Junior Digest

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh), September 29,2023: A total of 95,767 villages in Uttar Pradesh have attained ODF Plus status during the second phase of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), marking a 100 percent achievement rate for the state, an official statement said on Thursday.
Uttar Pradesh Government said that out of 95,767 ODF Plus villages in the state, 81,744 villages are ODF Plus aspirational villages, where there is a system of solid waste management or liquid waste management systems in place.
“In addition, 10,217 villages are ODF Plus rising villages with provision for both solid waste management and liquid waste management, and 3,806 villages are ODF Plus Model Villages,” an official statement said.
Uttar Pradesh has witnessed remarkable progress during the current financial year. As of January 1, 2023, only 15,088 villages in the state had been declared ODF Plus. Within the span of just 9 months, the state made efforts to achieve ODF Plus status in a mission mode, which resulted in over 80,000 villages successfully achieving ODF Plus status, statement said.
Over 88 lakh people were associated with cleanliness service. This achievement of 100 percent has been achieved during the ‘Swachhata Hi Seva (SHS)’ – 2023 campaign being run across the country.

SHS is celebrated annually from September 15 to October 2 under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural), Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti. In 2023, over 88 lakh people participated and contributed to ‘Shramdaan’ on a large scale, thereby accelerating the achievement of ODF Plus status.
An ODF Plus village is one that has retained its Open Defecation-Free (ODF) status while also implementing solid or liquid waste management systems. To date, 4.4 lakh (75%) villages across the country have declared themselves ODF Plus, which is a significant step towards achieving the targets of SBM-G Phase 2 by 2024–25.
The ODF Plus achievement was celebrated by felicitating those Gram Panchayats who did exemplary work and declared their Gram Panchayats as ODF Plus models.
“Gram Pradhans, Gram Panchayat Secretaries, Panchayat Assistants, and sanitation workers across the state were honoured at the state level and motivated to contribute further to the Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural),” statement said.
The award winners include the 60 best Gram Panchayats for their contribution to making Gram Panchayat a model and 75 sanitation workers (one from each of the 75 districts) were also honoured for their contribution.

New Delhi, September 23,2023: Several political parties set aside their differences to unequivocally call the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill, aptly titled ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’, as historic.
As the bill, women’s reservation bill cleared its final legislative hurdle at the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, Congress MP Joshimani, expressed her delight, saying, “We are happy that this important piece of legislation is finally close to seeing the light of day.”
However, she flagged concerns over the implementation of the Bill, saying, “It is sad, however, that the law may not be implemented anytime soon.”
Another Congress MP Ranjeet Ranjan termed the passage of the Bill as historic.
“The Bill has now been passed by both the Houses. This is a moment to savour for women in our country,” she said.
She added, however, “We demanded the Bill be implemented immediately with a sub-quota for OBC women. The demand wasn’t considered.”
The Rajya Sabha, on Thursday, passed the bill, which provides 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha as well as the state legislative assemblies, unanimously with 214 members voting in support and none against.
Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Chirag Paswan has said that the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam reflects the strong will of the Prime Minister to empower and strengthen the women.
Taking to social media platform, X, Chirag said, “Calling a special session of the Parliament and passing the ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’, which was pending for decades, shows the strong will of the Prime Minister towards women that the resolution to empower and strengthen the women under the leadership of the Prime Minister, Respected Shri @narendramodi ji.”
“The central government is continuously moving forward. Many thanks to all the honorable MPs who voted in support of this bill. The first session of the new Parliament will be written in golden letters of history,” Paswan said in the social media post on Friday.
Earlier in the day, BJP leader Bansuri Swaraj, said, “I’m very happy and I express my gratitude to PM Modi…Thanks to every Member of Parliament who voted in its favour and helped in passing this bill…You know that our population has increased so once the census is done delimitation will happen and boundaries of each constituency will be redrawn and then the 33 per cent reservation will be implemented.”
Apart from it, BJP MP Diya Kumari thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying, “Women are celebrating today. We are very happy with the passage of this Bill. PM Modi has finally made this dream come true. This piece of legislation was the need of the hour and he (PM Modi) realised it. He spearheaded efforts to have the Bill tabled and passed in all of two days.”
Also reacting to the passage of the Bill, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) MP Mahua Maji said, “This is a historic moment for women. The government received bipartisan support for the Bill in both Houses of Parliament. The significant takeaway for me was that the members set aside their political differences to vote for the Bill.”
“We would have preferred an expeditious implementation of the Bill with the provision of a sub-quota for OBC women,” she added.
Following the passage of the bill in Parliament, chants of ‘Modi Modi’ were raised by women MPs as they took turns to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the passage of the draft legislation.
Earlier, on Wednesday, the bill aced the legislative test in the Lok Sabha as it was passed by a brute majority of 454 votes in favour and just 2 against.

