrime investigators in the country handling over 160000 cases each officer has to handle an average of 6000 complaints annually Some provinces have just two digital locators and five forensic vehicles The judiciary too is illequipped lacking technical training specialised benches and clarity on digital evidence interpretation The result is a justice system unable to keep pace with the complexity and volume of cybercrime the report statesPakistans digital infrastructure is equally vulnerable The PTAs Cybersecurity Report 202425 recorded a 17 per cent rise in attacks on critical systems with phishing incidents surging by 173 per cent globally and mirrored domestically While the CTDISR2025 introduced commendable security protocols compliance remains uneven and largely confined to major telecom operators Sectoral CERTs for banking and government are still embryonic and incident response remains underresourced the report added IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/pakistans-digital-economy-plunges-into-deep-crisis-as-online-financial-frauds-soar-638830.html Tue, 16 Sep 2025 17:11:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/s-korea-launches-probe-into-purported-attempt-to-sell-sk-telecom-client-data-638832.html Seoul Sep 16 The science ministry said on Tuesday it has launched an official probe into a purported attempt to sell personal data allegedly leaked from South Koreas top mobile carrier SK Telecom Co The move came after a global hacking group Scattered Lapsus posted on its Telegram channel that it would sell SK Telecoms client data for US10000 adding that 42 South Koreans had already made contact reports Yonhap news agencyAfter being aware that a global hacking group has seized SK Telecoms client data and is seeking to sell it we requested the mobile carrier to submit related materials and plan to check the facts through onsite inspections the Ministry of Science and ICT saidThe group claimed the data includes customers IDs names phone numbers emails addresses and birth datesThe group also threatened SK Telecom saying it must engage in negotiations or all of the 27 million users data would be releasedThe company reported in April that private data of its entire user base may have been leaked in a cyberattack on its network serversThe government also recently launched a probe against No 2 mobile carrier KT Corp which reported a total of 278 cases of unauthorized mobile payments worth 170 million won 122000 raising concerns over a possible leak of customer dataThe publics concern over the recent series of data breaches is growing an official from the ministry said We plan to quickly check facts regarding related allegations and open the result to the public transparentlySK Telecom meanwhile said the batch of client data that the hacking group claims to be selling has never been leaked suggesting the attempted sale is very likely a scamAfter analysing sample data website screenshots and file transfer protocol screens posted on the dark web we concluded that all of the information is fake and the website does not exist within our companys system an SK Telecom official saidThe 100 GB worth of data as claimed by the hackers was never leaked the official addedCiting a report submitted by the Korea Internet amp Security Agency Rep Choi Soojin of the main opposition People Power Party said the hacking group also put the source code for SK Telecoms internal software up for sale for 250000The hacking group maintained it has programmes to intercept text messages and track phone calls in real time as well while SK Telecom denied such claims IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/s-korea-launches-probe-into-purported-attempt-to-sell-sk-telecom-client-data-638832.html Tue, 16 Sep 2025 17:43:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/poco-launches-unbeatable-5g-smartphone-deals-for-flipkart-big-billion-days-sale-2025-638853.html New Delhi Sep 16 POCO India one of the countrys fastestgrowing consumer technology brands on Tuesday announced the muchawaited festive pricing for its popular smartphones as part of Flipkarts Big Billion Days Sale 2025 With the POCO festive MADness campaign the brand is set to deliver flagship innovation at neverbefore prices making this festive season truly special for tech enthusiasts across IndiaThe sale will go live with exclusive early access for Flipkart Plus and Black members on September 22 followed by the fullscale launch for all consumers on September 23 These includePOCO M7 5GThe POCO M7 5G is the segments fastest 5G smartphone featuring up to 12 GB RAM including 6 GB turbo RAM a powerful Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 chipset a 50MP Sony camera and a large 688 HD display for an immersive entertainment experiencePOCO M7 5G with the launch price of Rs 10499 will be available at a 17 per cent discount of Rs 8699POCO M7 Plus 5GThe POCO M7 Plus 5G a powerhouse with the largestinsegment 7000mAh battery 18 W Reverse charging 69 FHD display with up to 144Hz refresh rate is now launching in a new 4GB RAM variantPriced at Rs 12999 the smartphone will be available at a 15 per cent discount of Rs 10999POCO X7 Pro 5GThe segments most powerful phone clocking over 17Million Antutu score which comes with MediaTek Dimensity 8400 Ultra Chipset and 6550mAh Silicon Carbon battery with 90W fast charger for the power usersOriginally priced at Rs 27999 the smartphone can be availed for Rs 19999 with a 29 per cent discountPOCO F7 5GEngineered for performance seekers the POCO F7 5G delivers flagshiplevel power with Indias largest 7550mAh siliconcarbon battery and the cuttingedge Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 processorWith an impressive AnTuTu score of over 21 million it offers seamless multitasking fast app launches and ultrasmooth performance across work entertainment and everything in between making it the ideal choice for users who demand more from their smartphones The smartphone priced at Rs 31999 will be available for Rs 28999 at a 9 per cent discountOther models include POCO C71 Airtel which will be available for Rs 5599 at a 14 per cent discount from the original price of Rs 6499 POCO C71 for Rs 6299 at a discount of 3 per cent original price Rs 6499 POCO C75 for Rs 7399 at a price discount of 13 per cent original price Rs 8499While POCO M7 5G Airtel priced at Rs 10499 can be availed at Rs 7999 at a discount of 24 per cent POCO M7 Pro 5G can be brought at Rs 11499 for a discount of 23 per cent original price Rs 14999 and POCO X7 5G at Rs 14499 with a discount of 34 per cent original price Rs 21999Users can also get massive discounts and extra savings with bank offers up to 2000 with HDFC Axis and ICICI credit and debit cards and exchange offers plus nocost EMIWith unmatched performance cuttingedge innovation and festivefirst pricing POCO is ensuring Indias young techsavvy generation has more reasons to celebrate this Big Billion DaysWith this announcement POCO is fuelling excitement among Indias young techsavvy consumers and ensuring that the 2025 Big Billion Days Sale is one to rememberFlipKart Link httpswwwflipkartcompocobbdintrigue2025atstore IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/poco-launches-unbeatable-5g-smartphone-deals-for-flipkart-big-billion-days-sale-2025-638853.html Tue, 16 Sep 2025 19:10:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/adani-enterprises-to-build-sonprayag-kedarnath-ropeway-project-for-rs-4-081-crore-638711.html Ahmedabad Sep 15 Adani Enterprises Ltd AEL on Monday said it has received Letter of Award LoA from the National Highways Logistics Management Ltd NHLML for building the prestigious ropeway project connecting Sonprayag with Kedarnath for a total investment of Rs 4081 crore The companys first ropeway project to be completed in six years will be executed by AELs Roads Metro Rail and Water RMRW divisionOnce operational the 129 km ropeway project will reduce travel time from an arduous 9hour trek to just 36 minutes making the pilgrimage far easier and saferThe ropeway will be able to carry 1800 passengers per hour per direction serving lakhs of pilgrims each year Kedarnath witnesses around 20 lakh pilgrims annually highlighting the importance of this project according to the flagship incubator of the Adani PortfolioThe ropeway is part of the National Ropeways Development Programme Parvatmala PariyojanaDeveloped on a PublicPrivate Partnership PPP basis the project will take six years to complete and AEL will operate it for 29 years after construction Along with improving connectivity the project is expected to create jobs and boost tourism in the regionThe Kedarnath ropeway is more than an engineering project it is a bridge between devotion and modern infrastructure said Gautam Adani Chairman of the Adani GroupBy making this sacred journey safer faster and more accessible we honour the faith of millions while creating new opportunities for Uttarakhands people through our partnership with NHLML and the Government of Uttarakhand This prestigious project reflects our commitment to building infrastructure that not only serves the nation but also uplifts its people Gautam Adani notedOver the years Adani Enterprises has focused on building emerging infrastructure businesses contributing to nationbuilding and divesting them into separate listed entitiesThe next generation of its strategic business investments are centred on the green hydrogen ecosystem airport management data centre roads and primary industries like copper and petrochem all of which have significant scope for value unlocking IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/adani-enterprises-to-build-sonprayag-kedarnath-ropeway-project-for-rs-4-081-crore-638711.html Tue, 16 Sep 2025 00:15:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/nifty-sensex-open-flat-as-investors-wait-for-fresh-cues-us-fed-meet-outcome-638567.html Mumbai Sep 15 The Indian benchmark indices opened on the flat note with a positive bias on Monday on the back of positive domestic inflation data and growing expectations of a US Federal Reserve rate cut As of 930 am the Sensex was up 45 points or 0005 per cent at 81909 and the Nifty was up 415 points or 0017 per cent at 25118The broadcap indices outperformed benchmark indices as Nifty Midcap 100 inched up by 026 per cent and the Nifty Small cap 100 moved up 053 per centBajaj Finance Tata Motors Hero Motocorp and Bajaj Finserv were the top gainers on NSE Nifty 50 index Infosys Ltd Tata Consultancy Services Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Dr Reddys Laboratories Ltd and Shriram Finance Ltd weighed on the Nifty 50 indexAmong sectoral indices Nifty Realty the top gainer jumped 119 per cent Nifty PSU bank up 039 per cent and Nifty Auto up 038 per cent were the other major gainers Nifty Pharma was the top loser down 078 per centInflation had cooled to 207 per cent well below the RBIs projection of 31 per cent in August latest government data saidAnalysts said that Indian equities which have recently underperformed compared to global peers now appear attractively valued Positive factors such as ongoing GST reforms anticipation of a Fed rate cut and improving USIndia trade ties are expected to further support the marketLast week Nifty 50 notched its eighth consecutive advance closing above the symbolic 25100 mark for the first time since Julyits longest winning streak in a year and the biggest weekly gain in nearly three monthsNifty has been gradually taking out the crucial resistances and on the weekly chart the Nifty has confirmed a pattern of higher tops and higher bottoms which is an encouraging sign for a sustained positional bullish trend said Devarsh Vakil Head of Prime Research at HDFC SecuritiesNifty seems to be heading towards the next resistance of 25250 while the 24900 level could offer support he addedMajor US indices posted strong weekly gains and closed near all time highs The Nasdaq rose 20 per cent the SampP 500 gained 16 per cent and the Dow advanced 10 per cent marking the best week since early AugustMost of the Asian markets made strong gains during the morning session While Chinas Shanghai index advanced 022 per cent and Shenzhen added 107 per cent Japans Nikkei rose 089 per cent while Hong Kongs Hang Seng Index jumped 032 per cent South Koreas Kospi inched up 052 per centThe US markets are pricing in a 964 per cent probability of a 25basispoint rate cut on September 17 with additional cuts expected through yearend Softer labour data and persistent inflation support the dovish shift boosting demand for equities and cryptocurrencies said analysts IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/nifty-sensex-open-flat-as-investors-wait-for-fresh-cues-us-fed-meet-outcome-638567.html Mon, 15 Sep 2025 10:04:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/itr-deadline-over-1-crore-tax-filings-expected-on-last-day-638584.html Mumbai Sep 15 As the extended deadline for income tax return ITR filing ends on Monday filers are hurrying to comply with more than 1 crore returns anticipated on the final day As of now 629 crore returns have been filed for the assessment year AY 202526Last year ITR filings grew 75 per cent yearonyear and assuming a similar pace the number could touch 78 crore this year The growth trend has been steady 677 crore returns were filed in AY 202324 582 crore in AY 202223 and 577 crore in AY 202122Tax experts caution that this years challenges are intensified by the September 15 deadline for the second installment of advance tax placing a dual burden on taxpayers and professionalsChartered accountants and tax lawyers have said that even with a fully operational portal the clustering of deadlines would still put a strain on filersThe Central Board of Direct Taxes CBDT officials have maintained that the system is stable and attributed most issues to browserrelated glitches at the users end The portal processed a record 70 lakh returns in one day last yearMeanwhile the Income Tax Department on Sunday refuted reports which claimed that the date of filing tax return has been extended to September 30To assist taxpayers for ITR filing tax payment and other related services our help desk is functioning on a 24x7 basis and we are providing support through calls live chats WebEx sessions and TwitterX it addedIn May the IT department announced an extension of the due date for filing ITRs for Assessment Year AY 202526 for income earned in financial year 202425 by individuals HUFs and entities who do not have to get their accounts audited from July 31 to September 15 IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/itr-deadline-over-1-crore-tax-filings-expected-on-last-day-638584.html Mon, 15 Sep 2025 11:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/higher-doses-of-semaglutide-safe-can-aid-in-better-weight-loss-for-obese-adultsstudy-638586.html New Delhi Sep 15 A higher weekly dose of semaglutide 72 mg is safe and can significantly improve weight loss in adults living with obesity including those with type 2 diabetes T2D according to an international study published on Monday The findings based on results of two largescale international phase 3 clinical trials and published in The Lancet Diabetes amp Endocrinology journal suggest that a higher dose of semaglutide offers a promising new option for people who have not achieved sufficient weight loss with existing treatmentsThe currently approved dose of semaglutide is 24 mg and the study showed 72 mg is safe and leads to additional weight reduction said the researchers including those from Canada the US Denmark Norway and PortugalIn adults without diabetes a 72 mg dose of semaglutide led to an average weight loss of nearly 19 per cent surpassing the 16 per cent loss seen with 24 mg and 4 per cent with placeboNearly half of the participants on the higher dose lost 20 per cent or more of their body weight with about onethird losing at least 25 per centParticipants also experienced improvements in waist circumference blood pressure blood sugar and cholesterol levels all key factors in reducing obesityrelated health risks the researchers saidSimilarly in adults with obesity and T2D the 72 mg dose resulted in an average 13 per cent weight loss compared to 10 per cent with 24 mg and 39 per cent with placebo along with significant reductions in blood sugar levels and waist sizeBoth trials reported that the higher dose of semaglutide was safe and generally well toleratedGastrointestinal side effects like nausea and diarrhoea and some sensory symptoms like tingling were the most common However most side effects were manageable resolved over time and did not lead to participants dropping out of the trial No increase in serious adverse events or severe hypoglycemia was observed with the higher doseThe higher dose could help more people reach their health goals and reduce the burden of obesityrelated complications worldwide said the team including those from the University of Porto while also highlighting the need for further research to fully understand the longterm benefits and risks IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/higher-doses-of-semaglutide-safe-can-aid-in-better-weight-loss-for-obese-adultsstudy-638586.html Mon, 15 Sep 2025 11:29:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/cannabis-use-may-spike-risk-of-diabetes-by-4-fold-study-638595.html New Delhi Sep 15 People using cannabis may be four times more at risk of developing diabetes according to a large study of over four million adults on Monday Cannabis use is increasing globally with an estimated 219 million users 43 per cent of the global adult population in 2021 but its longterm metabolic effects remain unknownWhile some studies have suggested potential antiinflammatory or weight management properties others have raised concerns regarding glucose metabolism and insulin resistance and the magnitude of the risk of developing diabetes hasnt been clearThe research showed that new cases of diabetes were significantly higher in the cannabis group 22 per cent compared to the healthy group 06 per cent with statistical analysis showing cannabis users at nearly four times the risk of developing diabetes compared to nonusersAs cannabis becomes more widely available and socially accepted and legalized in various jurisdictions it is essential to understand its potential health risks said lead author Dr Ibrahim Kamel from the Boston Medical Center USFor the study the researchers analysed electronic health records from 54 health care organisations across the US and Europe to identify 96795 outpatients aged between 18 and 50 years 525 per cent female with cannabisrelated diagnoses ranging from occasional use to dependence including cases of intoxication and withdrawal between 2010 and 2018They were matched with 4160998 healthy individuals with no record of substance use or major chronic conditions based on age sex and underlying illnesses at the start of the study and followed for five yearsThe new sights from reliable realworld evidence highlight the importance of integrating diabetes risk awareness into substance use disorder treatment and counselling as well as the need for health care professionals to routinely talk to patients about cannabis use so that they can understand their overall diabetes risk and potential need for metabolic monitoring Kamel saidThe studys results have immediate implications for metabolic monitoring practices and public health messagingThe team stressed the need for more research on the longterm endocrine effects of cannabis use and whether diabetes risks are limited to inhaled products or other forms of cannabis such as ediblesThe findings will be presented at the ongoing Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes EASD held in Vienna Austria IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/cannabis-use-may-spike-risk-of-diabetes-by-4-fold-study-638595.html Mon, 15 Sep 2025 12:09:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/indias-smartphone-exports-surpass-rs-1-lakh-crore-this-fiscal-so-far-apple-leads-data-638596.html New Delhi Sep 15 Indias smartphone exports have crossed Rs 1 lakh crore in value in the first five months of FY26 setting a new record according to industry estimates Even amid tariff and trade disputes with the US Indias smartphone export figure represented a 55 per cent increase from Rs 64500 crore during the same period last fiscal FY25Tech giant Apples contract manufacturers Tata Electronics and Foxconn made up nearly 75 per cent of outbound shipments contributing over Rs 75000 crore worth of exports as per industry sourcesThe productionlinked incentive PLI scheme incentivised the US tech giant to move its manufacturing capabilities into India Apple has increased production in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka leveraging the PLI scheme while remaining insulated from potential tariff escalationsThe iPhone maker has also dedicated most of its export capacity in the country to supply the US market so far in 2025 Indias iPhone shipments to the US have increased significantly with 78 per cent of domestically assembled iPhones exported there in the first half of 2025 up from 53 per cent the previous yearIndias share of US smartphone imports increased to 44 per cent this year while Chinas share fell to 25 per cent down from 61 per cent in mid2024 The total volume of MadeinIndia smartphones grew over 240 per cent YoYAlongside China and Vietnam India is now a major player in global electronics manufacturing with companies shifting production to diversify supply chainsSamsung and Motorola have also increased their share of UStargeted supply from India although their shifts are significantly slower and smaller in scale than Apples Motorola similar to Apple has its core manufacturing hub in China whereas Samsung relies mainly on producing its smartphones in VietnamIndia now has 300 mobile manufacturing units up from two in 2014 In FY14 26 per cent of mobile phones sold in India were locally made which has surged to 992 per cent being manufactured domestically according to government data IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/indias-smartphone-exports-surpass-rs-1-lakh-crore-this-fiscal-so-far-apple-leads-data-638596.html Mon, 15 Sep 2025 12:09:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/revanth-reddy-pawan-kalyan-pay-tributes-to-visvesvaraya-on-engineers-day-638597.html HyderabadAmaravati Sep 15 Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan paid rich tributes to legendary engineer Bharat Ratna Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya on his birth anniversary on Monday Every year the birth anniversary of Visvesvaraya who laid a strong foundation for the economic development and progress of the country is celebrated as Engineers DayChief Minister Revanth Reddy hailed engineers for their immense contribution to society with their knowledge and intellectual power He extended heartfelt greetings to all engineers who play a vital role in the development of the countryThe Chief Minister in his message noted that Visvesvaraya was a distinguished engineer visionary educationist a driving force behind the countrys industrial progress and stood as a role model for the engineers of future generationsThe invaluable contribution of Visvesvaraya in various fields with modern technology laid a strong foundation for the growth of the engineering sector in the country CM Revanth Reddy said He recalled that the eminent engineer took many special initiatives including the development of infrastructure to save Hyderabad from Musi floodsThe Chief Minister called upon all engineering students technocrats and researchers to take inspiration from Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya and play a constructive role in the development of the stateAndhra Pradesh Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan paid tributes to Visvesvaraya on his birth anniversary A legendary engineer and visionary he proved that engineering is not just about constructing structures but about shaping the nations future His remarkable contributions including the design of dams irrigation systems and flood protection works stand as a timeless reminder of how engineering can transform lives The iconic Krishna Raja Sagara Dam is a shining example of his genius and foresight On this occasion I extend my best wishes to all engineers May your innovation skill and commitment continue to build a stronger progressive and selfreliant Bharat Pawan Kalyan posted on XAndhra Pradesh Governor S Abdul Nazeer also paid tributes to Bharat Ratna Mokshagundam VisvesvarayaHuman Resources Development Minister Nara Lokesh also recalled the services of Visvesvaraya His services in the field of engineering are unparalleled Believing that the reservoirs are the future of the nation he constructed drinking water and irrigation projects With his genius he contributed to the construction of a new India On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya the guiding light for engineers I extend my best wishes for Engineers Day said LokeshFormer Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in his message stated that Visvesvaraya was the architect of numerous irrigation and water supply projects and a distinguished engineering expert whom the nation is proud of His services to the nation are eternally memorable On the occasion of Visvesvarayas birth anniversary heartfelt wishes to all engineers on Engineers Day said Jagan IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/revanth-reddy-pawan-kalyan-pay-tributes-to-visvesvaraya-on-engineers-day-638597.html Mon, 15 Sep 2025 12:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/food-and-beverage-sectors-share-clocks-22-pc-of-indias-retail-leasing-in-2025-638601.html New Delhi Sep 15 Food and Beverage FampB industrys share in overall retail leasing grew from 16 per cent in 2023 to 22 per cent in 2025 across the top seven cities in India a report said on Monday The sector has emerged as the cornerstone of the countrys retail real estate growth with 4 million square feet of leasing activity across seven major cities Mumbai Delhi NCR Chennai Hyderabad Kolkata and Pune since 2023This remarkable expansion underscores the sectors important role in driving the countrys broader retail transformation which has witnessed nearly 186 million sq ft of new shopping mall space added over the past five years JLL stated in a reportBengaluru has established itself as the undisputed FampB leader securing more than onethird share of total leasing volume with Indiranagar locality remaining a preferred destination for operatorsMumbai and Delhi NCR follow as key markets collectively contributing to a sector that demonstrates resilience and robust growth potentialThe FampB sector is fundamentally reshaping Indias retail real estate landscape We are witnessing a paradigm shift where developers are planning to dedicate up to 25 per cent of space in upcoming destination malls to FampB a clear response to the segments robust demand dynamics said Dr Samantak Das Chief Economist and Head of Research and REIS India JLLWith 6 million square feet of dedicated FampB space expected to become available across the top seven cities by 2028 we anticipate rapid absorption within 35 years driven by both domestic and international operators seeking quality retail locations Das addedWhat is particularly compelling is that high streets continue to dominate FampB leasing activity accounting for over 50 per cent of transactions in the past 30 months he further saidAccording to the report the sectors growth trajectory has attracted significant attention from international operators with over 20 new global food and beverage brands entering India since 2023USbased brands led international expansion while Delhi NCR and Mumbai remain hotspots for global brands establishing their maiden Indian presence Multicuisine establishments dominated the landscape accounting for a 41 per cent share of leasing activity reflecting Indias evolving culinary palette influenced by travel and global trendsThe growth story is truly a tale of multiple cities each carving its unique niche Bengaluru has emerged as the undisputed leadernot just dominating FampB absorption with over onethird market share but also spearheading the craft beverage revolution with 40 per cent of new pubs and breweries with Indiranagar becoming a hotspot for FampB expansion said Rahul Arora Head Office Leasing and Retail Services Senior Managing Director Karnataka Kerala India JLL IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/food-and-beverage-sectors-share-clocks-22-pc-of-indias-retail-leasing-in-2025-638601.html Mon, 15 Sep 2025 12:48:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/elon-musks-starlink-experiences-service-outage-again-638603.html New Delhi Sep 15 Thousands of users of Starlink on Monday experienced internet issues and total outage as billionaire Elon Musks satellite internet service is down yet again According to outagetracking website Downdetector there were nearly 50000 outage reports by 1001 amStarlink is currently experiencing a service outage Our team is investigating the company said on its website However it did not provide any reasons for the outageDowndetector reported that 59 per cent of users experienced internet issues while 40 per cent faced a total blackout with 1 per cent facing poor reception The issue affected customers majorly across the US including Virginia Louisiana Indiana and Washington state Some users in Colombia also reported losing connectivitySome said the service was down for several minutes and others noted outages lasting more than 20 minutesWhile Musk is yet to share a comment users took to his social media platform X to complain of the outageStarlink is down again These outages are getting more frequent wrote a userAnother Starlink outage AGAIN Thought it was mine Now I see everybody getting problems too added another userEarlier in July the internet satellite service faced a global outage for nearly three hoursOn Thursday night Starlinks satellite internet service experienced an outage affecting many users worldwide The issue affected customers across multiple continents with outage tracking sites showing spikes in North America Europe and parts of AsiaIn a post on X Musk apologised for the disruption and ensured that it doesnt happen againStarlink provides internet through a network of satellites orbiting Earth The company currently operates the worlds largest constellation of satellites with more than 6750 in orbit It has a presence in 150 countries including IndiaMeanwhile Starlink has already secured the necessary clearances from Indian authorities and been allotted trial bandwidth The company has also finalised 17 locations for ground stations which will connect its lowearth orbit satellites with terrestrial fibre and data networks The launch is expected by the end of 2025 IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/elon-musks-starlink-experiences-service-outage-again-638603.html Mon, 15 Sep 2025 12:51:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/npci-raises-daily-upi-payment-limit-on-p2m-transactions-to-rs-10-lakh-638612.html Mumbai Sep 15 The National Payments Corporation of India NPCI has raised the Unified Payments Interface UPI transaction limits for persontomerchant P2M payments to up to Rs 10 lakh in 24 hours for specified categories effective from Monday The move seeks to facilitate larger payments in key sectors and enhance digital adoption in highvalue segments The NPCI maintained the persontoperson P2P limit at Rs 1 lakh per dayEarlier users often encountered restrictions forcing them to split payments or revert to traditional methods like cheques or bank transfersUnder the revised framework capital market and insurance payments the pertransaction limit has been hiked from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh with a daily limit of Rs 10 lakhGovernment eMarketplace transaction limit including earnest money deposits and taxes have been increased to Rs 5 lakh per transaction up from Rs 1 lakh Pertransaction limits for travel bookings loan repayments and EMI collections have also been increased to Rs 5 lakh from Rs 1 lakhCredit card bill payments too are permitted for up to Rs 5 lakh in a single transaction though the 24hour limit is set at Rs 6 lakhFor loan and EMI collections users can now pay Rs 5 lakh per transaction with a daily total of Rs 10 lakhFurther jewellery purchases have also received a modest boost with the UPI limit increased from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh per transaction and Rs 6 lakh per day Additionally banking services like term deposits through digital onboarding are now capped at Rs 5 lakh both per transaction and per day compared to the earlier Rs 2 lakhFintech firms and other industry leaders praised the changes as beneficial for businesses and consumers where higher limits tackle a significant issue in sectors such as insurance investments and travel where customers had to divide transactionsIndividuals can now pay insurance premiums or renew policies in a single convenient transaction accelerating policy servicing and improving customer satisfactionNotably a higher limit for UPI transactions is only allowed for verified merchants adding another layer of safety and building trust among individualsIndustry leaders emphasised that enhanced security protocols such as mandatory multifactor authentication and stricter merchant vetting will support the increased limits NPCI announced that eligible users will see the changes applied automatically requiring no additional steps IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/npci-raises-daily-upi-payment-limit-on-p2m-transactions-to-rs-10-lakh-638612.html Mon, 15 Sep 2025 13:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/engineers-day-adani-cement-futurex-programme-launched-to-prepare-future-innovators-638613.html Ahmedabad Sep 15 Adani Cement on Monday announced the launch of Adani Cement FutureX a nationwide academiaindustry engagement programme designed to connect classrooms with realworld infrastructure and sustainability challenges Launched on the occasion of Engineers Day the programme engages with 100 premier engineering institutions IITs NITs top privatestate colleges and over 100 schools across more than 100 cities in the countryThe initiative seeks to prepare the nations youth for careers in futureready business models sustainable construction and nextgeneration building solutions said the worlds ninthlargest building materials and solutions company and part of the diversified Adani Group PortfolioAdani Cement FutureX is our commitment to Indias vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 While the Government is shaping the Yogya Bharat Mission to empower youth with employability and entrepreneurial skills our initiative complements this effort by creating realworld learning bridges across schools and campuses said Vinod Bahety CEO Cement Business Adani GroupFrom Smart Cement Labs to robotics AIenabled innovation decarbonisation research and career pathways we are ensuring that Indias young talent is not only employable but also entrepreneurial he addedAs part of the programme Adani Cement Smart Lab offers a live cement manufacturing model featuring a mini rotary kiln detailed knowledge on chemistry bringing science and engineering to life for students through handson demonstrations This will also give insights on Robotic engineering and use of Artificial Intelligence in real lifeStudents will also be introduced to process and product innovations including nanomaterials technology RampD on advanced building material solutions and EV equipments used within plants conveyed through interactive classroomfriendly tools designed to spark curiosity and creativity in science technology finance marketing and moreThere will also be field visits and experiential immersion knowledge sessions and leadership engagements collaborative research and innovation industryanchored learning career pathways youth engagement and brand immersion and leveraging the Indian Concrete Journal ICJ network and editorial collaborationsEchoing Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adanis vision of Temples of Education and Karma Shiksha and his recent address at IIT Kharagpur where he called students the new freedom fighters of Bharat innovators whose ideas code and imagination will secure Indias selfreliance in a world of technologydriven challenges Adani Cement FutureX represents one of the largest academiaindustry collaborations in Indias building materials sectorAdani Cement already nurtures a talent pool of over 1500 Graduate Engineer Trainees GETs and Diploma Engineer Trainees DETs and runs advanced leadership programmes to build future leadersAdani Cement has surpassed 1045 million tonnes per annum of installed capacity and now accounts for nearly 30 per cent of the cement used in Indias housing and infrastructure projects IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/engineers-day-adani-cement-futurex-programme-launched-to-prepare-future-innovators-638613.html Mon, 15 Sep 2025 13:43:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/indian-equities-deliver-14-pc-cagr-in-20-years-investors-wealth-multiplies-13-times-638619.html New Delhi Sep 15 Indian equities under the Nifty50 basket have delivered a compound annual growth rate CAGR of 14 per cent over the past 20 years multiplying investors wealth by 13 times according to a report released on Monday Gold meanwhile slightly outperformed equities with a 147 per cent CAGR growing 16 times during the same periodIn comparison real estate and the debt market generated more modest returns compounding annually at 77 per cent and 75 per cent respectively over the last two decades FundsIndia highlighted in its September Wealth Conversation ReportLooking at a longer horizon domestic equities have fared even better delivering a 136 per cent CAGR over 35 years and multiplying wealth by 88 timesGlobally the US equity benchmark SampP 500 returned 147 per cent CAGR multiplying investor wealth by 156 times in the past 20 yearsWithin India mid and smallcap stocks emerged as the biggest wealth creators The Nifty Smallcap 250 delivered a 142 per cent CAGR growing 14 times in two decades while the Nifty Midcap 150 surged at 162 per cent annually multiplying wealth by 20 times By comparison largecap stocks represented by the Nifty 100 compounded at a 139 per cent CAGR and multiplied 136 times over the same periodThe report also emphasised the importance of longterm investing The probability of negative returns was as high as 43 per cent for intraday trades in Nifty50 stocks 39 per cent for onemonth holdings 31 per cent for threemonth holdings and 23 per cent for oneyear holdings However this risk dropped significantly over longer horizons just 6 per cent for three years 01 per cent for five years and became NIL for holding periods of seven to ten yearsAccording to the report 73 per cent of the time Indian equities Nifty 50 have doubled in 67 years and 80 per cent of the time Indian equities have tripled in 1011 years Moreover 76 per cent of the time Indian equities have multiplied 4 times in 1213 years IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/indian-equities-deliver-14-pc-cagr-in-20-years-investors-wealth-multiplies-13-times-638619.html Mon, 15 Sep 2025 14:10:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/low-inflation-to-give-rbi-space-to-cut-rates-by-50-bps-this-year-report-638623.html New Delhi Sep 15 Indias inflation rate based on the Consumer Price Index CPI is expected to remain low due to GST rate cuts and the decline in food prices which will give the Central Bank headroom to reduce the policy rates by another 05 per cent 50 bps this year according to a Morgan Stanley report released on Monday The benign trend in headline CPI is likely to be perpetuated further by disinflationary impulses from low food prices GST rate cuts and lack of input price pressures As such we expect headline CPI to average at 24 per cent yearonyear in FY26 allowing the RBI to cut rates by 25 bps 025 per cent each in October and December the report statedHeadline CPI inflation is tracking below RBIs target of 4 per cent for the last seven months partly driven by food price disinflation However core inflation remains range bound tracking at 42 per cent while core inflation is at 31 per cent and below 4 per cent for the last 22 months indicating sustained moderation in underlying inflation the report pointed outThe disinflationary impulse is likely led by a combination of drivers that include persistent softness in food prices and supportive outlook driven by better crop production and GST rationalisation is expected to lead to a downward bias to the aggregate price levels with our sensitivity analysis indicating a 5060 bps impact the report further statedAgainst this backdrop the report expects headline CPI to average 26 per cent yearonyear in the second half of financial year 202526 and at 24 per cent for