Govt plans to go Hi-tech to reduce wastage of fresh fruit and veggies
The Centre mostly procures foodgrains to be sold at subsidised rates and to maintain a buffer. Besides, it procures onions in large quantities and at times tomatoes to keep prices in check and maintain a demand-supply balance. It also sells fresh fruits, vegetables and other perishables through Safal stores under the National Dairy Development Board. Rajeev Rastogi, vice president, machine learning at Amazon, confirmed to ET the meeting held with NITI Aayog officials to get Johari deployed in government-owned centres. Key Points
Economic TimesTo help girls, focus on oversight, social evils
Haryana's sex ratio at birth declines and monitoring lapses and prejudice against girl children are key issues. Efforts against social evils must not be paused. Key Points
Hindustan Times'Medical team hasn’t ruled him out as yet': Rahul Dravid on Shubman Gill ahead of Australia clash
There is uncertainty over Shubman Gill's availability for India's World Cup opener as he is suffering from high fever. The 24-year-old opener also didn't attend team's three-hour practice session at Chepauk on Thursday afternoon. He's under the weather, the medical team is closely monitoring him. We are hoping he gets better soon. We will have to wait on more updates from the medical team, a BCCI official had said earlier. Key Points
Economic TimesStrategic collaboration: Arya.ag and Fortune Rice advance crop monitoring for agriculture
As part of this collaboration, Fortune Rice Limited will provide details of 2000 acres of farmland under monitoring. Arya.ag will provide comprehensive insights into crop health and growth patterns, empowering farmers, and agribusinesses with data-driven decision-making tools. Key Points
Economic TimesAfter EG.5, WHO flags another Covid variant BA.2.86
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a new sub-variant of Omicron, BA.X.BA.2.86, as a variant under monitoring (VUM) due to the large number of mutations it contains. The sub-variant has been detected in just five cases in Denmark, Israel, the UK and the USA; nonetheless, concerns have been raised over its large mutations, potentially exacerbating fears of further Covid-19 cases. Key Points
Economic Times
‘Monitoring the situation regularly, entire process to be non-disruptive’
"Yesterday there was no crowd anywhere. We are monitoring the situation regularly. I don’t think there is any concern or major issue which is coming off. Trade and business activities are going on,” Das said at an event organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Key Points
The Indian ExpressWHO tracking new Covid variant with numerous mutations. What we know so far
The lineage named BA.2.86 has been detected in the United States, Denmark and Israel, according to US Centers for Disease Control. | Latest News India Key Points
Hindustan TimesApple makes major progress on no-prick blood glucose tracking for its watch
The goal of this secret endeavor — dubbed E5 — is to measure how much glucose is in someone’s body without needing to prick the skin for blood. After hitting major milestones recently, the company now believes it could eventually bring glucose monitoring to market, according to people familiar with the effort. Key Points
The Indian ExpressTMC questions Governor decision on special cell
Violent scenes of ransacking and arson were witnessed during a Ram Navami procession in some area of Howrah on Thursday. Similar incidents of violence were also reported from the district on Friday. Key Points
The Indian Express2024 Apple Watch said to offer Blood Pressure monitoring and other features
Apple is reportedly planning to offer a Blood Pressure (BP) monitoring option to users with its Apple Watch in 2024, according to a report by Bloomberg. So far, some watches have offered support for BP, but the readings were not accurate and such devices are also not medically certified to offer the same information. Here are the details. Key Points
India Today
Setback for Vedanta: SC says Sterlite Copper's Tuticorin plan to remain shut due to 'repeated violations'
The Supreme Court upheld the closure of Vedanta's Sterlite Copper Tuticorin plant, dismissing the appeal to reopen it. The court cited repeated violations justifying the closure and emphasized the need for clarity in specifying violations. The plant faced closure in 2018 following protests against pollution, leading to casualties. Vedanta's appeal to reopen was previously allowed under local-level monitoring committee supervision. Key Points
Economic TimesBullet train project gets new head
In his earlier role, Vivek Kumar Gupta was responsible for the integrated functioning of Civil (Works, Project monitoring & Station Development), Electrical (RE), Signal & Telecommunication, Traffic, Finance, Planning, and Economic Directorates. National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) is a Special Purpose Vehicle with equity participation by Central Government through Ministry of Railways and two State Governments of Gujarat and Maharashtra. It is implementing India's first bullet train project. Key Points
Economic TimesMissiles, Jets, Radars: Here is IAF's Rs 3 lakh-crore strategic plan to counter China-Pakistan threat
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is taking steps to counter the challenges posed by China and Pakistan by upgrading their tactics and equipment. This includes the induction of fighters, helicopters, missiles, and radars worth Rs 2.5 to 3 lakh crore over the next few years. The IAF is closely monitoring the situation along the Line of Actual Control with China using intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. They have also deployed radars and surface-to-air guided weapons along the border. Key Points
Economic TimesNew COVID-19 variant BA.2.86 more infectious, capable of causing infection in vaccinated individuals: US CDC
CDC warns new BA.2.86 lineage of coronavirus may be more capable of causing infection in previously infected or vaccinated individuals. Key Points
mintGovt rolls out mandatory quality norms for smart meters, welding rods
Smart meter is an electronic device that records information such as consumption of electric energy, voltage levels, current and power factor. It communicates the information to the consumer for greater clarity of consumption behaviour and electricity suppliers for system monitoring and customer billing. Key Points
Economic Times
Bids invited to implement Vehicle Location Tracking System in U.P.
The Uttar Pradesh transport department is inviting bids for a company to implement a Vehicle Location Tracking System (VLTS) for public transport vehicles in the state. The system will monitor vehicles in real-time and ensure compliance with safety regulations. Key Points
Hindustan TimesManipur calm, curfew relaxed in 11 districts
The Army, meanwhile, continued surveillance of the hinterland and the Indo-Myanmar border. Unmanned aerial vehicles and MI17 and Cheetah helicopters have been deployed for aerial monitoring of activities. Key Points
Economic TimesFemale cheetah translocated from South Africa dies in Kuno National Park; 3rd fatality in 42 days
Female cheetah 'Daksha', translocated to Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park from South Africa, died on Tuesday, a forest official said. Daksha became the third cheetah to die in the KNP. Earlier, a female cheetah and a male cheetah died on March 27 and April 23, respectively. Daksha was found in injured condition in the morning by a monitoring team of KNP. She was immediately given necessary medication and treatment but she died around 12 noon, the official said. Key Points
Economic Times