State-owned Punjab National Bank has launched the PNB ANTAH DRISHTI Braille Debit Card, designed for visually impaired customers.

This contactless National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) debit card is available on RuPay network, PNB said in a statement.

The introduction of the new braille debit card reflects the bank’s commitment to inclusivity and financial accessibility, it said.

This initiative also aims to enhance financial independence and convenience for visually impaired individuals, empowering them to manage their finances with greater ease and confidence, it said.

National Institute for MSME (NI-MSME), an Organisation of Ministry of MSME, Government of India, has been awarded with Accreditation Certificate on the successful completion on National Standards for Civil Services Training Institutions (NSCSTI) process in recognition of excellent services in the field of promotion and development of MSMEs. The assessment was made based on the inspection of all Standard Operating Procedures and Methodologies followed by the Institute at different levels. The team from Capacity Building Commission (CBC) & ICARE conducted On-site assessment and awarded the Certificate of Accreditation with the grading of UTKRISHT, a 3 Star Rating.

During the Civil Services Training Institutions (CSTI) Convention, Director General, NI-MSME has received the Accreditation Certificate from Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Science and Technology; Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions; Atomic Energy; Space & Prime Minister's Office, as a part of Felicitation of Accredited Civil Services Training Institutions on 12 August, 2024 at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.

National Institute for MSME (NI-MSME), a pioneer institute under the aegis of Ministry of MSME is playing a major role in the field of Entrepreneurship & Skill Development for providing pro-business environment to foster the progress of MSMEs towards success and prosperity. NI-MSME’s intellectual activities are pursued by its four Schools of Excellence, viz., School of Enterprise Development (SED), School of Enterprise Management (SEM), School of Entrepreneurship & Extension (SEE) and School of Enterprise Information & Communication (SEIC).

Scientists in Germany have identified a type of fungi that is capable of breaking down synthetic plastics, offering a potential new weapon in the global fight against plastic pollution.

A team at the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries in Berlin found that certain microfungi can survive exclusively on plastics, degrading them into simpler forms.

While this is a promising breakthrough, especially when it comes to tackling oceanic plastic pollution, experts cautioned that it is not a silver bullet.

The Maharashtra government on Sunday declared the geoglyphs and petroglyphs in Ratnagiri as ‘protected monuments’ under the Maharashtra Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1960, reported TOI.

The group of petroglyphs at Deud, Ratnagiri, dates back to the Mesolithic era (roughly 20,000-10,000 years ago), according to a notification by the culture department.

Geoglyphs and petroglyphs are different types of ancient art forms. They involve the creation of images or designs on the earth’s surface or rock surfaces.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has carried out a successful maiden flight test of Long Range Glide Bomb (LRGB), GAURAV from the Su-30 MK-I platform of the Indian Air Force. Ministry of Defence in a statement said that the test was conducted off the coast of Odisha. GAURAV is an air-launched one thousand-kilogram class glide bomb capable of hitting targets at long distances. It has been designed and developed indigenously by the Research Centre Imarat, Hyderabad. During the flight test, the glide bomb hit the target erected at Long Wheeler’s island with pinpoint accuracy. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh complimented DRDO, IAF and industry for the successful flight test. He termed it a major milestone in the country’s effort to develop indigenous defence technologies for further strengthening the capability of the Armed Forces. 

Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh attended the launch ceremony of the book titled '75 Great Revolutionaries of India' by Rajya Sabha MP Bhim Singh in New Delhi on Sunday.

Speaking to ANI at the launch ceremony of the book, Harivansh Narayan Singh said, "Rajya Sabha MP Bhim Singh has done a creative and inspiring work. He worked on the lesser-known and unknown heroes of history".

Hailing the MP Bhim Singh for bringing up this book, Singh added, "He researched and collected facts. In this row, he prepared 3 books on the heroes who sacrificed their lives for the nation...It is a beautiful work (done) by him."

The Rajya Sabha Dy Chairman said one gets inspiration for building a 'Viksit Bharat' (Developed India) from the sacrifices of these lesser-known heroes.

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation data on the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) says, India’s IIP records a growth of 4.2 per cent in June 2024. Further, the growth rates of the three sectors, Mining, Manufacturing and Electricity have registered a growth of 10.3 per cent, 2.6 per cent and 8.6 per cent for June 2024.

The Government has issued operational guidelines for the implementation of Model Solar Village under PM-Surya Ghar-Muft Bijli Yojana today. The New and Renewable Energy Ministry in a statement said that under the scheme emphasis has been placed on creating one Model Solar Village per district across the country. The Ministry said that a total financial outlay of 800 crore rupees has been allocated for this component, providing 1 crore rupees per selected Model Solar Village. It said that to be considered under this scheme, a village must be a revenue village with a population size above 5,000 or 2,000 for special category states.

The Ministry said that the villages will be assessed on their overall distributed renewable energy capacity installed in six months after the declaration of the potential candidate by the District Level Committee. The winning village in each district, with the highest renewable energy capacity will receive a central financial assistance grant of one crore rupees.

In February this year, the government approved this scheme intending to increase the share of solar rooftop capacity and empower residential households to generate their electricity.

The JUICE mission of the European Space Agency is set to complete a new manoeuvre and break two records.

This is the first time the spacecraft will use two objects to carry out a gravity assist maneuver, and for the first time, it will also attempt Lunar-Earth flyby.

The Lunar-Earth Gravity Assist (LEGA) is likely to save JUICE many propellants, which the mission will use at a later stage.

This is a tough manoeuvre which was first planned 15 years ago and for this, the spacecraft should be launched at a precise second so that it is able to find the Earth and the Moon in the correct position.

In a significant technological breakthrough, the Indian Institute of Technology, Indore, (IIT Indore) has delivered ten pairs of Tribo-Electric Nanogenerator (TENG) based shoe sole energy harvesting units to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). These shoes, are designed to harness energy from human motion, providing a sustainable power source for electronic devices.

These shoes utilize advanced tribo-pairs, specifically Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene (FEP) and Aluminium, to generate power with each step. This energy is then stored in a central device within the shoe sole, ensuring a reliable power source for small-scale electronic circuits. Additionally, the shoes are equipped with sophisticated tracking technology, including RFID and a satellite-based GPS module for live location tracking.

Professor Suhas Joshi, Director of IIT Indore, emphasising the military applications of this technology, said, "The real-time location tracking capabilities enhance the safety and coordination of military personnel, boosting operational efficiency and security. The TENG-powered shoes can support essential GPS and RFID systems, providing a self-sustaining and dependable solution for various military needs. As the demand for efficient and portable power sources continues to rise, IIT Indore's innovations, including the TENG-based shoe sole technology and other advanced DRDO projects, are set to revolutionize energy harvesting, real-time tracking, and various defence and industrial applications. These advancements offer sustainable and practical solutions for a wide range of needs, highlighting IIT Indore's pivotal role in pioneering the future of defence technology."