University of Canterbury academics have been awarded two of four inaugural IIT-Delhi India-New Zealand Centre Fellowships.

A joint initiative between IIT-Delhi and eight New Zealand universities, the IIT-Delhi India-New Zealand Centre aims to bolster academic and cultural exchange between India and New Zealand through joint research in climate change, disaster management, urban planning, and environmental monitoring, areas important to both countries.

"The partnership is designed to build engagement between New Zealand universities and create opportunities for mutually beneficial research ties between our country and IIT-Delhi," said University of Canterbury School of Mathematics and Statistics Head of Department, Professor Clemency Montelle.

Patients suffering from stiff elbow joints and limited mobility now have a ray of hope with the collaboration between the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi).

Recognizing the challenges faced by patients due to the high cost and inadequate quality of imported elbow replacement setups, this partnership aims to provide accessible, precise, and high-quality implants for elbow replacement surgeries.

The 21st round of India-China Corps Commander Level Meeting took place at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point in the Leh district of Ladakh, India, on Monday (February 19).

The discussions focused on advancing from previous rounds, aiming for complete disengagement in the remaining areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh, seen as crucial for restoring peace in the India-China border regions.

Both sides agreed to sustain communication through relevant military and diplomatic channels and pledged to uphold peace and tranquility on the ground in the border areas during this interim period.

Ministry of AYUSH and Ministry of Tribal Affairs today announced a Joint Initiative on Public Health of Tribal Students. The joint National Level Project of Health Screening and Management through Ayurvedic Interventions will benefit over 20 thousand Tribal Students. The Ministry of Ayush through its research council CCRAS has taken this health Initiative for Tribal Students with the joint initiative of Ministry of Tribal Affairs and ICMR-NIRTH Jabalpur.

Union Minister for AYUSH Sarbananda Sonowal and Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda together announced initiative to address the health needs of children in Eklavya Model Residential Schools across tribal areas through public health initiatives.

In a significant step towards the development of indigenous artificial intelligence (AI) in India, the BharatGPT group, backed by Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries and top engineering schools in the country, aims to launch its first ChatGPT-style service next month.

The AI model is being developed in collaboration with eight Indian Institutes of Technology and is backed by Reliance Jio Infocomm and the central government.

Swedish photographer Alex Dawson has been named as Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024 for his image ‘Whale Bones’. The photo shows a diver beneath the Greenland ice sheet exploring the skeleton of a minke whale.

Alex Mustard, who chaired the judging panel of the awards told the BBC, "Whale Bones was photographed in the toughest conditions, as a breath-hold diver descends below the Greenland ice sheet to bear witness to the carcasses. The diver's suit and torch give it a 'visiting alien' feel. The composition flows effortlessly and takes your eye on the right journey to tell the story."

Pakistan batter Babar Azam has created by becoming the fastest to reach 10,000 T20 runs, going past former West Indies batter Chris Gayle and India's Virat Kohli in the list. Babar achieved the feat in ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2024 on Wednesday (Feb 21) while playing for Peshawar Zalmi against Karachi Kings in Lahore. Babar has reached the 10K-run mark in his 271st innings while Gayle had done so in 285th innings and Kohli in 299th.

Babar scored 72 off 51 balls during the match as his team set a target of 154 for Kings to chase. Karachi's Kieron Pollard led the way for his team with an unbeaten 21-ball 49 as Kings won the match by seven wickets. Babar is in prime form this season, scoring two fifties in two games and leads the run chart with 140 runs.

In a significant move towards enhancing the safety of women across the nation, the Union Cabinet has given its nod to the ministry of home affairs' proposal for the continuation of the Umbrella Scheme on 'Safety of Women.' The scheme is set to be implemented at a total cost of Rs 1179.72 crore during the period from 2021-22 to 2025-26.

Out of the total project outlay, Rs 885.49 crore will be allocated from the ministry of home affairs (MHA) budget, while Rs 294.23 crore will be funded from the Nirbhaya Fund.

Government of Japan has today committed Official Development Assistance loan of an amount of about 232.2 billion Japanese Yen for nine projects in various sectors in India. Department of Economic Affairs, Additional Secretary Vikas Sheel and Ambassador of Japan to India, Suzuki Hiroshi exchanged notes on the agreement today.

Delineating on the projects, Ministry of Finance said that the road network connectivity projects aim to improve infrastructure development in India’s North East region, while the Chennai peripheral ring road project aims to alleviate traffic congestion and strengthen connections to the southern part of the state. The project in Nagaland will help develop tertiary level medical service delivery by developing a Medical College Hospital contributing towards universal health coverage.

High Commission of India in Bangladesh on Tuesday hosted a Seminar on Indian Defence Equipment - SIDE 2024 in Dhaka.

High Commissioner Pranay Verma and Principal Staff Officer of Bangladesh Armed Forces Division, Lt. Gen. M.R. Shameem addressed the Seminar.

Speaking on the occasion Pranay Verma highlighted the advances made by the Indian defence industry over the last decade driven by Prime Minister Modi’s vision of “Make in India” and “Make for the World”, which has spurred unprecedented investments into the Indian defence manufacturing sector and has led to rising Indian defence exports.