Faster GST refunds to boost MSME liquidity
Posted on August 24,2019
Banks will issue improved one-time settlement policy to help MSME and retail borrowers settle their overdues. (Photo: ANI)
Chennai: The slowdown has hit the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) the most across different sectors. Hence, addressing issues related to MSMEs and improving their liquidity situation was a priority for the Finance Minister while making announcements to revive the economy.
As the Finance Ministry has been receiving several grievances related to GST, the ..
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Amazon wildfires an 'International crisis': French President
Posted on August 23,2019
French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday said wildfires in the Amazon were an 'international crisis' and called on this weekend's G7 to address the issue. (Photo: File)
The lungs which produces 20 per cent of our planet's oxygen -- is on fire.
Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday said wildfires in the Amazon were an "international crisis" and called on this weekend's G7 to address the issue.
"Our house is burning. Literally. The Amaz..
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Indorama Ventures towards plastic recycling
Posted on August 22,2019
Indorama has 11 recycling sites around the world, including plants in Thailand, Mexico and France, and aims to step up its green credentials in response to new regulation being rolled out by governments as well as changing expectations from customers.
Bangkok: Thai chemicals company Indorama Ventures has committed $1.5 billion of investment in recycling as consumers become more aware of the environmental impact of single-use plastic and regulators push for more recycling, it said on Wedn..
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Solar power growth declined
Posted on August 21,2019
According to Mercom’s India Solar Project Tracker, solar accounted for nearly 31.5 GW of the total installed capacity, representing 8.73 per cent of the total installed capacity at the end of June 2019.
Kolkata: The growth rate of solar power generation has declined to 32 per cent, compared to 86 per cent growth recorded in H1 2018, thanks to the decreased pace of solar capacity addition in the first half of 2019 to 3.2 GW against over 5 GW in the same period of 2018. This is notwi..
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Infra deals this year beat 7-year total
Posted on August 20,2019
The infrastructure has been witnessing the private equity and venture capital investments going up since 2012.
Chennai: Infrastructure has never been such a happening sector as far as private equity and venture capital investments are concerned. The cumulative PE/VC investment of $12 billion in the infrastructure sector between January and July is more than the total investments received by the sector in past seven years put together.
The infrastructure has been witnessing the private..
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'Large real estate deal': US Eye on buying Greenland
Posted on August 19,2019
The US military has operated for decades from Thule Air Base in Greenland.
Washington: President Donald Trump says the idea of buying Greenland from Denmark came up in conversations within his administration and that it's essentially "a large real estate deal."
The semi-autonomous territory of Denmark has said it's not for sale. In remarks to reporters on Sunday, Trump cast the possible purchase as a strategic move by the US but not a top priority for his administration.
..
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Lakes are Rejuvenated but still can’t drink water
Posted on August 18,2019
The Water Quality Index (WQI) from April to June released by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board has confirmed that major lakes such as Madiwala, Jakkur, Sarakki and Puttenahalli have unsatisfactory water quality.
One of the major reasons behind the worsening water quality is the entry of sewage into the lakes.
Bengaluru: Despite the money being allotted towards the rejuvenation of lake and protest marches being organised against the encroachment of water bodies and their catc..
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Krishna Floods: Over 11,828 people shifted to safety
Posted on August 17,2019
Furious at the organisers for not shifting the children to a safe place, he warned them to behave with responsibility.Movement of heavy vehicles prohibited on Prakasam Barrage
VIJAYAWADA: As many as 11,828 people living in low lying areas of Krishna Basin were shifted to the 41 rehabilitation centres in Krishna district. A total of seven rehabilitation centres were set up in Vijayawada city limits.
Addressing the media here on Friday, district collector A. Md. Imtiaz said that they ha..
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Artificial trees - A Solution for the air pollution
Posted on August 16,2019
The “BioUrban 2.0” air purification system in Puebla, Mexico is an artificial tree, which through live algae, carries out a process of photosynthesis, doing the equivalent to what 368 natural trees would do. (Photo: AFP)
Pure oxygen returned to environment after microalgae clean carbon dioxide
Puebla (Mexico): Trees are one of the best things we have to clean the Earth’s air, but they have certain drawbacks: they need time and space to grow.
Enter the BioUrban, an..
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Independence day-Let’s know our country a little better!
Posted on August 15,2019
Independence day! 1947 was the year when we finally got our freedom and it will be 73 years since then, sounds awesome right!
***
India is a very beautiful country with full of wonders with a very rich infrastructure around the world. We do have one of the seven wonders in the world that is Taj Mahal, along with it, we have a lot more other infrastructures in our country that might pick your interest. So let’s explore more about some of the main and famous infrastructures with s..
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Floods in Karnataka: Malnad takes beating, Mudigere worst hit
Posted on August 14,2019
The extent of damage is likely to be high, as the area is home to commercial crops like coffee, arecanut, pepper, cardamom and tracts of paddy fields.
Thirthahalli and Sagar taluks of Shivamogga district too have suffered some damage, as has Uttara Kannada with many places here left marooned.
Bengaluru: A year after floods and landslides left Kodagu devastated, more sections of the Western Ghats have borne the brunt of this monsoon, with rivers overflowing and wreaking havoc in ..
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IMD issues heavy rainfall warning to Telangana
Posted on August 13,2019
Roads in Hyderabad during Rains
Hyderabad: The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday issued a caution that there would be heavy to very heavy rainfall in Telangana state on August 13 and 14.
On Monday, the state received light to moderate rainfall in a few districts including Medak, Kama-reddy, Rajanna Sircilla. The rainfall recorded was of the order of 40 mm. Quthbullapur, Alwal, Kapra, Malkajgiri and other areas received light to moderate showers and the skies remain..
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Finance Minister’s assures Real estate sector
Posted on August 12,2019
It is learnt that Sitharaman met two apex industry bodies of realtors, Credai and Naredco, and then she held the second meeting with homebuyers associations. (Representational Image)
The government is believed to have decided on a high-level meeting to bring the ailing sector on track.
New Delhi: In the last sectoral meeting with the real estate sector representatives and homebuyers, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, on Sunday, said that she would soon address issues affectin..
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CREDAI-CBRE report:India's real estate sector on growth trajectory
Posted on August 11,2019
The report estimated that office space stock will touch one billion sq ft by 2030.
By 2030, residential real estate has the potential to almost double from the current stock of 1.5 million units in key cities, the report said. (Representational Image)
Tel Aviv: India's economic transition, workforce expansion and urbanisation will boost investment opportunities in real estate sector in the next decade, leading to significant growth in housing, office, retail and warehous..
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Expert Says-Failed Dam Management Behind Floods in Maharashtra
Posted on August 10,2019
A recent report by SANDRP on the floods in Krishna basin shows that the failure in management of water released from dams have led to heavy floods in Kolhapur, Sangli and parts of Satara districts.
Three districts in Maharashtra, Sangli, Satara and Kolhapur have been under the siege of water for the last five days. This is the worst flood in the state since 2005, with the Highest Flood level (HFL) being crossed at eight sites, four in Maharashtra and four in Karnataka. Heavy rainfall in these..
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Convert Your Measurements In Every Possible Unit!
Posted on August 09,2019
Fed up of visiting various sites for conversion of various units???
ESAY lets you convert many units of measurement used for construction without any hassle & all in one place. The conversion calculator helps one, easily determine the exact number of the desired unit.
ESAY stands for “Engineering Sources Around You” provides a perfect portal for everyone who wants to get involved in the field of construction making their way throughout. We are a group of Engineers at ESAY..
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Engineering Information - Everything You Want!
Posted on August 09,2019
Engineering information! It’s really important these days, aren’t they? So what if you get all of it in one place. Wouldn’t that be amazing to have? So yes, that is possible now with ESAY. ESAY is a new site where we can get all the information about the engineering very easily and that to all up to date.
Overall we can say everything about the Indian infrastructure can be found here in this section. When it comes to the preparation of project reports for all..
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Srisailam Dam is Safe.?
Posted on August 09,2019
Srisailam Dam.
The minutes of the National Committee of Dam Safety indicate that there is an urgent requirement to focus on the status of flood review of Srisailam.
KURNOOL: With Srisailam reservoir all set to reach full capacity, the question on its structural stability has been raised again. But officials claim everything is perfect.
Srisailam dam superintendent engineer M. Sreenivas Reddy said all repairs to the dam had been carried on as per the suggestions given by the Nationa..
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54 people rescued by NDRF in landslide in Kerala's Wayanadvv
Posted on August 09,2019
Schools and colleges are shut in all 14 districts of the southern state on Friday, except state capital Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam.
With large parts of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala reeling under extensive flooding due to incessant rains, the Western Naval Command of the Indian Navy has mobilised considerable resources to provide assistance to state and district administrations of affected areas. (Photo: Twitter/ ANI)
Mumbai: With large parts of Maharashtra, Karnataka and ..
