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1 Piyush Goyal launches Rail Drishti Dashboard, says ‘ours is an accountable govt’

Union Minister Piyush Goyal Monday launched Rail Drishti Dashboard, an online portal containing information related to passenger and freight trains and links to live feeds of IRCTC kitchens.

At the launch event, Goyal said, “Ours is an accountable government. We hold ourselves accountable to people’s aspirations.”

Goyal also said the NDA government has always given its report card on each of the last five years and now it is time to see people’s mandate.

He said the need for RTI applications has come down drastically due to the increased transparency in the government procedures.

About Rail Drishti, Goyal said the URL of the portal has been made so simple so that it becomes user-friendly. “Those in remote villages can access this and find out everything about Railways,” he said.

25-Feb-2019 News in Details
2 91st Academy Awards or Oscars ceremony begins in Los Angeles

The 91st Academy Awards or Oscars ceremony begins in Los Angeles, California. Alfonso Cuaron's 'Roma' creates history by becoming first Mexican movie to win Foreign Language Film Oscar. Cuaron also created history by becoming the first person to win a Cinematography Oscar for "Roma" film that he also directed.

Film 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse has won best Animated Feature Oscar. Produced by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, it has been widely praised both for its fresh story and visual style.

Indian producer Guneet Monga 's film 'Period. End of Sentence' wins Best Documentary Short Subject. 'Period. End of Sentence', an India set film on the taboos around menstruation and featuring the real 'Pad Man',  and emerged the winner.

American Ruth E Carter also made Oscar history by becoming the first woman of colour in history to win in the costume design category for film Black Panther.

American actor Mahershala Ali continued his winning spree as he took home the Oscar for the Best Supporting Actor for his work in Peter Farrelly's biographical comedy-drama 'Green Book', This is his career's second Oscar in the category. 

25-Feb-2019 News in Details
3 PM Modi to deliver keynote address at 'Rising India Summit 2019' in New Delhi today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver the keynote address at the Rising India Summit 2019 in New Delhi today. 

Mr Modi is likely to define national priorities at the two-day event beginning today. 

BJP President Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Ministers - Nitin Gadkari, Ravi Shankar Prasad, and Piyush Goyal are among those who will speak at the summit. 

Theme for this year's event is "Beyond Politics: Defining National Priorities". 

25-Feb-2019 News in Details
4 President Ramnath Kovind to participate in various programmes in Kanpur

President Ramnath Kovind will reach Kanpur this morning and participate in various programmes. 

Mr Kovind arrived in Lucknow on Sunday on a two-day visit to Uttar Pradesh. He inaugurated a Multi Speciality Hospital in Lucknow Sunday evening. 

AIR correspondent reports, President Ramnath Kovind  during his stay of more than 7 hours at his native town Kanpur will  participate in several programs at different places. 

After landing  the town  in morning Mr Kovind will first visit to Siddh Shree Balaji Mandir, at Dauri Ghat, in Rooma area and perform Puja there.

After that he will Inaugurate  the newly constructed Block of Dhamma Kalyana International Vipassana Meditation Centre .

The president will than go to DAV college ground and   inaugurate the centenary celebrations of the College where from the attained his higher education. 

This is the same famous college where from  former Prime Minister late  Atal Vihari Bajpayee got his education.

The President  will also grace the alumni association conference and annual day function of the BNSD Inter College and Shiksha Niketan in the city in afternoon.

25-Feb-2019 News in Details
5 Afghanistan begins export to India through Iran’s Chabahar port

Afghanistan has begun exports to India through Iran’s Chabahar port, as the landlocked country turns to overseas markets to improve its economy. 

At the inauguration of the new export route on Sunday in Zaranj city in western Nimroz province,  President Ashraf Ghani said Chabahar port is the result of healthy cooperation between India, Iran and Afghanistan. 

He said, with the opening of the Chabahar route, Afghanistan’s exports will increase to two billion dollar from the current one billion dollar in the next year.

Speaking at the ceremony, Indian ambassador Vinay Kumar said Afghanistan’s exports to India have increased by 40 percent after the launch of air corridor between Kabul and New Delhi.

Officials said 23 trucks carrying 57 tonnes of dried fruits, textiles, carpets and mineral products were dispatched from Zaranj to Chabahar port to be shipped to Mumbai.

The Iranian port provides easy access to the sea to Afghanistan and India has helped developed this route to allow both countries to engage in trade bypassing Pakistan.

25-Feb-2019 News in Details
6 Trade bodies welcome rate cut in GST on real estate

Various trade bodies have lauded the GST Council decision on Goods and Services Tax rate cut on real estate. 

Director General of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Chandrajit Banerjee said the GST Council's decision will address the needs of home buyers and boost offtake of housing. 

National Real Estate Development Council President Niranjan Hiranandani lauding the decision, said this will give big relief to the home buyers. 
Terming the decision as revolutionary, CREDAI President Jaxay Shah said, this move is a significant triumph for home buyers and will play a huge hand in boosting their sentiments.

