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[ad_1] NEW DELHI: In a move towards sustainable energy practices, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has declared mandatory blending of Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) in the CNG (Transport) and PNG (Domestic) segments of the City Gas Distribution (CGD) sector. According to a press release by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, the introduction of the CBG Blending Obligation (CBO) is set to revolutionize the usage and adoption of CBG, marking a significant step towards import substitution for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and achieving a circular economy. Hardeep Singh Puri , the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Housing and Urban Affairs, emphasized the pivotal role of CBO in stimulating CBG demand, saving Forex, and contributing to achieving net-zero emissions. The National Biofuels Coordination Committee ( NBCC ), chaired by the Union Petroleum Minister, anticipates considerable investment of approximately Rs 37,500 crores and the establishment of 750 CBG p...

[ad_1] NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India's economic growth is a “natural by-product” of his nine-year-old government's political stability, as he expressed optimism that it will be a developed nation by 2047 with "corruption, casteism and communalism" having no place in our national life. In an exclusive interview with PTI late last week, the prime minister also stressed on the need for timely and clear communication of policy stance by central banks, and policy actions by each country in their fight against inflation so that it can prevent negative repercussions on others countries. While most advanced economies are facing an economic slowdown, chronic shortages, high inflation, and ageing populations, the Indian economy is acknowledged to be the fastest-growing large economy with the largest youth population. "For a long time in world history, India was one of the top economies of the world. Later, due to the impact of colonisat...

[ad_1] World Earth Day is an annual event celebrated on April 22nd to raise awareness about environmental issues and promote global efforts to protect the Earth's natural resources. The first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970, and since then it has become a global movement with millions of people participating in various events, activities and campaigns to show their support for environmental protection and sustainability. History The first World Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970, in the United States. It was organized by a group of environmental activists led by Senator Gaylord Nelson , who was concerned about the negative impact of industrialization and pollution on the environment. Senator Nelson wanted to create a national day of environmental education and awareness that would mobilize people across the country to take action to protect the planet. He chose April 22 as the date for the event because it fell between spring break and final exams, making it an ideal ti...

[ad_1] NEW DELHI: Leading bourse National Stock Exchange ( NSE ) on Tuesday raised the price band of four Adani Group firms, including Adani Power and Adani Transmission . The changes, which will be effective from Wednesday, will ensure that the price of the scrip cannot move upward or downward beyond a limit set for the day, according to a circular. NSE has enhanced the circuit limit of Adani Power to a maximum of 20 per cent from the current limit of 5 per cent. In addition, the exchange has increased the circuit limit of Adani Wilmar, Adani Green Energy and Adani Transmission to 10 per cent from the present 5 per cent level. The exchange has decided to revise the circuit limit of a total of 172 companies. In January, bourses BSE and NSE lowered the circuit limit of Adani Transmission, Adani Green Energy and Adani Total Gas. Generally, exchanges set the circuit limits to curb large movements in the price of shares in a very short time. The decision was taken after the heavy...

[ad_1] NEW DELHI: Flagging a CAG report that pointed to loopholes in the efforts to deal with plastic waste in the country, a parliamentary panel has expressed disappointment at the "lackadaisical" approach of the central pollution watchdog , CPCB , in dealing with the problem and asked the environment ministry to bridge the data and implementation gaps to fight the plastic menace. Though the panel, Public Accounts Committee (PAC), noted the ministry's efforts to deal with plastic waste since May 2021, its 57-page report underlined the absence of effective measures that could save people from the hazards of plastic pollution. The PAC report on 'pollution caused by plastic' was tabled in Parliament during the budget session. The 22-member committee, comprising MPs of various political parties from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, is headed by Congress member in the lower House Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. Plastic waste generation has increased substantially from...

