Month: November 2023

US charges Indian man with conspiracy to kill Khalistani separatist in New York

Manish Kumar

An Indian government official directed an unsuccessful plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist, who is also a U.S. citizen, on U.S. soil, the U.S. Justice Department said.   Federal prosecutors in Manhattan said Nikhil Gupta, 52, worked with the Indian government employee, whose responsibilities included security and intelligence, on the plot to assassinate the New York City resident who advocated for a Sikh sovereign state in northern India.  Prosecutors did not name the Indian official or the target, although they did describe the latter as a U.S. citizen of Indian…

Minutes Before Ceasefire Deadline, Israel and Hamas agree to extend truce for seventh day

Manish Kumar

A truce between Israel and Hamas will continue, both sides said moments before the deal was due to expire, though details of any official agreement remained unclear.  Qatar, which has led the truce negotiations, confirmed the pause had been extended until Friday.  There had been pressure to extend the pause to allow more hostage releases and additional aid into devastated Gaza.  Israel’s subsequent air and ground campaign in Gaza has killed nearly 15,000 people, mostly civilians, according to Hamas officials.  Ninety-seven hostages have been freed since the start of the…

Byju’s has been struggling with cash-flow problems, company falls from $22 Billion To Less Than $3 Billion In A Year

Manish Kumar

Byju’s, once the poster child for India’s booming startup economy, is struggling to escape a post-Covid funk  Byju’s has been struggling with cash-flow problems and is embroiled in a dispute with creditors over a $1.2 billion loan.  Tech investor Prosus cut the edtech startup’s valuation to under $3 billion, 86% less than its peak valuation of $22 billion last year.  The latest disclosure, made by interim CEO Ervin Tu during Prosus earnings call, came just days after the startup announced a ₹ 2,250 crore loss.  The company spent heavily during…

A controversial Nobel Peace Prize winner and US diplomatic powerhouse Henry Kissinger, passed away at 100

Manish Kumar

Henry Kissinger, a controversial Nobel Peace Prize winner and diplomatic powerhouse whose service left an indelible mark on U.S. foreign policy, died on Wednesday.  In the 1970s, he had a hand in many of the epoch-changing global events of the decade while serving as secretary of state under Republican President Richard Nixon.  In the India-Pakistan War of 1971, Henry Kissinger was heavily criticized for tilting toward Pakistan.  Kissinger’s reign as the prime architect of U.S. foreign policy waned with Nixon’s resignation in 1974. Still, he continued to be a diplomatic…

India’s Bioeconomy recorded 12 times increase in last 10 years, Dr Jitendra Singh

Manish Kumar

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said here today that India’s Bioeconomy recorded 12 times increase in last 10 years. Speaking after inaugurating the ‘National Plant Computational Biology & Bioinformatics Facility’ at National Institute of Plant Genome research (NIPGR) on the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the Institute, the Minister said, India’s bioeconomy stood at just about $10 Billion, today it is $120 Billion. In just about ten years, it has gone up by 12…

Under its State Support Mission, NITI Aayog held the Second State Workshop on Enabling Women-led Development through Entrepreneurship.

Manish Kumar

The Workshop held in collaboration with the Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) and the Government of Arunachal Pradesh was held at the Dorjee Khandu State Convention Center, Itanagar, on 24 November 2023. The workshop focused on the north-eastern region and was attended by representatives from all 8 north-eastern states. The Chief Guest, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Shri Pema Khandu, speaking in the inaugural session, announced the establishment of a Women Entrepreneurship Cell with initial funding of INR 5 crore to support women entrepreneurs in the state of Arunachal Pradesh. The Cell…

Towards a Brighter Tomorrow: India’s G20 Presidency and the Dawn of a New Multilateralism

Manish Kumar

Today marks 365 days since India assumed the G20 Presidency. It is a moment to reflect, recommit, and rejuvenate the spirit of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future.’ As we undertook this responsibility last year, the global landscape grappled with multifaceted challenges: recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, looming climate threats, financial instability, and debt distress in developing nations, all amid declining multilateralism. In the midst of conflicts and competition, development cooperation suffered, impeding progress. Assuming the G20 Chair, India sought to offer the world an alternative to status…

After high voltage campaign Telangana Votes, BJP And Congress Aim to Stop KCR Hat-Trick

Manish Kumar

After days of high-octane campaign, the state is polling today to elect 119 members to the Telangana Legislative Assembly.   The ruling BRS faces challenges from the Congress and the BJP – amid anti-incumbency buzz.   Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is banking on social welfare schemes to win a third consecutive term.  Voters are exercising their franchise in 35,655 polling stations set up across the state. There are 3.26 crore eligible voters in the state.   Telangana is the last of five states – the others were Madhya Pradesh,…

Railways introduce Vande Bharat Express Special train on THIS route | Know distance, travel time

Manish Kumar

This Vande Bharat Express special train will function as a weekly service, only on Wednesdays. This semi-high-speed train will be operational until December 27, 2023. Vande Bharat Express Special train: Good news for rail passengers! Indian Railways has introduced another Vande Bharat Express Special train from Dr MGR Chennai Central Station in Tamil Nadu to Karnataka’s Mysuru Junction. Introduced in 2019, the semi-high-speed train has gained popularity among commuters. The addition of this new train brings the total number of Vande Bharat Special trains to five. These trains, adorned in blue…

Telangana Assembly Elections: Election officer suspended after cash seizure ahead of polls

Manish Kumar

The incident occurred amid the heightened enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct, resulting in significant seizures of cash, liquor, and other items totaling Rs 737 crores statewide, with cash seizures reaching Rs 301.93 crores. A significant development unfolded in the prelude to the Telangana Assembly elections as Election Commission officials apprehended an excise inspector allegedly distributing cash to voters. Inspector A. Anjith Rao, associated with the Prohibition and Excise Department, was reportedly seized with Rs 6 lakhs in cash by Congress supporters near Medipalli, Changicherla, close to Hyderabad, on…