Month: December 2022

India’s first underwater tunnel to be built in West Bengal, expected to start by december 2023.

The first underwater tunnel in India is being built as part of the East-West Metro Corridor’s project, and it will take about 45 seconds for trains to cover the 520-meter stretch. The tunnel that goes under the Hoogly river in West Bengal is being touted as the Indian version of Eurostar’s London-Paris corridor. An estimated cost of Rs 120 crores is being spent on the project.

The tunnel, which is about 2.5 kilometres long, is expected to be commissioned in 2023 following the completion of the section between Sealdah and Esplanade.

The tunnel runs through the Salt Lake Sector V IT hub metro station in the east to Howrah Maidan in the west under the river. The construction of the tunnel has already been completed, and it is expected to be operational in December 2023 following the completion of a 2.5-kilometer section between Sealdah and the Esplanade.

India's first underwater tunnel to be built in West Bengal, expected to start by december 2023.

The first underwater tunnel in India is being built as part of the East-West Metro Corridor’s project, and it will take about 45 seconds for trains to cover the 520-meter stretch. The tunnel that goes under the Hoogly river in West Bengal is being touted as the Indian version of Eurostar’s London-Paris corridor. An estimated cost of Rs 120 crores is being spent on the project.

The tunnel, which is about 2.5 kilometres long, is expected to be commissioned in 2023 following the completion of the section between Sealdah and Esplanade.

The tunnel runs through the Salt Lake Sector V IT hub metro station in the east to Howrah Maidan in the west under the river. The construction of the tunnel has already been completed, and it is expected to be operational in December 2023 following the completion of a 2.5-kilometer section between Sealdah and the Esplanade.

BigBasket goes offline in Hyderabad

BigBasket is going to become a supermarket. After the acquisition by Tata in 2021, it has experimented in different ways. Earlier, it also tried self- services to fruit and vegetable outlet in Bangalore. But this time, it is going to do so in the form of a supermarket in Hyderabad. 

It is also planning to expand in this physical space. It is going to open 3 more supermarkets in Hyderabad, 5 in Kolkata and 15 more in Bangalore. After that, it also plans to open 400 more such stores across the top 10 cities of the country. It will cater to those users, who are more comfortable with physical stores. 

On the online front, BigBasket has a user base of 15 million. It is also making a profit of around $ 1 billion. Now, there is also one additional app that Tata has launched for use by the users of BigBasket. It is a total of all the apps that belongs to the companies owned by Tata Group.

Now, there are some drastic changes that Tata Group is going through. For the last few years, it has been on a purchasing spree. It now owns some companies from the tech world like 1mg and BigBasket. It also has an airline named Air India. So, Tata has lined up major expansion plans for the future. For the time being it needs to invest some more resources in these companies to make them capable competitors in the market. After that, companies like BigBasket will also make it to the IPO listing by 2025. 

From the business point of view, BigBasket did serve its customers well. The highest order on its online platform was from Karnataka. On the popularity front, the tomato was the top choice of the customers on the platform. In the entire year, BigBasket delivered around 400 kgs of coriander also, which was also one of the most popular items.

On the offers front, users also saved around 1500 crore rupees from various offers and coupons. The orders were mostly during the rush hours of 7 pm and 9 pm. The platform is also planning to expand to 20 more cities. This expansion will take the total count of cities from 55 to 75 for BigBasket service. 

Now, BigBasket also needs to take care of the fact that it needs to tackle the competition from platforms like Jio. The competition is also from some physical platforms that do support the flexibility of shopping by looking at the actual product. There are still several users who love the offers and the variety of products that stress like DMart offers. There are also some competitive moves from Flipkart and Amazon. These e-commerce giants are also putting in efforts to score big in one of the world’s fastest-growing online markets.

These changes will surely put smiles on the face of those who love to buy milk from the supermarket while coming back from morning exercise. The further increase in the valuation of BigBasket at $3.2 billion also makes it a top contender to become one of the best platforms for groceries and fresh veggies for a long time and with a bright future.

Health experts says the next 40 days will be crucial for India amid covid surge in China.

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There is still no clarity on what is happening in China, with experts raising alarm that the country is witnessing a steep increase in the number of COVID-19 cases due to coronavirus variant BF.7.

The Union Health Ministry has, however, said that the next 40 days will be crucial in India – with the country likely to witness a surge in January.

“In the past, whenever a NBCOVID-19 wave was reported in India, it used to hit us in 30-35 days, starting from East Asia, it used to hit Europe in 10 days, moving towards America and the Pacific region, and then finally hitting India which would normally take 30 days,” a senior health ministry official told media, requesting anonymity.

