THE HEADLINES:
• President Droupadi Murmu calls upon higher educational institutions to take new steps in field of Artificial Intelligence.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi stresses on greater use of traditional knowledge and AI for wildlife conservation and management.
• India has over 6,300 river dolphins in the country, states first-ever estimation report.
• Government accords Navratna status to Indian Railway Finance Corporation and Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation.
• India and Belgium explore defense engagements in Indo-Pacific, particularly in maritime domain.
• Financial awareness among women in India increases by 42 percent from previous year, says NITI Aayog report.
• And, in Men’s Cricket, India to face Australia in the first semifinal of ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai tomorrow.
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President Droupadi Murmu has called upon the heads of higher educational institutions to take new steps in the field of Artificial Intelligence. President Murmu made these remarks during her inaugural address at the two-day Visitor’s Conference which began at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi today.
The President said, the heads of the institutions of higher learning have a crucial role in achieving the goal of establishing India as an important center of the knowledge economy. She emphasized the need to pay significant attention to research along with education
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called for greater use of traditional knowledge and Artificial intelligence (AI) to support conservation and management of wildlife and forests. He also emphasized the use of AI, machine learning, remote sensing and geospatial mapping to combat issues like forest fires and human-animal conflicts. The Prime Minister was speaking while chairing the 7th meeting of the National Board for Wildlife at Sasan Gir in Junagadh district of Gujarat on the occasion of World Wildlife Conservation Day.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister released the report of the first-ever riverine dolphin estimation conducted in the country, which estimated a total of 6,327 dolphins. This pioneering effort involved surveying 28 rivers across eight states, with 3,150 mandays dedicated to covering over 8,500 kilometers. Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest numbers of dolphins, followed by Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam.
Prime Minister Modi also announced several significant decisions and findings to improve wildlife conservation efforts in India. These include foundation stone of National Referral Centre for Wildlife at Junagadh and initiation of 16th cycle of Asiatic Lion Population Estimation to be conducted later this year among others.
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Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said, the primary objective of the three new criminal laws introduced in Goa is to ensure swift justice. Mr. Shah today chaired a meeting to review the implementation of these three new criminal laws in the state with Goa Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant in New Delhi. The Union Home Minister highlighted the need to achieve a 90 percent conviction rate in criminal cases that involve a provision of more than seven years of punishment. The Minister also stressed the mandatory registration of all investigation officers on the e-Sakshya platform and directed the full implementation of e-Summons in Goa by the 31st of this month.
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The government has accorded Navratna status to the Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) and the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). With this, all seven Central Public Sector Enterprise of the Railway Ministry have received Navratna status. The IRFC has an annual turnover of over 26,000 crore rupees. The IRCTC has an annual turnover of over 4,000 crore rupees.
Talking to media in New Delhi, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, Navratna status means the organisation is strong and will contribute more to the growth of railways.
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India and Belgium today discussed the possibility of defense engagements in the Indo-Pacific, particularly in the maritime domain. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a meeting with Princess Astrid of Belgium and Defence Minister Theo Francken in New Delhi. During the meeting, they discussed ways and means to enhance defence industrial cooperation between the two countries. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Singh welcomed Belgian investments in the defence sector. He suggested that Belgian companies can play an important role by expanding their footprint in India and integrating Indian vendors into their supply chains.
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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has emphasized the crucial role of both the public and private sector in country’s economic development. Mr Singh was addressing the Armed Forces Flag Day CSR Conclave in New Delhi today.
More women in India are seeking credit and actively monitoring their credit scores. This was stated in a report titled From Borrowers to Builders: Women’s Role in India’s Financial Growth Story, launched by NITI Aayog in New Delhi today. According to the report, the financial awareness among women in India has increased by 42 percent from the previous year with around 27 million women monitoring their credit till December last year. The report shows that women’s share of the total self-monitoring base increased to 19.43 percent in December last year, compared to 17.89 percent in 2023.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today urged citizens to share more inspiring life journeys on the NaMo App Open Forum. In a social media post, Mr. Modi informed that from the inspiring journeys shared on the NaMo App, a few women will be selected for a social media takeover of the Prime Minister’s digital social media accounts on the occasion of Women’s Day on the 8th of this month.
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The Government has initiated five pilot projects for using hydrogen in buses and trucks. The sanctioned projects will consist of a total of 37 buses and trucks and 9 hydrogen refueling stations. The vehicles deployed for the trial will include 15 hydrogen fuel cell-based vehicles and 22 hydrogen internal combustion engine-based vehicles. These vehicles will run on 10 different routes across the country.