Washington, Sep 23,2023: US and Chinese defense officials met at the Pentagon to discuss the newly updated 2023 Cyber Strategy Summary, the Defense Department said in a press release.

“US defense officials held a hybrid in-person and virtual meeting today with People’s Republic of China (PRC) defense officials at the invitation of the Department of Defense to discuss its recently released Cyber Strategy Summary, in accordance with the 2014 US-PRC Memorandum of Understanding on Notification of Major Military Activities Confidence Building Measure Mechanism,” the release said on Friday.

In 2014 the US and China signed the mechanism to reaffirm the commitment of both nations to developing a new model of US-China military-to-military relations, an integral part of their bilateral relationship, the release added.

However, earlier this month, the Defense Department released an updated iteration of the 2023 Cyber Strategy Summary, which serves as an implementation framework for the priorities outlined in the 2022 National Security Strategy, 2022 National Defense Strategy, and the 2023 National Cybersecurity Strategy.

Furthermore, the strategy underscores the Pentagon’s commitment to investing in and guaranteeing the safeguarding, accessibility, dependability, and robustness of its cyber networks and infrastructure.

The US delegation was composed of representatives from the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, while the Chinese delegation included officials from the Defense Attache Office of the Chinese Embassy in Washington and the Central Military Commission’s Office for International Military Cooperation (OIMC), the statement said.

After the briefing, the two sides engaged in substantive discussion on a range of cyber-related issues, the statement added.

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 23,2023: Island nations bearing the brunt of climate change this week confronted rich countries at the United Nations General Assembly, saying the failure by developed countries to act with urgency had put the islands’ survival at risk.

“There are many amongst us, the small and marginalized islands of our globe, surrounded by rising seas and scorched by rising temperatures, who are beginning to question this annual parade of flowery speeches and public pretense of brotherhood, otherwise known as the U.N. annual General Assembly,” Saint Lucia Prime Minister Philip Pierre told the gathering on Friday.

Several speakers at the week-long event quoted U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who in July cautioned that the era of global warming had ended and “the era of global boiling has arrived.”

A perceived lack of urgency by developed nations was a recurring theme. Speakers emphasized that a failure to sufficiently curb greenhouse gas emissions had contributed to rising sea levels, threatening island and low-lying nations.

“The problem is that those whose actions we most need may be so confident in their survival that they do not act early enough for us,” Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley said on Friday.

Under the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change mitigation, countries aimed to limit the rise in global temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), the threshold scientists say would head off the worst impacts of warming.

To meet that goal, scientists say the world needs to cut global emissions in half by 2030, and to net-zero by 2050.

“Unfortunately, the international community has not done nearly enough to get us on track to limiting the global average temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius,” Wesley Simina, president of Micronesia, said in a speech on Thursday.

“One need only scan the news on any random day to see the evidence of the climate crisis in devastating effects around the world today,” he said.

Marshall Islands President David Kabua called for the establishment of an international financing facility to assist small island and low-lying atoll nations facing natural disasters.

Kabua said countries attending the U.N. COP28 climate summit beginning in November must recognize that the world is failing to deliver on the Paris Agreement and agree on a roadmap to correct course, including the phase-out of fossil fuels.

“These challenges might be inconvenient for large economies – but I can assure the climate impact’s already at our door,” he told the General Assembly.

U.S. President Joe Biden will host a second summit with leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum at the White House on Monday, where climate will be on the agenda. The gathering is part of Washington’s efforts to step up engagement with a region where the U.S. is in a battle for influence with China.

