On World Coconut Day, Kerala looks to Centre to improve yield

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On World Coconut Day, Kerala looks to Centre to improve yield

World Coconut Day is celebrated across the world on September 2. In India, it is Kerala — which is known as the ‘land of coconuts’ and derives its name from ‘Kera’ meaning coconut tree — which is now looking towards the Centre for more support to take the state to greater heights in coconut production.

Agriculture Minister V.S. Sunil Kumar, who also has a keen interest in agriculture especially coconuts, told IANS that things will speed up in this sector if the Centre extends its help with more coconut centric schemes.

“We got Rs 20 crore for the Kerala Agriculture University from the Centre to step up research on coconuts. Our government had planned to plant at least 2 crore seedlings by 2029 and of this 30 lakh are targeted to be produced by the end of the next calendar year,” said Kumar.

The coconut has been in existence for over 3,000 years and today it is an important horticultural crop cultivated in 17 states and three Union Territories across the country, making India the largest producer of the fruit, accounting for 31 percent of the world production.

In the country, the total area under coconut cultivation is 20.96 lakh hectares of which Kerala alone accounts for 7.60 lakh hectares.

Kerala stands first in the production of coconuts (5,230 million nuts in the state as against 23,798 million in the rest of the country) but in terms of productivity, it is at the fifth position.

“The need of the hour is to see how quickly we can get to the target of 2 crore new seedlings because the area under coconut cultivation in Kerala is coming down due to low productivity. If we are able to cut down low yielding trees and in their place, plant new ones, then things can be better for the crop, farmers, and the state,” said Kumar.

On its part, Kumar said his government has set the ball rolling to set up a Rs 100 crore Coconut Park at two centers in Kozhikode.

“With the corona pandemic striking hard, the work at these centers has taken a beating. To take coconut to new heights, we have decided to set up a trading center and also a facilitation center. Had it not been for COVID, it would have been ready to open. We are positive that we will be able to open it before the end of the term of our government,” added Kumar.

Kumar pointed out that his department has been able to set up around 350 Kera Gramam (Coconut Villages) and their target is to see that each and every one of the close to 1,000 local bodies in the state becomes a coconut village.

“The target is that each village should have a coconut plantation in 250 hectares and it’s a joint effort of the farmers. They engage in coconut farming using the most modern scientific principles. Setting up of value addition units of coconut should also take place,” added Kumar.

Kumar’s dream of value addition can become a reality as today every part of the coconut tree is used for one thing or the other. This includes coir from the husk of the coconut, the wood of the tree is used as timber, there is coconut oil and now activated carbon is being produced from coconut shells besides newer varieties of food items such as coconut milk, flavored milk, butter, biscuits, and the cool refreshing neera.

Researchers have also found that coconut flour is a rich source of dietary fiber, protein and low in digestible carbohydrates and is good for preventing cancer, heart ailments, and diabetes. Another feature is that it is gluten-free.

Kumar said the Centre, through its two Central units working for the improvement of the coconut — the Central Plantation Crop Research Institute which does research on coconut, and the Coconut Development Board –, can help in the overall development of the coconut.

The future of coconut appears bright as over the years it has played a significant role in poverty alleviation and employment generation besides providing a livelihood to 12 million families. Coconut products including coir bring in foreign exchange to the tune of around Rs 3,000 crore.

SC declines to entertain Netflix plea on use of Subrata Roy’s name in series

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SC declines to entertain Netflix plea on use of Subrata Roy’s name in series

The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to entertain a plea by Netflix challenging an order of Bihar trial court restraining it from using the name of Subrata Roy, a businessman, in its upcoming web series “Bad Boy Billionaires” slated for release in India on Wednesday.

A bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde declined to entertain Netflix’s plea, however, it granted the OTT platform the liberty to move the Patna High Court challenging the order passed by the Araria trial court. The top court, declining to hear the appeal, said: “We are sorry.”

Senior advocate Vikas Singh, representing Sahara India, opposed the plea filed by Netflix. Singh contended before the bench that the order was passed by a civil judge and if there were to be an appeal, then it would have to be filed before the district judge and not before the High Court or the apex court.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Netflix, contended before the bench that the apex court should transfer to itself all the petitions in connection with the web series, which are pending in various high courts. The top court issued the notice on the separate petition filed by Netflix seeking transfer of the matters pending before different high courts.

