Year: 2023

Meta bans political campaigners and advertisers from using Generative AI in ads

Manish Kumar

Facebook owner Meta is barring political campaigns and advertisers in other regulated industries from using its new generative AI advertising products.  Its advertising standards prohibit ads with content that has been debunked by the company’s fact-checking partners but do not have any rules specifically on AI.  The policy update comes a month after Meta announced it was starting to expand advertisers’ access to AI-powered advertising tools that can instantly create backgrounds.  Alphabet’s Google recently launched similar generative AI ad tools and plans to prevent political content by blocking certain “political…

Sri Lanka fights controversy with controversy, refuses to shake hands with Bangladesh players

Manish Kumar

The Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh World Cup 2023 match at the Arun Jaitely Stadium in Delhi would go down as one of the most controversial ones of this tournament as well as in the entire history of World Cups.  Sri Lanka all-rounder Angelo Mathews was given out timed out in the 25th over. He became the first cricketer to be given out timed out in the history of international cricket.  As soon as Bangladesh got the winning runs, the Sri Lanka players shook hands with the umpires and walked off.…

Byju’s in talks with Joffre Capital to sell US firm Epic for about USD 400 million

Manish Kumar

Edtech firm Byju’s is reportedly in advanced talks with Joffre Capital Ltd to sell Epic for about $400 million.  Joffre Capital is a tech-focused buyout firm established by Chinese dealmakers.  Byju’s, with support from investors like General Atlantic, Prosus, and Silver Lake, had achieved a valuation of $22 billion in 2022.  The move is seen as an effort to secure financial support and alleviate the company’s ongoing financial challenges, according to sources cited by Bloomberg News.  Byju’s acquired California-based reading platform Epic in July 2021 for $500 million in a…

More than 60% of hospitals, and medical centres in Gaza are out of service, Israel says it is open to Gaza fighting pauses for aid, hostages

Manish Kumar

More than 60% of Gaza’s hospitals and medical centres are now out of service, according to a statement from the Palestinian Authority Minister of Health.  The Ministry said that 16 of 35 hospitals as well as 51 of 72 medical centres are no longer operational due to the fuel and medical supply shortages as well as the Israeli bombardment.  The Palestine Red Crescent Society has also issued an urgent appeal to international health and relief organizations to provide aid and supplies to Gaza.  More than 10,000 people have been killed…

WeWork, Once A $47 Billion Giant, Files for Bankruptcy In US; WeWork India Clarifies it is a separate entity from WeWork Global

Manish Kumar

WeWork Inc, a co-working company, was once a high-flying start-up valued at $47 billion that has struggling in the aftermath of the pandemic.  WeWork, the New York-based company listed both assets and liabilities in the range of $10 billion to $50 billion in a Chapter 11 petition.  WeWork’s real estate footprint sprawled across 777 locations in 39 countries as of June 30, with occupancy near 2019 levels. But the enterprise remains unprofitable.  WeWork’s bankruptcy filing allows it to keep operating as it chalks out a debt repayment plan.  WeWork India…

Iran Asks India To “Use All Its Capacities” To End Israel’s Assault On Gaza

Manish Kumar

Since Israel declared war on Hamas after the terror group unleashed mayhem in southern Israel on October 7, PM Modi has had regular telephone conversations with world leaders.  During the conversation with PM Modi, Raisi recalled India’s struggle for independence and slammed Israel for killing innocent civilians.   He supported the idea of an immediate ceasefire between the two warring parties and for humanitarian aid to be provided to Palestinians.  “Palestinian resistance groups have a legitimate right to confront the occupation of the usurping Zionist regime,” he said.  During the…

CSIR-CSIO and KAMP: Fostering Tomorrow’s Scientific Minds through an Inspiring Journey with Over 100 Young Scholars”

Manish Kumar

On November 6th, 2023, CSIR-Central Scientific Instruments Organisation, Chandigarh, hosted a dynamic Scientific Excursion in collaboration with the Knowledge and Awareness Mapping Platform (KAMP), welcoming over 100 enthusiastic students from Gudha International School, Rajasthan. This transformative excursion delved deep into the realms of science, technology, and innovation, igniting a spark of curiosity and passion for scientific exploration among the students. The event commenced with an insightful overview of CSIR-CSIO Chandigarh, led by Ms. Aashita Swami (Project Assosciate, CSIR-CSIO) providing the students with a comprehensive understanding of the institute’s pioneering work.…

CREST UNVEILING CEREMONY SURAT INDIAN NAVY’S PROJECT 15B WARSHIP

Manish Kumar

The crest of Indian Navy’s latest, under-construction, guided missile destroyer ‘Surat’, was unveiled by Shri Bhupendra Patel, the Chief Minister of Gujarat, at a vibrant ceremony in the city of Surat, in presence of Adm R Hari Kumar, the Chief of the Naval Staff, and senior dignitaries and officials from the State Government and the Indian Navy. The crest of Surat depicts the famous lighthouse at Hazira (Surat), located at southern entrance of the Gulf of Khambhat. Built in 1836, this lighthouse was one of the first lighthouses in India.…

Shri Amit Shah will also launch the logo, website and brochure of NCOL and distribute the membership certificates to NCOL members

Manish Kumar

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah will address National Symposium on Promotion of Organic Produce, organised by National Cooperative Organics Limited (NCOL), at ICAR Convention Centre, Pusa, New Delhi on Wednesday, 08th November, 2023. Shri Amit Shah will also launch the logo, website and brochure of NCOL and distribute the membership certificates to NCOL members. During the one-day symposium, objectives of NCOL, importance of organic produce along with role of cooperative societies in the upliftment of small and marginal farmers will be discussed. In line with…

Krishi 24/7, the first-ever AI-powered solution for automated agricultural news monitoring and analysis

Manish Kumar

Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) in collaboration with Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence (Wadhwani AI) developed Krishi 24/7, the first-ever AI-powered solution for automated agricultural news monitoring and analysis, with support from Google.org. Krishi 24/7 will aid DA&FW to identify relevant news, generate timely alerts, and take prompt action to protect farmers’ interests and promote sustainable agricultural growth through improved decision-making. The introduction of Krishi 24/7 addresses the need for an efficient mechanism to identify and manage agricultural news articles of interest to aid timely decision-making. The tool scans news…