India Observers

 The great Indian scientist Sir CV Raman had discovered the Raman Effect, which is worldwide used for research & finding drugs hidden inside luggage at customs. National Science Day is celebrated on 28th February every year to commemorate the discovery of the Raman Effect by CV Raman. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work in 1930. The day is celebrated to create awareness about scientific developments and discoveries that have taken place over the years and how they have impacted our lives.  It also provides a platform for students, teachers, scientists, and researchers to come together and discuss new ideas and trends in science. We should use this day to honor all those who have worked hard and dedicated their lives to advancing scientific knowledge. Let us take this opportunity to celebrate National Science Day with enthusiasm! Who Was Sir CV Raman? CV Raman was a great Indian physicist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930 for his groundbreaking wor...

 Snapchat is launching an AI chatbot ‘My AI’, as an experimental feature for Snapchat+ subscribers? The chatbot is backed by OpenAI’s GPT technology like ChatGPT . Snapchat has reported the launch of My AI, a new chatbot powered by the most recent version of OpenAI’s GPT technology, which has been modified for the platform. This week, My AI will be made available to Snapchat+ subscribers as an experimental feature. The chatbot is a new experimental tool that Snapchat is rolling out to its Snapchat+ subscribers. Snapchat+ is a monthly membership service that provides users with experimental, pre-release, and exclusive features for ₹49. My AI can come up with suggestions for birthday presents for your BFF, organize a weekend hike, suggest a menu, or even compose a haiku about cheese for a friend who is crazy about cheddar. You can personalize My AI by naming it and changing the background for your Conversation. Similar to ChatGPT, it can help you organize your holidays, make recipe s...

 India recently integrated UPI with Singapore’s PayNow. After getting more international demands, UPI may also launch in UAE, Mauritius, and Indonesia. India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and Singapore’s PayNow were integrated last week to enable real-time funds transfer between citizens of both countries. UPI may also be connected with three more countries – UAE, Mauritius as well as Indonesia. Mehul Mistry, global head of strategy, digital financial services , and partnership at online payments startup Wibmo, told Mint that if Singapore launches rapid money transfers, countries like the UAE, Mauritius, and Indonesia are likely to follow suit. The expansion of India’s top-notch UPI digital payment infrastructure, which will make it simpler for Indian users to perform business abroad, is something to be proud of, he said. In 2019, financial services company PayU purchased Webmu. A cross-border person-to-person (P2P) payment system has been introduced with Singapore as the firs...

 The Zee Cine Awards 2023 hosted by actor-brothers Ayushmann Khurrana & Aparshakti Khurrana on 26th Feb. The event streamed on Zee5 app, ZeeTV & Zee Cinema channels. The Zee Cine Awards 2023 took place on Sunday evening in Mumbai. Some well-known stars attended the event in full regalia, including Anupam Kher, Rashmika Mandana, Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, Kiara Advani, and Kartik Aaryan. The major acting winners of the evening were Kartik Aaryan and Alia Bhatt, who received the most nominations for their filmy performances this year. The Kashmir Files, which received the most accolades, also achieved significant success in the award show. The full list of 2023 Zee Cine Awards winners is below: Although fans are always curious about who will be nominated and so go on to the voting session, the nominees for the award show are often disclosed a few weeks before the event.  Fans had easy access to vote for their preferred nominees on the Zee Cine Awards website during the ...

5 early voters are rewarded in Meghalaya to encourage early voting. 369 candidates are fighting for 59 (out of 60) seats. 21.6 lakh voters will vote today. The assembly elections in Nagaland and Meghalaya are taking place on Monday. Voters are casting their ballots while considering problems like corruption and calls for independent states.  On Monday, voting will also take place in four assembly by-elections: one in Jharkhand, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. On Sunday, there were also by- elections for the two Maharashtra assembly seats of Chinchwad and Kasba Peth. 2,291 polling places will be used for the 7 am to 4 pm voting, and 196 of those will be staffed by women and 10 by individuals with disabilities. More than 2,160,000 persons in the northeast are eligible to vote. 3,419 voting places have been set up in all.  The number of voting places classified as “vulnerable” has reached 640, while 323 are classified as “critical.” There are 60 assembly district...

 PM is launching Shivamogga Airport (₹450 Cr) plus 2 new Railway Projects (₹990 Cr) in Karnataka today. These projects will boost commerce, connectivity & tourism. Today in Karnataka, PM Narendra Modi will open the Shivamogga Airport. The airport, which is being constructed at a cost of Rs 450 crore, will provide better air connectivity for the residents of central Karnataka.  Also, the functioning of the airport will support regional growth in a number of industries, including tourism, the emergence of the IT sector, and more.  PM Modi stated on Twitter that “the airport in Shivamogga will improve business, connectivity, and enhance tourism.”  “The Passenger Terminal Building of the Airport can accommodate 300 travelers per hour and will act as a gateway to Malnad region,” said Member of Parliament B Y Raghvendra. Raghvendra emphasized the importance of the airport for the area once more, saying,  “This Airport will accommodate the supply of not just the c...

