The initiative was launched through the first Open Call of the Technology Development Board (TDB) under the Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF).

To support the commercialisation of indigenous technologies in sectors earlier dominated by the public domain, including space and nuclear, the Ministry of Science and Technology has announced long-term financing for private enterprises at concessional interest rates of 2–4 per cent, with tenures of up to 15 years.

The initiative was launched through the first Open Call of the Technology Development Board (TDB) under the Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF). Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh described it as a “rare and significant departure” from conventional government funding models.

The RDI Fund, with a total corpus of Rs 1 lakh crore, is aimed at providing long-term financing to private enterprises. The minister said the structure has been designed to ease access to capital for technology developers while maintaining financial discipline.

He noted that while governments have traditionally promoted philanthropy or CSR-led investments, direct government-backed financial support for private-sector innovation has remained limited. The RDI Fund, he said, seeks to bridge this gap by enabling private enterprises to scale technologies in sectors that were earlier largely confined to the public domain.

Dr Singh observed that the opening up of strategic areas such as space and nuclear sectors to private participation has altered long-standing conventions. The RDI Fund has been designed to support this transition by reducing financial risk while ensuring accountability. It offers long-term, affordable financing and includes equity-linked options to share risk, thereby facilitating responsible commercialisation.

Referring to the response to the first call, the minister said nearly 191 proposals have been received, with a significant majority coming from the private sector. This, he said, reflects growing confidence among private enterprises in the government’s commitment to innovation-led growth. He added that it was important to ensure applications align with the spirit of the scheme and that funding is used for genuine technology development and scale-up.

The funding framework provides for collateral-free financing, with no requirement for personal or corporate guarantees. Proposals will be evaluated on scientific, technological, financial and commercial merit, with defined timelines for appraisal and disbursement. The initiative does not offer grant funding and is focused on enabling sustainable commercial deployment of technologies.

The RDI Fund was approved by the Union Cabinet in July 2025 and launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2025 as part of the government’s long-term vision to build indigenous technological capabilities and strengthen India’s innovation-led economy.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

Born and brought up in Bengal, to Bengali and French parents, Beteille taught at Delhi School of Economics, was Professor Emeritus of Sociology in the University of Delhi and also the first chancellor of Ashoka University.

India’s foremost sociologist, André Beteille, passed away on Tuesday night in Delhi. He was 91.

“Devastated to hear that the great sociologist Andre Beteille is no more. He was the Indian scholar I most admired, for me (and many others) a moral and intellectual anchor,” historian Ramachandra Guha wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) handle.

Economist Kaushik Basu said, “Such sad news. Truly towering figure, intellectually and morally, and with a fantastic sense of humour.”

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said: “A truly outstanding scholar, a wonderful writer and always a delight to talk to. I have learned so much from him over the years. They don’t make people like him anymore.”

Born and brought up in Bengal, to Bengali and French parents, Beteille left for Delhi soon after completing his MA from Calcutta University. For decades he taught at the prestigious Delhi School of Economics. He was Professor Emeritus of Sociology in the University of Delhi and also the first chancellor of Ashoka University.

“One of the perks of studying sociology at the Delhi School of Economics was the privilege of attending those rare special lectures, and Andre Beteille would be a prominent and permanent fixture of that academic life,” journalist-author Arnav Das Sharma, a former student of the departed scholar, recalled.

“What truly made Prof Beteille remarkable was the lucidity of his ideas, without ever eschewing nuance and profundity, two things we hugely lack in our present world.”

Beteille authored books on political sociology and sociology of religion, like Caste, Class and Power, Society and Politics in India and The Idea of Natural Inequality and Other Essays, two collections of articles he wrote for newspapers Chronicles of Our Time and ‘Ideology and Social Science, among many others.

He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2005.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

Test of solid fuel ducted ramjet seen as boost for long-range air-to-air missiles.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation successfully carried out the flight demonstration of Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet technology from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha, on Tuesday (February 3, 2026).

The test was conducted at around 10.45 a.m.

According to the Ministry of Defence, with this achievement, India has entered an elite group of nations possessing SFDR technology, a critical capability for the development of long-range air-to-air missiles that significantly enhance combat effectiveness and provide a decisive tactical edge against adversaries.

