IIT Hyderabad researchers use novel method to study biofuels

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IIT Hyderabad researchers use novel method to study biofuels

The Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT-H) on Thursday said its researchers are using computational methods to understand the factors and impediments in incorporating biofuels into the fuel sector in India.

This work has been spurred by the increasing need to replace fossil fuels by bio-derived fuels, which, in turn, is driven by the dwindling fossil fuel reserves all over the world, and pollution issues associated with the use of fossil fuels.

The model developed by the IIT team has shown that in the area of bioethanol integration into mainstream fuel use, the production cost is the highest (43 percent) followed by import (25 percent), transport (17 percent), infrastructure (15 percent) and inventory (0.43 percent) costs.

The model, published in the Journal of Cleaner Production, has also shown that feed availability to the tune of at least 40 percent of the capacity is needed to meet the projected demands.

A unique feature of this work is that the framework considers the revenue generation not only as an outcome of sales of the biofuel but also in terms of carbon credits via greenhouse gas emission savings throughout the project lifecycle.

“In India, biofuels generated from non-food sources is the most promising source of carbon-neutral renewable energy,” Dr. Kishalay Mitra, Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Hyderabad, said in a statement.

“These second-generation sources include agricultural waste products such as straw, hay, and wood, among others, that do not intrude upon food sources,” Mitra added.

According to the Institute, biofuel technologies are evolving in India. The design and implementation of technological, regulatory, and policy approaches and pricing strategy of biofuels depend on a deep understanding of the supply chain network.

Models such as those developed at IIT Hyderabad allow the society to understand the effects of uncertainty in the network parameters on the demand-supply dynamics and can help policymakers devise and revise strategies to meet the future demands of biofuels.

“We use Machine Learning techniques to understand the supply chain network,” said Kapil Gumte, Research Scholar, IIT Hyderabad.

“Machine learning is a branch of Artificial Intelligence in which, the computer learns patterns from available data and updates automatically to produce an understanding of the system and predictions of the future,” Gumte added.

Adhir Ranjan slams ED for grilling Ahmed Patel

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Adhir Ranjan slams ED for grilling Ahmed Patel

Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has slammed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for grilling party treasurer Ahmed Patel, who has been interrogated for the third time on Thursday for links with promoters of Sterling Biotech.

Congress leader leveled allegation that Sterling Biotech promoters have links with Rakesh Asthana, an IPS officer.

Chowdhury alleged, “Modi Ji’s most trusted man Mr. Rakesh Asthana, IPS, has been implicated as a recipient of bribe money which has been exposed in Sandersara diary. I am flagging the attention of Narendra Modi Ji, but Congress party’s leader Ahmed Patel Ji has been grilled for 3 consecutive days by ED to unearth the nexus between Patel Ji and notorious Sandesara case.”

A team of Enforcement Directorate (ED) again on Thursday arrived at Patel’s residence for the third time in less than a week to question him in connection with its probe into a multi-crore bank fraud case by the Gujarat-based Sterling Biotech.

The ED had earlier questioned Patel on June 27 and June 30 for several hours under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

A team of financial probe agency officials arrived at the 23, Mother Teresa Crescent Road here on Thursday morning to record Patel’s statement once again.

Karnataka revamps diet for Covid patients in hospitals

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Karnataka revamps diet for Covid patients in hospitals

The Karnataka government has issued orders to provide quality nutritious food suggested by dieticians to COVID-29 patients receiving treatment in designated hospitals, an official said on Thursday.

“Aimed at improving the immunity power in COVID patients, they shall be provided with quality and nutritious food on time,” said the official.

According to the new order, breakfast will be served at 7 a.m., lunch at 1 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m.

In the new plan, patients will receive ‘Rava idli’ for breakfast on Monday, ‘Pongal’ on Tuesday, ‘set dosa’ on Wednesday, rice idli on Thursday, ‘Bisi bele bath’ on Friday, ‘chow bath’ on Saturday and ‘set dosa’ on Sunday.

As for refreshment after breakfast, the health department made arrangements for one fruit a day such as watermelon, papaya, musk melon, which will be served on alternate days.