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Government of Andhra Pradesh gears up to attract investments
Posted on August 08,2019
AP Government Logo
VIJAYAWADA: As the state government is gearing up to put Andhra Pradesh on a global map through a diplomatic outreach programme on Friday, positioned clearly to invite large investors, it is evident that Andhra Pradesh is being rebranded.
The present dispensation feels that the TD regime’s promotion of the state was surrounded with much hype without any pragmatic results. The present government feels that the TD government had done nothing on the ground to att..
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All set to tap solar energy-Central rail station Chennai
Posted on August 07,2019
After the installation of solar power panels, the railways have been saving up to 25% of conventional energy per day.
Chennai: In an order to protect the environment and save conventional energy the Southern Railway has turned to solar power. To generate solar power, the Southern Railway has set up rooftop solar power panels at Puratchi Thalaivar Dr MGR Central railway station. The railway has been generating 600 kw of solar power from the panels now. According to sources, the railways h..
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Bridge collapses in Kodagu linking Kerala
Posted on August 06,2019
Rain inundated parts of Kodagu on Monday and part of the highway which connects Kodagu and Kerala near Maakutta caved in on Sunday.
Landslides occurred on Virajpet-Makutta Road as rain lashed Kodagu on Monday.
Mysuru: Travellers to Kerala were forced to make a detour owing a landslide which resulted in collapse of a part of the highway connecting Kodagu with Kerala near Maakutta on Sunday night.
Torrential rain inundated parts of Kodagu on Sunday and Monday, and the side ..
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Article 370 for Kashmir Revoked, J&K and Ladakh made separate UTs.
Posted on August 06,2019
Amit shah in Parliament.
New Delhi: Terming Article 370 of the Constitution the “root cause” of terrorism and an impediment to the development in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly the Valley, the Narendra Modi government on Monday took a bold and unprecedented step of revoking the contentious Article — which accorded a special status to the state — besides proposing the bifurcation of the state into two Union territories — Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
The..
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Waterlogging, potholes irk HYDERABAD residents
Posted on August 05,2019
The pathetic condition of the road at Balanagar causing inconvenience to the commuters.
City gets 48 mm rain in past 24 hours.
Hyderabad: The city received 48 mm rain in the past 24 hours, leading to complaints of waterlogging in low-lying areas and extremely slow traffic movement. The rainfall kept the city cool at 24ºC for the second day though the high humidity meant that soggy clothes did not dry fast.
Waterlogging was noted in Mallepally, Vijaynagar Colon..
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Srisailam water to Serve Kurnool First
Posted on August 04,2019
Nagarjuna Sagar dam
Question is should it be used for Hyderabad or Seema.
KURNOOL: The Srisailam reservoir was about one-third full on Saturday, holding 71.88 tmc ft of water against its full capacity of 215 tmc ft.
The Central Water Commission (CWC) said the forecast was for the Krishna basin to keep getting water.
According to an advisory given by the CWC, Srisailam was expected to receive 2,18,947 cusecs on Saturday.
Upstream, the inflow forecast for Narayanapur in Karnata..
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Dam safety Bill in Lok Sabha : Centre’s control on water in guise of dam safety.?
Posted on August 03,2019
Tungabhadra Dam
Provisions of the Bill are proposed to be applied to all dams which have a height of more than 15 metres or between 10 metres and 15 metres.
Hyderabad: Despite apprehensions that the Centre was appropriating their powers over water and dam management in the guise of dam safety, the TRS supported the Dam Safety Bill 2019 in the Lok Sabha.
Irrigation experts said the Bill would cover several interstate projects including Srisailam, Nagarjunasagar, Pulichintala, and Ra..
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Troubled Minds
Posted on August 02,2019
It is mainly due to lack of awareness, misconceptions, and a deep rooted stigma that many lives are lost.
V.G. Siddhartha
From the outside, V.G. Siddhartha was known as the founder and owner of the hugely successful coffee chain, Café Coffee Day, with nearly 1700 branches in India and abroad. But when his body washed ashore on the banks of the river Netravati in Mangaluru on Wednesday morning, people all across the country were left searching for answers as to what push..
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Termination notice for pre-closure of Polavaram Project work-AP Govt.
Posted on August 02,2019
Malpractices and undue escalation of costs in Polavaram project Lead to termination
The termination comes after an expert committee which was formed on June 14 after Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy came to power, opined that the entrustment of part works deleted from the original Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) agency on nomination basis by converting EPC contract to lump-sum contract (LS) is not appropriate. (Photo: ANI)
Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh gove..
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31% downfall of Institutional funding in realty
Posted on August 01,2019
A large part of the funding—$2.1 billion out of $2.2 billion—came from private equity firms.
Commercial real estate bagged the largest 64% share, while residential real estate attracted over $270 million, logistics and warehousing $200 million and retail real estate $260 million, with $1.4 billion
Chennai: Institutional funding in the real estate sector was down by 31%. $2.2 billion in H1 2019 against $3.2 billion in the same period last year as fund inflow from NBFCs ..
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New technique could help engineer filter for polluted water, human tissues
Posted on July 31,2019
These techniques could lead to new technologies such as a filter for bioremediation.
In nature, building blocks such as protein molecules are assembled into larger structures for specific purposes. (Photo: Representational/ Pixabay)
The technique that turns proteins into never-ending patterns that look like flowers, trees or snowflakes, could be utilised to engineer a filter for tainted water and human tissues.
The study was published in the journal 'Nature Chemistry'...
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Metrowater is being streamlined- Chennai water crisis
Posted on July 30,2019
The scheme, which was announced on Twitter on July 26, aims to cut down on the waiting period while booking a water lorry from Metrowater. The new scheme, on the contrary, will assure water supply to the household within two days of booking.
Metrowater will be launching Dial for Water 2.0 on July 29 to streamline water lorry bookings by residents in Chennai.
CHENNAI:In a bid to tackle the ongoing water crisis and enable smooth booking of water lorries, the Chennai Metropolitan Water Su..
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Centre’s Model tenancy law to strike a balance
Posted on July 29,2019
Here are some of its salient featutes.The Model Tenancy Act aims to reform the lessor-lessee relationship.
Current rental agreements will not be in the ambit of the Act. Only new agreements will be enforced under the Act. For the implementation of the Act, it has also been proposed that Rent Authorities, Rent Courts and Rent Tribunals be set up in states and UTs. The Act in its current form aims to direct tenancy law. States and UTs will now create their versions of the law-but how effective ..
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Godavari Equal Sharing-Telangana, Andhra Pradesh panels agree
Posted on July 28,2019
Engineers to meet again to discuss route of diversion.
After the meeting Mr Muralidhar Rao, Engineer-in-chief of Telangana state, said that 1,000 TMC of water is available from the Godavari, and Telangana state requires 700 to 800 TMC of water for irrigation, industrial and drinking water purposes. (Representational Image)
Hyderabad: The High Level Committee of Irrigation Engineers of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, which met here to discuss the diversion of the waters of the ..
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GHMC to submit masterplan-Telangana high court orders
Posted on July 27,2019
High Court wants clarity on claims about Errum Manzil.
Telangana High Court
Hyderabad: In an effort to get clarity about Errum Manzil amid differing claims, the Telangana High Court on Friday asked for the map of the Hyderabad Master Plan-2031, which contains coloured markings about residential, commercial, conservation and other categories.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice Shameem Akther, while dealing with PILs against the proposed d..
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Construction of 1.4 lakh more houses under PMAY-Govt. Approved
Posted on July 26,2019
Govt sanction construction of around 1,40,134 more affordable houses for the benefit of urban poor.
A total of 492 projects will cost Rs 6,642 crore, out of which the Centre approved a financial assistance of Rs 2,102 crore.
New Delhi: The Centre on Thursday approved construction of nearly 1.4 lakh more houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, taking the number of houses to be built under the scheme to over 85 lakh.
In a statement issued here, the Union Housing and..
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Rain deficit, Telangana seeks 10-year data
Posted on July 26,2019
Chief Secretary S.K. Joshi held a meeting with senior officers to review the situation on the monsoon and crop conditions in the kharif season.
Chief secretary Dr S.K. Joshi
Hyderabad: In view of the dry spell, the state government on Thursday directed all collectors to submit crop wise monthly reports pertaining to the past 10 years, including water levels of reservoirs and groundwater levels, before the first week of August.
Chief Secretary S.K. Joshi held a meeting wit..
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ESAY | A World Made For Constructional Needs.
Posted on July 25,2019
Construction! well, after this word comes up, all we can think of is just the hassle that is in every part of this field. It doesn’t matter what you are either the one who knows nothing or the one who is having a lot of experience.
