IIT Hyderabad to collaborate with Hong Kong firm to create venture ecosystem
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Hyderabad is going to collaborate with New Frontier Capital Management, a financial firm based in Hong Kong with offices in Tokyo and Singapore, to establish a global network for ventures as well as to create a venture ecosystem.
- The core objective of this partnership will be to promote innovation, research and incubation.
Prime Minister participates at the online Summit of NAM Contact Group
Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the online Summit of Non Aligned Movement (NAM) Contact Group held to discuss response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic crisis.
- The online NAM Contact Group Summit on the theme of “United against COVID-19”. was hosted by the current Chairman of NAM, President of Republic of Azerbaijan HE Ilham Aliyev.
- The objective of the Summit was to promote international solidarity in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and to mobilise efforts of States and international organisations to address the pandemic.
- The event also commemorated the International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace.
India is placed 3rd among countries in scientific publication
A survey on Research and Development Statistics Indicators 2019-20 conducted by NSTMIS (National Science and Technology Management Information System) has ranked India at the 3rd position preceded by the USA and China at 1st and 2nd rank respectively.
- The report says total expenditure on R&D in the country has tripled from 2008 to 2018 increasing from ₹ 39,437 crores in 2008 to ₹ 1,13,825 crores in 2018.
- India is ahead of Russia, Hungary, Israel, the UK, and Spain in the spending with total spending of 185 USD per researcher
Ameyo launches RBI compliant video KYC engagement platform
Ameyo, an Omnichannel Customer Engagement Technology provider, announced the launch of video-based KYC for businesses to eliminate the need for physical KYC following the latest RBI guidelines issued in Jan 2020.
- Ameyo’s video KYC is an end-to-end solution with omnichannel capabilities of scheduling and reminding customers to complete the KYC process, thus enabling brands to reduce the drop-offs by 20%.
- Ameyo has 15+ years of experience in providing customer engagement solutions for over 2,000 brands across 60+ countries, including HDFC Bank, Motilal Oswal Securities, Jana Small Finance Bank, India First Life Insurance and HDFC ERGO.
BharatPe launches two new features in its app to curb need to touch handsets for checking transactions
Merchant payment and lending service provider BharatPe expects to disburse around Rs 700 crore in the next five months as the demand for capital by shopkeepers is set to rise with the lockdown starting to ease out.
- The company, offering digital payments solutions to shopkeepers and merchants, got into the lending business around eight months ago and disbursed around Rs 140 crore till the lockdown period, which began in the third week of March.
Health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan launches multimedia guide ‘COVID Katha’
Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan launched ‘COVID Katha’, a multimedia guide on the Covid-19 disease.
- According to a release, the Union Minister interacted with heads of all Autonomous Institutions (AIs) and Subordinate offices of Department of Science and Technology (DST) via video conferencing on the occasion of 50th DST Foundation Day about their S & T initiatives, particularly in relation to their endeavours for combating the Covid-19 outbreak
HP govt to launch employment scheme “Mukhya Mantri Shahari Rojgar Guarantee Yojna” for urban areas
Looking to revive the coronavirus-hit economy of the state, the Himachal Pradesh government decided to launch a programme guaranteeing at least 120 days’ employment to the those living in urban areas.
- The cabinet decided to launch the Mukhya Mantri Shahari Rojgar Guarantee Yojna, under which 120 days’ assured employment will be provided to people living in urban areas.
Facebook and Bollywood collaborate on ‘I FOR INDIA’ concert
Social media networking site Facebook has collaborated with some of the biggest names in Indian entertainment to put together a home-to-home fundraiser concert, ‘I For India’.
- According to the company’s official release, 100 per cent proceeds from the fundraiser concert will go to the India COVID Response Fund managed by GiveIndia, to support on-ground relief efforts.
Egypt’s Youssef Hossam gets life ban for match-fixing
Egyptian Youssef Hossam has been banned from tennis for life after being found guilty of multiple match-fixing and other corruption offences said by the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU).
- A TIU investigation found that the 21-year-old had committed 21 breaches of anti-corruption rules between 2015 and 2019 and conspired with others to carry out a campaign of betting-related corruption at the lower levels of professional tennis.
Discus thrower Sandeep Kumari banned for four years by WADA after testing positive for metenolone
Discus thrower Sandeep Kumari has been slapped with a four-year ban by WADA’s Athletics Integrity Unit for flunking a dope test , nearly two years after her sample was deemed clean by the NDTL.
- The National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) had failed to detect the banned substance — a steroid — which was present in her blood sample, collected by NADA officials during the National Inter-State Championships in June 2018 in Guwahati.
Three Indian journalists win Pulitzer Prize 2020 in feature photography
Three Indian journalists Dar Yasin, Mukhtar Khan and Channi Anand have been honoured with the 2020 Pulitzer Prize in the field of feature photography.
- Yasin and Khan are journalists based in Srinagar, while Anand is based in Jammu.
- All the three journalists belongs to Associated Press. They have been awarded for the lockdown coverage.
Russia to launch first Arktika-M satellite for monitoring Arctic climate this year
Russia will launch its first Arktika-M satellite for monitoring the Arctic climate and environment at the end of the year.
- The satellite will be launched using a Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket with the Fregat booster from the Baikonur space centre was planned for 9 December 2020.
- The launch of the second Russian satellite for weather forecasting and monitoring climate and the environment in the Arctic region, Arktika-M, has been postponed to 2023 from 2021.
NIAB develops portable coronavirus detection kit
Adding support to the Health Minister’s promise that India will be able to produce RT-PCR and antibody test kits by the end of May, researchers from the National Institute of Animal Biotechnology (NIAB), Hyderabad, have developed a biosensor that can detect the novel coronavirus in saliva samples.
- The new portable device named eCovSens, can be used to detect the presence of novel coronavirus antigens in human saliva within 30 seconds using just 20 microlitres of the sample.
Aarogya Setu Launches Mitr Telemedicine Portal For Consultations
In an attempt to make Aarogya Setu a one-stop solution for all healthcare and Covid-19 prevention needs, the Indian government has launched a new Mitr portal to offer free telemedicine and consultation services for coronavirus-related inquiries. Aarogya Setu Mitr would also allow the users to book doorstep lab tests.
- The Aarogya Setu app has partnered with Swasth Foundation, Project StepOne, Tata Bridgital Health and Tech Mahindra’s healthcare initiative Connectsense Telehealth to offer teleconsultation service from verified doctors
Rural Development Minister launches Saras collection on GeM portal
Rural Development Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has launched the Saras collection on Government e Marketplace (GeM) portal in New Delhi.
- The Saras collection showcases daily utility products made by rural self-help groups. It aims to provide market in rural areas with access to Central and State Government buyers.
- Under the initiative, sellers from Self Help Group will be able to list their products in five product categories. These five categories are handicrafts, handloom and textiles, office accessories, grocery and pantry and personal care and hygiene.
