Wednesday, March 18, 2026
Home Blog Page 1378

Sri Lankan PM meets President

New Delhi (NVI): Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is currently on a five-day visit to India, called upon President Ramnath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan here.

Welcoming the Lankan PM, President Kovind said that he firmly believes that India’s growth is linked to peace and prosperity in its neighbourhood. A stable and prosperous Sri Lanka is in the best interest of India, he said, adding that India has always been keen to strengthen the economic pillar of India-Sri Lanka’s bilateral relations.

There is a lot that can be achieved for our mutual growth and prosperity, the President said.

President Kovind strongly condemned the Easter terror attacks in Sri Lanka last year in which many lives were lost. During the meeting, both leaders committed to continue their resolve to fight and defeat terrorism.

Vice President visits Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam (NVI): Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu arrived at Visakhapatnam today on a maiden visit to the Eastern Naval Command (ENC).

On arrival at INS Dega, the Vice President was received by Vice Admiral Atul Kumar Jain, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C) ENC and officials from the District Administration.

Naidu reviewed a ceremonial Guard of Honour and thereafter held discussions with the FOC-in-C at HQENC. He was given a comprehensive briefing on the role and responsibilities of ENC.

The Vice President was also taken by boat for harbour familiarisation which was followed by a visit to the indigenously built stealth frigate INS Sahyadri where he was given a guided tour and an overview on the operational capabilities and combat prowess of the Indian Navy.

Later, the Vice President also interacted with naval personnel.

Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY awarded gold for e-Governance

New Delhi (NVI): The Government’s flagship scheme- Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY),   has been awarded gold for “Excellence in Government Process Re-engineering for Digital Transformation” for e-governance 2019-20.

The award was presented during the 23rd National Conference on e-Governance held in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Implemented by the National Health Authority along with its State counterparts, AB PM-JAY is the world’s largest publicly funded health assurance scheme covering 50 crore poor and vulnerable citizens. It is the flagship scheme of Government of India that provides a cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation to over 10.74 crore vulnerable entitled families (approximately 50 crore beneficiaries).

The award seeks to recognise government projects that involved analysis and redesign of workflow and which resulted in improvement in outcomes related to efficiency, effectiveness of process, cost, quality, service delivery or a combination of these.

The purpose of the award is to recognise achievements in the area of e-Governance, disseminate knowledge on effective methods of designing and implementing sustainable e-Governance initiatives. This award encourages innovations in successful e-Governance solutions with promotion and exchange of experiences in solving problems, mitigating risks, resolving issues and planning for success.

Receiving the award on behalf of the National Health Authority, the apex organisation responsible for the design and implementation of the scheme, Indu Bhushan, CEO, AB-PMJAY and National Health Authority said, “It is a huge honour to receive this award today.”

Indu added, “This award is not only a recognition of the sophistication of the IT system that is the backbone of PM-JAY  but also of our efforts for moving towards universal health coverage through digital transformation.”

Talking about the IT system of AB PM-JAY, Kiran Anandampillai, Advisor IT, National Health Authority said, “We have created an IT platform with the focus to provide seamless, quality, affordable healthcare services to the poorest citizens in the remotest corners of India. We are building several layers of security to protect sensitive personal patient data therefore ensuring that there is no misuse of the data collected and used.”

 

Ten US refineries emitted excessive cancer-causing benzene in 2019: Report

Representational image

New Delhi (NVI):  Ten US oil refineries, including six in Texas, released the cancer-causing chemical benzene in concentrations that exceeded federal limits in 2019, according to government data published by the green group Environmental Integrity Project.

The study is based on the first full year of data reported by US refineries since a US Environmental Protection Agency rule was implemented in 2018. The rule requires continuous monitoring of air pollutants around plants to protect nearby communities, many of which are disproportionately poor, black and Hispanic.

“These results highlight refineries that need to do a better job of installing pollution controls and implementing safer workplace practices,” EIP Executive Director Eric Schaeffer said in a statement. “Now, EPA needs to enforce these rules.”

In an emailed statement, the EPA said that “it is important to note that benzene concentration levels monitored at the perimeter of a refinery do not reflect benzene levels in the community.” The agency added that its limits are stringent “in order to provide ample opportunity for early action.”

EPA said it would not comment on ongoing or potential enforcement actions.

Long-term exposure to benzene can cause blood disorders and leukemia, according to the agency.

Monitoring for benzene is meant to be a tool that allows for “early detection of potential problems,” said Ericka Perryman, a spokeswoman for the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers trade group, in a statement.

But the EPA’s data “is not intended as a measure of community exposure or health risk and could inadvertently provide misleading results to the public,” she added.

According to the report, benzene levels consistently exceeded the EPA standard of 9 micrograms per cubic meter of air at the fencelines of 10 of the more than 100 refineries examined by EIP. The EPA requires facilities that exceed that threshold to take corrective action, the report said.