The official added that the number of deaths and hospitalisations is likely to be low this time, even if India is hit by a COVID wave by the end of January.

Meanwhile, the Ministry is likely to make mandatory, from next week, negative RT-PCR reports for passengers arriving from China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, South Korea and Thailand.

Filling up of ‘air-suvidha’ forms and 72-hour prior RT-PCR testing could be mandatory for arrivals from these countries.

The government has made random coronavirus testing mandatory for two per cent of passengers arriving in each international flight from December 24. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya is likely to visit the Delhi airport to take stock of testing and screening facilities there.

Health experts says the next 40 days will be crucial for India amid covid surge in China.

.

There is still no clarity on what is happening in China, with experts raising alarm that the country is witnessing a steep increase in the number of COVID-19 cases due to coronavirus variant BF.7.

The Union Health Ministry has, however, said that the next 40 days will be crucial in India – with the country likely to witness a surge in January.

“In the past, whenever a NBCOVID-19 wave was reported in India, it used to hit us in 30-35 days, starting from East Asia, it used to hit Europe in 10 days, moving towards America and the Pacific region, and then finally hitting India which would normally take 30 days,” a senior health ministry official told media, requesting anonymity.

The official added that the number of deaths and hospitalisations is likely to be low this time, even if India is hit by a COVID wave by the end of January.

Meanwhile, the Ministry is likely to make mandatory, from next week, negative RT-PCR reports for passengers arriving from China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, South Korea and Thailand.

Filling up of ‘air-suvidha’ forms and 72-hour prior RT-PCR testing could be mandatory for arrivals from these countries.

The government has made random coronavirus testing mandatory for two per cent of passengers arriving in each international flight from December 24. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya is likely to visit the Delhi airport to take stock of testing and screening facilities there.

RBI emerges as the top buyer of gold among its global counterparts.

With 132.34 metric tonnes (MT) of gold purchase, RBI emerged as the largest buyer of the yellow metal among central banks between April 2020 and September 2022. Also, RBI was the top gold buyer among its peers in 2020 while it stood third in 2021. In 2020, it bought 41.68 MT of gold while in 2021 and 2022 (till September end) it bought 77.5 MT and 31.25 MT respectively.

In 2021 the huge gold buying by RBI occurred in the backdrop of falling yellow metal price in the global bullion market but War in Europe proved beneficial for gold as the price crossed $2,000 per ounce in the first week of March 2022. But, the yellow metal lost its gains in the middle of March as consistent rate hikes by the Federal Reserve strengthened Dollar Index and bonds emerged as attractive investment options for Institutions and retail investors.

 Every major central bank keeps a portion of its reserves in gold as it plays a fine hedging instrument in the time of uncertainty and economic turmoil. During the balance of payment crisis in 1990-91, Indian government pledged 67 MT of gold to the Bank of England and Union Bank of Switzerland. During uncertain economic conditions, gold price takes upward trajectory and it was evident in 2020 when Covid induced economic turmoil made gold price touch an all time high of $2,067 per ounce. Since then GDP across the globe has picked up. Demand for yellow metal reduced with economic stability and prices declined consistently in 2021.

RBI emerges as the top buyer of gold among its global counterparts.

With 132.34 metric tonnes (MT) of gold purchase, RBI emerged as the largest buyer of the yellow metal among central banks between April 2020 and September 2022. Also, RBI was the top gold buyer among its peers in 2020 while it stood third in 2021. In 2020, it bought 41.68 MT of gold while in 2021 and 2022 (till September end) it bought 77.5 MT and 31.25 MT respectively.

In 2021 the huge gold buying by RBI occurred in the backdrop of falling yellow metal price in the global bullion market but War in Europe proved beneficial for gold as the price crossed $2,000 per ounce in the first week of March 2022. But, the yellow metal lost its gains in the middle of March as consistent rate hikes by the Federal Reserve strengthened Dollar Index and bonds emerged as attractive investment options for Institutions and retail investors.

 Every major central bank keeps a portion of its reserves in gold as it plays a fine hedging instrument in the time of uncertainty and economic turmoil. During the balance of payment crisis in 1990-91, Indian government pledged 67 MT of gold to the Bank of England and Union Bank of Switzerland. During uncertain economic conditions, gold price takes upward trajectory and it was evident in 2020 when Covid induced economic turmoil made gold price touch an all time high of $2,067 per ounce. Since then GDP across the globe has picked up. Demand for yellow metal reduced with economic stability and prices declined consistently in 2021.