5 Pawan Kalyan fans killed in Telangana accident

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5 Pawan Kalyan fans killed in Telangana accident

Five fans of popular Telugu actor Pawan Kalyan, died in a road accident while returning home after celebrating his birthday in Telangana’s Warangal district in the early hours of Wednesday.

The car, in which they were traveling, collided head-on with a sand-laden truck at Pasaragonda Crossroad in Damera Mandal, police said.

This was the second tragedy to hit Pawan Kalyan’s fans celebrating his birthday, in less than six hours.

Three youth were electrocuted to death and three others were injured when they came in contact with a live wire while erecting a banner in Andhra Pradesh’s Chittoor district on Tuesday night.

The victims were identified as Rajender (31), Somasekhar (29), and Arunachalam (20).

Pawan Kalyan, who is also the president of the Jana Sena party, announced financial support of Rs 2 lakh to the family of the deceased in the Chittoor incident.

He expressed his condolences and stated that it was his responsibility to support the family.

Warangal police said the youth who celebrated Pawan Kalyan’s birthday in Warangal were on their way to Mulugu to drop one of them when the car in which they were traveling rammed into a truck.

The victims were identified as M. Rakesh, Naresh, M. Rohit, Sabir, and K. Jayaprakash, all aged around 25 years.

Jayaprakash, who was driving a Sedan car, apparently lost control while overtaking a vehicle and collided head-on with a truck coming from the opposite direction.

Such was the impact of the crash that the car was badly mangled and all five occupants died on the spot.

Meanwhile, Pawan Kalyan’s nephew and superstar K. Chiranjeevi’s actor son Ram Charan has also announced Rs 2.5 lakh for the families of the victims of the Chittoor accident.

“Nothing we do can compensate for the loss of lives. We can only stand by the families of the deceased and lend our support in these difficult times,” tweeted Ram Charan.

Pawan Kalyan is celebrating his 49th birthday on Wednesday. His fans in both Telugu states are in an upbeat mood as makers of his upcoming film ‘Vakeel Saab’ are unveiling the motion poster on the occasion.

‘Vakeel Saab’ is the remake of the Hindi movie ‘Pink’.

Most people struggled to manage weight during lockdown: Survey

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Most people struggled to manage weight during lockdown: Survey

Increased snacking and not exercising as much as usual made it tough for most people to manage weight during Covid-19 lockdown, says a survey involving over 800 adults in Britain.

Most of the respondents said their difficulties also stemmed from increased anxiety or stress, and not being able to get hold of healthier food, according to the results of the survey presented at The European and International Congress on Obesity (ECOICO) being held online from September 1-4.

However, those questioned who had received weight-management support from a slimming club continued to lose weight during this time, exercised more, and reported higher overall wellbeing compared to respondents from the general population.

The new research was led by a group-based weight-loss organization, Slimming World, as part of their “Health and Wellbeing Study” which is surveying new members regularly over the course of one year about aspects of their health and lifestyle.

“Lockdown inevitably had an effect on our choices around food, drink, and activity,” said Sarah-Elizabeth Bennett, Slimming World’s Senior Research Associate, who led the study.

“Given that excess weight is associated with a higher risk of severe illness from Covid-19 and with lots of people coming out of lockdown feeling concerned about their weight and health, the findings of the study show behavior change support is more important now than ever.”

Between April 9 and May 16, 222 Slimming World members and a representative sample of 637 adults in the general population completed an online survey asking their opinions about their general health, mood, diet, alcohol intake, physical activity, and weight management.

The four key reasons were given by people who found it tough to manage weight included difficulty getting to the shops and obtaining the usual healthy foods; boredom and being at home leading to increased snacking; higher levels of stress and anxiety leading to comfort eating; and more sedentary time and exercising less.

Samsung to manufacture Nvidia’s latest gaming chips: Report

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Samsung to manufacture Nvidia’s latest gaming chips: Report

Samsung Electronics will manufacture Nvidia’s latest gaming chips as the South Korean tech giant eyes to expand its presence in the foundry industry.

Nvidia’s new RTX 3000 series graphics processing units (GPUs) will be produced by Samsung’s 8-nanometer (nm) process node, reports Yonhap news agency, citing sources.