Philadelphia Energy Solutions’ refinery in Philadelphia recorded the highest benzene concentrations, at nearly five times the EPA standard, the data shows. HollyFrontier Corp’s Navajo Artesia plant in New Mexico followed, with more than three times the federal standard.

Philadelphia Energy shut that refinery and filed for bankruptcy in July after a fire destroyed part of the plant.

Texas was the hardest-hit state, with six refineries exceeding the federal benzene standard, the report said. These are Total SA’s Port Arthur refinery, Chevron Corp’s Pasadena refinery, Flint Hills Resources’ Corpus Christi East refinery, Valero Energy Corp’s Corpus Christi East, Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s Deer Park and Marathon Petroleum Corp’s Galveston Bay, Texas, refinery.

Two other refineries listed are Chevron’s Pascagoula in Mississippi and PBF Energy Inc’s Chalmette Refining in Louisiana.

Unsung heroes behind the 96-hr-long airlift that brought back 640 Indians

Deepak Padmakumar and M Balakrishnan

New Delhi (NVI): When concerns about safety of Indians in coronavirus-hit Wuhan mounted last week, officers and other staff of the Indian Embassy in China were mobilised to help in their evacuation.

Two officers of Indian Foreign Service (IFS), posted in the Indian Embassy in China, particularly stood out in the 96-hour operation, which resulted in the airlifting of 640 Indians and 7 Maldivian nationals on board two special flights. The role of the crew of the two Air India flights also cannot be ignored in this special feat.

Wuhan is the epicentre of the outbreak of the deadly virus which has claimed hundreds of lives so far and it was a humongous task for the Indian Embassy to ensure safe evacuation of the Indians living there. The operation was dangerous because the virus is highly contagious and those undertaking it by entering Wuhan ran the risk of contracting it.

The government of India flew two Air India planes to bring home the evacuees.

Indian Ambassador to China Vikram Misri put on record his appreciation for the officials who worked behind the scenes to make the evacuation operation successful.

“Want to thank my team at @EOIBeijing which mounted a non-stop almost 96-hour long operation to coordinate a complex airlift under challenging circumstances for us, the passengers and local authorities in #Hubei and #Wuhan,” Misri tweeted.

“A special word of appreciation for two of our officers who are on board the plane – Deepak Padmakumar and M Balakrishnan – they showed exemplary fortitude and a real spirit of public service by traveling to ground zero in #Wuhan to coordinate airport arrangements. Kudos to both,” the Ambassador said in another tweet.

It was clear that the Indian Embassy was working day and night towards the success of the mission as Deepak Padmakumar and M Balakrishnan — both IFS officers– were on their toes to help Indians in coronavirus-hit China. Both IFS officers also belong to the same state- Kerala.

The Indian Foreign Service also lauded Deepak Padmakumar (IFS- 2014 batch) for doing a commendable job in the whole evacuation process.

“When the going gets tough, the tough get going! Kudos to the team @EOIBeijing for coordinating complex airlifts of 647 Indian and 7 Maldives citizens from #Wuhan, China. Deepak Padmakumar [IFS 2014] @deepaddy was our man on the ground,” read a separate tweet by Indian Foreign Service.

Apart from that, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has also appreciated the efforts by Air India team that was on board the two special flights to Wuhan for an impeccable operation to evacuate the stranded Indians.

“Saviour in the skies! Salutations and commendations to the @airindiain team, led by Capt Amitabh Singh, Director Ops, Air India, that flew into the epicentre of the Corona virus epidemic to evacuate fellow Indians. Kudos to everyone involved in the operation!,” reads a  tweet by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

While the Indian Embassy played a pivotal role in the evacuation process, the Air India team worked round-the-clock tirelessly to bring back the Indian nationals from the coronavirus hotbed.

Those evacuated are now undergoing quarantine at a special facility created by the Indian Army in Manesar and by Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in Chawla Camp.

“10 of the evacuees who showed symptoms of the virus have been shifted to isolation,” External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said yesterday while informing the house on developments regarding the coronavirus outbreak.

FM says MSMEs can complain if banks deny loan without reason

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today said that micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) can complain if banks deny them loans without any reason.

The Finance Minister came up with the statement while interacting with traders at an event titled ‘Jan Jan ka Budget’ in Chennai. Her remarks came around a week after she presented the Union Budget in Parliament.

While speaking at an interactive session with traders and industry representatives today, she said, “If banks deny loans without reason to MSMEs, they should send their complaints by mail to a special centre which is to be announced shortly.” She said a copy of same should be sent to the bank manager.

“There is also plan by government to increase interaction of banking officials, officials of ministry to reach out to the MSME entrepreneurs at the field level,” she added.

Apart from this, the Union Minister said that the economy is at its “robust-level” and asserted the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the country is at an all-time high.

She exuded confidence that India will get back to 8 per cent growth and said the government is making efforts to pursue the goals.

