The tardy response of the Centre and the State of Meghalaya to the plight of at least 15 workers trapped in a rat-hole coal mine since mid-December has exposed the extraordinary indifference in government to labour welfare and the law. Two workers have been found dead in a second mine …

Dark clouds hung over the Sydney Cricket Ground on Monday, holding off India’s bid to win the Test series against Australia in greater style. Yet, the final 2-1 result is historic, with India for the first time defeating Australia in Australia in a Test series. Having flourished at Adelaide and …

Chief of the Army Staff General Bipin Rawat’s argument that Pakistan must “develop as a secular state” to have any dialogue with India can be interpreted to convey two contradictory messages. The first is that India has no intention of engaging with Pakistan since there is no possibility of Pakistan …

Over the last few years, battles over symbols — for long an Indian pre-occupation — have reached a crescendo and show no signs of abating. Perhaps no historical figure has been mined as thoroughly as M.K. Gandhi (although B.R. Ambedkar today comes a close second). No government would dare dislodge …

In December, the French company Électricité de France (EDF) submitted a “techno-commercial proposal” to the Indian government for the Jaitapur nuclear power project in Maharashtra. The idea of importing six nuclear European Pressurised Reactors (EPRs) was initiated by the United Progressive Alliance government more than a decade ago, but the …

In October last year, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in a public address stated that Pakistanis should stop worrying, “ Ghabrain nahin , hausla rakhain (do not worry, have fortitude).” But after five months of waiting for the government to deliver on its numerous promises, perhaps it is now time …

Researchers have identified glucagon producing cells in the pancreas that can mimic functions of damaged or missing insulin-producing cells, an advance that may lead to cures for diabetes. Source : https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-life/our-body-may-cure-itself-of-diabetes-in-future-study/article25936011.ece

Besides affecting health, prolonged exposure to air pollution can also reduce employee’s productivity, finds a study. The study showed that daily fluctuations in pollution did not immediately affect the productivity of workers. However, a definite drop in output was witnessed when measured for more prolonged exposures of up to 30 …

Researchers at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras have experimentally shown that methane and carbon dioxide (CO2) can exist as gas hydrates at temperatures and pressures seen in interstellar atmosphere. Gas hydrates are formed when a gas such as methane gets trapped in well-defined cages of water molecules forming crystalline …

On a mountain slope overlooking Hong Kong, Giovanni Lam waits for the right gust of wind to send him soaring skywards, one of a growing number of paragliders using flight to escape the dense urban sprawl below.f Patience is rewarded in paragliding, explained Mr. Lam, a university lecturer and youth …

Drug maker Lupin said it had received approval from the U.S. health regulator to market Lurasidone Hydrochloride tablets in the U.S. The firm can sell its product, which is a generic version of Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s Latuda tablets, in strengths of 20 mg, 40 mg, 60 mg, 80 mg and …

Direct tax mop-up grew 14.1% to Rs. 8.74 lakh crore during April-December 2018, the Finance Ministry said on Monday. Refunds amounting to Rs. 1.3 lakh crore have been issued from April to December, 2018, which is 17% higher than refunds issued in the year-earlier period. Advance tax As much as …

Aimed at contributing to India’s cruise tourism, Zen Cruises, a company promoted by Essel Group chairman Subhash Chandra’s family office, has announced plans to start cruise services on India’s coastline starting April 17. Karnika, the first ship under the Jalesh brand, with a capacity to take 1,900-2,000 people on board, …

With the number of exchanges offering commodity derivatives on the rise and national-level equity bourses also entering the fray, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is making all attempts to bring uniformity among the bourses in a segment which came under its regulatory purview only three years ago. …

The Reserve Bank of India has not yet taken a decision regarding the quantum of the interim dividend it will transfer to the government, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said on Monday. The central bank would not delay in announcing the decision once made, he said. Mr. Das was responding to …

President Donald Trump will visit the U.S.-Mexican border this week, his spokeswoman said on Monday, in the latest bid to pressure Congress over border wall negotiations that have led to a partial government shutdown. He will “travel to the Southern border on Thursday to meet with those on the frontlines …

Malaysia’s royals prepared on Monday to pick a new king to replace Sultan Muhammad V, who abdicated in a historic first after reportedly marrying a Russian former beauty queen, holding a special gathering at the national palace. As the country reacted with shock to the news, Malaysia’s Islamic royal families …

President Donald Trump on Monday sought to end fears of an abrupt U.S. pullout from Syria, saying the fight against the Islamic State group was not over and that withdrawal would be done in a “prudent” manner. “We will be leaving at a proper pace while at the same time …

World Bank President Jim Yong Kim announced on Monday that he would step down next month, more than three years before his current term was due to expire. The decision ends Mr. Kim’s six-year tenure and may give U.S. President Donald Trump decisive influence over the future leadership of the …

Sheikh Hasina was sworn in as Bangladesh’s Prime Minister for a record fourth term on Monday after her Awami League registered a landslide victory in the recent election that was marred by deadly violence and allegations of vote rigging. President Md. Abdul Hamid administered the oath of office to the …