Union Minister for Commerce and Industries Piyush Goyal has said that Artificial Intelligence and machine learning will contribute one trillion dollars by the year 2035.

He said, artificial intelligence-powered learning ecosystem will assist the banking, financial services and insurance sector.

The Minister today inaugurated the National Stock Exchange (NSE) Knowledge Hub in New Delhi.

He said, this is a good beginning by NSE to tap the potential of artificial intelligence and use it as a tool to create a workforce in the financial sector. He said, India is a safe investment destination for investors.

The second phase of Intensified Mission Indradhanush 2.0 rolled out yesterday at block level in 35 districts of Uttar Pradesh. The aim of the program launched by central government in 2017 is to achieve 90 percent vaccination coverage in children of less than 2 years in state.
 
AIR correspondent reports that under the program the immunization activity will be in four rounds over seven working days excluding the Regular immunisation days, Sundays and holidays. First round was completed in December last year while present round started yesterday. Next rounds will be in February and March months and will cover 425 blocks of 73 districts of state.

Home Minister Amit Shah today laid the foundation stone of Delhi Cycle Walk project at Tughlakabad in the National Capital. It is aimed at making the city most walkable and environment friendly. 

This 36 kilometre project is first phase of Delhi Cycle Walk which will have whole network of over 220 km. This cycle walk will cover abundant forests, dense residential areas and work places in close proximity in the city. The project will be based on green strategies and universal accessibility and security have been given due care in it.

Indian-origin Goa-born scientist, Vithal Tilvi-led NASA team has discovered a never-seen-before group of galaxies, which is said to be the farthest to have ever been sighted. The international team of astronomers labelled the group galaxies as EGS77, which took over four years to be found. The group of galaxies is estimated to be over 13 billion light-years away from the Earth.

This is not the first time that Tilvi made an unprecedented discovery in the world of astronomy. In 2013, with his team, Tilvi discovered the farthest single galaxy ever sighted. In 2017, he led a team of astronomers that discovered the earliest black hole candidate in the Universe.

With this recent discovery of EGS77, astronomers will be able to find out about the chemicals that were present when the Universe was just born. On January 5, the team first time presented its findings of the discovery of EGS77 at the American Astronomical Society conference in Hawaii. 

The Women Science Congress was inaugurated at the ongoing Indian Science Congress in Bengaluru today. DRDO Aeronautical Systems Director General Dr.Tessy Thomas who is known as Missile Woman of India graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. Recalling the contribution of women in different spheres, she said, the status of women in the country is changing as their growing presence is seen in many areas of expertise. 

Speaking about the contribution of Science and Technology, Dr. Thomas said, they are an essential tool for the rapid development and effective means to growth and socio-economic development of the country. She said that technology development has a profound and long term impact on the economic growth and security of the country. 

Young Indian paddler Manav Thakkar today became world no.1 in the latest International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) rankings in the Under-21 men's singles category. With this, Thakkar became the fourth Indian to achieve the feat after Harmeet Desai, G Sathiyan and Soumyajit Ghosh. 

Among other Indians, G. Sathiyan has managed to retain his 30th spot in the senior category. Achanta Sharath Kamal has climbed a spot to 33rd position. Top woman paddler, Manika Batra was static at the 61st position.

The 19-year-old  Manav Thakkar achieved the top spot after clinching the Under-21 men's singles title at the ITTF Challenge Plus Benemax-Virgo North American Open in Markham, Canada in December last year. Thakkar was also world no. 1 in the Under-18 category in February 2018. He was part of the Indian men's team which won a bronze medal in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.

The world Braille Day is being celebrated today. The day is marked remembering the birth anniversary of Louis Braille, the inventor of Braille - for people with visual disabilities. Louis Braille was born on 4th January 1809 in the town of Coupvray in northern France. 

At the age of just 3, he lost both his eyes in an accident. This resulted in the invention of the language of 6 dots- which is popularly known as braille.

As a part of World Braille Day Celebration, Regional News Unit of All India Radio Ahmedabad has organized the special live Braille News reading by a visually impaired person. Shri Yahaya Sapatvala - a visually impaired teacher will read the 7.10 PM evening regional news bulletin of All India Radio Ahmedabad through Braille Script.

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani today unveils the second tallest statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in the world at Ahmedabad this morning.

50 feet tall bronze statue with the weight of 70 thousand kilograms has been unveiled at the Sardardham campus near Vaishnodevi circle in Ahmedabad. It has become the second highest statue of India’s first home home minister after the Statue of Unity of the legendary leader situated at Kevadiya in Narmada district of Central Gujarat.

AIR Ahmedabad correspondent reports that the 50 feet tall statue of Sardar Patel has also been designed by Padma Bhusan Ram V. Sutar, the same sculptor who had designed the Statue of Unity. After unveiling the statue Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said that it was a matter of pride for Gujarat that both the highest and second highest statue of Sardar Patel, the architect of united India are situated in his home state.

Human Resources Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal will inaugurate the 28th edition of annual New Delhi World Book Fair on Saturday at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi.

The book fair organised by National Book Trust (NBT) will be held from January 4 to 12 in the national capital.

Eminent Gandhian scholar Girishwar Mishra  will be the chief guest on the occasion.

As part of Mahatma Gandhiji's 150 birth anniversary celebrations, the theme of this year is Gandhi:The Writers' Writer said Professor Govind Prasad Sharma, Chairman , NBT.

Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been appointed the new chancellor of Queen's University in Belfast, Ireland. Clinton, who has been a regular visitor to Northern Ireland going back to the first visit of President Bill Clinton in 1995, becomes the university's first female chancellor.

She will serve as chancellor for a five-year term, The Irish Times reported after quoting a statement issued by the varsity today. The position of chancellor has been vacant since the death in 2018 of Thomas J Moran, chairman, president, and chief executive of Mutual of America Life Insurance Company.