New Vande Bharat trains are on the cards

Indian Railways has been consistently putting in efforts in improving the condition of railways in our country. The main reason for that has been the general people of the nation who use it daily. The railways are the main commuter of the general middle public of the country. So, recently Railways has been trying to improve the experience of the people by introducing trains like Vande Bharat. There have also been efforts to run this train on multiple circuits. 

Until now, 6 Vande Bharat trains are running in our country. The trains have been introduced for the people with some attractive features. One of the prominent features has been the ability of the train to run at a top speed of 160 mph. But due to the outdated infrastructure, the trains at running at a much-reduced speed. 

Now, Indian Railways is planning to introduce Vande Bharat 2.0. In this train, there will be an increase of top seed by 20 kmph. But still, there is doubt that whether it will happen in the real world or not.

So, to improve the condition of the infrastructure. The government is planning to invest 17000 crore rupees in the Delhi to Kolkata circuit. This will improve the performance of the Vande Bharat train on the route drastically. But apart from that, there have also been questions regarding the safety of the train. It is because there have been various cattle-related incidents with trains. This has raised various questions related to safety. To counter these discussions are being made that will reduce such incidents in the future. There is also work in progress related to the implementation of Kavach in all the trains. This technology will specially be incorporated into the Vande Bharat trains. This technology will improve the capability of locomotives to avoid train collisions. 

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There are also efforts to manufacture sleeper coaches for the Vande Bharat trains. The new version of the prestigious Made in India train will also have a more compact 75-seater chair car coach. These trains are also being considered as a replacement for the ageing Shatabdi trains. It also acts as a flag bearer for the faster future of the Indian Railways. The trains also ensure safe travel for the passengers as they have automatic doors that can only be opened and closed from the locomotive. 

In recent times, there have also been some positive changes in the Indian Railways. The first one is the implementation of electric locomotives all over the country. Now, there are only a very few challenging routes where environmental hurdles are making it difficult. Now, there is also an implementation of 3AC economy class in some trains. This new class will make the journey more comfortable for the public as the new coaches have better seats and better air conditioning. There is also better waste management in these new coaches and there is also a greater number of seats in these coaches.

For a change, there is also a plan for developing various railway stations all across the country. The new railway stations especially in the bigger cities will likely provide an airport-like experience for the passengers. In the end, these passengers will bring about some much-needed freshness to the Indian Railways, the lifeline of the country.

Amid covid concerns, chinese are turning to black market India made meds.

Residents in China have been scouring the market for generic COVID-19 drugs and India seems to be the answer to their problem. In the recent past, the Chinese authorities have approved two Covid antivirals – Pfizer’s Paxlovid and Azvudine – for the treatment. While China has ran out of the medicine, the Indian market is filled with it and is slowly becoming the next favourite destination.

In the past few months, topics like “anti-Covid Indian generic drugs sold at 1,000 yuan (US$144) per box” has been making the rounds of the Chinese social media. Platforms like Weibo and WeChat are filled with such queries and experts believe that black market deals are being conducted on them.

While the distribution of drugs which are not approved in China is not illegal, there can be penalties imposed on the illegal imports. Even the doctors in China have warned the public against buying drugs on the black market with several patients displaying massive side effects to the medicines.

Amid covid concerns, chinese are turning to black market India made meds.

Residents in China have been scouring the market for generic COVID-19 drugs and India seems to be the answer to their problem. In the recent past, the Chinese authorities have approved two Covid antivirals – Pfizer’s Paxlovid and Azvudine – for the treatment. While China has ran out of the medicine, the Indian market is filled with it and is slowly becoming the next favourite destination.

In the past few months, topics like “anti-Covid Indian generic drugs sold at 1,000 yuan (US$144) per box” has been making the rounds of the Chinese social media. Platforms like Weibo and WeChat are filled with such queries and experts believe that black market deals are being conducted on them.

While the distribution of drugs which are not approved in China is not illegal, there can be penalties imposed on the illegal imports. Even the doctors in China have warned the public against buying drugs on the black market with several patients displaying massive side effects to the medicines.

Yezdi brand name ownership is in doubt

Jawa motorcycles have been successful right from its launch. There have also been frequent launches. Various models are now available from Jawa and cater to the different needs of a user. The various models are from different categories. The best thing is that bikes are for every budget and are also getting popular among bike enthusiasts. The popularity is also due to the nostalgia factor, which is playing a role in today’s modern world.