Nvidia’s latest chips will be about 10 percent faster than other Samsung-made chips fabricated with the same 8-nm process.

The US-based graphic card titan has been relying on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) for its chip production, but the latest collaboration offers Samsung more growth momentum in its foundry business.

Last month, IBM announced that its POWER 10 chip will be manufactured by Samsung using its 7-nm technology.

Samsung has vowed to invest $112 billion to become the world’s No. 1 logic chipmaker by 2030 and bolster its competitiveness in the system LSI and foundry businesses.

Samsung, the world’s largest memory chip producer, trails far behind TSMC in the foundry market.

According to market researcher TrendForce, Samsung is estimated to have a 17.4 percent market share in the global foundry industry in the third quarter of the year, while TSMC is expected to continue its dominance with a 53.9 percent market share.

IPL will take place as scheduled, says BCCI treasurer

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IPL will take place as scheduled, says BCCI treasurer

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) treasurer Arun Dhumal on Wednesday made it clear that the Indian Premier League (IPL) would begin on September 19 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as scheduled.

Doubts about the 2020 IPL had arisen after 13 members of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) tested positive for Coronavirus last month, and that led to speculation that the tournament might be postponed, depending on the COVID-19 situation in the UAE.

However, Dhumal said that everything was fine now in the UAE and the event would take place as planned.

“They all [CSK members] have come negative now. And the IPL will take place as scheduled; there is no doubt about that. Don’t worry, players are following the COVID-19 protocols and matches will be played without spectators. So, I don’t think there will be any problem with that,” Dhumal told IANS.

The BCCI has also put on hold the release of the tournament schedule. Asked about it, the BCCI treasurer said the Board is in talks with the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), “and hopefully the announcement will be made soon”. “IPL Chairman Brijesh Patel is also there in the UAE and he is working on it. The ECB is helping us in all the way possible. Just hope for the best,” he added.

It is also learned that the BCCI could go for a change in the schedule it has reportedly prepared if it goes ahead with the already decided dates. In that case, the opening encounter of the tournament could be held between champions Mumbai Indians and the runners-up of the 2018 edition, Sunrisers Hyderabad. It was expected the opening game would be between Mumbai Indians and 2019 runners-up CSK.

All eight teams have resumed training in the UAE, but CSK is yet to hit the ground running. They were quarantined after 13 members of the squad tested positive. They are likely to start training from September 4.

Narco arrests one connected with SSR’s house manager

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Narco arrests one connected with SSR’s house manager

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has arrested an alleged drug peddler from Mumbai in connection with Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case. He is said to be associated with the late actor’s house manager Samuel Miranda.

A senior NCB official requesting anonymity, said that the drug law enforcement agency has arrested Abdul Basit Parihar from the Bandra area here. The official said that the arrest was made after it started its investigation into the Sushant Singh Rajput case at the request of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) after the drug angle came to the fore.

The ED in its request to the NCB said that there were various chats related to drug consumption, procurement, usage, and transportation. The raids came in the wake of the arrest of two drug-peddlers in Mumbai three days ago as the NCB, along with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) burned the midnight oil to unravel the drug mafia connection with the celebrities.

The NCB on the intervening night of August 27 and 28 carried out raids in Mumbai and two persons, namely Abbas Lakhani and Karn Arora were arrested, and the seizure of ‘bud’ (curated marijuana) was affected from their possession.

The official said that the detailed network analysis and the follow-up investigation uncovered the linkages of Lakhani with one Zaid Vitra.

“After the due procedure and taking evidence on record, Vilatra was apprehended,” the official said, adding that the NCB also recovered Rs 9.55 lakh and foreign currency $ 2,081, 180 British Pound and 15 Dirham was recovered from him.

The official further said that Vilatra disclosed the amount as proceeds of drug peddling. The official said, “During questioning, Vilatra disclosed that he runs an eatery shop in Bandra, which was not giving any pecuniary gains since lockdown.”

The official said that Vilatra also disclosed that he is into drug peddling, especially bud, through which he used to earn a substantial amount of money. “Based on Vilatra interrogation, Parihar was made to join the investigation. It was learned that linkages of Parihar with the earlier accused persons on preliminary inquiry based on the details submitted by the ED, were found,” the official said.