For lunch, all patients will receive roti, chapati, Palya, rice, dal, egg, and curd.

At 5 p.m. every day as refreshments, one banana, and three cookies, two protein cookies, two dates and a mango bar for vitamin C will be served.

Dinner will consist of roti, chapati, Palya, rice, dal, and curd and flavored milk will culminate the night refreshment at 9 p.m.

The new diet will benefit 8,194 active COVID patients admitted at designated hospitals across the southern state.

AIADMK MLA Sathan Prabhakar turns coronavirus positive

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AIADMK MLA Sathan Prabhakar turns coronavirus positive

Ruling AIADMK legislator N. Sathan Prabhakar representing the Paramakudi Assembly constituency has tested positive for Coronavirus, said an official.

Prabhakar has been admitted for treatment at the government hospital in Ramanathapuram district.

Prabhakar is the fifth legislator in Tamil Nadu and the third one from the ruling AIADMK party to be infected with the coronavirus.

The other two AIADMK lawmakers are Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K.P. Anbalagan and K. Palani representing the Sriperumbudur Assembly constituency.

The two other lawmakers who were infected with coronavirus are from DMK namely R.T. Arasu elected from Cheyyur Assembly constituency and J. Anbalagan who recently died due to Covid-19.

Goa Speaker urges MLAs to undergo Covid test ahead of session

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Goa Speaker urges MLAs to undergo Covid test ahead of session

Two days after a ruling BJP MLA tested positive for Covid-19, Speaker of the Goa assembly Rajesh Patekar on Thursday urged all legislators to get themselves tested.

“Definitely, it is better to have tests done. MLAs often have to rush to sites where COVID cases are detected. People expect MLAs to help. By default they come in contact with some persons there when they reach the spot,” Patekar told reporters here.

“I request all MLAs to go for self-testing. It is my appeal to them,” Patnekar said.

The Speaker’s comment comes a few days after Goa Governor Satya Pal Malik convened the monsoon session of the state legislative assembly from July 27.

On Wednesday, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had said, that the BJP MLA who had tested positive was part of a meeting of the ruling legislators, but added that social distancing norms were followed at the meet, which was held last month.

Rashami Desai unveils first look from her upcoming project ‘Tamas’

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Rashami Desai unveils first look from her upcoming project ‘Tamas’

Actress Rashami Desai has shared the first poster from her upcoming project, “Tamas”.

In the poster, we can see Adhvik Mahajan and Rashami. While Adhvik strikes an intense close-up, Rashami dons an ethnic look, hair neatly tied and a dupatta on her head.

A user commented: “You look so beautiful. Can’t wait to see you in ‘Tamas’.”

Another one commented: “Elegant.”

Without revealing more details, Rashami shared that “Tamas” will release on July 7. Rashami was last seen in “Naagin 4” and “Bigg Boss 13”.

Big B gets nostalgic as ‘Sarkar’ turns 15

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Big B gets nostalgic as ‘Sarkar’ turns 15

It’s a flashback Thursday for Amitabh Bachchan, what with “Sarkar” turning 15. The film was released on June 2, 2005.

Taking to social media, Big B shared a poster of the film, where he is seen exuding that iconic intense look that has become a trademark of the film.

“15 years of ‘Sarkar’,” he captioned the post.

Directed by Ram Gopal Varma, the crime drama also featured Abhishek Bachchan and Kay Kay Menon in pivotal roles, with Katrina Kaif essaying an impressive cameo.

The success of the film spawned sequels. Varma went on to make “Sarkar Raj” in 2008 and “Sarkar 3” in 2017.

Speaking of Big B’s upcoming projects, he will be seen in Rumi Jaffery’s “Chehre”, Ayan Mukerji’s “Brahmastra” and Nagraj Manjule’s “Jhund”.

Samantha Akkineni gives Spider-Man a twist of yoga

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Samantha Akkineni gives Spider-Man a twist of yoga

Southern star Samantha Akkineni turned into Spider-Man in a new picture she shared on social media.

Samantha took to Instagram Stories, where she edited a picture of herself onto the poster of the 2019 film, “Spider-Man: Far From Home”.

