Category: All Current Affairs

Babul Baruah, Veteran PTI journalist passes away at 80

Veteran PTI journalist Babul Baruah, who was associated with the premier news agency for nearly 40 years, has died following prolonged illness. He was 80. Suffering from kidney failure and cardiac problems for the last few years, Baruah passes away in Pune.

Baruah joined PTI in 1966 at its Guwahati bureau before he was transferred to Itanagar to establish the Arunachal Pradesh office. He served at PTI’s eastern region headquarters in Kolkata during the ’80s and was subsequently posted in Aizwal, covering Mizoram when the state was reeling under insurgency. Baruah also served at PTI’s Silchar office, and then at Shillong from where he retired in 2002.

Kannada scholar and activist, Chidananda Murthy passes away

Noted Kannada scholar, epigraphist and activist Chidananda Murthy passed away at age 88. He was ill for sometime and was being treated for age-related illness at a private hospital, where he breathed his last. Murthy was known for his work on Kannada inscriptions.

His work played a key role in deciding the antiquity of the Kannada, which helped get the language Classical Language status from the Union government in 2008. He was also a vocal Kannada activist, leading Kannada Shakti Kendra in 1970s and 1980s. Later, he became a champion of the Hindu Right-Wing cause. He was one of the key articulators of the argument against Tipu Sultan.

Obaid Siddiqui – Veteran broadcaster, academician, poet passes away

Veteran broadcaster, poet and academician Obaid Siddiqui passed away in a Ghaziabad hospital due to health related problems. Siddiqui, 63, was quite unwell due to multiple ailments and was undergoing treatment at a hospital in Kaushambi, Ghaziabad, for the past one week where he breathed his last.

In 1957, Siddiqui received higher education from Aligarh Muslim University and joined the All India Radio at Srinagar station in 1988. He later moved to London to work with BBC Urdu service, where he stayed till 1996. In 2004, he joined Jamia Millia Islamia’s AJK Mass Communication Research Centre and later rose to become its director. Siddiqui, who also worked with NDTV, was also known as an Urdu poet.

India eyeing $250 billion maritime economy by 2024: Defence secretary

Naval version of Tejas successfully takes off from INS Vikramaditya

A naval prototype of the homegrown Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas successfully took off from the deck of Indian Navy’s sole aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya. Tejas is a Light Combat Aircraft developed by the DRDO’s Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) in coordination with the Aircraft Research and Design Centre of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, among other bodies.

The aircraft made its first landing on the deck of INS Vikramaditya which was also a major milestone. Both the landing and take off by the aircraft put India among a select group of nations having the capability to design such a jet which can operate from an aircraft carrier.

Abu Dhabi: The World Future Energy Summit begins

The World Future Energy Summit began on 13th January in Abu Dhabi. The theme for this year’s summit is “Rethinking Global Consumption, Production, and Investment.” World Future Energy Summit is the Middle East’s largest future energy and sustainability event.

Held annually at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, the four-day event includes exhibition and forum programs that address energy, solar, water, waste and smart cities. 33,500 participants from 170 countries and 800 specialist exhibitors are expected to attend the event.

The event will showcase 42 of the world’s most disruptive innovations, selected from 1,402 global submissions from 128 countries, related to the future of energy, food, agriculture and sustainability in space.

Kerala: Global investor meet ASCEND 2020 held in Kochi

A two day organised Global Investors Meet– ASCEND 2020 was held in Kochi, Kerala at Lulu Bolgatty International Convention Centre, Grand Hyatt. The meet was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Kerala Shri Pinarayi Vijayan and was organised by states Department of Industries. Totally Rs 1 lakh crore worth investment proposals were received.

Wage subsidy scheme was unveiled during the meet. As per the scheme Wage subsidy will be provided for the first 5 years for new ventures getting registered on April 1, 2020. The benefit will only be available to those units that provides ESI (Employee State Insurance) and PF (Provident Fund) benefits to workers. This would benefit 37 lakh people.

The proposed mega projects further include a Propylene Oxide manufacturing plant of 2,00,000 MPA capacity in the vicinity of BPCL-Kochi Refinery, a PVC manufacturing facility of capacity 150,000 TPA and a ₹1,864 crore KINFRA-initiated Petrochemical Park of international standards at Ambalamugal in Ernakulam district. The ₹131-crore Defence Park at 60 acres in Ottapalam of Palakkad district will have central government assistance under the Modified Industrial Infrastructure Upgradation scheme.

Hyderabad: Wings India 2020 to be held at Begumpet Airport

Wings India 2020, an international exhibition and conference on civil aviation sector, will be held at Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad from March 12 to 15. The event focus on new business acquisition, investments, policy formation, and regional connectivity. Privatisation will strengthen the civil aviation sector in the country.

The event is organized by Ministry of Civil Aviation and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry to provide a congenial forum to the rapidly changing dynamics of the sector, focusing on new business acquisition, investments, policy formation and regional connectivity.

Dr. B. Saha elected as Bureau Member of IUPAC

In the recently held election in Paris to elect IUPAC Bureau Members, Hyderabad scientist Dr. Bipulbehari Saha was elected as the Bureau Member of IUPAC for the period 2020-2023. Dr Saha is closely associated with the “International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC)”. He has been awarded the Homi Bhabha Gold Medal by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). Earlier, one of the known Indian scientists who was elected at a similar post was Dr C. N. R. Rao.

The factors considered by the voters were a scientific contribution of the candidate in the field of Chemistry, his leadership qualities, thoughts for the future etc. IUPAC is the largest global organization of Chemistry professionals. The IUPAC has the responsibility of naming all new elements and compounds, declare atomic weights and physical constants, update Periodic table and carry out research projects for the benefit of mankind.