ESAY stands for “Engineering Sources Around You” provides a perfect portal for everyone who wants to get involved in the field of construction making their way very easy throughout. It is a place where you can have access to all the services and c..
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Govt falters in funding MUSI RIVER revamp project
Posted on July 25,2019
Ever since the formation of the MRDC, the amounts have been spent to pay the salaries of employees and conduct drone surveys.
Hyderabad: The State government which constituted the Musi Riverfront Development Corporation (MRDC) about three years ago has managed to spend a mere Rs 3.12 crore for preparing proposals and conducting studies. The government which allocated Rs 377.35 crore for the financial year 2017-18 managed to spend Rs 32 lakh crore and Rs 2.80 crore in 2018-19 ..
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ESAY | The future of all constructional needs.
Posted on July 24,2019
ESAY stands for “Engineering Sources Around You” provides a perfect portal for everyone who wants to get involved in the field of construction making their way very easy throughout. It is a place where you can have access to all the services and contacts of the professionals included in the construction industry such as consultants, builders, contractors, machinery/material suppliers, new construction products, engineers and the workforce.
We are a group of Engineers at ..
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Market likely to remain under pressure
Posted on July 24,2019
The Nifty-50 closed down by 15.15 points or - 0.13 per cent at 11331.05, earlier.
The benchmark Index touched a high of 11398 and fell to a low of 11302 in intra-day trade.
Markets remained in bear grip. The Sensex fell below 38000 level as selling in the market continued for the fourth consecutive session on accelerated selling by the foreign portfolio investors.
Though market opened in positive territory on positive global cues with the Sensex opening 107 point up at 38138 a..
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Chandrayaan-2 launch by ISRO, a congratulatory message from NASA
Posted on July 23,2019
'Congrats to ISRO on the launch of Chandrayaan 2, a mission to study the Moon,' NASA tweeted.
India on Monday successfully launched its second lunar mission Chandrayaan-2 on board its powerful rocket GSLV-MkIII-M1 from the spaceport in Sriharikota to explore the unchartered south pole of the celestial body by landing a rover. (Photo: AP)
Washington: NASA on Monday congratulated its Indian counterpart ISRO on the successful launch of its second moon mission Chandrayaan-2 a..
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Delhi Metro Phase IV: Work on all 6 Corridors
Posted on July 22,2019
Delhi Metro Phase IV: Work on all 6 Corridors
Delhi Metro Phase IV: Work on all 6 Corridors
The Delhi government will soon commence the work for all six corridors on Delhi Metro Phase IV. The centre had approved the Mukundpur-Maujpur, RK Ashram-Janakpuri West and Aero City-Tughlakabad corridors. The centre while giving the permission of Phase IV its go-ahead dropped the three other proposed corridors – Rithala-Bawana-Narela, Inderlok-Indraprastha and Lajpat Nagar-Saket G Bl..
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Technology advancement will help mitigate water woes
Posted on July 21,2019
All technological interventions need a strong policy and regulatory framework.
Groundwater is India’s lifeline, with more than 22 million wells and borewells and over 250 BCM of groundwater being extracted annually.
Let’s begin with some statistics. The total average precipitation availability in India has remained broadly constant at around 3,880 billion cubic metres. Meanwhile, the average water flow in our river basins, as assessed by the Central Water Commission, ..
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AP-Cabinet clears 50 per cent quota in contracts
Posted on July 20,2019
Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy
The AP Investment Promotion and Monitoring Board Act (APIPMB) draft Bill was approved by the Cabinet.
Vijayawada: The state Cabinet met on Friday approved various Bills that are to be presented in the state Assembly, including one that provides 50 per cent reservation to SCS, STs, BCs and women in government contracts.
Another Bill on establishing a Judicial Commission that will oversee the tendering procedure of the government contract works also got th..
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Funding of Amaravati construction dropped by World Bank
Posted on July 19,2019
World Bank had earlier agreed to give USD 300 million.
The World Bank website said the project—“Amaravati Sustainable Infrastructure and Institutional Development Project (ASIIDP)” — has been ‘dropped’ without giving any reasons. Of the total project cost of USD 715 million, the WB had initially come forward to finance USD 300 million with remaining amount to be funded by Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
VIJAYAWADA: In a huge b..
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Great Barrier Reef agency breaks with Australia government in climate warning
Posted on July 19,2019
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority said that current gas emission trends, if not curbed, could see the deadly bleaching events happen twice per decade by around 2035 and they could become annual before the middle of the century.PHOTO: REUTERS
SYDNEY (AFP) - The agency that manages the Great Barrier Reef broke ranks with Australia's conservative government to call for the "strongest and fastest possible action" against climate change to save the world heritage marine wo..
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PPAs Re-negotiation hit cash flows
Posted on July 18,2019
We believe that the state government will need to appeal to state regulators and then seek consent from the courts to overturn the existing PPAs.
Earlier this month, the state government had formed a negotiation committee to renegotiate wind and solar PPAs in the state, citing the high tariffs that state distribution firms pay under the contracts.
Kolkata: The Andhra Pradesh government's latest move to renegotiate its agreements to purchase solar and wind power will affe..
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Indian-Anshula Kant - The New face of World Bank’s MD & CFO
Posted on July 17,2019
Anshula Kant moves from State Bank of India to become CFO of the World Bank
Anshula Kant was MD of the State Bank of India, with her hard work and more than 35 years of experience she took a leap and climbed on to a platform as a Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of the World Bank announced by its President David Malpass in a recent Press release.
As CFO and MD of the World Bank Group, she will be responsible for mobilizing International Development Association, financial, and ..
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Cloudburst in Pakistan occupied Kashmir -23 die
Posted on July 16,2019
Traffic flow in the area has been severely disrupted, while cell phone and internet services are also affected.
A large number of homes in the Laswa area of the Valley were damaged and dozens of people were swept away in the flooding caused by relentless rainfall after the cloudburst over night. (Photo: Twitter)
Islamabad: At least 23 people were killed and several others are missing after a cloudburst caused flash flood in the Neelum Valley of the Pakistan occupied Kashmir,..
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Don’t let your money become ad‘venture’ capital
Posted on July 15,2019
I was in this industry on the ‘sell’ side, in the early 1990s.
(Representational Image)
For years, I have been screaming that Management Quality is the key to investing well. World over, research reports from the Sell Side (brokers) never mention this factor or cover even two lines about the promoter or management while advocating a buy on any company stock. The large brokers are afraid of promoters. They get or hope to make fee income from investment banking business wit..
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Proposals for dedicated channels across Godavari
Posted on July 14,2019
A plan was prepared in 1990s by the then district collector Ranadeep Sudan during Godavari Pushkaralu.
Rajahmundry Municipal Corporation has prepared a plan for construction of 30 MLD Sewage Plant under the National River Conservation Project Scheme. (Representational Image)
Rajahmundry: The need for Dedicated Channels in various places across River Godavari has been stressed. If a dedicated channel can be constructed from Rajahm-undry to Kakinada, all sewage and industrial ..
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Chandrayaan-2: 20-hour countdown to Moon begins for lift-off
Posted on July 14,2019
'The countdown started at 6.51 am,' K Sivan, Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), told IANS.
During the countdown, the rocket and spacecraft’s systems will undergo checks and fuel will be filled to power the rocket engines. (Photo: PTI)
Chennai: The 20-hour countdown for the July 15 morning lift-off of India’s heavy rocket carrying the Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft began at 6:51 am on Sunday. The rocket has been nicknamed the “Bahubali”...
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The first state to have water policy to address water issues is Meghalaya
Posted on July 13,2019
The draft was passed on Friday following detailed discussions and deliberation with the ministers of the cabinet.
Tynsong also said that the committees will be formed at village level and the issue of groundwater will also be catered through this policy. (Photo: ANI)
Shillong: Amid the water crisis in the country, the Meghalaya cabinet became the first state to approve a draft water policy to address water issues, conservation, and protection of water sources in the state.
..
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GHMC to widen stretch from Gachibowli to BHEL
Posted on July 12,2019
An agency was commissioned to prepare a detailed project plan for the proposed road from Gachibowli to BHEL junction via the university campus.
Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC)
Hyderabad: The road from Gachibowli to BHEL junction that goes past the University of Hyderabad is going to be widened to 65 metres to ease traffic congestion. The proposal was approved by the standing committee of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) on Thursday.
An age..
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‘Heritage’ tag on Errum Manzil: Telangana high court
Posted on July 11,2019
The bench was dealing with six petitions including the public interest litigations challenging the demolition of Errum Manzil.
Errum Manzil
Hyderabad: Asking counsels not to repeat their contention that Errum Manzil is a heritage structure and should therefore not be demolished, the Telangana High Court said that each counsel representing individual petitioners was being given considerable time to present their submissions. This will continue until the completion of the argu..