Geneva [Switzerland], September 26,2023: A group of NGOs and social activists informed the United Nations about the Indian Constitution which protects the country’s linguistic minorities, especially in the Northeast region.
They were speaking at a side event organised by Sindhi Adhikar Manch (Association) titled “Linguistic Minorities & Human Rights in India” during the 54th Session of the UN Human Rights Council.
The panellists included Gobind Gurbani, CEO of Sindhi Adhikar Manch (Association), Parmita Sarma from Akshar Foundation and Arvind Kumar from Focus Global Reporter.
Gurbani addressed the audience and emphasised that Article 30(1) of the Indian Constitution provided a fundamental right to linguistic minorities to establish and administer educational institutes of their choice.
Article 350 A empowers the state to establish and impart primary education in the mother tongue
Gurbani added that Sindhis came to India empty-handed after partition in 1947 but have been supported by the government as partners in nation-building. Sindhis are also contributing to India’s GDP.
Gurbani said: “Our constitution is well defined to linguistic minorities, to minorities, everything is defined. But people from international platforms raise unnecessary issues to malign our government.”
He further said that external forces want to malign India’s image. “There are a lot of people. You see, I was here for the last eight days and I saw a lot of countries coming against Indians for mining, also for Kashmir. See our constitution. See their constitution. You will understand how India is so a very good and powerful country.”
Meanwhile, Parmita highlighted developments in the North Eastern region of India in the last ten years.

She commended India’s 2020’, which is a major step to preserve culture, and heritage and provide employment to aspiring students.
She cited that the Indian government has taken all steps to develop the NE region and the Prime Minister of India has visited North East 60 times in his tenure, which is now full of healthcare hospitals, technological schools and Management institutes, changing the lives of people of North East.
Arvind Kumar explained about Manipur and said that the state has an indigenous population, mainly Meitis and Nagas.
Kuki – Zo ethnics mainly came from across the border, that is Myanmar and Bangladesh.
Manipur state has a linguistic diversity based on their ethnicity as well they are practising Christianity and Hinduism.
Recent clashes in Manipur between Meitis and Kuki Zo community were not religious as falsely propagated by countries like Pakistan and the Western media, he said adding, that the media had a vital role to play in checking their facts while uploading images and captions and hashtags in their Social Media handles.
Arvind Kumar conveyed the message that Kukis migrated and settled as refugees from Myanmar. Kukis started poppy cultivation and claimed illegitimate land rights as there are 4000 Kuki refugee settlers in Manipur.
Ethnic clashes in Manipur took a toll of vandalising more than 200 Churches, whereas more than 300 Meiti temples were also damaged and not reported by the media, especially from the West. Interestingly, eight Meiti churches were vandalised by the Kuki community in Churachandpur in Manipur.
Therefore, there have been losses on both sides, and the clash had no religious motivation.

New York [US], September 22,2023: Media Mogul Rupert Murdoch has announced his retirement from the Fox and News Corporation Boards, the New York Times reported.
His son Lachlan will become the sole executive in control of the worldwide media empire following Murdoch’s announcement.
A person with knowledge of the situation said that the elder Murdoch will now lead the two businesses as chairman emeritus, the New York Times reported.
“I am writing to let you all know that I have decided to transition to the role of Chairman Emeritus at Fox and News. For my entire professional life, I have been engaged daily with news and ideas, and that will not change. But the time is right for me to take on different roles, knowing that we have truly talented teams and a passionate, principled leader in Lachlan who will become sole Chairman of both companies,” Murdoch said in a note to employees as he announced his retirement.
The letter is posted by journalist Piers Morgan on his social media handle X.
“Neither excessive pride nor false humility are admirable qualities. But I am truly proud of what we have achieved collectively through the decades, and I owe much to my colleagues, whose contributions to our success have sometimes been unseen outside the company but are deeply appreciated by me,” Murdoch wrote.
Murdoch created his media empire from a small local newspaper concern in Australia starting 70 years ago.

