Category Archives: Business & Economy

INTERNATIONAL AWARD: ARTS & CULTURE / CINEMA & MUSIC: Golden Globes 2023: ‘RRR’ wins Best Original Song for ‘Naatu Naatu’

The film is directed by SS Rajamouli, and stars the likes of Ram Charan, Jr NTR, Alia Bhatt and Ajay Devgn among others.

SS Rajamouli’s RRR has created history becoming the first Indian film to win a Golden Globe.

RRR won for Best Original song at the ongoing ceremony for Naatu Naatu. The song is composed by music director MM Keeravaani, and sung by Kala Bhairava and Rahul Sipligunj, with lyrics by Chandrabose.

Also Read | Golden Globes 2023: Here’s the list of key winners

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the team over Twitter, calling it a “very special accomplishment”.

Ex-Vice President, film personalities congratulate ‘RRR’ team

Former Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, Telugu star Chiranjeevi and several other celebrities congratulated musician M. M. Keeravani and other team members of ‘RRR’.

Taking to twitter to congratulate the team over its win, Mr. Naidu said, “Every Indian is proud of the global recognition for #NaatuNaatu song from #RRRMovie Heartiest congratulations to ace music composer, Keeravani Garu & RRR team for bagging the #GoldenGlobes2023 Award for the best original song!”

Chiranjeevi, whose son Ram Charan played the lead role alongside Jr NTR in ‘RRR’, described the global recognition of the film as a ‘historic achievement.’ “What a Phenomenal, Historic Achievement!!!! Golden Globes Best Original Song – Motion Picture Award to @mmkeeravaani garu !! Take a Bow,” he tweeted.

“Heartiest Congratulations Team @RRRMovie & @ssrajamouli !! India is proud of you!,” Chiranjeevi said.

Top Telugu star Nagarjuna also congratulated Keeravani and his team for the feat.

“Congratulations to @mmkeeravaani garu and his team on winning the #GoldenGlobes2023 for #NatuNatu song in #RRR on the way to the oscars now,” Nagarjuna said on Twitter.

The original song nominees were “Carolina,” from “Where the Crawdads Sing,” music by Taylor Swift; “Ciao Papa,” from “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio,” music by Alexandre Desplat; “Hold My Hand,” from “Top Gun: Maverick,” music by Lady Gaga, BloodPop, Benjamin Rice” and “Lift Me Up,” from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” music by Tems, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler, Ludwig Göransson.

Drawing inspiration from the lives of freedom fighters Komaram Bheem and Alluri Sitarama Raju,   RRR narrates a fictional tale set in the 1920s. The film boasts an ensemble cast, starring the likes of Jr NTR, Ram Charan, Ajay Devgn, Alia Bhatt, Olivia Morris, Samuthirakani, Alison Doody, and Ray Stevenson.

RRR is also nominated for Best Picture non-English language category.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: INDIAN-ORIGIN / LEADERS: USA: Manpreet Monica Singh becomes First Female Sikh Judge to swear in

There are an estimated 500,000 Sikhs in the US, with 20,000 Sikhs living in the Houston area.

Indian-origin Manpreet Monica Singh has been sworn in as a Harris county judge, becoming the first female Sikh judge in the US.

Singh was born and raised in Houston and now lives in Bellaire with her husband and two children. She was sworn in as a judge of the Harris County Civil Court at Law No.4 in Texas on Friday.

Singh’s father immigrated to the US in the early 1970s.

A trial lawyer for 20 years, she has been involved in numerous civil rights organizations at the local, state, and national levels.

“It means a lot to me because I represent H-town (a nickname of Houston) the most, so for it to be us, I’m happy for it,” she said at the oath ceremony.

Indian-American Judge Ravi Sandill, the state’s first South Asian judge, presided over the ceremony, which took place in a packed courtroom.

“It’s a really big moment for the Sikh community,” Sandill said.

“When they see someone of colour, someone a little different, they know that possibility is available to them. Manpreet is not only an ambassador for Sikhs, but she’s an ambassador for all women of colour,” he said.

