The capital markets regulator Securities Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on Friday released a set of amendents on anti-money laundering standards and combating the financing of terrorism. These guidelines relate to the rules framed under the prevention of money laundering Act 2002.

For the uninitiated, Prevention of Money Laundering (Second Amendment) Rules, 2023 came into force on Sep 4, this year, and in view of these amendments, certain provisions of the master circular stand to get modified.

Tamil Nadu’s first artificial intelligence (AI)-based early warning system to prevent wild elephants from getting hit by trains on railway lines along the Ettimadai–Walayar section, which links Tamil Nadu and Kerala, is nearing completion. It will give an additional layer of protection for pachyderms.

Forest Department officials said the installation of all 12 e-surveillance towers for the project — five along the ‘A’ line and seven along the ‘B’ line, of the twin single line — has been completed. To detect elephant movement, thermal imaging cameras have been fixed on all towers along the ‘A’ line, where a control room has also been set up. Camera-fixing and networking-related works are in the final stages along the ‘B’ line. The department is expecting the contractor to complete the works soon, they added.

The occurrence of tilapia parvovirus (TiPV) affecting farm-bred tilapia, a freshwater fish species, and causing a huge mortality rate has been reported for the first time in India at ponds in Walajah in Ranipet district of Tamil Nadu.

“Fish samples were collected from 10 ponds in the farm and fish from eight ponds showed TiPV-positive by PCR. This DNA virus caused mortality ranging from 30 to 50% in the farm and 100% mortality in the laboratory,” said Dr. Sahul Hameed, Director, Aquatic Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) of C. Abdul Hakeem College (CAHC) at Melvisharam.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan mentioned that with the beginning of the auspicious celebration of Durga Puja, the launch of the Super Power Retailer will empower retailers and provide them with training to expand their businesses and enhance consumer experiences. The initiative will play a pivotal role in strengthening India’s economy by skilling, reskilling, and upskilling the retailers, he added.

Shri Pradhan also mentioned, how this initiative, aligned with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of making our workforce the biggest beneficiary of developed India, will provide 14 hours of quality retail training through the Skill India Digital Portal to 1.40 crore retailers of the country. He also added that the retailers will be trained on how to plan and implement business strategies and utilize the vast opportunities extended by digital platforms.

Shri Pradhan also informed that these training modules will be available in multiple languages which will enable small shopkeepers as well as big businessmen across the country. This initiative will enable a retail ecosystem that will exceed customer expectations, embrace the Future of Work, and provide exponential growth to the industry, he added.

The future of India and Gujarat lies in their libraries, Union Minister Amit Shah said in Mansa Sunday urging teachers to direct the young minds of the country towards reading.

“I will insist, whichever teachers of primary and higher secondary schools are listening, direct children and youths towards libraries. The future of Gujarat and the country lies in the libraries. If we make a student a subject expert, then Gujarat and the country will get a good citizen who can contribute,” Shah said while addressing a public meeting after inaugurating a memorial of martyrs and a library at Samau village of Gandhinagar district.

Samau, which falls within the Mansa Assembly constituency that is part of the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency represented by Shah, assumes significance as 12 persons from the village were hanged by the Britishers during the Revolt of 1857. The memorial and the library have been built at a cost of Rs 2 crore in the memory of the martyrs.

A new book revisits Kerala’s matrilineal past where women were more empowered in terms of exercising their right to decision-making and ownership of property.

Drop of The Last Cloud by Sangeetha G is set in Travancore at a time when Kerala’s old matrilineal system was changing. It explores the life of a woman named Gomathi.

Sangeetha, whose writing has been largely journalistic for more than two decades, wanted to tell stories that can make a larger impact on the readers and thus Drop of the Last Cloud, a fiction with a historical context, was born.

“I tried to explore how the larger events in history, decisions made by the rulers, and the social reform movements affect the lives of ordinary people. In other words, while journalistic writing gives a bird’s-eye view of events, fiction helps me give a worm’s-eye view,” she says.

Kerala's Literacy Mission poster girl Karthyayani Amma passed away at the age of 101 at her residence in Alappuzha. She was the oldest learner under the Literacy Mission in the state.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his grief and condolences on her demise.

“Deeply saddened by the passing of Karthyayani Amma, who made history by becoming the oldest learner under the State Literacy Mission. She served as an inspiring role model for many, showing unwavering determination to pursue education despite challenges. Her demise is a significant loss to our literacy movement, which helped shape modern Kerala. Heartfelt condolences,” Kerala CM posted on X

Consolidating efforts towards the conservation of Tamil Nadu’s State Animal, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Thursday, October 12, 2023 launched the ‘Project Nilgiri Tahr’ from the Secretariat in Chennai. He also distributed books to school students to create awareness about the Nilgiri Tahr.

The project with an outlay of ₹25 crore, aims to develop a better understanding of Nilgiri Tahr population, distribution and ecology, re-introduction of Nilgiri Tahr to their historic habitats, addressing proximate threat to Nilgiri Tahr, increasing awareness among the public about the Nilgiri Tahr species, developing eco-tourism activities at selected sites, among others.

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), a Hyderabad based international research institute with a focus on tropical dryland agrifood system innovation, has joined the One CGIAR integrated partnership.

The One CGIAR partnership involves the CGIAR System Organisation and 12 One CGIAR research centres. The partnership will help build a unified approach to transforming food, land, and water systems to address the challenges posed by climate crisis.

The CGIAR (Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centres) is a publicly-funded network of agrifood systems research centres, works for transforming food, land, and water systems in a climate crisis. It has more than 8,000 employees, working in over 80 countries.

Marrakech [Morocco], October 12 (ANI): The World Bank, in partnership with Japan, and joined by Italy, the Republic of Korea, Canada, and the United Kingdom, has launched an initiative aimed at addressing the dual challenges of job creation and climate change.

The Resilient and Inclusive Supply-chain Enhancement, known as the RISE initiative, will focus on assisting emerging markets and developing countries in expanding their clean-energy product manufacturing and increasing their involvement in the minerals industry.

This effort is expected to stimulate economic growth and generate quality local jobs, ultimately contributing to poverty alleviation.