Vladivistok, Sep 28,2023: Russia’s state space corporation Roscosmos announced that two Russian cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut have safely returned to the Earth on Wednesday after living for a year in the International Space Station (ISS).

The Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft, carrying Sergey Prokopyev, Dmitri Petelin, and Frank Rubio, had undocked from the Prichal module of the ISS earlier Wednesday and landed in Kazakhstan at 14:17 Moscow time (1117 GMT), Roscosmos said on its official website.

After a 371-day stay in space, Prokopyev and Petelin made the longest flight program in the ISS history.
During his two space flights, Prokopyev accumulated more than 567 days and more than 55 hours in total for eight spacewalks. Petelin, who made his first space flight, accumulated more than 39 hours in total for six spacewalks.

New Delhi, Sep 24,2023: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor will become the basis of world trade for hundreds of years to come.

“India has suggested another economic corridor in the G20 Summit, and history will always remember that this corridor was initiated on Indian soil. The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor will become the basis of world trade for hundreds of years to come,” Modi said in the 105th episode of his monthly radio talk show “Mann Ki Baat”.

Referring to the “successful” conduct of the G20 Summit, the Prime Minister said: “India has proved the mettle of her leadership by making Africa Union a full member of G20”.

“After the success of Chandrayaan3, the grand hosting of G20 doubled the joy of every Indian,” he said.

Further, speaking about the G20 University Connect Programme, the Prime Minister urged college students to participate in it.

Many prestigious institutions like IITs, IITs, NITs, and Medical Colleges will also participate in the G20 University Connect Programme on September 26. The Prime Minister said he will also take part in the event.

“In this, many interesting exchanges are going to take place on the future of India and on the future of the youth. I am also waiting to communicate with our college students,” he said.

Modi said he has received several letters from the citizens, largely on two subjects – the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 and the G-20 Summit.

He said more than one lakh delegates came to India for the G-20 and got acquainted with the diversity, different traditions, different types of cuisines as also the country’s heritage.

Recently, Shantiniketan – the seat of learning in West Bengal – and the Hoysala temples of Karnataka were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The total number of world heritage properties in India has now reached 42.

“The number of world heritage sites in India is continuously rising. I congratulate all the countrymen for this wonderful achievement” Modi said.

On September 27, World Tourism Day will be celebrated. Modi said the fascination for India has risen a lot over the last few years. After the successful organization of the G-20, the world’s interest in India has grown further.

“A big aspect of tourism is related to employment. I urge all of you that whenever you plan to travel somewhere, try to see the diversity of India” he said.

The PM also spoke about the significance of books, and hailed the efforts of Uttarakhand’s ‘Ghoda library’. He said: “The biggest feature of this library is reaching children even in the most remote areas, and not only this, the service is absolutely free. Till now 12 villages of Nainital have been covered through this”.

Modi also urged parents to ask children to read books. “It is true that today’s era is of digital technology and e-Books, but still books always play the role of a good friend in our lives. Hence, we should motivate children to read books” he said.

A big event on cleanliness will be organised on October 1, Sunday, at 10 am. “You too should take out time and help in this campaign related to cleanliness,” the PM said.

“This Karyanjali of cleanliness itself will be the true tribute to Gandhiji. I would like to remind you again that on this occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, make it a point to buy some Khadi products,” he said.

PM Modi urged citizens to buy and gift only ‘Made in India’ products during the festive season. “In this atmosphere of fervour and enthusiasm, you must also remember the mantra of Vocal for Local,” Modi said.

Mentioning that nowadays, many start-ups are also promoting local products, Modi said If people buy local articles, the youths running such start-ups will also benefit”.

Geneva [Switzerland], September 21,2023: Satya Narayan Sharma, a member of an Indian NGO — Rajasthan Samgrah Kalyan Sansthan (RSKS) — recently addressed the ongoing 54th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), shedding light on the significant impact of India’s Citizenship Amendments Act (CAA).
During an intervention made by him, Sharma highlighted the concerns of refugee communities hailing from neighbouring Pakistan, who, after being displaced, found refuge in India.
He underlined how the CAA has played a pivotal role in granting Indian citizenship to minorities from Pakistan, providing them with a fresh start and a renewed sense of security.
Sharma shared the harrowing experiences faced by those, who had to leave their homeland due to problems, harassment, and persecution.
He emphasized that seeking refuge in another country is an arduous journey marked by endless suffering.