In the image, she replaced the character with a picture of herself doing a complex yoga position.

“When you laugh at others you should be able to laugh at yourself,” she wrote on the picture.

“Spider-Man: Far From Home” is based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. It is the sequel to “Spider-Man: Homecoming” and the 23rd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

The actress, who was last seen in the Telugu film “Jaanu”, has made a name for herself in Tamil and Telugu film industries.

She is known for her performances in films such as “Ye Maaya Chesave”, “Neethaane En Ponvasantham”, “Eega”, “Mersal” and “Rangasthalam”. She impressed all with her role in “Super Deluxe” last year.

Samantha will next be seen in “Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal”, starring Vijay Sethupathi. The film also stars Nayanthara. It is directed by Vignesh Shivan.

Tharanga was questioned for two hours by the Special Investigation Unit

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Tharanga was questioned for two hours by the Special Investigation Unit

Sri Lanka opener Upul Tharanga on Wednesday became the first player to be grilled by detectives in a probe investigating claims that the 2011 Cricket World Cup final was fixed.

The 35-year-old was questioned for two hours by the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) examining the conduct of the final, which Sri Lanka lost to India.

“They asked a few questions in connection with the ongoing investigation. I gave my statement,” Tharanga told reporters without giving further details.

Tharanga, who scored two runs off 20 deliveries in the match at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, was called in after investigators quizzed chief selector Aravinda de Silva for nearly six hours on Tuesday.

The investigation was launched after government minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage, who was sports minister at the time, alleged that Sri Lanka threw the match in April 2011.

“I feel I can talk about it now,” Aluthgamage told a local TV network last month. “I am not connecting players, but some sections were involved.”

Sri Lanka batted first and scored 274-6 off 50 overs. They appeared in a commanding position when Indian superstar Sachin Tendulkar was out for 18.

But India turned the game around dramatically, thanks in part to poor fielding and bowling by Sri Lanka, who were led by Kumar Sangakkara.

India won the final by six wickets.SIU chief Jagath Fonseka said officers would decide who else to interview after analysing Tharanga’s testimony.

Fonseka said they were obtaining intelligence reports as well as input from unspecified international sources to continue their probe.

De Silva declined to comment about his questioning or the selections he made for the 2011 finals.

International cricket in Sri Lanka has previously been linked to corruption allegations, including claims of match-fixing ahead of a 2018 Test against England.

Last month, the Sri Lankan cricket board said the International Cricket Council was investigating three unnamed ex-players over corruption claims.

Match-fixing was made a criminal offence in November. Offenders face fines of up to 100 million rupees (USD 555,000) and up to 10 years’ jail.

‘Liquidity, asset quality risks for NBFIs remain elevated’

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‘Liquidity, asset quality risks for NBFIs remain elevated’

Rating agency Fitch Ratings on Thursday said that India’s non-bank financial institutions will continue to face elevated near-term risks, even as economic activity picks up with the easing of the country’s nationwide lockdown.

Accordingly, the rating agency said that these risks revolve around liquidity and asset quality in particular and reflect the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on borrowers’ repayment capabilities, as well as the effects of the moratorium on collections.

“The cash flow implications of the moratorium, which regulators have extended to end-August, have not been uniform across the industry, affecting some NBFIs liquidity profiles more materially and placing pressure on their ability to repay or refinance upcoming obligations,” Fitch Ratings said in a statement.

“We expect near-term inflows to remain below pre-pandemic levels and to improve only gradually as economic activity gathers pace.”

According to Fitch Ratings, the moratorium impact is varied across the different NBFI business models.

“We believe the moratorium will erode payment discipline and its extension will result in lagged asset-quality problems for NBFIs, particularly when combined with the economic damage from the pandemic and lockdown; we expect India’s economy to contract by 5 percent in the financial year ending March 2021 (FY21),” the statement said.

“Asset quality indicators did not show a significant deterioration in FY20, but regulatory guidance around impaired-asset recognition indicates that the true extent of the damage may only become visible in FY22. This lack of transparency will complicate the sector’s fundraising efforts.”

As per the statement, FY20 results do reveal that many of the sector’s largest competitors took proactive provisioning, but whether this was sufficient will depend on the extent of asset-quality deterioration in the coming months.

