Page 76 - India

Doppler radar network to cover entire India by 2025, says Kiren Rijiju

Earth Sciences Minister Kiren Rijiju announced on Wednesday the India Meteorological Department will expand its doppler radar network with the addition of 33 radars over the next three years, ensuring comprehensive observational coverage across the country. During a press conference, Rijiju said India's weather forecasting systems have outperformed their global counterparts and delivered accurate results in recent years. He emphasised the significant enhancement in India Meteorological Department's (IMD) capacity since 2014 with the installation of new equipment. "Twenty-two doppler radars have been successfully commissioned during this period throughout the country, all manufactured in India, showcasing our self-reliance," Rijiju said. He urged the private sector to step forward and manufacture weather-forecasting-related equipment. Emphasising the crucial role of the IMD in light of climate change, Rijiju underscored the need to strengthen the department's observational ...

Coca-Cola registers Q1 volume growth in India despite 'challenging' summer

Soft drinks major The Coca-Cola Company on Thursday said it has registered growth in the beverage market in India despite having a challenging summer with rains, its Chairman and CEO James Quincey said. In the June quarter, China was affected due to specific local conditions and recovery was slowed in the second quarter. Consumer confidence is below the pre-pandemic level, he added. "In India, business was unfairly impacted because of unseasonal rain and cooler temperature of the quarter. However, the growth remained intact," Quincey said in an earnings call. Inflation is still elevated in some markets and impacting consumers in several geographies, making the consumer to be value-conscious. In some markets, it has started to moderate. "Five of our top 40 markets are currently experiencing over 20 per cent annual inflation," he said. In the June quarter, the company witnessed a growth in the unit case volume in developing and emerging markets like India and Brazil, said an earning

Conjunctivitis: Why are cases rising & how to prevent it?

Recently, there has been a surge in Conjunctivitis across the country with hospitals dealing with up to 20 cases a day. So, why are cases rising & how to prevent it? Watch the video to know.

Opposition MPs demand parl committee vetting of data protection bill

In a meeting held on Wednesday, members from the ruling side proposed the standing committee to adopt the draft report

Unfavourable rains impacts Coca Cola's business, growth outlook intact

It also gained value share in total NARTD (non-alcoholic ready-to-drink) beverages led by share gains in South Korea, India, Australia and Thailand

PM Narendra Modi likens Opposition unity to East India Company, PFI

'Bloc conduct suggests it has reconciled to remaining in Oppn forever'

'Encourage G20 guests to explore rich Indian culture beyond meeting venues'

A parliamentary panel has recommended that Akademis should "collaborate with tourism authorities and G20 stakeholders" to promote cultural tourism in India. Akademis should also encourage G20 delegates to explore Indian cultural treasures beyond the conference venues, thus promoting tourism and economic opportunities, the department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture said this in its report. There are three national Akademis - one of letters (Sahitya Akademi), another of visual arts (Lalit Kala Akademi), and a third of dance, drama and music (Sangeet Natak Akademi) - that promote India's artistic heritage. The "Three Hundred Fifty First Report on 'Functioning of National Akademis and other Cultural Institutions'" was tabled in both houses of Parliament on Monday. Akademis can initiate collaborative projects between National Akademis and cultural institutions from G20 member countries, according to a statement issued by the Rajya Sabha ...

India growth is competitive in dynamic market, says Unilever CFO

In the Q1FY24 results announced last week, HUL reported a volume growth of 3 per cent

Grassroot-level empowerment in focus during India's G20 presidency

A series of meetings, including several public events, have been organised under the aegis of Women20 and G20 Empower, with grassroot-level empowerment through SMEs and Self-Help Groups being in focus during India's presidency of the bloc, government sources said on Tuesday. Sources in the Union Women and Child Development Ministry, the nodal agency for both Women20 (W20) and G20 Empower, said a new chapter on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) has been added to the KPI (key performance indicators) dashboard to collate data on gender empowerment. The revamped dashboard will be launched on August 1. A KPI dashboard displays key performance indicators in interactive charts and graphs to enable quick analysis. The sources said a new focus area -- supporting women at the grassroots -- has been added to the best practices playbook/BPP this year. A best practices playbook has also been created in which 151 best practices from advocates from the private sector have been added. Three work

Widespread cereal shortages may further fuel India's inflation, says HSBC

HSBC has retained its inflation forecast of 5 per cent for the year ending March 2024 but sees higher risks if cereal inflation takes off

India to be world's largest economy by 2060, says UK MP Karan Bilimoria

British Parliamentarian Lord Karan Bilimoria has predicted that India will become the world's largest economy by 2060. India has overtaken the United Kingdom and it's now the fifth largest economy in the world, he said on the sidelines of the Investiture Ceremony of his alma mater Hyderabad Public School (HPS), Begumpet, recently. "The whole world is looking up to India. India is now, without doubt, going to be one of the three superpowers in the world very shortly. Within 25 years, my prediction is India will have a GDP of 32 trillion dollars and would be the second largest economy in the world. I go one step further, I believe by 2060 India would be the largest economy in the world," Bilimoria, Member of the Britain's House of Lords, told PTI. He expressed hope that the India-UK free trade agreement being discussed is "imminent". Trade between the two countries was increasing very rapidly and it is now over 30 billion pounds a year, the UK lawmaker noted. "But, I still think tha