the full financial yearHowever it cautioned that while lower indirect taxes will likely boost domestic demand from a low base in the second half of 202526 there is need to be watchful of the impact of drag from external demand due to adverse tariffs and trend contingent on ongoing negotiations with the USWe remain watchful of the trend in monsoon and its impact on the standing summer crop impact of GST rationalisation on consumption and passthrough to inflation external factors such as tradetariff impact on growth and capital flows and Feds rate easing it mentioned IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/low-inflation-to-give-rbi-space-to-cut-rates-by-50-bps-this-year-report-638623.html Mon, 15 Sep 2025 14:13:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/1-116-public-grievances-addressed-by-ayush-ministrys-special-campaign-40-638650.html New Delhi Sep 15 The Ministry of Ayush on Monday said it has resolved 1116 public grievances under the Special Campaign 40 The move reaffirms the ministrys commitment to efficiency transparency and cleanlinessConducted between November 2024 and August 2025 the campaign focused on streamlining operations improving workplace environments and addressing pending matters with renewed urgencyDuring this period the Ministry achieved significant progress by disposing of 56 references from Members of Parliament 12 Parliamentary assurances nine state government references 10 PMO references 1116 public grievances and 121 public grievance appeals it saidThese achievements underscore the Ministrys continued dedication to strengthening citizen services and institutional effectivenessNotably the Ministry of Ayush has consistently upheld high standards in grievance redressal It has maintained its position in the top 10 ranking for grievance disposal among Central Ministries reflecting its strong commitment to citizencentric governance and timely resolution of public concernsThe milestone highlights the Ministrys proactive approach to meeting the expectations of the people while building trust in public service deliveryThe governmentwide Special Campaign for the Disposal of Pending Matters SCDPM which includes the handling of public grievances began with its first phase in 2021 and has continued annually sinceDuring the Special Campaign 30 in 2024 the Ayush Ministry resolved more than 1300 public grievances It also disposed of various pending issues including 33 references from Members of Parliament 18 Parliamentary Assurances and 187 public grievance appealsThe Ministry is now preparing for Special Campaign 50 with a sharper focus on sustainability cleanliness and robust grievance redressal mechanisms it notedAs part of this effort Ayush institutes research councils and national organisations will step up cleanliness drives across campuses and public areas including herbal gardens water bodies bus stations and community spaces IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/1-116-public-grievances-addressed-by-ayush-ministrys-special-campaign-40-638650.html Mon, 15 Sep 2025 15:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/tata-motors-strengthens-ev-ecosystem-crosses-25-000-public-chargers-for-electric-scvs-638653.html Mumbai Sep 15 Tata Motors on Monday announced that more than 25000 public charging stations are now available for its electric small commercial vehicle SCV customers Spread across over 150 cities including major hubs like DelhiNCR Bengaluru Mumbai Chennai and Hyderabad these charging stations are aimed at boosting range confidence and efficiency for lastmile delivery operatorsTo speed up the expansion of charging infrastructure Tata Motors has also signed MoUs with 13 leading Charging Point Operators CPOs to set up another 25000 public chargers over the next 12 monthsAll current and upcoming charging locations will be integrated with Tata Motors connected vehicle platform Fleet Edge so customers can easily find and navigate to them in real timePinaki Haldar Vice President and Business Head of SCVPU at Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles said that crossing the 25000 charging station milestone marks an important step in advancing electric cargo mobilityCrossing the 25000 public charging station mark is a pivotal milestone in our commitment to advancing electric cargo mobility and its enabling ecosystem Haldar addedHe highlighted that more than 10000 Tata Ace EVs are already on the road and have collectively covered over 6 crore kilometres showing growing confidence among transporters in the benefits of electric cargo vehiclesHe also noted that the newly launched Ace Pro EV is gaining popularity with its advanced features for urban and semiurban transport needsThe companys electric SCV range currently includes the Ace Pro EV Ace EV and Ace EV 1000 designed to handle diverse cargo applications with different payload options and load configurationsTata Motors has also set up over 200 dedicated EV support centres across India to ensure high uptime fast turnaround and reliable service for its customersHaldar added that while Tata Motors continues to deliver reliable highperformance ecargo vehicles its partnerships with Indias leading CPOs will help build a stronger charging network and support profitable zeroemission logistics for entrepreneurs and transporters across the country IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/tata-motors-strengthens-ev-ecosystem-crosses-25-000-public-chargers-for-electric-scvs-638653.html Mon, 15 Sep 2025 15:54:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/sc-mulls-involving-iit-help-for-cctv-monitoring-in-police-stations-638675.html New Delhi Sep 15 The Supreme Court on Monday mulled involving a premier technical institution such as an IIT to develop a realtime mechanism for monitoring CCTV footage of police stations without human intervention A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta was hearing a suo motu case registered over the lack of functional CCTV cameras in police stations across the countrySenior advocate Siddharth Dave assisting the top court submitted that while some states had complied with judicial orders on CCTV installation several others had notThe Union has not complied neither NIA nor ED nor CBI he addedAt this Justice Mehta emphasised that the issue was not merely one of compliance but of realtime oversightThe issue is oversight Today there may be a compliance affidavit tomorrow officers may switch off cameras We were thinking of a control room without human intervention If any camera goes off it should raise a flag he remarkedWe can even think of involving IIT to provide a mechanism so that CCTV footage is monitored without human intervention he addedReserving its decision the Justice Vikram Nathled Bench directed that the matter be listed next week for pronouncement of the orderThe Supreme Court took cognisance of a media report which revealed that 11 people had died in police custody in Rajasthan in the first eight months of 2025We have come across a disturbing news article The news article reveals that there have been 11 deaths in police custody in the State of Rajasthan in the past 8 months in the year of 2025 7 of these unfortunate incidents happened in the Udaipur Division itself the bench noted in its order passed on September 4The news report also pointed out that many remand rooms in police stations are outside the range of CCTV cameras and that police often withhold footage citing technical faults lack of storage ongoing investigations or legal restrictions In some cases the police simply refused to share the footage or delayed its releaseWe therefore take suo motu cognisance of the aforesaid news article under the heading In Re Lack of functional CCTVs in Police Stations and direct the Registry to place these proceedings before Honble the Chief Justice of India for appropriate followup action the top court orderedThe Supreme Court has already mandated the installation of CCTV cameras in police stations to maintain transparency and to curb instances of custodial torture It had directed that no part of a police station be left uncovered and that footage be preserved for at least 18 months in digital or network video recorders In 2023 the apex court had given the Centre and states a last chance to comply within three months It had also made station house officers SHOs personally responsible for maintenance data backup and repair of CCTV systems IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/sc-mulls-involving-iit-help-for-cctv-monitoring-in-police-stations-638675.html Mon, 15 Sep 2025 17:13:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/labour-shortage-by-2047-to-create-opportunity-for-indias-young-workforce-report-638677.html New Delhi Sep 15 With global labour shortages projected to reach 250 million workers by 2047 across blue and whitecollar jobs Indias young and growing workforce presents a historic opportunity to become the worlds next global talent hub according to a report on Monday The report by the Global Access to Talent from India GATI Foundation in collaboration with Boston Consulting Group BCG showed that declining birth rates and shrinking workforces across developed nations are creating acute shortages leaving millions of jobs vacant and businesses strugglingJust 20 countries including the US UK Germany Japan and South Korea will account for 90 per cent of this labour gapAround 50 per cent of the gap will be in bluecollar roles such as transport hospitality and industry workers another 20 per cent in service roles like nursing and teaching and 30 per cent in whitecollar jobs Unfilled positions already cost the global economy more than 1 trillion annually in lost productivityHowever India possesses a demographic edge with a relatively young population Every year it adds 1012 million people to its eligible workforce and this trend is expected to continue in the coming yearsBy 2047 advanced economies will face a shortfall of 200250 million workers India has a unique opportunity to step into this gap building on its proven strengths in ICT and professional services The next chapter must be about scaling new frontiers healthcare green skills and manufacturing where demand is surging worldwide said Rajiv Gupta Managing Director amp Senior Partner at BCGIndia is home to the worlds largest pool of workingage talent and will remain a source of demographic strength as many other economies age Today Indias median age is just under 30 with 600 million people between the ages of 1840 compared to 40 across OECD countries Against the backdrop of 50 million global opportunities expected by 2030 India has the capacity to fill around 10 million added Arnab Bhattacharya CEO of GATI FoundationGupta called for bold reforms to align qualifications accelerate mobility and embed global standards to enable the country to transform from being a contributor to the global workforce into becoming the backbone of itCurrently Indian workers abroad send back approximately 130 billion per year in remittancesMore than 700000 people embark on journeys overseas as migrant workers annually Yet Indias share of global migrants 6 per cent is significantly lower than its share of the world population 18 per centIf India seizes this opportunity the number of workers migrating abroad for jobs could double to 115 million a year by 2030 and remittances could rise to 300 billion per yearIf implemented these interventions can help India replicate the global success of its IT services sector in areas like healthcare domestic work and manufacturing amongst others IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/labour-shortage-by-2047-to-create-opportunity-for-indias-young-workforce-report-638677.html Mon, 15 Sep 2025 17:14:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/global-labour-shortage-by-2047-to-create-opportunity-for-indias-young-workforce-report-638678.html New Delhi Sep 15 With global labour shortages projected to reach 250 million workers by 2047 across blue and whitecollar jobs Indias young and growing workforce presents a historic opportunity to become the worlds next global talent hub according to a report on Monday The report by the Global Access to Talent from India GATI Foundation in collaboration with Boston Consulting Group BCG showed that declining birth rates and shrinking workforces across developed nations are creating acute shortages leaving millions of jobs vacant and businesses strugglingJust 20 countries including the US UK Germany Japan and South Korea will account for 90 per cent of this labour gapAround 50 per cent of the gap will be in bluecollar roles such as transport hospitality and industry workers another 20 per cent in service roles like nursing and teaching and 30 per cent in whitecollar jobs Unfilled positions already cost the global economy more than 1 trillion annually in lost productivityHowever India possesses a demographic edge with a relatively young population Every year it adds 1012 million people to its eligible workforce and this trend is expected to continue in the coming yearsBy 2047 advanced economies will face a shortfall of 200250 million workers India has a unique opportunity to step into this gap building on its proven strengths in ICT and professional services The next chapter must be about scaling new frontiers healthcare green skills and manufacturing where demand is surging worldwide said Rajiv Gupta Managing Director amp Senior Partner at BCGIndia is home to the worlds largest pool of workingage talent and will remain a source of demographic strength as many other economies age Today Indias median age is just under 30 with 600 million people between the ages of 1840 compared to 40 across OECD countries Against the backdrop of 50 million global opportunities expected by 2030 India has the capacity to fill around 10 million added Arnab Bhattacharya CEO of GATI FoundationGupta called for bold reforms to align qualifications accelerate mobility and embed global standards to enable the country to transform from being a contributor to the global workforce into becoming the backbone of itCurrently Indian workers abroad send back approximately 130 billion per year in remittancesMore than 700000 people embark on journeys overseas as migrant workers annually Yet Indias share of global migrants 6 per cent is significantly lower than its share of the world population 18 per centIf India seizes this opportunity the number of workers migrating abroad for jobs could double to 115 million a year by 2030 and remittances could rise to 300 billion per yearIf implemented these interventions can help India replicate the global success of its IT services sector in areas like healthcare domestic work and manufacturing amongst others IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/global-labour-shortage-by-2047-to-create-opportunity-for-indias-young-workforce-report-638678.html Mon, 15 Sep 2025 17:16:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/sensex-nifty-settle-slightly-lower-amid-mixed-global-cues-638680.html Mumbai Sep 15 The domestic benchmark indices closed slightly lower on Monday as investors remained cautious ahead of the US Fed policy meeting The equity indices remained rangebound amid optimism around strong domestic consumption due to the GST overhaul Sensex settled at 8178574 down 11896 points or 015 per cent The 30share index started the session flat at 8192551 against the last sessions closing of 8190470 The index remained rangebound hitting intraday high and low at 8199851 and 8174470 respectivelyNifty closed at 2506920 down 4480 points or 018 per centBenchmark indices traded largely flat as investors remained cautious ahead of the Fed policy meeting with the IT index witnessing profit booking after last weeks rally While a 25bps rate cut is largely factored in markets await guidance on the future rate path to gauge the trajectory for bond yields said analystsStrong domestic consumption continues to underpin sentiment and limit downside while renewed optimism around trade deals and an expected earnings recovery in H2 FY26 are further supporting investor confidence he addedAsian Paints Mahindra and Mahindra Titan Infosys Sun Pharma TCS and Tech Mahindra were the top losers from the Sensex stocks Bajaj Finance Eternal LampT and Adani Ports settled higherSectoral indices remained rangebound experiencing subdued interest from investors Nifty Fin Services closed 29 points or 011 per cent higher and Nifty Bank jumped 78 points or 014 per cent Nifty IT Nifty FMCG and Nifty Auto settled in negative territoryBroader indices showed positive momentum amid buying in mid and smallcap stocks Nifty Small Cap 100 surged 137 points or 076 per cent Nifty Midcap 100 jumped 258 points or 044 per cent while Nifty 100 settled flatAccording to analysts the markets took a breather as the Nifty snapped its eightday winning streak closing below the 25100 markA decisive breakout above 25150 could trigger short covering and potentially lead to a rally toward the 25300 zone Given the recent upward momentum some profit booking at higher levels is expected Therefore the preferred strategy would be to buy on dips they added IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/sensex-nifty-settle-slightly-lower-amid-mixed-global-cues-638680.html Mon, 15 Sep 2025 17:18:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/ahpi-ima-ask-star-health-to-restore-cashless-services-immediately-for-policyholders-638699.html New Delhi Sep 15 Even as thousands of patients continue to face severe inconvenience at the hospitals the Association of Healthcare Providers of India AHPI and the Indian Medical Association on Monday demanded that Star Health and Allied Insurance immediately restore cashless services to policyholders The AHPI noted that many of its member hospitals are facing an alarming situation where Star Health Insurance has suspended cashless services leaving hospitals to manage irate and distressed patients who are suddenly denied the most basic facility of cashless treatmentBased on information available with AHPI cashless services have been suspended arbitrarily in many hospitals including Manipal Hospital Delhi and Gurugram Max Hospitals North India Metro Hospital Faridabad Medanta Hospital Lucknow Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Hospital New Delhi among othersHospitals and nursing homes part of the IMA Hospital Board also shared similar concernsFurther AHPI alleged that Star Health has also slowed down or outright stopped the empanelment of some hospitals denying patients wider access to cashless services The list includes Fortis Hospital Manesar Max Hospital Dwarka Medanta Hospital Noida etcSuch delays in empanelment are restricting patient choice and forcing many families into the reimbursement route which defeats the purpose of health insuranceAHPI strongly insists that cashless services must be restored immediately to all affected hospitals to protect patients from financial and emotional stress and empanelment of new hospitals must be expedited so that patients can access care across India without disruption said the Association representing over 15000 hospitals and healthcare institutions across the countryPatients buy health insurance with the clear expectation of receiving cashless treatment at quality hospitals It is unjust for insurers to withhold this facility after collecting premiums leaving families to scramble for funds at the time of hospitalisation according to a joint statement by Dr Girdhar Gyani Director General AHPI and Dr Abul Hasan Chairman IMA Hospital BoardPatients deserve seamless access and hospitals deserve fair treatment as service providers Star Health must act urgently to restore trust and ensure that its insured members are not penalised for choosing the hospitals best suited to their medical needs the statement addedEarlier on September 12 the AHPI issued a formal notice to Star Health against unfair practices and warned suspension of cashless services by member hospitals by September 22In response Star Health in a statement called out AHPI for issuing threats of suspending cashless services in a manner that is arbitrary lacking clarity or actionable detailsMeanwhile the General Insurance Council extended its support to Star Health urging AHPI to withdraw its threat of disrupting cashless services Policyholders access to healthcare remains fully safeguardedDenying the allegation AHPI said that its decision was neither arbitrary nor unilateral but a necessary response to the unilateral and arbitrary actions of Star Health Insurance in deempanelling hospitals and withdrawing cashless services IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/ahpi-ima-ask-star-health-to-restore-cashless-services-immediately-for-policyholders-638699.html Mon, 15 Sep 2025 18:56:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/ahpi-ima-hospital-board-ask-star-health-to-restore-cashless-services-immediately-for-policyholders-638700.html New Delhi Sep 15 Even as thousands of patients continue to face severe inconvenience at the hospitals the Association of Healthcare Providers of India AHPI and the Indian Medical Association Hospital Board on Monday demanded that Star Health and Allied Insurance immediately restore cashless services to policyholders The AHPI noted that many of its member hospitals are facing an alarming situation where Star Health Insurance has suspended cashless services leaving hospitals to manage irate and distressed patients who are suddenly denied the most basic facility of cashless treatmentBased on information available with AHPI cashless services have been suspended arbitrarily in many hospitals including Manipal Hospital Delhi and Gurugram Max Hospitals North India Metro Hospital Faridabad Medanta Hospital Lucknow Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Hospital New Delhi among othersHospitals and nursing homes part of the IMA Hospital Board also shared similar concernsFurther AHPI alleged that Star Health has also slowed down or outright stopped the empanelment of some hospitals denying patients wider access to cashless services The list includes Fortis Hospital Manesar Max Hospital Dwarka Medanta Hospital Noida etcSuch delays in empanelment are restricting patient choice and forcing many families into the reimbursement route which defeats the purpose of health insuranceAHPI strongly insists that cashless services must be restored immediately to all affected hospitals to protect patients from financial and emotional stress and empanelment of new hospitals must be expedited so that patients can access care across India without disruption said the Association representing over 15000 hospitals and healthcare institutions across the countryPatients buy health insurance with the clear expectation of receiving cashless treatment at quality hospitals It is unjust for insurers to withhold this facility after collecting premiums leaving families to scramble for funds at the time of hospitalisation according to a joint statement by Dr Girdhar Gyani Director General AHPI and Dr Abul Hasan Chairman IMA Hospital BoardPatients deserve seamless access and hospitals deserve fair treatment as service providers Star Health must act urgently to restore trust and ensure that its insured members are not penalised for choosing the hospitals best suited to their medical needs the statement addedEarlier on September 12 the AHPI issued a formal notice to Star Health against unfair practices and warned suspension of cashless services by member hospitals by September 22In response Star Health in a statement called out AHPI for issuing threats of suspending cashless services in a manner that is arbitrary lacking clarity or actionable detailsMeanwhile the General Insurance Council extended its support to Star Health urging AHPI to withdraw its threat of disrupting cashless services Policyholders access to healthcare remains fully safeguardedDenying the allegation AHPI said that its decision was neither arbitrary nor unilateral but a necessary response to the unilateral and arbitrary actions of Star Health Insurance in deempanelling hospitals and withdrawing cashless services IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/ahpi-ima-hospital-board-ask-star-health-to-restore-cashless-services-immediately-for-policyholders-638700.html Mon, 15 Sep 2025 18:58:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/gst-revamp-to-enhance-mobility-promote-healthier-lifestyles-for-youth-638397.html New Delhi Sep 14 The GST reductions are more than tax changes they are transformational enablers that improve affordability enhance mobility promote healthier lifestyles and strengthen key industries the government said on Sunday By lowering GST rates on gymsfitness centres twowheelers and small cars the Government has not only reduced the financial burden on households but also advanced its longterm vision of promoting healthier lifestyles affordable transportation and improved ease of livingThese steps will directly benefit the middle class youth and working professionals while also stimulating demand in key sectors of the economy according to the governmentThe GST reduction on gyms and fitness centres from 18 per cent to 5 per cent marks a decisive step towards building a healthier and more active IndiaFitness which was earlier considered a luxury by many is now being made accessible to wider sections of society This aligns with the broader public health agenda of preventive care and wellness promotionThis measure complements national preventive health initiatives such as the Fit India Movement which encourages citizens to prioritise regular exercise and lifestyle changes to prevent chronic illnessesThe GST on twowheelers bikes up to and including 350cc have been cut from 28 per cent to 18 per centTwowheelers are more than just vehicles they are a lifeline of mobility for millions of Indians especially in rural and semiurban areas The reduction in GST brings meaningful relief to lowermiddleclass households young professionals and gig workers who depend on affordable transport for their livelihood and daily needs said the governmentThe reduction in GST makes small cars more affordable encouraging firsttime buyers to invest in personal mobility solutionsCompact cars are most popular in semiurban and rural markets Lower GST will accelerate sales in these regions strengthening the auto industrys rural footprintAffordable small cars expand mobility options for young professionals working parents and students making daily commuting easier and more reliableBy boosting the auto sector the move also supports job creation in manufacturing sales services and financing reinforcing Indias growth momentumTogether GST reforms measures represent a significant push towards the governments vision of economic selfreliance citizen empowerment and improved ease of living for every Indian IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/gst-revamp-to-enhance-mobility-promote-healthier-lifestyles-for-youth-638397.html Sun, 14 Sep 2025 11:19:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/tn-launches-pilot-ai-robotics-programme-in-govt-schools-638429.html Chennai Sep 14 Exposure to Artificial Intelligence AI robotics and digital tools is no longer confined to private schools In a significant step towards bridging the technological divide the Tamil Nadu government has rolled out a pilot programme this academic year to train government school students in AI applications coding and interactive online tools The initiative titled Tamil Nadu Schools Programme for AI Robotics and Knowledge of Online Tools TN SPARK is currently being implemented for Classes 6 to 9 It aims to create a techsavvy generation that can keep pace with emerging trends irrespective of socioeconomic backgroundIn Coimbatore district alone 85 government schools have been included in the first phase These comprise 78 middle schools four high schools and three higher secondary schools Dedicated bilingual textbooks in English and Tamil have been prepared for the new curriculum and trained mathematics and science teachers are handling the sessionsEach school has allocated one or two periods a week for TN SPARK classes Around 880 hitech lab computers are being used to deliver the programmeWhile the modules began with introductory sessions the syllabus will move into full swing from October after quarterly examinationsThe curriculum introduces students to the foundations of computer science including algorithms flowcharts word processing and data visualisation It also integrates online educational tools that offer interactive lessons across subjects such as science geography anatomy and languagesArtificial Intelligence modules familiarise students with creative applications like texttoimage generation texttospeech doodling digital art translation and animationCoding is introduced through beginnerfriendly platforms such as Blockly Turtle Art and Scratch along with basics of HTML and lessons in cyber safety Teachers report that students are showing keen interest in these classes often preferring them to conventional lessonsHitech labs are being effectively utilised to nurture curiosity and improve learning skillsThe programme officials said is designed not only to provide access to advanced technology but also to equip children with problemsolving abilities and digital literacy that will prepare them for future academic and career opportunitiesWith TN SPARK Tamil Nadu is setting a model for integrating advanced technology training into government schools ensuring that students from all sections of society gain equal exposure to the tools that will shape tomorrows world IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/tn-launches-pilot-ai-robotics-programme-in-govt-schools-638429.html Sun, 14 Sep 2025 12:35:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/pharmacopoeia-commission-conducts-training-programme-to-boost-regulation-quality-of-ayush-drugs-638211.html New Delhi Sep 13 The Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy has conducted a CapacityBuilding Training Programme to enhance regulation and quality of Ayush drugs the Ministry of Ayush said The fiveday programme held from September 8 to 12 in Ghaziabad aimed to strengthen the regulatory framework quality assurance and standardisation processes for Ayurveda Siddha Unani and Homoeopathy drugsThe training brought together 27 participants from across India representing regulatory bodies research councils pharmaceutical industries and academic institutionsThe comprehensive sessions were designed to equip Drug Enforcement Officers Quality Control Personnel and drug manufacturers with advanced knowledge and handson experience in pharmacopoeial standards and Good Manufacturing Practices GMPThe technical sessions covered pharmacognostic identification phytochemical analysis and GMP compliance along with handson training in the pharmacognosy and chemistry laboratoriesThe lectures by several experts focused on shelflife studies and regulatory frameworks followed by industry visits to Dr Willmar Schwabe India Noida and Hamdard Laboratories Ghaziabad offering realworld exposureThe sessions included microbiological and pharmacological evaluations standardisation of metal and mineral drugs and regulatory aspects Participants also engaged in laboratory training and visited the onsite herbal gardenThe sessions also featured discussions on NABL accreditation GMP and the standardisation of Siddha drugsParticipants highly appreciated the programmes unique blend of expertled lectures practical laboratory sessions and field visitsThe training significantly contributed to enhancing their understanding of pharmacopoeial standards GMP and regulatory compliance thereby reinforcing the national commitment to ensuring the safety efficacy and quality of ASUampH drugs IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/pharmacopoeia-commission-conducts-training-programme-to-boost-regulation-quality-of-ayush-drugs-638211.html Sat, 13 Sep 2025 11:18:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/aimed-welcomes-govts-gst-rate-cut-mrp-implementation-relief-for-medical-devices-638219.html New Delhi Sep 13 The Association of Indian Medical Device Industry AiMeD on Saturday welcomed the timely directions issued by the Department of Pharmaceuticals DoP National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority NPPA and the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation CDSCO to ensure smooth implementation of the revised GST rates on drugs formulations and medical devices effective from September 22 The Office Memorandum issued by DoPNPPA on Friday clarified that while manufacturers and marketers are required to revise Maximum Retail Prices MRPs to reflect reduced GST recalling or relabelling of existing stock already released in the market will not be mandatory provided price compliance is ensured at the retailer levelCDSCO has further permitted the use of stickering on medical devices Class C and D within three months to reflect revised MRPs thereby easing operational challenges for importers and manufacturersThis is a timely and pragmatic step by the government that addresses an important operational challenge faced by retailers manufacturers importers and distributors whenever GST rates are revised said Rajiv Nath Forum Coordinator AiMeDThe provision ensures compliance consumer transparency and prevents wastage of packaging material while also safeguarding the industry against undue stock losses We appreciate that the government has struck the right balance between protecting consumer interests and supporting industry ease of doing business Nath addedWhile the NPPA communication does not specify penalties for noncompliance it has the authority to monitor prices of drugs and medical devices and can take corrective actionNoncompliance with NPPAs price notifications can lead to prosecution under the Essential Commodities Act 1955 which may result in imprisonment and finesThe allowance to use existing packaging material by DoCA till December 31 is a costsaving very welcome measure that will benefit MSMEs and reduce unnecessary waste We urge all industry members as well as our channel partners and stakeholders to strictly comply with the guidelines and issue prompt public notifications to ensure transparency and consumer trust Nath saidHe added await clarification for applicability for Class A and B medical devices as well as on preprinted flexible packaging stocks with prior MRP for small packs of disposable medical devices like needles where online overprinting may be a challengeThe decision on GST reforms of refund on GST paid on services and on capital expenditure as is available in many countries globally is also pendingNath said that this reduction of prices is possible to be globally competitive as the purpose of GST was to tax value addition at each step of the supply chain and not cause working capital stress to manufacturers or traders IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/aimed-welcomes-govts-gst-rate-cut-mrp-implementation-relief-for-medical-devices-638219.html Sat, 13 Sep 2025 12:23:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/adani-power-signs-pact-to-supply-2-400-mw-power-to-bihar-638226.html New Delhi Sep 13 In a significant development Adani Power Ltd APL has signed a 25year power supply agreement with Bihar State Power Generation Company Ltd BSPGCL to supply 2400 megawatt MW of power to the state the Adani Groups firm said on Saturday Under the agreement the Indias largest private sector thermal power generator would supply the proposed power from a greenfield ultra super critical plant to be set up at Pirpainti in Bhagalpur district of BiharThe development came after a Letter of Award LoA by BSPGCL to APL on behalf of North Bihar Power Distribution Company Ltd NBPDCL and South Bihar Power Distribution Company Ltd SBPDCL in AugustAdani Power won the project by offering the lowest supply rate at Rs 6075 per kWhThe company is planning to invest approximately 3 billion to build the new plant 800 MW X 3 and its supporting infrastructure under the Design Build Finance Own and Operate DBFOO model the APL informedThe coal linkage for the power plant has been allocated under the SHAKTI Policy of the government of IndiaDuring the construction phase the project will generate around 10000 to 12000 direct and indirect employment Once it becomes operational it will employ 3000 peopleAPL aims to commission the plant in 60 monthsEarlier in a firstofitskind adoption of the greenshoe option in a thermal power tender in India APL was awarded a total of 1600 MW capacity by MP Power Management Company Limited MPPMCLThe company received a LoA from MPPMCL awarding 800 MW additional capacity under the Greenshoe OptionBoth units 800MW x 2 in Anuppur district Madhya Pradesh will be commissioned within 60 months of the appointed dateAPL said that it will invest around Rs 21000 crore towards setting up the plant and related infrastructureThe project is expected to generate direct and indirect employment of 900010000 during the construction phase and 2000 once in operation IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/adani-power-signs-pact-to-supply-2-400-mw-power-to-bihar-638226.html Sat, 13 Sep 2025 12:59:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/pfizer-moderna-shares-slump-as-us-govt-plan-to-link-covid-vaccines-to-child-deaths-report-638227.html Mumbai Sep 13 Shares of US pharma giants fell over 3 per cent following reports indicating that the US health administration officials intend to associate coronavirus vaccines with the deaths of 25 children Pfizers stock declined by over 3 per cent Modernas fell by more than 7 per cent and Novavax decreased by more than 4 per cent overnightThe selloff occurred after reports indicated that the claim will be presented next week to the US Centers for Disease Control and Preventions CDC vaccine advisory panel which determines US immunisation policyThe American health officials plan to cite paediatric deaths flagged in the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System VAERS a federal database of unverified selfreports regarding vaccine side effects according to a report by The Washington PostThe CDC has cautioned that VAERS alone cannot prove a causal link between vaccines and deathsCareer scientists expressed alarm at the governments plan as they say studies indicated that Covid vaccines are safe for children while the risks associated with the virus are being downplayedThe CDC data from June revealed that at least 25 children died following Covidrelated hospitalisations since July 2023 and none of the vaccineeligible children were up to date on their shotsThe Advisory Committee on Immunisation Practices ACIP will convene next week to assess new claims and revise vaccine recommendationsMultiple paths are being considered with one being to restrict younger adults without preexisting conditions from routine vaccinationIn response Moderna said its vaccine safety is rigorously monitored by regulators in more than 90 countries with no new safety risks identified in children or pregnant womenA recent study by JAMA Pediatrics which included over 10 million children aged 5 to 11 who were vaccinated with the mRNA shots from Pfizer and Moderna claimed that the shots reduced the risk of infection and hospitalisation in vaccinated children compared to kids who didnt get vaccinated IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/pfizer-moderna-shares-slump-as-us-govt-plan-to-link-covid-vaccines-to-child-deaths-report-638227.html Sat, 13 Sep 2025 13:01:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/logistics-and-industrial-leasing-in-india-poised-to-cross-60-msf-by-year-end-report-638261.html New Delhi Sep 13 The gross logistics and industrial LampI leasing is expected to cross 60 million square feet MSF by yearend and would set a new benchmark for the sector following strong demand a report said on Saturday In the first half of 2025 H1 2025 the growth of leasing across warehousing and industrial segments remains in doubledigit with total leasing at 307 MSF a 216 per cent increase yearonyear YoY and 121 per cent higher than H2 2024 Cushman and Wakefield a real estate services firm said in a reportThe performance underlines the sectors strong fundamentals with leasing activity surpassing 50 MSF annually for the last three consecutive yearsWith momentum holding strong gross leasing is expected to cross 60 MSF by yearend setting a new benchmark for Indias Logistics amp Industrial marketAccording to the report warehousing remained the dominant driver accounting for 219 MSF of leasing and representing 713 per cent while industrial space contributed 88 MSF making up 287 per cent of the total leasingFrom a sectoral perspective engineering and manufacturing EampM led overall leasing with 97 MSF accounting for 32 per cent of total absorption and recording a 37 per cent YoY growthThis reflects the manufacturing sectors growing role in Indias selfreliant economy aided by infrastructure