[ad_1] NEW DELHI: Private forecasting agency Skymet Weather has predicted a bleak monsoon in India over the next four weeks, raising concerns about the impact on agriculture. "Extended Range Prediction System (ERPS) is projecting a dismal outlook for the next four weeks, until July 6. Agriculture heartland is looking rather cracked and parched. This coincides with the crucial time of sowing or at least preparing the field, with the hope of impending rains," it said on Monday. The central and western parts of India, which form the core monsoon zone, may face challenges in coping with the drying effects due to inadequate rainfall early in the season, Skymet Weather said. The southwest monsoon reached Kerala on June 8, a week after the usual date of June 1. Cyclone Biparjoy in the Arabian Sea first delayed the monsoon onset over Kerala and is now impeding the advance of the rain-bearing system, preventing it from reaching the interior regions of the peninsula, the privat...

[ad_1] BENGALURU: Early on Friday, scientists from the Isro Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (Istrac) implemented the fourth Earth-bound manoeuvre of Aditya-L1 , India’s first solar space observatory mission, that was launched on September 2. Today's manoeuvre happened at 2.15am. The spacecraft is now in an orbit of 256km x 1,21,973km, Isro said, adding that its ground stations in Mauritius, Bengaluru, Sriharikota and Port Blair tracked the satellite during this operation, while a transportable terminal currently stationed in the Fiji islands for Aditya-L1 will support post-burn operations. A day ahead of the launch, Isro had said that post launch, Aditya-L1 would stay in Earth-bound orbits for 16 days, during which it would undergo five manoeuvres to gain the necessary velocity for its journey. Subsequently, it would undergo a Trans-Lagrangian1 Insertion (TLI) manoeuvre, marking the beginning of its 110-day trajectory to the destination around the L1 Lagrange point....

[ad_1] HYDERABAD: Vaccine maker Indian Immunologicals Ltd on Monday said it has entered into a partnership with Bhubaneswar-based Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture ( CIFA ), an Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) institute, for the commercial development of a freshwater fish vaccine against Hemorrhagic Septicemia . Also called Aeromonas Septicemia , Ulcer Disease or Red-Sore Disease, Hemorrhagic Septicemia is an infection caused by Aeromonas Hydrophila, an opportunistic pathogenic bacterium, in freshwater fish. All the cultured freshwater fish species in India like Rohu, Catla, Mrigal, Silver Carp, Grass Carp, Common Carp, Medium Carp, Channel Catfish and Eel are susceptible to this disease, which is the scourge of fresh and brackish water fish farming worldwide and has emerged as a significant economic problem in Indian aquaculture over the past few decades, IIL said. Pointing out that over the years, antibiotics and chemo-therapeutants have been used for ...

[ad_1] NEW DELHI: Vaccines administered for COVID-19 did not increase the risk of sudden death among young adults in India but it was the post-Covid hospitalisation, family history of sudden death, and certain lifestyle behaviours that are likely the underlying causes, according to a peer-reviewed ICMR study. The study by Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR) was conducted through the participation of 47 tertiary care hospitals across India.Cases were apparently healthy individuals aged 18-45 years without any known co-morbidity, who suddenly died of unexplained causes during October 2021-March 2023. Interviews were recorded to collect data on COVID-19 vaccination, infection and post-COVID-19 conditions, family history of sudden death, smoking, recreational drug use, alcohol frequency and binge drinking and vigorous-intensity physical activity two days before death. "Lifestyle factors such as current smoking status, alcohol use frequency, recent binge drinking, recreati...

[ad_1] MUMBAI: Former ICICI Bank CEO Chanda Kochhar accepted " illegal gratification " of Rs 64 crore other than legal remuneration as a motive or reward and also "misappropriated the bank's funds for her own use", submitted the prosecution on Monday, urging the special CBI court to take cognisance of the chargesheet against Kochhar, her husband Deepak Kochhar and Videocon promoter Venugopal Dhoot in a Rs 3,250-crore loan fraud case. The CBI, through special public prosecutor A Limosin, said she conspired with the other accused to sanction credit facilities in favour of companies of the Videocon Group. The court will continue to hear arguments on July 3. In furtherance of a criminal conspiracy on August 26, 2009, a rupee term loan of Rs 300 crore was sanctioned to M/s Videocon International Electronics Limited by the ICICI bank committee of directors headed by Kochhar, said CBI. The loan amount was disbursed on September 7 and through a complex maze i...