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Equal Godavari sharing -AndhraPradesh n Telangana
Posted on July 10,2019
Officials to meet again to discuss route of diversion.
After the meeting Mr Muralidhar Rao, Engineer-in-chief of Telangana state, said that 1,000 TMC of water is available from the Godavari, and Telangana state requires 700 to 800 TMC of water for irrigation, industrial and drinking water purposes. (Representational Image)
Hyderabad: The High Level Committee of Irrigation Engineers of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, which met here to discuss the diversion of the waters of the ..
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Selfie of Success
Posted on July 09,2019
Today, happiness is often measured on the basis of how successful one is in life.
Burra Venkatesham, IAS officer
Born in Jangam, the Secretary to the Government of Telangana for Youth Advancement, Tourism and Culture Department, IAS officer Burra Venkatesham, has recently launched his debut book Selfie of Success. In it, the author has taken upon himself to hold a mirror to the world about what success is.
Breaking down success
Talking to us, the author starts by recounting h..
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Error of the Devices on Hyderabad's pollution
Posted on July 09,2019
Equipment costing Rs 18-20L gives low reading even during peak hours.
The researchers say the device at UoH was monitored during the peak hours when there is a huge volume of vehicles on the road, but still the reading is in single digits.
Hyderabad: Researchers believe that the expensive devices installed by the Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB) at various pollution monitoring stations in the city to measure the level of particulate matter (PM) are showing inc..
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Largest landscape of Europe ‘ fire and ice ’ declared World Heritage site
Posted on July 08,2019
Iceland glacier national park makes its way to the list of World Heritage site.
Vatnajokull National Park is the third Icelandic site to join UNESCO's World Heritage List, after Thingvellir National Park in 2004, where the oldest parliament in the world was established, and the volcanic island of Surtsey in 2008. (Photo: Representational/Pixabay)
Reykjavik: UNESCO on Friday added Iceland's Vatnajokull National Park, Europe's largest with a landscape of "fire..
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More innovation is needed in India
Posted on July 07,2019
There is other material that also indicates where we stand in comparison to the rest of the world on invention and innovation.
Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy (Photo: PTI)
A few weeks ago, some reports were published about the smartphone industry in India. It is one of the most important sectors of the consumer economy, with large annual growth and a very big volume. The leader in India’s smartphone market is the Chinese company Xiaomi, which has a 30 per cent marketshar..
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2019Budget : Tax deduction on home loan interest to boost housing demand: realtors
Posted on July 06,2019
Real estate sector was not given 'industry' status and no stress fund got created for stalled projects.
Liquidity has been a major concern for the real estate sector, which the government has tried to address to a certain extent in this Budget, said NAREDCO President Niranjan Hiranandani. (Representational image)
New Delhi: The demand for housing units worth up to Rs 45 lakh will rise on account of additional Rs 1.5 lakh tax deduction provided in the Budget on intere..
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How important are Global Value Chains for development? Read the new WDR2020 draft report and comment
Posted on July 05,2019
Following an intense research and writing process over the last 10 months, I am pleased to announce that a draft of the World Development Report (WDR) 2020 – Trading for Developing in the Age of Global Value Chains is now available online for public comment.
Why Global Value Chains (GVCs) and why now?
The World Bank’s last report on trade was more than thirty years ago – WDR 1987 Industrialization and Foreign Trade. In the meantime:
- &n..
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Dam breached in Maharashtra
Posted on July 04,2019
The 19-year-old Tiware dam had shown signs of leakages, which was informed to district authorities, locals claimed.
State water resources minister Girish Mahajan has admitted that locals had complained about the cracks on the wall but also said that the irrigation officials had claimed that it was repaired.
Mumbai: Twenty-three persons are feared dead after heavy rainfall led to a breach in the Tiware Dam in Ratnagiri district in Maharashtra at around 9.30 pm on Tuesday. Bod..
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Wilful defaults in India cross USD 21 billion in 2018-19
Posted on July 03,2019
As per data from RBI, gross loans and advances in state-run banks came in at 638.2 bn rupees, as of March 31, 2019.
The SBI saw the highest number of wilful defaults at 461.58 billion rupees, while PNB stood second at 250.9 billion rupees.
Mumbai: India’s state-owned banks had classified 1.50 trillion rupees (USD 21.76 billion) worth of loans as “wilful defaults” in 2018-19, with the biggest lender State Bank of India accounting for nearly a third, the fina..
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GST compliance still a work in progress
Posted on July 02,2019
In July 2017, the government merged all 17 different central and state levies into the GST system.
Though two years have elapsed, compliance in filing summary sales return GSTR-3B has not improved much, as businesses continue to file this after the monthly due date, with compliance averaging at around 60 per cent.
New Delhi: The goods and services tax’s (GST) two-year run was marked by some hits and misses. Filing of returns under the indirect tax regime still remains ..
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AAP calls for special budget on water crisis
Posted on July 02,2019
Captain Amarinder Singh had been sending out ‘alerts’, predicting that Punjab stood to turn into a desert after 20 years.
Mr Cheema said that same was true about Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who talked at length about spearheading a mass campaign to protect and preserve natural resources through his ‘Man ki Baat’ address to the people.
Chandigarh: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) senior leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Harpal Singh Cheema has demanded that..
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New GST return system from October, trial run from today
Posted on July 01,2019
Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs Anurag Thakur will preside over the celebration.
Appreciating the government effort, the industry said the time has come for the GST reform by bringing electricity, oil & gas, real estate and alcohol under its ambit and converging the rate structure into two-three slabs. "The GST 2.0 will take the Indian economy to the next growth level," CII President Vikram Kirloskar said.
New Delhi: Celebrating two years of..
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35 per cent deficit rainfall in Telangana; heavy rains in store
Posted on July 01,2019
Telangana state received only 86.2 mm of rainfall against the normal 132 mm of rainfall.
Jagtial district received the highest amount of rainfall — 160.1 mm — and Khammam received the lowest — 35.2 mm.
Hyderabad: There has been a 35 per cent deficit in the rainfall in the state for June.
Telangana state received only 86.2 mm of rainfall against the normal 132 mm of rainfall.
Jagtial district received the highest amount of rainfall — 160.1 mm &md..
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Astronauts capture rare moment of volcanic eruption, stunning photo goes viral
Posted on June 30,2019
Unlike most of its perpetually active neighbours on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Raikoke Volcano on the Kuril Islands rarely erupts. The small, oval-shaped island most recently exploded in 1924 and in 1778.
The rare moment when the dormant volcano erupted after 95 years was captured from ISS and the photo is blowing away people’s minds.
Aerial photos are always dynamic but nothing can possibly ever beat images taken by astronauts from space. Presenting yet another ‘out-of-the-world..
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Now, cloud-seeding from Mysuru
Posted on June 29,2019
The company, which has bagged the contract for cloudseeding, has started its work to modify the aircraft.
The cloudseeding will add to the pressure in an already congested aerospace. So, the venue was shifted to Mysuru, where the activity will begin in July second week,” he explained.
Bengaluru: Disappointed by the poor monsoon, the state government has decided to go ahead with cloudseeding from the second week of July.
Speaking to reporters after the cabinet meetin..
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KCR, Jagan Mohan Reddy plan to link Godavari with Krishna river
Posted on June 29,2019
The TS and AP CMs decided to work together and end the water woes of the Telugu states.
Jagan Mohan Reddy and K Chandrasekhar Rao.
Hyderabad: Chief Ministers K. Chandrasekhar Rao and Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy decided on Friday to divert water from the Godavari river to the Krishna river basin.
The TS and AP CMs decided to work together and end the water woes of the Telugu states.
Officials of both states will meet on Saturday to find a solution to bifurcation-related prob..
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Chennai: Dawn of hope as ‘Nero’ produces water from air
Posted on June 28,2019
The device was developed in collaboration with Teertha, a company based on sustainable technology.
The atmospheric water generator is a coming of age technology which extracts water from the surrounding humid air
Chennai: The city’s ongoing water crisis has not only left people in a fix but has also prompted them to look at sustainable alternatives to produce water. The innovation of IIT-M students named ‘Nero’ – an optimised desiccant solar cell devi..
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Bengaluru water crisis: Karnataka mulls ban on construction of new apartments for next 5 years
Posted on June 28,2019
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara said that they are planning to ban the construction of apartments in the city after consulting with various stakeholders.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara said that they are planning to ban the construction of apartments in the city after consulting with various stakeholders.(Representational Image)
To tackle the water crisis in the city, the Karnataka government is mulling a ban on construction of new apartments in the city ..
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Rig maker NPCC eyes wind foray
Posted on June 27,2019
NPCC is bidding for wind projects in the North Sea and monitoring wind-equipment tenders coming out of India.
NPCC, owned by the government of Abu Dhabi, currently manufactures rigs, storage tanks and other heavy equipment for oil companies in the Middle East and India, including Aramco, the world's biggest exporter.