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The Commission for Air Quality Management today lifted the restrictions under stage one of the Graded Response Action Plan across the National Capital Region. The decision came after the air quality of Delhi improved considerably in the last few days due to the favorable meteorological conditions.
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The first session of the newly formed Delhi Assembly concluded today. A total of five sittings were held during this session which started on the 24th of the last month. During this session, newly elected members took oath and discussions were held on various important subjects. The Delhi Assembly today resumed the discussion on the CAG report on public health, infrastructure, and management of health services. The report was tabled by the Delhi Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta, last week. During the discussion on the report, Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh alleged that the CAG report exposed corruption of the previous Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi Government. He mentioned that all financial irregularities will be investigated, and action will be taken against everyone involved.
Taking part in the debate, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said, during the previous Aam Aadmi Party government, patients were given fake medicines.
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In Business news, Sensex ended with modest losses while Nifty settled on a flat note.
“The 30-share index at the Bombay Stock Exchange, Sensex, dropped 112 points to close at 73,086 and the National Stock Exchange Nifty-50 fell marginally by five points to settle at 22,119. In the Forex market, the rupee today appreciated by 15 paise to settle at 87 rupees and 36 paise against the US dollar. In the Indian Bullion Market, 24 Karat Gold was trading at 85,250 rupees per 10 grams, and Silver 999 Fine was trading at 95,780 rupees per kilogram. Brent Crude was trading at 72 dollars and 97 cents per barrel, and WTI Crude was trading at around 69 dollars and 82 cents per barrel, when reports last came in. VAIBHAV J. SRIVASTAVA FOR AKASHVANI NEWS.”
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Former Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch and two Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) officials have approached the Bombay High Court to challenge a special PMLA court’s order directing the Anti-Corruption Bureau to file an FIR against Ms. Buch and five others in a listing fraud case. The case, based on a petition by journalist Sapan Shrivastava, involves alleged stock market fraud and regulatory violations. The Bombay High Court will hear the matter tomorrow and has temporarily halted any action by the Anti-Corruption Bureau until then.
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In our bilingual live phone-in programme “Public Speak” tonight, we will bring a discussion on “Rising Obesity Concerns and Preventive Measures”. Assistant Professor, Department of Cardiology AIIMS New Delhi, Dr. Sourabh Agastam and Dietician Dr. Mala Manral will answer the queries of the listeners on the subject. You can ask questions on telephone numbers 011-23421050 and 011-23314444 from 9:30 PM onwards tonight.
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At the 97th edition of the Academy Awards in Los Angeles today, Director Sean Baker’s romantic comedy-drama “Anora” emerged as the biggest winner, taking home five accolades including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing and Best Actress. However film Emilia Pérez topped this year’s nominations with 13 nods. Adrien Brody grabbed the Oscar for best actor for the film “The Brutalist,”
Mikey Madison won the best actress for Anora.
Dune: Part Two secured two major wins, earning the Oscars for Best Sound and Best Visual Effects.
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Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya has criticized Congress and TMC leaders over their body-shaming remarks on Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma. In a social media post, Dr. Mandaviya said such comments undermine the hard work and sacrifices that sportspersons make to represent the country on the global stage.
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In Men’s Cricket, India will face Australia in the first semifinal of the ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai tomorrow. The match is scheduled to begin at 2.30 pm Indian Standard Time.
In the pre-match press conference today, Indian Skipper Rohit Sharma expressed confidence, emphasizing that India’s approach in semifinal against Australia will remain same as their previous three games. He said, pressure is on both teams but stressed that sticking to their plans will ensure success.
New Zealand will take on South Africa in the second semi-final of the tournament in Lahore on Wednesday.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN.
• President Droupadi Murmu calls upon higher educational institutions to take new steps in field of Artificial Intelligence.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi stresses on greater use of traditional knowledge and AI for wildlife conservation and management.
• India has over 6,300 river dolphins in the country, states first-ever estimation report.
• Government accords Navratna status to Indian Railway Finance Corporation and Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation.
• India and Belgium explore defense engagements in Indo-Pacific, particularly in maritime domain.
• Financial awareness among women in India increases by 42 percent from previous year, says NITI Aayog report.
• And, in Men’s Cricket, India to face Australia in the first semifinal of ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai tomorrow.
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