NCB source said that Parihar had connections with Samuel Miranda, who was also the close associate of Rhea Chakraborty. Miranda is accused of procuring drugs on the instructions of Rhea’s brother Show.

The development comes days after the NCB registered a case against Rhea, her brother Showik, talent manager Saha, Sushant’s co-manager Shruti Modi, and Goa-based hotelier Gaurav Arya under Sections 20 (b) 28, 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

The NCB registered the case after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) wrote to it on Tuesday after the WhatsApp messages between Rhea and Shruti Modi, Miranda, and Pithani came to light.

Andhra CM, family pay homage to YSR

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Andhra CM, family pay homage to YSR

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy with family members paid tributes to his father and late Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy on the latter’s 11th death anniversary on Wednesday.

Jagan Mohan Reddy, his mother Y. S. Vijayalakshmi, wife Y. S. Bharati and other family members paid floral tributes at the late leader’s ‘samadhi’ in Idupulapaya, Kadapa district.

Deputy Chief Minister Amjad Basha, Chief Minister’s uncle, and Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) chairman Y. V. Subba Reddy and leaders of the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) also paid homage.

YSR, as Rajasekhara Reddy was popularly known, was killed in a helicopter crash with four others in Kurnool district on this day in 2009.

Jagan Reddy tweeted on the occasion that the great leader may have gone physically but his memories and schemes will always live on. “In every step I take, my father continues to guide me,” said the Chief Minister.

State ministers, MPs, legislators, and YSRCP leaders also paid homage to YSR at various programmes. They garlanded his statue and recalled the services rendered by him during his term in office from 2004-2009 in undivided Andhra Pradesh.

Addressing an event in Visakhapatnam, YSRCP Parliamentary Party leader Vijaya Sai Reddy said YSR continued to live in the hearts of the people of both the Telugu states because of several welfare schemes launched by him.

He told the party cadre that YSRCP’s victory in the ensuing municipal elections would be the best tribute to the late leader.

Paying his tributes to YSR, Telangana Congress Chief Uttam Kumar Reddy described him as a mass leader, a great friend, an esteemed colleague, and an orator par excellence and said his exemplary administration will be remembered for years to come.

50% patients at UP Covid hospital have diabetes

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50% patients at UP Covid hospital have diabetes

Nearly 50 percent of patients at Rajdhani Covid-19 Hospital (RCH) in Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) has been found to have diabetes as the co-morbid condition.

According to Prof R.K. Singh, medical superintendent (RCH), “Diabetes is the commonest comorbidity seen in patients at our center, followed by hypertension. Patients with organ dysfunction, particularly lungs and kidneys, form the next big chunk.”

The pattern speaks for a national trend observed by the Union ministry of health and family welfare, which has come up with specific guidelines for the management of Covid-19 patients having a history of diabetes.

“Diabetes affects each part of the body in different degrees and ways. Therefore, when the body is under attack by any infection, Covid-19 in this case, the management is as challenging as filling water in a bucket with several holes,” he said.

About the visibly high death rate, Singh said, “We keep track of every case at our center at two levels — physically by attending doctors and virtually by a team of experts comprising the director. But the fact that we are a tertiary care center and attend to the most serious cases not only from Lucknow but also other districts cannot be denied. Over 75 percent of the deaths can be attributed to comorbid conditions.”

SGPGIMS director Prof R.K. Dhiman said, “We have had nearly 850 positive persons till now, of whom 71 percent are male. Of the total patients, about 70 percent have recovered. An eight-month-old baby was our youngest case, while a 90-year-old woman was our oldest patient to beat the pandemic virus.”

Goa CM tests positive for Covid-19

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Goa CM tests positive for Covid-19

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Wednesday that he has tested positive for the novel coronavirus and was in home isolation.

“I wish to inform all that I have been detected Covid-19 positive. I am asymptomatic and hence have opted for home isolation,” Sawant said in a Facebook post.

“I shall continue to discharge my duties working from home. Those who have come in my close contact are advised to take the necessary precautions,” he added.

In a statement, the Chief Minister’s Office said that all officials who had come in close contact with Sawant had opted for home isolation and would work from home.

