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Indian Petrol Already Contains 10% Alcohol. The Launch of The E20 Pilot Can Help The Country Further Reduce Its Dependence On Fossil Fuels A pilot for ‘E20’, or petrol blended with 20% ethanol, at the ‘India Energy Week’ was launched. Ethanol Blending Ethyl alcohol or ethanol (C2H5OH) is a bio-fuel …

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) was launched during the year 2015-16 to enhance physical access of water on farm and expand cultivable area under assured irrigation, improve on-farm water use efficiency, introduce sustainable water conservation practices, etc. PMKSY is an umbrella scheme, consisting of two major components being implemented …

On January 29, several users of the social media platform 4chan, used “speech synthesis” and “voice cloning” service provider, ElevenLabs, to make voice deepfakes of celebrities like Emma Watson, Joe Rogan, and Ben Shapiro. These deepfake audios made racist, abusive, and violent comments. Making deepfake voices to impersonate others without …

Malaysia held its 15th general election (GE) in November 2022 to put an end to the volatile political situation in the region — the fallout of two ruling coalitions in quick succession. Given the tectonic political landscape of Malaysia, the election delivered, unsurprisingly, the first hung Parliament of the country …

In a major milestone, the naval variant of the indigenous light combat aircraft (LCA) landed on the first indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, on Monday. This is also the maiden landing of a fixed-wing aircraft on the carrier. The LCA’s feat was followed by the landing and take-off by a twin-engine …

The freedom of speech is one of the most cherished freedoms. The Constitution of India, too, declares that Indians possess this freedom, but makes it subject to the interest of public order, or the sovereignty and integrity of India. We believe that the framers of the Constitution accepted this watering …

When the Supreme Court granted legal status to the concept of ‘advance medical directives’ in 2018 and allowed passive euthanasia, subject to stringent safeguards, it was seen as a vital recognition of both patient autonomy over end-of-life decisions and the right to a dignified death. However, doctors later found that …

The shooting down of a Chinese surveillance balloon by the U.S. military has served as a stark reminder of the deep distrust that characterises relations between the world’s two biggest powers. The detection of the balloon last week over Montana sparked a diplomatic crisis, leading to U.S. Secretary of State …

In the wake of the death of a juvenile in a State-run home in Chengalpattu district, the Tamil Nadu government on Monday announced that a high-level committee would be constituted to review and improve the functioning of observation homes, special homes and places of safety under the Juvenile Justice Board. …

Unlike coal-powered power plants, hydropower, which is the second highest power producing source at 13%, is a significant contributor to clean global electricity generation. Based on observations and climate projections, a two-member team from IIT Gandhinagar studied the hydroclimatic changes in the catchment areas and their implications for hydropower generation …

India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) has been setup as an Independent Business Division within Digital India Corporation having administrative and financial autonomy to formulate and drive India’s long-term strategies for developing semiconductors and display manufacturing facilities and semiconductor design ecosystem. Envisioned to be led by global experts in the Semiconductor and …

The adoption of mechanization by the farmers depends on various factors such as socioeconomic conditions, geographical conditions, crops grown, irrigation facilities etc. The farm mechanization levels assessed by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) for major cereals, pulses, oil-seeds, millets and cash crops indicates that the seedbed preparation operation is …

An Expert Committee was constituted by Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India under the chairmanship of Dr. Anupam Verma (former National Professor), IARI, New Delhi to review 66 pesticides which are banned/restricted in other countries but continued to be registered …

The EU on Friday pledged to support Ukraine “every step of the way” in its quest for bloc membership as top officials gathered in Kyiv for a highly symbolic summit. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is hosting the meeting, is pressing the bloc for speedy membership as it battles to …

The Ladpura Khas village of Madhya Pradesh, Khonoma village of Nagaland and heritage sites like Dholavira will be showcased as success stories of rural and archaeological tourism by India during the first tourism working group meeting of the G-20 nations to be held at the Rann of Kutch. Rural tourism …

A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court has removed “insurmountable obstacles” for the implementation of advance medical directives given by terminally ill patients, who are beyond cure or hope, to withdraw medical treatment and die with dignity. The five-member Bench led by Justice K.M. Joseph had broadly outlined the order …

The highest court of India reached the almost last frontier of transparency in its agreeing to the live telecast of some of its hearings — a move warmly welcomed by activists clamouring for more openness in judicial proceedings. The Chief Justice of India’s statement, that Supreme Court of India judgments …

Controversy looms over Sri Lanka’s celebration of the 75th anniversary of its Independence (February 4, 1948), with a question having been raised on whether it is worth wasting Sri Lankan rupees 300 million on this event. The country is facing ruinous economic collapse and thousands of poor citizens could be …

Two years after it captured power through a coup, Myanmar’s military is struggling to maintain its grip on power in a country that has become a land of many mutinies. On February 1, the second anniversary of the coup that toppled the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, thousands …

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s latest Budget is noteworthy for the emphasis she has laid on the government’s commitment to move towards net-zero carbon emission by 2070. As an article presented at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos last month notes, India holds the key to hitting global climate …