“We expect credit costs to be elevated over the medium-term,” the statement said.

Privatising trains, govt taking away lifeline of poor: Rahul

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Privatising trains, govt taking away lifeline of poor: Rahul

Former Congress Chief Rahul Gandhi on Thursday sharpened his attack on the Narendra Modi government over its moves to allow private firms to run passenger trains. He said the government was taking away the lifeline of the country from the poor, and the people will give a befitting reply.

“Rail is the only lifeline of the poor and the government is taking it away from them. Snatch whatever you want to. But remember — the people of the country will give a befitting reply,” Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet attaching a news report.

His remarks came a day after the Indian Railways announced a major push for the private entities in the Indian Railways. The Railways have invited the request for qualifications for private participation for passenger train operations on 109 pairs of routes through 151 modern trains.

The national transporter on Wednesday said that it plans to allow private entities to operate passenger trains and the project would entail private sector investment of about Rs 30,000 crore.

The objective of the initiative is to introduce modern technology rolling stock with reduced maintenance, reduced transit time, boost job creation, provide enhanced safety, provide world-class travel experience to passengers, the Railway Ministry said.

The 109 (origin-destination) pairs of trains have been formed into 12 clusters across the Indian Railway network. Each train shall have a minimum of 16 coaches.

According to the railway ministry, this is the first initiative of private investment for running passenger trains over the Indian Railways network. The move began last year with the introduction of Lucknow-Delhi Tejas Express by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).

IPL 13 likely overseas, toss-up between UAE & Sri Lanka

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The 13th edition of the Indian Premier League is in all probability headed to foreign shores with UAE and Sri Lanka in the race to host the 2020 edition of the cash-rich league. The final announcement is expected soon as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is still awaiting an official decision on the fate of the T20 World Cup which was to be held in Australia in October-November.

Speaking to IANS, a BCCI official in the know of developments said that while the idea was to play the league in the country, the situation with regards to the coronavirus pandemic might force the board to ultimately take the tournament to either UAE or Sri Lanka.

“We are yet to decide on the venue but in all probability, it is going outside this year. The condition in India doesn’t look suited to have so many teams come in at one or two venues and then create an atmosphere that will be safe for the players as well as the general public even though the games may be played behind closed doors.

“The race is between UAE and Sri Lanka and we will need to decide on where we host the league depending on the situation there with regards to the coronavirus pandemic. Logistics also need to be looked into, so we will decide soon,” the official said.

While the mood was initially in favor of hosting the league in the country, the current situation has almost made it certain that the tournament will have to be taken outside India.

IANS had earlier reported that the decision-makers in the BCCI were divided into a 3:2 ratio with regards to deciding on the venue of the league. “See, it is a case of the decision-makers being divided 3-2 if that is how you wish to understand the current scenario.

“There are a couple of voices who feel that having the tournament should be the priority and if that means taking it out of the country, so be it. So, while we are working on the overall plan, the venue is an area that will need further deliberation. Also, at the end of the day safety of the players and everyone involved is a priority,” the official had explained.

IPL Chairman Brijesh Patel has also been vocal that location shouldn’t be a concern if the league is being played behind closed doors. “They (Emirates Cricket Board and Sri Lanka Cricket) have informed us that they are prepared to host the IPL. But our first preference is India if we get the government’s permission.

“It is certain that we cannot play at more than three or four venues in India, but the permissions will depend on how the COVID-19 outbreak pans out. Otherwise, we will have to explore playing overseas, which will be the last option. Once you are playing without spectators, it doesn’t really matter where you are playing as long as it suits television timings,” Patel had told The Hindu.

US House approves new Hong Kong-related sanctions

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US House approves new Hong Kong-related sanctions

The Democrats-led US House of Representatives has approved new Hong Kong-related sanctions after Beijing imposed a security law for the city that has been condemned by countries around the world.

The Hong Kong Autonomy Act, which was passed unanimously late Wednesday, imposes sanctions on banks that do business with Chinese officials who are involved in cracking down on pro-democracy protesters in the city, the BBC reported.