“People of Goa are hereby informed that all regular operations of the CMO shall continue unhindered. It may be noted that all appointments and meetings scheduled stand suspended until further notice,” a statement issued by the CMO said.

Four other MLAs, namely former Chief Ministers Ravi Naik and Churchill Alemao, Deputy Chief Minister Sudin Dhavalikar and BJP MLA Nilkanth Halarnkar have also tested positive for Covid-19. While Naik, Alemao and Dhavalikar are currently admitted to private hospitals, Halarnkar is in home quarantine. Another BJP MLA Clafasio Dias, who had tested positive for Covid-19 last month has recovered.

Union Minister of State for Defence and AYUSH Shripad Naik, a Lok Sabha MP from North Goa parliamentary constituency, is also undergoing treatment at a private hospital for Covid-19.

On Tuesday, Goa witnessed a record 588 positive Covid-19 cases in one day. Goa has so far reported a total of 18,006 coronavirus cases, with 194 deaths.

Flipkart Wholesale launches B2B marketplace for kiranas, MSMEs

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Flipkart Wholesale launches B2B marketplace for kiranas, MSMEs

E-commerce platform Flipkart on Wednesday launched operations of its digital business-to-business marketplace, Flipkart Wholesale, with an aim to connect local manufacturers with retailers and bring the entire wholesale marketplace at their fingertips.

The platform is currently available for fashion retailers, especially footwear and apparel, in Gurugram, Delhi, and Bengaluru, with plans to expand to Mumbai as well, the company said in a statement.

Flipkart Wholesale also plans to expand to 20 more cities and in categories such as home and kitchen and grocery by the end of this year.

“With the strong capability within the group in B2B, we will focus on meeting the needs of kiranas and MSMEs by providing these small businesses a wide selection at significant value, powered by technology to make their lives easier,” said Adarsh Menon, Senior Vice President, and Head, Flipkart Wholesale.

“Whether in grocery, general merchandise, or fashion, these businesses will have one-stop access to an extensive selection of products with attractive schemes and incentives.”

Accessible to retailers via the app on Google Play Store, the B2B digital platform aims to rope in over 300 strategic partners and have over two lakh listings in two months.

Additionally, the platform will enable the onboarding of 50 brands and over 250 local manufacturers in the coming days, Flipkart said.

Kirana’s, resellers and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises will have access to an easy credit facility, a wide range of assured quality products, micro-market level B2B, and B2C insights from the Flipkart ecosystem, and an easy order tracking facility, the company said.

Nepal ‘closely’ monitoring Indian Army activities at Lipulekh

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Nepal ‘closely’ monitoring Indian Army activities at Lipulekh

Nepal government has directed its forces to “closely monitor” the Indian Army’s activities at the Lipulekh area amid escalating Indo-China border tension.

Lipulekh is the tri-junction between India, Nepal, and China situated atop the Kalapani Valley in Uttarakhand. Last week, the K.P. Sharma Oli government’s Ministry of Home Affairs issued the directions to the Nepalese Armed Police Force (NAPF) to start the monitoring at the tri-junction.

The 44 battalions of NAPF was deployed in Lipulekh. It has requested for long-range patrols in the forward areas fearing possibilities of escalation between India and China.

China too has increased its troop build-up at Lipulekh. There 150 Light Combined Arms Brigade is deployed at the tri-junction. The brigade was moved in last month. They have also reinforced troops in Pala, around 10 km from the border.

In July, around 1,000 troops were deployed near Pala and a permanent post was built there by China. “A fortnight back, 2,000 more additional troops were deployed at the post,” sources said.

It was India’s road construction to the Lipulekh area at 17,000 feet that had sparked a diplomatic row between India and Nepal with Kathmandu claiming the area as its own. The road was aimed at shortening the travel time for Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims.

Things so escalated that Nepal brought out a new political map showing the contested area as its own.

India and China, on the other hand, have been locked in a standoff since May at multiple points along the border. China had changed the status quo on the Line of Actual Control at various places, moving inside Indian territories. India has objected to it and is taking up the matter with China at all levels.

Last week itself India thwarted China’s provocative military movements to change the status quo at Pangong Tso in Eastern Ladakh. This happened even when China and India were already engaged in diplomatic and military talks to resolve the disputed border issues with several skirmishes reported between the Asian giants.