During the demonstration, all major subsystems, including the nozzle-less booster, solid fuel ducted ramjet motor and fuel flow controller, performed as expected. After initial propulsion by a ground booster to achieve the required Mach number, the SFDR system functioned seamlessly throughout the flight.

The system’s performance was validated through comprehensive flight data captured by multiple tracking instruments deployed by ITR, Chandipur, along the Bay of Bengal coastline. The launch was closely monitored by senior scientists from key DRDO laboratories, including the Defence Research and Development Laboratory, High Energy Materials Research Laboratory, Research Centre Imarat and ITR, the Ministry added.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO and the Indian industry partners on the successful demonstration, describing it as a major milestone in the country’s missile development programme and a boost to India’s defence preparedness.

Secretary, Department of Defence Research and Development and Chairman DRDO, Samir V. Kamat, also complimented the teams involved, lauding their dedication and technical excellence in achieving the complex SFDR flight test.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Chandigarh, Doctors at the PGIMER here have reported a major breakthrough in the treatment of poisoning due to aluminium phosphide, commonly known as Celphos, a lethal pesticide, officials said on Sunday.

The research, conducted in the Department of Internal Medicine at Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research , is the first clinical study to demonstrate the effectiveness of intravenous lipid emulsion as a novel life-saving therapy in this otherwise highly fatal condition, a PGIMER statement said.

The important findings have been published in the internationally reputed journal European Review of Medical and Pharmacological Sciences, bringing global recognition to the research.

The study was carried out under the guidance of Dr Sanjay Jain, Dean , Professor and Head of the Department of Internal Medicine, PGIMER, whose clinical leadership in emergency care played a crucial role in the management of these critically ill patients, according to the statement.

The research was funded by the Medical Education and Research Cell, PGIMER, underlining the institute’s strong institutional support for clinically relevant and socially impactful research.

This randomised clinical study was led by Dr Mandip Singh Bhatia, Associate Professor of Internal Medicine, PGIMER, who served as the primary investigator of the project.

Dr Saurabh Chandrabhan Sharda was the co-investigator, along with other authors from the Department of Internal Medicine, PGIMER, Chandigarh.

“The results of the study were highly encouraging. Patients who received intravenous lipid emulsion in addition to standard medical treatment showed a marked reduction in mortality, along with faster correction of severe metabolic acidosis, improved hemodynamic stability, and better outcomes in critically ill patients, including those presenting with shock and cardiac complications.

“The findings clearly demonstrate that early administration of this therapy can significantly alter the clinical course of aluminium phosphide poisoning,” the PGIMER statement said.

A major advantage of this novel treatment is its practicality, as intravenous lipid emulsion is inexpensive, widely available, and already stocked in most hospitals across India, including district hospitals and peripheral healthcare facilities.

Because of its low cost and easy availability, this therapy has the potential to save lives even in rural and far-flung areas, where the burden of Celphos poisoning is highest, and access to advanced critical care is often limited, the statement noted.

“Aluminium phosphide poisoning continues to be a serious public-health challenge, particularly in agricultural states such as Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, which bear the maximum disease burden due to widespread use of this compound as a grain preservative. The availability of an effective, affordable and evidence-based treatment is therefore of immense importance for these regions,” it said.

The statement added that this important research once again highlights “PGIMER’s strong commitment to research focused on local diseases and local populations”.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

India’s IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday laid out an ambitious roadmap for India’s semiconductor push, with the long-term goal of producing “one AMD” and “one Qualcomm” out of the country.

India’s IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday laid out an ambitious roadmap for India’s semiconductor push, saying the government plans to support at least 50 fabless chip companies in the next phase of the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), also called ISM 2.0, by scaling up the Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme, with the long-term goal of producing “one AMD” and “one Qualcomm” out of the country.

Fabless chip companies design and sell chips that are produced by specialised foundries.

A ministry of electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) official said on condition of anonymity that ISM 2.0 will be announced in three months after the government finalises its structure , including funding, incentives for fabless startups, a sharper focus on advanced design, and a roadmap to achieve 3-nanometre and 2-nanometre technology nodes.

The first phase of ISM, announced in 2021-end, had an outlay of ₹76,000 crore, which currently has 10 projects under construction, with four expected to begin chip production this year.

