Government awarded 12 startups for finding innovative solutions to address problems faced by the animal husbandry and dairy sector. The ministry in partnership with ‘Start-Up’ India had launched the ‘Animal Husbandry Grand Challenge’.
The challenge was launched by PM Narendra Modi.
HRD Ministry announced amendments in the PM’s Research Fellowship Scheme including reduction in the required GATE Score & introduction of lateral entry option to attract students. It is also creating a dedicated ‘Research and Innovative Division.
Union HRD Minister: Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’.
CBDT amended 44G of Income Tax Rules, 1962 for making an application to invoke the mutual agreement procedure in Form no. 34. These rules will be called Income-tax (8th Amendment) Rules, 2020.
CBDT Chairperson: Pramod Chandra Mody.
The Mysuru-based Central Food Technological Research Institute, CFTRI developed by Spirulina groundnut Chikki, provides micro-nutrients & boost the immunity of people during the time of a pandemic. It is rich in micro-nutrients.
The Director of CFTRI - Dr K S M S Raghav Rao.
NTPC Vindhyachal (4760 MW) in Madhya Pradesh, NTPC Talcher Kaniha (3000 MW) in Odisha & NTPC Sipat (2980 MW) in Chhattisgarh achieved 100% PLF, demonstrating operational efficiency & optimum capacity utilisation despite lockdown.
NTPC Vindhyachal is the largest power station in the country.
The government increased its market borrowing estimate by staggering Rs 4.2 Lakh Crore to Rs 12 Lakh Crore for the current fiscal to deal with the expected shortfall in revenue due to the impact of the pandemic.
Govt would have to revise its fiscal deficit target from 3.5%.
Nomura and Goldman Sachs have cut their growth projections for India in the financial year 2020-21 (FY21). Nomura has lowered India's FY21 GDP growth forecast to -5.2% vs -0.4% earlier. Goldman Sachs expects the economy to contract 0.4 per cent in FY21.
Both groups expect the RBI to cut rates sharply.
TN govt set up the high – level committee to examine fiscal challenges facing the state owing to the pandemic and suggest the way forward to improve its fiscal position he committee, which will also consist of Finance Secretary S Krishnan as coordinator.
The Committee has 21 members.
In May 1980, the 33rd World Health Assembly issued its official declaration that the world is free from smallpox. It ended after a 10-year global effort that involved thousands of health workers around the world to administer half a billion vaccinations.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom.
National Institute of Virology, Pune, has developed first indigenous antibody-based ELISA test kit, COVID KAVACH, for diagnosis of novel Corona Virus. This test is expected to change the dynamics of COVID-19 testing in the country.
It can test around 90 samples in approx. two and a half hours.
Hyderabad based Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) lab has developed automated Ultraviolet systems, called Defence Research Ultraviolet Sanitiser (DRUVS) to sanitise electronic gadgets, papers and currency notes.
It provides 360-degree exposure of UV to objects placed inside.
The book ‘Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family’ by royal reporters Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand will be released worldwide on August 11.
Harry and Meghan quit as senior members of the royal family.
Defence Ministry signed a contract with Tata Power SED for modernisation of infrastructure of the Indian Air Force, Coast Guard and Navy at a cost of around Rs 1,200 cr. This is phase 2 of the MAFI programme.
MAFI – Modernisation of the Airfield Infrastructure.
The US-based private equity firm The Carlyle Group has agreed to acquire 74% stake in SeQuent Scientific Limited, the largest pure-play animal healthcare company in India, for $210 million (Rs.1587 crore).
Carlyle will buy shares at a price of Rs.86 apiece.
National Technology Day will be celebrated today. Keeping in mind the need to formulate an action plan to reboot the economy, thorough Science & Technology Technology Development Board is celebrating National Technology Day.
It is to be celebrated on the 11th of May every year.
Top-seed and favourite China were crowned champions at the FIDE Chess.com Online Nations Cup by virtue of superior points tally despite their final match against the USA ending in 2-2 draw.
India finished a poor fifth in the six-team event.
Indian Sports Administrator Narinder Batra’s term is extended as the world body’s congress has been postponed to May next year due to the pandemic.
Besides Batra, 4 executive board members also got extensions.
Betty Wright, the celebrated Grammy-winning soul singer, died from cancer. She was 66. Wright, known for her hits "Clean Up Woman" and "Tonight Is the Night," was nominated for six Grammys.
She won for best R&B song for Where Is the Love.
Eminent Historian Hari Shankar Vasudevan had tested positive for the novel coronavirus and succumbed to it. He was 68. He was considered one of the foremost names in Russian and Central Asian history.
He was involved in projects on Indo-Russian relations.
With an increasing demand for face masks to contain transmission of coronavirus, an IIT-Delhi startup named ‘Nano safe Solutions’ has launched an antimicrobial and washable face mask that can be reused up to 50 launderings.
Dr Anasuya Roy - Founder and CEO of Nano safe Solutions.
Mahindra now offers online solutions starting from car ownership, covering pre-purchase, purchase and post-purchase. It is a mass-market digital sales platform that allows customers to check on-road or transaction price offered by dealerships.
It is an easy four-step journey.