 Sunil Mittal is seeking a stake in Paytm. Reports say, he is planning to merge Airtel Payments Bank into Paytm Payments Bank. The talks are at an early stage. Sunil Mittal, a billionaire telecom tycoon, seeks to acquire a portion of Paytm. Sunil Mittal reportedly wanted to merge Airtel Payments Bank with Paytm Payments Bank through a stock deal.  The telecom mogul and founder of Bharti Airtel is reportedly interested in buying Paytm shares that are currently held by other owners, according to sources cited by Bloomberg. According to a Paytm official cited by Bloomberg, “We remain completely committed to our strong organic growth plan and are not engaged in any such discussions.” According to sources, Bharati Airtel and Paytm are just beginning to chat. One 97 Communications Ltd. (Paytm) shares have increased in value by about 40% since their record lows in November of last year. The stock reached a closing on Friday of Rs 623.50 per share. EBITDA before ESOP increased by Rs ...

 Avani Prashanth won the 43rd Queen Siriki title in the Philippines & became the 1st Indian Golfer to do so. The Indian team finished best-ever in 2nd rank. Teenage star Avani Prashanth made history by being the first Indian to win the prestigious Queen Sirikit Cup .   Her victory ensured that Team India ended in 2nd spot, a record for the country in the game’s 43-year history, in addition to earning her a medal at the competition.  The 16-year-old Avani defeated her New Zealand rival by a huge 10-stroke margin to claim the victory. “It’s been a long time coming, and I’m looking forward to what the remainder of the year will bring. It’s disappointing that I won’t be able to visit Augusta this year, but I want to go there in 2024. I’m just pleased to have won, and I intend to carry this momentum into the WAAP “Avani talks about her success. Avani beat second-placed Fiona Xu of New Zealand by a record-breaking 10 strokes with a four-day total of 16-under 272 (68-66...

 Nayanmoni Saikia, Rupa Rani Tirkey, Lovely Choubey, and Pinki, won gold medals at the Asian Lawn Bowls Championships 2023 by defeating Malaysia in the final. The same quartet team of Nayanmoni Saikia, Rupa Rani Tirkey, Lovely Choubey, and Pinki had won the Gold medals in the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022, which was India’s 1st Commonwealth Games medal in Lawn Bowls Championships. While Team India’s performance in the Women’s T20 World Cup may have been disappointing, the Asian Lawn Bowls Championships 2023 had a fantastic day.  The Indian women’s lawn bowling team took home the gold medal at the competition, which was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  Pinki, Rupa Rani Tirkey, Lovely Choubey, and Nayanmoni Saikia were on the winning team that won the Fours competition. “On my own and on behalf of my teammates, I want to thank everyone. I’m sending you my best wishes for continued success.  Thank you everyone “Nayanmoni Saikia thanked all of her supporters and we...

 Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant device has completed 5 years in India. On this occasion, the company has integrated male voices too in the devices. Amazon said on Thursday that users in India would be able to choose between Alexa’s original voice and a new, more masculine-sounding voice for the first time. Alexa has now been available in India for five years. In a statement announcing the achievement, Amazon claimed that millions of customers in India have bought Echo devices. “Indian users will be able to choose between Alexa’s original voice and a newly masculine-sounding voice for the first time. The brand-new voice may react in both Hindi and English “The declaration read. By saying “ Alexa , change your voice” on an Echo device or using the Alexa app and choosing Alexa’s voice in the particular device settings, users can alter Alexa’s voice. “Requests to Alexa on devices like the Echo Smart Speakers, Amazon Shopping App, Fire TV, and numerous other brands’ Alexa-enabled produ...

 Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State is coming to India on 1st March for the G20 foreign ministers meeting, after his trip to Kazakhstan & Uzbekistan. India has been in charge of the G20 since December 1, 2022. Next week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit India to participate in the G20 foreign ministers meeting and meet with top Indian officials to reaffirm America’s close relationship with that nation. According to State Department Spokesperson Ned Price on Thursday, Blinken will fly to New Delhi on March 1 to take part in the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, which will put a strong emphasis on multilateralism and deeper cooperation in areas like food and energy security, sustainable growth, counter-narcotics, global health, humanitarian aid and disaster relief, and gender equality as well as women’s empowerment. To reinforce our solid collaboration, he (Blinken) will meet with Indian government representatives and members of civil society, Price said. Thro...

