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Cabinet nod to all-weather port at Vadhavan in Maharashtra

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New Delhi (NVI): The Union Cabinet today gave its “in-principle” approval for setting up of a new major port at Vadhavan near Dahanu in Maharashtra.

The total cost of the project is likely to be Rs 65,544.54 crore and it will be developed on “land lord model”, the government said in a statement today.

The all-weather port at Vadhavan, around 140 km north of Mumbai will be one of the top 10 container ports in the world. The Shipping Ministry may start the work for development of the port in the next financial year, 2020-21.

A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) will be formed with Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) as the lead partner with equity participation equal to or more than 50% to implement the project, the Government said in a statement today after the Cabinet meeting.

The SPV will develop the port infrastructure including reclamation, construction of breakwater, besides establishing connectivity to the hinterland.

All the business activities would be undertaken under PPP mode by private developers. The position of JN Port, the biggest container port in India is 28 thin the world with a traffic of 5.1 million TEUs (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units).

Even after the completion of 4th terminal at JN Port with a capacity increase upto10 million TEUs by 2023, it will stand as the 17th largest container port in the world.

JNPT and Mundra, the two largest container handling ports of the country (for mid size container ships only), have drafts of 15 M and 16 M respectively, while the world’s largest container handling modern deep draft ports require a draft of 18M-20M.

Maharashtra has India’s largest container port at JNPT which caters to the hinterland of Maharashtra, North Karnataka, Telangana and secondary hinterland of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, NCR, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.

The Vadhavan port has a natural draft of about 20 meters close to the shore, making it possible for it to handle bigger vessels at the port.

Development of Vadhavan port will enable call of container vessels of 16,000-25,000 TEUs capacity, giving advantages of economies of scale & reducing logistics cost.

The ever increasing size of container ships makes it imperative that a deep draft container port in West Coast of India is developed, the governmnet said today.

Cabinet approves IIITs Amendment Bill

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar (File)

New Delhi (NVI): The Union Cabinet today approved the Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020.

The Bill declares five IIITs in PPP (Public-Private Partnership) mode at Surat, Bhopal, Bhagalpur, Agartala and Raichur to be declared as Institutions of National Importance (INI). The also grants statutory status to them.

Once the Bill gets parliamentary approval, it will amend the principal Acts of 2014 and 2017 to enable these IIITs to use the nomenclature of Bachelor’s in Technology (B.Tech) or Master’s in Technology (M.Tech) or PhD degree as issued by a university or Institution of National Importance.

It will enable the institutes to attract enough students required to develop a strong research base in the country in the field of information technology, the statement said.

The five IIITs at Surat, Bhopal, Bhagalpur, Agartala and Raichur are already functioning as societies registered under the Societies Registration Act of 1860.

After changes in the existing laws, these institutions will be covered under the IIIT (PPP) Act, 2017, similar to 15 others established under the scheme in the PPP mode.

Further, the Indian Institute of Information Technology Design and Manufacturing at Kurnool has been established as per the IIIT Act, 2014, and is functioning with other four IIITs, namely IIIT-Allahabad, IIITM-Gwalior, IIITDM-Jabalpur and IIITDM- Kancheepuram.

The Bill will also formalise the posts of Director and Registrar already existing in these IIITs, without additional financial outgo.

The IIITs are envisaged to promote higher education and research in the field of Information Technology.

The Indian Institutes of Information Technology Act of 2014 and Indian Institutes of Information Technology (Public-Private Partnership) Act, 2017 are unique initiatives of the government of India to impart knowledge in the field of Information Technology to provide solutions to the challenges faced by the country.

J&K: Sajjad Lone, Waheed Para released from detention

Mubashir Bukhari

Srinagar (NVI): Two more senior Kashmiri politicians –People’s Conference Chairman Sajjad Lone and PDP leader Waheed Parra– were released from detention after six months today.

With their release, 13 political leaders now remain under house arrest at the MLA hostel in Srinagar.

According to the officials, although Sajjad and Para have been released from MLA hostel, they will continue to remain under house arrest at their respective places.

Yesterday, Jammu and Kashmir administration released two leaders — former PDP MLA from Wachi Aijaz Ahmad Mir and former president of the Federation Chamber of Industries, Kashmir, Shakeel Ahmed Qalandar.