An Abu Dhabi-based company that builds drilling platforms for oil giant Saudi Aramco plans to diversify into renewable energy by supplying gear for offshore wind..
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Bengaluru: Call to restore city lakes on war footing
Posted on June 26,2019
The State Government is planning to spend around Rs 12,000 crore to bring water from Sharavati river to Bengaluru.
According to Krishna Prasad, Executive Committee Member, Bengaluru Chapter, IPA is also in talks with builders to make installation of aerators in apartments.
Bengaluru: The Indian Plumbing Association (IPA) has urged the State Government to act faster in restoration of lakes in Bengaluru and address issues such as solid waste management, sewerage system and wat..
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In drought-hit Bundelkhand, village returns to age-old water conservation techniques
Posted on June 25,2019
The village now has 32 wells, 25 hand-pumps and four ponds (two of which are undergoing rejuvenation) -- all filled with water.
Shanti, a farmer, says: ‘Eight to 10 years ago, we decided to divert wastewater to ponds and this measure has rejuvenated the water level and has made farming easier.’ (Photo: ANI)
Banda: While most parts of Bundelkhand is reeling under severe water crisis, a village in the drought-hit Banda district of UP has gone back to traditional co..
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Slumdog debonaire
Posted on June 24,2019
In the 1980s in South Africa, black residents organised the first of its kind to educate the whites.
Dharavi just beat Taj Mahal as India’s most favourite travel experience.
Dharavi just beat Taj Mahal as India’s most favourite travel experience. It featured on the top of the ‘Top 10 Experiences’ list and also grabbed the tenth position on ‘Top 10 Travellers’ Choice’. Let’s glimpse into the world of slums.
1) In the 1980s in Sout..
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Beating the drought: Use less to save more water
Posted on June 24,2019
Rameswaram temple practice shows the way to conservation.
Water being drawn out of one of the 22 sacred wells in Rameswaram temple. (DC)
RAMESWARAM: When most parts of Tamil Nadu are reeling under a severe water scarcity, the 22 perennial wells (‘Punitha Theerthangal’) in the sprawling Sri Ramanathaswamy temple complex in the pilgrim-island of Rameswaram here, come as a happy counter-example.
While Ramanathapuram has been a perennially drought-hit district, t..
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Hyderabad: 50 per cent of water can be reused
Posted on June 23,2019
Experts attribute water crisis to the use of old toilet models, inefficient faucets, shower heads.
A car swims across the rain water logged road in Gachibowli on Friday.
Hyderabad: Around 50 per cent of water which can be reused after treatment is being wasted daily basis, said water management experts.
The GHMC sanctioned Rs 4,933 crore for construction of sewage treatment plants, storm water drains and sewage lines in January 2019, but millions of litres of untreated se..
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Hyderabad: First rain brings chaos to the city
Posted on June 22,2019
Many of them took to social media to complain how the first rain had shown that the infrastructure of the city was not able to handle the rains.
After the heatwaves during the summer, pedestrians soak in the first rains of the monsoon season on Friday. — Deccan Chronicle
Hyderabad: The much awaited rain finally hit Hyderabad and brought down the temperatures, but traffic jams and power cuts only flared tempers on Friday.
The IMD recorded 44.3 mm of rainfall in the c..
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SBI’s repo-linked loans to have 33-year tenure
Posted on June 21,2019
A borrower has to repay at least 3 per cent of the principal amount every payer.
The bank has set a minimum annual income threshold of Rs 6 lakh for borrowing under the new scheme, aligning it with the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (PMAY), where the household income threshold for Middle Income Group-1 starts at Rs 6 lakh.
New Delhi: India’s largest lender, State Bank of India (SBI), is likely to offer new home loan borrowers the option of repo rate-linked loans from July 1..
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Hotels, firms cut back on water in Chennai
Posted on June 20,2019
Chennai is one of the 21 cities that a government think-tank warned last year could run out of ground water by 2020.
This year’s monsoon is delayed, further compounding problems across a swathe of western and central India.
Chennai: Hotels in Chennai are rationing water for guests amid searing heat while companies limit showers as the city of 4.6 million faces its worst shortage in years.
All four reservoirs that supply Chennai, known as the Detroit of South Asia fo..
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Telangana government to inaugurate Kaleswaram lift irrigation project on June 21
Posted on June 19,2019
This is the first project, which has received full permission from the Centre.
Chief Ministers of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra -- K Chandrasekhar Rao, Y S Jaganmohan Reddy and Devendra Fadnavis will participate in the function. (Photo: ANI)
Hyderabad: Telangana government will inaugurate Kaleswaram lift irrigation project on June 21, an official statement read.
Chief Ministers of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra -- K Chandrasekhar Rao, Y S Jaganmohan Redd..
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India will overtake China as world's most populous country in 8 yrs: UN report
Posted on June 18,2019
Meanwhile, the Chinese population will decrease by 31.4 million, or around 2.2 per cent, between 2019 and 2050.
The report titled 'The World Population Prospects 2019: Highlights' estimated that the world's population is expected to increase by two million by 2050, from 7.7 billion today to 9.7 billion. (Photo: AP | File)
New Delhi/United Nations: India will overtake China to become the world's most populous country in just eight years, according to a United Natio..
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Kaleshwaram goes out of bounds for all
Posted on June 17,2019
Maoist pamphlets put police on high alert ahead of inaugural.
Lit-up dam of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project days ahead of its inauguration.
WARANGAL: With the inaugural ceremony of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) scheduled for June 21, the Jayashankar Bhupalpally district police are beefing up security for the event at which Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will be present along with th..
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Tech tool aims to predict global water conflicts before they happen
Posted on June 16,2019
The system uses data from NASA and European Space Agency satellites that monitor water resources around the world.
ential conflicidIt then analyses the information with data from governments, international bodies and research organizations toentify hotspots of pott.
Artificial intelligence can predict where conflicts over scarce water will break out up to a year in advance and allow action to prevent them, researchers said on Friday.
An early warning tool that tracks water supplies ..
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Hyderabad: Land worth Rs 120 crore saved from grabbers
Posted on June 15,2019
The encroachers have been trying for conversion of land use for over a year now, he said.
According to Khairatabad zonal commissioner Musharraf Faruqui, he found during his morning inspection more than 15 trucks taking building waste to a particular place near Masab Tank.
Hyderabad: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation on Friday foiled an attempt by land grabbers to encroach on 5.5 acres of a tank in Masab Tank in broad daylight. Corporation staff hit upon the encroac..
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Musi river’s rubber dam ineffective
Posted on June 14,2019
Built in 2009, the choked dam is now a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
The rubber dam on the Musi river near the High Court. A rubber dam is supposed to hold enough water to flood the area behind it and produce the effect of cascading river water.
Hyderabad: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation had spent Rs 5.64 crore on a dam on the Musi River to impress the late Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, but in just three months it became unusable and is now a problem f..
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India gets USD 42 billion FDI inflows in 2018: UN report
Posted on June 13,2019
FDI inflows in developing countries in Asia registered a rise of 3.9 per cent to USD 512 billion during the last calender.
The UN trade report said the prospects for FDI inflows into South Asia are largely determined by expectations of growing investment into India.
New Delhi: India received foreign direct investments worth USD 42 billion in 2018, helped by robust inflows in manufacturing, communication and financial services, a United Nations trade report said Wednesday.
..
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Bring down corporate tax to 18 per cent sans exemptions: CII
Posted on June 12,2019
Government has already reduced corporate tax to 25 per cent for companies having turnover of less than Rs 250 crore.
To push investment, CII President Vikram Kirloskar said the government should address issues concerning land reforms and labour laws.
New Delhi: Industry body CII has made a case for bringing down the corporate tax rate to 18 per cent along with elimination of all exemptions saying it will not result in any loss to the exchequer.
The Modi 1.0 government had..
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Succession pipeline absent in many firms
Posted on June 11,2019
Leadership acquisition challenge is testing for several companies, finds Mercer-Mettl Leadership Hiring Trends 2019.
The most commonly used talent assessment tools for successful leadership acquisition include Psychometric Assessments, Task-based Assessments and Online Leadership Assessments and face-to-face interviews. (Representional Image)
Chennai: Almost 34 per cent organisations lack an internal succession pipeline, finds a study.Leadership acquisition challenge is test..
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Southwest monsoon brings cheer to farmers
Posted on June 11,2019
Rainfall in the catchment areas other major reservoirs in Tirunelveli district too received moderate rainfall on Monday.
Falls at Courtallam too jumped back to life on Monday with a moderate flow due to the good showers in the Western Ghats.
Tirunelveli: After continuous dry weather for months the onset of the "saral" rains in the western parts of Tirunelveli district, since the Monsoon broke out in Kerala, has raised a ray of hope for the farmers of the southern d..