 Ajay Banga is an Indian-American who is appointed as the Vice-Chairman at the General Atlantic, a US private equity firm. Here are the 5 key details about him. Former Mastercard CEO Ajay Banga has been proposed by US President Joe Biden to succeed Donald Trump’s appointee David Malpass as president of the World Bank. Malpass’s term will end in April 2024. David Malpass’ early resignation from the 189-nation organization that works to reduce poverty was viewed as a chance for the USA to develop a leadership that can guide the group for the wellbeing of less-wealthy nations. Ajay Banga was chosen by the US government because of his experience dealing with issues like climate change, which is its top concern. The World Bank is frequently condemned for being unfriendly to developing countries. Ajay Banga was congratulated on his nomination as the incoming president of the World Bank by Dr. Sangita Reddy, the managing director of the Apollo Hospitals Group. Who Is Ajay Banga? 5 Key D...

 The film is based on a real-life story where a Norway agency took away their children. The couple fights against the entire nation to reunite their children. The trailer for Mrs. Chatterjee vs. Norway, which was released by Zee Studios on Thursday, features Rani Mukerji as a Bengali woman from Kolkata who is on the verge of war against the Norwegian foster care system to revive custody of her children. After Bunty Aur Babli 2 in 2021, Ashima Chibber’s drama marks Rani’s comeback to the big screen.  The movie, which is based on real events, follows Debika Chatterjee, played by Rani, as her happy married life in a foreign country is turned upside down when the foster care system there remove her children. A loving couple named Debika (Rani) and her husband Anirban Bhattacharya start a new life in Norway in the trailer’s opening moments. Her husband and kids are Debika’s entire universe.  Her momentary elation, though, is short-lived when her kids are taken away. It is cla...

 The IMF has praised India’s digital payment systems including UPI, CBDC, IMPS as well as its highest growth rate among all the major economies in the world. The IMF praised India’s progress on digital payment systems including the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) and Unified Payments Interface (UPI), saying other countries can learn from it.  Kristalina Georgieva, the MD of the IMF, issued a warning, noting that “every new financial technology generally comes with risks.”  The majority of IMF member nations are currently actively assessing CBDCs that potentially offer significant benefits, she continued. According to International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, India will alone account for 15% of the global growth in 2023, maintaining its status as a relative “bright spot” in the global economy. The fifth-largest economy in the world, which was saved from pandemic lows by digitization, will now be able to maintain its economic momentum t...

 MeitY issued an advisory & asked all the major social media platforms to remove the deep fake images & videos within 24 hours after getting a user complaint. According to reports, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has instructed Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, and other social media platforms to take “reasonable and practicable measures” to block or remove access to “deep fake imagery” in accordance with the IT Rules, 2021. According to a warning from MeitY , these sites must take down such images within 24 hours of receiving a complaint. A person’s identity, including the face and voice, are perfectly replaced with someone else’s in deep fakes, which are forged or fake videos made using deep learning, a type of artificial intelligence. In accordance with Rule 3(2)(b) of the IT Regulations , the MeitY guidance further stated that this content might constitute electronic impersonation, including electronically modified photos of...

 Rhythm Sangwan, Varun Tomar, and Rudrankksh Patil shined at the International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup 2023. Indian players have won 3 gold medals to date. In the Men’s 10m Air Rifle competition, reigning champion Rudrankksh Patil defeats Ulbrich of Germany 16-8 to earn a gold medal. Earlier, in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team Gold Medal Match, Team of Rhythm Sangwan & Varun Tomar defeated Serbia’s Zorana Arunovic & Damir Mikec by a score of 16–10! At the ISSF World Cup in Cairo on Tuesday, world champion Rudrankksh Patil overcame exhaustion and fever to win his maiden World Cup individual gold. Rudrankksh, 19, earned a score of 629.3 to place sixth in the eight-man final. In order to get to the gold-medal match, he later finished first in the ranking round with a score of 262. He barely broke a sweat as he defeated Germany’s Maximilian Ulbrich 16-8 in the championship match. “I was sick with a cold and fever, and yesterday’s mixed-team game had worn me out. Indi...

