Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) on Friday delivered to the Indian Navy INS Imphal, the third ship of the Project 15B Class of stealth guided missile destroyers, four months ahead of schedule.

Imphal was the first naval warship commissioned with accommodation for women officers and sailors. “It can accommodate a crew of 312 persons, has an endurance of 4,000 nautical miles, and can carry out a 42-day mission with extended mission time in an out-of-area operation,” the MDL said in a release said.

The ship is equipped with two helicopters onboard to further extend its reach.

The ‘Acceptance Document’ was signed by MDL Chairman-Managing Director Sanjeev Singhal and Rear Admiral Sanjay Sadhu.

Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah has said that the National Cooperative Consumers Federation of India Limited (NCCF) should become self-reliant by achieving a turnover of 50 thousand crore rupees by 2027-28. Addressing the Board of Directors of NCCF in New Delhi, Mr Shah said, NCCF should prepare a roadmap for the next ten years to become a self-reliant cooperative institution. He said, the Cooperative Consumers Federation is playing an important role in fulfilling Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of Sahakar se Samriddhi. 

Mr. Shah said, the Ministry has taken 52 initiatives in the last 26 months to strengthen the cooperative movement in the country and increase the share of cooperatives in the GDP. He urged NCCF to find export opportunities for pulses purchased from farmers and ensure that such purchases are made at a Minimum Support Price.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on October 19 successfully transported more than 100 units of essential medications for 20 kilometres in Lahaul and Spiti district using drone and reducing travel time from 120 minutes to 26 minutes.

The feasibility study in Himachal Pradesh is part of the national mission to advance India’s drone ecosystem to explore the transportation of vital medical resources, including medications, diagnostic blood samples, and sputum, via drones.

In this first high-altitude, low-temperature venture ICMR’s endeavour in the long-run is to streamline the distribution of essential medical provisions from regional hospitals in Keylong to more than eight Primary Health Centers (PHCs) in the region, encompassing locations such as Sissu, Gondhal, Thiort, Tholang, Jahalma, Gemur, Darcha, Shansha, among others.

Bhubaneswar, Oct 19 (PTI) The Odisha cabinet on Thursday decided to launch a programme under the crop diversification initiative to enhance the production and productivity of maize and improve the value chain of its marketing.

Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena said the cabinet led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik made a provision of Rs 481.94 crore for the crop diversification scheme for five years.

The scheme - Mukhyamantri Maka Mission (MMM) - will be implemented in a "more scientific and progressive way" which now envisages ease of doing for enhancement of area, production, and productivity of pulses, oilseeds, fibre crops (cotton and jute) and maize, he said.

The construction of the proposed Veterinary Science College in Gorakhpur is set to start with the chief minister Yogi Adityanath issuing instructions in this regard.

Reviewing a detailed project report on Wednesday, he specified that this college, set to be established in Gorakhpur, will be affiliated to Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya Veterinary Sciences University and Cow Research Institute in Mathura.

Adityanath further emphasised that this initiative will greatly benefit cattle herders from western Bihar and the neighboring Nepal.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union minister of state for skill development and entrepreneurship, electronics and information technology, on Thursday inaugurated Heartland Tripura, a project to impart skill development training to the youth, and said it would attract investments and create jobs.

The project is undertaken in partnership with Deloitte India and Agartala’s National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology.

“PM Modi’s vision is that the youths should pursue opportunities through skills from different investments coming in India, several jobs created in India. Tripura lagged behind the mainstream due to lack of physical and digital connectivity, but Modi-ji brought about a transformation in physical connectivity in the last 7-8 years,” he told reporters in Agartala.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has developed Vidya Samiksha Software- Saagar se Saraansh as part of the Vidya Samiksha Kendra for amplifying data-based decision-making. Vidya Samiksha Software of CBSE aims to leverage data and technology to bring a big leap in decision-making and governance. This software covers data from more than 28 thousand CBSE schools, over 13 lakh teachers and approximately three crore students.

Talking about the features of the software Director of Information Technology and Projects, CBSE Dr. Antriksh Johri said that the data will be used for effective analysis of academic enrichment projects in schools in order to enhance the overall monitoring of the CBSE education system. It has over 12 billion data points. He said that this software is compliant with the National Digital Education Architecture that was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2021. He further added that the software provides real-time updates and data processing.

Jammu & Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw launched the much-awaited Vistadome train services in Kashmir yesterday.
Union Minister and Chief Ministers of Assam and Tripura joined the ceremony through video-conferencing. Later, the Lt Governor flagged off the first Vistadome coach train to Banihal from Srinagar Station.

Speaking on the occasion, the Railway Minister said, in the last nine years, Jammu and Kashmir has changed a lot and the change is discernible on the ground. He said, after abrogation of Article 370, development of Jammu and Kashmir is pacing fast. He said meetings of G20 were held in the Union Territory and in Railways also, various development projects have been ongoing in Jammu Kashmir. Mr Vaishnaw said, the development work has been completed on Chenab Bridge, Anji Bridge, tunnels have been completed except on some portion.

The Advanced Driver Assistance Systems ( ADAS) Show organised by the International Centre for Automotive Technology will be held on the 7th of December at ICAT Track in Gurugram. In a curtain raiser press conference today, Director Of ICAT Saurabh Dalela said the Show will bring together the brightest minds in the automotive industry to share knowledge, demonstrate innovations, and discuss the future of ADAS technology. He said that safety is a huge matter of concern for people and more efforts are being made to ensure road safety. He added that the focus is on enhancing technology and ADAS SHOW will be a milestone. Mr. Dalela added that the government is not against quick mobility but is aiming to lower the number of casualties due to road accidents.

Akashwani correspondent reports that the show will feature Exhibitions, Live demonstrations, Expert Speaker Sessions, and Networking Opportunities to explore the latest advancements and innovations in ADAS technology.

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry today released its report on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in India in New Delhi. The report highlights how SMEs are adapting to the digital transformation, adopting sustainability practices and challenges.

The report states an increase in adopting technology through the use of e-commerce platforms, digital marketing, cloud computing, and automation tools. This has reportedly brought a reduction in their annual operational costs, increased customer base, and expanded market presence. The study said that sustainable practices by SMEs can mitigate their ecological footprint, optimize resource utilisation, and minimise waste generation. The study highlighted the key challenges SMEs face such as a lack of skilled resources, technological expertise, and a limited knowledge of business-specific technology solutions.