Page 109 - India

Working on contingency plans, possible evacuation in Sudan: Arindam Bagchi

As fighting between two rival forces rages in Sudan, India on Thursday said the situation in that country is "very tense" and it is focusing on ensuring the safety and well-being of the Indian community, including working on contingency plans and possible evacuation. New Delhi is keeping a close watch on the developments in Sudan besides being in touch with relevant countries, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at a media briefing and added that any evacuation plan will depend on the ground situation. "We are in readiness of taking multiple options. There are contingency plans. We are in close touch with our teams on the ground. But it will all depend on how long there is a pause in the fighting or a ceasefire; where it is happening, what is available in terms of locations where we can safely take people away," he said. He was responding to a question on whether India is looking to evacuate its citizens from Sudan. Bagchi also said External Affairs Minister

States to establish 100 food streets across 100 districts: Centre

The Union Health Ministry, in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, has written to the states and Union Territories to develop 100 food streets in 100 districts across the country. The initiative is being taken up as a pilot project to create an example for other such streets to come up across the country to ensure safe and hygienic food practices. The project aims to encourage safe and healthy practices among food businesses and community members, thus reducing foodborne illnesses and improving overall health outcomes, the Union Health Ministry said in a statement. In a letter to the states, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary Manoj Joshi highlighted that "easy access to safe and hygienic food is vital for the good health of citizens". "Safe food practices not only promote the 'eat right campaign' and food safety but will improve hygiene credibility of local food businesses, boost local employment,

Electricity demand hits record as heat boosts cooling device usage

The India Meteorological Department has forecast a hotter summer in parts of the nation, with temperatures already crossing 44C (111F) at some places

Centre to provide Rs 1 crore aid to states for opening 100 food streets

The Centre stated that the project's goal is to encourage safe and healthy food practices and that it will serve as a model for other food streets

Amit Shah chairs SCO meet on prevention, elimination of emergency situation

During the meeting, delegates from SCO member states shared information relating to large-scale emergency situations which occurred in their respective territories

Among countries with Apple Stores, India has lowest per capita income

India's per capita income of $7,130 is less than half of Brazil's $15,600, which ranks second lowest on the list of nations with Apple Stores

India aims to make 121 airports carbon neutral by 2025, says Scindia

Twenty-five airports in the country are using 100 per cent green energy, while another 121 airports will be made carbon neutral by 2025, Union Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia announced on Thursday. Scindia made the comments in his virtual address at the two-day EU-India aviation summit. He could not attend the event in person after testing Covid positive. "The emission contribution of the aviation industry has been under immense scrutiny. We have taken several measures to minimise the carbon footprint and mitigate emissions from the aviation industry," said Scindia asserting that India and the European Union have a common goal of tackling climate change. "We are encouraging our airports to use green energy by 2024 and achieve net zero by 2030. Twenty-five of our airports are already using 100 per cent green energy. Our target is to make another 121 airports carbon neutral by 2025," he added. The summit, which began on Thursday, will focus on EU-India air transport relations

India among 3 countries where vaccines' importance improved: Unicef

India is one of three countries out of 55 where the perception of the importance of vaccines held firm or improved after the COVID-19 pandemic, according to UNICEF. However, India is home to about 2.7 million of the world's zero-dose children, UNICEF stated. Zero-dose children are those who have not received a single routine vaccine. "Despite the increase in the number of zero-dose children to three million during the pandemic, India was able to arrest the backslide between 2020 and 2021 to bring the number of zero-dose children down to 2.7 million thanks to unwavering political commitment and sustained evidence-based catch-up campaigns initiated by the government, including the fourth Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) and its continued provision of comprehensive Primary Health Care services," said Vivek Virendra Singh, a health specialist at UNICEF. The public perception of the importance of vaccines for children declined during the COVID-19 pandemic in 52 of the 55 countries

India logs 12,591 new Covid-19 cases in a day, highest in around 8 months

India recorded 12,591 new Covid cases in a day, the highest in around eight months, while the active case burden increased to 65,286, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday. The death toll has increased to 5,31,230 with 40 fatalities, which includes 11 reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated. The total tally of Covid cases was recorded at 4.48 crore. The daily positivity rate was 5.46 per cent and the weekly positivity rate was 5.32 per cent. Active cases now comprise 0.15 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was 98.67 per cent, according to the health ministry website. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has surged to 4,42,61, 476 while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.18 per cent. According to the ministry's website, 220.66 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive.