“The law is a brutal, sweeping crackdown against the people of Hong Kong, intended to destroy the freedoms they were promised,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

She added that the law was an “urgently needed response to (China’s passing) of its so-called ‘national security’ law… which is purpose-built to dismantle democratic freedoms in Hong Kong”.

Before the bill was signed, the US had already begun eliminating Hong Kong’s special status – halting defense exports and restricting the territory’s access to high-technology products.

Last year, the US had also signed into law the Human Rights and Democracy Act, supporting pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong.

China’s security law, which came into effect on Tuesday night, It lists four categories of offenses – secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with a foreign country or external elements to endanger national security.

The maximum penalty for each crime is life imprisonment, although the suggested sentence for some minor offenses is less than three years’ imprisonment.

Suspects can be extradited to mainland China in cases that involve “complicated situations” of interference by foreign forces; cases in which the local government cannot effectively enforce the law and ones where national security is under “serious and realistic threats”.

Also on Wednesday, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the passing of the law was a “clear and serious breach” of the 1985 Sino-British joint declaration, the BBC reported.

But on Thursday China threatened “corresponding measures” to block the citizenship plan.

“If the British side makes unilateral changes to the relevant practice, it will breach its own position and pledges, as well as international law and basic norms,” said the Chinese Embassy in the UK.

Athletes laud scribes on World Sports Journalists Day

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Athletes laud scribes on World Sports Journalists Day

Indian sportspersons on Thursday hailed journalists on the special occasion of World Sports Journalists Day. Athletes from different sports took to social media to pay tribute to the scribes who, according to them, are the link between sportspersons and fans.

Veteran India spinner Harbhajan Singh wrote on Twitter: On World Sports Journalists Day, I salute the wonderful fraternity of sportswriters who bring our stories to you with such passion. I am grateful to all the sports journalists who have played an important role in my cricket journey. We owe a huge part of our sporting life to them.”

Former World No.1 shooter Anjali Bhagwat tweeted: “Happy World Sports Journalists Day to all our journalist friends, you all play a major role in our sports journey. Thank you very much for your support and love. We salute your efforts and dedication.”

Veteran India batsman Suresh Raina wrote on his Twitter handle: “Today, let’s dedicate this day to our sports journalist, who is the voice of all athletes. Happy World Sports Journalists Day to all my professional colleagues. I wish them all the best and would like to thank them for bringing sports to everyone.

Asian Games gold medal-winning sprinter Hima Das tweeted: Congratulations to all the sports journalists on the occasion of #WorldSportsJournalistsDay.”

Hockey star SV Sunil wrote on Twitter: “My best wishes and heartfelt gratitude to sports journalists on #WorldSportsJournalistsDay. We often forget the sacrifices you’ll make to cover sports and sportspersons. You’ll play a key role in our careers. Thank you for choosing to promote sports.”

Maha makes CCTV must in all Corona wards

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Maha makes CCTV must in all Corona wards

Amid unending complaints of overcharging by hospitals, the Maharashtra government has made CCTV mandatory in all Covid-19 wards, Health Minister Rajesh Tope said here on Thursday.

“The government has specified the cost of treatment in all such cases, and hospitals must adhere to it or face stringent action. If patients have grievances, they can come forward and complain to us. We shall be announcing a special helpline number for this also,” Tope told media persons.

Besides, family members or relatives outside the hospital shall be able to communicate with the patients inside the wards, he said.

Referring to the widespread fleecing of patients by ambulances, the minister said that the rates for this medical service will be declared by the municipal commissioners and district collectors.

“In case of overcharging by hospitals or the ambulances, patients can bring it to our notice and we shall take action,” Tope assured.

He once again appealed to people not to suppress any of their symptoms and come forward for treatment in everybody’s interest.

The minister’s statements are considered significant as patients’ have complained of exorbitant billing by many private hospitals, ambulance operators, emanate daily on social media from Mumbai and other parts of the state.

Besides overcharging, there are also complaints of inordinate delays by ambulance operators which resulted in at least one death of a patient sitting on the road awaiting an ambulance in Pune, which was highlighted by IANS on May 16.