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Money talk: How to deal with capital gains from real estate
Posted on June 10,2019
Capital gains attract taxes, but taxation rules-including the rate of taxation-varies from one asset class to another.
Here, we will look at capital gains from the sale of property, and the measures you can take to save taxes on those gains. (Representional Image)
When you sell a capital asset at a price higher than its cost of acquisition, you have made a capital gain. Capital gains can be made on the sale of property, stocks, mutual funds, bonds, or anything else that may class..
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Power minister positive on achieving 175 GW renewable energy target
Posted on June 09,2019
The overall renewable energy established capacity has reached 80,000 MW level. 24,000 MW is under installation.
Over 800 MW of solar auctions were cancelled in the first quarter of this year.
New Delhi: Power and New and Renewable Energy Minister Raj Kumar Singh has exuded confidence that the renewable energy target of 175 gigawatt (GW) by 2022 would be achieved.
Singh, who took the charge of the ministries in the second term of Modi government, said 80GW of renewable ene..
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Chennai: Monsoon may set in soon
Posted on June 08,2019
According to IMD, the Southwest monsoon seasonal (June to September) rainfall over the country as a whole is likely to be near normal.
The conditions are likely to become favourable for advance of southwest monsoon into some parts of northeastern states during next 48 hours. (Representional Image)
Chennai: The Southwest Monsoon is likely to set in over Kerala during next 24 hours said S. Balachandran, Deputy Director General of Meteorology, Regional Meteorological Centre, Ch..
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Pentagon eyes African rare earth
Posted on June 07,2019
The push comes as China threatens to curb exports to the United States of rare earths, a group of 17 minerals.
Some of the equipment the Pentagon buys, including night-vision goggles and aircraft, are made using rare earth minerals. The Pentagon has long supported efforts to require military contractors to buy domestically sourced minerals, though there are no current US rare-earth processing facilities. (Represnetational Image)
Chicago/London: The US Department of Defense h..
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Karnataka village excels in water conservation
Posted on June 06,2019
With the help of government assistance and crowd-funding, the villagers have rejuvenated a water tank called Hulikere.
Visuals from the rejuvenated water tank in Vitagondana Koppa village (Photo: ANI)
Shivamogga: Amidst the scorching heat and delayed monsoon across the country, residents of the Vitagondana Koppa village in Shivamogga district are living happily with sufficient drinking water and are easily able to meet the requirements of their livestock.
The Vitagondana ..
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Prakash Javadekar launches '#SelfiewithSapling' on eve of World Environment Day
Posted on June 05,2019
Javadekar will plant saplings with cricketer Kapil Dev and actor Jackie Shroff on Wednesday as part of the new campaign.
In a photo tweeted by Abhinav Billaiya, an expert with the National Agriculture Market (eNAM), Javadekar was posing beside a sapling with a cellphone in hand, trying to take a selfie. (Photo: Abhinav Billaiya | Twitter)
New Delhi: On the World Environment Day, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday launched a campaign asking people to take se..
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Heavy rain lashes Hyderabad; two dead
Posted on June 04,2019
Sudden rains damaged crops as well as houses in parts of Nirmal and Mancherial.
Motorists caught in the thunderstorm near Begumpet. (Style Photo Service, DC)
Hyderabad: Thunderstorm accompanied by high intensity winds claimed the lives of two people in Hyderabad and Yadadri districts, besides damaging the top portion of the historic Moula Ali Kaman.
Heavy to very heavy rain accompanied by gusty winds lashed the twin cities and the outskirts. The civic body issued warning ..
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Hyderabad: Sudden rain cools city but summer hasn’t ended yet
Posted on June 03,2019
Heatwave warning issued for June 6 and monsoon delay.
Several commuters were caught off guard as a sudden spell of rain drenched Hyderabad city on Sunday afternoon. (Photo: S. Surender Reddy)
Hyderabad: Residents in some areas of the got relief as a short spell of rain that lashed the city on Sunday afternoon. However, although the city remained cloudy for most of the day, temperatures continued to soar above 42ºC.
Experts claimed that these rains were a result of th..
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Telangana gets rains in many districts
Posted on June 02,2019
There is also a thunderstorm warning till June 5, because of which temperatures have dropped significantly giving a sigh of relief to the public.
It was stated that thunderstorms and rain are caused by heat wave conditions, which are prevailing across the country. A trough extends from eastern Bihar via Vidharbha towards Tela-ngana and Karnataka.
Hyderabad: The sky turned cloudy and the heat ebbed in the city on Saturday, even as rain lashed several parts of the state.
Th..
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Growth of core sector industries slows to 2.6 per cent in April
Posted on June 01,2019
Infrastructure sector growth has impact on the IIP as these segments account for about 41 per cent of the total factory output.
Coal generation growth was flat at 2.8 pet cent in April 2019, said the government data. (Representative Image: Pexels)
New Delhi: The growth of eight core infrastructure sectors slowed down to 2.6 per cent in April, due to negative growth in crude oil, natural gas and fertiliser output.
During April 2018, the expansion rate of eight infrastructu..
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USA to revoke India's 'beneficiary developing country' status from June 5
Posted on June 01,2019
Washington has also made the decision to remove India from its list of 'developing country WTO Members'.
This comes at a time when the United States is locked in a trade dispute with China. (Photo:AP)
Washington: The United States is slated to revoke India's status as a beneficiary developing country for purposes of the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) from June 5, according to a proclamation issued by US President Donald Trump.
"The designation of..
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India to see 'big-bang' reforms in Modi's second term, says NITI Aayog official
Posted on May 31,2019
India’s economic growth rate decelerated to a five-quarter low of 6.6 per cent in the last three months of 2018.
The economy needs far faster growth if it is to generate enough jobs for the millions of young people entering the labour market each month. (Photo: Sondeep Shankar)
New Delhi: In the first 100 days of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s second term, a slew of ‘big-bang’ economic reforms that should please foreign investors are likely to be pursued, ..
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NSDL e-Gov and Sterling & Wilson ink joint venture pact for international markets
Posted on May 30,2019
NSDL e-Gov which offers niche technology solutions for better governance and efficient delivery of public services.
NSDL e-Gov comes with 24 years of experience in offering IT solutions and has successfully driven extraordinarily large projects such as Tax Information Network (TIN), PAN card services.
Mumbai: NSDL e-Governance Infrastructure Limited (NSDL e-Gov), a leading e-Governance solutions provider and Sterling & Wilson, a leading Indian multinational, today enter..
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Lookout notice issued against DHFL promoters
Posted on May 29,2019
However, DHFL denied receiving any communication from the government with reference to the lookout notice.
The MCA had last week asked the MHA to issue lookout notice against DHFL promoters to prevent them from leaving India till the investigation was completed.
Mumbai: The ministry of home affairs (MHA) has issued a lookout notice against promoters of Dewan Housing Finance Corporation (DHFL) in connection with allegations of financial fraud by promoters of the company. Acco..
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Thanjavur: Farmers await CWMA’s meeting outcome today
Posted on May 28,2019
Urgency increases as Kuruvai begins in uncertainity for 8th year.
Farmers are awaiting CWMA's on water to be released for January to May. (Representional Image)
Thanjavur: Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) meeting to be held at Delhi on Tuesday assumes importance in view of Kuruvai (short term crop) season to begin from June in Cauvery delta and quantum of water to be released from January to May and then from June onwards.
CWMA’s last meeting was held l..
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Tracking SDG7: The Energy Progress Report 2019
Posted on May 27,2019
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Global electrification rate reached 89 percent; the number of people without electricity access dropped to around 840 million, compared to 1 billion in 2016 and 1.2 billion in 2010.
Under current policies, an estimated 8 percent of global population will not have access to electricity in 2030, 90% of them will be in sub-Saharan Africa.
Stronger political commitment, long-term energy planning, increased private financing and adequate policy and fisca..
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Adani Solar aims at 50 per cent market share, says company official
Posted on May 26,2019
Currently 80 per cent of solar panels available in India are made in China.
The company is manufacturing module and solar panels, which were cheaper and durable, for Indian markets, general manager(business development) of Adani Solar Cecil Augustine told reporters. (Photo: File)
Coimbatore: Adani Group's solar manufacturing arm Adani Solar is expecting to get 50 per cent marketshare in two years, a top company official said Saturday.
As 80 per cent of solar panels av..
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Fears rise China could weaponise rare earths in US tech war AFP
Posted on May 25,2019
Rare earths are used in a number of goods including smartphones, televisions and light bulbs.
earth is not only an important strategic resource, but also a non-renewable resource
The US has hit China where it hurts by going after its telecom champion Huawei, but Beijing's control of the global supply of rare earths used in smartphones and electric cars gives it a powerful weapon in their escalating tech war.