Since Sunday, a total of eight leaders have been released from preventive custody.

These leaders were part of preventive detention of mainstream politicians, activists and trade leaders carried out after August 5 last year when the Centre withdrew the special status of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated it into Union Territories — Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Among the prominent leaders who are still under detention are NC leaders Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti.

While Farooq Abdullah has been kept at his Gupkar house, his son and NC vice president Omar Abdullah has been detained at Hari Niwas.

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, who was initially lodged at Chesmashahi huts, has been shifted to a government building in the heart of Srinagar.

Auto Expo 2020: Mahindra launches eKUV100 at Rs 8.25 lakh

New Delhi (NVI): Automobile manufacturer Mahindra & Mahindra today launched e-KUV 100 with the starting price of Rs 8.25 lakh on the first day of Auto Expo-2020. The aggressive price by homegrown auto major makes eKUV100 one of the most affordable EVs (Electric Vehicles) in the market today.

Mahindra eKUV100 offers a peak power output of 40kW, a torque of 120 Nm and a range of 147 km. Fast charging can extend the range by 80 per cent within 60 mins.

The car has been equipped with a liquid-cooled battery pack, auto transmission, fast charging and remote connections.

It looks exactly identical to its petrol derivative, and minimal changes are done on the production-spec version including possibly a revised grille, along with reworked headlamps and taillights.

The interior of the EV includes the touchscreen infotainment system, steering-mounted audio controls, a multi-info display, manual AC, as well as remote and central locking.

Coronavirus: 10 people on Japan cruise ship tested positive

File

New Delhi (NVI): A luxury vacation turned into a nightmare for thousands of passengers on a Japan cruise ship as ten of them were tested positive for novel coronavirus, the deadly infection that has claimed over 400 lives in China, the country of its origin.

Initial results have shown that Nine passengers and one crew member have been found infected by the virus, as many others are stuck on the luxury cruise Diamond Prince off the Japanese coast of Yokohama.

The ship, carrying 2,666 passengers and 1,045 crew members, arrived in Yokohama on Wednesday, but the authorities did not allow anyone off, foreign media reports said. An 80-year-old Hong Kong resident, who had disembarked earlier in his home city, was found to be infected.

Princess Cruises, the operator of the vessel, has said that the infected passengers were from Australia, Japan, Hong Kong and the United States, in addition to one crew member from the Philippines.

Apart from this, the death toll from the month-long coronavirus outbreak has continued to climb in China, rising to 490 as per latest reports. New cases have surged by double-digit percentages in the past 11 days.

The new figures from China’s Health Commission today showed that 65 people died on Tuesday and that 3,887 more people had been infected. So far, 24,324 people are known to have been infected.

Countries outside China continue to report more cases, with Hong Kong and the Philippines reporting one death each from the disease.

Officials in the Chinese city of Macau also have asked its 41 casinos to close for half a month as they rush to stop the coronavirus outbreak afflicting China and the region. The decision comes after 10 people in Macau had been sickened by the pneumonialike illness.

PM announces trust for Ram temple

New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced the formation of a trust to oversee the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, as ordered by the Supreme Court.

While announcing the trust’s formation in Lok Sabha today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the Union Cabinet has prepared a detailed plan for the construction of Ram Temple at Ayodhya.

“My government has decided to set up a trust called Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra, which will take decisions independently on the construction of a Ram temple and related issues,” he said.

“Let us all support construction of grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya,” he added.

On November 9, 2019, the Supreme Court in a unanimous verdict decreed the entire 2.77 acre disputed land in favour of deity ‘Ram Lalla’ and also directed the Centre to allot a 5-acre plot to Sunni Waqf Board for building a mosque in Ayodhya.

 

Two militants, CRPF man killed in Srinagar encounter

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Mubashir Bukhari

Srinagar (NVI): Two militants and a CRPF jawan were killed during an encounter at Lawaypora area of Srinagar today, official sources said.

Three bike-borne militants fired on a CRPF patrol party on the outskirts of Srinagar, said force spokesperson Pankaj Singh. “In the gunfight, one CRPF man identified as constable Rajiv Ranjan and two militants were also gunned down,” he said.

The third militant who was injured in the gunfight was taken into custody, Singh said.