upgrades and supportive policies 3PL operators leased 74 MSF representing a 24 per cent share and showcasing stable growth indicating market maturity after earlier expansion waves the report notedThe Ecommerce sector recorded the sharpest annual surge with 158 per cent YoY growth to reach 46 MSF and capture a 15 per cent share of total leasing driven by festive season stocking and lastmile network expansionAbhishek Bhutani Managing Director Logistics and Industrial Services India Head Gujarat Cushman and Wakefield said H1 performance reinforces how Indias logistics and industrial sector has moved beyond cyclical swings to demonstrate structural strengthThe consistency of demand across segments highlights that occupiers are no longer only chasing capacity but also efficiency location and longterm value What stands out is the sharper role of manufacturing and the resurgence of ecommerce which together are reshaping supply chain strategies he addedWith strong demand fundamentals a healthy supply pipeline of 25 MSF of GradeA warehousing is expected over the next 23 years and supportive policy measures Indias logistics and industrial real estate sector is poised to maintain its upward trajectory through 2025 the report said IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/logistics-and-industrial-leasing-in-india-poised-to-cross-60-msf-by-year-end-report-638261.html Sat, 13 Sep 2025 14:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/kavin-bharti-mittal-shuts-down-hike-after-indias-ban-on-real-money-gaming-638266.html New Delhi Sep 13 Kavin Bharti Mittal son of Bharti Airtel chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal has announced the shutdown of his startup Hike after Indias blanket ban on realmoney gaming The decision marks the end of a venture that once began as a messaging app to rival WhatsApp and later pivoted to gaming through its platform RushIn a note shared on Substack Mittal said After regrouping with our investors and the team Ive made the difficult decision to wind down Hike completelyHe added that although Hikes US business launched just nine months ago was showing strong growth the India ban made global scaling difficultScaling globally would require a full recap a reset that is not the best use of capital or time he explainedHike had about 100 employees working across India the US Dubai and Singapore functioning in small highly skilled teams that Mittal described as SWAT teamsThe company had initially started as a messaging app in 2016 but shut it down in January 2021 shifting its focus to casual realmoney gamingRush its flagship platform offered 14 mobile games with moneybased play and integrated Web3 features like user ownership and playtoearn mechanicsThe company was backed by some of the biggest global investors including SoftBank Tencent Tiger Global Bharti Foxconn Jump Crypto Tribe Capital Republic and PolygonProminent individual investors such as Rajeev Misra Elad Gil and Zynga founder Mark Pincus were also on boardRush had seen significant traction in India with 10 million users and over 500 million in gross revenue in just four yearsThe platform claimed more than 5 million players across its games and reported yearly winnings of around 480 millionDespite these achievements the sudden ban on realmoney gaming in India forced Mittal to shut operationsCalling it both a disappointment and a hard outcome he said he remains optimistic The learnings are invaluable and my conviction for whats next is even stronger he wrote IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/kavin-bharti-mittal-shuts-down-hike-after-indias-ban-on-real-money-gaming-638266.html Sat, 13 Sep 2025 15:15:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/pakistans-surveillance-of-its-citizens-not-security-but-tyranny-report-638301.html New Delhi Sep 13 The track record of Pakistans current civilmilitary regime paints a bleak picture of the countrys future It can continue down the Chinese path perfecting the machinery of digital authoritarianism while hollowing out its democratic promises or it can confront the reality that surveillance without oversight is not security but tyranny according to a new report For years Pakistan has been accused of spying on its own citizens Earlier these efforts were scattered bugged hotel rooms leaked phone calls and occasional internet blackouts said the report by The Milli ChronicleBut in recent times this has turned into a highly organised surveillance system backed by new technologies and international partnershipsAt the centre of this transformation is Pakistans growing dependence on ChinaBeijing often called the global architect of digital authoritarianism has become not just a financial and military partner but also the key supplier of tools that allow governments to control the flow of informationThrough its Digital Silk Road initiative China has exported surveillance systems firewalls and censorship models to countries like PakistanIn 2023 Pakistan introduced the Web Monitoring System 20 WMS 20 developed with Chinese companies like Geedge Networks and the stateowned China Electronics CorporationThis system similar to Chinas Great Firewall can block websites detect VPNs and throttle internet trafficInstead of simply censoring content it is designed to detect and suppress dissent before it can spreadBut Chinese tools are not the only ones in use Pakistan has also adopted Europeanmade surveillance systems such as the Lawful Intercept Management System LIMS which can track the digital activity of millions of people at onceWhile European countries restrict how these systems are used Pakistan lacks such safeguards giving its spy agencies neartotal freedom to monitor citizensAuthorities defend these measures in the name of national security but the main targets often turn out to be journalists human rights activists and political dissidentsReports of leaked WhatsApp calls blocked investigative stories and the intimidation of activists have become commonIn Balochistan entire regions face internet blackouts that last for months or even years cutting people off from the outside world and silencing campaigns against enforced disappearancesCritics say this is less about fighting terrorism and more about protecting the military establishment from accountabilityBy adopting Chinas model Pakistan is shifting further away from democracy and normalising the idea that dissent is a crimeThe consequences extend beyond Pakistans borders If a fragile democracy like Pakistan embraces Chinesestyle digital authoritarianism it signals to other countries that repression can be imported and democracy can be bypassedPakistan now stands at a crossroads It can choose transparency accountability and the rule of law or continue building a surveillance state that silences its citizensFor now the latter path seems more tempting to those in power But in choosing this route Pakistan risks trading its democratic promises for a future of fear and repression IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/pakistans-surveillance-of-its-citizens-not-security-but-tyranny-report-638301.html Sat, 13 Sep 2025 17:21:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/kerala-to-host-national-workshop-to-strengthen-digital-solutions-in-ayush-sector-638307.html New Delhi Sep 13 Kerala is set to organise a twoday national workshop to strengthen digital solutions in Ayush sector the Ministry of Ayush said on Saturday The workshop will be held from September 1819 in KottayamThe workshop is envisaged as a collaborative platform to strengthen digital solutions in the Ayush sector and move towards a comprehensive centralised and interoperable digital framework The framework is aimed at ensuring standardisation avoiding duplication promoting scalability enhancing evidencebased policymaking and improving citizencentric service delivery the Ministry saidThe workshop is set to witness participation from senior officials of the Ministry of Ayush Ministers and senior administrators from States and Union Territories Mission Directors and key officers of State Ayush departments technical personnel from Ayush IT divisions at the Central and StateUT levels and experts from digital health and egovernance platformsThe experts are likely to deliberate on sharing best practices and showcasing IT innovations from States and Union Territories providing orientation on the central governments IT solutions by the Ayush Grid teamThey will also examine critical digital domains such as programme management patient care monitoring and reporting systems human resources and data management and financial tracking mechanismsThe workshop is expected to yield meaningful outcomes including the establishment of a consolidated national knowledgesharing platform on ITenabled Ayush services the development of a framework for standardised digital adoption across States and Union Territories and recommendations for aligning Ayush digital systems with the National Digital Health Mission and other national ehealth initiatives the Ministry saidThe national workshop will mark an important step in strengthening digital adoption in the Ayush sector fostering interstate collaboration and charting a roadmap for a futureready Ayush digital health ecosystem in IndiaFollowing the workshop the participants will also undertake a twoday field visit to Ayush facilities across the districts of Kottayam Alappuzha and Thrissur in the state IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/kerala-to-host-national-workshop-to-strengthen-digital-solutions-in-ayush-sector-638307.html Sat, 13 Sep 2025 18:00:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/study-claims-artificial-sweeteners-can-lead-to-faster-cognitive-decline-638317.html New Delhi Sep 13 Longterm use of artificial sweeteners or low and nocalorie sweeteners used mainly by people with diabetes can lead to cognitive decline claimed a study Researchers from the Universidade de São Paulo Brazil analysed 12000 patients who use common artificial sweeteners such as aspartame saccharin xylitol erythritol sorbitol tagatose and acesulfame KThe results published in the Neurology journal found that people who consumed the highest amounts had the greatest declines 62 per cent in thinking and memory as compared to those who consumed lessThe declines amounted to 16 years of additional brain ageingWe know sugar and sugar substitutes raise the risk of diabetes and malignancies They are also linked to brain vascular cell dysfunction Dr Manjari Tripathi head of the neurology department at AIIMS told IANS She advised restricting its useThe study revealed that the people who used the artificial sweeteners moderately had a 35 per cent faster rate of memory and thinking decline and a 110 per cent faster rate of verbal fluency declineFor those in the high consumption group the rate of memory and thinking decline was 62 per cent faster and their verbal fluency decline was 173 per cent fasterDr Anshu Rohatgi ViceChairperson Neurology from a citybased hospital added that the effect seen most commonly among diabetics is a matter of concern as the incidence of diabetes is increasingRohatgi explained that chronic exposure to these sugar alternatives may be making the brain more vulnerableThese artificial sweeteners may be causing neuroinflammation and that may be one of the reasons for the cognitive decline The other could be that it may be altering the gut microbiome Rohatgi told IANSA 2024 study led by the Chennaibased Madras Diabetes Research Foundation MDRF showed that replacing table sugar sucrose with a small quantity of natural and artificial nonnutritive sweeteners NNSs such as sucralose in daily beverages like coffee and tea may have no adverse effect on glycemic markers like glucose or HbA1c levelsThe study published in the journal Diabetes Therapy revealed that people who used sucralose in pellet liquid or powder form also had a slight improvement in body weight BW waist circumference WC and body mass index BMIIn 2023 the World Health Organization WHO raised concerns among healthcare stakeholders and the public regarding the use of NNS even among those with diabetes IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/study-claims-artificial-sweeteners-can-lead-to-faster-cognitive-decline-638317.html Sat, 13 Sep 2025 18:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/apple-sees-strong-demand-for-made-in-india-iphone-17-638318.html New Delhi Sep 13 The demand for Apples new iPhone 17 series is rising fast in India with industry sources saying preorders have been stronger than last year The surge comes at a time when Apple has been steadily increasing its Made in India push expanding both local manufacturing and retail presence in the countryPreorders for the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro which opened on September 12 have seen high interest across Apples online store its retail outlets in Mumbai Delhi Pune and BengaluruSources said Apples latest model has managed to create a strong buzz among Indian consumers with the new iPhone 17 Air also attracting attention for its titanium design that is light sleek and durableApple is betting big on India not just as a market but also as a manufacturing hub The company has been expanding its retail network to meet growing demandEarlier this month it added two new stores in Bengaluru and Pune timed just before the iPhone 17 launchApple first entered Indias retail space in April 2023 with its flagship Mumbai store at Bandra Kurla Complex BKC followed by Apple Saket in DelhiTogether the two stores clocked around Rs 800 crore in revenue in their debut year making them Apples topperforming outlets globallyWhat stood out was that nearly 60 per cent of this revenue came from the smaller Saket store showing the strength of Apples growing Indian consumer baseThis was despite the company already having a large network of premium resellers and strong online partnerships with Flipkart and AmazonThe iPhone 17 lineup starts at Rs 82900 for the base 256GB model The new iPhone Air designed as a slimmer and more premium version is priced at Rs 119900The iPhone 17 Pro begins at Rs 134900 while the topend iPhone 17 Pro Max 256GB costs Rs 149900This years launch also marks Apples first upward revision in entrylevel pricing since the iPhone 12 series in 2020 However the higher price comes with more storageThe base iPhone 17 now offers 256GB double the 128GB that came with the iPhone 16 On a storagetostorage comparison the iPhone 17 is actually Rs 7000 cheaper than the iPhone 16s 256GB variant at launch IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/apple-sees-strong-demand-for-made-in-india-iphone-17-638318.html Sat, 13 Sep 2025 18:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/smartwatch-fitness-tracker-may-help-detect-abnormalities-in-pregnancy-638331.html New Delhi Sep 13 A simple wearable device like a smartwatch or a fitness tracker may help revolutionise pregnancy care and easily detect abnormalities Scientists at Scripps Research have found preliminary evidence suggesting that common wearable devices such as the Apple Watch Garmin and Fitbit could remotely monitor pregnancyrelated health changes by tracking physiological patterns like heart rate that correlate with hormonal fluctuationsWearable devices offer a unique opportunity to develop innovative solutions that address the high number of adverse pregnancy outcomes in the US said cosenior author Giorgio Quer the director of artificial intelligence and assistant professor of Digital Medicine at Scripps ResearchOur results show that signals collected via wearable sensors follow the expected changes in hormone levels and can detect unique patterns specific to live birth pregnancies potentially allowing the monitoring of maternal health throughout the pregnancy and postpartumFor the study the team selected 108 individuals who had consented to provide data from three months before their pregnancy through six months after delivery Using sophisticated statistical methods to identify populationlevel patterns the team could account for individual differences and device variationsFrom this data the scientists were able to identify physiological patterns that aligned with the fluctuation of key pregnancy hormones such as oestrogen progesterone and human chorionic gonadotropin hCG The fluctuations of these hormones are critical to healthy pregnancy outcomes and provide insight into the pregnancys progressionThe heart rate data was particularly compelling During early pregnancy researchers found that the individuals heart rate initially decreased around weeks five to nine then steadily increased until about eight or nine weeks before delivery reaching peaks up to 94 beats per minute above prepregnancy levelsAfter birth the heart rate dropped below baseline levels before stabilising around six months postpartum The researchers also tracked sleep and activity patterns throughout pregnancyTo validate this correlation the team compared wearable sensor patterns with published hormonelevel data from previous pregnancy studies creating detailed models that predicted heart rate changes based on expected hormonal fluctuations throughout pregnancy While these findings are still early they demonstrate that wearables could potentially enhance prenatal care particularly for women living in maternal care deserts IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/smartwatch-fitness-tracker-may-help-detect-abnormalities-in-pregnancy-638331.html Sat, 13 Sep 2025 19:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/amfi-hails-sebis-move-to-ease-ipo-mutual-fund-and-fpi-regulations-638341.html New Delhi Sep 13 Association of Mutual Funds in India AMFI on Saturday hailed the regulatory changes introduced by the Securities and Exchange Board of India Sebi simplifying norms for IPO and foreign portfolio investors Sebi in its recent board meeting decided to revise the minimum public shareholding MPS norms for large companies planning initial public offerings IPOsWe welcome SEBIs progressive and wellcalibrated reforms announced at its recent Board Meeting The new incentive structures to expand mutual fund penetration beyond the top 30 cities and among women investors align closely with AMFIs financial inclusion objectives said Venkat N Chalasani Chief Executive AMFIThe reduction in the maximum exit load from 5 per cent to 3 per cent further reinforces SEBIs commitment to investor protection and transparencyThe reclassification of REITs as equity for mutual fund investments is also a timely step that will enhance diversification opportunities and support the growth of real estate as an investible asset class Chalasani addedTaken together these initiatives will broaden investor participation strengthen the longterm health of the mutual fund industry and strike a thoughtful balance between regulatory rigour investor protection and ease of doing business he said furtherEarlier SEBI announced a series of regulatory changes including a major relaxation in IPOs ease for FPIs planning to invest in the domestic market and simplifying entry norms for advisory certificationsUnder the new norms companies with a market capitalisation of Rs 50000 crore to Rs 1 lakh crore will now get more time to meet the public shareholding requirementsThey will be required to achieve 15 per cent MPS within five years of listing and 25 per cent within 10 yearsAt present companies are required to meet the 25 per cent threshold within three yearsAdditionally a new category of alternative investment funds that are exclusively available to accredited investors AI has been approved According to a SEBI announcement the minimum ticket size for Large Value Funds has been reduced from Rs 70 crore to Rs 25 croreThe new SWAGATFI framework which offers 10year registrations a single demat account and exemptions from the FVCI rule requiring 66 per cent of corpus in unlisted equity will benefit sovereign wealth funds and pension funds IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/amfi-hails-sebis-move-to-ease-ipo-mutual-fund-and-fpi-regulations-638341.html Sat, 13 Sep 2025 20:15:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/indian-stock-market-opens-with-mild-gains-amid-strong-global-cues-637981.html Mumbai Sep 12 The Indian benchmark indices opened with mild gains on Friday on the back of strong global cues driven by growing expectations of a US Federal Reserve rate cut next week As of 925 am Sensex was up 114 points or 014 per cent at 81663 and Nifty was up 39 points or 016 per cent at 25045The broadcap indices outperformed benchmark indices as Nifty Midcap 100 inched up by 043 per cent and the Nifty Small cap 100 moved up 036 per centAdani Enterprises Infosys TCS NTPC and Axis Bank were among major gainers on Nifty while losers were Bajaj Finserv Titan Company and Tata Consumer ProductsAmong sectoral indices Nifty Auto the top gainer jumped 101 per cent Nifty IT up 074 per cent and Nifty Metal up 059 per cent were the other major gainers Nifty FMCG was the top loser down 062 per centAdding to the investor optimism US President Donald Trump has reportedly invited Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal for a meeting with the US Trade Representative to discuss a potential trade deal a development that could ease tensions between the two countriesNifty on Thursday managed to surpass the 25000 hurdle and continued its upward journey for the seventh day in a row to close at its highest levels since 21 August Nifty finally managed to close above the downward sloping trend line resistance on the daily chartAnalysts said that the shortterm trend of the Nifty remains bullish as it has been holding above 5 20 and 50 DMAs Immediate resistance for Nifty is seen at 25153 derived from the previous swing highUS markets surged to fresh records overnight as jobless claims spiked to a fouryear high of 263000 cementing expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts despite August inflation accelerating to 29 per centThe Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 136 per cent while the Nasdaq advanced by 072 per cent and the SampP 500 gained 085 per centMarkets now price in a 948 per cent probability of a quarterpoint Fed cut next week with only 52 per cent odds of a halfpoint reductionMost of the Asian markets made strong gains during the morning session While Chinas Shanghai index advanced 024 per cent and Shenzhen added 015 per cent Japans Nikkei rose 091 per cent while Hong Kongs Hang Seng Index jumped 142 per cent South Koreas Kospi inched up 115 per centOn Thursday foreign institutional investors FIIs net sold equities worth Rs 3472 crore while domestic institutional investors DIIs net bought shares worth Rs 4046 crore IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/indian-stock-market-opens-with-mild-gains-amid-strong-global-cues-637981.html Fri, 12 Sep 2025 09:59:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/over-9-in-10-ceos-say-govt-effective-in-enabling-indias-global-rise-637995.html New Delhi Sep 12 More than nine in 10 93 per cent CEOs feel that government has been effective in enabling Indias global rise while 92 per cent believe Indias global positioning is strong according to a new survey While 89 per cent CEOs are confident in Indias growth story 54 per cent believe India is using strategic communications to shape its global image very effectively according to the survey by the Public Relations Consultants Association of India PRCAI in collaboration with Astrum AdvisoryThe study which captured the views of 123 CEOs across six cities found that 84 per cent of CEOs believe Indias best days lie aheadThe report highlights reputation as the most valuable currency for Indias economic progress and global leadershipThe findings showed that CEOs see climate readiness geopolitical positioning digital innovation and human capital as Indias biggest levers for global leadership while also recognising communication and reputation management as essential tools in translating progress into global influenceThe findings underscored that India under the Prime Ministers leadership is advancing strategically At the same time CEOs cautioned that policy unpredictability AIrelated risks and perception gaps around civic and environmental issues could undermine global confidence if not addressedReputation in public life is tested not by speeches or photo opportunities but by delivery It is when a child reaches school wellnourished when a woman finds safety and economic independence when a family sees fairness in governance These are the moments that earn trust and it is this trust that ultimately defines Indias credibility to the world said former Cabinet Minister Smriti IraniShe positioned women as central to Indias reputationbuilding highlighting how their leadership across politics business and culture reinforces values of resilience ambition and inclusivityShe also reflected on Indias evolving identity by noting that Brand India is in a moment of evolution Brands dont die because they dont succeed they die because they dont evolveKunal Kishore President PRCAI said Reputation today is not just communication it is strategy it determines trust in boardrooms credibility in markets and influence on the world stage IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/over-9-in-10-ceos-say-govt-effective-in-enabling-indias-global-rise-637995.html Fri, 12 Sep 2025 11:27:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/aiims-delhi-installs-da-vinci-surgical-robot-to-boost-training-in-robotic-surgery-637996.html New Delhi Sep 12 AIIMS New Delhi has installed the da Vinci Surgical robot by USbased Intuitive to equip surgeons and care teams with the skills and technology training in roboticassisted surgery This is the first da Vinci RAS training facility in a government medical college in IndiaIt comes as AIIMS last year signed a Memorandum of Understanding MoU with Intuitive to establish an innovative new training centre for roboticassisted surgery at AIIMS New DelhiThe installation of the da Vinci RAS at the SET facility in AIIMS Delhi will equip surgeons with the skills and technology training necessary to perform roboticassisted surgery across core specialities including urology gynaecology general surgery and moreThe collaboration is expected to play a key role in advancing the adoption of roboticassisted surgery in India by offering highquality training in a government medical setupWith this training centre AIIMS Delhi is reinforcing its leadership in advancing surgical education and innovation The demand for precisiondriven technologies like roboticassisted surgery is growing in India By equipping surgeons for performing surgeries on advanced robotic technologies this centre will help improve surgical precision reduce recovery times and elevate patient care across the country said Dr M Srinivas Director of AIIMS DelhiFor resident surgeons access to advanced surgical training can often be limited compared to practicing surgeonsRoboticassisted surgery supported by Intuitives education ecosystem helps bridge this gap by equipping academic institutions with structured training and digital platformsThe training facility at AIIMS Delhi represents a significant milestone in strengthening Indias surgical robotics ecosystem By collaborating with a premier academic institute like AIIMS Delhi we are enabling access for surgeons and residents to train on the da Vinci platform and ecosystem said Rohitt Mahajan Vice President and General Manager Intuitive IndiaThe new facility is designed to provide surgeons with a stepbystep learning pathway Trainees will progress from assisting during procedures to gaining supervised handson experience in the operating room Their learning will be further supported by structured training protocols and a systematic process developed by AIIMS ensuring consistency quality and safety in skill development IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/aiims-delhi-installs-da-vinci-surgical-robot-to-boost-training-in-robotic-surgery-637996.html Fri, 12 Sep 2025 11:36:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/sebi-board-meeting-to-consider-relaxed-ipo-norms-new-anchor-allocation-rules-637997.html New Delhi Sep 12 Capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India SEBI is set to review key regulatory changes at its board meeting on Friday including relaxed stake dilution norms for large companies and amended allocation norms for anchor investors in IPOs The regulator is considering stake dilution norms to permit large firms to launch smaller initial public offerings SEBI also considers extending deadlines to comply with minimum public shareholding requirementsCompanies with postissue market capitalisations exceeding Rs 5 lakh crore may need to maintain a minimum float of Rs 15000 crore plus 1 per cent subject to a minimum of 25 per cent public floatFirms valued between Rs 1 lakh crore and Rs 5 lakh crore could be required to issue at least Rs 6250 crore plus 275 per cent Depending on their shareholding levels they could get up to 10 years to meet the minimum public shareholding mandate according to reportsThe board plans to expand the anchor investor pool for IPOs increasing reserved allocations from 33 per cent to 40 per cent by adding insurance and pension funds to mutual funds For IPOs with an issue size of Rs 250Rs 500 crore the number of permitted anchor allottees is proposed to increase from 25 to 30The meeting is also likely to take up steps to simplify compliance for foreign portfolio investors FPIs ease rules for accredited investors in certain alternative investment funds AIFs widen the scope of activities for rating agencies and give equity status to Real Estate Investment Trusts REITs and Infrastructure Investment Trusts InvITsFurther multiple reports said the SEBI board is likely to discuss and approve a new thresholdbased system for determining the materiality of related party transactions RPTs The move aims to align compliance requirements with the turnover of listed entitiesSEBI may release a consultation paper within a month on phasing out weekly futures and options FampO contractsThe regulator is planning a shift to monthly expiries with a defined transition plan and may also look at introducing sameday expiry across stock exchangesMeanwhile earlier this week SEBI announced that it has amended its rules to allow promoters to retain employee stock options ESOPs granted at least one year before filing IPO papers IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/sebi-board-meeting-to-consider-relaxed-ipo-norms-new-anchor-allocation-rules-637997.html Fri, 12 Sep 2025 11:45:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/govt-eases-norms-for-opening-jan-aushadhi-kendras-in-metro-million-plus-cities-report-638010.html New Delhi Sep 12 The Union government has relaxed the rules for opening Jan Aushadhi Kendras JAKs by rolling back the minimumdistance requirements in metropolitan and millionplus cities according to a media report The easing of distance norms will help boost the outreach of the pharmacy chain which aims to provide quality medicines to the people at affordable pricesThe report cited an internal document issued on September 10 by the Pharmaceuticals amp Medical Devices Bureau of India PMBI the department responsible for implementing the schemeWith a view to enhancing public accessibility equitable distribution and wider outreach of Jan Aushadhi Kendras especially in densely populated urban agglomerations it has been decided to incorporate the following modifications in the extant guidelines concerning minimumdistance requirements in the scheme the document readAs per the document there will be no requirement to maintain minimum distance between any two Jan Aushadhi Kendras in seven metropolitan cities Delhi Mumbai Kolkata Chennai Bengaluru Hyderabad and AhmedabadIn addition relaxation will also apply to cities with a population of more than one million based on the 2011 Census known as the MillionPlus Cities These cities will not be required to maintain a minimum distance except in cases where a Jan Aushadhi Kendra has not completed a period of two years from the date of its opening the report saidThe millionplus list includes 46 urban agglomerations including major centres like Pune 505 million Surat 459 million Jaipur 307 million Kanpur 292 million Lucknow 29 million Nagpur 25 million Ghaziabad 236 million Indore 217 million Coimbatore 215 million and Kochi 212 millionFor smaller towns and other urban areas not covered under these categories the existing norms remain in force the report saidFrom just 80 in 2014 a total of 16912 JAKs have been established under the flagship scheme the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana PMBJP till June 30 It made essential medicines more accessible to people and reduced the outofpocket expenditure These government pharmacies provide generic medicines which are available at lower prices but are equivalent to expensive branded drugs in quality and effectiveness IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/govt-eases-norms-for-opening-jan-aushadhi-kendras-in-metro-million-plus-cities-report-638010.html Fri, 12 Sep 2025 12:26:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/just-4-days-of-junk-food-can-mess-up-your-memory-cognitive-skills-study-638037.html New Delhi Sep 12 Love to binge on cheeseburgers and fries Beware just four days of these fatty foods can rewire the brains memory hub leading to risk of cognitive dysfunction according to a study The research led by the University of North Carolina UNC in the US suggests that fatty junk foods can affect the brain almost immediately well before the onset of weight gain or diabetesThe results open the door to early interventions that can prevent even longterm memory loss associated with obesity which is mainly driven by Westernstyle junk food rich in saturated fatThe findings published in the journal Neuron showed that a special group of brain cells in the hippocampus called CCK interneurons become overly active after eating a highfat diet HFD due to an impaired ability of the brain to receive glucose sugarThis overactivity disrupts how the hippocampus processes memory even after just a few days of a highfat diet said Juan Song Principal Investigator and professor of pharmacology at UNC School of MedicineThe discovery also showed that a protein called PKM2 which controls how brain cells use energy plays a key role in this problemWe knew that diet and metabolism could affect brain health but we didnt expect to find such a specific and vulnerable group of brain cells CCK interneurons in the hippocampus that were directly disrupted by shortterm highfat diet exposure Song said who is a member of the UNC Neuroscience CenterWhat surprised us most was how quickly these cells changed their activity in response to reduced glucose availability and how this shift alone was enough to impair memory added SongFor the study the team placed mouse models on a highfat diet resembling fatty junk food before starting behavioural testingWithin four days of eating a highfat diet results showed CCK interneurons in the brains memory hub became abnormally activeThe research also shows that restoring brain glucose levels actually calmed down overactive neurons and fixed memory problems in miceThe study found interventions like dietary modifications or pharmacological approaches may be effective in preserving brain health for obesityrelated neurodegenerationNotably researchers discovered that dietary interventions like intermittent fasting periods following a highfat diet were sufficient to normalise CCK interneurons and improve memory function IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/just-4-days-of-junk-food-can-mess-up-your-memory-cognitive-skills-study-638037.html Fri, 12 Sep 2025 13:53:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/indias-gdp-growth-to-remain-steady-at-65-pc-another-rbi-rate-cut-likely-this-fiscal-638038.html New Delhi Sep 12 A new Crisil report has projected Indias gross domestic product GDP growth to remain steady at 65 per cent in FY26 with some downside risks owing to external factors Export growth is expected to be a drag on GDP growth given the imposition of 50 per cent tariffs on India by the US at present However consumption will get a boost from rate cuts healthy rains soft inflation and tax relief the report mentionedThe repo rate cuts and 100bps cut in the cash reserve ratio to be implemented between September and December could provide some cushion to financial conditions this fiscalThat said there may be volatility in capital flows given the global turmoil which may keep the rupee under pressure in the short term the report addedCrisil expects the RBI Monetary Policy Committee MPC to cut policy rates one more time this fiscal given expectations of soft inflation and downside risks to growthInflation has remained below the RBIs target of 4 per cent for the past six months FebruaryJuly Healthy agricultural production is expected to keep food inflation subdued As on August 29 kharif sowing was up a healthy 29 per cent onyear the report notedHowever some crop yields may come under pressure due to excess rain Soft commodity prices will mean softer nonfood inflation Lower GST rates are also likely to add a downside to inflation this fiscal it mentionedBank credit growth rose to 10 per cent onyear in August from 98 per cent in July and 96 per cent average in the quarter ended JuneSectoral data until July indicates improved credit in services 106 per cent in July vs 9 per cent in June agriculture 73 per cent vs 68 per cent and industry 6 per cent vs 55 per centThat said growth in personal loans was broadly stable 119 per cent vs 121 per centThe oneyear marginal cost of fundsbased lending rate MCLR a benchmark for several bank lending rates eased 15 bps to 86 per cent The reduction reflected the lagged response to the 100bps rate cut by the RBIs Monetary Policy Committee MPC between February and June 2025 IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/indias-gdp-growth-to-remain-steady-at-65-pc-another-rbi-rate-cut-likely-this-fiscal-638038.html Fri, 12 Sep 2025 13:54:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/indias-reit-market-cap-to-reach-25-billion-in-next-4-years-with-38-pc-surge-report-638043.html New Delhi Sep 12 The Indian real estate investment trust REIT industry with a market capitalisation of about 18 billion in August 2025 is projected to reach 25 billion in the next four years around 38 per cent surge a report said on Friday The Indian real estate investment trust REIT market has grown steadily since its initial listing in 2019Attractive yields of 67 per cent coupled with rental escalations and capital appreciation opportunities make Indian REITs highly competitive compared to global peers Anarock Capital and Real Estate Developers Associations of India CREDAI said in a joint reportThe combination of regulatory confidence market depth and growth potential ensures that the countrys REITs will play a defining role in shaping the future of Indian real estateIndian REITs are late to the party but now lead the dance Despite its late entry compared to global peers India has strong fundamentals The distribution yields currently averaging at 67 per cent are well above many mature markets such as the US and Singapore among others said Shobhit Agarwal CEO Anarock CapitalAverage distribution yields of Indian REITs are competitive with fixedincome instruments but have the added potential for capital appreciation We take a deep dive into this phenomenon in the report Agarwal addedDespite REIT guidelines being introduced in 2014 and the first listing only in 2019 the Indian REIT market accounts for just 20 per cent of institutional real estate far below the US 96 per cent or even Asian peers like Singapore 55 per cent and Japan 51 per centThis limited penetration is largely because Indian REITs are so far concentrated in Grade A commercial office assets which offer scale transparency and stable cash flowsAs the market matures diversification is expected through data centres and logistics REITs supported by rising digital demand and ecommerce growth while retail mall REITs may follow with ongoing consolidation the report statedWith more asset classes becoming REITable Indias penetration could potentially rise to 2530 per cent of institutional real estate by 2030 positioning it as one of the fastestgrowing REIT markets globallyOver 60 per cent of Indias REIT market value today rests with a very small set of players with a strong base in Grade A offices linked to IT and BFSI said Shekhar Patel President CREDAIThe future however holds far wider promise As Indias cities grow infrastructure strengthens and the economy diversifies REITs will expand into retail logistics housing and newage assets Patel addedThe report highlighted that globally industrial REITs are gaining significant momentum on the back of sustained ecommerce penetration supply chain reoptimisation and lastmile logistics demand