New Species of Genus Curcuma Discovered in Nagaland
Researchers discovered a new variety of the turmeric, thanks to a serendipitous discovery during a field trip in Nagaland.
Belonging to the genus Curcuma (the ginger family Zingiberaceae), the plant, which stands 65-90-cm high with prominent yellow flowers at full growth, has been given the name Curcuma ungmensis after Ungma, the village in Mokokchung district where it was found.
This family plant has 21 types and 200 taxa in India presently.
Curcuma is one of the most famous and the largest plant of this type of this plant family in India. The best known being turmeric (Curcuma longa), black turmeric (Curcumacaesia) and mango ginger (Curcuma amada).
Union Bank of India Becomes First Major Bank to Join PCAF
Union Bank of India became the first major bank to sign on to the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF). This decision reflects a growing global focus on managing climate risk and aligns with the recent draft guidelines on climate risk disclosures issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
PCAF is a global initiative where financial institutions collaborate to develop a standardized method for assessing and disclosing greenhouse gas emissions linked to their loans and investments. By joining PCAF, Union Bank of India reaffirms its commitment to measuring and managing financed emissions, which are indirect emissions from its lending and investment activities. These emissions, often termed Scope 3, can significantly surpass a bank's operational emissions and present notable risks given climate change and evolving regulations.
Australian Open champion and decorated doubles player Rohan Bopanna will make his debut in the Tennis Premier League (TPL) this season, which will be held from December 3 to 8, 2024.
Tennis Premier League is an Indian tennis league. It was founded by Kunal Thakkur and Mrunal Jain. The first season of the league was launched in October 2018.
The 44-year-old Indian, the world number six in doubles, had won the men's doubles title in the season-opening Grand Slam at Melbourne in the company of Matthew Ebden.
Bopanna, who represented India in three Olympics, had also clinched the mixed doubles crown in the 2017 French Open along with Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada.
The Bengalurean, who holds the unique record of being the oldest player to reach the No.1 spot earlier this January (2024), has also won more than 25 career titles and is only the fourth Indian tennis player after Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza to reach the top of the tennis rankings.
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved 'Mission Mausam', with an outlay of Rs. 2,000 crore over two years. The mission, led by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, aims to enhance research and development in atmospheric sciences and improve weather forecasting and management. The initiative will integrate advanced observation systems, high-performance computing, and technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning to set new standards in weather prediction.
Three institutes of the Ministry of Earth Sciences – the India Meteorological Department, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, and the National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting – will primarily implement Mission Mausam.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Inaugurates SEMICON India 2024
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated SEMICON India 2024 at India Expo Mart in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The three-day conference, from September 11 to 13, showcased India's semiconductor strategy and policy with the aim of positioning the country as a global semiconductor hub.
PM Modi expressed gratitude to SEMI members, noting that India is the eighth country to host such a global semiconductor event. He emphasized the current favorable timing for the semiconductor industry in India, stating.
The event was attended by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Union Ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and Jitin Prasad, and leaders from major semiconductor companies. SEMICON India 2024, themed "Shaping the Semiconductor Future," featured over 250 exhibitors and 150 speakers, bringing together global leaders and experts from the semiconductor industry.
Indian Navy's P8I Aircraft in Australia's Darwin Participates in Exercise Kakadu
The Indian Navy's P8I aircraft, led by Commanding Officer Captain Ajay Kanwar, is in Australia's Darwin and is participating in the 16th edition of Exercise Kakadu 2024 till September 20, 2024.
Indian Navy is participating in the multinational exercise with over 30 nations with the theme 'Regional Cooperation through Trusted & Proven Partnerships'.
Australia's biggest warfare exercise-Kakadu, incorporates warships, helicopters and maritime patrol aircraft from attending countries.
Kakadu provides an excellent opportunity for army men to exercise their professionalism in a range of tactical maritime activities. This year (2024) the focus is on interoperability with greater integration of Australia's international partners in all aspects of the exercise.