[ad_1] UDAIPUR: The Indian Institute of Management Udaipur (IIMU) takes a significant step towards a sustainable future, with the installation of a 500 kW solar plant on its campus, marking a milestone in their Sustainability@IIMU campaign. This initiative aligns with the institute's commitment to reduce its carbon footprint and promote renewable energy adoption. The solar plant, set to cater to 30% of the institute's energy needs, is anticipated to generate approximately 2,500 units per day and an impressive 7.30 lakh units annually. This substantial energy production is expected to result in an estimated financial saving of 18 lakhs per annum, a testament to the economic viability of sustainable energy solutions. Additionally, the solar plant will offset an estimated 543 tons of CO2 from the institute's overall carbon footprint annually. In conjunction with the solar plant installation, IIM Udaipur has illuminated the campus by installing 200 solar street light ...

[ad_1] NEW DELHI: Isro is gearing up for the launch of PSLV-C55 mission next week and the lift-off is likely on April 22. Unlike previous launches, this launch is unique as integration of different stages of the rocket has been done in an innovative way to help reduce time in the assembly process. The PSLV-C55 is also the first rocket to be integrated at the new PSLV Integration Facility (PIF) and is said it will put a Singaporean satellite in space . During previous PSLV missions, the entire space vehicle was integrated at the first launchpad with the help of the Mobile Service Tower (MST). However, Isro is following a new approach with the PSLV-C55 mission as the first and second stages will be integrated at the PIF centre and will be transferred to the first launch pad via the new mobile launch pedestal (MLP). The new approach will allow the partial integration of a PSLV vehicle even if the first launch pad has been preoccupied with another launch and thus helps increase the...

[ad_1] LOS ANGELES: Researchers have discovered a new way to reverse the effects of fentanyl , which is 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine. Their research, which was published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, could lead to a new method of reversing overdoses, either through a new product or by working in tandem with naloxone. According to the Centres for Disease Control, 100,000 Americans die each year from overdoses, the majority of which are caused by the use of synthetic opiates such as fentanyl. While naloxone, the only antidote for opiate overdose , is becoming more widely available, it is less effective against fentanyl-class synthetic opioids. "The synthetic opiates bind very tightly to the opioid receptors," said Alex Straiker , senior research scientist for the Gill Center for Biomolecular Science. "Naloxone must compete with opioids for the same binding site in the central nervous system to cancel out an overdose. But during a fentanyl overdose,...

[ad_1] NEW DELHI: The Chandrayaan-3 mission , which was launched on Friday, “will take up the exploration of the Moon where India’s first lunar mission, Chandrayaan-1, left and in the process it will also look for resources that could sustain life” on the Earth’s natural satellite, Union space minister Jitendra Singh has said. In an interview to TOI , Jitendra Singh said, “Chandrayaan-1 was altogether a different mission as compared to all other space missions. This is because when India started its space journey in the early 1960s, then America was already busy with its Apollo manned missions to the Moon. Though the US had landed on the Moon decades ago, they had not found any evidence of water on the Moon in the past.” He said, “When Chandrayaan-1 found the first concrete evidence of water molecules on the Moon (in 2009), then it started a new chapter in space research. Nasa also showed interest in our Moon mission. Hence, Chandrayaan-3 will dig deeper and continue the resear...

[ad_1] SRIHARIKOTA: Isro on Friday successfully launched the LVM3 in its fourth operational mission and put the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft into the intended orbit. The launch vehicle’s smooth performance — it placed the spacecraft in the precise orbit of 36,500km as planned — has added to Isro’s confidence, which has spent nearly four years planning its third lunar mission. "Congratulations India. Chandrayaan-3, in its precise orbit, has begun its journey to the Moon. Health of the spacecraft is normal," Isro chief S Somnath said, adding: "Let us wish all the best for the Chandrayaan-3 craft to make its further orbit raising manoeuvres and travel towards the moon in the coming days." Mission director Mohan Kumar and the Isro chairman reiterated how the LVM3 has grown to become Isro’s most reliable heavy-lift rocket, while Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSCC) director S Unnikrishnan Nair, said: “Launching three LVM-3 rockets in one year is an herculean task an...