Jadeja is one of the most reliable cricketers across formats: SCA chief

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Jadeja is one of the most reliable cricketers across formats: SCA chief

The Saurashtra Cricket Association on Thursday congratulated all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja for being named by Wisden as Indias Most Valuable Player in the 21st century. The 31-year-old’s MVP rating, which was calculated using the cricket data analysis tool CricViz, was 97.3.

Additionally, the rating made Jadeja the second most valuable player of all time in Test cricket according to the analysis, only behind Sri Lankan spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan.

In a release, the SCA said: “Everyone at Saurashtra Cricket Association heartily congratulates Saurashtra’s super lion Ravindra Jadeja on being felicitated by Wisden as Most Valuable Test Player of the 21st Century.”

Jaydev Shah, President of Saurashtra Cricket Association, while congratulating Ravindra Jadeja expressed, “Ravindra has the phenomenal talent and is one of the most reliable cricketers in all formats. He is amazing with ball and bat, and also as a fielder. He has many times been a game-changer in international as well as domestic cricket.”

Jadeja reacted to the news on Twitter. “Thank you Wisden India for naming me the ‘Most Valuable Player’. I would like to thank all my teammates, coaches, fans, and well-wishers for your support as I aim to give my best for our country. Jai Hind,” he tweeted.

Jadeja is a regular in the Indian limited-overs and Test sides since 2000 but has rarely featured in conversations about India’s most valuable player, a title that had initially been reserved for the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Virender Sehwag and later on M.S. Dhoni and current captain Virat Kohli.

Jadeja has 213 wickets in Test cricket and has scored 1869 runs at an average of 35.26. He has taken nine five-wicket hauls and also scored a century. In ODIs, Jadeja has 187 wickets and scored 2296 runs.

Security researcher finds flaw in Chingari site, firm says app safe

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Security researcher finds flaw in Chingari site, firm says app safe

Well-known French security researcher Elliot Alderson claimed that the website of Globussoft, the company behind social media app Chingari, a desi alternative to Chinese TikTok, has been compromised. The company said that the app is completely safe.

According to the security researcher, the website’s drop script has reportedly been inserted with a malicious code that redirects the user to various other websites.

“The website of Globussoft, the company behind #Chingari, the so-called Indian #TikTok alternative, has been compromised. The malicious drop has been inserted to all the webpages,” Alderson tweeted late Wednesday.

Sumit Ghosh, co-founder, and Chief Product Officer, Chinagri replied, saying that although the Chingari app was incubated by Globussoft, the security or privacy of the app has not been compromised.

“Thanks for pointing the wp (Word Press) issue to me. Chingari was incubated under Globussoft and built by us, the security of Chingari app/website and our users is not compromised by any of this,” replied Ghosh.

He noted that the user data is safely stored on a dedicated and secure AWS server.

“Globussoft website and Chingari app have very different security/engineering teams and are totally unrelated. Chingari will soon be an independent company,” Ghosh added.

Downloaded over 3 million times, the Chingari app was founded by Bengaluru-based programmers Biswatma Nayak and Siddharth Gautam last year and it is witnessing nearly 1 lakh downloads and over 2 million views per hour since the government banned 59 Chinese apps over national security concerns.

It allows a user to download and upload videos, chat with friends, interact with new people, share content, and browse through the feed.

A Chingari user gets the opportunity to get creative with WhatsApp status, videos, audio clips, GIF stickers, and photos.

The app is available in languages including English, Hindi, Bangla, Gujarati, Marathi, Kannada, Punjabi, Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu.

Klopp wants to finish the season strongly

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Klopp wants to finish the season strongly

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says his side will not rest on their laurels next season after ending a 30-year wait to win the Premier League. The newly crowned champions head to closest challengers Manchester City on Thursday looking to build on their 23-point lead at the top of the table.

Klopp warned of the threat that City, a resurgent Manchester United and Chelsea, bolstered by the signings of Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech, would pose next season. However, he dismissed any notion that Liverpool will slacken off after setting a record-breaking pace to claim the title with seven games to spare this season.

