Days after Israel announced a breakthrough regarding a Covid-19 vaccine, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Saturday announced a tie-up with Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) to develop a fully indigenous vaccine using the virus strain isolated at the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune.

“Work on vaccine development has been initiated between the two partners. The ICMR-NIV will provide continuous support to BBIL for vaccine development. ICMR and BBIL will seek fast-track approvals to expedite vaccine development, subsequent animal studies and clinical evaluation of the candidate vaccine,” the apex health research body said in a statement.

The strain has been successfully transferred from NIV to BBIL, it added.

NEW DELHI: The government on Friday gave awards to 12 startups for finding innovative solutions to address problems faced by the animal husbandry and dairy sector, a statement said. Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Giriraj Singh announced the winners of 'Startup India-Animal Husbandry Grand Challenge'.

The ministry in partnership with Startup India had launched the 'Animal Husbandry Startup Grand Challenge' to scout for innovative and commercially viable solutions to address the problems faced by the animal husbandry and dairy sector.

The challenge was launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September last year at a national animal disease control programme in Mathura. As many as 157 applications were received in this competition. "The 12 startups will be given cash grants worth Rs 1,02,00,000," the statement said.

Under value-added products category, the winner was Krushak Mitra Agro Services Pvt Ltd, Mumbai, while Studio Carbon, Ahmedabad, was the runner-up. In the category of eliminating milk adulteration, White Gold Technologies LLP, Mumbai & Micro Life Innovations, Chennai were selected.

Narinder Batra will remain President of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) until May 2021. The FIH said in a statement on Friday while announcing the postponement of the 47th FIH Congress that the terms of Batra and the Executive Board members which were due to end in October 2020 have now been extended.

"Meeting today via online conference, the Executive Board (EB) of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) has decided to postpone the 47th FIH Congress, initially planned on 28 October-1 November 2020 in New Delhi, to May 2021, in India's capital city. The exact date will be confirmed as soon as possible," said the FIH in its statement.

The Presidential election for the world body had been due to take place at this year's Congress in New Delhi but it has now been pushed back in the wake of COVID-19 crisis.

"Consequently, the current terms of the FIH President and of the EB members which were due to end in October 2020 have been prolonged until the upcoming Congress in May 2021 and the subsequent terms for these positions will be shortened accordingly (mid-2021 to 2024) on an exceptional basis."

Renowned historian Hari Shankar Vasudevan, who was internationally acclaimed for his work on Russian and European history and Indo-Russian relations, passed away in the early hours of May 9 after contracting COVID-19. He was 68. Vasudevan is survived by his wife, historian Tapati Guha-Thakurta and daughter Mrinalini.

A highly respected academic and writer, Vasudevan was the author of Shadows of Substance: Indo-Russian Trade and Military Technical Cooperation (2010), and Footsteps of Afanasii Nikitin: Travels through Eurasia and India in the Early 21st Century (2015). He also edited and co-edited several books including Commercialization and Agriculture in Late Imperial Russia: Essays on Russian Economic History, Indo-Russian Relations: 1917-1947 – Select Documents from the Archives of the Russian Federation – Part II (1929-1947), and The Global Politics of the Iraq Crisis and India’s Option. His most recent publication was the chapter “India and the October Revolution: Nationalist Revolutionaries, Bolshevik Power and Lord Curzon’s Nightmare”, which was published in the book The Global Impact of Russia’s Great War and Revolution, Book 2: The Wider Arc of Revolution, Part 2, (Bloomington, Indiana: Slavica Publishers, 2019).

The National Technology Day marks the anniversary of the underground nuclear tests conducted in Rajasthan's Pokhran.

May 11th is observed as National Technology Day in India. 

The National Technology Day marks the anniversary of the underground nuclear tests conducted in Rajasthan's Pokhran.

On this day in 1998, India successfully conducted first of its five nuclear tests under the then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

"On National Technology Day, our nation salutes all those who are leveraging technology to bring a positive difference in the lives of others. We remember the exceptional achievement of our scientists on this day in 1998. It was a landmark moment in India's history," Modi said in a series of tweets.