In a big relief to home buyers, the GST Council has slashed tax rates on under-construction housing properties to 5 per cent without input tax credit, from the existing 12 per cent. 

Briefing reporters after GST council meeting in New Delhi on Sunday, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said, the Council also cut GST rates on affordable housing to one per cent from the current 8 per cent. 

25-Feb-2019 News in Details
7 PM Modi to dedicate to the nation National War Memorial in New Delhi today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate the National War Memorial near India Gate in New Delhi today. 

The memorial will honour soldiers who have laid down their lives in the service for the country since Independence. 

More than 25,000 soldiers of the Indian Armed Forces have made the supreme sacrifice to defend the country's sovereignty and integrity. 

In his Mann Ki Baat Programme on All India Radio, Prime Minister asserted that it will be a small step towards repaying a great debt of country's Armed Forces. 

Mr Modi said, the Memorial, which is in close vicinity of India Gate and Amar Jawan Jyoti, is a symbol of the nation's gratitude to those who made the supreme sacrifice after the country gained Independence.

Prime Minister expressed hope that for the countrymen a visit to the Memorial will be akin to a pilgrimage to a holy place, where people will throng, to get information on the great martyrs, to express their gratitude and to conduct further research on them. 

25-Feb-2019 News in Details
8 Divya Karnad first Indian woman to receive Future of Nature award for marine conservation

NEW DELHI: Dr Divya Karnad has grow to be the second Indian and the first girl to obtain the 'Global Future of Nature Award' for her paintings on marine conservation. 

The handiest different Indian to obtain the award is Dr Charudutt Mishra. The award is given to three folks each and every year and this year aside from Karnad, Olivier Nsengimana and Fernanda Abra also gained it.

The 'Future For Nature Award' is a prestigious international award that celebrates tangible achievements in protecting wild animal and plant species. 

Karnad, 33, who teaches on the Ashoka Universty is also a Wipro Sustainable Fellow. 

Speaking with IdealNews about the award, she stated, "I did not expect it coming. It is definitely amazing." 

On the involved spaces in marine conservation and the way she plans to manner it, Karnad stated that during India, it's tough to focus on one aspect. "The present concern is over-fishing and non-sustainable techniques of fishing. So, my approach is broader and not limited to sharks or just the fishermen. I am working on sustainable fisheries and to change the practice of fishing for better."

She added, "Marine conservation isn't just about fishermen but also the patrons, so we're serving to the fishermen with sustainable tactics the place we're trying to bring the two parties in combination.
"It is set building bridges between the fishermen and the patrons the place the latter get to know the wear and tear to the marine existence first-hand," Karnad stated.
23-Feb-2019 News in Details
9 World's largest bee spotted for the first time since 1981
That might be frightening to most people, but scientists were delighted when a team of researchers recently found it in Indonesia.
It's the largest bee in the world, and scientists feared it might be extinct -- until now.
A group of researchers made a stunning "rediscovery" of the elusive critter and took the first photos and video of a living Wallace's giant bee on January 25.
The team -- composed of natural history photographer Clay Bolt, entomologist Eli Wyman, behavioral ecologist Simon Robson and ornithologist Glenn Chilton -- spent years studying the bee and slogged around in humid Indonesia forests for days before stumbling upon one.
The rediscovery has renewed hope that more of the region's forests are home to the rare species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies this species as "vulnerable" due to mining and quarrying.
Only two other lucky fellows are documented to have seen it in person before. The first was British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace, who discovered the giant bee in 1858 while exploring the tropical Indonesian island of Bacan. Entomologist Adam Messer became the second in 1981.
The team went from termite nest to nest in the forests of remote islands known as the North Moluccas, Bolt said.
They had some information about the bee's habitat and behavior from Messer's paper, and they examined satellite imagery to become familiar with the terrain. They knew the Wallace's giant bee tended to be found in the lowland forest and tree-dwelling termite nests.
23-Feb-2019 News in Details
10 Waste to Wonder Park Inaugurated in Delhi

The Waste to Wonder Park was inaugurated by Home Minister, Rajnath Singh on Thursday 21st February, near Sarai Kale Khan, New Delhi. The South Delhi Municipal Corporation has made this park by creating replicas of the Seven Wonders of the World and the replicas have been fabricated from scrap material.  

"The replicas of all seven wonders of world has been built with eco-friendly, self-sustainable material, and has its own solar and wind power generation. It is open to all and we are more than happy that the park has been constructed within six months’ time and now it is a reality in Delhi. This is will also enhance the tourist’s economy," said Rajnath Singh. Lieutenant Governor, Anil Baijal, Mahesh Girri, Lok Sabha (MP) from East Delhi seat and senior officials of SDMC were present on the occasion apart from locals. 

South Delhi Municipal Commissioner Puneet Kumar Goel, told that the park is ‘world’s first’ wherein waste products have been used to replicate the wonders. With solar panels, solar trees and a windmill, the park is self-sustainable. The entry fee would be Rs 50 for adults and Rs 25 for children in the age group of 3-12. However, children up to the age of three years and senior citizens will not be charged any fee. 

23-Feb-2019 News in Details