Speaking about the CAA, Sharma revealed that Indian citizenship had recently been conferred upon refugees in regions like Jodhpur, Barmer, and Ahmedabad, further solidifying India’s commitment to protecting the rights of persecuted minorities.
“In their home country, these displaced individuals once had land, property, and farms, but they endured discrimination, harassment, and property seizures solely based on their religion and minority status,” Sharma said.
“As a result, they made the difficult decision to leave their native land and seek refuge in India, leaving behind many loved ones,” he added.
Sharma reflected on the implications of a nation where people do not wish to reside in their homeland due to fear and insecurity, deeming it a matter of grave concern.
“India has consistently opened its arms to welcome and secure refugees from various countries, recently extending Indian citizenship to numerous refugees from neighbouring nations,” Sharma continued. “By implementing the Citizenship Amendment Act, India has demonstrated its commitment to offering refuge and a fresh start to those in need, embracing the principles of humanity and the belief in ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,’ the world as one family,” he said.
Sharma also emphasised the importance of global unity and the rejection of discrimination based on religion or race anywhere in the world.
He also reiterated the government of India’s permanent position of forging solidarity among nations to stand against any form of discrimination and to bring peace and unity to the world.

Sept 28,2023: Researchers in Japan have confirmed that microplastics are present in clouds, where they are likely affecting the climate in ways that are not yet fully understood.

In a study published in the journal Environmental Chemistry Letters, Japanese scientists climbed Mount Fuji and Mount Oyama in order to collect water from the mists that shroud the peaks, then applied advanced imaging techniques to the samples to determine their physical and chemical properties.

The team identified nine different types of polymers and one type of rubber in the airborne microplastics, which ranged in size from 7.1 to 94.6 micrometres.

Each litre (0.26 gallon) of cloud water tested contained between 6.7 to 13.9 pieces of the plastics.

“If the issue of ‘plastic air pollution’ is not addressed proactively, climate change and ecological risks may become a reality, causing irreversible and serious environmental damage in the future,” lead author of the research, Hiroshi Okochi of Waseda University, warned in a statement on Wednesday.

When microplastics reach the upper atmosphere and are exposed to ultraviolet radiation from sunlight, they degrade, contributing to greenhouse gasses, Okochi said.

In a new study led by Hiroshi Okochi, Professor at Waseda University, a group of Japanese researchers has explored the path of airborne microplastics (AMPs) as they circulate in the biosphere.　#waseda #research #microplasticshttps://t.co/DWEbWctFZu

— 早稲田大学 Waseda University (@waseda_univ) September 28, 2023

Microplastics – which are defined as plastic particles under 5 millimetres that come from industrial effluent, textiles, synthetic car tires, personal care products and other sources – have already been discovered inside fish, peppering Arctic sea ice, and in the snows on the Pyrenees mountains between France and Spain.

Sept 29,2023:The architect of India’s Green Revolution, Swaminathan died on Thursday in Chennai—a rare scientific luminary who chose to live and work in India. He was 98.
Swaminathan was instrumental in doubling India’s wheat production within a short time, pulling the country out of its ‘ship-to-mouth’ dependence on food aid from the US. In 1966, faced with a severe drought, India imported 10 million tonnes of wheat.

The man-made Bengal famine of 1943 that pushed as many as 3 million people to starvation and eventual death deeply moved M.S. Swaminathan, then an aspiring medical student. He changed his field to study agriculture, specializing in genetics and breeding, driven by its potential to improve crop varieties and human lives.

The Green Revolution began in 1965 and focused on introducing high-yielding dwarf wheat varieties to farmers in North India. They were grown with chemical fertilizers and pesticides to maximize yields, and farmers were assured a guaranteed price.

Swaminathan’s vision transformed India from a ‘begging bowl’ to a ‘breadbasket’ almost overnight, the World Food Foundation said, honouring him as its first World Food Prize laureate in 1987. In 1971, he won the Ramon Magsaysay Award for being both a ‘first-rate scientist’ and a ‘humanist.’