ensuring longterm rental growth and capital appreciationData centre REITs valued at 250 billion by 2024 and projected to double within seven years are expanding rapidly due to surging cloud adoption AIdriven workloads and hyperscale infrastructure needsIndia is also wellpositioned to mirror this trend as reflected in a 60 per cent onyear surge in industrial and logistics leasing in H1 2025 a 30 per cent YoY rise in warehousing absorption and a threefold increase in institutional investment to 25 billion in 2024 the report stated IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/indias-reit-market-cap-to-reach-25-billion-in-next-4-years-with-38-pc-surge-report-638043.html Fri, 12 Sep 2025 14:10:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/stock-market-ends-week-on-positive-note-clock-8-consecutive-session-gains-despite-uncertainties-638069.html Mumbai Sep 12 The Indian equity indices ended the week on a positive note on Friday maintaining the winning streak for the eight consecutive trading sessions despite geopolitical uncertainties Optimism over a potential rate cut by the US Fed positive developments in IndiaUS trade talks and buying in defence stocks fueled the market sentimentSensex settled the session at 8190470 up 35597 points or 044 per cent The 30share index started trading with a decent gapup at 8175895 against last days closing of 8154873 The index extended the momentum further amid positive global cues to hit an intraday high at 8199285Nifty closed at 251140 up 10850 points or 043 per centThe national market closed at a threeweek high supported by renewed global optimism over a potential Fed rate cut Sentiments improved further on reports that the EU may reject US tariff proposals on India for buying Russian oil analysts saidProgress in the USIndia trade talks is also expected to keep the positive momentum intact in the near term The defence sector outperformed aided by the Indian procurement authorities beginning negotiations for six nextgeneration conventional submarines analysts addedBEL Bajaj Finance Bajaj FinServ Axis Bank Maruti Tata Motors ICICI Bank LampT Infosys and PowerGrid were the top gainers from the Sensex basket Eternal Hindustan Unilever Trent Asian Paint Bharati Airtel and ITC settled lowerThe majority of sectoral indices settled higher Nifty Fin Services jumped 184 points or 070 per cent Nifty Bank escalated 139 points or 026 per cent Nifty Auto increased 122 points or 046 per cent and Nifty IT settled the session 107 points or 03 per cent Nifty FMCG fellBroader indices followed suit as well Nifty Smallcap 100 moved 114 points or 064 per cent Nifty Midcap 100 jumped 183 points or 032 per cent and Nifty 100 closed 106 points or 041 per centRupee traded positively with gains of 018 per cent at 8827 as mixed FII inflows supported sentimentThe dollar index remained weak below 98 providing additional strength to the rupee while ongoing trade deal talks with the US also added optimism Weakness in crude prices offered further minor support said Jateen Trivedi f LKP SecuritiesOverall the rupee looks set to gain some lost ground with scope to test 8775 in the coming days while 8850 is seen as a reversal resistance zone he added IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/stock-market-ends-week-on-positive-note-clock-8-consecutive-session-gains-despite-uncertainties-638069.html Fri, 12 Sep 2025 16:48:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/swasth-nari-sashakt-parivar-abhiyaan-75-000-health-camps-to-focus-on-maternal-child-health-638076.html New Delhi Sep 12 With 75000 health camps across the country the upcoming Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan aims to address the health and nutritional needs of mother and child The campaign will be launched by PM Narendra Modi on his 75th birthday which falls on September 17 It will run till October 2The 75000 health camps will be organised at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs Community Health Centres and healthcare centres in the country The health camps will provide essential services specifically designed to address the healthcare needs of women and childrenWomens health is the strength of every household As part of the Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan from 17th September to 2nd October 2025 75000 health camps are being held at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs and Community Health Centers to address the specific health and nutrition needs of women and children said the Ministry of Health in a post on social media platform XJoin this movement visit your nearest camp and secure a healthier future for your family it addedUnder the campaign Poshan Maah will also be observed at all Anganwadis to promote nutrition health awareness and overall wellbeingEarlier announcing the Campaign Union Health Minister JP Nadda said that the initiative aims to strengthen healthcare services for women and children across India ensuring better access quality care and awarenessTogether these measures aim to build healthier families and empowered communities across the country he addedThis will support the Central governments vision of inclusive healthcare said Nadda while also calling on the private hospitals and healthcare stakeholders to come forward and be an integral part of this Jan Bhagidaari AbhiyaanMeanwhile the Indian Medical Association Delhi Medical Association and other industry bodies and hospitals have lauded the initiative and extended their supportThe DMA called it a visionary step towards ensuring better access quality care and overall wellbeing for families across IndiaThe campaign reflects the governments commitment to building a healthier and empowered society under the guiding spirit of India First it added IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/swasth-nari-sashakt-parivar-abhiyaan-75-000-health-camps-to-focus-on-maternal-child-health-638076.html Fri, 12 Sep 2025 17:21:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/tier-2-cities-to-contribute-35-pc-of-indias-advanced-engineers-by-2028-report-638133.html New Delhi Sep 12 Tier2 and Tier3 cities in India are set to play a bigger role in shaping the countrys engineering workforce over the next few years a new report said on Thursday According to data compiled by NLB Services these cities could account for nearly 35 per cent of Indias advanced engineers by 2028 as fresh institutes technology parks and skilling hubs emerge outside traditional metrosCities such as Jaipur Vadodara Coimbatore Kochi Pune and Indore are fast becoming attractive destinations for enterprises seeking lowcost highimpact talentThe report highlights that India already produces around 15 million engineering graduates every year across disciplines like mechanical civil IT software and manufacturingHowever only 45 per cent of them currently meet industry standards despite 6072 per cent being considered broadly employableThe skills gap is proving to be a challenge in newage fields such as artificial intelligence data science electric vehicles EVs and semiconductorsFocused investments in reskilling incubation centres and industryacademia partnerships are expected to bridge this gap with Tier2 engineers projected to supply 1520 per cent of Indias advanced engineering workforce by 2027Indias technology sector valued at 250 billion and contributing 75 per cent to GDP is projected to touch 350 billion by FY25 the report saidThis growth is fueling demand for engineering talent across industries The expansion of Global Capability Centres GCCs has further accelerated the trend with Indian engineers not only powering domestic enterprises but also leading innovation at some of the worlds largest technology companiesThe report also underscores that the future of Indias economy will be driven by STEMled innovationWith 70 per cent of upcoming jobs expected to demand STEM skills expertise in areas like AI machine learning data engineering embedded systems and ethical AI governance will be crucialIndia is projected to require 1 million AItrained engineers by 2026 but current supply meets only 20 per cent of this demand the report addedSimilarly the EV industry which is expanding at a 3040 per cent annual growth rate is expected to need 1020 lakh engineers by 2030 across areas such as battery technology automotive electronics and sustainable designThe semiconductor industry too is opening up new opportunities especially after Indias first indigenous 32bit microprocessor VIKRAM3201 marked a step towards selfrelianceThe country is expected to need 2500030000 skilled engineers every year in chip design process engineering and testing IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/tier-2-cities-to-contribute-35-pc-of-indias-advanced-engineers-by-2028-report-638133.html Fri, 12 Sep 2025 21:20:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/navy-chief-admiral-dinesh-k-tripathi-commissions-new-tech-hub-ins-aravali-638146.html New Delhi Sep 12 Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi on Friday commissioned a new communications base INS Aravali in Gurugram hoping that the technology hub will boost the Navys information dominance In his address Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi said that INS Aravali provides the foundation for a robust administrative and logistical support commensurate with the increasing scale and sophistication of facilities thereby ensuring seamless operationsThis new base would not only be a hub of technology but also of collaboration linking our platforms and partners across the oceans a true embodiment of our Prime Ministers collaborative vision of MAHASAGAR or Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions and would further strengthen Indias role as the Preferred Security Partner in the Indian Ocean Region he saidCongratulating the Commanding Officer and the commissioning crew the Chief of the Naval Staff exhorted them to uphold the Navys core values of Duty Honour and Courage As you chart your course towards excellence through information dominanceIn an impressive commissioning ceremony Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi was presented a 50men Guard of Honour Captain Sachin Kumar Singh the first Commanding Officer of the unit recited the invocation in Sanskrit followed by reading of the commissioning warrantAfter the unveiling of the commissioning plaque by Mrs Shashi Tripathi President NWWA the Naval Ensign was hoisted to the tune of the National Anthem With the last note of the National Anthem the commissioning pennant was broken on the mastThe commissioning ceremony was also attended by VAdm Sanjay Vatsayan VCNS VAdm Tarun Sobti DCNS senior Naval officers and distinguished guestsINS Aravali deriving its name from the unwavering Aravali range shall support various information and communication centres of the Indian Navy which are key to Indias and the Indian Navys command control and Maritime Domain Awareness MDA framework said an officialGuided by the motto Maritime Security through Collaboration the Naval Base exemplifies a supportive and collaborative ethos working seamlessly with naval units MDA centres and allied stakeholders said the official in a statementThe Crest of the base comprises central mountain imagery perfectly symbolising the unwavering and strong Aravali Range and the rising sun representing eternal vigilance resilience and energy in addition to the dawn of niche technological capabilities in the field of Communications and MDA said the statementThus the Crest embodies the steadfast commitment of the Base to facilitate eternal vigilance to defend Indias maritime interests it said IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/navy-chief-admiral-dinesh-k-tripathi-commissions-new-tech-hub-ins-aravali-638146.html Fri, 12 Sep 2025 23:14:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/sensex-opens-marginally-up-nifty-near-25-000-amid-mixed-global-cues-637795.html Mumbai Sep 11 The domestic benchmark indices opened a tad higher on Thursday driven by developments in bilateral trade discussions between India and the United States and other global cues As of 925 am Sensex was up 85 points or 011 per cent at 81510 and Nifty was up 24 points or 009 per cent at 24997The broadcap indices outperformed benchmark indices as Nifty Midcap 100 inched up by 016 per cent and the Nifty Small cap 100 moved up 028 per centNTPC ONGC TCS and SBI were among major gainers on the Nifty while losers included SBI Life Insurance Hero Motorcorp Dr Reddys Labs Tech Mahindra and TrentAmong sectoral indices Nifty Media the top gainer jumped 146 per cent Nifty PSU bank up 111 per cent and Nifty oil and gas up 091 per cent were the other major gainers All other indices made marginal gains or lossesThe Nifty extended its rally for a sixth consecutive session yesterday driven by encouraging progress in bilateral trade discussions with the United StatesMarket sentiment however remains cautiously optimistic although persistent volatility and mixed global cues continue to weigh on investor confidenceAnalysts said that a decisive move above 25160 could open the path toward 25340 while immediate support is placed at 24950 and 24850 levelsIn the AsiaPacific markets hopes for a rate cut by the US Federal Reserve rose while investors also assessed August inflation data from China Well above expectations consumer prices in China fell 04 per cent yearoveryear in August according to data from the National Bureau of StatisticsThe Asian markets made strong gains during the morning session Chinas Shanghai index advanced 092 per cent and Shenzhen added 232 per cent Japans Nikkei was up 099 per cent while Hong Kongs Hang Seng Index dipped 041 per cent South Koreas Kospi inched up 031 per centOn Wednesday foreign institutional investors FIIs net sold equities worth Rs 115 crore while domestic institutional investors DIIs net bought shares worth Rs 5004 crore IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/sensex-opens-marginally-up-nifty-near-25-000-amid-mixed-global-cues-637795.html Thu, 11 Sep 2025 16:32:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/oracles-larry-ellison-becomes-worlds-richest-person-surpasses-elon-musk-637808.html New Delhi Sep 11 US software giant Oracles Cofounder and CTO Larry Ellison has become the worlds richest person overtaking Tesla CEO Elon Musk following a significant increase in his wealth due to the price surge of his companys shares Forbes realtime billionaire rankings show Ellisons fortune increased by 101 billion raising his total net worth to 3957 billion after Oracle shares experienced a historic rally surging 41 per cent on Wednesday on New York Stock Exchange NYSE marking the steepest increase since 1992 Musks fortune has slipped after Tesla shares fell 14 per cent in 2025Oracles stock rose after it issued an aggressive outlook for its cloud business in the race to meet growing demand for artificial intelligence computing taking the companys market valuation to 947 billionFor 300 days Musk was at the top of the global wealth rankings Musk who first became the worlds richest person in 2021 regained the title last year after briefly losing it to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and LVMHs Bernard ArnaultAt 80 Ellison still serves as Oracles Chairman and Chief Technology Officer He founded the company in 1977 and served as its CEO until 2014 His wealth is closely tied to the software maker which had already risen 45 per cent this year before the latest rallyOracle forecasts total revenue growth of 1214 per cent and cloud revenue growth of 3236 per cent for the second quarter Oracle has recently played a key role in the United States governments push for AI development under President Donald Trumps Project Stargate alongside OpenAI and SoftBankEllison has been vocal about Oracles AI vision even suggesting that AI will bring a new era of monitoring where technology will help improve public behaviour through constant recording and reporting IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/oracles-larry-ellison-becomes-worlds-richest-person-surpasses-elon-musk-637808.html Thu, 11 Sep 2025 16:40:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/over-10-crore-women-mobilised-into-90-lakh-self-help-groups-in-india-govt-official-637824.html Thiruvananthapuram Sep 11 The Deendayal Antyodaya YojanaNational Rural Livelihood Mission DAYNRLM has mobilised over 10 crore women into 90 lakh selfhelp groups SHGs across the country with many becoming firstgeneration entrepreneurs a government official said here on Thursday Shailesh Kumar Singh Secretary Union Ministry of Rural Development MoRD highlighted the incubator programmes role in advancing womenled rural enterprisesAt an event here he cited the success of pilots in Assam Bihar West Bengal and Karnataka and shared that Kerala Telangana Andhra Pradesh and several other states are scaling up with leading academic partnersThe Ministry in collaboration with Kerala State Rural Livelihood Mission Kudumbashree organised a twoday National Workshop on Rural Enterprise Incubators under DAYNational Rural Livelihood Mission hereAddressing the gathering MB Rajesh State Minister for Local SelfGovernment underlined Keralas commitment to promoting womenled entrepreneurship through Kudumbashree and expressed confidence that the workshop would serve as a platform for collaboration and innovation to strengthen rural enterprise ecosystemsSwati Sharma Joint Secretary RL MoRD government of India emphasised the Ministrys vision of scaling the incubator programme into a national platform for womenled rural entrepreneurship saying that the workshop would generate actionable strategies and strong partnerships for ensuring its longterm successThe workshop will help create an environment for the enterprises selected for the incubator project to growKudumbashree Executive Director H Dineshan welcomed the participants Assam Agricultural University Vice Chancellor Dr Bidyut C Dekha delivered the felicitation addressAccording to the ministry the workshop features panel discussions on mentoring financing technology market access and convergence with the participation of eminent experts from academia industry and social enterprise networks whose insights and contributions will help shape the scaling of rural enterprise incubation across statesThe twoday deliberations are expected to provide actionable strategies for scaling enterprise incubation across states and contribute to empowering women entrepreneurs under DAYNRLM in line with the vision of Viksit Bharat at 2047 IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/over-10-crore-women-mobilised-into-90-lakh-self-help-groups-in-india-govt-official-637824.html Thu, 11 Sep 2025 16:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/indias-finance-companies-loan-books-to-grow-at-22-21-pc-for-next-2-years-report-637827.html New Delhi Sep 11 Indias toprated finance companies fincos are projected to grow their loan books at 2122 per cent over the next two years higher than 1112 per cent for banking sector loan growth thus grabbing market share from banks a report said on Thursday One driver for the sector is its strong presence in retail lending which is still underpenetrated in India SampP Global Ratings said in its reportUpperlayer fincos have strong capital levels which will support high loan growth and provide downside buffersWe also expect earnings momentum to sustain with slightly higher net interest margins over the next two years This will add to the buffer the report saidStricter underwriting standards for Indias fincos will rein in growth plans and defuse risk buildup for this financial niche said SampP Global Ratings credit analyst Geeta ChughAt the same time some slowdown in certain products is likely to continue due to a stronger focus on risk managementThis is reflected in improved underwritinglending primarily to lowrisk customers and with generally low loan approval ratesAccording to the report tighter regulatory supervision in some lending niches including goldbacked loans could also rein in asset expansionAsset quality for fincos is holding up though some pockets of stress persist in micro finance and unsecured loans Chugh notedThis stress can be attributed to rapid growth and exuberant lending practices directed toward borrowers with weak credit profiles without adequate consideration of their repayment capacityThe report emphasised that unsecured personal loans particularly smallticket loans with a higher risk appetite have experienced increased leverage and delinquency ratesThe Reserve Bank of Indias proactive adjustments to the risk weight of unsecured retail loans coupled with tighter underwriting standards could lead to a slight decline in the growth rate of unsecured personal loans to approximately 89 per cent in the fiscal year that ended in March 2025 the report stated IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/indias-finance-companies-loan-books-to-grow-at-22-21-pc-for-next-2-years-report-637827.html Thu, 11 Sep 2025 16:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/extend-itr-audit-deadlines-due-to-portal-glitches-compliance-overload-tax-associations-637833.html New Delhi Sep 11 Chartered accountant associations and tax lawyers have urged the government to extend income tax return ITR and audit deadlines for the assessment year AY 2526 citing ongoing issues with the efiling portal and delays in form releases The Karnataka State Chartered Accountants Association KSCAA has sent a representation to the ministry arguing that ITR5 ITR6 ITR7 and key audit forms were only released in July and AugustThe longestablished practice of notifying ITR forms by 1 April has once again not been followed This year the delays have been particularly grave severely limiting preparation time for tax filers the association was quoted as saying to reportsFurther KSCAA found portal glitches discrepancies in Annual Information Statements frequent downtimes and error messages during peak compliance periodsReturns claiming exemption under Sections 5454F were incorrectly prompting for CGAS utilisation details even in cases where investments were fully utilised it saidFurther it argued that overlapping compliance burdens complicate the challenges Statutory filings for GST MCA and Tax Audit reports overlap with return filing timelines it said Adoption of ICAIs Guidance Note on NCE financials has added substantial audit workload due to expanded disclosures the association notedAccording to the association National holidays and weatherrelated disruptions have further reduced effective working daysMeanwhile the Central India Regional Council CIRC of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India ICAI requested the ministry to extend the tax audit report submission deadline from September 30 to December 31 2025 due to the same challenges mentioned by KSCAAFurther the Advocates Tax Bar Association ATBA also requested extensions for nonaudit ITRs until October 30 tax audit reports until November 30 and ITR filings in audit cases until December 31 The new deadline for transfer pricing Form 3CEB was proposed as January 31 2026The representations follow the governments extension of the nonaudit ITR deadline to September 15 2025 IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/extend-itr-audit-deadlines-due-to-portal-glitches-compliance-overload-tax-associations-637833.html Thu, 11 Sep 2025 16:55:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/personal-data-of-5-561-users-may-have-been-compromised-s-koreas-kt-637843.html Seoul Sep 11 KT Corp said on Thursday that personal data of over 5500 users may have been compromised in a recent mobile payment breach issuing a public apology for the failure at the countrys secondlargest mobile carrier We confirmed a possible leak of international mobile subscriber identity IMSI data affecting 5561 users KT said in a statement We reported the case to the Personal Information Protection Commission PIPC this afternoon and notified affected customers via text message about relief measuresKim Youngshub chief executive officer CEO of KT also apologised at a press conference pledging full compensation reports Yonhap news agencyWe sincerely apologise to all customers affected by unauthorized mobile payments he said We will do our utmost to prevent further damage and provide full compensation to victimsSince August 27 some KT users mostly in southwestern Seoul have reported unauthorized mobile transactionsThe government has launched a joint special team to probe the incidentKT said the IMSI data may have been exposed after illegal unregistered micro base stations connected to its communication network IMSI data a unique identifier for each subscriber stored in a universal subscriber identity module USIM chip can be misused if leakedIt said about 19000 customers mobile phones had connected to the illegal base stations at least once though not all of them experienced unauthorized financial transactionsOf those the IMSI data of 5561 customers was possibly leaked the company addedAs of Wednesday authorities have confirmed 278 cases of unauthorized mobile payments worth 170 million won 122000 reported by KT usersKT said it will support all 19000 affected customers by replacing USIM chips free of charge and providing a USIM protection serviceThe recent breach at KT came just months after SK Telecom Co reported a massive data leak that affected more than 20 million users raising public concerns over data protection at local telecom companies IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/personal-data-of-5-561-users-may-have-been-compromised-s-koreas-kt-637843.html Thu, 11 Sep 2025 17:07:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/scheduled-commercial-banks-credit-offtake-rises-99-pc-in-q1-fy26-psbs-lead-momentum-637852.html New Delhi Sep 11 Scheduled Commercial Banks SCBs credit offtake went up 99 per cent onyear in the first quarter of the current financial year Q1 FY26 a report said on Thursday The growth was driven primarily by increases in the housing gold loans and vehicle finance segments Care Edge Ratings said in a reportAdditionally the momentum was further supported by credit expansion in the MSME segment which grew at 193 per cent in Q1 FY26 partly offset by a moderation in agriculture 68 per cent industry 55 per cent and services 96 per centThe credit offtake of public sector banks PSBs has continued to outpace private sector banks PVBs since the last three quarters as PSBs had greater headroom for lending with stable credittodeposit CD ratios as compared to PVBs the report statedThe northeastern region with an annual growth of 137 per cent outperformed other regions Meanwhile the rural segment grew the fastest among all the regions at 128 per centMeanwhile in June credit outstanding rose to Rs 331 lakh crore in the 78 per cent interest rate bracket increasing from Rs 20 lakh crore in the same month a year agoLower rate brackets less than 6 per cent saw a rise to Rs 183 lakh crore from Rs 53 lakh crore while highyield segments more than 11 per cent declined to Rs 27 lakh crore from Rs 303 lakh crore indicating that banks are increasingly favouring midyield loans while reducing their exposure to highinterest lendingAccording to the report deposits witnessed a faster growth compared to credit with a YoY growth at 109 per cent driven by stronger mobilisation efforts by private banks and competitive deposit rates on select products In absolute terms deposits expanded by Rs 226 lakh crore from June 2025The Credit to Deposit CD ratio declined by 78 bps by the end of June 2025 and reached 796 per cent compared to 804 per cent over a year ago with the deposit growth rate outpacing that of credit offtakeFurthermore the gap between the two has narrowed compared to the previous year supported by improved liquidity conditions following the RBIs rate cuts the report mentioned IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/scheduled-commercial-banks-credit-offtake-rises-99-pc-in-q1-fy26-psbs-lead-momentum-637852.html Thu, 11 Sep 2025 17:19:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/indias-overall-office-stock-projected-to-exceed-2-billion-sq-ft-by-2047-report-637855.html New Delhi Sep 11 Driven by increasing institutionalisation demand scaleup and strong economic growth prospects Indias overall office stock is likely to exceed 2 billion square feet by 2047 a report said on Thursday Grade A office stock in India has surged over 3 times since 2010 to more than 800 million sq ft currently driven by accelerated demand from both Global Capability Centres GCCs and domestic players across segments such as technology BFSI engineering and manufacturing etc Colliers said in a report in collaboration with Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India CREDAIOn the industrial and warehousing front Grade A stock levels surpassed the 250 million sq ft mark in 2025 growing multifold compared to 2010 levels amid robust infrastructure development private sector participation and evolving consumer demand as well as warehousing requirementsAccording to the report demographic shifts rising income levels and improved affordability and housing salesIn the 2010s urban migration driven by IT led to a surge in demand for housing across tier I cities of the country Furthermore the Real Estate Regulation and Development Act RERA brought in the muchneeded transparency and accountabilityAlthough housing sales took a hit in the immediate aftermath of the COVID19 pandemic the segment bounced back subsequently on a stronger footing evident by recordbreaking sale volumes in recent yearsOver the next few decades Indias median age is expected to rise further to 3040 years a range that aligns with peak income and consumption levelsThis transition represents a sweet spot for the economy as a significant proportion of the workforce enters their prime earning yearsCoupled with an anticipated rise in income levels and supported by progressive housing policies annual housing sales could potentially double to 1 million units by 2047 the report statedIndian cities are urbanising rapidly with nearly 900 million people 53 per cent of the population projected to live in urban areas by 2050 up from the current levels of 37 per centTo accommodate this growth urban development needs to expand beyond the established tier I cities into smaller tier II and III cities and emerging growth corridors as wellIndia is not just expanding its infrastructure it is reimagining the future of urban living In the last 25 years even though budgetary infrastructure allocations increased at a CAGR of 1314 per cent a lot more needs to be done especially in the wake of rapid urbanisation said Vimal Nadar National Director and Head of Research Colliers IndiaIndias real estate sector is set for a highpaced multifaceted growth across asset classesContinued government impetus along with alignment of multiple private and public stakeholders should help India become the thirdlargest economy by 2030 Further the Indian economy can potentially reach 3540 trillion by 2047At the core of this economic transformation is Indias real estate sectors contribution to the GDP has grown steadilyfrom under 5 per cent in the early 2000s to 68 per cent today and is projected to reach 1420 per cent positioning it as a potential 10 trillion growth catalyst by 2047 the report statedShekhar Patel President CREDAI said By 2047 Indian real estate will not just be measured in square feet or asset values it will be defined by the quality of life we create for millions of citizens The sector is uniquely positioned to reimagine Indias urban future designing climateresilient cities building affordable yet aspirational homes and nurturing ecosystems that foster innovation and inclusivity IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/indias-overall-office-stock-projected-to-exceed-2-billion-sq-ft-by-2047-report-637855.html Thu, 11 Sep 2025 17:22:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/indias-semiconductor-market-is-expected-to-reach-1035-billion-by-2030-637865.html New Delhi Sep 11 Indias semiconductor market at 543 billion in 2025 is expected to touch 1035 billion by 2030 growing at a 138 per cent compound annual growth rate CAGR outpacing global benchmarks a report said on Thursday The nations semiconductor story is still anchored in the devices we use every day smartphones laptops and industrial systems which together make up about 70 per cent of the market Quess Corp a workforce solutions provider said in its reportWith the rise in demand for electric vehicles 5G rollouts and the rapid buildout of data centres the market for advanced chips is set for an unprecedented expansion with the hyperscale capacity expected to grow by more than 75 per cent by 2030 and EVs targeted to make up nearly a third of all new vehiclesThe India Semiconductor Mission ISM is laying the foundation for domestic capability backed by Rs 16 lakh crore worth of projects and close to 29000 new jobsAlongside this investments such as Microns ATMP plant in Gujarat are strengthening packaging and testing depth while state initiatives in regions like Tamil Nadu Kerala and Gujarat are helping Tier2 clusters emerge as serious semiconductor destinationsIndias semiconductor industry is entering a defining decade As the Government of India fasttracks approvals for ISM 20 which is likely to exceed 10 billion our report highlights both the scale of opportunity and the challenges in the talent readiness aspect said Kapil Joshi CEOIT Staffing Quess CorpFrom everydayuse devices to electric vehicles and advanced data centres demand is expanding across the board and India is becoming an integral part of global supply chains What makes this story unique is the combination of scale and capability he addedIndias semiconductor global capabilities centres GCCs are no longer backend support units Almost half of new chip programmes now include AI accelerators and onethird of verification teams are using machine learningEngineers here are already working on nextgen domains such as multidie integration AIassisted placeandroute TinyML firmware and AIdriven timing closure These advances make India a testing ground for AIfirst design workflows that global players are beginning to adopt the report notedIndia already has more than 250000 semiconductor professionals with 43000 new postings in 202425This pool is projected to grow by over 120 per cent to nearly 400000 by 2030 making India the worlds secondlargest semiconductor talent hub after the USThe workforce spans across design embedded systems EDA tool development and ATMP manufacturing showing that India is building capability across the entire value chain the report stated IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/indias-semiconductor-market-is-expected-to-reach-1035-billion-by-2030-637865.html Thu, 11 Sep 2025 17:30:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/apples-india-shipments-likely-to-hit-record-14-15-million-units-this-year-637866.html New Delhi Sep 11 US tech giant Apples iPhone shipments in India are projected to grow by up to 25 per cent to reach a record 1415 million units in 2025 according to industry estimates The surge in shipments is driven by heavy discounts on older models and strategic pricing of the newly launched iPhone 17 seriesResearch firm International Data Corporation IDC India expects dispatches to reach 15 million units in 2025 up from 12 million in 2024 while Canalys projects 1420 million and Counterpoint Research estimates 1819 per cent growth targeting 8 per cent market share in the Indian smartphone marketIndustry experts noted that India Apples fastestgrowing global market is expected to remain central to its sales trajectory over the next two years with festive demand playing a key roleThe newlylaunched iPhone 17 is priced at Rs 82900 94054 slightly higher than the iPhone 16 The base model offering 128 GB storage has been discontinued with all new variants now offering 256GB storage at a lower price compared to the previous generations Rs 89900 1019 for the same capacityResearch firm Canalys forecasted the companys domestic wholesale revenue to grow to Rs 108412 crore 1230 billion in 2025 from Rs 98717 crore 1120 billion last year supported by upgrades to Pro models and sales of the new iPhone Air modelThe rising attach rates of ecosystem products will also boost revenue growth the firm saidAnalysts noted that the iPhone 16 was Indias highestselling model in H1 2025 driving 9650 per cent growth in the premium smartphone segment With EMI schemes and expanding flagship retail stores in Mumbai New Delhi Bengaluru and Pune Apple is expected to broaden its consumer base and strengthen its ecosystem presence in IndiaApple has recently opened two new stores in Bengaluru and Pune as part of its retail expansion in India anticipating it to be the next key market In Apples largest overseas market China sales grew by only 44 per cent in the June quarter following two years of declinesIndia is also becoming central to Apples manufacturing plans with one in every five iPhones now being produced in the country IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/apples-india-shipments-likely-to-hit-record-14-15-million-units-this-year-637866.html Thu, 11 Sep 2025 17:33:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/indian-indices-continue-winning-streak-for-fourth-straight-trading-session-637871.html Mumbai Sep 11 The Indian stock market settled with gains on Thursday after a slow start in the morning trade continuing the winning streak for the fourth consecutive day this week Sensex ended the session at 8154873 up 12358 points or 015 per cent The 30share index started the session a bit lower at 8121730 against last sessions closing of 8142515 However the index bounced back into green amid a mixed approach The index hit an intraday high at 81642 up over 400 points as compared to the days lowNifty closed at 2500550 up 3240 points or 013 per centThe Nifty50 index has closed above the critical threshold of 25000 The unexpected imposition of a 50 per cent tariff on India by the US initially dragged the main index down to 24400 However the index has been steadily recovering from this decline said Vinod Nair Head of Research Geojit Investments LimitedThis resurgence can be attributed to several factors like expectation of limited impact on the domestic economy the Indian governments robust strategic response to US longterm policies and the announcement of significant domestic reforms such as the GST to mitigate traderelated repercussions he addedNTPC Axis Bank Eternal PowerGrid Bharti Airtel Sun Pharma SBI Asian Paints and TCS were the top gainers from the Sensex basket Infosys Titan Ultratech Cement Hindustan Unilever BEL Trent Tata Motors and Tech Mahindra settled lowerThe majority of sectoral indices edged higher amid a mixed approach Nifty Fin Services jumped 54 points or 021 per cent Nifty Bank escalated 133 points or 024 per cent and Nifty FMCG ended the session 103 points or 018 per cent higher While Nifty Auto and Nifty IT declinedBroader indices remained rangebound amid timid investors sentiment Nifty Small Cap 100 and Nifty Midcap 100 ended flat while Nifty Next 50 and Nifty 100 settled in positive territoryRupee traded weakly by 035 per cent at 8840 amid mixed FII flows and a firmer dollar indexFocus remains on the US CPI data which could drive volatility in the dollar and in turn the rupee Crude prices stayed volatile but hovered in lower zones offering partial support said Jateen Trivedi of LKP SecuritiesMarket sentiment remains tied to updates on the USIndia trade deal which could trigger sharper moves For now the rupee can be seen trading within 87858810 as support and 88558870 as resistance analysts added IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/indian-indices-continue-winning-streak-for-fourth-straight-trading-session-637871.html Thu, 11 Sep 2025 17:38:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/microplastic-exposure-may-be-tied-to-alzheimers-disease-risk-study-637898.html New Delhi Sep 11 Exposure to micro and nano plastics may be linked to the development of Alzheimers disease according to a study in mice Micro and nano plastics prevalent in the environment routinely enter the human body through the water we drink foods we eat and even the air we breatheThe study led by researchers from the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy showed that those plastic particles infiltrate all systems of the body including the brain where they can accumulate and lead to cognitive decline and even Alzheimers disease especially in those who carry genetic risk factorsThe research follows a previous study that showed how microplastics can infiltrate all systems of the body including the bloodbrain barrier which protects the brain from harmful substances as small as viruses and bacteriaThe new study published in the journal Environmental Research Communications examined mice that had been genetically modified to include the naturally