Additional troops were rushed to spot soon after the gunfight, he added.

India to host East Asia Summit in Chennai

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

New Delhi (NVI): India will host the fourth edition of East Asia Summit conference from tomorrow in Chennai with a focus on maritime security cooperation and tackling challenges in the maritime domain.

As announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 14th East Asia Summit (EAS) in Bangkok in November 2019, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in partnership with the governments of Australia and Indonesia, will organise the fourth EAS Conference on Maritime Security Cooperation in Chennai from February 6-7, 2020.

The Conference is expected to serve as a platform for free and open dialogue among all the EAS partners on various issues of maritime security cooperation and to come up with useful suggestions on tackling in a cooperative manner.

As a nation deeply committed to strengthening the EAS as an ASEAN-led organization, India continues to contribute positively to the EAS goals including maritime security cooperation.

This Conference is the fourth in a series of EAS Maritime Security Conferences organized by the Government of India; the first Conference was organized in New Delhi in November 2015, the second in Goa in November 2016 and the third in Bhubaneswar in June 2018.

Senior officials and experts from the EAS participating countries will deliberate upon various aspects of maritime security cooperation under five thematic sessions; namely Holistic Maritime Security, Maritime Safety, Transition to a Regional Blue Economy, India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans’ Initiative and the Way Forward.

More than 100 participants are expected to attend the Conference including about 50 delegates nominated by the EAS participating countries.

The Conference is expected to serve as a platform for free and open dialogue among all the EAS partners on various issues of maritime security cooperation and to come up with useful suggestions on tackling in a cooperative manner, the challenges in the maritime domain.

More than 70% young adults do not get enough sleep

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New Delhi (NVI): More than 73 per cent young adults including teenagers and people in their 20s don’t get enough sleep, according to a recent study.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine says that teenage youth must take at least 8-10 hours of sleep a day. But nowadays most of the youth are getting 4 to 6 hours of sleep, which is affecting their health, the academy observes.

After reaching high school, most teenagers start waking up late into the night. In most cases, the main reason for waking up late is the use of gadgets, among which smartphones, tablets, laptops and video games are most common.

Why does one feel like sleeping for a long time?

Are you also someone who feels like sleeping till late in the morning? According to scientists, this sleeping pattern is normal as soon as it reaches teenage. This is the reason that most of the youth from 14 years to 28 years have a lot of difficulty in getting up in the morning and they are often forced to wake up (at home).

According to Dr Kasey Nichols, “The sleeping pattern in teenage (adolescent) is different from that of adults. When a boy or girl enters adolescence (usually 12–14 years of age) there are many changes in their body. Many hormonal changes occurring in puberty force the body to wake up late at night and sleep till late in the morning.” (Although parents feel bad about this habit of children).

What to do to sleep early at night?

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) spokesperson Dr Cora Brauner, “Children learn most habits by watching their parents. A lot of young parents spend most of their time on smart gadgets and the internet in cities today (hence, their children adopt these habits while watching them since childhood). If you want to sleep well, then the most important thing is to make a rule in your house that night after 10 pm, no member will use any gadget, whether it be watching TV, mobile, chatting on social media or video games. Before stopping the children, the parents will have to improve their habits, then only the children will understand their point.”

Some tips for sound sleep

  • Set a time for your sleep and try to sleep at the same time every day.
  • Eat light dinner and do not eat fast foods (so that you do not feel heavy).
  • Wash your hands, feet and mouth with cold water before going to bed. This will help you to sleep fast.
  • Never think about your next day as you go to bed at night. The best way to do this is to get into the habit of listening to light music or reading a book before bedtime.

Temperature rises in Delhi

New Delhi (NVI): Minimum temperature in Delhi today rose to 6.7 degrees celsius from 5.3 degrees celsius recorded yesterday.

The maximum temperature today is expected to be around 22.0 degrees celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The weatherman has forecast the clear skies with possibility of haze for the day.

Meanwhile, the overall air quality in the national capital today remained in the “very poor” category.

According to System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR),the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital stood at  324 which falls in the  “very poor” category.

The worst affected areas are Dhirpur, Delhi University, Chandni Chowk, Pusa, Lodhi Road, Mathura Road, IGI Terminal 3 and the neighbouring Noida.

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