India will soon be able to manufacture 180-nanometre chips at SCL Mohali, while more advanced nodes down to 28 nanometres being enabled through the upcoming fabrication facility at Tata-PSMC plant in Dholera, Gujarat. By 2032, India has goals to manufacture 3 nanometer (nm) chips, said Vaishnaw, adding that India is studying the paths taken by Taiwan, South Korea and Japan to help get there. Node refers to a chip generation, with those with lower nm having more transistors in the same or smaller area.

Speaking at a semiconductor chip design startup event in New Delhi, Vaishnaw said ISM was shaped by three broad ideas given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi: building the full ecosystem, taking a long-term view, and moving India from a services economy to a product nation.

He said the government expected just five startups under DLI in the first phase of ISM but ended up with 24, adding that many startups have already taped out (finalised the design of) chips, validated products and found markets. All startups selected under the DLI scheme made presentations to the minister on Tuesday, updating him on the progress of their chip design projects. These startups have attracted nearly ₹430 crore in venture capital funding, with 14 of the 24 participating firms having already secured private investment.

Based on his conversations with global industry leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Vaishnaw said India’s credibility in semiconductors has changed dramatically in just a few years. He recalled that in 2022, when India spoke about manufacturing semiconductors, the idea was met with skepticism, while 2023 saw a more cautious response. By 2024, people had begun to take note, and in 2025, the mood had shifted to recognition that India had done something significant.

This year at Davos, he said, industry leaders were actively asking what they could do to be part of India’s journey, adding that there is now a clear belief that India will become a major semiconductor nation. The minister said that by 2029, India will have the capability to design and manufacture chips required for nearly 70-75% of domestic applications. By 2035, India aims to be among the top semiconductor nations globally, he said.

Six core chip systems

The minister said India will now focus on six major chip system categories to build a complete design ecosystem, and that different permutations of these would account for nearly 80% of the manufacturing that India can do on its own. The six categories are high-performance compute, radio frequency (RF), networking, power management, sensors and memory.

“These six major categories will encourage our startups, academia, and industry to come up with new ideas, thoughts and solutions,” he said, adding that these capabilities would allow the country to design chips for defence, automobiles, railways, space and industrial applications, and eventually manufacture 70-75% of the major electronics it needs domestically.

India had also set a target of training 85,000 semiconductor professionals in 10 years, and has trained 67,000 in four years, said the minister, adding, “I can say with a high level of confidence that in the coming years, practically 50% of all semiconductor design work in the world will be done in India.”

Vaishnaw also announced a new Deep Tech Awards programme starting this year, which will recognise startups and companies working in areas such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, space and other deep-tech sectors. He said the first round of the awards will be announced towards the end of the year.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

Eight decades after Independence, most roads don’t lead to the Mahatma, but some roads, across India, still bear his name.

On January 30, 2026, it will be 78 years since Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated. It works out to 936 months or 28,470 days roughly. The last time the name was invoked Indiawide was in December 2025, in reports about its removal from the social welfare scheme Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.

Eight decades after Independence, most roads don’t lead to the Mahatma, but some roads, across India, still bear his name. The oldest is in Bengaluru. It used to be called South Parade till 1948. V. Ravichandar, who calls himself an urban evangelist, says, “It was the dividing line between the old city and the cantonment area.”

After Bengaluru, Calcutta renamed a busy stretch after the Father of the Nation, an appellation that seems to have fallen into disuse in recent times. It connects two key railway junctions, Howrah and Sealdah. Earlier it was called Harrison Road. Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay’s fictional detective Byomkesh Bakshi’s initial address was — Presidency Boarding House, 66 Harrison Road.

Gujarat has many roads named after Gandhi. Ahmedabad’s Ashram Road leads to the Sabarmati Ashram. In the 1970s, Asaram Bapu built his ashram on the same road. “Now, many people think the road was named after it. My film Kaun Se Bapu? makes a reference to this,” says Mehul Devkala. “In the old city, Richie Road was renamed Gandhi Road during the freedom struggle. It was inaugurated by Jinnah. Parallel to it runs Tilak Road. Across Sabarmati River lies an arterial MG Road, which carries the city’s pulse.”