A seemingly routine visit by President Xi Jinping to a Chinese ra..
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11.38 lakh jobs created in March in formal sector, shows ESIC data
Posted on May 25,2019
As per ESIC's latest payroll data, around 1.48 crore jobs were generated in 2018-19 financial year.
The Central Statistics Office on Friday released payroll or new enrolment data of ESIC, retirement fund body EPFO and Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority together.
New Delhi: Gross employment generation in the formal sector rose to 11.38 lakh in March from 11.02 lakh in February, according to official data.
As per Employees' State Insurance Corporation..
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Oh no! WhatsApp to begin showing ads in 2020
Posted on May 24,2019
Next year, you will be forced to see ads in the WhatsApp Status page.
WhatsApp status page will be filled with ads.
WhatsApp, the world’s biggest instant messaging service with over 1.2 billion active users will begin displaying ads in the Status page in 2020. With this change, Facebook is also providing advertisers with the capability to redirect users from Facebook and Instagram to WhatsApp. These are the changes that will be made to the social media platforms for better ..
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Bengaluru Metro interested in taller buildings and Densification for development
Posted on May 23,2019
The draft Bengaluru Transit-Oriented Development Policy is expected to come into force with immediate effect from the date of its official acceptance by the government of Karnataka. Namma Metro’s draft policy on transit-oriented development is earning both criticisms and appraisal. From allowing construction of taller buildings to imposing cess on vacant land, the yet-to be-approved policy proposes a higher density of development along the transit corridors of the city.
The transpo..
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JSW Cement Ltd plans to double green cement output
Posted on May 22,2019
The current cement making capacity in eastern region is nearly 4MTPA.
Interestingly, JSW Cement is also very close to commissioning its captive power plant at Salboni for uninterrupted power supply at competitive rates. Besides, it has dedicated rakes for ensuring timely & quick delivery of raw materials and a fleet of trucks to facilitate smooth transport of cement to its dealers and sub-dealers.
Kolkata: JSW Cement Ltd, an arm of the $13 billion JSW Group with interests in ..
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Period Property Restoration: 5 Tips You Should Follow
Posted on May 21,2019
Invested in an old property or just acquired an ancestral property and now planning to restore it? Restoration allows you to bring the old property back to life without taking away its actual glory. It is a thin rope you are walking on where a little bump could bring down the complete plan while on the other hand, the right moves could turn the property into your dream home.
Following five tips that will help you plan the restoration programme for a period home:
Look for basics
..
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Security breach at Eiffel Tower after climber spotted; visitors evacuated
Posted on May 21,2019
The esplanade underneath the monument was also evacuated, as was a large section of the adjacent Champ de Mars park.
Police have made contact with the climber but do not yet know why he began his ascent up the iron beams. (Photo:AP)
Paris: The Eiffel Tower was evacuated on Monday after a man was seen climbing up the iconic Paris landmark, one of France's biggest tourist draws, the operating company said.
"A climber has been spotted. It's the standard procedur..
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Sensex jumps over 900 points as exit polls suggest NDA's victory
Posted on May 20,2019
Rupee up by 79 paise against dollar as exit poll showed that ruling NDA is likely to win the Lok Sabha elections.
After soaring over 962 in early session, the 30-share index pared some gains and was trading 687.63 points, or 1.81 per cent, higher at 38,618.40.
Mumbai: Domestic financial markets cheered exit poll results showed that ruling NDA is likely to will the general Lok Sabha elections on Monday, with the benchmark BSE Sensex skyrocketing over 900 points, and the rupee..
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London Mayor Sadiq Khan calls for preferential norms for Indian businesses, students
Posted on May 19,2019
The mayor, who reiterated his "London is Open" message, attacked the UK government's hostile immigration policies as a barrier.
Indian businesses employ around 50,000 people in London and are the second-biggest foreign investors in London. (Photo:AP)
London: Pakistani-origin London Mayor Sadiq Khan has called for similar preferential norms for Indian companies and students as those offered to China in order to boost foreign direct investment (FDI) from India in..
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Hyderabad: Pollution board gives nod to clean 3 rivers
Posted on May 18,2019
Telangana government to execute project in 5 phases.
According to the officials, the committee has identified eight rivers (and their tributaries) in the state that need to be restored.
Hyderabad: The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has approved the action plan prepared by the State government towards the cleaning and restoration of Musi, Nakka Vagu, and Kinnerasani rivers.
After the National Green Tribunal expre-ssed its disappointment in the efforts taken so far ..
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K Chandrasekhar Rao goes extra mile for Kaleshwaram project
Posted on May 18,2019
The project is aimed at lifting Godavari water to record heights and is expected to start functioning from July this year.
K Chandrasekhar Rao
Hyderabad: The Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project is Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s dream and the TRS supremo is ready to go out of his ways, if required, to ensure that the project is completed on time and the people of the state benefit from it soon as possible.
Over the past one month, the Chief Minister had three ..
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Antarctica’s ice is melting faster than ever before
Posted on May 17,2019
With ice melting from Antarctica’s solid ice sheets, global sea levels are set to rise dangerously.
The West Antarctic ice sheet was stable in 1992 but now, a quarter of the sheet is thinning. Should this ice sheet completely melt, global sea levels will rise by over five metres. (Photo: Representational/Pixabay)
Antarctica has been one of the worst-affected continents by global warming and climate change. Now, new research shows that the landmass is losing ice five times f..
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What To Do If Housing Project Is Endlessly Delayed?
Posted on May 17,2019
Hopes of thousands of homebuyers who have been patiently waiting for the Supreme Court (SC) to give them justice have taken a severe beating. It has been hearing cases involving India’s major real estate developers, including Amrapali, Jaypee and Unitech, for two years now without being able to find any solution. These homebuyers had already spent several years waiting for their homes before they approached the apex court, seeking justice. In a scenario such as this, what could be the most..
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WeWork starts USD 2.9 billion property platform with Canada's CDPQ
Posted on May 16,2019
WeWork, valued at about USD 47 billion in a series of private fundraisings, filed paperwork in April.
WeWork is at the forefront of a structural shift in how real estate is bought, leased and consumed that will leave behind the landlords and investors who ignore the disruption. (Photo: AFP)
New York: The We Company, parent of workspace provider WeWork, said on Wednesday it has created a USD 2.9 billion real estate investment platform with funding from one of Canada’s l..
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Monsoon may hit Telangana 6 days late
Posted on May 15,2019
Rains to reach Kerala on June 4, says Skymet.
The Indian Meteorological Department is expected to release its forecast on Thursday.
Hyderabad: The monsoon is likely to hit Kerala on June 4, three days behind schedule. It will hit Telangana state four to six days late, according to Skymet, a private weather forecasting agency.
Skymet said the onset date for Andhra Pradesh was not clear because of its proximity to the Bay of Bengal where many weather systems could change fr..
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Bengaluru: Elevated corridors to destroy white-topped roads
Posted on May 15,2019
Hundreds of properties would also be acquired for the project under Package 3 of North-South Corridor, but the residents are still unaware.
A crane being used on Wednesday to straighten a three-storeyed house that had begun to tilt at Horamavu in Bengaluru from Sunday
Bengaluru: A social and infrastructure impact assessment of the elevated corridor project done jointly a few city-based organizations has found that crores of rupees spent on white topping of various city roads..
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Delta facing another poor Kuruvai season?
Posted on May 14,2019
The Authority should meet and instruct Karnataka to release water on pro-rata basis as per the SC order.
Mettur dam
THANJAVUR: With June 12, the traditional date of opening of Mettur dam for Kuruvai (short-term paddy) cultivation fast approaching, farmers of the Cauvery delta districts are keeping their fingers crossed over whether they can take up ‘Kuruvai’ crop this year or not.
“We skipped kuruvai for the past eight years for want of Mettur water in canal..
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Hyderabad: Khammam boils at 46°C, Telangana faces 44.8°C
Posted on May 13,2019
Temperatures fell a little in the evening, after 5.30 pm, to 39.2°C in Hyderabad and 39.3°C in Khammam.
On Sunday, Jagtial district was at 44.8, Nirmal at 44.6 and Kumuram Bheem at 44.4. (Representional Image)
Hyderabad: Khammam district registered a high of 46°C on Sunday while other districts of Telangana registered a high of 44.8°C and Hyderabad ranged from 41 to 42°C.
Temperatures fell a little in the evening, after 5.30 pm, to 39.2°C in Hydera..
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India inflation likely crept up to six-month high in April
Posted on May 12,2019
Forecasts ranged between 2.68 and 3.56 percent, with almost three-quarters pegging it at or below 3 percent.
Fuel costs tend to lag the price of crude, and so economists expect upward pressure in future months in any case. (Representational Images)
Bengaluru: India inflation likely crept up slightly to a six-month high in April, driven mainly by food prices, a Reuters poll found, although holding below the Reserve Bank of India’s medium-term target of 4 percent for the..