occurring gene APOE4 a strong indicator of Alzheimers risk making people 35 times more likely to develop the disease than those who carry the APOE3 variant of the gene that is passed from parents to offspringIn these mice like in people its not a guarantee that youre going to see any changes in cognition You could have identical twins both carrying APOE4 one totally cognitively healthy and the other could develop Alzheimers disease said pharmacy assistant professor Jaime Ross from the varsitySo that tells us theres something about lifestyle something about the environment going on There are modifiable factors were studying related to Alzheimersdiet exercise vitamins and especially environmental toxins like microplastics If you carry the APOE4 and you happen to consume a lot of microplastics will this contribute to Alzheimers disease Ross addedThe team then ran the mice through a series of tests to examine their cognitive abilityIn human Alzheimers patients men tend to experience more changes in apathy they care less Women experience more changes in memory So the memory and the apathy connection are pretty clear When you expose animals that are carrying the largest known risk factor in humans for developing Alzheimers disease to micro and nanoplastics lo and behold their behaviour changes in a sexdependent manner similar to the sexdependent differences we see with Alzheimers patients Ross saidThe results are concerning enough to warrant further study into the cognitive decline caused by exposure to micro and nanoplastics which are among the most prominent environmental toxins to which people are routinely exposed said the team IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/microplastic-exposure-may-be-tied-to-alzheimers-disease-risk-study-637898.html Thu, 11 Sep 2025 18:31:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/indias-authentication-and-traceability-industry-projected-to-reach-rs-16-575-cr-by-fy29-report-637907.html New Delhi Sep 11 The Indian authentication and traceability AampT industry is projected to reach Rs 10612 crore in FY 202425 and Rs 16575 crore by FY 202829 reflecting a strong upward trajectory with a forecasted compound annual growth rate CAGR of 113 per cent a report said on Thursday The sector was at Rs 9705 crore in FY 202324 growing at a CAGR of 74 per cent since FY 201920 according to a joint report of the Authentication Solution Providers Association ASPA and AccentureGlobally the AampT market stood at 147 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow to 382 billion by 2032The AsiaPacific region is expected to lead this growth with a CAGR of 142 per cent driven by increasing regulatory mandates and rising consumer demand for transparency and authenticityAccording to the report key sectors driving demand in India include pharmaceuticals 17 per cent consumer products 14 per cent cosmetics 13 per cent and automotive components 13 per centFactors such as the rise in counterfeiting growing ecommerce penetration consumer awareness and regulatory requirements are contributing to the sectors growthThis report is a milestone for Indias fight against counterfeiting Authentication and traceability are no longer optional they are essential to protect consumers safeguard brands and build trust in the marketplace With Indias AampT industry set to grow at doubledigit rates this study will guide policymakers businesses and stakeholders in shaping a safer more transparent future said Manoj Kochar President ASPA addressing the eventWhile traditional technologies like holograms and QR codes continue to dominate growing interest in nextgeneration technologies such as blockchain internet of things IoT and AI the report highlightedThe report was prepared based on survey responses from ASPA member companies along with indepth interviews with government authorities industry stakeholders and global bodies IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/indias-authentication-and-traceability-industry-projected-to-reach-rs-16-575-cr-by-fy29-report-637907.html Thu, 11 Sep 2025 19:16:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/metas-reels-emerges-as-indias-top-short-form-video-platform-five-years-after-launch-637915.html New Delhi Sep 11 US tech giant Metas Reels has become the leading shortform video format in India with 92 per cent of users favouring it over competitors after five years of its launch in the country a report released on Thursday said The Metacommissioned study surveyed over 3500 respondents in 33 cities and 95 per cent of users reported watching Reels daily on Instagram at least 12 percentage points ahead of other surveyed platforms like YouTubeMeta reported that Instagram Reels drove 33 per cent higher engagement than other surveyed platforms The study shows that Reels continues to fuel major online trends from dance challenges memes and POVs to GRWM beauty transitions and more the company said in a statementReels drive cultural conversations leading consumption across genres with users watching more content on fashiontrends and styles up 40 per cent compared to other platforms beauty and makeup up 20 per cent compared to other platforms and musicmovies up 16 per cent compared to other platforms the report saidIndia is leading the world in video adoption and Reels is at the center of this shift Meta will continue to innovate with AI support creators and help businesses unlock the power of shortform video said Arun Srinivas Managing Director and Head Meta IndiaThe report also highlighted Metas increasing influence in commerce Around 80 per cent of surveyed Indians said they discover new brands on Meta platformsReels ads also deliver two times stronger topofmind recall and four times stronger message association compared to longform video ads while being 15x more effective in driving brand metrics as compared to longform skippable video ads the report statedTo unlock the full potential of Reels marketers need to focus on capturing deepening and scaling attention by winning attention through socialfirst creatives designed specifically for the Reels format the company noted IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/metas-reels-emerges-as-indias-top-short-form-video-platform-five-years-after-launch-637915.html Thu, 11 Sep 2025 19:23:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/india-can-tap-algae-for-rare-earth-extraction-says-expert-637918.html Thiruvananthapuram Sep 11 India can reduce its dependence on conventional environmentally damaging mining of rare earth elements REEs by adopting an algal biorefinery approach according to Laladhas KP Director of the Centre for Science in Society and International Biotechnological Applications In a recent assessment Laladhas noted that India despite having significant REE reserves in beach sands and deposits in the Northeast faces challenges in extraction due to the complex nature of the oresREEs critical for electronics renewable energy and defence applications are currently sourced globally from geopolitically sensitive and environmentally intensive mining operationsAlgal mining he explained is a novel and environmentally conscious approach that sidesteps many of the issues associated with traditional methodsThe technology harnesses the natural ability of ocean macroalgae or seaweeds to hyperaccumulate dissolved metals from seawaterResearch has shown that certain species can concentrate these elements within their tissues at levels up to a million times higher than the surrounding waterThis process referred to as photosynthetic mineral sourcing uses sunlight and cultivated seaweed to harvest critical minerals directly from seawaterUnlike conventional mining it generates no toxic tailings or water contamination and can even improve ocean health by sequestering carbon nitrogen and phosphorusIt is restorative rather than destructive Laladhas said while cautioning that the technology remains in its nascent stage with no commercialscale operations yet in existenceThe broader concept of an algal biorefinery goes beyond mineral recovery Alongside REEs it can yield biofuels biopolymers and fertilisers making it a multiproduct valuegenerating system aligned with the circular economy India he pointed out has an advantage due to its vast coastal macroalgae resources and proven expertise in phycoremediation the use of algae to clean industrial effluentsInstead of pursuing openocean projects the country could repurpose its industrialscale systems to recover REEs from waste streams of mineral processing plantsTo realise this potential Laladhas suggested a threephase strategy a targeted Research and Development programme to identify indigenous algae species best suited for REE absorption pilot projects through publicprivate partnerships and eventual scaling into integrated biorefineriesWith the right policy push and investment he argued India could position itself as a global leader in sustainable REE supply chains reducing dependence on environmentally destructive mining and advancing its green economy goals IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/india-can-tap-algae-for-rare-earth-extraction-says-expert-637918.html Thu, 11 Sep 2025 19:25:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/indias-life-insurance-sector-expected-to-clock-145-pc-cagr-over-fy23-35-report-637931.html New Delhi Sep 11 Indias life insurance industry is expected to clock a compound annual growth rate CAGR of 145 per cent over FY2335 making it one of the most promising segments in Indias financial services space a report said on Thursday The Indian life insurance industry has grown at a CAGR of 11 per cent over the past two decades FY0525 to Rs 1203bn in FY25 PL Capital a financial services organisation said in a reportThe recently announced GST exemption will improve affordability enhance persistency and deepen penetration driving stronger longterm growthHowever it may create shortterm profitability challenges as insurers lose access to input tax creditsDespite steady expansion in recent decades Indias life insurance penetration remains significantly below global benchmarksAt 28 per cent of GDP in FY24 it trails the developed market average of 56 per cent Similarly insurance density in India stood at just 70 per capita compared with 3182 in advanced economiesThis gap highlights a multidecade opportunity for the industry particularly as households increasingly allocate savings towards financial instrumentsWith nominal GDP projected to grow at 105 per cent annually coupled with rising financial awareness life insurance is set to emerge as a critical pillar of Indias household balance sheets the report highlightedAccording to the report the structural factorssuch as the absence of social security nets a growing middle class and increasing life expectancywill fuel demand for protection and annuity productsThese segments currently underpenetrated are expected to contribute significantly to the sectors longterm growthThe report highlighted that historically Unit Linked Insurance Plans ULIPs have dominated the product mix aided by buoyant equity markets and attractive tax benefitsHowever the report anticipates ULIP shares to moderate as customers gravitate towards nonlinked offeringsListed insurers have seen an increase in the share of ULIP 3565 per cent in FY25 against 1655 per cent in FY23 according to the reportThe sector has navigated several regulatory changes over the past few years including new surrender value guidelines for expenseofmanagement EoM IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/indias-life-insurance-sector-expected-to-clock-145-pc-cagr-over-fy23-35-report-637931.html Thu, 11 Sep 2025 20:21:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/govt-launches-rs-100-crore-fund-to-boost-green-hydrogen-start-ups-637949.html New Delhi Sep 11 Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi on Thursday launched a Rs 100 crore Call for Proposals to support startups working on green hydrogen innovation The announcement was made at the 1st Annual Green Hydrogen RampD Conference organised by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy MNRE in the national capitalThe scheme will provide funding of up to Rs 5 crore per project for pilot projects in areas such as hydrogen production storage transport and utilisation technologiesAt the conference 25 startups are showcasing their innovations including electrolyser manufacturing AIdriven optimisation and biological hydrogen solutionsJoshi said the initiative is aimed at turning research into practical solutions that can power industries clean cities and generate lakhs of new jobs across the countryHe underlined Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision for the National Green Hydrogen Mission NGHM launched in 2023 with an outlay of Rs 19744 crore to make India a global hub for green hydrogenThe minister also highlighted the progress made so far including 23 RampD projects already awarded in areas like safety and integration hydrogen production from biomass and hydrogen applicationsIndias first portbased green hydrogen pilot project at VO Chidambaranar Port hydrogen buses and refuelling stations and pilot projects in the steel and shipping sectors were cited as examples of the mission moving from vision to actionJoshi pointed out that India recently discovered a record low price of Rs 4975 per kg in its firstever green ammonia auction compared to Rs 10028 per kg in 2024 marking a big step forward in affordabilityHe also noted that both large corporations and startups are investing heavily to build a complete hydrogen value chain creating employment opportunities and boosting Indias export potentialReiterating Indias targets under NGHM Joshi said the country aims to produce five million metric tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2030 add 125 GW of renewable energy capacity attract investments worth Rs 8 lakh crore and reduce 50 million tonnes of CO emissions each yearThe twoday Green Hydrogen RampD Conference will feature expert sessions interactive discussions and a startup expo reflecting Indias strong push towards becoming a global leader in the hydrogen economy IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/govt-launches-rs-100-crore-fund-to-boost-green-hydrogen-start-ups-637949.html Thu, 11 Sep 2025 22:18:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/electronic-permits-reach-12913-million-in-aug-ahead-of-gst-20-rollout-637707.html New Delhi Sep 10 India saw electronic permits eway bills reach 12913 million in August marking the secondhighest monthly figure ahead of the GST 20 rollout from September 22 Eway bills are electronic permits required for transporting goods worth over Rs 50000 within or across states A hike in Eway bills indicates higher movement of goodsIn July the tally was alltime high of 13191 million according to Goods and Services Tax Network GSTN dataThe eway bill generation went up 225 per cent yearonyear as per the dataAccording to industry experts the sustained momentum in eway bills signals a resilient flow of goods across the country as domestic demand rises ahead of the festive seasonEway bill generation has maintained an upward trajectory for several months The electronic permits are mandatory for tracking the movement of goods across the countryAccording to experts the robust recovery in eway bill generation suggests stabilisation of goods movement which underscores several positive developments including increased manufacturing output improved infrastructure and logistics efficienciesThis also shows greater formalisation in the economy as compliance levels rise under the GST regimeThe rollout of GST 20 would add fresh fuel to consumption as mass consumption would follow the formalisation trend while premium consumers would aspire for differentiated offeringsAccording to Emkay Global Financial Services improving macro tailwinds continue to support the sectors elevated valuations even as growth support is still awaitedThe anticipatory rally ahead of the GST 20 announcement was rewarding As we factor in benefits and lift target prices of select stocks our stock calls remain firm the report addedThe Centre has rationalised the indirect tax structure cutting the current four slabs down to two scrapping the 12 per cent and 28 per cent rates while retaining the 5 per cent and 18 per cent slabs IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/electronic-permits-reach-12913-million-in-aug-ahead-of-gst-20-rollout-637707.html Wed, 10 Sep 2025 20:01:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/ai-technology-amp-innovation-to-drive-indias-growth-story-piyush-goyal-637734.html New Delhi Sep 10 Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Wednesday that Artificial Intelligence technology and innovation will be the driving forces of Indias growth story Addressing the 58th convocation ceremony of the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade IIFT here the minister congratulated the graduating class of 2025 and called upon them to harness their skills agility and vision to lead the country towards Viksit Bharat 2047Goyal underlined the role of technology and artificial intelligence in driving Indias growth story pointing out the transformative potential of AI robotics machine learning quantum computing and innovation across key sectors such as manufacturing agriculture healthcare and education Coupled with Indias large pool of 23 million STEM graduates every year he said these advancements can reduce dependence on foreign technology and empower industries and services while uplifting those at the bottom of the pyramidRecounting his experience of running a skill development centre in Mumbai with the CII the NSDC Kyndryl and IBM the minister shared how students from modest backgrounds quickly adapted to newage technologies such as cybersecurity reflecting Indias innate ability to embrace knowledge and innovation He emphasised that Indias youthful population with an average age of 284 years is its greatest strength in the journey from a 4 trillion economy to one worth 3035 trillionGoyal cited Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision of selfreliance in technology from operating systems to cybersecurity and deep tech to artificial intelligence He said India must secure primacy in technology globally and make the nation proudHighlighting the economic vision of the government under Prime Minister Modi the Minister said it is rooted in building a developed nation a Viksit Bharat ensuring prosperity for every child born in the country The focus he said is on resilience sustainability inclusiveness and innovationdriven growth with an aim to improve quality of life bridge the ruralurban divide reduce poverty and promote ease of doing business and ease of livingCiting Indias strong macroeconomic fundamentals low inflation and fastestgrowing large economy status Goyal highlighted the increasing global interest in India with over 2500 international companies already present in the country He said this unprecedented opportunity places the destiny of the nation in the capable hands of the youthChancellor IIFT and Secretary Department of Commerce Sunil Barthwal in his address emphasised that resilience adaptability and ethical leadership will be the defining qualities that shape Indias continued success on the international stage About the opportunities ahead he urged students to align their aspirations with the nations larger goals reminding them that every step forward they take in their careers adds to the progress of the country IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/ai-technology-amp-innovation-to-drive-indias-growth-story-piyush-goyal-637734.html Wed, 10 Sep 2025 21:44:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/sensex-nifty-jump-over-positive-development-on-india-us-trade-talks-637550.html Mumbai Sep 10 The Indian benchmark indices opened higher on Wednesday on the back of promising developments in the USIndia trade discussions along with strong overnight global cues US President Donald Trumps initiative to improve IndiaUS relations and Prime Minister Narendra Modis positive response to the same is a positive cue for the Indian marketThe Sensex was up 334 points or 041 per cent at 81435 in the early morning trade and the Nifty was up 106 points or 043 per cent at 24975The broadcap indices made strong gains as Nifty Midcap 100 inched up by 073 per cent and the Nifty Small cap 100 moved up 071 per centIn the Nifty pack Larsen and Toubro Kotak Mahindra Dr Reddys Labs and TCS were the major gainers The major losers were Hero Motocorp Maruti Suzuki Tata Steel and HindalcoAmong sectoral indices Nifty IT the top gainer jumped 188 per cent Nifty PSU bank and Nifty Realty were the other major gainers Only Nifty Auto down 033 per cent and Nifty Consumer durables were in the redNifty on Tuesday faced resistance near the 24900 level for the second consecutive session The index formed a small green candle with a long lower shadow on the daily chart reflecting ongoing consolidation and intraday volatilityNifty continued its upward journey yesterday rising for the fifth consecutive session and closing at a twoweek high By closing above 24791 Nifty managed to reclaim its level above 50 DEMA The index has now decisively surpassed its 5 10 20 and 50day DMAs which is a bullish signal on shortterm charts said Devarsh Vakil Head of Prime Research at HDFC SecuritiesAccording to market analysts buying interest is visible at lower levels and the 2490025000 zone continues to act as a stiff hurdle Immediate support is placed at 24620 and as long as the index trades below 25000 some consolidation or mild weakness may persist they saidUS markets made strong gains overnight as the Dow Jones Industrial Average inched up 043 per cent while the Nasdaq advanced by 037 per cent and the SampP 500 gained 027 per cent The rally was driven by expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts following a sharp downward revision to US job dataThe Asian markets were firmly in green during the morning session Chinas Shanghai index advanced 017 per cent and Shenzhen added 024 per cent Japans Nikkei was up 06 per cent while Hong Kongs Hang Seng Index added 098 per cent South Koreas Kospi inched up 155 per centOn Tuesday foreign Institutional Investors FIIs snapped their 11day selling streak by purchasing equities worth Rs 2050 crore while domestic institutional investors DIIs net bought shares worth Rs 83 crore IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/sensex-nifty-jump-over-positive-development-on-india-us-trade-talks-637550.html Wed, 10 Sep 2025 09:59:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/apple-ramps-up-india-manufacturing-with-iphone-17-eyes-record-festive-season-growth-637551.html New Delhi Sep 10 Apple which is stepping up its manufacturing push in India has spread iPhone 17 production across five local factories which will be available in the country from September 19 According to analysts on Wednesday the festive season is set to herald new sales records for the USbased giant Apple is also expected to manufacture fewer units of the Pro models in India according to industry sourcesFoxconn has started rolling out iPhone 17 units at its new 28 billion facility in Devanahalli near Bengaluru The plant which is Foxconns secondlargest iPhone factory outside China is now running alongside its Chennai unitExperts view the Bengaluru factorys launch and the broader manufacturing shift as a major milestone in Apples diversification strategyMoreover despite inflationary and tariff pressures affecting global supply chains Apple has largely maintained stable US dollar pricing supported by expanded local manufacturing in India which mitigates geopolitical risksTarun Pathak Research Director at Counterpoint Research told IANS that Apple now has a widest range of iPhone portfolio and is set to garner a major share in the upcoming festive seasonAround 6065 per cent of iPhones in India are being purchased on EMIs which would also work well for the new iPhone 17 series From the form factor point of view iPhone 17 Air looks stunning and will sure catch more eyeballs in the domestic market especially with its Pro performance and best of the silicon he notedI think the camera remains the best for iPhones in this new lineup especially on the 17 Pro Series Pathak addedWhile iPhone 17 256 GB starts at Rs 82900 iPhone 17 Air 256 GB begins from Rs 119900 iPhone 17 Pro 256 GB starts from Rs 134900 and iPhone 17 Pro Max 256 GB from Rs 149900iPhone Air features a breakthrough titanium design that is elegant and light yet strong The back of iPhone Air is now protected with Ceramic Shield and the front cover uses Ceramic Shield 2 delivering 3x better scratch resistance making iPhone Air more durable than any previous iPhone iPhone Air also features a stunning 65inch Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion up to 120HzAccording to Prabhu Ram VPIndustry Research Group IRG CMR with the allnew iPhone 17 series introducing a refreshed design language Apple is wellpositioned for a strong festive season in IndiaThe iPhone 17 Air brings notable design innovation likely driving upgrades from loyalists of older models while the iPhone 17 Pro lineup features a functional performancefocused design reminiscent of the Apple Watch Ultra the largest battery ever in an iPhone and a major camera leap with an 8x telephoto lens and up to 40x digital zoom Durability enhancements including improved drop and scratch resistance align with growing consumer demand for longer device lifecycles Ram told IANSCombined with the strong festiveseason performance of older iPhone generations the sizeable underpenetrated upgrade pool in India presents significant growth opportunities provided Apple can convert consumer interest into sales he maintainedApples bet on India has already started to pay off Between April and July this year iPhones worth 75 billion were exported from India compared to 17 billion in the entire previous fiscal year Apple CEO Tim Cook also recently underlined Indias growing role in the companys supply chain IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/apple-ramps-up-india-manufacturing-with-iphone-17-eyes-record-festive-season-growth-637551.html Wed, 10 Sep 2025 10:09:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/gst-reforms-to-stimulate-consumption-without-derailing-govts-fiscal-consolidation-moodys-637559.html New Delhi Sep 10 Goods and Services tax GST reforms are expected to boost domestic consumption without disrupting the trend of fiscal consolidation a new report has said The Centre may reduce government spending in the next two quarters to maintain fiscal consolidation trends according to a report from ratings agency MoodysThe government estimates a net foregone revenue of Rs 48000 crore 54 billion for this year based on FY24 data calculations The GST reform may impact the governments efforts to reduce debt the report saidIndia continues to have the weakest debt affordability among investmentgrade sovereigns with interest payments amounting to about 23 per cent of general government revenue in fiscal 202425 the note saidThe rating agency reported that the revenue loss from the rate adjustment is expected to exceed government estimates with a more pronounced strain in coming yearsGiven the governments use of revenueeroding measures to support growth over the past year we do not expect significant revenueenhancing measures over the remainder of its term This in turn preempts material gains in debt reduction or improvements in debt affordability Moodys highlightedThe decrease in effective GST rates however could enhance private consumption and support economic growth it saidThe GST reform serves as additional fiscal policy support for households complementing the higher income tax thresholds introduced in February which exempted many middleincome households from paying income taxes and lowered income tax payments for othersMoodys noted that both measures aim to boost household consumption which represents approximately 61 per cent of GDPThe GST Council last week revised the tax structure to a twoslab rate of 5 per cent and 18 per cent introducing a new 40 per cent GST rate on sin goods effective September 22A report from SBI Research had earlier said that the overall headline revenue loss to the government is likely to be contained with a concomitant shift in sin goods from 28 per cent slab to 40 per cent slabThe GST 20 regime while also involving an average revenue loss of Rs 85000 crore is estimated to have boosted consumption by Rs 198 lakh crore it noted IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/gst-reforms-to-stimulate-consumption-without-derailing-govts-fiscal-consolidation-moodys-637559.html Wed, 10 Sep 2025 10:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/india-us-can-shape-resilient-balanced-and-transformative-partnership-amitabh-kant-637568.html New Delhi Sep 10 India and the US can together shape a resilient balanced and transformative partnership said former G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant on Wednesday His remarks come as Prime Minister Narendra Modi responded positively to US President Donald Trumps remark on resuming trade negotiations between India and the United StatesThe path forward lies in creating frameworks that are forwardlooking and beneficial to both nations Kant shared in a post on social media platform XIndia and the US can shape a partnership that is resilient balanced and truly transformative he addedTrump in a post on his social media platform Truth Social announced the resumption of discussions aimed at resolving trade barriers between the two nationsReacting to Trumps remarks PM Modi posted on X affirming the strength of the IndiaUS relationship and expressing confidence in the outcome of the ongoing trade dialoguePM Modi emphasised that the discussions will unlock the limitless potential of the IndiaUS partnershipKant stated that PM Modi has worked hard in boosting Indias relationship with the USSince 2014 PM Narendra Modi has personally invested hugely in strengthening the IndiaUS relationship Kant saidWe must build on these efforts anchored in shared values converging interests and a recognition of how much our cooperation can contribute to global stability and growth he addedTrump on Tuesday also described PM Modi as a very good friend and said he looks forward to speaking with him in the upcoming weeksI feel certain that there will be no difficulty in coming to a successful conclusion for both of our great countries he addedThe concerns between the US and India began with Trump escalating tariffs to 50 per cent on Indian goods While the initial duty of 25 per cent came into effect from August 7 the additional levy became effective from August 27Higher tariffs made Indian goods such as shrimps organic chemicals carpets apparel both knitted and woven among others costly in the US market IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/india-us-can-shape-resilient-balanced-and-transformative-partnership-amitabh-kant-637568.html Wed, 10 Sep 2025 11:29:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/india-installs-38-gw-solar-open-access-capacity-in-jan-june-report-637573.html New Delhi Sep 10 India added 38 gigawatts GW of solar open access capacity in the first half of 2025 and 27 GW in the second quarter alone a new report has said Maharashtra topped solar open access capacity additions in Q2 2025 contributing over 30 per cent of total installations according to a report from MercomThe report indicated that the installations in H1 2024 were skewed towards the upside as open access developers expedited project commissioning before the reimposition of the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers In H1 2025 project execution faced a slight declineInstallations however rebounded in Q2 2025 as developers rushed to commission projects before the ISTS charges waiver deadline in June with many opting for partial commissioning to ensure eligibility for the waiverAs of June 2025 the cumulative solar open access capacity in the country had reached 246 GW Karnataka led in cumulative solar open access installations holding about 24 per cent of the total capacity by the end of Q2 2025 Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu followed with 18 per cent and 12 per cent respectively as of June 2025Solar open access projects in the pipeline under development and preconstruction stage exceeded 31 GW as of June 2025Further in the first half of 2025 India added 28 GW of rooftop solar capacity up 158 per cent from 11 GW in H1 2024 The country added 16 GW of rooftop solar capacity in Q2 2025 a 33 per cent increase from Q1 2025 and a 121 per cent increase from Q2 2024The growth in rooftop solar installations during the first half was driven by the clearance of delayed registrations the commissioning of new systems and enhancements to the PM Surya Ghar portal the report saidIn Q2 2025 rooftop solar additions were led by the residential segment contributing over 74 per cent of the total installations followed by the industrial segment at over 19 per centAs of June 2025 the country had a cumulative installed rooftop capacity of 165 GW with Gujarat Maharashtra Rajasthan Kerala and Uttar Pradesh ranked at the top of the chart IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/india-installs-38-gw-solar-open-access-capacity-in-jan-june-report-637573.html Wed, 10 Sep 2025 11:45:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/82-pc-indians-opted-for-e-visa-in-2025-report-637599.html New Delhi Sep 10 Electronic visa evisas accounted for 82 per cent of all visa applications in India in 2025 up from 79 per cent in 2024 according to a report on Wednesday The report by Atlys a visa processing platform showcased the expanding list of countries offering Indians simplified digital entry options with detailed stay durations and validity termsThe UAE Vietnam Indonesia Hong Kong and Egypt emerged as the leading eVisa destinations for Indians this yearThe adoption of evisas has accelerated over the past decade as countries recognise the need to simplify entry and boost tourism flows from IndiaThis shift highlights how governments are aligning with traveller expectations for convenience while unlocking new opportunities for crossborder leisure travel the report saidIndian travellers increasingly value speed and certainty and eVisas deliver both The ability to apply online and receive approvals quickly has made lastminute and shorthaul trips far more feasible said Mohak Nahta Founder and CEO of AtlysCountries that have adopted digital visa systems are already seeing the benefits in terms of higher visitor numbers from India he addedThe findings also revealed that in 2025 more than 50 countries spanning Asia Africa Europe Oceania and Latin America now provide eVisas or electronic travel authorisations eTAs to Indian passport holdersSri Lanka witnessed the most significant surge in demand with applications growing nearly 7x in 2025 from 2024 while Georgia recorded a 26x increase reflecting how travellers are expanding beyond traditional hubs and embracing newer digital corridorsFor evisas Asian destinations lead the charge with Sri Lanka Vietnam Japan South Korea Singapore and Indonesia offering stay durations from 14 to 90 daysVietnam permits 30day stays through evisas valid for 90 days Africa has dramatically expanded digital access Egypt Kenya Tanzania Uganda and Morocco now enable stays between 30 and 90 daysEuropean nations including Albania Moldova and Russia have embraced online applications for Indian travellersMeanwhile Caribbean and Latin American countries such as Cuba Suriname Colombia and the Bahamas have implemented comprehensive digital entry systems Australia and New Zealand continue enhancing Oceania access through streamlined eVisas and eTAs IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/82-pc-indians-opted-for-e-visa-in-2025-report-637599.html Wed, 10 Sep 2025 13:46:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/india-deserves-higher-ratings-bbb-ratings-acknowledge-only-macroeconomic-strength-report-637609.html New Delhi Sep 10 Indias recent rating upgrade to BBB by SampP acknowledges its macroeconomic strength but the rating still falls short of capturing the countrys true credit profile a report said on Wednesday As compared to BBB and even Arated peers Indias growth trajectory fiscal consolidation external resilience banking stability and institutional credibility present a much stronger macro profile MP Financial Advisory Services said in its reportAccording to the findings these pillars suggest that Indias creditworthiness is already more consistent with strongerrated sovereigns raising the debate on whether the current BBB level reflects the countrys true credit standingWhen assessed across growth debt sustainability external resilience banking stability and institutional credibility Indias fundamentals not only compare favourably but in several respects outperform higherrated economies said Mahendra Patil Founder and Managing Partner MP Financial Advisory Services LLPThe current BBB rating therefore materially understates Indias true credit strength which already aligns more closely with higherrated peers across multiple dimensions he addedOver the past decade India has consistently delivered 67 per cent real GDP growth a level unmatched by most BBBrated and even several Arated peers whose longrun average growth typically falls between 23 per centThe nations economic resilience has been tested through multiple global shocks the 2008 Global Financial Crisis the 2013 taper tantrum the COVID19 pandemic and repeated commodity price surges during which advanced peers often slipped into stagnation while India maintained positive momentumIndias debttoGDP ratio at 8182 per cent is elevated but stable with the IMF projecting a gradual decline to 78 per cent by FY2029This compares favourably with many higherrated sovereigns Italy 135 per cent France 110 per cent Belgium 104 per cent and Japan 235 per cent Even Germany 63 per cent and Canada 69 per cent though lower on headline debt face much weaker growth trajectories making their debt ratios more persistentThe report noted that Indias nominal GDP growth of 1011 per cent significantly outpaces its effective interest cost of 67 per cent creating a favourable growthinterest rate differentialThis positive gap enables India to gradually grow out of debt as robust growth drives down debt ratios over time In contrast advanced economies such as Italy France and Japan face the opposite challenge with sluggish growth according to the reportIndia is increasingly channelling fiscal resources into capital expenditure The capex has risen from 12 per cent of the Union budget in FY2019 to 23 per cent in FY2025 the report said IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/india-deserves-higher-ratings-bbb-ratings-acknowledge-only-macroeconomic-strength-report-637609.html Wed, 10 Sep 2025 14:26:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/indias-resilience-stands-out-as-tariffs-impact-global-trade-report-637614.html New Delhi Sep 10 Indias economy shows resilience despite global trade and fiscal uncertainty supported by robust domestic consumption and government spending a report said on Wednesday A report from SBI Capital Market indicated that the Indian markets remained resilient though the aggressive tariff regime of the United States has become a significant issue globallyIndia remained surprisingly insulated in Q1 clocking an abovepar GDP growth There is recognition that amidst global headwinds from high tariffs imposed on India a domestic consumption stimulus is in order The GST reform is a welcome step in this regard the report saidA US appeals court ruling had deemed the tariffs unconstitutional escalating the issue to the Supreme Court Until clarity emerges tradepolicy volatility remains elevated with key pressure points in autos electronics and textiles the report addedIndian exporters encounter reciprocal tariffs reaching as high as 50 per cent which includes a 25 per cent tariff linked to Russian crude purchases increasing cost pressures The report indicated that uncertainty is impacting trade flows and marginsDespite a weaker US dollar the Indian rupee hit a record low down about 5 per cent yearonyear with the Reserve Bank of India RBI limiting intervention and unwinding forward positions to preserve reserves while letting depreciation aid exports the report saidCapital flows remain muted while the current account remains manageable despite weaker merchandise exports from tariff pressures it addedIndias Q1 GDP growth reached 78 per cent and the governments decision to simplify the GST structure is set to release about Rs 50000 crore into the economy boosting domestic consumption the research wing saidSBI Capital Markets said fiscal stress in the US and the UK is adding complexity to global trade tensions with rising debt burdens pushing bond yield curves steeperAt the