In Maharashtra, several arterial roads are named after Gandhi. Alpana Chowdhury, a Mumbai-based journalist, says, “Mahatma Gandhi Road in the erstwhile Esplanade area of Mumbai winds its way through the Flora Fountain crossroads, now known as Hutatma Chowk, past what used to be the Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited tower, and on to the wide stretch that has the Bombay Gymkhana on one side and Fashion Street on the other, right up to the Art Deco cinema hall Metro.”

At the Flora Fountain end, the road has heritage buildings such as the Bombay High Court, Elphinstone College, the University of Mumbai and Cowasji Jehangir Hall, now known as the National Gallery of Modern Art. At 159-161 MG Road stands what was once known as the Prince of Wales Museum. Close by is Rampart Row where Progressive artists such as M.F. Husain and S.H. Raza held their exhibitions at the Bombay Art Society Salon.

Actor Ashok Kumar lived on Rampart Row and his couturier Stylo had its outlet there. Adds Chowdhury, “Steeped in history and also in sync with the times, Mumbai’s MG Road showcases the best of the city.”

That said, not all MG Roads are named after Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. These would be the Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road, New Delhi; Moledina Grant Road, Pune; and Munshi Ganj Road, Calcutta. Devkala says, “Pune’s famous MG Road, sometimes confused with the adjacent Moledina Road, is named after a wealthy Gujarati Muslim merchant.”

And then there are those roads that have no MG about them, only a Gandhian connect. There are two such in New Delhi — August Kranti Marg, named after the August Kranti Maidan in Mumbai from where Gandhi launched the Quit India Movement and Tees January Marg where the man breathed his last. He was 78.

J&K: Jammu 2.4km;

LADAKH Leh 1.5km;

PUNJAB Ludhiana 3km;

UTTARAKHAND Dehradun 2km;

NEW DELHI 55km;

UTTAR PRADESH Agra 6.8km; Allahabad 4.5km; Bahraich 2.2km; Kanpur 10km; Lucknow 4km;

MADHYA PRADESH Gwalior 2.2km; Indore 8.6km; CHHATTISGARH Raigarh 0.9km; Raipur 11.7km;

MAHARASHTRA Ahmednagar 3km; Akola 4km; Fort Mumbai 1.5km; Kandivali-West 2km; Ghatkopar East 2.5km; Borivali East 5km; Kandivali 3km; Goregaon 1.3km; Nashik 1.5km; Pune 3km; Thane 4km; Wardha 5km;

GOA 0.5km;

TELANGANA Secunderabad 1.21km;

PUDUCHERRY 3km;

ANDHRA PRADESH Guntur 6.34km; Ongole 2 km; Tirupati 2km; Vijayawada 4km; KARNATAKA Bengaluru 2.5km; Mangaluru 2.2km; Mysuru 11.9km; Tumkur 18.9km; Bellary 2.5km; Kolar 2.5km; Hassan 2.7km;

TAMIL NADU Chennai 3km; Coimbatore 2.6km; KERALA Kochi 4.5km; Kottayam 3km; Thiruvananthapuram 6km; Thrissur 2km; GUJARAT Ahmedabad-Vadodara 93.1km; Porbandar 2.1km; Surat 3.1km; Vadodara 1km; Veraval 6.5km;

RAJASTHAN Ajmer 3km;

JHARKHAND Ranchi 2.5km;

ODISHA Bhubaneswar 1.2km;

WEST BENGAL Calcutta 2.7km; Durgapur 6km;

SIKKIM Gangtok 1km;

ASSAM Dispur 4.4km; Uzan Bazaar 2.7km;

MEGHALAYA Shillong 2.5km;

ARUNACHAL PRADESH Namsai 0.5km;

MANIPUR Imphal0.55km;

MIZORAM Aizawl 1km;

TRIPURA Udaipur 1.7km;

DAMAN AND DIU 7.8km;

LAKSHWADEEP Kavaratti Distance not known.

TOTAL: More than 377.3km

(The road lengths have been calculated with the help of a retired road engineer using
Google Earth and Google Maps.)

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

The eco-friendly corrosion inhibitor was the outcome of a collaborative study by scientists from Nagaland University and the University of Science and Technology Beijing.