There are an estimated 500,000 Sikhs in the US, with 20,000 Sikhs living in the Houston area.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said, “It was a proud day for the Sikh Community, but also a proud day for all people of Colour who see the Diversity of the City of Houston in the Diversity of the Court.”

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL RECORDS: AUTOMOBILES: India Surpasses Japan to become 3rd Largest Auto Market Globally

India’s sales volume is expected to rise further with the inclusion of pending fourth-quarter sales figures for commercial vehicles.

India eclipsed Japan in auto sales last year, according to the latest industry data, making it the third-largest auto market for the first time, Nikkei Asia reported on Friday.

India’s sales of new vehicles totalled at least 4.25 million units, based on preliminary results, topping the 4.2 million sold in Japan. New vehicles delivered in India totalled 4.13 million between January and November 2022, according to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers. Adding December’s sales volume reported on Sunday by Maruti Suzuki, India’s largest carmaker, brings the total to roughly 4.25 million units.

India’s sales volume is expected to rise further with the inclusion of pending fourth-quarter sales figures for commercial vehicles, along with year-end results yet to be released by Tata Motors and other automakers, according to Nikkei Asia.

In 2021, China continued to lead the global auto market, with 26.27 million vehicles sold. The U.S. remained second at 15.4 million vehicles, followed by Japan at 4.44 million units. Nikkei Asia said India’s auto market has fluctuated in recent years. Roughly 4.4 million vehicles were sold in 2018, but volume dipped below 4 million units in 2019, due primarily to the credit crunch that hit the nonbank sector that year. When the Covid pandemic triggered a countrywide lockdown in 2020, vehicle sales plummeted further below the 3-million-unit mark. Sales recovered in 2021 to approach 4 million units, but the shortage of automotive chips weighed on growth.

Vehicles powered by gasoline, including hybrid vehicles, accounted for most of the new autos sold in India last year, Nikkei Asia said, adding that electric vehicles hardly have a presence. Autos for the Indian market are seen as having fewer semiconductors than those sold in advanced economies. According to Nikkei Asia, the easing of the automotive chip crunch in 2022 provided a springboard for recovery.

Along with Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors and other Indian automakers saw sales growth last year. India is home to 1.4 billion people, and its population is expected to outstrip China sometime this year and continue growing until the early 2060s. Incomes are rising as well. Only 8.5% of Indian households owned a passenger vehicle in 2021, according to British research firm Euromonitor, meaning there is plenty of room for sales growth.

The government has started offering subsidies for EVs amid a trade deficit resulting from petroleum imports. In Japan, 4,201,321 vehicles were sold last year, down 5.6% from 2021, according to data from the Japan Automobile Dealers Association and the Japan Light Motor Vehicle and Motorcycle Association. Nikkei Asia said the omicron epidemic and the lockdowns in China greatly undercut production, leaving automakers unable to meet demand.

Japan’s auto sales peaked in 1990 at 7.77 million units, meaning sales have tumbled by nearly half from the all-time high, according to Nikkei Asia. And the country’s declining population offers little prospect for a significant recovery in sales in the foreseeable future. According to Nikkei Asia, China surged past Japan to become the second-largest auto market in 2006. In 2009, China overtook the U.S. to become the world’s largest market.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: LEADERS / LEGAL & LAW: Chief Justice of India (CJI) Chandrachud to be Conferred with the ‘Award for Global Leadership’ by Harvard Law School Center

At the event, professor David Wilkins of the Harvard Law School will also have a conversation with the CJI.

Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud has been selected for the “Award for Global Leadership” by the Harvard Law School Center in recognition of his lifetime service to the legal profession in the country and around the world.

The award will be presented to him at an online event on January 11.

Chandrachud obtained an LLM degree and a Doctorate in Juridical Sciences (SJD) from the Harvard Law School in the United States.

At the event, professor David Wilkins of the Harvard Law School will also have a conversation with the CJI.