Now, Jawa is also planning to launch more models. More so, it also revived a popular brand by name of Yezdi. But recently there has been an astonishing by the Honorable High Court in Karnataka. In the statement, the High Court stated that the ownership of the name Yezdi is still with Ideal Jawa. This company has been under liquidation since 1991. The statement also pointed out that the ownership of these names does not belong to Boman R. Irani and Classic Legends. The court further said that the name is not for sale as it has not been renewed by Ideal Jawa. 

In the past, the company Ideal Jawa was started by Farokh Irani, who is the father of Boman R. Irani. The company sold Jawa motorcycles in 1960 and then Yezdi motorcycles in 1973. But this did not give the right of ownership of Yezdi to Boman R. Irani.

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But the honourable court said that all the trademarks that Ideal Jawa owned will remain with the court under the liquidation is finished. The company Classic legends and Boman R. Irani has also been ordered to pay 10 lakh rupees to the liquidator. Along with that, Classic Legends have also been directed to pay all the profits to Ideal Jawa, which have been made by the use of the Yezdi name till now.

But apart from all this the sale and the normal business of Yezdi motorcycles will continue till further notice. Also, in response to these orders, Classic Legends and Boman R. Irani are planning to take some legal advice and take the necessary actions.

Now, we will have to wait and see whether the owner of the Yezdi name is given to Classic Legends or not. in terms of competition, Yezdi is facing stiff competition from Hero and some other companies who are building and even planning to introduce bikes similarly. This segment is bound to grow as more people are choosing such bikes. 

Royal Enfield on the other hand is the biggest competitor that Jawa has in the market. For a very long time, RE ruled the segment with its popular models. But now things have changed. Now, there is a growing challenge for these companies. The challenge is that of the electric two-wheelers. Electric vehicles are slowly gaining popularity. The increasing environmental issues are making it difficult for companies to continue with traditional vehicles. The newer two-wheelers are also gaining more features and capabilities. There is also a challenge for the right pricing of the two-wheelers. As more electric two-wheelers are being manufactured, their price is also becoming more challenging for the petrol heads.

National Girl Child Day

It is marked on January 24 in order to raise awareness of the injustices that girls experience in Indian society, as well as the rights of girls and the value of their education, health, and nutrition. The day coincides with several government of India campaigns and programmes, such as Save the Girl Child and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao.

Objectives of National Girl Child Day

-National Girl Child Day is intended to raise awareness of the rights that girls possess, to provide them with equal opportunity to everyone else, to support the nation’s girl children, and to do away with gender-based prejudices, according to the Women and Child Development Ministry.

-Additionally, it asks for raising awareness of the injustices that female children experience and educating people on the importance of educating girls.

-According to the government, changing how society views girls, reducing female feticide, and raising awareness of the declining sex ratio are the key goals.

– to raise people’s awareness and give girl children in society new opportunities.

– To end all forms of discrimination against girls.

– To make sure that every girl child in the nation has access to all of her human rights, respect, and value.

– To educate individuals and work against gender inequality.

– To modify people’s perceptions of females as children and combat India’s declining child sex ratio.

– To raise public knowledge of the value and function of girls.

– To give girls rights and chances for improvement.

– To inform people about a girl’s diet and overall health.

– To grant them equal rights and the freedom to travel to any location inside the nation.

 

How is National Girl Child Day celebrated?

To honour Girl Child Day, a variety of activities are planned across the nation in order to advance social causes such as education, status, and equality. Additionally, the Indian government runs a number of programmes to raise public awareness of the issue of girl children in Indian society. The Government of India draws attention to the issues and disparities affecting girls through this campaign. The government runs several advertising with the slogan “Save the Girl Child” across TV channels, regional newspapers, and radio stations. Even non-governmental organisations (NGOs) participate in the event and raise awareness among the public on how to treat and educate girl children equally.

government schemes for girls 

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao

This programme, launched by the BJP-led NDA government in January 2015, intends to lower the CSR (Child Sex Ratio) and offer equal educational opportunities. The Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and Ministry of Human Resources Development are working together on this project. A 100 crore rupee initial investment was made in the programme.

Sukanya Samridhhi Yojana

This government-sponsored programme aids parents in starting early savings for the girl child’s education and marriage. When the account is opened, the girl child must be younger than 10 years old. The account may continue to be active until the girl turns 21. This small savings plan can be opened at specified commercial and public banks as well as post offices. As joint account holders, the baby girl’s parents or legal guardians can open it as a savings account in her name. The initial outlay can range from as little as Rs 250 to as much as Rs 150,000. With a balance of at least Rs 1,000, the government offers an interest rate of 8.5%.