same time weaker job data in the US has lifted the probability of a rate cut in the September policy review In India the curve remains steep as elevated state government borrowing continues to weigh on the long end the research wing noted IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/indias-resilience-stands-out-as-tariffs-impact-global-trade-report-637614.html Wed, 10 Sep 2025 14:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/apples-manufacturing-push-in-india-to-curb-tax-leakage-create-jobs-report-637619.html New Delhi Sep 10 US tech giant Apples decision to manufacture its entire iPhone 17 range in India will enhance supply chain efficiency reduce tax leakage and make a stronger case for India as a premium device manufacturing hub experts said on Wednesday The Make in India initiative bolstered by Apples expanded footprint is expected to generate substantial employment boost exports and enhance Indias credibility as a hightech manufacturing powerhouse according to Grant Thornton BharatBy shifting production to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka through partners Foxconn and Tata Electronics Apple avoids the 20 per cent Basic Customs Duty otherwise levied on imported fully assembled devicesLocal assembly also insulates the company from potential tariff escalations in the US said Krishan Arora Partner Tax Planning amp Optimisation Grant Thornton BharatAfter the US imposed higher tariffs on India some of the countrys exports now face duties as high as 50 per cent though smartphones remain exempt for nowThe move by Apple also unlocked further gains under Indias Production Linked Incentive PLI scheme which offers 46 per cent cash incentives on incremental phone sales manufactured in India over five years Arora said adding that the companys decision may not immediately lower prices for consumers in IndiaThis has helped Apples contract manufacturers surpass 10 billion in iPhone exports in FY 202425 with exports surging 53 per cent yearonyear in H1 2025 to reach 239 million units he addedIn the first half of 2025 as much as 78 per cent of iPhones assembled in India were shipped to the US up from 53 per cent a year earlierThe Tamil Nadu government has extended capital subsidies fasttracked environmental clearances and dedicated electronics parks while Karnataka has offered land at concessional rates power tariff rebates and skill development grants IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/apples-manufacturing-push-in-india-to-curb-tax-leakage-create-jobs-report-637619.html Wed, 10 Sep 2025 14:48:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/novo-nordisk-to-layoff-11-pc-of-global-workforce-save-13-billion-by-2026-end-637622.html New Delhi Sep 10 In a major restructuring drive Danish drug major Novo Nordisk on Wednesday announced plans to slash 9000 jobs or 11 per cent of its global workforce and save 13 billion by the end of 2026 The company in a statement said that with the restructuring it expects to simplify improve decisionmaking speed and reallocate resources toward growth opportunities in diabetes and obesityBattling rising pressure from US rival Eli Lilly the maker of blockbuster weightloss drug Wegovy announced its third cut of the year to its profit forecastThe companys Wegovy and its diabetes treatment Ozempic are reportedly losing market share and slow sales growth especially in the US marketOur markets are evolving particularly in obesity as it has become more competitive and consumer driven Our company must evolve as well CEO Mike Doustdar who only took the helm last month said in the statementThis means instilling an increased performancebased culture deploying our resources ever more effectively and prioritising investment where it will have the most impact behind our leading therapy areas he addedNovo which currently has a global workforce of 78400 said about 5000 of the job cuts will be in its native Denmark The move comes after it implemented a global hiring freeze last month for job roles not critical to its businessThese changes are intended to enable us to do two things simultaneously realign resources toward highimpact RampD and commercial initiatives while creating a more agile organisation that can respond faster to the evolving needs of millions of patients with chronic diseases Doustdar said in a post on professional networking site LinkedInOur goal remains unchanged as we work to deepen our leadership in diabetes and obesity broaden patient access worldwide and continue our mission to defeat serious chronic diseasesSometimes the hardest decisions are the right ones for the future were building Im confident that this is the right thing to do for the longterm success of Novo Nordisk the CEO said IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/novo-nordisk-to-layoff-11-pc-of-global-workforce-save-13-billion-by-2026-end-637622.html Wed, 10 Sep 2025 15:09:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/india-turns-focus-to-mega-infrastructure-push-after-gst-overhaul-637634.html New Delhi Sep 10 India is shifting its policy focus to fasttracking approvals for largescale infrastructure projects under the Viksit Bharat 2047 plan after pushing the Goods and Services Tax GST reforms The government has asked ministries to fasttrack approvals for projects of national importance prioritising projects that touch multiple states or transform entire sectors according to government officialsFurther the road transport ministry has set a target of 50000 kms of accesscontrolled highways to be built over the next 10 to 12 years at an estimated cost of Rs 20 lakh crore reports saidThe Union Budget for FY26 earmarked Rs 1121 lakh crore for infrastructure spending but officials said the publicprivate partnerships PPP will be aggressively promoted in projects with strong return potential to ease pressure on state financesBundling of projects is being done to move them quickly for approvals PPP will be the key to financing highreturn ventures as per the officialsThe goal is to sustain Indias 78 per cent GDP growth in Q1 FY26 amid global tariff pressures and geopolitical risksThe World Bank has highlighted that India should raise its real investment rate from 335 per cent of GDP to 40 per cent by 2035 to sustain longterm growthIndias rising infrastructure needs underpin the nations urbanisation climate commitments and economic growth aspirationsCapital expenditure shot up to a robust Rs 275 lakh crore during the AprilJune period amounting to 245 per cent of the fullyear target reflecting the governments investments in bigticket infrastructure projects to push growth and create more jobsMeanwhile on the back of the robust performance in Q2 2025 78 per cent growth global rating agency Fitch has revised up its forecast for the fiscal year ending March 2026 FY26 to 69 per cent in its latest outlook from 65 per cent in the June report IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/india-turns-focus-to-mega-infrastructure-push-after-gst-overhaul-637634.html Wed, 10 Sep 2025 15:55:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/ai-likely-to-add-157-trillion-to-global-gdp-by-2030-report-637649.html New Delhi Sep 10 Artificial Intelligence AI has emerged as the defining technology of the 21st century poised to add nearly 157 trillion to global GDP by 2030 a report said on Wednesday More than 66 per cent of developed economies already have national AI strategies compared to just 30 per cent in developing economies and 12 per cent in leastdeveloped ones a joint report of FICCI and Boston Consulting Group BCG statedAccording to the report the race of AI is based on four interdependent dimensions compute data models and talentA few nations like the US and China have taken the lead with many focusing on specific AI interventions however most economies have the potential to advanceAccording to the report a few sectors such as financial services and retail are leading with rapid AI integration due to datarich environmentsHowever socially critical sectors like agriculture and public services lag constrained by fragmented infrastructure and funding challenges due to unclear Return on InvestmentFICCI Director General Jyoti Vij said AI is not just a technological wave it is a strategic race that will define economic and social leadership in the decades ahead Together we can ensure that AI is not just a race for advantage but a collective pursuit of progress that unlocks value for the worldThe FICCIBCG report highlighted that despite billions in investments nearly half of AI pilots are scrapped before production and fewer than one in eight prototypes reach deploymentKey barriers include siloed infrastructure skills shortages and cultural resistance it saidAccording to the report adoption of AI is more sociological than technical 70 per cent of AI adoption obstacles stem from people and process issues not technologyOrganisations that invest in reskilling cultural change and empowering workforces are best placed to translate AI into real business outcomes the report notedWe are seeing significant divergence in the global AI race The majority of developed economies have national AI strategies while the less developed ones are yet to undertake this journey BCG Managing Director and Senior Partner Saibal Chakraborty said IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/ai-likely-to-add-157-trillion-to-global-gdp-by-2030-report-637649.html Wed, 10 Sep 2025 16:21:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/warming-climate-to-surge-dengue-cases-by-76-pc-across-asia-americas-by-2050-study-637654.html New Delhi Sep 10 An increasing rise in global temperatures is set to drive cases of dengue by as much as 76 per cent across a large number of areas in Asia and the Americas by 2050 according to a new study The research by a team of scientists from the universities of Washington Stanford and the US National Bureau of Economic Research provides the first direct evidence that a warming climate has already increased the diseases tollThe effects of temperature were much larger than I expected said lead author Marissa Childs Assistant Professor of environmental health at the University of WashingtonEven small shifts in temperature can have a big impact on dengue transmission and were already seeing the fingerprint of climate warming she addedThe study analysed over 14 million observations of local dengue incidence across 21 countries in Central and South America and Southeast and South Asia capturing both epidemic spikes and background levels of infectionDengue thrives in a Goldilocks zone of temperatures incidence peaks at about 278 degrees Celsius 82 degrees Fahrenheit rising sharply as cooler regions warm but dropping slightly when alreadyhot areas exceed the optimal rangeAs a result some of the largest increases are projected for cooler highpopulation regions in countries such as Mexico Peru and BrazilMany other endemic regions will continue to experience larger warmingfuelled dengue burdensThe findings published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggest that higher temperatures from climate change were responsible for an average of 18 per cent of dengue incidence across 21 countries in Asia and the Americas from 1995 to 2014 translating to more than 46 million extra infections annually based on current incidence estimatesCases could climb another 49 per cent to 76 per cent by 2050 depending on greenhouse gas emissions levels according to the studyAt the higher end of the projections the incidence of dengue would more than double in many cooler locations including areas in the study countries that are already home to over 260 million peopleAggressive climate mitigation would significantly reduce the dengue disease burden according to the study At the same time adaptation will be essential better mosquito control stronger health systems and potential widespread use of new dengue vaccines IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/warming-climate-to-surge-dengue-cases-by-76-pc-across-asia-americas-by-2050-study-637654.html Wed, 10 Sep 2025 16:46:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/equity-mutual-fund-inflow-stands-at-rs-33-430-crore-in-aug-gold-etfs-jump-amfi-637669.html New Delhi Sep 10 The cash inflow in the equity mutual funds stood at Rs 3343037 crore in August according to data released by the Association of Mutual Funds in India AMFI on Wednesday Among actively managed equity funds largecap funds recorded an inflow of Rs 283488 crore the midcap category saw an inflow of Rs 533062 crore and the smallcap funds attracted a net inflow of Rs 499290 crore the data showedThe flexicap funds recorded an inflow of Rs 767940 crore which was marginally higher than the Rs 7654 crore received the month beforeThe net inflow in the large cap midcap and small cap funds in July were Rs 212509 crore Rs 518249 crore and Rs 648443 crore respectivelyGold ETFs saw a sharp jump in traction from around Rs 1200 crore last month to nearly Rs 7200 crore in the monthThe development was driven by both investors booking profits and fresh allocations from those fearing they might miss out said Suranjana Borthakhur Head of Distribution and Strategic Alliances Mirae Asset Investment Managers IndiaThis was the 54th consecutive month of positive equity flows in August 2025 despite the monthovermonth declineHowever the total assets under management AUM of the mutual fund sector decreased slightly to Rs 7518 crore from Rs 7441 lakh crore in June and Rs 7535 lakh crore in JulyThe overall market appears to be recovering and has rallied by 23 per cent over the last 30 days Despite this we have seen a slowdown in the QoQ flows for mutual fund schemes said Viraj Gandhi CEO of Samco Mutual Fund on AMFI dataFrom Rs 42702 crore of net flow on July 25 to Rs 33430 crore on August 25 the trend has slowed Im surprised by this Even so the industrys average net flows over the previous year from August 2024 to August 2025 were just Rs 33000 crore he addedEquity mutual funds saw an astounding 81 per cent increase in inflows in July reaching Rs 42702 crore up from Rs 23587 crore in June IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/equity-mutual-fund-inflow-stands-at-rs-33-430-crore-in-aug-gold-etfs-jump-amfi-637669.html Wed, 10 Sep 2025 17:54:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/physiotherapists-are-not-medical-doctors-cannot-use-dr-prefix-dghs-637670.html New Delhi Sep 10 The Directorate General of Health Services has issued a directive asking physiotherapists not to use the Dr prefix as they are not medical doctors In a letter dated September 9 DGHS Dr Sunita Sharma stated that by using the Dr prefix physiotherapists will be in legal violation of the Indian Medical Degrees Act 1916Physiotherapists are not trained as medical doctors and therefore should not use the prefix Dr as it misleads patients and the general public potentially leading to quackery Sharma said in the letter addressed to Dr Dilip Bhanushali National President IMAPhysiotherapists should not be permitted to primary care practice and should only treat referred patients as they are not trained to diagnose medical conditions some of which may worsen with inappropriate physiotherapy intervention she addedThe letter also cited previous legal pronouncements and advisory orders issued by various courts including the Patna and Madras High Courts and medical councils in the country which prohibited physiotherapistsoccupational therapists from using the Dr prefixIn April the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions NCAHP announced that physiotherapists can now use the Dr title as a prefix and PT as a suffix to their namesThe decision came as part of the launch of the 2025 Physiotherapy Curriculum by the NCAHP under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfarelt is pertinent to mention that the Ethics Committee of the Council Paramedical and Physiotherapy Central Council Bill 2007 had earlier decided that the title Doctor Dr may only be used by registered medical practitioners of Modern Medicine Ayurveda Homoeopathy and Unani No other category of medical professionals including nursing and paramedical staff is permitted to use this title the DGHS saidThe letter further noted that any violation attracts action under Section 7 of the IMA Act for contravention of Section 6 amp 6A as the legal opinion was adopted by the Council in its meeting held in March 2004It is hereby directed that the usage of the prefix Dr for physiotherapists in the Competency Based Curriculum for Physiotherapy Approved Syllabus 2025 be removed forthwith A more appropriate and respectful title may be considered for graduates and postgraduates of physiotherapy without causing ambiguity to patients or the public the letter said IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/physiotherapists-are-not-medical-doctors-cannot-use-dr-prefix-dghs-637670.html Wed, 10 Sep 2025 17:54:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/gst-rate-cut-to-boost-drone-production-in-india-naidu-637499.html New Delhi Sep 9 The nextgeneration GST reforms announced by the PM Narendra Modi government will support the growth of Indias rapidly growing drone ecosystem Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said on Tuesday Earlier the GST rate was 18 per cent for drones with integrated cameras and 28 per cent for drones classified for personal use Under the new reforms a uniform GST of 5 per cent has been introduced for all drones regardless of whether the camera is integrated or separate and irrespective of whether they are used for commercial or personal purposes This reform aligns with the governments vision to foster a robust safe and internationally competitive drone ecosystem the minister saidThis significant measure will also enable India to emerge as a leader in transformative technologies like drones A uniform 5 per cent GST will now apply on all drones providing significant policy certainty and eliminating classification disputes Furthermore flight simulators and motion simulators which are critical for pilot training have also been exempted from GST I believe it will encourage the training ecosystem in the country helping airlines and academies reduce expenditure on training equipment Naidu observedGreater clarity for manufacturers and lower costs for users will boost drone adoption especially in sectors like agriculture crop monitoring pesticide spraying petroleum and mining pipeline and asset inspection infrastructure surveying and mapping logistics lastmile delivery and defence surveillance and rapid responseAffordable and accessible drones will advance Indias goals under Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat while enhancing the efficiency of multiple industries and public servicesThe rationalised GST rate is also expected to generate employment opportunities in drone manufacturing assembling software development data analytics and field operationsWith the revised rates and exemptions GST has become more growthoriented for aviation and emerging technologies like UAVs This landmark step recognises drones as both an economic opportunity and a strategic necessity for India The sunrise sector of drones will benefit significantly with the simplified regime the minister added IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/gst-rate-cut-to-boost-drone-production-in-india-naidu-637499.html Tue, 09 Sep 2025 22:56:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/uk-india-report-on-infra-highlights-strong-progress-in-investment-637510.html New Delhi Sep 9 The UK India Infrastructure Financing Bridge UKIIFB Year 1 report released on Tuesday highlights strong progress in catalysing sustainable infrastructure investment The UKIIFB is designed to enhance the collaboration between NITI Aayog and the City of London and aims at unlocking infrastructure investment and leveraging the latters expertise in structuring and phasing major infrastructure projectsThe partnership seeks to secure longterm investment for vital infrastructure sectors in India Towards this end the UKIIFB Year1 Report seeks to build upon the diverse investment and financing system that is longterm stable and sustainable with manageable risksThe Year 1 Report details key achievements and recommendations including the development of a Project Assessment Framework clarifying investor priorities across highways and rapid transit sectors and advancing sustainability and resilience integrating climate adaptation and ESG frameworks into project designIt also presents case studies from flagship expressway and ring road projects and highlights the importance of creating an investorcentric pipeline markettested through the new Project Assessment FrameworkThe report recommends enhancing transparency and risk mitigation to reduce perceived investment uncertainties and safeguard investor returns through improved revenue protection and streamlined repatriation mechanismsIt also comes out in favour of building cohesive project pipelines and fostering longterm relationships with UK infrastructure sponsors embracing digital infrastructure to improve governance and monitoring enabling greater investor confidenceIndias rising infrastructure needs underpin the nations urbanisation climate commitments and economic growth aspirations The UKIIFB initiative supports these transformative efforts by addressing barriers to investments and encouraging the flow of patient capital crucial for largescale projectsThe findings from the UKIIFB Year 1 Report reflect a pragmatic roadmap toward unlocking international capital by developing standardised globally benchmarked project preparation processes recommendations to broaden Indias Detailed Project Report DPR to include fulllifecycle risk analysis resilience and valueformoney considerations piloting stronger risksharing and revenue protection frameworks and the enhancement of digital monitoring and transparency across the infrastructure ecosystemAs the programme enters its second year the UKIIFB will focus on refining project assessment tools expanding sectoral coverage such as green hydrogen and offshore wind and deepening engagement with investors and technical partners to unlock further capital and cooperation for Indias infrastructure transformationThe UKIndia Infrastructure Bridge marked its beginning on September 12 2023 during the 12th economic dialogue This was followed by an exchange of letters between NITI Aayog and the City of London Corporation in September 2024 in London as part of the UKIndia partnership to accelerate sustainable infrastructure development IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/uk-india-report-on-infra-highlights-strong-progress-in-investment-637510.html Tue, 09 Sep 2025 23:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/sensex-up-350-points-nifty-above-24-850-it-stocks-lead-rally-637271.html Mumbai Sep 9 The Indian benchmark indices opened higher on Tuesday with Nifty IT index leading the rally with 17 per cent surge in the early trade At 923 am Sensex was up 355 points or 044 per cent at 81142 and Nifty was up 99 points or 040 per cent at 24873The broadcap indices stayed flat as Nifty Midcap 100 inched up by 005 per cent and the Nifty Small cap 100 dipped 001 per centNifty IT advanced on the back of strong gains by Infosys up 335 per cent as the company had announced that it will consider a buyback of shares along with its results next month IT company Wipro also advanced 236 per centTech Mahindra TCS Bajaj Finserv were other major gainers in the Nifty pack Major losers were Titan Company Shriram Finance ICICI Bank Tata Consumer and Tata MotorsAmong sectoral indices apart from Nifty IT the top gainer Nifty pharma up 047 per cent and Nifty Auto up 021 per cent were in green Many other indices made marginal lossesAnalysts said that Nifty index had formed a small red candle with a long upper shadow on the daily chart highlighting consolidation and volatilityWhile buying interest is visible at lower levels the 2490025000 zones remains a stiff hurdle Support is placed at 24620 and as long as Nifty trades below 25000 some consolidation or mild weakness may persist they notedUpside momentum vanished on test of 24870 which we had pencilled in as a critical pivot yesterday Though the turn lower thereof was abrupt and steep oscillators remain accommodative towards further upsides We will look for a close beyond the 24730870 for further clarity said Anand James Chief Market Strategist Geojit Investments LimitedThe US markets ended in the green zone overnight as the Dow Jones Industrial Average inched up 025 per cent while the Nasdaq advanced by 045 per cent and the SampP 500 gained 021 per centIn the US investors are now awaiting two key inflation reports that could determine what Federal Reserve policymakers will do at their meeting next weekThe Asian markets traded mixed in the morning session Chinas Shanghai index declined 035 per cent and Shenzhen lost 1 per cent Japans Nikkei was up 02 per cent while Hong Kongs Hang Seng Index added 082 per cent South Koreas Kospi inched up 106 per centOn Friday foreign investors FIIsFPIs turned net sellers with outflows worth Rs 2170 crore of Indian equities while domestic institutional investors DIIs net bought shares worth Rs 3014 crore IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/sensex-up-350-points-nifty-above-24-850-it-stocks-lead-rally-637271.html Tue, 09 Sep 2025 09:55:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/india-poised-to-expand-its-share-in-global-space-economy-report-637281.html New Delhi Sep 8 India is poised to expand its share in the global space economy from the current 2 per cent to about 8 per cent over the next decade according to a new report on Monday The report released by KPMG in IndiaCII at the International Conference on Space 2025 stated that Indias space economy is set for a transformational growthThe countrys space sector is undergoing a paradigm shift evolving from an innovationled frontier to mainstreaming spacebased services across governance development and strategic domainsWith the global space economy expected to expand from 596 billion in 2024 to 18 trillion by 2035 the Indian space economy is expected to grow its share fourfold from currently about 2 per cent to nearly 8 per cent over the next decade it statedThe report outlined how spacebased assets with services and data from Earth Observation EO Satellite Communication SatCom and Navigation PNT technologies are becoming essential enablers of governance economic growth and security through integration into national workflows catalysing Indias journey toward a serviceoriented space economyIndia stands at a pivotal juncture in its space journey The foundations built over decades are now enabling a leap towards scale integration and global leadership said Gaurav Mehndiratta Partner and National Head Aerospace Defence and Space KPMG in IndiaRealising this potential will require coordinated action across policy industry and academia to foster innovation build resilient infrastructure and connect space capabilities with diverse user communities Mehndiratta addedThe report also positioned Digital Public Infrastructure DPI as a critical enabler connecting spacebased data seamlessly with governance platforms financial ecosystems and diverse user applicationsIt underscored the importance of platform interoperability and SatCombased redundancy to ensure service continuity in remote and disasterprone regions These priorities are essential to scaling adoption and embedding EO SatCom and PNT as defaults across flagship missions and public service deliveryDownstream services are becoming central to governance resilience and strategic operations with EO and SatCom supporting flagship missions such as PM Gati Shakti and Ayushman BharatStrategic segments such as defence disaster response and governance set the benchmark for missiongrade applications while international collaboration positions India as both a contributor and regional enablerIndias downstream space ecosystem is evolving into a foundational pillar of national development By embedding spacebased services into core governance and strategic workflows and aligning policy with mission needs India is poised to expand its global share and shape the future contours of the international space economy the report said IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/india-poised-to-expand-its-share-in-global-space-economy-report-637281.html Tue, 09 Sep 2025 10:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/google-searchs-ai-mode-is-now-available-in-hindi-globally-637289.html New Delhi Sep 9 With Artificial Intelligence AI transforming how Google Search is being used the tech giant on Tuesday announced the launch of its AI mode in Hindi for users across the globe The update which uses a custom version of Gemini 25 enables users to ask longer more complex or nuanced questions in Hindi and receive more helpful and personalised answersWe recently launched it in English in India and have received great feedback on its ability to handle complex queries Were thrilled to take the next step starting today were rolling out AI Mode in Hindi for users around the world the company said in a blogpostThe AI mode is designed to answer questions that would normally require multiple searches to find an answerIt is designed to be multimodal and the feature allows users to ask questions using text voice or imagesAI is transforming Search to make it more useful and easier than ever to ask Google anything Were excited to bring AI mode to Hindi and look forward to seeing how people use it said Hema Budhraju VP of Product Management SearchMaking Search a great experience for people around the world is about more than just translating It requires a deep understanding of local knowledge and context and Gemini 25s advanced multimodal and reasoning capabilities help us understand language better she addedAI mode is also able to understand complex user queries with its capabilities It can understand the nuances and complexities of requests such as gardening aromatic nightblooming flowers and special atmospheres and provide tailored suggestions for home gardeningThe launch will provide users with a better search experience easier access to information and a more accessible way to explore information in their preferred languages the company said IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/google-searchs-ai-mode-is-now-available-in-hindi-globally-637289.html Tue, 09 Sep 2025 11:33:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/google-searchs-ai-mode-now-available-in-hindi-globally-637290.html New Delhi Sep 9 With Artificial Intelligence AI transforming how Google Search is being used the tech giant on Tuesday announced the launch of its AI mode in Hindi for users across the globe The update which uses a custom version of Gemini 25 enables users to ask longer more complex or nuanced questions in Hindi and receive more helpful and personalised answersWe recently launched it in English in India and have received great feedback on its ability to handle complex queries Were thrilled to take the next step starting today were rolling out AI Mode in Hindi for users around the world the company said in a blogpostThe AI mode is designed to answer questions that would normally require multiple searches to find an answerIt is designed to be multimodal and the feature allows users to ask questions using text voice or imagesAI is transforming Search to make it more useful and easier than ever to ask Google anything Were excited to bring AI mode to Hindi and look forward to seeing how people use it said Hema Budhraju VP of Product Management SearchMaking Search a great experience for people around the world is about more than just translating It requires a deep understanding of local knowledge and context and Gemini 25s advanced multimodal and reasoning capabilities help us understand language better she addedAI mode is also able to understand complex user queries with its capabilities It can understand the nuances and complexities of requests such as gardening aromatic nightblooming flowers and special atmospheres and provide tailored suggestions for home gardeningThe launch will provide users with a better search experience easier access to information and a more accessible way to explore information in their preferred languages the company said IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/google-searchs-ai-mode-now-available-in-hindi-globally-637290.html Tue, 09 Sep 2025 11:34:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/young-adults-largely-unaware-of-being-diabetic-the-lancet-637298.html New Delhi Sep 9 A majority of young adults with diabetes are unaware that they have the disease posing a significant health risk according to a study published in The Lancet Diabetes amp Endocrinology Researchers from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation IHME at the University of Washington School of Medicine analysed the diabetes care cascade for all ages both sexes and 204 countries and territories from 2000 to 2023Their results showed that in 2023 an estimated 44 per cent of people aged 15 and older with diabetes are unaware of their conditionHowever this also showed an improvement from 2000 when53 per cent of people were diagnosed suggesting that the detection of diabetes has improved over timeUnderdiagnosis was greatest among young adults Those aged between 15 and 39 years were the least likely to be diagnosed with diabetes globally with only 26 per cent receiving a diagnosis in 2023 Yet this group faces a higher risk of lifetime complications compared to those diagnosed later in life partly because they live with diabetes for longer the researchers saidBy 2050 13 billion people are expected to be living with diabetes and if nearly half dont know they have a serious and potentially deadly health condition it could easily become a silent epidemic said Lauryn Stafford first author and researcher at IHMEFurther the study showed that among those who were diagnosed 91 per cent were on some form of pharmacological treatmentYet only 42 per cent of those receiving treatment had their blood sugar levels managed optimally This translates to just 21 per cent of all people with diabetes globally having their condition under optimal managementDespite improvements over two decades the research also found substantial regional diagnosis and treatment disparities particularly in low and middleincome countriesHighincome North America had the highest rates of diagnosis while highincome Asia Pacific showed the highest rates of treatment among diagnosed individualsSouthern Latin America had the highest rates of optimal blood sugar management among those treated In contrast Central subSaharan Africa faced the largest gaps in diagnosis with less than 20 per cent of people with diabetes being aware of their conditionGiven the pace at which cases are rapidly rising the research underscores the urgent need for investment in screening programmes for younger populations and access to medications and glucosemonitoring tools especially in underserved regions IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/young-adults-largely-unaware-of-being-diabetic-the-lancet-637298.html Tue, 09 Sep 2025 12:02:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/gst-20-rollout-adds-fresh-fuel-to-mass-consumption-towards-formalisation-trend-report-637301.html New Delhi Sep 9 The rollout of GST 20 would add fresh fuel to consumption as mass consumption would follow the formalisation trend while premium consumers would aspire for differentiated offerings a report showed on Tuesday The report by Emkay Global Financial Services said that improving macro tailwinds continue to support the sectors elevated valuations even as growth support is still awaitedThe anticipatory rally ahead of the GST 20 announcement was rewarding As we factor in benefits and lift target prices of select stocks our stock calls remain firm the report addedProposed GST rates imply weighed GST of 6 per cent for food and beverages and 12 per cent for home and personal care HPCUnder GST 20 broad raterationalisation was seen across food and essential personal care categoriesThe GST Council largely kept home care products under the 18 per cent slab while dailyuse personal care items saw rate cuts with discretionary items remaining at 18 per centOur analysis shows that the organised food and beverage segment with a total addressable market of Rs 7 trillion 90 per cent penetration 30 per cent organised is likely to see a reduction in the weighted GST rate from 10 per cent to 6 per cent said the reportSimilarly organised home and personal care segment sized at Rs 2 trillion 65 per cent penetration 67 per cent organised may experience a 5 ppt percentage point reduction to 12 per centWithin FMCG the top five categories benefiting from the reduction are soaps oral care hair care biscuits and salty snacks We see reduction in personal care products addressing slowdown concerns while the benefits for biscuits and salty snacks are expected to foster formalisation the report notedIn the past year regulatory support for the sector was significantly enhanced setting the stage for accelerated growth Companies with superior execution and portfolios which are aligned with consumers needs are expected to gain the mostOur covered companies stand to benefit from accelerated formalisation though strong execution will be crucial to fend off competition from newage brands The anticipatory rally ahead of the GST 20 announcement proved to be rewarding the report highlighted IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/gst-20-rollout-adds-fresh-fuel-to-mass-consumption-towards-formalisation-trend-report-637301.html Tue, 09 Sep 2025 12:15:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/indian-youth-prioritising-savings-under-new-tax-regime-report-637310.html New Delhi Sep 9 Young Indian professionals are prioritising savings investments and debt repayment over discretionary spending according to a report on Tuesday The report by job site Naukri based on a nationwide survey of over 20000 job seekers earning up to Rs 1275 LPA who fall in the zerotax bracket as per the new FY26 tax regime revealed a decisive tilt towards financial prudenceNearly 60 per cent of respondents were found channeling their surplus income into savings and investments while 30 per cent are using it to repay debtsOnly a small fraction is directing the additional money towards immediate consumption with 9 per cent upgrading their lifestyle and just 4 per cent spending on travel and leisureThe report highlighted that professionals in emerging technologies are leading the charge with 76 per cent saving their surplus income followed by those from auto 63 per cent and pharma 57 per centEmployees in the FMCG 64 per cent and hospitality over 60 per cent sectors are among the most committed to longterm retirement planning and investmentsThe findings underline a generational shift in financial behaviour young Indian professionals are building a foundation of longterm security rather than opting for immediate consumption with regional and industrywise nuances adding further depth to this evolving trend the report saidOn the other hand freshers in their first jobs were found to be the most likely to spend their tax surplus on lifestyle upgrades 31 per cent and travel 14 per centHowever with just one year of experience 69 per cent are prioritising savings more than double the proportion of fresh graduates at 34 per centDelhi and Gurgaon top the charts in savings with 63 per cent and 64 per cent of professionals respectively setting aside their surplus income Chennai stands out with 44 per cent of respondents focusing on debt repayment while Mumbai emerges as the leader in retirementoriented savings with 51 per cent channelling their extra income specifically towards retirement fundsNotably the report also showed that the awareness of the new tax regime remains uneven While freshers are the most informed with 64 per cent reporting complete awareness of the benefits 57 per cent of professionals with over five years of experience also reported being fully aware Overall 43 per cent of respondents admitted they were either unclear or entirely unaware of the changes IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/indian-youth-prioritising-savings-under-new-tax-regime-report-637310.html Tue, 09 Sep 2025 13:03:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/nearly-50-pc-indians-planning-for-healthy-ageing-71-pc-using-tech-to-stay-active-longer-report-637341.html New Delhi Sep 9 Nearly 50 per cent of Indians are planning for healthy ageing while 71 per cent are using technology to stay active longer according to a report on Tuesday The report by Boston Consulting Group states that even though the global population is getting older only 12 per cent of people worldwide orient their lifestyle around healthy ageingOn the other hand India ranks first among all countries