India amplifying voice, concerns of Global South, says Ruchira Kamboj

India, during its G-20 Presidency, is amplifying the voice and concerns of the Global South and developing countries, the country's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ruchira Kamboj said.Speaking at ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development 2023 on Thursday (local time), Kamboj said, "The Voice of the Global South Summit held in January 2023, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was attended by 125 countries, including 18 at Heads of State/Government level and others at the Ministerial level."Furthermore, Kamboj said, during India's ongoing Presidency, participation from Africa is the highest ever, which includes South Africa (G20 Member), Mauritius, Egypt, Nigeria, AU Chair - Comoros, and the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa's Development (AUDA-NEPAD)".India's G20 Presidency reached its 100th event on 17 April with the Meeting of the Agricultural Chief Scientists in Varanasi. "Following the spirit of 'One Earth One Family One Future', India

India's population growth still below replacement level, says UN expert

While India's population at 1.4 billion has surpassed that of China's, the "latest big news" is that the population growth is below the replacement fertility rate in India

India races to get rich before it gets old as population surpasses China's

How quickly India boosts its proportion of city dwellers and whether it can create enough quality jobs to accommodate the shift carries crucial significance for its growth needs

India to surpass China as most populous nation in 2023: UN report

India has opportunity to benefit from demographic dividend with nearly half of population below 25, say experts

Indian operation to maintain high double-digit growth: KONE India MD

KONE Elevators India, a subsidiary of the Finnish multinational corporation KONE Corporation, on Wednesday said that it will continue to grow at a high double-digit rate in India, despite cost pressures, as demand from the residential and infrastructure sectors remain robust. The company has also announced the expansion of its Kolkata office, which serves the eastern region and export markets in Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan. "In 2022, we had grown strong by over 15 per cent and the growth trajectory will continue as India's growth remains strong. We aim to grow between 15-17 per cent in the current fiscal year," KONE India MD Amit Gossain said. He noted that the company's market share is currently at 25 per cent in the segment it operates, and that new technology-backed products and services will help push the market share further. Gossain expressed optimism about the Indian market, saying that it is the second largest market after China in Asia and that KONE has a presence in 60 .

Tech talent demand up in GCC, non-tech firms going digital in India: Report

The demand for tech talent has surged in GCC companies in India and other non-tech firms that are going digital as organisations are looking at rapid expansion across the country, according to a report. As per industry reports GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) companies in India are rapidly growing in number and are estimated to employ over 3.6 lakh people in the country in the coming year, business service provider Quess Corp's Skills Report FY23 revealed. Therefore, it came as no surprise that India has become an important hub for GCC firms and other multinational companies to expand their footprint and seek innovation prospects in the country and this shift is also increasing regional diversity in the industry with a rapid expansion of tech talent footprint across tier II and III cities such as Jaipur, Coimbatore, Indore and Kochi. Interestingly, it said that about 20 per cent of the lateral movement from IT firms has been absorbed into GCCs and other non-tech firms that are going .

G20 meet: Members support 3 priorities for health sector put forth by India

India put forth three priorities for the health sector in the second G20 Health Working Group meeting and received support from participating members, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said on Wednesday. The three priorities are health emergencies prevention, preparedness and response with focus on one health and antimicrobial resistance (AMR); strengthening cooperation in the pharmaceutical sector with focus on access to and availability of safe, effective, quality and affordable medical countermeasures such as vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics; and digital health innovations and solutions to aid universal health coverage and improve healthcare service delivery. Bhushan said that a draft of the declaration was shared with the participating members and preliminary suggestions have been received. It will be further worked upon before being passed in the G20 ministerial meeting to be held in August in Gujarat's Gandhinagar. The first meeting of the G20 Health Working Group w

KKR sees India, South Korea as sweet spots amid realty crisis: Report

Real estate investment vehicles overseen by KKR and its rivals like Blackstone Inc. have come under pressure, with many investors requesting their money back

Global population reaches 8 bn, UN urges to focus on reproductive rights

Concerns have also been flagged over the size of the world population, which is expected to peak around 10.4 billion during the 2080s

India's focus on digital health can serve as model for others: UN official

With India assuming the G20 presidency, the country's focus on digital health can serve as a model for other countries to replicate or initiate similar programmes which can accelerate their own digital health initiatives and improve health outcomes for their populations, a senior United Nations official said on Wednesday. Dr Karin Kllander, senior health adviser and chief of the Digital Health and Information Systems Unit in UNICEF Health Programme, said some potential strategies for replicating India's digital health interventions in other countries include developing a comprehensive digital health strategy, building a supportive regulatory environment and fostering public-private partnerships. She was speaking at the second G20 health working group meeting here. "India's success in digital health can be attributed to a well-defined digital health strategy that aligns with the country's health priorities. Other countries can replicate this approach by developing their own ...

Cries grow louder about depleting resources as India becomes most populous

Standing on the terrace of a three-storied building in Sangam Vihar, Asia's largest unauthorised colony, Dula Khan, 63, appears to be at a loss of words. But he gathers himself soon and looks at other roof-tops in the densely populated area, close to the Asola Wildlife Sanctuary, where the soaring skyline tells a distinct story of a delicate balance between rising population and available natural resources. Spread over an area of 5 sq km, Sangam Vihar has an estimated population of about 12 lakh and most of the residents are migrants from economically weaker sections. A large chunk of them depends on water tankers to meet their daily needs. Many blocks lack sewer lines and often the sewage spills onto the streets. There isn't an inch that has not been concretised and the water table has already gone down, says Khan. But he is worried about another issue threatening social harmony. Pointing towards the graveyard just 100 metres from him, Khan, the general secretary of the Sangam Vih