India's food security under threat as climate change disrupts weather

India last week suspended exports of non-basmati varieties of rice after heavy monsoon rainfall damaged newly planted crops due to be harvested in winter

Mahindra Group to aid US companies to set up manufacturing base in India

The company further said that Mahindra Group offers self-sufficient industrial parks at strategic locations, and has the expertise to guide companies through the approval processes

UK-India FTA to provide fair level playing field: Chivas Brothers

Chivas Brothers, a leading manufacturer of Scotch whiskey, expects the proposed free trade agreement between the UK and India would provide a "fair level playing field" on customs duties for liquor companies, its Chairman and CEO Jean Etienne Gourgues said. He also said that the proposed agreement may also help increase investments and promote domestic manufacturing of premium liquor in India. The two countries have been negotiating a free trade agreement (FTA) since January 2021 and senior officials of both sides concluded the 11th round of negotiations. Currently, Scotch whiskey, imported from the UK - both in bottled and bulk - is taxed at around 150 per cent in India, however, if the pact between the two governments is signed, then it would provide liberalisation in tariff and will be a 'win-win' for both India and the UK, he added. Our expectation is a fair level playing field between India and the UK. When we export scotch whisky to India, we pay a very high tax of over 150

Union Minister shares big update on Chandrayaan-3 landing, details here

Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh shared a major update about the Chandrayaan-3 mission, as the probe successfully completed the fourth orbit-raising manoeuvre on Thursday

Pakistani citizen Seema Haider files mercy petition with President Murmu

Pakistani citizen Seema Haider, who entered into India in May without a visa, has filed a mercy petition with President Droupadi Murmu requesting that she, along with her four children, be allowed to stay at her "matrimonial home" in Greater Noida. Haider has also urged for an oral hearing from the president in her case. The petition, filed on her behalf by Supreme Court advocate A P Singh, was received at the President's secretariat on Friday. In the petition, Haider (30) states that she is in love with Sachin Meena (22) who lives in Greater Noida and she came to India with her four children to live with him. The Pakistani citizen claims she has converted to Hinduism and got married to Meena as per Hindu rites and rituals at the Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu, Nepal. "...Hon'ble madam, petitioner has found peace, love and happiness and a sense of purpose with Sachin Meena as a beloved husband, his father as father-in-law and his mother as mother-in-law that the petitioner never

India rejects Chinese automaker BYD's $1 billion factory proposal: Report

"Security concerns with respect to Chinese investments in India were flagged during the deliberations," the report quoted an Indian official as saying

India looks forward to strengthening partnership with Sri Lanka: Murmu

President Droupadi Murmu on Friday said India looks forward to continuing and strengthening its developmental partnership with Sri Lanka. Welcoming Sri Lanka's President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who had called on Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here, she said Sri Lanka occupies a special place in India's Neighbourhood First' Policy and SAGAR (Security and Growth of All in the Region) vision. "India's multi-pronged support to Sri Lanka in the last one year to tide over its economic challenges is a testament to India's long-standing commitment to bilateral relations with Sri Lanka," the president said. She emphasised that India has always stood with Sri Lanka during its hour of need and would continue to do so in future as well. The president said India looks forward to continuing and strengthening its developmental partnership with Sri Lanka under the leadership of President Wickremesinghe, according to a statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Murmu said "our partnership is endur

Nearly 26,000 cases disposed of by Supreme Court so far: Law Minister

The Supreme Court has disposed of nearly 26,000 cases so far this year while the 25 high courts have settled over 5.23 lakh cases, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal informed Lok Sabha on Friday. On Thursday, the minister had informed Rajya Sabha that cases pending in various courts in the country had crossed the five-crore mark. Citing data from the Supreme Court's Integrated Case Management Information System (ICMIS), Meghwal, in a written reply in Lok Sabha, said the top court had settled 25,959 cases till July 15 this year. The 25 high courts disposed of 5,23,338 cases till July 17 this year, he said, citing National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) data. Meghwal said the disposal of pending cases in courts is within the domain of the judiciary. "No time frame has been prescribed for disposal of various kinds of cases by the respective courts. The government has no direct role in disposal of cases in courts," he said. He said timely disposal of cases in courts depends on several factors

WFI elections on Aug 12, Maharashtra declared ineligible for participation

The much-delayed elections of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) will be conducted on August 12, it was announced on Friday, but the state of Maharashtra will not be part of the poll process as Returning Officer Justice MM Kumar declared that both rival factions were ineligible for participation. The ad-hoc panel had scheduled the elections for July 6 but it was forced to reschedule the polls to July 11 after disaffiliated state bodies from Maharashtra, Haryana, Telangana, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh approached it for a hearing, claiming that their dismissal was not appropriate. Panel heard the aggrieved representatives of the state bodies but the polls could not go ahead even on July 11 with Gauhati High Court staying the elections after Assam Wrestling Association (AWA) sought right to participate in the poll process. The Supreme Court then paved the way for elections on Tuesday after staying the Gauhati High Court order. The electoral college will now have 48 members wit