“Yields achieved in 4,000 years of the known history of wheat cultivation in the Indian subcontinent, from the time of Mohenjo-Daro, were doubled in four years, 1964 to 1968,” Swaminathan said in an interview with the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization in 2014.

The wheat revolution was later replicated in crops like rice, maize, sorghum and potato.

For introducing the new varieties to Indian farmers, Swaminathan worked closely with agronomist and plant breeder Norman Borlaug in the 1950s. Borlaug went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his work on new wheat varieties in Mexico, India and Pakistan.
Swaminathan was more than just a plant breeder. He was a passionate administrator who headed the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, worked closely with farmers across India, and was principal secretary in the agriculture ministry (1979-80). He was also a member of the Planning Commission (1980-82) and director general of the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines.
Swaminathan is also an often-cited name among farmers, a unique achievement for a scientist, for a series of reports he submitted to the government between 2004 and 2006.
As chair of the National Commission of Farmers, the ‘Swaminathan Report’ probed the causes of farm distress. One of its recommendations, that minimum support prices (MSP) should at least be 50% more than average production costs, continues to be a primary demand of farm unions across India. MSP is the price at which the government purchases crops directly from farmers.
Swaminathan also courted a few controversies. After terming genetically modified (GM) cotton (introduced to Indian farmers in 2004) a failure and questioning the safety of GM brinjal and mustard in a 2018 paper, Swaminathan came under fire from the scientific community. People should not worship technology, he later said in an interview with the journal Science.
Avid practitioners of ecological and organic farming have repeatedly criticized the legacy of the Green Revolution for its role in polluting natural resources like soil and water due to the overuse of chemical nutrients and pesticides by farmers.
Courtesy:Mint

New Delhi, Sep 28,2023: President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and leaders across party lines on Thursday expressed their condolences over the demise of father of green revolution Dr M S Swaminathan.

In a Social media post X, formerly known as twitter, President Murmu said the demise of Dr M S Swaminathan, internationally renowned agricultural scientist, saddens me no end.

She called him a visionary and said, ” he worked endlessly to achieve food security, he was rightly called the Father of Green Revolution that ensured our country’s self-reliance in food grains”.

“He pioneered path-breaking research in agriculture science for which he got a range of awards- from Padma Vibhushan to the prestigious World Food Prize.

He leaves behind a rich legacy of Indian agriculture science which may serve as a guiding light to steer the world towards a safer and hunger-free future for humanity” Murmu said.

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar also expressed his grief over the demise of Swaminathan and said, ” His groundbreaking contribution to Indian agriculture ensured food security for the nation while contributing to the prosperity of millions of farmers. Heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and well wishers during this difficult time”.

Expressing deep pain over the demise of Renowned Agriculture Scientist, Prime Minister Modi said, “Deeply saddened by the demise of Dr. MS Swaminathan Ji. At a very critical period in our nation’s history, his groundbreaking work in agriculture transformed the lives of millions and ensured food security for our nation”

“Beyond his revolutionary contributions to agriculture, Dr. Swaminathan was a powerhouse of innovation and a nurturing mentor to many. His unwavering commitment to research and mentorship has left an indelible mark on countless scientists and innovators” he added.

Remembering his conversations with him, the Prime Minister said, ” His passion to see India progress was exemplary. His life and work will inspire generations to come. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti”.

Paying his tributes, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, “Dr. MS Swaminathan was a distinguished agricultural scientist who was passionate about reforming the agriculture sector. He worked diligently towards ensuring food security in the country and also contributed tremendously in making agriculture viable and profitable.”

“Pained by his demise. I will cherish my interactions with him. My thoughts are with his family and friends. Om Shanti” he added.

Congress President, Makllikarjun Kharge and MP Rahul Gandhi also paid their condolences on the demise of Dr M S Swaminathan.

In a social media post X, Kharge said, ” Our deepest condolences on the passing away of Dr. M. S. Swaminathan — the key architect of India’s Green Revolution”

“A legendary scientist and a Padma Vibhushan recipient, his unmatched contribution to the field of agricultural science and his transformative intervention in making India self-sufficient in food grains shall always be cherished”.