“We will not defend the title next year, we will attack it,” said Klopp on a videoconference on Wednesday.”I’ve learned when you think you have reached the pinnacle, you are already on the way down.”

“We don’t feel that. I don’t feel finally satisfied. It’s another step. It’s a big one, an unbelievably big one, but not the only thing I want to talk with the boys about in 20 years’ time.”

There were wild celebrations from Klopp, his players and Liverpool fans last Thursday when City’s 2-1 defeat at Chelsea finally ended the three-decade wait.

But having had their title party delayed by three months due to the coronavirus pandemic, Klopp wants to finish the season strongly and get back in rhythm ahead of a quick turnaround into the 2020/21 campaign.

“We prepare Man City with full focus,” said the German. “That doesn’t mean we will beat them, but it means we are prepared. That is how we will prepare next season as well.”We are not tired. We are just in the middle of something.”

LAVA launches contest to design the ‘next Indian’ smartphone

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LAVA launches contest to design the ‘next Indian’ smartphone

As the chorus grows against the use of Chinese brands, domestic mobile manufacturer Lava on Thursday launched ‘Design in India contest, inviting students and professionals to design the next Indian smartphone and grab job opportunities along with cash prices.

Students and professionals from engineering departments can participate in this contest in groups of one-three members, and win a chance to work for Lava’s Design-in-India team, the company said in a statement.

“Through this unique initiative, we want to give the youth of our country a platform to play their part in this nation-building process. We invite them to use their creative skills and bring fresh perspectives to our design methods,” Tejinder Singh, Head- Product, Lava International, said in a statement.

The registration process for this contest is open until July 9. The contest is open for BTech, BE, BDes, and MDes students or professionals.

The contest will be conducted in three parts – ideation, creating a prototype, and presentation to the jury.

Lava’s design team will mentor the contestants throughout the competition.

At the end of the competition, the top three winning teams will get a pre-placement interview opportunity at Lava. They will additionally receive a cash prize of Rs 50,000, Rs 25,000 and Rs 15,000 respectively.

“Being mentored by the Lava design team can be a very meaningful opportunity for the young talent of our country,” said Sanjeev Agarwal, Chief Manufacturing Officer, Lava International.

Lava in May announced to shift its entire mobile R&D, design, and manufacturing for the export market from China to India within the next six months, announcing to invest overall nearly Rs 800 crore in the due course of time.

Lava exports over 33 percent of its phones to markets such as Mexico, Africa, Southeast Asia, and West Asia.

As part of the transition, Lava will invest around Rs 80 crore this year and subsequently around Rs 800 crore over the next five years.

‘Poison 2’ director: Difficult to shoot with social distancing restrictions

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‘Poison 2’ director: Difficult to shoot with social distancing restrictions

Director Vishal Pandya, who is known for helming the “Hate Story” franchise and “Wajah Tum Ho”, has started shooting for his upcoming web-series “Poison 2”. He says it is tough to shoot with all the restrictions.

“It is difficult to shoot with these restrictions and all because what happens is ‘Ek Hota hai paper-like Kar aana’ (rules and regulations written on paper) that’s a different thing and implementing it that is a different thing. (There is) Social distancing and then unit strength is also less. It takes time,” Pandya told IANS.

He says eventually people will get the hang of it.

“I think it is going to take a couple of weeks to get into the groove and make it a habit,” he said.

In this heat, wearing the PPE suits gets uncomfortable, Pandya pointed out. “I could see people are getting a little uncomfortable. Of course, no one was saying but somewhere you could sense the irritation. It’s too hot wearing all these masks, PPE kits, and gloves,” he said.

Still, everyone is following guidelines, from the lightmen to spot boys and actors, he said.

The director said a lot of scenes have been reworked keeping in mind social distancing. “We changed a lot of scenes where one actor doesn’t have to touch the other actor. They have to maintain two to three feet distance. Somewhere, we are compromising from a creative point of view — I think it’s going to be with everyone,” he said.

Pandya saluted the frontline workers and health workers like doctors and nurses.

“Today, I salute all the front line warriors, doctors, and everyone because we wore the PPE kit for just half a day and I can see the reaction. So, I salute all the doctors for what they are doing,” he said.

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