Temple Adventures, a recreational scuba diving operator, has been conducting ghost net removal programmes since its inception in 2008, and with support from the Wildlife Trust of India since February 2018. Dive against debris “We usually find ghost nets about 12 km off the coast of Puducherry, at depths of …

The EC also put off an announcement on the schedule of bypolls to two Assembly seats in Tamil Nadu. Since an election petition pertaining to one of the constituencies was still pending in the Madras High Court, technically the vacancy had not arisen yet, the CEC said. Besides, around 10.30 …

What happened? On September 16, Facebook noticed an unusual spike in the number of times the platform’s ‘View As’ feature was being used. The feature allows users to see how their Facebook page will appear to another user. On September 25, Facebook announced that it had identified this as a …

With a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court lifting the decades-old ban on women in the 10-50 age group from entering the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple, it is up to the Kerala government and the Travancore Devaswom Board to ensure that women who may choose to offer prayers at the temple …

The Election Commission on Saturday said the “cVigil” mobile application for citizens to share proof of malpractices by political parties, candidates and activists would be available for use soon after the notification of polls in five States. The Commission had launched the application’s beta version in July, following a pilot …

Habitat for Humanity India, an NGO, plans to build or repair 6,000 homes of those affected by the deluge in Kerala. The initiative is being taken up by the NGO as part of the second edition of Jacqueline Builds — a unique campaign featuring Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez. The second …

Nadia Murad, co-winner of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, embodies courage When news came in that this year’s Nobel Peace Prize had been awarded to former ISIS captive Nadia Murad and Congolese physician Dr. Denis Mukwege, I realised just how powerful media can be. Dr. Mukwege and Ms. Murad were …

Aim is to advance deliveries of the system, though Russia was ready to accede to the condition The Rs. 40,300-crore deal between India and Russia for five S-400 air defence missile systems does not have any offset clause. India has decided to drop it so as to advance deliveries, though …

Airports Authority of India creates a simulated experience of security drills With the aim of dispelling any fear in first-time flyers and educating them about the mandatory security drill, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has recreated an airport experience at an international exhibition here. The AAI, which manages 130 …

Safe now in Bangladesh’s sprawling camps, refugees are haunted by the violence that forced them to flee and seek assurances before they return Mohammed Nikaruzzaman, the sub-district officer in charge of Kutupalong, can never forget the sight that he witnessed on September 6, 2017. That rainy evening, while driving towards …

International team to arrive tomorrow, will come up with plans for restoration after the deluge The International Centre for the study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), an intergovernmental organisation with headquarters in Rome, would be salvaging the cultural wealth affected by the recent floods in Kerala. …

The Election Commission on Saturday announced that the Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana will be held from November 12 to December 7. The results for all the five States will be declared on December 11. The model code of conduct came into effect in four …

This year’s science Nobels compel us to relook at evolution, and also at gender parity The Nobel Prize for Chemistry this year is a tribute to the power of evolution. The laureates harnessed evolution and used it in the laboratory with amazing results. Frances H. Arnold, an American who was …

The RBI chooses to stick to its core mandate, ignoring other pressures such as on the rupee The Reserve Bank of India pulled a surprise on the markets on Friday by keeping its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 6.5%. The decision to stand pat comes even as the central bank …

Internationalisation of the rupee will serve India well The Indian rupee was once a multilateral currency, its usage prevalent across the Indian Ocean in places as varied as Java, Borneo, Macau, Muscat, Basra and Zanzibar. The historic dhow trade ensured that the Gulf had a familiarity with the rupee for …

A trend of splintering of political and social alliances has picked up in Uttar Pradesh The State of Uttar Pradesh is fascinatingly diverse and a story in contrasts. It has a history of both intense political and religious contestation and of syncretic accomplishments. The State did not witness a social …

Last month in Rewari, a student on her way to class was abducted, drugged, and gang-raped by three young men. Ashok Kumar reports on how the growing crimes against women in Haryana are stifling their freedom and aspirations Rewari’s Civil Hospital is a drab, double-storey structure that caters to roughly …

Ukraine launched on Friday a park of photovoltaic panels at the former Chernobyl power plant as the country seeks to use solar power to give the scene of the world’s worst nuclear disaster a new lease on life. The $1.2-million, one-megawatt plant is located just a hundred metres from a …

NASA has announced the first crewed flight by a SpaceX rocket to the International Space Station (ISS) is expected to take place in June 2019. It will be the first manned U.S. launch to the orbiting research laboratory since the space shuttle program was retired in 2011, forcing U.S. astronauts …

Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg on Friday said the GDP growth is expected to be higher than the RBI’s projection of 7.4% for the current fiscal. “Government welcomes MPC statement and decision to keep the rates unchanged. Government’s assessment of inflation is in line with the MPC’s assessment. We …