Apple farm waste may soon help protect metal pipes, machinery, and infrastructure from corrosion.

An international research team led by Nagaland University (NU) has found a way to turn discarded apple leaves into a highly effective, eco-friendly corrosion inhibitor, offering up to 96.2% protection for copper in harsh chemical conditions.

The study, carried out in collaboration with the University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB), shows that tiny carbon particles made from apple leaves can shield metals from corrosion without using toxic chemicals commonly employed in industry.

The authors of the study are Ambrish Singh of the NU’s Department of Chemistry and Yujie Qiang, Ye Zhang, Xinyang Liu, and Ying Jin of the USTB’s National Centre for Materials Service Safety. The former is a visiting professor at the USTB.

Their findings were published in the Journal of Alloys and Compounds, a leading international scientific journal.

Corrosion is a costly global problem, damaging pipelines, storage tanks, and industrial equipment in oil and gas, chemical processing, power generation, and other sectors. Conventional corrosion inhibitors often contain hazardous substances that pose risks to both the environment and human health.

The researchers found that their apple leaf-based solution, known as carbon quantum dots, performed exceptionally well even at low concentrations. In acidic conditions—where metals corrode faster—the material reduced copper corrosion by 94%, rising to 96.2% over time, levels considered highly promising for industrial use.

Explaining its practical value, Prof. Singh stated that industries operating in acidic environments face high maintenance costs and safety risks due to corrosion. “Biomass-based inhibitors like the apple-leaf material could extend the life of industrial equipment while being safer for workers and the environment,” he said.

Prof. Qiang added that the team used a green processing method to convert apple leaves into nanoscale carbon particles. These particles cling tightly to metal surfaces, forming a stable protective layer that blocks corrosive chemicals.

While the results are currently based on laboratory tests, the team plans to move toward pilot-scale trials and real-world applications, including combining the material with existing protective coatings

Calling the work a major step forward, Nagaland University Vice-Chancellor Jagadish Kumar Patnaik said the study shows how agricultural waste can be turned into a high-impact green technology. “Such innovations reduce dependence on toxic chemicals while addressing real-world industrial challenges,” he said.

Beyond corrosion protection, the research highlights the potential of waste-to-wealth solutions. By converting farm residue into valuable nanomaterials, the technology could support circular economy models and open up new income opportunities for farming communities.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

“I am the President of the European Council but I am also an overseas Indian citizen… for me, it has a special meaning. I am very proud of my roots in Goa, where my father’s family came from. The connection between Europe and India is something personal to me,” Mr. Costa said.

As India and the European Union announce their free trade agreement (FTA), European Council President Antonio Costa remembered his Indian roots, showing his Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card, and speaking about how the deal has a “special meaning” for him.

He made the remarks during a joint press meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen in New Delhi on Tuesday (January 27, 2026).

Mr. Costa spoke about his family’s roots in Goa. “Today is a historic moment. We are opening a new chapter in our relations – on trade, on security, on people to people ties,” he said.

“I am the President of the European Council but I am also an overseas Indian citizen. Then, as you can imagine, for me, it has a special meaning. I am very proud of my roots in Goa, where my father’s family came from. The connection between Europe and India is something personal to me.” he added.

“Also because we conclude today our trade negotiations we relaunched at the Leaders’ meeting that I had the pleasure to host, in May 2021, in my previous capacity,” he further said.

In 2017, Mr. Costa was addressing a Pravasi Bharatiya Divas event, saying he had his roots in Madgaon in Goa and was proud of his Indian origin. He said then that he still had relatives in Madgaon and said, “Madgoan is the place where my father spent his childhood and had a home. I will visit my relatives.”

Meanwhile, India and the EU on Tuesday (January 27, 2026) sealed a FTA — billed the “mother of all deals” — with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the top EU leadership unveiling a grand agenda to leverage trade and defence to shore up ties.

The two sides also inked two crucial pacts — one on security and defence collaboration and another on the mobility of Indian talent to Europe — after Prime Minister Modi hosted EU leaders Ursula von der Leyen and Mr. Costa for summit talks. The two sides have also agreed on a strategy document titled, ‘Towards 2030- a joint India-European Union Comprehensive Strategic Agenda.’

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)