In a statement, the Indian Army said that on the night of August 29 and August 30, 2020, People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops violated the previous consensus arrived at during military and diplomatic engagements during the ongoing standoff in Eastern Ladakh and carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo.

“Indian troops pre-empted this PLA activity on the southern bank of Pangong Lake, and undertook measures to strengthen our positions and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on the ground,” the force said.

Again China attempted to enter into Indian premises on August 31 which was stopped by the Indian forces.

China has built up troops, artillery, and armor in three sectors of the Line of Actual Control — western (Ladakh), middle (Uttarakhand, Himachal), and eastern (Sikkim, Arunachal).

India too has increased deployment across the LAC to match China’s military advances. In June, India lost 20 soldiers in Galway Valley, as its troops were involved in a violent clash with Chinese soldiers, who too lost an unknown number of men.

Western Railway saves 3 cr due to ‘solar power’

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Western Railway saves 3 cr due to ‘solar power’

The Western Railway (WR) has claimed that it has slashed power bills worth Rs 3 crore by exploiting solar power at 75 stations on its network, an official said here on Wednesday.

These rooftop solar plants generate a whopping 8.67MW, resulting in the handsome savings during the current financial year, besides accelerating the Indian Railways’ (IR) mission to achieve the goal of ‘Net Zero Carbon Emission Railway’ before 2030, said WR chief spokesperson Sumit Thakur.

The solar plants have been installed in 22 stations in Mumbai Division, 34 in Ratlam, eight in Rajkot, and six in Vadodara, besides the Ahmedabad and Bhavnagar Divisions.

In the Mumbai Division, rooftop power plants have been installed at places like Churchgate, Mumbai Central Terminus, Dadar Terminus, Bandra Terminus, and other stations in Thane and Palghar.

Thakur said that by 2030, the IR is set to produce solar power for all its energy requirement needs of over 33 billion units, with the current annual requirements being around 20 billion units.

For achieving this, the IR has chalked plans to install solar plants of 20GW by 2030 on around 51,000 hectares of its vacant, un-encroached lands.

Simultaneously, IR also hopes to achieve 100 percent electrification on all its lines by 2023 to ensure a complete ‘Green Mode of Transportation’ in tune with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal, Thakur added.

ISL: Odisha FC sign experienced Brazilian forward Marcelinho

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ISL: Odisha FC sign experienced Brazilian forward Marcelinho

Odisha FC on Wednesday announced that the club had secured the services of experienced Brazilian footballer Marcelo Leite Pereira ahead of the seventh edition of the Indian Super League (ISL).

The 33-year-old forward signed a one-year contract with the Bhubaneswar-based team on Wednesday.

With an ability to play as a striker or in the wings or as an attacking midfielder, Marcelinho has a vast experience of playing in various leagues around the world, including the ISL. He was the Golden Boot winner in the 2016 season when he scored scoring 10 goals in 15 appearances for Delhi Dynamos and guided the team into the play-offs.

Marcelinho then played for FC Pune City/Hyderabad FC for three consecutive seasons and scored 31 goals and made 18 assists in 63 ISL matches. After starting his professional career with Atletico Madrid B, the Rio de Janeiro-born playmaker has played club football for various other teams in the UAE, Greece, Spain, Italy, and his home country Brazil.

Welcoming Marcelinho to the club, head coach Stuart Baxter stated: “With good experience of Indian football and a record that is admired by many, Marcelinho represents a good signing on all fronts.

“A delighted Marcelinho said: “I am very motivated for the challenge. I really want to do well with my new team and the new coach. I hope that we have an amazing season ahead and I can’t wait for this [to begin].”

Ayodhya temple map passed by ADA

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Ayodhya temple map passed by ADA

The Ayodhya Development Authority (ADA) has unanimously passed the map for the proposed Ram temple in Ayodhya.

A meeting of the ADA was held on Wednesday which passed the map. This clears the way for the construction of the temple in the holy city.

According to official sources, the covered area of the temple land is around 13,000 square meters.

Anil Mishra, the member of the Shri Ram Janambhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, had submitted the map for approval on August 29 along with other necessary documents.

ADA sources said that there was complete unanimity among ADA officials on passing the map.