Justice Chandrachud, who was part of the apex court benches that delivered several landmark verdicts, including the Ayodhya land dispute case, was sworn in as the 50th CJI on November 9, 2022.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: ARTS & SCIENCE / PHOTOGRAPHY: NASA Publishes 4 Jupiter Images Processed by Navaneeth Krishnan, Editor, Kerala State Institute of Children’s Literature

Science enthusiasts around the world love to process the raw images taken by The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)’s spacecraft on various missions.

Science enthusiasts around the world love to process the raw images taken by The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)’s spacecraft on various missions. It’s a passion for many. Some of their processed works even get recognition by the US space agency. Navaneeth Krishnan, a native of Angamaly won the recognition when NASA published four images of its Jupiter Mission that he processed. 

An editor at the Kerala State Institute of Children’s Literature, Thiruvananthapuram, Navaneeth recently processed the image of the Northern Cyclones on Jupiter taken from JunoCam, the public engagement camera aboard NASA’s Juno spacecraft. NASA also gave credit to Navaneeth for enhancing the colour and contrast of the image.

“NASA’s Juno spacecraft has been making rotations around Jupiter and providing raw images for years. It is the Southwest Research Institute that publishes these raw images which are further processed by various citizen scientists. Every time an image is published by NASA, scores of people from across the globe download it as part of the public engagement project and process it. This is the fourth time that NASA is publishing an image that I processed. I am extremely happy that NASA is recognising my efforts,” says Navaneeth.  

The latest image he worked on a cyclone on the northernmost region of Jupiter, perched near the gas giant’s north pole, was taken on September 29, 2022. While publishing the image in December, NASA said, “Jupiter has eight circumpolar cyclones, and four are visible in this image, framing the northernmost cyclone. 

A small anticyclone (which spins counterclockwise) has wedged its way in just above the northernmost cyclone. The image was acquired on Juno’s 45th pass of Jupiter from an altitude of 17,248 miles and shows features as small as 11.6 miles across. Citizen scientist Navaneeth Krishnan S processed the images to enhance the colour and contrast.” 

Navaneeth has completed his PG in Physics and has always been passionate about astrophysics. 
“I use Photoshop and other softwares like G’MIC-QT and GIMP to process the raw images. So far, I have processed 300 images, of which four images have been published. Processing these can contribute to more discoveries in future,” says Navaneeth.

The frst image processed by Navaneeth that got published was one of Jupiter’s South temperate belt and the Great Red Spot. The second was of Europa taken on September 29 in 2022 at an altitude of around 1,500km. An image of a storm titled ‘Oval BA’ in Jupiter was also processed by him and published by the agency.  

There is no monetary aspect involved in this process in which many space enthusiasts participate.  Navaneeth is also part of the Aastro Kerala Organisation along with many science enthusiasts of all ages, from children to adults.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL: OVERSEAS INDIANs / DESCENT : 27 Indians Abroad to Receive ‘ 2023 Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards’

 Guyana President Mohamed Irfaan Ali and renowned Canadian scientist Dr Vaikuntam Iyer Lakshmanan are among 27 recipients of the 2023 Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award — the highest honour conferred on overseas Indians.

The award will be conferred by President Droupadi Murmu as part of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention, which will be held from January 8-10 in Indore.

Born to an Indo-Guyanese Muslim family, Ali took oath as Presiden in August 2020.

He will also be the chief guest at the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention.

Polish businessman from Goa Amit Kailash Chandra Lath, 45, who helped in the evacuation of Indian students from Ukraine into Poland when war with Russia broke out, is also a recipient of the award.

Scientist and innovator Dr Vaikuntam Iyer Lakshmanan, who moved to Canada in 1974, channeled his passion for community service through supporting organizations like Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce and Canada-India Business Council.

He has sponsored clean drinking water systems and a mobile hospital in rural India, and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Indo-Canadian Chamber of Commerce in 2019.

Among other recipients are FedEx Corporation CEO Rajesh Subramaniam, Australian economist Chennupati Jagadish, and Israel-based chef Reena Vinod Pushkarna.