surveyed in prioritising longevity with nearly half the population taking at least some actionIndia leads in longevity intervention adoption especially those related to natural remedies wearable health trackers and AIsupported solutions said the report based on a survey of 9350 respondents across 19 countriesWhile the science of longevity is advancing rapidly our research shows that only 12 per cent of people globally are proactively planning for longer healthier lives In India however we see a unique opportunity consumers here are among the fastest adopters of digital health solutions with nearly 70 per cent using wearables apps and techbased tools and one in four already engaging with AIpowered health agents said Parul Bajaj Managing Director amp Partner India Lead Marketing Sales amp Pricing Practice MSP BCGThis digitalfirst mindset positions India at the forefront of reimagining healthy aging even as challenges remain in making these solutions accessible across income groups The Longevity Paradox reminds us that longevity is not just about extending years but about living those years with purpose vitality and independence and Indias embrace of technology could make it a global testbed for scaling healthy ageing innovations Bajaj addedThe report noted that India topped in the adoption of AIpowered health tools with 25 per cent adoptionThe country is also among the top three countries with the highest adoption of wearables and trackers with 32 per centCompared to the 55 per cent global average 71 per cent of respondents in India have used at least one tech interventionUp to 25 per cent of respondents in India identified some of the unhealthier options as healthy or very healthy 57 per cent higher than the global averageIndian consumers were also found to be less constrained by privacy concerns making them more open to digitalfirst health engagement However affordability and accessibility remain critical barriers for lowerincome segments IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/nearly-50-pc-indians-planning-for-healthy-ageing-71-pc-using-tech-to-stay-active-longer-report-637341.html Tue, 09 Sep 2025 15:10:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/s-korean-tech-consortiums-launch-projects-for-homegrown-ai-models-637361.html Seoul Sep 9 The science ministry here on Tuesday hosted a kickoff ceremony announcing the launch of a mission to develop homegrown artificial intelligence AI foundation models as part of the governments goal of making the country one of the global leaders in the field The event came after South Korea selected five local consortiums in August to develop AI foundation models which refer to largescale systems trained on broad data that can be used to perform different tasks reports Yonhap news agencyThe five consortiums are each led by Naver Cloud Upstage SK Telecom NC AI Co and LG AI Research and will receive state supportWe would like to ask the companies to take on a greater challenge to develop AI for everyone and for the growth and expansion of South Koreas AI ecosystem Science Minister Bae Kyunghoon saidDuring the event Kim Yuwon head of Naver Cloud said his team will work to develop an AI system suited to South Koreas social and cultural contextsUnder the mission of being responsible for South Koreas AI future we are deeply committed to generating results that people can be proud of Lim Yoohyung who leads LG AI Research addedOn the previous day South Korea launched the National AI Strategy Committee chaired by President Lee Jae Myung with the goal of making the country one of the worlds top three AI powerhousesLast month science ministry said it has selected five consortiums led by leading artificial intelligence AI players that will receive government support to develop indigenous AI models a move aimed at bolstering the countrys competitiveness in the sectorA foundation model refers to a largescale system trained on broad data that can be used to perform a wide range of tasksThe five consortiums will have access to the governments related resources including graphics processing unit assets worth 1576 billion won 113 million IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/s-korean-tech-consortiums-launch-projects-for-homegrown-ai-models-637361.html Tue, 09 Sep 2025 16:08:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/india-holds-9-major-world-records-in-space-missions-to-add-10-more-soon-isro-chairman-637385.html New Delhi Sep 9 IANS India has achieved nine major world records in space missions and is soon set to add about 810 more said Chairman V Narayanan here on TuesdaynbspChandrayan series 1 2 and 3 Mars Orbiter Mission and cryogenic engine technology are among the nine major world records achieved since 2008 Narayanan said while addressing the AllIndia Management Conventions 52nd National Management ConventionnbspIn 2008 India became the first country with the Chandrayan1 mission to discover water molecules on the lunar surface subsurface and exosphere Narayanan said It was later confirmed by NASAs Sofia ObservatorynbspWith the Mars Orbiter Mission 2014 India became the first to ace a mission to the Red Planet on its first attempt In 2017 the PSLVC37 made history by launching 104 satellites in a single missionnbspWith the Chandrayan2 mission in 2019 India has the best camera the orbiter highresolution camera in the Moons orbit Narayanan saidnbspChandrayaan 3 on August 23 2023 created a historical day which made India the first country to land a spacecraft near the lunar South PolenbspChandrayaan 3 also achieved the first in situ measurement of lunar surface and the nearsurface environment in the Moons Southern Polar region the Chairman saidnbspFurther between December 2014 and June 2017 India achieved three world records in LVM3 cryogenic stage developmentThe development qualification and 1st flight was achieved with only three engines as against the world record of four11 engines the ISRO chief saidnbspThe maiden flight of LVM3 with cryogenic stage was achieved in 28 months by ISRO as against 37 months to 108 months by other countries he notednbspISRO aced the hot stage test in the shortest period just 34 days as compared to other countries with 64 days to 10 monthsnbsp810 more world records are planned Narayanan saidnbspSpeaking on the frugal expenditure of these missions ISRO chief said Because we know we are very sensitive on cost every test we authorise after thoroughly analysing and discussing And this sensitivity is the reason for reducing the launch costHe also highlighted other achievements such as over 4000 rockets from Indian soil and 133 satellites launched by ISROnbspOn the role of ISRO in transforming Indias economy and security Narayanan highlighted how ISRO is strengthening Indias technological edge boosting localisation and technology transfer and driving space entrepreneurship to position the country as a global space leadernbspI believe the entire journey of our space programme from the era of bullock carts and bicycles to today is remarkable By 2040 we aim to land a man on the Moon where placing the Indian flag he will proclaim that India is on its path to becoming a developed nation This is the message we aspire to convey through this historic milestone he said https://dailyworld.in/science/india-holds-9-major-world-records-in-space-missions-to-add-10-more-soon-isro-chairman-637385.html Tue, 09 Sep 2025 17:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/upi-transactions-exceed-20-billion-in-august-phonepe-and-google-pay-retain-top-spots-637387.html New Delhi Sep 9 The Unified Payments Interface UPI network processed over 20 billion transactions in August 2025 marking the first time it has crossed the 20 billion monthly transaction thresholds According to data released by the National Payments Corporation of India NPCI the total value of these transactions was Rs 2485 lakh croreThe market distribution for UPI transactions continues to be led by a few key applications In terms of transaction volume PhonePe was the market leader with an estimated 96 billion transactions followed by Google Pay with 74 billion transactions and Paytm in third place with 16 billion transactionsTheir shares of the total transaction value reflected a similar trend with PhonePe holding 4864 per cent Google Pay contributing 3553 per cent and Paytm accounting for about 85 per centOther notable platforms in the ecosystem include Navi and CRED which also featured among the top five applications by transaction volumeNavi processed around 406 million transactions while CRED handled approximately 219 million On average the UPI network handled more than 645 million transactions each day throughout AugustAn analysis of UPI transaction data from August reveals a spending landscape weighted towards financial payments and essential goodsThe highest transaction values were recorded in debt and securities payments with debt collection agencies leading in transaction value at Rs 77007 crore Consumer spending remained robust in key areas with groceries and supermarkets accounting for Rs 68116 croreOther significant categories included payments to securities brokers and for telecommunications and utilities indicating a deep integration of UPI into both discretionary and nondiscretionary spending habits IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/upi-transactions-exceed-20-billion-in-august-phonepe-and-google-pay-retain-top-spots-637387.html Tue, 09 Sep 2025 17:49:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/global-end-user-spending-on-genai-smartphones-to-reach-2982-billion-by-2025-end-637391.html New Delhi Sep 9 The total spending on GenAI smartphones globally will account for 20 per cent of total AI enduser spending in 2025 a report said on Tuesday According to Gartner the global enduser spending on generative AI GenAI smartphones is expected to reach 2982 billion by the end of this year For the study Gartner defined GenAI smartphones as devices equipped with a builtin neural engine or neural processing unit NPU capable of running small language modelsThe forecast covers both premium smartphones and basic smartphones under 350 but excludes utility smartphones as they are not expected to have NPU capabilities in futureCurrently most users still rely on text or touch for all tasks and voice interactions remain limited in scope However as conversational AI becomes more natural in the future users are expected to become more comfortable with AI as a proactive digital companion rather than just a reactive tool said Ranjit Atwal Senior Director Analyst at GartnerThe broad use of new NPUs in smartphones will allow GenAI models to run faster and more efficiently requiring users to upgrade to the latest smartphone hardware for optimized experiences Atwal addedWith all mobile vendors increasingly integrating ondevice GenAI models and applications enduser spending on GenAI smartphones is expected to total 3933 billion in 2026 an increase of 32 per cent from 2025The research firm forecasted that 100 per cent of premium smartphones will feature GenAI capabilities by 2029 It said that in 2025 almost all premium GenAI smartphones will include NPUs with 41 per cent of basic GenAI smartphones featuring NPUsOndevice NPUs performance levels exceeding 40 tera operations per second TOPS will become the standard in premium GenAI smartphones by 2027 according to GartnerSuch a performance level will enable realtime execution of complex multimodal AI workloads without excessive power consumption it noted IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/global-end-user-spending-on-genai-smartphones-to-reach-2982-billion-by-2025-end-637391.html Tue, 09 Sep 2025 17:53:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/andhra-pradesh-sets-up-council-to-promote-state-as-gcc-hub-637400.html Amaravati Sep 9 In a move to promote Andhra Pradesh as the hub of Global Capability Centres GCCs the state government on Tuesday announced the constitution of a 360degree GCC Advisory Council The move brings together CXOs of global corporations industry bodies like NASSCOM business councils consulting leaders real estate developers and top academic institutions It is expected to significantly accelerate GCC investments and position Andhra Pradesh as a national leader in the digital economy according to an official statementGCCs which are the strategic units of multinational corporations handling RampD IT finance procurement and customer services are among the fastestgrowing engines of global business Unlike traditional outsourcing GCCs are wholly owned by their parent companies ensuring innovation efficiency and larger integration with global operations With over 1600 GCCs already operating in India and employing 16 million professionals Andhra Pradesh is now making an aggressive pitch to capture the next wave of investmentsAccording to the statement the newly formed GCC Advisory Council has a wideranging mandate including preparing a fiveyear strategic roadmap for APs GCC sector Its focus will include creating a futureready talent ecosystem through partnerships with IIT Tirupati IIM Visakhapatnam and skill development programmes driving innovation and RampD through global collaborations developing worldclass infrastructure including IT parks plugandplay facilities and GradeA commercial spaces reviewing and monitoring IT amp GCC Policy 40 implementation and leading branding and global outreach via roadshows in the US Europe and AsiaThe councils composition gives it unique strength and credibility CXOsIndia heads of leading MNCs operating GCCs in the country including AXA XL Mastercard Warner Bros Discovery Novartis Syngenta and BT Group are on boardIt also has representatives from global business councils like USIBC and EBTC industry body NASSCOM consulting amp service providers like ANSR EY KPMG Deloitte Primus Partners and workplace amp real estate leaders such as Knight Frank India Prestige Group Sattva and SobhaThe government has also greenlit a threemonth program of national and international roadshows to proactively attract global corporations and brand Andhra Pradesh as a preferred GCC destinationWith the council in place Andhra Pradesh is expected to unlock a new era of GCCdriven growth creating thousands of highvalue jobs and strengthening its position in the global technology landscape the statement added IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/andhra-pradesh-sets-up-council-to-promote-state-as-gcc-hub-637400.html Tue, 09 Sep 2025 18:30:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/adani-gems-school-of-excellence-ranked-among-indias-best-emerging-schools-637403.html New Delhi Sep 9 Adani GEMS School of Excellence Lucknow has been recognised as the third Best Emerging School in India and ranked number one in Lucknow a milestone that highlights its growing reputation for educational excellence in its first year of operations Since its inception Adani GEMS School of Excellence has distinguished itself through innovative pedagogy worldclass infrastructure and a focus on holistic student empowermentThe award underscores the schools role as a transformative institution committed to nurturing creativity critical thinking and values that prepare learners to thrive as global citizensThis recognition reinforces our belief that education must go beyond academics to create socially responsible confident and compassionate individuals said Dr Priti Adani Chairperson Adani GEMS EducationBeing named the top emerging school in Lucknow and among the best in India is both an honour and a responsibility as we continue to set benchmarks in progressive education she addedThe recognition was announced by Cfore a multidisciplinary research organisation that conducted a nationwide survey to identify the top emerging private schools in IndiaRespondents including parents teachers principals educationists and students rated schools on a 10point scale across 14 parameters covering academics pedagogy infrastructure innovation and student developmentThe official award ceremony will take place on September 10 in New Delhi where leading educationists and institutions will be honouredWith this recognition Adani GEMS School of Excellence reaffirms its mission to inspire young minds strengthen community engagement and build a brighter futureThe school has a lush green campus stateoftheart facilities a globally benchmarked curriculum and exceptional educators who inspire students to explore discover and achieveThe school imbibes global best practices towards an enriching quality education within the CBSE programme of study IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/adani-gems-school-of-excellence-ranked-among-indias-best-emerging-schools-637403.html Tue, 09 Sep 2025 18:32:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/indias-fitness-market-revenue-to-grow-by-15-pc-annually-reach-rs-37-700-cr-by-2030-report-637413.html New Delhi Sep 9 Indias fitness economy is gaining strong momentum and the industry is set to grow to Rs 37700 crore 45 billion by 2030 according to a report on Tuesday The report by Deloitte India and the Health amp Fitness Association HFA showed that the industry is expected to post a robust 15 per cent growth rate CAGR from an estimated Rs 16200 crore 19 billion in 2024It noted that boutique fitness studios offering niche instructorled formats such as highintensity interval training HIIT yoga mixed martial arts MMA and pilates are the fastestgrowing segment These are projected to grow at a CAGR of 188 per cent through 2030This surge underscores a decisive consumer shift towards personalised immersive and communitydriven fitness experiences the report saidAs of 2024 India has around 123 million fitness facility members The report estimates this will rise to 233 million by 2030 at a growth rate of 11 per cent CAGRIn addition Indias membership penetration is expected to cross 17 per cent by 2030 highlighting both growth and significant room for further expansion the report saidWhile the market is poised to more than double by 2030 what stands out is the untapped opportunity as nearly 820 million Indians between 18 and 62 years of age remain completely inactive This is both the biggest challenge and the biggest opportunity said Praveen Govindu Partner Deloitte IndiaFor the industry to unlock its true potential it must go beyond metros and premium customers to design inclusive affordable and communitydriven fitness models that can reach smaller towns women and lowerincome households he addedThe report based on a survey of over 3000 Indian consumers across 40 cities showed that the top 10 cities including Mumbai Delhi NCR Bengaluru contribute 56 per cent of market revenue However these cities are home to only 31 per cent of fitness facilitiesOf Indias 956 million people aged 1862 only 15 per cent of physically active individuals engage in paid fitness activities showing room for growth through communitybased and affordable fitness models IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/indias-fitness-market-revenue-to-grow-by-15-pc-annually-reach-rs-37-700-cr-by-2030-report-637413.html Tue, 09 Sep 2025 19:13:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/eu-lists-102-new-indian-fishery-establishments-for-exports-govt-637418.html New Delhi Sep 9 In a significant development for Indias seafood industry the European Union EU has listed 102 new Indian fishery establishments for export from India to EU member countries the government said on Tuesday According to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry this significant expansion reflects the growing confidence in Indias food safety and quality assurance systems and marks a major step forward in enhancing market access for Indian seafood products specially aquaculture shrimps and Cephalopods Squid Cuttle fish and OctopusThis follows a series of meetings in EU and New Delhi in which Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and Senior Officials of Department of Commerce participated resulting in confidence on Indian robust official control mechanisms implemented by the Export Inspection Council EICIndian seafood exports meet stringent international standards particularly those laid down by the EUThis reflects Indias commitment to food safety traceability and compliance with EU regulations and strengthens Indias position as a trusted supplier of highquality seafoodThis is expected to boost export volumes generate employment and enhance foreign exchange earningsThis development is expected to significantly enhance Indias seafood exports to the European Union which is one of the most lucrative and qualitysensitive markets globally With the inclusion of these new establishments exporters across various coastal states and UTs will now have greater opportunities to tap into EU demand diversify their product offerings and strengthen trade relationships said the ministryThe Department of Commerce has reiterated its commitment to supporting exporters through policy facilitation infrastructure development and capacity buildingThe EIC and EIAS continue to play a pivotal role in ensuring that Indian seafood products adhere to international norms thereby safeguarding public health and enhancing Indias global reputationThis is in line with the overall environment of optimism and greater confidence by the two sides in each others product standards IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/eu-lists-102-new-indian-fishery-establishments-for-exports-govt-637418.html Tue, 09 Sep 2025 19:18:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/indian-scientists-tap-cholesterols-potential-to-power-next-gen-electronic-devices-637191.html New Delhi Sep 8 While cholesterol the fatlike substance has typically been related to heart diseases scientists from the Institute of Nano Science and Technology INST Mohali an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology DST showed its potential to power nextgeneration spintronic devices The team introduced cholesterolbased nanomaterials as novel platforms for future quantum technologies and spintronic applicationsCholesterol can be used to control the spin of electrons an invisible quantum property that could contribute to the development of energyefficient nextgeneration spintronic devices This is because it enables precise control over molecular properties due to its intrinsic handedness chirality and flexibility said the INST team led by Dr Amit Kumar MondalThe study showed that cholesterolbased nanomaterials can manipulate the spin of electrons a quantum feature critical for the next generation of electronicsBy combining metal ions with the organic framework the scientists showed how well a material can separate electrons based on their magnetic spin orientation by adjusting the kind and concentration of metal ionsBy combining cholesterol with different metal ions the researchers created nanomaterials that selectively filter electron spinsInterestingly both spin directions could be controlled within a single system This means that with a simple chemical tweak or an achiral chemical stimulus the scientists could tune the flow of spin information revealed the findings recently published in the journal Chemistry of MaterialsThis chemical tunability provides a powerful and elegant technique for manipulating spin information with high precision representing a substantial advancement in the development of biomaterials for advanced quantum and spin technologies the scientists saidThis could lead to Energyefficient memory chips for greener technology and bioelectronic devices since the spinbased materials can help separate molecules with extreme precision they added IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/indian-scientists-tap-cholesterols-potential-to-power-next-gen-electronic-devices-637191.html Mon, 08 Sep 2025 19:44:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/trumps-advisor-navarro-escalates-war-of-words-launches-fresh-attack-on-musk-637233.html New Delhi Sep 8 US President Donald Trumps Trade Advisor Peter Navarro on Monday launched a sharp attack on Elon Musks social media platform X and criticised India for buying Russian oil calling it blood money In a post Navarro used an expletive and claimed that India did not purchase Russian oil in large quantities before the Ukraine warFact India didnt buy Russian oil in large quantities before Russia invaded Ukraine Its blood money and people are dying he wroteThis comes after a heated exchange between Navarro and Musk on XNavarro had earlier accused India of buying Russian oil purely to profit and criticised the Indian governments stance saying Stop killing Ukrainians Stop taking American jobsHe also slammed Musk for allowing what he called crap notes on X after his comments were flagged by Community Notes as misleadingResponding to the attack Musk had said On this platform the people decide the narrative You hear all sides of an argument Community Notes corrects everyone no exceptions Notes data amp code is public source Grok provides further factcheckingIndias Ministry of External Affairs also dismissed Navarros allegations calling them inaccurate and misleading statementsNavarro had earlier criticised Indias foreign policy questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modis engagements with Russian and Chinese leaders at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation SCO Summit in Tianjin He had said that India needs to be with us not RussiaMeanwhile Trump has repeatedly praised the IndiaUS partnership describing it as a very special relationshipWhile he had earlier remarked about losing India to China he later clarified Ill always be friends with Prime Minister ModiPM Modi too reciprocated the sentiment saying he appreciates and fully reciprocates President Trumps words IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/trumps-advisor-navarro-escalates-war-of-words-launches-fresh-attack-on-musk-637233.html Mon, 08 Sep 2025 23:01:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/south-koreas-ev-sales-up-nearly-50-pc-in-jan-aug-period-637047.html Seoul Sep 8 Sales of electric vehicles EVs in South Korea jumped nearly 50 per cent from a year earlier in the first eight months of the year helped by the release of new models data showed on Monday According to data from the Korea Automobile amp Mobility Association KAMA accumulated sales of EVs during the JanuaryAugust period came to 142456 units compared with 95988 units tallied last year reports Yonhap news agencyEVs accounted for 127 percent of all cars newly registered in South Korea during the cited period up 38 percentage points from the same period last year according to KAMAThe association attributed the sharp increase to the release of new models including the launch of Teslas Model Y in May with Hyundai Motor and its sister company Kia introducing more affordable EVs as wellOver the period sales of locally produced EVs advanced 482 percent to 86777 units taking up 609 percent of the marketSales of imported EVs jumped 486 percent to 55679 units with models produced in China including Teslas Model Y accounting for 694 percent of the total the data showedMeanwhile Kia last week launched the EV5 the companys fifth dedicated electric vehicle EV in South Korea with plans to export the model to Europe and Canada in the near futureThe EV5 is a compact electric sport utility vehicle SUV built on Hyundai Motor Groups EGMP platform Kia said the South Korean model features design and safety specifications tailored to local consumer needs and regulations differing from the version introduced earlier in ChinaThe EV5 will be produced at Kias Gwangju plant for both the domestic and export marketsThe exterior adopts Kias Opposites United design philosophy combining the models boxy body with curved elements Inside it offers a spacious passenger space and provides 965 liters of luggage spaceThe model is equipped with an 814 kilowatthour kWh nickelcobaltmanganese NCM battery paired with a 160 kilowatt frontwheeldrive motorThe EV5 uses batteries supplied by Chinas CATL rather than those from South Korean battery makers IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/south-koreas-ev-sales-up-nearly-50-pc-in-jan-aug-period-637047.html Mon, 08 Sep 2025 09:38:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/stock-market-opens-higher-auto-stocks-lead-rally-over-gst-booster-637049.html Mumbai Sep 8 The Indian benchmark indices opened higher on Monday over the GST booster amid tariffrelated uncertainty between India and the US As of 935 am Sensex was up 280 points or 035 per cent at 80991 and Nifty was up 84 points or 034 per cent at 24825 The broadcap indices Nifty Midcap 100 inched up by 077 per cent and the Nifty smallcap 100 inched up 072 per centAmong sectoral indices the Nifty Auto was the top gainer rising 152 per cent followed by Nifty Metal and Nifty Realty In the Nifty pack Tata Steel up 257 per cent Tata Steel Tata Motors NTPC Hindalco and SBI were the major gainers while losers included SBI Life Insurance Asian Paints Dr Reddys Labs Titan Company and TrentAnalysts said that on the technical front Nifty showed resilience after last weeks sharp midweek selloff rebounding strongly from the 100day EMA near 24633 The index formed a hammer candlestick pattern on the daily chart indicating buying interest at lower levelsThe GST Council has reduced rates across insurance medicines and daily essentials providing significant relief to households farmers and industriesKey support is placed around 2460024280 where the 100day and 200day EMAs converge A decisive close above the 25000 mark will be critical to confirm the next leg of upside potentially opening the path toward the 2550025675 supply zone said Amruta Shinde from Choice BrokingAnalysts said that the heightened uncertainty surrounding the USIndia trade relations will continue to weigh on marketsHowever US President Donald Trumps recent statements regarding the special USIndia ties indicate improvement in the strained relationshipRumours suggest potential restrictions on Indias IT exports despite the fact that reciprocal tariffs have not yet affected trade in services These concerns will continue to influence the market which got a morale boost from the GST reforms The euphoria from GST reform was shortlived since the market had already partly discounted the GST rate cuts said Dr VK Vijayakumar Chief Investment Strategist Geojit Investments LimitedThe US markets ended in the red zone on Friday the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped by 048 per cent while the Nasdaq declined by 003 per cent and the SampP 500 dipped 032 per centThe Asian markets traded mixed Chinas Shanghai index inched up 016 per cent and Shenzhen added 018 per cent Japans Nikkei was up 142 per cent while Hong Kongs Hang Seng Index added 036 per cent South Koreas Kospi inched up 02 per centOn Friday foreign investors FIIsFPIs turned net sellers with outflows worth Rs 1304 crore of Indian equities while domestic institutional investors DIIs net bought shares worth Rs 1821 crore IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/stock-market-opens-higher-auto-stocks-lead-rally-over-gst-booster-637049.html Mon, 08 Sep 2025 10:07:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/detained-s-korean-workers-in-us-expected-to-return-home-on-voluntary-basis-637052.html Seoul Sep 8 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid in the United States are likely to return home voluntarily instead of facing deportation a foreign ministry official said on Monday as Seoul plans to send a chartered flight after consultations with Washington More than 300 South Korean nationals are being held at a detention center in Folkston Georgia following Thursdays raid at an electric vehicle battery plant construction site operated by a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution near Savannah reports Yonhap news agencySouth Koreas presidential office said on Sunday a chartered plane will fly to the US to bring them back home after completing consultations with Washington to resolve the matterForeign Minister Cho Hyun will fly to Washington via Salt Lake City later Monday to meet officials to finalize the fundamental issues and ensure that no unexpected issues arise in the process of securing the release of our citizens a ministry official told reportersWe are working with the US to resolve the matter swiftly to make sure that all detained South Koreans can safely return home early the official said Once local procedures are completed our plan is to bring them all back at the earliest possible dateA chartered plane is expected to head to the US as early as Wednesday South Korean timeSeoul has been in talks with Washington to arrange the detained South Koreans return under voluntary departure as deportation upon release could hinder their future travel to the United States by triggering stricter visa screening or even a travel banConsular officials have so far had meetings with about 250 South Korean detained at the detention facility in Folkston to check their health conditions and treatment at the centerWe gather that there has been no unfair treatment of the detained people or any potential violations of human rights the official saidOfficials will soon take steps to find out how many of them want to board the chartered planeUS immigration authorities have reportedly given the detainees two options accept deportation and take a fiveyear reentry ban or remain in custody and stand trialDepending on the individuals visa status the possibility of entry restrictions upon future visits to the US cannot be entirely ruled outWhile in Washington Cho is expected to request the US consider taking measures to revise the visa quotas and related policy concerning South Korea to prevent similar cases from recurringSeoul has consistently called for Washington to expand visa quotas for South Korean workers but there has been little headway due largely to the growing antiimmigration sentiment in the US and reluctance of US Congress sources familiar with the matter saidCountries like Chile Singapore and Australia secured visa quotas through free trade agreement negotiations with the US back in the early 2000sOnce the Koreans are released they are expected to move to Jacksonville International Airport in Florida about a 50minute bus ride from the detention centerOn Sunday US President Donald Trump said the raid and arrests of South Koreans will not strain the relationship with South Korea and he will look at the situationUS authorities detained 475 people including about 300 South Koreans in Thursdays raid as part of an investigation into what it called unlawful workplace practices IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/detained-s-korean-workers-in-us-expected-to-return-home-on-voluntary-basis-637052.html Mon, 08 Sep 2025 10:17:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/people-decide-the-narrative-on-x-musk-responds-to-peter-navarro-637055.html New Delhi Sep 8 Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has responded to the White House Advisor Peter Navarros accusations of spreading propaganda on social media platform X saying people decide the narrative on his social media platform The verbal spat between Musk and US senior counsellor for Trade and Manufacturing Navarro happened amid a dispute regarding Indias purchases of Russian oilNavarro had posted on X that India buys Russian oil purely to profit It didnt buy any before Russia invaded Ukraine Indian govt spin machine moving high tilt Stop killing Ukranians Stop taking American jobs while criticising the Washington Posts coverage of IndiaUS relationsXs fact check by Community Notes flagged his comments as misleading stating that Indias sovereign energy purchases comply with international lawNavarro then criticised Musk for allowing crap notes and claimed that Indian special interests were influencing US debatesMusk responded by saying On this platform the people decide the narrative You hear all sides of an argument Community Notes corrects everyone no exceptions Notes data amp code is public source Grok provides further factcheckingThe Indian government also dismissed Navarros statements amid the ongoing dispute with the MEA spokesperson calling them inaccurate and misleading statementsNavarro had earlier criticised Indias foreign policy questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modis recent engagements with the Russian and Chinese leaders at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation SCO Summit in Tianjin and declaring that India needs to be with us not RussiaUS President Donald Trump has characterised IndiaUS relations as a very special relationship and commended Prime Minister Narendra Modi who referred to the partnership as forwardlookingTrump appeared to backtrack from his previous remark about losing India to China adding tha Ill always be friends with Prime Minister Modi Hours after this comment Indian PM Modi reciprocated by saying that he appreciates and fully reciprocates President Trumps sentiments IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/people-decide-the-narrative-on-x-musk-responds-to-peter-navarro-637055.html Mon, 08 Sep 2025 10:56:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/home-cooked-thalis-get-7-8-pc-cheaper-in-aug-over-benign-commodity-prices-637057.html New Delhi Sep 8 The price of homecooked vegetarian and nonvegetarian thalis declined 7 per cent and 8 per cent in August yearonyear respectively amid benign commodity prices in India a report showed on Monday The decline in the cost of vegetarian thali was led by a sharp drop in prices of onion potato and pulses according to Crisil IntelligencePrices of potato and onion declined 31 per cent and 37 per cent onyear respectively on a high base In the yearago period potato production had shrunk 57 per cent due to blight infestation and weather changes pushing up the pricesThis year the production is estimated to be 35 per cent higher For onion an 1820 per cent rise in annual production has led to a fall in prices this yearPrices of pulses declined 14 per cent onyear driven by higher production and stock levels compared with the yearago period the report mentionedFor potato and onion the fall in prices was on a high base while prices of pulses moderated amid higher production However an increase in tomato and vegetable oil prices limited the extent of the overall decline in thali costs said Pushan Sharma Director Crisil IntelligenceIn the near term thali prices are likely to remain lower onyear aided by the high base of vegetables and pulsesThe governments decision to allow free imports of yellow pea and black gram is expected to exert downward pressure on pulse prices Sharma addedThe decline in the cost of nonvegetarian thali was driven by 10 per cent onyear drop in broiler prices which make up about 50 per cent of the cost Lower vegetable and pulses prices also supportedThe average cost of preparing a thali at home is calculated based on input prices prevailing in north south east and west India The monthly change reflects the impact on the common mans expenditure IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/home-cooked-thalis-get-7-8-pc-cheaper-in-aug-over-benign-commodity-prices-637057.html Mon, 08 Sep 2025 10:58:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/must-promote-physiotherapy-as-integral-part-of-healthy-ageing-initiatives-jp-nadda-637059.html New Delhi Sep 8 While physiotherapy ensures better quality of life for individuals of all ages Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Monday urged the need to promote the physical therapy regimen as an integral part of healthy ageing initiatives World Physiotherapy Day is observed every year on September 8 to recognise the significant and vital role physiotherapists play in healthcareNadda emphasised the importance of physiotherapy in strengthening movement after falls stroke and other conditionsOn the occasion of World Physiotherapy Day let us acknowledge the crucial role physiotherapy plays in improving mobility enhancing independence and ensuring better quality of life for individuals of all ages the Health Minister said in a post on the social media platform XNotably the theme this year is Healthy Ageing Role of Physiotherapy in Falls and FrailtyIt highlights its importance in preventing falls and managing frailty among the elderly supporting their journey towards active and dignified ageing Nadda saidLet us continue to promote physiotherapy as an integral part of healthy aging initiatives across the nation he addedKnown mainly for the treatment of back pain physiotherapy also plays a crucial role in the recovery of patients with stroke sports injuries postsurgical surgeries chronic pain management and the elderly with fallsMeanwhile the Minister also mentioned the initiatives launched by the government to enhance the health of elderly people in IndiaGovernment under the dynamic leadership of PM Narendra Modi ji has many schemes for the benefit of the elderly and ageing population available