Sitaram Yechury, CPI(M) General Secretary, Passes Away
CPI(M), Communist Party of India (Marxist), general secretary and former Rajya Sabha MP Sitaram Yechury passed away at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. He was 72.
Yechury had learnt the ropes under late party leader Harkishan Singh Surjeet, who played major roles in the coalition era governance, first during the National Front government of V P Singh and then the United Front government of 1996-97, both of which the CPI(M) had supported from outside.
He had also played a critical role in the talks with the government on the Indo-US nuclear deal that led to the Left parties withdrawing support to the UPA-I government because of Karat's stubborn stand.
India was announced as the exclusive partner for the European Hydrogen Week, set to take place from November 18 to 22, 2024. This announcement was made on the second day of the International Conference on Green Hydrogen (ICGH-2024), held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The partnership underscores India's commitment to aligning with EU green regulations to enhance its export potential in the green hydrogen sector.
Indian Origin Lecturer Wins the Prize for Literature in Singapore
An Indian-origin lecturer at Nanyang Technological University won the Singapore Literature Prize for English fiction for her short story – 'Nine Yard Sarees'.
Prasanthi Ram's debut work was published in late 2023.
The short story cycle is about generations of a Tamil Brahmin family dispersed across Singapore, Sydney, New York and Connecticut.
The Singapore Literature Prize a biennial award in Singapore recognises outstanding published works by Singaporean authors in any of the four official languages: Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil. The competition is organised by the Singapore Book Council (SBC) with the support of the National Art Council.
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the PM-eBus Sewa-Payment Security Mechanism (PSM) scheme with a budget of INR 3,435.33 crore. This initiative is designed to promote the deployment and operation of electric buses (e-buses) by Public Transport Authorities (PTAs) from FY 2024-25 to FY 2028-29.
Objective: Support the deployment of over 38,000 e-buses, ensuring their operation for up to 12 years from the date of deployment.
Funding Mechanism: The scheme will address the high upfront costs of e-buses through a Public Private Partnership on a Gross Cost Contract (GCC) model. Under this model, PTAs do not need to pay the initial cost of the buses. Instead, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and operators will procure and manage the e-buses with monthly payments.
PM Modi Chairs First Governing Board Meeting of Newly Formed ANRF (13)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the first governing board meeting of the newly formed Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF). The meeting of the foundation, which acts as an apex body to provide high-level strategic direction towards scientific research in accordance with the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP), was attended by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Senior officials, including the government's principal scientific advisor Ajay Kumar Sood, also participated.
The ANRF aims to seed, grow and promote research and development (R&D) and foster a culture of research and innovation throughout India's universities, colleges, research institutions, and R&D laboratories.
Assam Enacts Public Examination Act to Ensure Fairness in Recruitment Exams
The Assam government introduced the Assam Public Examination (Measures for Prevention of Unfair Means in Recruitment) Act, 2024, to promote transparency and fairness in public recruitment exams. The law imposes stringent penalties, including up to 10 years imprisonment and fines of up to Rs. 10 crore, for malpractice during recruitment tests. Offenders may also be barred from future exams, underscoring the state's commitment to merit-based recruitment.
Delhi Airport Ranks 24th among Top 'Megahub' Airports Globally
Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) was ranked among the top 25 "megahub" airports globally by international aviation data and analytics firm OAG. IGIA improved its position to the 24th spot from last year's 25th in OAG's latest list of megahub airports—those with the highest ratio of possible scheduled international connections to the number of destinations served.
The only other Indian airport among the top 50 megahub airports—Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA)—however dropped 10 spots from last year to the 44th position.
London Heathrow, Kuala Lampur International Airport, Tokyo-Haneda, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, and Seoul's Incheon Airport—in that order—were ranked as the global top five megahub airports by OAG. Kuala Lampur International Airport was ranked as the top LCC megahub airport globally, followed by Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Incheon Airport, and Singapore Changi Airport.
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