“A Jury-cum-Awards Committee, with Vice-President as the Chairman and External Affairs Minister as the Vice-Chair and other distinguished members from various walks of life considered the nominations… and unanimously selected the awardees,” a Ministry of External Affairs statement read.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL / NATIONAL: GREEN / BIO-CHEMISTRY / ORGANIC INSECTICIDES: 17-year-old teen Researcher Sarvesh Prabhu,Wins International Award for Developing Organic Insecticide at International Science & Engineering Fair, Atlanta, USA

The extract of Ramphal leaves is effective against various insect and pests like, pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera, fall armyworm, spodoptera frugiperda, larvae, and green peach aphids.

Sarvesh Prabhu, a 17-year-old research intern at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), represented India at the International Science and Engineering Fair in Atlanta, USA and won the third prize in the biochemistry category. He was awarded $1,000 for developing a cost-effective bio-insecticide from the leaves of bullock’s heart, Annona reticulata, popularly known as Ramphal.

When asked what led him to such a discovery, he said, “During the lockdown, my sister did gardening as a hobby. All of our plants were getting eaten by insects before they could grow, resulting in a terrible harvest. While my sister wanted to use chemical insecticides, I was absolutely against them, which led me to find botanical insecticides as an alternative. Ramphal grows in our garden, and we noticed that it flourished when all other plants were struck by pests. Thus, began my project in the middle of the pandemic.”

The extract of Ramphal leaves is effective against various insects and pests like pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera, fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, larvae, and green peach aphids. Ramphal leaves were tested in a lab. The results showed a mortality range of 78-88 per cent.

He said, “One of my main goals was to make it cost-effective and easy to manufacture by the farmer themselves. The preparation process of the insecticide is simple and easy. The Ramphal tree is also commonly found across India. This botanical product is several times cheaper than most insecticides in the market.”

About winning the prestigious prize, he said, “It was truly a pursuit that I cannot forget. More than the prize, the journey was impactful. The friends I made, the knowledge I gained from previous research papers, and the skills I acquired from the experts at ICRISAT are invaluable.”

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

EUROPE: SCIENTIST: Indian Scientist Dr. Mahima Swamy at Scotland’s University of Dundee Recognised as One of Europe’s Top Talents. Chosen to join the Prestigious European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) Young Investigator Network

Dr Mahima Swamy, from Bangalore, one of the University of Dundee’s most revered experts within their School of Life Sciences, has been named as one of the rising stars of European science. Due to her research, she has been chosen to join the prestigious European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) Young Investigator network.

Based within the University’s Medical Research Council Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit (MRC-PPU), Dr Swamy heads a research group that investigates immune responses in the intestine and joins 23 other researchers to become a part of the network of 135 current and 390 former members of the programme.

She said, “I am really excited to be a part of this network and meet all the dynamic young scientists doing cutting-edge research across Europe. I believe that being a part of this esteemed group will help our research immensely, and I am very grateful to my lab and my mentors for the support that got me this award.”

A key part of Dr. Swamy’s work is the study of inflammatory bowel diseases and how these can be prompted by the body’s immune system attacking the gut lining in the absence of infection. Research in the Swamy group aims to address how we can better harness the gut immune system to protect against harmful invasion, but also prevent it from damaging the gut.

The EMBO Young Investigator programme supports the scientific endeavours of researchers who have become laboratory group leaders in the past four years. EMBO Young Investigators are selected by a team of EMBO members for the high standard of their research.

“It is marvellous news that Mahima has been awarded a prestigious EMBO award,” said Professor Dario Alessi, Director of the MRC-PPU.

“It is well-deserved recognition and a huge boost for the vital research that Mahima is undertaking on deciphering the biological roles of the enigmatic Intraepithelial lymphocytes that patrol the intestinal epithelium. Mahima’s work is contributing to improved understanding, treatment and diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer.”

The work of Dr Swamy is just part of the reason the University of Dundee remains on the cutting edge of new research and technology.

source/content: telegraphindia.com/edugraph (headline edited)

GLOBAL : NATIONAL: HEALTH & MEDICAL SERVICES: Hetero’s COVID-19 Oral Drug Nirmacom gets WHO prequalification

WHO made a strong recommendation for Nirmatrelvir and Ritonavir for mild and moderate COVID-19 patients at highest risk of hospital admission.