With the completion of this formality, temple construction can now begin any time.a

Xiaomi launches affordable Redmi 9A in India

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Xiaomi launches affordable Redmi 9A in India

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi on Wednesday launched a new budget smartphone Redmi 9A at a starting price of Rs 6,799 (2GB+32GB) variant in India.

The 3GB RAM with 32GB internal storage variant will cost Rs 7,499.

“Redmi 9A aims to uphold the legacy set by its predecessors and does so by bringing a high-quality media experience with the HD+ LCD IPS display with a dot-notch. This is a major upgrade over competition devices in the price segment,” Sneha Tainwala, Redmi Business Lead, Mi India, said in a statement.

The smartphone will be available in three color variants from September 4.

The 6.53-inch device comes with ‘TUV Rheinland Low Blue Light’ certification, allowing better visibility in reading mode.

The smartphone is powered by octa-core MediaTek Helio G25 chipset coupled with up to 3GB RAM and a dedicated microSD card slot allowing expansion up to 512GB.

Redmi 9A comes with a 13MP AI camera on the rear with features such as AI Portrait mode, AI scene detection. It also comes with a 5MP AI selfie camera with AI portrait mode.

The smartphone houses a 5000mAh battery. The company said the battery may last for 2.5-3 years as compared to regular batteries with new technology.

Melania Trump used private email account: Ex-adviser

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Melania Trump used private email account: Ex-adviser

US First Lady Melania Trump used a private email account linked to the Trump Organization while in the White House, a former adviser has revealed.

Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, also a close friend who is coming out with her tell-all memoir, “Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship with the First Lady”, said she and the First Lady corresponded multiple times a day.

“Melania and I both didn’t use White House emails,” The Hill news website quoted Wolkoff as saying in a Washington Post interview published on Tuesday night.

The private account was from a MelaniaTrump.com email domain.

In some of her emails sent via the private account, Trump discussed topics like government hires and contracts; schedules for her and the President; and she Is Best initiative.

The First Lady is the latest White House official to receive flak for using private email, The Hill news website reported.

Senior White House advisers, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, also the President’s daughter and son-in-law, were investigated for their use of private accounts for government business.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross was also found to have used private email.

‘Even face shield, N-95 mask together can’t stop coronavirus’

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‘Even face shield, N-95 mask together can’t stop coronavirus’

As we anguish after witnessing millions of Indians not wearing face masks or wearing them all wrong in public places amid a surge in Covid-19 figures, a study led by Indian-American researchers has warned that even people wearing the combination of face shields along with masks with exhalation valves are not safe and can easily get the deadly coronavirus.

When someone carrying the Covid-19 virus coughs, aerosolized droplets expelled with the jet are able to move around the face shield visor with relative ease.

“Over time, these droplets can disperse over a wide area in both lateral and longitudinal directions, albeit with decreasing droplet concentration,” said Manhar Dhanak, department chair, professor, and director of SeaTech at Florida Atlantic University (FAU).

“We were able to observe that face shields are able to block the initial forward motion of the exhaled jet, however, aerosolized droplets expelled with the jet are able to move around the visor with relative ease,” added Dhanak who co-authored the paper with Siddhartha Verma, lead author and John Frankenfeld, a technical professional at FAU’s Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering.

The N95-rated face mask with the exhale valve used in this study had a small amount of exhaled droplets that escaped from the gap between the top of the mask and the bridge of the nose.

Moreover, the exhalation port significantly reduced the effectiveness of the mask as a means of source control, as a large number of droplets passed through the valve unfiltered and unhindered, said the study published in the journal Physics of Fluids.

“There is an increasing trend of people substituting regular cloth or surgical masks with clear plastic face shields as well as using masks that are equipped with exhalation valves,” said Verma.

A driving factor for this increased adoption is better comfort compared to regular masks.

“However, face shields have noticeable gaps along the bottom and the sides, and masks with exhalation ports include a one-way valve which restricts airflow when breathing in, but allows free outflow of air. The inhaled air gets filtered through the mask material, but the exhaled breath passes through the valve unfiltered,” Verma explained.

For the study, researchers employed flow visualization in a laboratory setting using a laser light sheet and a mixture of distilled water and glycerine to generate the synthetic fog that made up the content of a cough-jet.

They visualized droplets expelled from a mannequin’s mouth while simulating coughing and sneezing.