Renowned actress and TV anchor Subi Suresh breathed her last at a private hospital in Kochi this morning. According to local media reports, she was suffering from liver-related ailments and was undergoing treatment. “We thought of a liver transplant. We had even found a matching donor,” Dr. Sunny P Orathel, Medical Superintendent at Rajagiri Hospital in Aluva, told reporters, adding her condition took an unhealthy turn while the paperwork was being done. Subi was a well-known personality in the Malayalam film industry , having proven her skills as a comedian, character artist, host, and interviewer for a number of Malayalam stars. She is one of a handful of women specializing in comedy on both mini and big screens. Subi started her career as a mimicry artist. She became a household name in 1993 when the evergreen comedy show ‘Cinemala’ aired. Her stunning characters in the show still receive appreciation from scores of viewers. Her rising popularity owing to her hilarious avatars in Ci...

 FreshToHome is a Bangalore-based online portal for fresh meat, fish, and seafood. The company has raised ₹861 crores ($104 million) in the Series D round. Amazon Smbhav Venture Fund led the $104 million Series D round of funding for FreshToHome, an online retailer of fresh meat, fish, and seafood. E20 Investment Ltd. from Dubai, Mount Judi Ventures. from Bangalore, and Dallah Albaraka. from Jeddah also took part in the round. FreshToHome has received a new fund after a 28-month break. The Bengaluru-based company acquired $121 million in Series C financing in October 2020.  The company, which is the newest candidate to join the unicorn club and has received about $258 million to date, did not provide the current valuation. In October 2021, the firm’s rival Licious crossed the $1 billion valuation threshold and turned into the industry’s first unicorn. FreshToHome intends to use the new funding to increase its footprint in Saudi Arabia, the Middle East, and North Africa. ...

Sonu Nigam was performing at a music event in Chembur, Mumbai. As he tried to leave the stage MLA’s son & his people physically assaulted Sonu. A music event in Mumbai’s Chembur on Monday night allegedly saw singer Sonu Nigam and his colleagues being physically assaulted.  Based on Nigam’s accusation, the police on Tuesday arrested Swapnil Prakash Phaterpekar. Swapnil is the son of Uddhav Thackeray ’s party’s Chembur MLA Prakash Phaterpekar. According to a preliminary investigation, an official stated that the event happened when Swapnil attempted to take a selfie with Nigam.  A fight broke out between the politician’s supporters and Nigam’s crew as a result of the singer’s team’s failure to recognize him and push him away.  Soon after the occurrence, Nigam and his colleagues fled the area and reported it to the Chembur police station. In a statement to the news agency, Nigam alleged Swapnil of attempting to “hold” him as he exited the stage. Nigam added that Phaterp...

 The IMF has stated that India & China will contribute more than half of global growth this year. India is successively aheading despite the global economic slowdown. According to a recent blog post from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), India and China are anticipated to provide more than fifty percent of the world’s growth this year, with the rest of Asia making up the remaining quarter.  After ending its zero-COVID policy and reopening in the second half of 2022, China recorded a faster-than-expected resurgence in economic activity, according to the IMF. The Washington, DC-based lender also noted that due to border reopenings, improved supply chains, and the booming service industry, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam are returning to their robust pre-pandemic growth. The IMF additionally noted that when food and oil prices fell, the economic situation in Asia and the Pacific began to improve. According to the international lende...

 On the one hand, where giant tech companies are laying off globally, on the other hand TCS is not only hiring but also increasing its employees’ salaries. As per chief human resources officer Milind Lakkad, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), the largest IT services provider in India, would soon announce compensation increases for its staff that will be comparable to those from prior years.  This occurs at a time when tech corporations all across the world are using layoffs as a cost-cutting measure. Lakkad added that TCS is not planning any layoffs because it thinks that once an individual is hired, talent should be developed for longer careers. According to a report by news agency PTI citing TCS’ CHRO, the top exporter of information technology services in the nation is also trying to acquire startup workers who have lost their jobs. “We don’t do that (layoffs), we believe in grooming talent in the company… (there will be) no layoffs,” Lakkad said, adding that several compani...

India & UAE signed a CEPA and launched a Business Council to amplify strong bilateral relations across sectors. The aim is to boost bilateral trade to $100 billion. To strengthen economic connections and promote increasing bilateral trade and investment, the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) has reached its first anniversary, and the two countries have opened the UAE chapter of their joint business chamber. Launch of Business Council Following a virtual meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed a CEPA on February 18 of last year in order to strengthen their trade relations. In the presence of the UAE’s ambassador to India, Sunjay Sudhir, the Indian consul general in Dubai, Aman Puri, and the UBIC-founding UC’s members, Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, the UAE’s minister of state for foreign trade, officially launched the UAE India Business Co...