[ad_1] India's third moon mission Chandrayaan 3 will attempt the technically challenging soft landing on lunar surface on August 23, ISRO Chairman S Somanath said on Friday. Addressing reporters after the successful launch of the estimated Rs 600 crore mission, Somanath said the craft's infusion into the lunar orbit has been planned from August 1. The soft landing has been planned at 5.47 pm on August 23, more than a month after Chandrayaan 3 took off from the spaceport here piggybacking on the heavylift LVM3-M4 rocket, he added. [ad_2] Source link https://worldnews2023.com/top-stories/moon-mission-soft-landing-of-chandrayaan-3-planned-at-5-47-pm-on-august-23-says-isro-chief-india-news-times-of-india/?feed_id=34991&_unique_id=64b1c5d277fa6

[ad_1] NEW DELHI: The government on Wednesday cleared amendments to the Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Act, 1957, to allow private companies into exploration and mining of critical minerals such as lithium, people in the know said. The move coincides with efforts to encourage chip manufacturing in the country and comes within months of discovery of a large lithium deposit in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district in April. Private sector entry is expected to bring capital and technology for improved exploration and production of critical minerals that have applications across sectors — ranging from information technology, communication, medicine and defence to electric mobility. India is dependent on imports for meeting demand for critical minerals, especially lithium, cobalt, nickel etc. China accounts for 70% supplies globally. The changes follow the government recently publishing for the first time a list identifying 30 critical minerals essential for the countr...

[ad_1] India's battle with extreme weather events has reached alarming proportions as the nation faces the wrath of the monsoon season. The onset of 2023 was marked by scorching temperatures that shattered a 123-year-old record in February. The months that followed saw the intensification of extreme weather events. Scientists have identified the influence of climate change in exacerbating these occurrences, with April and June experiencing a heatwave that was made 30 times more likely due to global warming. The Arabian Sea witnessed the formation of cyclone Biparjoy, which lasted a staggering 13 days, becoming the longest-duration cyclone since 1977. This exceptional event underscored the changing patterns of weather systems driven by climate change. In fact, the year 2023 has witnessed a series of unprecedented climatic phenomena, indicating a disturbing new normal caused by climate change. At present, Northwest India is grappling with the aftermath of incessant and torren...

[ad_1] NEW DELHI: With Isro's most powerful rocket LVM-3 carrying the Chandrayaan-3 module on its tip standing tall on the launchpad in Sriharikota and the lunarcraft raring to begin its Moon journey next Friday, India is on the cusp of "becoming the fourth country after the US, Russia and China to land on the Moon", space minister Jitendra Singh said. "After a quantum rise in our space expertise, India can no longer wait to be left behind in its march to the Moon," he said. After landing on Moon, the space minister said, the Chandrayaan-3 rover with six wheels will come out of the lander and is expected to work for 14 days on the lunar surface. "With the support of multiple cameras on the rover, we will be able to receive images," Singh said. The space minister said the primary objectives of the Chandrayaan-3 mission are threefold: to demonstrate safe and soft-landing on the lunar surface; to demonstrate rover roving on the Moon; and to cond...

[ad_1] NEW DELHI: Patrons of McDonald's will have to do without tomatoes in their burgers for now, as some of the fast-food giant's India outlets have dropped it from their menu, citing "non-availability" of high-grade tomatoes. Consumers took to Twitter on Friday to report the missing veggie, at a time when prices of tomatoes have been on the boil. Tomato prices have soared almost 1.4 times to Rs 123/kg in Delhi. The average price across India was estimated at Rs 100/kg, against Rs 45 a year ago, according to consumer affairs ministry data. Aditya Shah, a Sebi-registered investment adviser, posted an image of a McDonald's store in Delhi notifying customers about "temporary unavailability" of tomatoes. "Despite our best efforts, we are not able to get adequate quantities of tomatoes which pass our stringent quality checks," read the notice issued by the management at Connaught Plaza Restaurants ( CPRL ), which runs the McDonald's nort...