INS Jatayu was commissioned at Minicoy, the southernmost island in Lakshadweep, strengthening the Indian Navy’s foothold and extending operational reach in the region. INS Jatayu will be functioning under the operational control of the Naval Officer in Charge (Lakshadweep), Southern Naval Command.
The crest of the INS Jatayu -depicting a bird signifying Jatayu, a character in the Hindu epic Ramayana -- was hoisted after the unveiling of the commissioning plaque. President Droupadi Murmu approved the crest. It was commissioned by Admiral R Hari Kumar, the Chief of Naval Staff, Administrator of Lakshadweep, Praful K Patel, Vice Admiral V Srinivas, Flag Officer Command.
In a release, CBDT has said that income of any fund, institution, trust, educational institution, hospital or other medical institutions referred to in section 10 (23C) of the Income-tax Act, 1961 or any trust or institution registered under section 12AA/12AB of the Act is exempt, subject to fulfillment of certain conditions specified under various sections of the Act.
Finance Act, 2023 provided that donations made by a trust or institution shall be treated as applications for charitable or religious purposes only to the extent of 85 percent of such donations. The clarification came in response to the concerns raised regarding the nature of the remaining 15 percent of the donation to another trust or institution.
In an effort to democratize future technologies and empower youth to innovate, Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog and Meta have announced the launch of Frontier Technology Labs. AIM and Meta will partner to set up FTLs in schools of strategic importance to ensure that students from diverse backgrounds across India will have equal opportunity to frontier technologies.
The FTL is an advanced version of Atal Tinkering Lab equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure, including all components of the Tinkering Lab to empower students to innovate using technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Augmented & Virtual Reality, Blockchain, Cybersecurity, Robotics, 3D Printing, and Internet of Things.
Accenture has launched a new artificial intelligence native learning platform to provide clients with comprehensive technology learning and training services that will help them reskill and upskill employees in technology, data and AI. Accenture will invest $1 billion in LearnVantage over three years and will acquire edtech company Udacity.
It will help to build on Accenture’s existing experience in learning and training to meet the rising demand for technology skills, including generative AI.
German technology major SAP has appointed Manish Prasad as president and managing director for SAP Indian Subcontinent. He succeeds Kulmeet Bawa, who takes on a global role to drive the growth and adoption of the SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP) for global customers.
Indian Oil Corporation Ltd the nation's top oil firm will in 3 months start manufacturing fuel used in adrenaline-pumping Formula One or F1, motor racing as it looks to expand its basket of niche fuels. IOC, which already has three branded fuels, including high-selling XtraGreen diesel, unveiled 'Storm' petrol that it will supply for the Asian region motorcycle road racing.
Rating agency CRISIL raised its economic growth forecast for India in the next financial year (FY25) to 6.8 per cent from 6.4 per cent estimated earlier, citing higher growth momentum. In its India Outlook report, it, said growth will moderate in FY25 from 7.6 per cent in the current financial year as higher interest rates and lower fiscal impulse will temper demand.
The report also expects the Indian economy to grow at an average rate of 6.7 per cent till the end of this decade. On the inflation front, the rating agency expects the softening to continue in the next financial year on the back of healthier agriculture output that tames food inflation , and benign oil and commodity prices.
Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the state’s own Over-The-Top (OTT) platform at Kairali Theatre. The platform, called CSpace, is India’s first government-backed OTT platform. The OTT platform is managed by KSFDC, a state-owned entity entrusted with the promotion of Malayalam cinema. A special curator panel is set by KSFDC to select content for the platform
MethaneSAT — a satellite which will track and measure methane emissions at a global scale — was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon9 rocket from California. Methane is an invisible but strong greenhouse gas, and the second largest contributor to global warming after carbon dioxide, responsible for 30 per cent of global heating since the Industrial Revolution.
The entity behind MethaneSAT is the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) — a US-based nonprofit environmental advocacy group. To develop the satellite, EDF partnered with Harvard University, the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, and the New Zealand Space Agency. MethaneSAT will orbit the Earth 15 times a day, monitoring the oil and gas sector.
The launch of MethaneSAT has come at a moment when the world is implementing more stringent methane management policies. For instance, more than 150 countries signed the Global Methane Pledge in 2021, to cut their collective methane emissions by at least 30 per cent from 2020 levels by 2030.
The inception of Jan Aushadi Diwas can be traced back to March 7, 2019, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced it as part of the Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP). This day serves as the culmination of a week-long event commencing on March 1, aimed at raising awareness about generic medicines and their potential to benefit millions of individuals
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to inaugurate infrastructure projects at the Indian Navy's Karwar base under Project 'Seabird.' These projects, including piers and residential towers, aim to strengthen India's maritime security interests. The expansion of the naval base, approved for berthing 32 ships and submarines, includes an iconic dry berth and townships.
The projects, executed with industry collaboration, are expected to boost the local economy and provide government employment opportunities. The first phase of Project Seabird, concluded in 2011, was designed to accommodate 10 ships.
The execution of Project Seabird involves industry leaders such as AECOM India Ltd., Larsen & Toubro, ITD Cementation India Ltd, Nagarjuna Construction Company, Navayuga Engineering Company Ltd., and Shapoorji Pallonji Group.
Ashwini Vaishnaw launched NITI Aayog’s NITI For States platform in New Delhi. It is a cross-sectoral knowledge platform designed to become a Digital Public Infrastructure for Policy and Good Governance. The significant features of the platform include a multi-sectoral live repository of 7,500 Best Practices, 5,000 Policy documents, 900 datasets and 350 NITI publications.
The knowledge products on the platform span ten sectors including Agriculture, Education, Energy, Health, Livelihoods and Skilling, Manufacturing, MSME, Tourism, and Water resources & WASH across two cross-cutting themes - Gender and Climate Change.
The famous Cuttack Rupa Tarakasi (Silver Filigree) has been given the Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai. The application for this was filed by the Odisha State Co-operative Handicrafts Corporation Limited and was facilitated by the Department of Textile and Handicrafts, Government of Odisha.
Filigree has been traditionally associated with fine craftsmanship and luxurious design in classical jewellery. The Banglar muslin is one of the popular traditional handloom craft of Bengal. The flavourful garlic from Riyawan village in Jaora tehsil of Ratlam district of Madhya Pradesh has been awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
Risa, a handwoven cloth worn by the indigenous communities of Tripura, has got the geographical indication (GI) tag. The lac bangles of Hyderabad has received the GI Tag. This is the second GI tag for a Hyderabad product after haleem. The traditional Majuli masks and Majuli manuscript painting in Assam were given a Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