at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs and government hospitals said Nadda while urging senior citizens to avail the healthcare servicesMore than 16 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs are providing primary healthcare to people across the nationThe Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana ABPMJAY provides senior citizens aged 70 and above with free medical treatment up to Rs 5 lakh on a family basisThe government has also launched programmes focused on the health and welfare of the elderly the National Programme for Health Care of the Elderly NPHCE It provides dedicated healthcare services at primary and tertiary levels and the Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana RVY which offers physical and assisted living devices IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/must-promote-physiotherapy-as-integral-part-of-healthy-ageing-initiatives-jp-nadda-637059.html Mon, 08 Sep 2025 11:17:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/antibody-drug-shows-promise-against-lung-cancer-in-first-human-trial-637068.html New Delhi Sep 8 A team of researchers in China has led a firstinhuman trial of an antibody drug that may provide better treatment for people with relapsed smallcell lung cancer SCLC SCLC is a fastgrowing highly malignant lung cancer According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer there were 248 million people diagnosed with lung cancer in 2022 Of those small cell lung cancer was diagnosed in 115 per cent of men and 97 per cent of women Smallcell lung cancer has limited treatment options and a poor prognosisThe Phase I study of SHR4849 IDE849 a Deltalike ligand 3 DLL3directed antibodydrug conjugate ADC demonstrated manageable safety and early signs of antitumour activity in patients with relapsed SCLCSHR4849 consists of a humanised antiDLL3 IgG1 monoclonal antibody linked to a DNA topoisomerase I inhibitor via a cleavable linkerGiven the high expression of DLL3 in SCLC the drug is being explored as a targeted treatment option for patients with limited therapeutic alternativesDr Linlin Wang and colleagues from the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Shandong First Medical University in China treated 54 patients across five dose levels ranging from 08 to 42 mgkgObjective response rate ORR among 42 evaluable SCLC patients was 595 per cent and disease control rate DCR was 905 per cent ORR was 692 per cent among patients with at least 12 weeks of followup and 778 per cent at the 24 mgkg expansion doseThe most common treatmentrelated adverse events included decreased white blood cell count anemia neutropenia and nausea No treatmentrelated adverse events led to dose discontinuation or deathThe study used a doseescalation and expansion approach identifying preliminary efficacy at multiple dose levels with favourable safetyNo doselimiting toxicities were observed at doses below 42 mgkg Plasma exposure of the free toxin remained low across all dosesDose expansion is ongoing to determine the recommended Phase II dose RP2D Further clinical development will assess SHR4849s potential as a therapeutic option for DLL3expressing SCLC Dr Wang saidThese encouraging early data support further investigation of SHR4849 as a potential treatment for patients with DLL3positive relapsed SCLC Wang addedThe results were presented at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer 2025 World Conference on Lung Cancer WCLC IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/antibody-drug-shows-promise-against-lung-cancer-in-first-human-trial-637068.html Mon, 08 Sep 2025 12:10:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/doctors-report-rise-in-throat-infections-flu-and-dengue-in-delhi-637081.html New Delhi Sep 8 The incessant rains have triggered a wave of throat infections flu and dengue in the national capital said health experts on Monday According to experts high humidity fluctuating temperatures combined with waterlogging in many areas are contributing to these conditionsSeasonal diseases such as Flu influenza vectorborne diseases dengue are showing up as trends in this season due to high transmission Most of the cases are selflimiting and does not need any active medication or hospitalisation Dr Harshal R Salve Additional Professor at the Centre for Community Medicine at AIIMS New Delhi told IANSOver the past few weeks we have seen an increase in the number of dengue cases The common symptoms being seen among patients include fever joint pains body aches rashes and at times bleeding from any side added Dr Rishikesh Desai Internal Medicine expert from a leading citybased hospitalThe vectorborne diseases are caused by breeding of mosquitoes in stagnant water and can also lead to diseases like malaria and ChikungunyaAccording to the latest weekly report from Municipal Corporation Delhi 499 cases of dengue have been recorded so far in 2025 along with 235 cases of malaria and 37 of chikungunya This is higher than the 481 dengue 210 malaria and 29 chikungunya cases reported during the same period in 2024Over the last few weeks Delhi has experienced heavy rainfall which has led to waterlogging Theres a high humidity and there is a fluctuation in the temperature as well All these features can affect health and give rise to waterborne diseases vectorborne diseases and also airborne or respiratory diseases Desai saidHe noted that the increase in the humidity is also leading to throat infections The patients are complaining of running nose or congested nose or throat discomfort along with feverFever abdominal pain loose motions vomiting and dehydration are the other common symptoms seen during this period the experts saidPreventive measures for flu include cough hygiene prevention of transmission by wearing a surgical mask handwashing and keeping hydration in check If such conditions are present then consult your doctor Do not take any antibiotics without a prescription Salve saidThe expert also advised not to let water stagnate in the surroundings and keep the surroundings clean to stop the breeding of mosquitoes Use of mosquito repellents during daytime and wearing fullsleeved cloths can also help IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/doctors-report-rise-in-throat-infections-flu-and-dengue-in-delhi-637081.html Mon, 08 Sep 2025 13:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/rs-90-lakh-rs-15-crore-segment-emerges-as-most-preferred-among-36-pc-indian-homebuyers-637084.html New Delhi Sep 8 More than 36 per cent of potential homebuyers in India chose the Rs 90 lakh to Rs 15 crore segment as their most preferred option in the first half of 2025 suggesting a greater trend towards premium and luxury real estate a report said on Monday Meanwhile 25 per cent prefer homes priced between Rs 45 lakh and Rs 90 lakh ANAROCK said in its reportAccording to the report more than 65 per cent of the prospective buyers are entering the market as endusers with investors appearing to be taking a measured pauseAmong all cities Bengaluru has the largest share 43 per cent of buyers seeking property specifically for investment the remaining 57 per cent are endusers the report notedThe report highlights that DelhiNCR has the lowest share of investors at 26 per cent with 74 per cent seeking to buy as endusersAround 63 per cent of buyers consider real estate as the most preferred investment asset class a 4 per cent increase over the previous yearThe report also stated that 62 per cent of aspiring buyers of affordable housing are dissatisfied with the current available options in the market with 92 per cent of these being unhappy with the project locationsAs much as 90 per cent of buyers stated that these projects are of low construction quality and are poorly designed whereas 77 per cent of respondents find the unit sizes too small to be of utility and interest the report highlightedThese findings dovetail disturbingly with the documented demand contraction for affordable housing or homes priced at or under Rs 45 lakh said Anuj Puri Chairman ANAROCK GroupThe report highlighted that rising home prices are a major concern for over 81 per cent of property seekers across IndiaThe top seven cities have seen average residential prices rise by over 50 per cent in the last two years from Rs 6001 per square feet in Q2 2023 to Rs 8990 square feet by Q2 2025 IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/rs-90-lakh-rs-15-crore-segment-emerges-as-most-preferred-among-36-pc-indian-homebuyers-637084.html Mon, 08 Sep 2025 13:25:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/gst-reforms-to-encourage-virtuous-cycle-of-economic-growth-for-food-processing-sector-637103.html New Delhi Sep 8 The food processing sector has been a major beneficiary in the rationalisation of tax rates with most products witnessing a decline to 5 per cent GST slab encouraging a virtuous cycle of economic growth the government said on Monday The simplified tax structure brings uniformity across food items with reduced number of tax slabs A stable tax environment will help businesses plan longterm investments encourage compliance and drive economic growthThe consumers will witness overall reduced food prices making staples more affordable This in turn stimulates consumer demands FMCG and packaged food businesses are expected to see an uptick in salesAdditionally the simplification aids businesses by reducing compliance costs and lowering litigation risk said the Ministry of Food Processing IndustriesThe new structure helps correct inverted duty cases when inputs were taxed higher than finished products This provides immediate relief for strengthening the value chains in the food sector improving liquidity especially for MSMEs reduce working capital blockage and promote domestic value additionThe new structure eliminates classification disputes arising from varying tax rates for similar products For example packaged vs loose paneer or parathas previously had different rates but now follow a clearer structure and greatly reduces classification disputesBesides rate cuts the Council approved procedural reforms through streamlined registration and return filing provisional refund mechanisms especially for inverted duty claims and implementation of GSTAT Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal to expedite appeal resolution and reduce litigationOverall the manufacturing sector is set for a boost The lower GST rates on consumer goods and the resultant lower prices could potentially set off a virtuous cycle of increased demand and growth for the industry said the ministryGST rate cuts will result in lower retail prices which in turn will increase demand for manufactured products including processed food productsWith increased demand and positive business sentiment and reduction in compliance burden investments are expected to rise With increased demand expected rise in investment and formalisation of industry more employments opportunities are expected to be generated in the sector and economy as wholeThe incomes and remunerations of the farmers and food processors are expected to rise by way of increase in consumption and investment in the economy increasing the foodprocessing infrastructure level of processing and value addition and reduction in postharvest losses said the ministry IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/gst-reforms-to-encourage-virtuous-cycle-of-economic-growth-for-food-processing-sector-637103.html Mon, 08 Sep 2025 14:27:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/whatsapp-faces-outage-in-india-users-unable-to-send-messages-and-post-status-updates-637121.html New Delhi Sep 8 Popular messaging platform WhatsApp faced a major outage on Monday leaving thousands of users across India struggling to send messages or upload status updates According to outagetracking website Downdetector there were 410 reports by 220 pmAmong those 54 per cent of users complained about server connection issues while 24 per cent reported problems with WhatsApp on desktop and 22 per cent flagged disruptions on the mobile appThe outagetracking platform only reports an incident when the number of problem reports is significantly higher than the typical volume for that time of dayFrustrated users took to social media to share their experiences One user posted aunties and uncles sending good morning gifs in the WhatsApp GC lemme put this bag down and go to bed Another wrote simply WhatsApp is downAnother user on the social media platform X posted Whatsapp web down Other user commented Yes its not just you WhatsApp is down globallyConfirming the outage another user posted Yea my WhatsApp is down tooHowever Meta has not issued an official statement yet on the reason behind the disruptionThis is not the first time the Metaowned platform has gone offline this year In April WhatsApp suffered a similar outage leaving users unable to send messages or post status updates for several hoursAccording to Down Detector at least 81 per cent users reported problems with sending messages on April 12 while 16 per cent with overall app experienceEarlier in February the app also faced a massive global outage with complaints pouring in about connectivity issues on WhatsApp Web the mobile app and callsThat time users were unable to connect or send messages via the WhatsApp app or WhatsApp Web or make any calls Down Detector reported over 9000 complaints on that day the data showed IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/whatsapp-faces-outage-in-india-users-unable-to-send-messages-and-post-status-updates-637121.html Mon, 08 Sep 2025 15:08:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/data-driven-pricing-could-unlock-massive-potential-in-indias-750-billion-industrial-goods-sector-report-637124.html New Delhi Sep 8 Less than 40 per cent of companies in Indias industrial goods manufacturing sector currently use datadriven pricing strategies offering huge room for future growth a report said on Monday These companies moving to advanced analyticsdriven pricing could unlock significant potential in Indias 750 billion industrial goods sector the Boston Consulting Group BCG report saidThe sector currently contributes nearly 13 per cent of GDP but is lagging behind global competitors due to outdated pricing practices The firm also noted that more Indian companies are nowadays adjusting their prices more frequently becoming more agile in responding to market shifts compared with previous yearsThe study revealed that more than 60 per cent of companies rely on traditional costplus pricing or uniform list pricing with less than 40 per cent utilising datadriven customer or dealspecific pricing strategies Global players are increasingly using advanced analytics realtime intelligence AIdriven insights and valuebased pricing strategiesIn Indias industrial goods sector pricing remains largely a backoffice function with limited executive ownership and reliance on uniform list pricing Global peers are shifting to dynamic pricing Games powered by analytics realtime intelligence and valuebased strategies to unlock growth and margins said BCG Partner amp Director Kiran PudiIndustry leaders need to drive investments in advanced pricing models digital infrastructure and organisational design to make pricing a true source of competitive advantage the firm notedAnalysts have said that the GST rate cuts on capital goods and industrial inputs will bring down manufacturing costsIndias industrial growth based on the Index of Industrial Production IIP rose to a fourmonth high of 35 per cent in July driven by a strong performance in the manufacturing sector according to the latest data from the government The industrial growth rate has accelerated in July from 15 per cent in June IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/data-driven-pricing-could-unlock-massive-potential-in-indias-750-billion-industrial-goods-sector-report-637124.html Mon, 08 Sep 2025 15:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/ipo-bound-glass-wall-systems-revenue-drops-13-pc-in-fy25-drhp-shows-637144.html Mumbai Sep 8 Premium facade and fenestration solutions provider Glass Wall Systems India Limited which filed its Draft Red Herring Prospectus DRHP with SEBI for an Initial Public Offering IPO reported a 13 per cent fall in revenue for the year ended March 31 Mumbaibased companys revenue from operations stood at Rs 2447 crore in FY25 compared to Rs 2821 crore in FY24 according to its DRHPHowever its restated profit for the year jumped sharply to Rs 438 crore compared to Rs 119 crore in the previous year supported by lower expensesIn FY25 the company generated Rs 1147 crore in revenue from overseas operations a significant jump from Rs 156 crore in FY23As of August 31 it had a domestic order book worth Rs 4219 crore international orders worth Rs 1354 crore and Rs 673 crore in orders for its fenestration business under Yes SystemsThe IPO will consist of a fresh issue of shares worth up to Rs 60 crore and an offerforsale OFS of up to 40234552 shares by promoters Jawahar Hariram Hemrajani Eshan Jawahar Hemrajani Amit Jawahar Hemrajani and Vinne Jawahar Hemrajani along with investors India Business Excellence Fund IIA and Vistra ITCL India LimitedA portion of the issue will be reserved for employees with a discount offered in that categoryFrom the fresh issue proceeds Glass Wall Systems plans to use Rs 50 crore for setting up a glass processing unit GPU Project at its Vile Bhagad facility in Maharashtra as part of its backward integration strategy The rest will go towards general corporate purposesGlass Wall Systems operates across three business verticals domestic facade solutions international façade product supply and premium fenestration solutionsThe companys main manufacturing unit is located in Vile Bhagad Maharashtra with an installed capacity of 140 panels per month as of MarchThe facility spread across 20295 square meters is being expanded further by another 18211 square metersIIFL Capital and Motilal Investment Advisors are the bookrunning lead managers for the IPO while MUFG Intime India Private Limited is the registrarThe companys shares are proposed to be listed on both the BSE and NSE IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/ipo-bound-glass-wall-systems-revenue-drops-13-pc-in-fy25-drhp-shows-637144.html Mon, 08 Sep 2025 16:17:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/gandhinagar-to-get-state-level-data-centre-for-revenue-records-by-2026-637148.html Gandhinagar Sep 8 Citizens in Gujarat will soon be able to access copies of their revenue documents with a single click Revenue Minister Jagdish Vishwakarma announced in the Assembly on Monday Responding to a query about the upcoming statelevel Data Centre he said that digitisation of key records including 712 extracts maps measurement details and other documents under the Revenue Department and land offices has already been completedThe Data Centre to be built in Sector14 Gandhinagar will be a sevenstorey facility covering 244725 sq ft It will house a modern record room with compactor systems a conference and training hall and even a museum The construction is expected to be completed by December 2026Significantly the centre will also preserve historic land measurement records dating back to 1888 from the colonial eraVishwakarma said the project aims to provide citizens seamless digital access to land records while ensuring secure backup storage in case districtlevel archives are damaged or destroyed due to natural or manmade disastersThis advanced Data Centre will ensure that even if original documents are lost a copy can always be retrieved he told the HouseIn the Gujarat Budget for the fiscal year 202425 the Revenue Department has been allocated the budget of Rs 16623 croreThis allocation is part of the states total budget of Rs 332 lakh crore which reflects a comprehensive vision focusing on economic growth women empowerment education and infrastructure developmentThe Revenue Departments budget encompasses various initiatives aimed at digitizing land records enhancing disaster preparedness and improving administrative efficiencyNotably the department is working towards establishing a statelevel data storage center in Gandhinagar which will facilitate seamless access to revenue documents for citizensAdditionally the department has been instrumental in implementing safety measures such as the 100 per cent inspection of boilers across the state which was achieved with an allocation of Rs 22 crore IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/gandhinagar-to-get-state-level-data-centre-for-revenue-records-by-2026-637148.html Mon, 08 Sep 2025 17:06:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/iesa-hails-gst-reforms-on-batteries-seeks-relief-on-ev-parts-charging-services-637159.html New Delhi Sep 8 Industry body India Energy Storage Alliance IESA on Saturday welcomed the new GST 20 regime that rationalised tax rates on advanced batteries but requested the government to consider lowering tax on EV parts from 1828 per cent slabs to a 5 per cent slab Under the revised GST structure all batteries including lithiumion sodiumion flow and metalair chemistries will now be taxed at a uniform 18 per cent This replaces the earlier regime where lithiumion batteries attracted 18 per cent GST while other chemistries were levied 28 per centThe IESA welcomed this move as a landmark step that provides a level playing field for nonlithium technologies and encourages innovation in longduration energy storageHowever a few major recommendations remain pending and are under active consideration The request to reduce GST on parts used in the manufacture of electric vehicles from 18 per cent or 28 per cent to 5 per cent remains under review as the Fitment Committee cited concerns regarding an inverted duty structure the industry body said in a releaseIESA President Debmalya Sen said For the Clean Hydrogen ecosystem Ammonia GST has been reduced from 18 per cent to 5 per cent and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles not longer than 4m GST from 12 per cent to 5 per cent While the IESA had passed on other recommendations too we are delighted that some of our recommendations were consideredRegarding the remaining pending proposals the IESA urged ongoing engagement to address duty inversion and further support domestic manufacturingSimilarly proposals to cut GST on EV charging and battery swapping services from 18 per cent to 5 per cent or to treat them as a supply of electricity have not been approved the IESA notedThe Council following Fitment Committee recommendations has agreed to clarify the nature of the service but will maintain current GST rates for now the release said IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/iesa-hails-gst-reforms-on-batteries-seeks-relief-on-ev-parts-charging-services-637159.html Mon, 08 Sep 2025 18:04:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/why-lowering-bp-threshold-to-less-than-12080-mm-hg-may-be-good-for-indians-637163.html New Delhi Sep 8 With cases of hypertension or high blood pressure rising significantly in India particularly among young adults lowering the BP threshold to less than 12080 mm Hg by the American Heart Association AHA may help raise awareness and push for earlier interventions in the country said health experts on Monday Hypertension is one of the most important modifiable factors in preventing heart disease stroke and deathFor the first time since 2017 the AHA recently updated its guidelines for people with high blood pressure The guidelines revamped BP readings from a 13090 mm Hg threshold for diagnosis earlier the AHA now defines normal blood pressure as less than 12080 mm HgThe updated BP guidelines by the AHA are highly relevant for the Indian population due to Indias rapidly growing rates of hypertension Dr Mukesh Goel Senior Consultant Cardiothoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Heart and Lung Transplant Surgery from a leading citybased hospital told IANSFor India these changes are significant With nearly 200 million individuals estimated to have hypertension lowering the BP threshold for diagnosis means a much larger segment of the population is now classified as hypertensive raising awareness and pushing for earlier interventions he addedGoel noted that the guideline changes can help combat the silent killer effect as many Indians dont know they have high BP until complications ariseDr Rajeev Jayadevan Chairman Scientific Committee IMA Cochin told IANS that it is mainly because hypertension produces no symptoms in early stages And among those who are receiving treatment not all of them achieve adequate controlWhile the new guidelines advocate for more stringent control of blood pressure based on recent large trials that point in that direction there are also other trials indicating that such an aggressive treatment of hypertension did not improve outcomes and in fact may lead to sideeffects such as low blood pressure fainting and kidney injury the expert saidThus he called for customising the treatment of hypertension based on individualsNotably the guidelines endorse potassiumbased salt substitutes for home food preparation except for patients with Chronic Kidney Disease or those on drugs that reduce potassium excretionThis is particularly relevant to Indian diets where homecooked salty foods are commonly consumed Dr Vivekanand Jha Executive Director The George Institute for Global Health India told IANSFurther the promotion of teambased management with involvement of community health workers ASHA and nurses fits Indias health system well especially in rural or primary care settings he addedAs cardiovascular risk factors are additive it is also important to avoid tobacco reduce alcohol improve exercise levels maintain a healthy body weight and follow a balanced diet avoiding excessive salt intake Jayadevan said IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/why-lowering-bp-threshold-to-less-than-12080-mm-hg-may-be-good-for-indians-637163.html Mon, 08 Sep 2025 18:06:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/meta-hiring-us-based-contractors-to-build-hindi-ai-chatbots-report-636936.html New Delhi Sep 7 Meta is reportedly hiring contractors in the United States at rates of up to 55 around Rs 4850 per hour to develop Hindilanguage AI chatbots designed for Indian users These roles are part of Metas larger plan to expand its AI presence in fastgrowing markets such as India Indonesia and Mexico according to a Business Insider reportJob listings reviewed by the publication suggest that contractors are being recruited through staffing firms like Crystal Equation and Aquent TalentThe work mainly focuses on creating characters for chatbots that will operate across Instagram Messenger and WhatsAppApplicants are required to be fluent in Hindi Indonesian Spanish or Portuguese and must have at least six years of experience in storytelling character development and familiarity with AI content workflowsHowever there is no official confirmation from Meta on the hiring move Although the report found that Crystal Equation has advertised Hindi and Indonesian language positions on behalf of Meta while Aquent Talent listed Spanishlanguage roles for what it described as a top social media companyThe decision to hire contractors for building localised chatbot characters highlights Metas effort to create digital companions that feel culturally relevant for Indian usersCEO Mark Zuckerberg has earlier said that chatbots could complement realworld friendships and help people connect more easily with digital companionsAt the same time Metas growing focus on AI chatbots has drawn criticism Earlier reports suggest that some of Metas bots engaged in inappropriate romantic or sexual conversations with minors gave misleading medical advice and even produced racist responsesPrivacy concerns have also been raised Business Insider previously reported that contractors reviewing chatbot conversations often came across sensitive personal details including names phone numbers emails and selfies sparking questions about how such data is being handledFollowing these reports US lawmakers have called for stricter oversight of Metas AI policies IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/meta-hiring-us-based-contractors-to-build-hindi-ai-chatbots-report-636936.html Sun, 07 Sep 2025 12:47:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/trump-threatens-more-tariffs-on-eu-following-google-fine-636747.html Washington Sep 6 US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose more tariffs on the European Union EU shortly after the bloc slapped a 295billioneuro fine or 347 billion on Google for violating antimonopoly laws Right after the EU decision Trump said on Friday on his Truth Social platform that Europe today hit another great American company Google with a 35 Billion Dollar fine effectively taking money that would otherwise go to American Investments and Jobs Very unfair and the American Taxpayer will not stand for itAs I have said before my Administration will NOT allow these discriminatory actions to stand I will be forced to start a Section 301 proceeding to nullify the unfair penalties being charged to these Taxpaying American Companies the US President addedThe EU announced on Friday a fine of nearly 35 billion against Google for abusing its market dominance by giving its own ad exchanges a competitive advantage over rivalsThe EU also ordered Google to stop these practicesIt is the fourth time Brussels has sanctioned the company with a multibillioneuro fine in an antitrust caseTodays decision shows that Google abused its dominant position in ad tech harming publishers advertisers and consumers Teresa Ribera the European Commissions top antitrust regulator said in a statementGoogle vowed to appeal the decisionThe EUs enforcement of digital regulations came up regularly during trade negotiations between the bloc and the Trump administrationThe EU announced earlier on Friday that Google must pay a 295 billion 345 billion antitrust fine for anticompetitive practices in its lucrative ad tech business marking its fourth penalty in its decadelong fight with EU competition regulatorsGoogle has also paid in the past 13 Billion Dollars in false claims and charges for a total of 165 Billion Dollars Trump saidHow crazy is that The European Union must stop this practice against American Companies IMMEDIATELY Trump posted on his social media platform Truth SocialA US investigation could serve as a big blow to the EU which landed a hardfought but controversial trade framework with the US this summerAlthough the 27 members of the bloc voted in favour of the framework many European leaders have since griped about it and a longterm trade deal with the US is far from a certainty IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/trump-threatens-more-tariffs-on-eu-following-google-fine-636747.html Sat, 06 Sep 2025 06:09:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/adani-power-druk-green-power-to-set-up-570-mw-hydropower-project-in-bhutan-636756.html Ahmedabad Sep 6 Adani Power and Druk Green Power Corp Ltd DGPC Bhutans stateowned generation utility on Saturday signed the shareholders agreement SHA to set up a 570 MW Wangchhu hydroelectric project in Bhutan An inprinciple understanding on the power purchase agreement PPA was also initialed and the developers also signed the concession agreement CA for the project with the Royal Government of BhutanThe agreements were signed in the presence of Bhutan Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay and Gautam Adani Chairman of the Adani GroupThe move paves the way for Adani Power and DGPC to initiate the implementation of the peaking runofriver Wangchhu hydroelectric project on a BOOT Build Own Operate Transfer modelBhutan is a role model for the world in sustainable development and we are very excited to play a leading role in the development of the countrys natural resources through this renewable energy project The Wangchhu hydroelectric project will critically meet Bhutans peak winter demand when hydro power generation is low During the summer months it would export power to India said SB Khyalia CEO Adani PowerThe Wangchhu project will see an investment of about Rs 60 billion in setting up the renewable energy power plant and related infrastructuresWith the preparation of the detailed project report already completed construction work is expected to begin by the first half of 2026 and the completion is targeted within five years of groundbreakingBhutan and India have since the 1960s worked closely together to harness the huge hydropower potential that Bhutan is endowed with This cooperation in hydropower has immensely benefited both countries and is considered the cornerstone of the exemplary and friendly relations that the two countries enjoy said said Dasho Chhewang Rinzin MD DGPCAs Bhutan endeavours to become a High Income GNH Gross National Happiness Country within the next decade access to reliable and affordable electricity from its renewable energy resources such as hydropower and solar will be critical to enable other investments to drive its economic growthBhutan therefore plans to add another 15000 MW in hydropower and 5000 MW in solar generation capacity by 2040DGPC is happy to be partnering with the Adani Group for establishing the 570 MW Wangchhu hydroelectric project Considering their technical and financial strength and the immense experience and expertise that the Adani Group brings to the table the project implementation is expected to be fasttracked and set a benchmark for other such projects Rinzin addedThe Wangchhu is the first hydroelectric project to be taken up under an MoU that was signed in May 2025 between the Adani Group and DGPC for jointly developing 5000 MW of hydropower in BhutanAdani Group and DGPC are engaged in further discussions for future projects under this strategic partnershipAdani Power part of the Adani portfolio is the largest private thermal power producer in India The company has an installed thermal power capacity of 18110 MW spread across twelve power plants in Gujarat IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/adani-power-druk-green-power-to-set-up-570-mw-hydropower-project-in-bhutan-636756.html Sat, 06 Sep 2025 09:51:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/trump-calls-workers-arrested-at-s-korean-battery-plant-site-illegal-aliens-636767.html Washington Sep 6 US President Donald Trump has described hundreds of workers arrested in this weeks raid at a South Korean plant construction site in Georgia as illegal aliens stressing that immigration officials were just doing their job Trump made the remarks during a press availability after US authorities confirmed that Thursdays raid at the electric vehicle battery construction site operated by Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution Ltd in Bryan County resulted in the arrest of 475 people a majority of them South Koreans reports Yonhap news agencyI just heard about that a little while before the news conference Trump said at the White House responding to a reporters question about the raid as part of his administrations immigration crackdownI would say that they were illegal aliens and ICE was just doing its job he added referring to Immigration and Customs EnforcementDuring a press conference Steven Schrank special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations for Georgia confirmed that the workers were arrested at the site during the execution of a search warrant as part of a criminal probe into allegations of unlawful employment practices and serious federal crimesThe investigation resulted in the arrest of 475 individuals and is focused on ensuring accountability for those who violate the law and upholding the rule of law he saidA diplomatic source in Seoul said that of the total more than 300 workers are South Korean nationalsSchrank said that the 475 people were illegally present in the United States including some who illegally crossed the border into the US some who came in through a visa waiver program that prohibits them from working and some who had overstayed their visasThose taken into custody include subcontractors working for a variety of different companies the official said noting that those who were illegally in the US are in the custody of ICE Enforcement and Removal OperationsMost of those arrested were brought to the Folkston Immigration Detention Center in Folkston Georgia on Thursday night They will be moved based on their individual circumstances the official saidAsked if there was any injury reported during the raid the authorities said that there was no substantial use of force and that there were no injuries reported other than an individual who was overheating and one agent who suffered a minor lacerationThe authorities cast the raid as the largest single site enforcement operation in the history of Homeland Security InvestigationsIn a press release the US Attorneys Office for the Southern District of Georgia noted that during the search warrant execution several people attempted to flee the locationA handful of people ran into a sewage pond located on the premises Agents used a boat to fish them out of the water it said One of the individuals swam under the boat and tried to flip it over to no avail These people were captured and identified as illegal workersUS Attorney Margaret Heap said in the release The goal of this operation is to reduce illegal employment and prevent employers from gaining an unfair advantage by hiring unauthorized workers Another goal is to protect unauthorized workers from exploitationThe office pointed out that all people are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubtSouth Koreas foreign ministry has voiced concern and regret over the raid saying that the peoples rights must not be unfairly infringed uponHyundai Motor America said based on its current understanding none of those detained are directly employed by Hyundai MotorHyundai is committed to full compliance with all laws and regulations in every market where we operate This includes employment verification requirements and immigration laws it said in a statementThe company said it will conduct an investigation to ensure all suppliers and their subcontractors comply with all laws and regulations stressing that it has zero tolerance for those that do not follow the law IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/trump-calls-workers-arrested-at-s-korean-battery-plant-site-illegal-aliens-636767.html Sat, 06 Sep 2025 11:16:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/science/first-telecom-system-with-india-made-chips-gets-tec-certification-636771.html New Delhi Sep 6 Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced that a telecom system using only domesticallyproduced chips has received certification from the Telecommunication Engineering Centre TEC The minister praised the development on X social media platform describing it as a big leap for the countrys semiconductor industryThe minister wrote on X Big leap for Indias semiconductor story In a first a telecom system running on made in India chips has cleared the standards amp quality tests TEC certificationTEC certification is the Department of Telecommunications quality benchmark ensuring telecom equipment meets strict performance and safety standards Along with the nod for domestic rollout the approval has positioned Indias local chips alongside global counterparts opening export opportunitiesThe milestone indicates progress in reducing reliance on imported semiconductors a vulnerability highlighted by recent global shortages Analysts say Indias strategy of enhancing capacity in design assembly testing and integration allows it to address supply chain gapsAs Taiwan South Korea Japan China and the US dominate chip production their concentration creates supply chain risks which India seeks to mitigateSemiconductor equipment manufacturer ASML Holding NV a global leader in semiconductor lithography has recently announced its intention to strengthen its partnership with Indian businesses in the upcoming yearThe India Semiconductor Mission ISM was launched in 2021 with a Production Linked Incentive PLI scheme worth Rs 76000 crore to boost domestic manufacturing and design in the semiconductor sectorApproved projects under this scheme total 160 lakh crore including Tata Electronics 91000 crore fab in Dholera Microns 22516 crore packaging facility in Sanand and CG Powers new OSAT pilot line that started operations in AugustIndia is focusing on mature nodes in the 28nm65nm range essential for telecom automotive and industrial applications Indias semiconductor market stood at 38 billion in 2023 and is expected to hit 45 to 50 billion in 202425 and 100 to 110 billion by 2030 Globally the semiconductor market is projected to grow to 1 trillion by the same year IANS https://dailyworld.in/science/first-telecom-system-with-india-made-chips-gets-tec-certification-636771.html Sat, 06 Sep 2025 11:28:00 +0530