Rahul Gandhi said, “Dr. MS Swaminathan’s steadfast commitment to revolutionising India’s agriculture turned us into a food surplus country”

“His legacy as the Father of the Green Revolution will always be remembered. My heartfelt condolences go out to his loved ones during this time of loss” he said on a social media post.

Referred as father of India’s green revolution, Swaminathan breathed his last at his Chennai residence.

Swaminathan played an instrumental role in developing high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice and thus laid a firm foundation for India’s food security. He was recognised globally for his immense contribution in the field of agriculture.

The eminent scientist inspired generations of scientists to address the problems faced by India’s agriculture sector.

Sept 27,2023: Scientists at the United States space agency NASA found “black dust and debris” when they opened the space capsule that recently returned to Earth with the largest asteroid sample ever brought back from space.

NASA said on Tuesday that researchers discovered “dust and debris on the avionics deck of the Osiris-REx science canister when the initial lid was removed today”.

The space agency did not specify whether the materials discovered on opening the lid of the probe definitely belonged to the asteroid, though NASA said on social media that “scientists gasped as the lid was lifted from the [Osiris-REx] asteroid sample return canister”.

“A scientific treasure box,” NASA Astromaterials said in a social media post.

“Dark powder and sand-sized particles” were found on “the inside of the lid and base”, NASA said.

New Delhi, September 28,2023: The US Mission to India has reached and surpassed the goal to process one million non-immigrant visa applications in 2023.
The mission has already surpassed the total number of cases processed in 2022 and is processing almost 20 per cent more applications than in the pre-pandemic year 2019.
The US Embassy and Consulates in India said in a statement that last year over 1.2 million Indians visited US, making one of the most robust travel relationships in the world.
“Indians now represent over 10 per cent of all visa applicants worldwide, including 20 per cent of all student visa applicants and 65 per cent of all H&L-category (employment) visa applicants. The United States welcomes this growth,” the statement said.
The US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti expressed happiness as he shared the information “Our partnership with India is one of the United States’ most important bilateral relationships, and in fact one of the most important relationships in the world” he said.
“The ties between our people are stronger than ever, and we will continue our record-setting volume of visa work in the coming months to give as many Indian applicants as possible the opportunity to travel to the United States and experience the U.S.-India friendship first hand” Garcetti added.
He further highlighted that PM Modi and US President Joe biden said “lets do a better job of moving faster on visas, so the Ministry of External Affairs approved more bodies in places like Hyderabad, more people who can work on these visas. We changed our systems, we worked smarter, worked harder and got a million visa applications…”
“This is really people to people relationship and not just country to country relationship,” he added.
The envoy said that US will continue to invest heavily in its operations in India as it recognizes the continues demand for US visas.
The US Embassy in India marked the occassion by posting a video on X that said “Mission to one million accomplished.”

Shimla, Sep 22,2023: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minsiter Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who holds the portfolio of Finance, tabled a legislation in the state assembly, seeking to amend taxation on the goods carried by the roads to omit the provision to levy tax on account of distance covered.

The Himachal Pradesh Taxation Amendment (on Certain Goods Carried by Road) Act, 2023 was tabled in the state assembly after the lunch break by the Chief Minister on Thursday.

He said that the parent act of the year 1999 was enacted to provide for levy of a tax on certain goods carried by road in the State to validate certain taxes imposed on goods carried by road and for certain other matters connected therewith.

The Chief Minister said that amendment was necessary in order to simplify the taxation procedure for the stakeholders, the distance clause is being omitted so that the tax may be levied on uniform rates, without taking into account the distance covered.

The Chief Minister also tabled other bills to make provision and amend the HP GST act to levy taxation on the betting, casinos, gambling, horse racing, lottery and online gaming.

Sukhu said that close on the heels of the central government carrying out amendment to the Central Goods & Services Tax Act. 2017, the amendment to the Himachal Pradesh Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 is in order to have uniformity across the country, he added.

The bill is likely to come up for discussion during the ongoing Monsoon session of the state assembly.