By placing a plastic face shield and an N95-rated face mask with a valve, they were able to map out the paths of droplets and demonstrate how they performed.

Results showed that the expelled droplets move around the visor with relative ease and spread out over a large area depending on light ambient disturbances.

“Visualisations for the face mask equipped with an exhalation port indicate that a large number of droplets pass through the exhale valve unfiltered, which significantly reduces its effectiveness as a means of source control,” the findings showed.

The key takeaway illustrates that face shields and masks with exhale valves may not be as effective as regular face masks in restricting the spread of aerosolized droplets.

“Widespread public adoption of the alternatives, in lieu of regular masks, could potentially have an adverse effect on ongoing mitigation efforts against Covid-19,” the researchers warned.

BCCI announces CRED as official partner for IPL

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BCCI announces CRED as official partner for IPL

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday announced that CRED, a digital community of creditworthy individuals, merchants, and institutions, will be the official partner of the Indian Premier League.

The three-year deal between the company and the BCCI will begin with the latest season of IPL on September 19 in the UAE.

“We are very pleased to have CRED on board as the ‘Official Partner’ of the Indian Premier League 2020 to 2022. IPL is one of the most innovative sporting leagues of the world and we are delighted to have a brand as unique and innovative as CRED partner us. I am sure more people across the country will take notice of them as we embark on this exciting journey,” IPL chairman Brijesh Patel said in a statement.

CRED founder and CEO Kunal Shah said he was extremely pleased to be associated with IPL, which without a question is among the most high-profile events on the world’s sporting calendar.

“IPL represents the pinnacle of consumer experiences, powered by a global community of cricketers, fans, and enthusiasts. We look forward to participating in this festival of sporting excellence, which celebrates peak performance for the individual, the team and the community,” Shah said.

Lighter, fast-charging batteries that can power Mars rover developed

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Lighter, fast-charging batteries that can power Mars rover developed

NASA-funded research led by a team of Indian-origin scientists in the US has developed a lighter, faster-charging batteries suitable for powering a spacesuit, or even a Mars rover.

Shailendra Chiluwal, Nawraj Sapkota, Apparao M Rao, and Ramakrishna Podila, all of whom are part of the Clemson Nanomaterials Institute (CNI) at the Clemson University in South Carolina were part of the team that created these batteries.

Podila, an assistant professor in the College of Science’s department of physics and astronomy, said the revolutionary new batteries could soon be used in US satellites.

Most satellites mainly get their power from the sun. But the satellites have to be able to store energy for when they are in the Earth’s shadow.

“We have to make the batteries as light as possible because the more the satellite weighs, the more its mission costs,” Podila said.

The research, which was funded by NASA, appeared in the American Chemical Society journal Applied Materials and Interfaces.

Podila said that to understand the group’s breakthroughs, one could visualize the graphite anode in a lithium-ion battery as a deck of cards, wherein each card represents a layer of graphite that is used to store the charge until electricity is needed.

The problem, Podila said, is that “graphite cannot store much charge”.

The team opted to work with silicon, which can pack more charge, meaning more energy can be stored in lighter cells.

Rather than a deck of cards made of graphite, the new batteries use layers of a carbon nanotube material called “buckypaper”, with the silicon nanoparticles sandwiched in between.

“The freestanding sheets of carbon nanotubes keep the silicon nanoparticles electrically connected with each other,” explained Shailendra Chiluwal, a graduate student at CNI and the first author on the study.

Using batteries made of silicon and other nanomaterials not only increases capacity, but it also allows for charging batteries at a higher current, which translates to faster charging times.

As anyone whose cellphone has ever died in the middle of a phone call knows, this is an important feature for battery technology, the authors said.

Lighter batteries that charge faster and offer greatly increased efficiency will not only be a boon to astronauts wearing battery-powered suits but also to the scientists and engineers who have to get the astronauts to their destinations.

“Silicon as the anode in a lithium-ion battery represents the ‘holy grail’ for researchers in this field,” said Rao, CNI’s director, and the principal investigator on the NASA grant.

Rao added that the new batteries will soon find their way into electric vehicles.

“Our next goal is to collaborate with industrial partners to translate this lab-based technology to the marketplace,” Podila said.

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