Delhi polls: 57.6% voter turnout recorded till 6 pm

Voters at a polling booth in Delhi (Pic: Twitter @SpokespersonECI)

(Updating earlier copy)

New Delhi (NVI): As voting came to an end at 6 pm in all 70 constituencies across Delhi, nearly 57.6 per cent polling was recorded, as per election officials even as they said that the percentage may raise after final numbers are out. The turnout is low as compared to 2015 although a spike in polling activity was observed in the last hour of voting.

This time, the national capital is witnessing a triangular fight between the BJP, Congress and ruling AAP.

The results of the election are scheduled to be out on February 11 when the fate of 672 candidates in the fray for seventy assembly seats in Delhi will be known. There are over 1.47 crore eligible voters to exercise their franchise in Delhi Assembly elections, as per the EC records.

Polling began at 8 am today as Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal arrived along with his family at a polling booth in Civil Lines in the morning to cast his vote. He requested people in Delhi to come out in maximum numbers to vote.

Speaking to reporters, the Chief Minister also requested the women voters to ask the male members of their families to accompany them to the voting stations.

The Election Commission (EC), which is conducting the polls is all geared up for the election process with high on tech-savvy elements like QR codes and mobile apps.

Apart from this, polling stations were also monitored through webcasting. Delhi Police made elaborate security arrangements for fair conduct of polls.

The EC has also issued a notification restricting media to conduct or publish any exit polls during Assembly elections in Delhi today. The ban is on polling day, i.e., today between 8 am to 6.30 pm.

J&K: Naeem Akhter booked under PSA

Mubashir Bukhari

Srinagar (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir administration today booked senior Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and former minister Naeem Akhtar under stringent Public Safety Act (PSA).

Akhtar is now sixth Kashmiri leader to be booked under the PSA. He will be lodged in M-5 hut located on Srinagar’s Gupkar Road.

In PDP-BJP government, Akhter served as Minister for Education and Minister for Public works.

On late Thursday evening, two former chief ministers-Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah were booked under stringent Public Safety Act (PSA).

Besides Omar and Mehbooba, Public Safety Act (PSA) was also slapped against National Conference (NC) General Secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar and senior PDP leader Sartaj Madani- who is the uncle of Mehbooba Mufti.

In another development, senior National Conference (NC) leader and former Speaker of JK Legislative Assembly Mubarak Gul and NC leader Tanvir Sadiq were shifted from MLA hostel to their respective residences and kept under house detention.

US citizen who had coronavirus dies in China

Representational image

New Delhi (NVI): A US citizen has died from the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, the epicentre of the epidemic in China, the US embassy said today. The 60-year-old is the first American to die from the illness, according to the embassy.

“We can confirm that a 60-year-old US citizen diagnosed with coronavirus died at a hospital in Wuhan, China, on February 6,” an embassy spokesman said.

The US will offer up to $100 million to China and other impacted countries to combat the fast-spreading coronavirus, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said.

“This commitment – along with the hundreds of millions generously donated by the American private sector – demonstrates strong US leadership in response to the outbreak,” Pompeo said in a statement.

Meanwhile, passengers on a cruise ship quarantined off Japan are facing more woes as government officials reported three more cases of coronavirus infection.

Solar panels made mandatory for all new houses in California

New Delhi (NVI): In California, every new home that is built after January 2020 must have solar panels installed on the roof, according to a new law.

The California Rooftop Solar Mandate applies to homes, and complexes up to three stories high. The size of the solar panel system that’s built is based on the square footage of the building, so it can meet the energy usage of the people living in it, as mentioned by Solargraf.

The California Energy Commission (CEC) says the goal is meant to zero-out energy consumption.

The new law should make home ownership more affordable, since homeowners would save on their utility bills.

The rules around energy storage devices are also changing. Those devices now generate a credit toward the minimum building efficiency standard, which will give builders more flexibility in how they meet the state’s energy efficiency codes.

Since not every area has ideal sun exposure for an efficient solar system, not all homes are required to include panels. New constructions can also abide by the new rules by connecting to a shared solar grid/solar farm built to serve multiple homes or neighborhoods.

One concern for California residents lies with the electric costs for everyone still using the grid. While people purchasing a brand new home equipped with a solar system will either pay nothing for their electricity or a fraction of their previous bills, that leaves it up to everyone who doesn’t benefit from solar to pick up the bill.

The reason for this is simple: the more people who opt out of traditionally generated power, the more the utility companies need to increase their prices to keep revenue coming in. People who are still on the grid, either because they don’t own a home or their home doesn’t have panels will end up having to pay more for the same power.

Another issue that this change will cause is the increase in the cost of building homes in California. While solar energy systems are estimated to save the average customer $19,000 over 30 years it also adds an estimated cost of about $8,400 to the total for the home construction. This could mean that a new home may no longer be an affordable or cost-effective purchase for those who may have been able to buy one before.

1...1,3771,3781,379...1,544Page 1,378 of 1,544

MUST READ