The tests in Pokhran in 1998 also showed the difference a strong political leadership can make, he said.

The prime minister said, "Today, technology is helping many in the efforts to make the world free from COVID-19. I salute all those at the forefront of research and innovation on ways to defeat coronavirus."

Jharkhand on Friday banned manufacture, sale and storage of 11 brands of pan masala for a year saying these products contain a chemical which is harmful to the heart and can cause various diseases.

The authorities collected 41 samples of various brands of pan masala from different districts and tested them to check it they contain magnesium carbonate, which is banned under the Food Safety Act, 2006, as one of the ingredients, an official release said here.

A total of 11 brands, including leading ones, failed the test.

"So, for the interest of public health, the ban has been imposed (on the 11 brands) for one year. Any violation of this order shall entail strict action under the appropriate sections of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the Indian Penal Code," it said.

Jharkhand becomes the third state after Maharashtra and Bihar to impose a ban on pan masala, the release said.

India coronavirus news and lockdown latest updates: India has reported 3,390 new COVID-19 positive cases and 1,273 recoveries in the last 24 hours. "The recovery percentage is now 29.36 per cent. Till now, 16,540 patients have been cured and 37,916 patients are under active medical supervision," Lav Agrawal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry said in a press briefing. India's total number of COVID-19 cases has climbed to 56,342, including 37,916 active cases, 16,539 recoveries, 1 migrated and 1,886 deaths.

Madhya Pradesh has become the first state in the country to provide mid-day meal ration.

Additional Chief Secretary Panchayat and Rural Development Manoj Shrivastava informed that this information has been given in the review meeting conducted by the Central Government.

AIR correspondent reports, the Central Government has also appreciated the successful efforts and innovation in the implementation of Mid-Day Meal Scheme in Madhya Pradesh.

To provide mid-day meal to school children in the corona outbreak an amount of Rs 117 crore has been transferred online in the bank account of the parents of 66 lakh 27 thousand students of primary and secondary school by the state government.

In addition, under door-to-door mid-day meal scheme, ration has also been provided to 56 lakh 87 thousand children.

Additional Chief Secretary Panchayat and Rural Development Manoj Shrivastava informed that the support of Anganwadi workers, Panchayat representatives and local teachers was taken in sending ration to the students at their home after the school closing in April.

In one of the largest evacuation exercises since the 1990 Kuwait airlift, the government will operate 64 flights from May 7 to 13 to bring home thousands of Indian nationals stranded abroad due to the coronavirus lockdown. Named “Vande Bharat Mission”, Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar said on Tuesday that preparations for the operation had commenced and urged the stranded individuals to stay in touch with the Indian embassies in their respective countries.

Under the repatriation plan, the government will be facilitating the return of Indian nationals stranded abroad on compelling grounds in a phased manner. All international flights have been grounded since mid-March.

Moreover, the Indian Navy has launched Operation “Samudra Setu” (sea bridge) to repatriate Indian citizens from overseas. Naval ships Jalashwa and Magar are enroute to the port of Male to evacuate people from May 8. The government said only those who test Covid-19 negative would be allowed to travel

May 8 is observed as the World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day. Every year, the day celebrates the principles of the “International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement”. The celebrations aim to pay tribute to the volunteers who participated in the event as well as welcome their precious contribution to helping people in need. Mainly, World Red Cross Day focus on the food shortage, natural calamities, war as well as diseases of the epidemic.

Henry Dunant was the founder of the Red Cross as well as the founder of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in 1863 in the Country of Switzerland of Geneva. He was a high-profile person and became the recipient of the first Nobel Peace Prize.

There are almost 97 million members and also many Volunteers which are of the Red Crescent as well as Red Cross. They are honored to do every task for the humans for providing them relief to the Worldwide which consists of the 170 Nations. There are about 240 Lakhs people are profited by the help of the Workers of the Red Cross activities.