 The terrifying thriller trailer of No Entry has just been released. This trailer shows an incident where lead characters have to fight with infected wild dogs. Actress Andrea only ever selects narratives that emphasize the value of the character. She is acting in the thriller/action movie No Entry. The film’s spooky trailer is currently out and popular on social media. On behalf of Jumbo Cinemas, A. Sreedhar produced the film directed by Aakho Karthik. The thriller movie is being produced, and it was filmed at Cherrapunji. The father of Andrea is portrayed by Pratap Bothan. Four wild canines can attack and kill an elephant, according to a book Pratap Bothan, who plays a scientist in the movie, has read.  He produced a medicine called S40 and gave it to the dogs after two years of research into how to slightly increase the rabidness of wild dogs. S40 started creating a brand-new infection within the dog. Therefore, rabid wild canines gain strength comparable to a tiger’s....

 Tata Sons & Singapore Airlines have announced the merger of Air India and Vistara. Human resources integration and regulatory compliance are in process. The senior executives from Air India and Vistara and consulting company Deloitte have started the process of merging the two airlines.  AZB Partners has been hired to ensure regulatory and legal compliance. The competition authorities in the nations where both airlines operate must approve the merger. A merger between Air India and Vistara was previously announced. SIA would invest Rs 2,059 crore in Air India as terms of the merger with Air India, which the Tata Group acquired in January. After the deal is finished, SIA will own 25.1% of Air India. Since Air India has hired many former Vistara workers and, more crucially, because CEO and MD Campbell Wilson have experience working with both SIA and its low-cost carrier Scoot, the merger between the two companies is likely to go well. Senior officials from both airlines ha...

  The 49th GST Council meeting is also scheduled to set up appellate tribunals & systems to control & monitor tax evasion in pan masala & gutkha businesses. Nirmala Sitharaman, the finance minister, is officiating over the meeting. Following the release of the union budget earlier this month, the GST Council is holding its 49th meeting. The meeting is being attended by the Union Finance Minister, the Union Minister of State for Finance, Pankaj Chaudhary, as well as the Finance Ministers of the States and UTs (with legislatures). The goods and services tax (GST) council is an apex member body for amending, resolving, or obtaining any law or regulation.  All of the Indian states’ finance ministers support Nirmala Sitharaman, the council’s leader. The 48th and last meeting of the GST Council took place on December 22, 2022. The meeting was presided over by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman . The topic of establishing appeal tribunals and other procedures to prevent ...

 EAM S. Jaishankar attended the 12th World Hindi Conference in Fiji where he unveiled Sardar Patel’s statue. Fiji’s deputy PM said that India is one of the world leaders. S Jaishankar, the minister of external affairs (EAM), expressed optimism on Friday that the World Hindi Conference would soon evolve into a Hindi “Mahakumbh.” Speaking at the 12th International Hindi Conference’s concluding ceremony in Fiji, Jaishankar urged Hindi enthusiasts to collaborate in order to make Hindi a universal language. At the three-day conference, which was organized by India in partnership with the Government of Fiji, thousands of Hindi scholars and authors from almost 30 nations took part. Biman Prasad, the deputy prime minister of Fiji, hailed the meeting as momentous for the South Pacific island country and vowed that the administration of Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka was doing everything in its power to support Hindi. According to Jaishankar, he gave Rabuka the assurance that India would tak...

 MEA has introduced the ‘mPassport Police App’ to reduce the police verification process for passport issuance across the country, from 15 days to 5 days only. To simplify and hasten the process of police verification of passport issues, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs introduced the “mPassport Police App” on Friday. On the occasion of the force’s Raising Day, Federal Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday presented 350 mobile tablets to members of the Delhi Police Special Branch.  According to a release released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Regional Passport Office (RPO), Delhi on Friday, these devices would now allow the whole process of police verification and submitting reports to become paperless. Abhishek Dubey, the regional passport officer for Delhi, stated in a press release that tablet-based verification will shorten the verification process’ 15-day turnaround time to just five days, saving 10 days overall on the passport issue schedule. In a tweet posted on Fri...

 P.V. Sindhu and H.S. Prannoy already won their singles matches and India entered into the quarterfinals of the Asia Mixed Team Badminton Championships . The Badminton Asia Championship has begun. The Asian badminton elite is promoted through Competition.  PV Sindhu, a two-time Olympic champion, is leading the Indian team. The competition will last for one week, beginning on February 14 and ending on February 19, 2023. The third version of the competition had 17 squads, which were split into four groups. China, South Korea, Uzbekistan, and Singapore make up Group A.  Malaysia, India, Kazakhstan, and the United Arab Emirates are in Group B. Indonesia, Thailand, Bahrain, Syria, and Lebanon are members of the TJIRD organization. Japan, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, and Pakistan make up Group D. In their final Group B match at the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships in Dubai on Thursday, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand of the women’s doubles team outlasted Tan Pearly and ...