Pharmaceutical company Hetero on December 26 said it has received World Health Organization Prequalification of Medicines Programme (WHO PQ) approval for its generic version of Covid-19 oral antiviral treatment candidate nirmatrelvir.

Nirmatrelvir, which originated in Pfizer laboratories, is co-packaged with ritonavir tablets as Pfizer’s Covid-19 oral antiviral drug Paxlovid. This is the first prequalification for a generic version of Paxlovid, Hetero said.

The combi pack launched by Hetero as Nirmacom will contain nirmatrelvir 150 mg (two tablets) and ritonavir 100 mg (one tablet). A prescription only drug that the company said be initiated as soon as possible after diagnosis of Covid-19 and within five days of symptom onset, Nirmacom is be manufactured at Hetero’s facilities in the country.

WHO had made a strong recommendation for nirmatrelvir and ritonavir for mild and moderate Covid-19 patients at highest risk of hospital admission, such as unvaccinated, aged or immunosuppressed patients, Hetero said in a release.

Managing Director of Hetero Group of Companies Vamsi Krishna Bandi said WHO prequalification for Nirmacom is a significant milestone and the company is committed to making the drug available faster at affordable prices across 95 low and medium income countries, including India. Hetero was among a clutch of companies that entered into a non-exclusive voluntary licensing agreement with Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) for manufacturing and sale of a generic version of Pfizer’s nirmatrelvir in LMICs.

“Delighted to see the first generic version of nirmatrelvir under MPP license with Pfizer receive quality assurance approval from WHO. This is an impressive achievement from Hetero as we announced the sublicence agreements just nine months ago,” MPP Executive Director Charles Gore said.

Hetero has already received emergency use authorisation (EUA) approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to manufacture and market Nirmacom.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: RURAL DEVELOPMENT: Sethrichem Sangtam of ‘Better Life Foundation’ gets ‘1st Rohini Nayyar Prize 2022’ for Rural Development in Nagaland

His organisation ‘Better Life Foundation’ focusses on rural livelihood security, environment sustainability and education for change.

Sethrichem Sangtam, who helped triple the incomes of 1,200 marginalised farmers in Eastern Nagaland, was awarded the first Rohini Nayyar prize for outstanding contribution to rural development.

The prize awarded to an individual 40 years or under in age, was presented by the Niti Ayog Vice-Chairman Suman Bery. The winner was selected by an eminent jury from civil society consisting of Dr. Ashok Khosla, founder, Development Alternatives; Dr. Rajesh Tandon, founder, PRIA; and Ms. Renana Jhabwala, national coordinator, SEWA.

Mr. Sangtam works with 1,200 marginalised farmers in Eastern Nagaland through his organisation ‘Better Life Foundation’, which focusses on rural livelihood security, environment sustainability and education for change.

Among his many achievements were encouraging farmers in the region to abandon wasteful slash, burn cultivation and move to permanent farming. The average income of the farmers tripled as a result of his interventions.

The prize had been instituted by the family of the late Dr. Rohini Nayyar, an eminent scholar-administrator who spent much of her professional life working on issues related to rural development in India.

Dr. Nayyar, a well-known economist and former principal adviser at the erstwhile Planning Commission, was one of India’s foremost authorities on rural development. She passed away in October 2021.

Developing India’s social and economic development

The prize will be given out annually by the Nayyar Foundation for Social and Economic Purpose, set up to contribute to the social and economic development in India.

While giving away the award, Mr. Bery said many initiatives for rural India which one saw around at present, like the aspirational districts programme, the development of multi-dimensional poverty index for India, and the digitisation to create financial inclusion in rural India, were results of the efforts by Dr. Rohini Nayyar and her team, while she was in the Planning Commission.

Dr Deepak Nayyar, director of the Foundation, said that during her more than two-decades-long stint in the Planning Commission she also worked on the conceptualisation of the MGNREGA.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)