National Scheme of Incentives to Girls for Secondary Education

This programme attempts to encourage girls between the ages of 14 and 18 to enrol in secondary school. In May 2008, a centrally-sponsored programme was introduced. A deposit of Rs 3,000 is made as an FD in the qualifying girls’ names under this programme. When the daughter turns 18 or when she passes her class 10 exam, she can withdraw the money.


Amid decline in China’s construction sector, India emerges as ‘saviour’ for global steel demand, says report

India has emerged as a saviour for the sagging global steel demand with China’s enormous construction sector still in a funk and the US and Europe probably heading into recessions.

India is experiencing a building boom and is on track to surpass China as the world’s most populated nation by the end of the year. In an effort to compete with China as a manufacturing hub, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is attempting to revamp the roadways, rail systems, and ports.

According to the World Steel Association, this will result in a 6.7% increase in steel demand, reaching over 120 million tonnes in 2023, the greatest growth rate among large nations. This year, India experienced similar growth and surpassed the US to overtake China as the world’s second-largest user of steel.

The biggest producer in the country, JSW Steel Ltd., stated that “the nation-building phase of any economy demands a lot of steel and commodities.” According to him, India is currently moving through that phase, which might increase its steel demand to more than 200 million tonnes by 2030.

Amid decline in China's construction sector, India emerges as 'saviour' for global steel demand, says report

India has emerged as a saviour for the sagging global steel demand with China’s enormous construction sector still in a funk and the US and Europe probably heading into recessions.

India is experiencing a building boom and is on track to surpass China as the world’s most populated nation by the end of the year. In an effort to compete with China as a manufacturing hub, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is attempting to revamp the roadways, rail systems, and ports.

According to the World Steel Association, this will result in a 6.7% increase in steel demand, reaching over 120 million tonnes in 2023, the greatest growth rate among large nations. This year, India experienced similar growth and surpassed the US to overtake China as the world’s second-largest user of steel.

The biggest producer in the country, JSW Steel Ltd., stated that “the nation-building phase of any economy demands a lot of steel and commodities.” According to him, India is currently moving through that phase, which might increase its steel demand to more than 200 million tonnes by 2030.

USB type – C will be available in all laptops and smartphones

Electronic devices are back in demand. They can get huge profits from various companies. Consumers are now trying to utilize the various benefits of technological advancements. As a result, many companies are trying to find out ways that can reduce electronic waste.

The waste that is getting generated due to rapid technological change is creating problems for the environment. Electronic devices are getting older and obsolete very quickly. This is creating problems for people also. They need to buy new devices now and then. The worst situation is in the case of the accessories. Things like chargers are the worst hit. There are various types of chargers for different types of electronic devices. This creates a lot of problems for the environment and the public.

But to reduce this issue, the government is discussing following the footsteps of the European Union. The European Union EU decided earlier this year that there will be a USB type – C charging feature for all consumer electronic devices like laptops and mobile phones. It will reduce electronic waste and will also enable people to charge any device using the same cable. 

Now, this step has been directed to all consumer electronic device manufacturers. They have been given a deadline of December 28, 2024. The Indian government is also planning to set the same deadline for the companies in India. It will give some relaxation to the companies to reset the systems for the manufacturing of their devices. Other than that, there will also require some planning in terms of the devices that will be exported to other countries.

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Now, the biggest problem, in this case, will be Apple. It is because Apple is the only company which has not been able to provide the USB type – C charging option in its iPhones, which is the major seller. It says that if it does so, then there will be a huge amount of waste because people will then throw away their lightning cables, which will be bad for the environment.

On the other hand, all the Android manufacturers are almost transitioned to USB type – C charging features. It also enables their device to have a faster-charging speed which is not possible in micro-USB cable after a certain extent. Another advantage of USB type – C cable is the ease of use. 

Now, these changes will make sure that there will also be further fewer accessories in the electronic packaging. Just like the phase we are facing right now, in which companies are slowly removing the chargers from their package. But there will be phased implementation of this plan in India. It will enable the users to transition to the new norms smoothly. 

These changes will pave the way for a universal experience for the users. The new rules will also enable that the devices in the future like smartphones and laptops will become more compatible with the advancement that is being implemented in charging technology. These changes will slowly reduce some pressure from the environment also.