Chhattisgarh-based Coal India subsidiary South Eastern Coalfields Limited's (SECL) Gevra and Kusmunda coal mines have secured the 2nd and 4th spots on the list of the world's 10 largest coal mines released by WorldAtlas.com.
Located in the Korba district of Chhattisgarh, these two mines produce more than 100 million tons of coal annually, accounting for about 10% of India's total coal production.
India and Russia have Doubled their Payments in National Currencies
India and Russia have doubled their payments in national currencies (rupee-rouble) since last year despite sanctions by the U.S. and European Union, said Russia's largest, state-controlled bank Sberbank that handles a majority of payments for Indian exports to Russia.
The surge may rise further after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Moscow last week, economists and Indian businessmen working in Russia hope, warning that in the absence of the Indian rupee, Chinese businesses and the yuan would continue to benefit from the "vacuum" created by the exit of Western companies.
Bangladesh students protesting across the country
Bangladesh students protesting across the country.
The protests were triggered when the High Court reinstated a quota system for government jobs.
This decision overturned a 2018 move by Hasina's government to abolish the system, which reserved 30% of jobs for families of freedom fighters from the 1971 independence war.
NFDC and Netflix India Collaborate to Train Voice-Over Artists
The government and Netflix India have partnered to create opportunities for voice-over artists, especially women, to enhance their skills and find better opportunities in the media and entertainment sector.
The National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and Netflix India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to launch "The Voicebox," a program to train voice-over artists in multiple languages including English, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, and Gujarati.
The Voicebox program will offer Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) training through structured workshops featuring guest lectures, mentoring sessions, and assessments.
The training will be conducted in seven major cities: New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Kochi. Each batch will consist of 30 participants, totaling 210 selected candidates through preliminary screening. At least 50% of the participants in each batch will be women.
Adani Ports Gets A Rating Upgrade From ICRA
Ratings agency ICRA has upgraded the rating of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) to AAA/Stable from AA+/Stable.
The company's long-term fund based/non-fund based facilities, non-convertible debentures (NCDs) and commercial papers have been upgraded to AAA/Stable.
APSEZ announced the development after market hours and the Adani Ports shares on July 18 ended at Rs 1,491.95 on the NSE, down by Rs 7.10 or 0.47%.
The company planned to ramp up its investment to Rs 100 billion ($1.2 billion) to boost its southern India trans-shipment container port. Citing people with knowledge of the matter, the report said the company is looking to lure some of the world's largest ships.
The Most Valuable Fossil Ever Sold at Auction
A Stegosaurus skeleton has become the most valuable fossil ever sold at auction, being snapped up for $44.6 million in New York.
The dinosaur fossil was sold on Wednesday to an anonymous buyer after it was sought after by seven bidders, according to Sotheby's, the auction house handling the sale.
The fossil, nicknamed "Apex," smashed its pre-sale estimate, which was between $4 million and $6 million.
Apex was discovered on private land in Moffat County, Colorado, by commercial paleontologist Jason Cooper in 2022, Sotheby's said in a press release.
It was preserved in hard sandstone, which protected the bones from becoming distorted, Sotheby's added.
Houston Zoo Elephant Receives First Ever mRNA EEHV Vaccine
An Asian elephant at Houston zoo in the US has received the first mRNA vaccine against herpes, which is the leading killer of Asian elephants calves in captivity.
Dr. Paul Ling, Professor at the Department of Microbiology and Virology of Baylor College of Medicine, who has been working on EEHV since 2009 in partnership with the Houston Zoo, led the development of the vaccine.
Colossal's involvement provided crucial scientific support, research teams, and funding, accelerating the progress of this project.
Latest FIFA Rankings Released, India remains 124th
India has maintained its 124th position in the latest FIFA men's rankings released. This comes as a small relief for the success-starved nation, which has been experiencing a downward trend in recent months.
The Indian men's national football team faced setbacks in June when it dropped three places in the FIFA rankings. This decline was primarily due to their failure to qualify for the third round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers, suffering losses to Qatar and Afghanistan.
India had achieved a significant milestone last year by breaking into the top 100, reaching its best-ever ranking of 99. However, since December, the team has been on a downward spiral.
Six Associate Nations Honored as ICC Announces Development Award Winners
The International Cricket Association acknowledged the associate nations for their transformative work in the cricket world.
Six nations have been honoured with the ICC Development Award winners for 2023. The ICC awarded the Associate Members for their range of leading initiatives as they claimed the honour. Mexico, Oman, Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, Nepal and Scotland received honours across six categories.
The winners were selected from a 21-nation shortlist by the ICC Development Awards Panel. The ICC Development Awards were launched in 2002 and shed light on the world-leading work being carried out in the ICC Associate Member countries. Whether through innovative development programmes or through inspiring efforts on the field of play.
The Climate Conference 2024, themed "Decoding the Green Transition for India," took place on January 12, 2024, in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Organized by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, the event focused on the pivotal role of the private sector, climate tech Startups and institutional investors in mobilizing financial resources and technical capabilities.
The goal was to leverage government efforts, engage civil society and communities, and develop innovative climate services and adaptation technologies.
The Conference was organised under the Green Climate Fund Readiness Programme with Delivery Partner UNDP India and supported by Knowledge Partner Avaana Capital.
Shreya Gupta Secures Sabre Bronze at Commonwealth Championship
Prominent ace fencer of Jammu and Kashmir, Shreya Gupta, has set the ball rolling in fencing by winning her first-ever individual medal at the international level by clinching the Sabre category bronze medal in the ongoing Commonwealth Junior and Cadet Championship 2024 in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Shreya, in a superb display of the game, completely outclassed Saunders Nicole of England in the table of 16 by a margin of 15-3, whereas in a medal bout, she secured a win over Hardge Gala of Australia by 15-13. In the semifinals, Shreya lost to Juliet Mind of Singapore in a tight finish by a score of 15-11.
Nelson Mandela International Day is celebrated every year on July 18 and is also known as Mandela Day.
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was the president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999.
In November 2009 in recognition of Mandela's contribution to the culture of peace and freedom, UN General Assembly declared 18 July as Nelson Mandela International Day.
The day is meant to remember the services of Mr. Mandela and honour them through volunteer work, awareness, and community service.
Indian Scientists Honored at Global Space Conference
Two Indian space scientists Prahlad Chandra Agrawal and Anil Bhardwaj, received the honour at the Global Space Conference from the prestigious organization Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) conference in Busan.
With the collaboration of COSPAR and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the medals for the world's first scientific body dedicated to space science research recognized their outstanding contributions.
A senior space scientist Prahlad Chandra Agrawal is a retired professor at the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.
He has received the Harrie Massey Award at the 45th COSPAR Scientific Assembly for their remarkable contribution to space research. The award of Agarwal was presented with medals and citations that included in naming of a minor planet after him as part of the award.
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi met Dr R Balasubramaniam today and signed a copy of his book 'Power Within: The Leadership Legacy of Narendra Modi'.
The book captures Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership journey and interprets it through Western and Indic lenses, amalgamating them to provide a roadmap for those who aspire to a life of public service.
Replying to a post on X by Dr R Balasubramaniam, the Prime Minister wrote: "It was a delight to meet Dr R Balasubramaniam earlier today. Also signed a copy of his book. My best wishes to him for his future endeavours."
+91-85588-96644