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Tamil Nadu engineer invents engine that uses hydrogen as fuel, releases oxygen
Posted on May 11,2019
Sounthirajan Kumarasamy said it took him it took him 10 years to develop the engine.
Sounthirajan Kumarasamy, the engineer from Coimbatore, said, the engine that he has designed is unique and it uses hydrogen as fuel source and releases oxygen. (Photo: ANI twitter)
Coimbatore: A mechanical engineer from Tamil Nadu has invented an eco-friendly engine that runs on distilled water. Sounthirajan Kumarasamy, the engineer from Coimbatore, said, the engine that he has designed is u..
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Fund manager warns of stress in realty sector
Posted on May 10,2019
The firm is credited with avoiding debt of stressed companies before the liquidity crisis and credit market strains spread last year.
Indian shadow banks lent heavily to the property industry in recent years, helping to fuel a construction boom. They now face rising risks that weaker developers may struggle to repay those borrowings, as housing sales have failed to keep pace with debt expansion. Teetering economic activity also isn’t helping.
The next flash point in India&r..
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Axe on Kochi high-rises
Posted on May 09,2019
SC orders to raze 5 flat complexes for CRZ breach.
Holy Faith (left) and Alpha Ventures are located on the banks of Kochi backwaters in Maradu. (Photo: SUNOJ NINAN MATHEW)
Kochi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the demolition of five high-rise apartments in Maradu municipality near Kochi for violating the provisions of Coastal Regulation Zone rules. The demolition of the five buildings – Alfa Ventures, Holy Faith, Kayaloram, Holiday Heritage and Jain Housing &nd..
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GHMC aims for 100 percent cleanliness in 90 days
Posted on May 09,2019
GHMC chief said that after attaining 100 percent cleanliness in one location, the corporation would earmark another 2,500 households in each ward.
The GHMC chief said that after attaining 100 percent cleanliness in one location, the corporation would earmark another 2,500 households in each ward.
Hyderabad: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has decided to locate 2,500 households in each of the 150 wards in the city and achieve 100 percent cleanliness within 3 month..
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Telangana Cabinet to okay revenue law
Posted on May 08,2019
All political parties are expecting hectic political activity after the Lok Sabha results on May 23 for the formation of the Central government.
K. Chandrasekhar Rao
Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is likely to hold the Cabinet meeting on May 28 to approve the drafts of the new Revenue and Municipal Acts.
With the indication from the Chief Minister of holding Cabinet meet on May 28, sources close to the government said Chief Secretary S.K. Joshi has asked ..
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Lok Sabha Polls bring solar auctions to a halt
Posted on May 07,2019
In contrast, in March, 5.3 GW of solar capacity had been tendered and 750 MW of solar projects were auctioned.
Significantly, the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) issued a Request for Selection (RfS) for 500 MW (Phase I) of grid-connected solar PV projects in Tamil Nadu on a Build Own Operate (BOO) basis. The Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited (TANGEDCO) will buy power from the above project.
Kolkata: The ongoing general elections seem to have..
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Realtors expect boost from Akshaya Tritiya
Posted on May 06,2019
More or less similar sentiments were echoed by Ritwik Das, MD, Bluechip Projects.
If Jhobalia’s optimism is anything to go by, the sector is witnessing a buyer-friendly market and that could bring back fence-sitters waiting for the perfect opportunity to invest in their dream home.
Kolkata: Realty players across the country are optimistic that Akshaya Tritiya will improve the market sentiments and bring back much-needed positivity and vibrancy in the real estate sector..
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Cyclone Fani: Death toll rises to 29 in Odisha, CM announces relief package
Posted on May 05,2019
Announcing a relief package for those affected by the calamity, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said all families in Puri and in those parts of Khurda, which had been "extremely severely affected" in the storm, will get 50 kg of rice, Rs 2,000 in cash and polythene sheets, if covered under the Food Security Act (FSA).
A bird's eye view of the destruction caused by Cyclone Fani, a day after its landfall, as part of the aeriel surveillance by Coast Guard Dornier aircra..
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Hyderabad: Heatwave alert issued for today
Posted on May 05,2019
Hyderabad was luckier, recording 39.8ºC, a shade above normal.
On Saturday, Khammam recorded the highest day temperature of 44.8ºC, 5.3ºC above normal.
Hyderabad: Rayalaseema in Andhra Pradesh will cause severe heatwave conditions on Sunday and Monday. The hot winds from overland will affect Adilabad, Nizamabad, Khammam, Warangal, Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy and other districts of the state.
The maximum temperature will be 2ºC to 3ºC above normal for t..
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Suraksha's bid to acquire Jaypee Infra fails after creditors reject offer
Posted on May 04,2019
Jaypee Group's promoters too are keen to retain control over its realty arm and have submitted debt resolution plan under IBC.
Under the insolvency proceedings, 41 per cent of the members of the committee of creditors (CoC) voted against the proposal, while 23 per cent were in favour.
New Delhi: Financial creditors of Jaypee Infratech on Friday rejected Suraksha Realty's bid for the debt-laden firm as the offer was low on upfront cash payment and will meet on May 9 to discuss ..
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Kurnool: Srisailam faces underwater test
Posted on May 03,2019
Water discharged from the dam crest gates jumps into the bucket area, rises to a height of 200 ft and lands at a distance of 300 metres.
Srisailam dam
Kurnool: The Srisailam dam withstood two severe floods in 1999 and 2009, but not without succumbing to challenges to its very structural stability.
Water discharged from the dam crest gates jumps into the bucket area, rises to a height of 200 ft and lands at a distance of 300 metres.
Under the pressure from water, a big ..
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Lakhs moved out of superstorm path: Supercyclone landfall between Chilika, Puri
Posted on May 03,2019
The INCOIS data reveals that storm surge during landfall will be observed along the coast of Gopalpur to Chandabali.
Villagers at the beach as dark clouds hover above the sea ahead of cyclone Fani in Puri on Thursday. (PTI)
BHUBANESWAR: Lakhs of tense people hunkered down in safe places and waited anxiously for supercyclone Fani, packing 205-kmph winds and carrying copious amounts of rain, to hit the Odisha coast. Categorised as an ‘extremely severe cyclone’ Fani..
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UK becomes first Parliament to declare climate emergency
Posted on May 02,2019
Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said he hoped the vote 'will trigger a wave of action from parliaments and governments around the world'.
The vote was taken following 11 days of protests organised by climate activists Extinction Rebellion that brought several London sites to a standstill. (Photo: AFP | File)
London: Britain's opposition Labour Party on Wednesday called for "real action" after Parliament became the first in the world to vote to declare a climate e..
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Fani to hit Odisha coast, on Friday; Andhra Pradesh to get rain
Posted on May 01,2019
The sea is very likely to be very rough along and off the north Andhra Pradesh coasts from Wednesday to Friday.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) has informed that cyclone ‘Fani’
Visakhapatnam: Based on the latest data, Cyclone Fani is expected to hit the Odisha coast between Gopalpur and Chandbali to the south of Puri around Friday afternoon packing 175-185 kmph winds with gusts reaching 205 kmph.
A cyclone alert has been issued for Odisha, West Bengal an..
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Tirumala braces for severe drinking water shortage
Posted on May 01,2019
In Pasupudhara, 593 lakh gallons of water is stored as against its full capacity to store 1,276 lakh gallons.
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD)
Tirupati: Severe shortage of drinking water poses a potential threat to the temple town of Tirumala with the waning of water reserves and the failure of the monsoon.
The circumstances are so grave that the water accessible in all the five dams at Tirumala is probably going to last just for 127 days, if the water is pumped at th..
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Housing sales down 5 pc in Jan-Mar 2019 on changes in GST rates, rules
Posted on April 29,2019
In contrast to PropTiger report, real estate consultant Anarock said housing sales rose by 58 per cent to 78,520 units.
PropTiger attributed the decline in home sales numbers to changes in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) transition rules. (Representational Image)
New Delhi: Housing sales dipped by 5 per cent to 75,706 units in nine major cities during January-March period because of transition in GST rates, according to a report by property brokerage firm PropTiger.
The ..
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Red alert for TN as Cyclone Fani expected to hit coast on April 30, May 1
Posted on April 26,2019
A yellow alert has been issued for Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur and Malappuram on April 29: IMD
'After gaining strength, the cyclonic circulation has finally induced a low-pressure area. The system is formed over Equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining the southeast Bay of Bengal,' IMD said. (Photo: File I Representational)
New Delhi: Tamil Nadu and Puducherry are expected to receive heavy rainfall from Sunday due to a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal which coul..
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Office space worth $35 bn can be listed under REIT: JLL India
Posted on April 25,2019
Mumbai follows with 17 per cent share of total REITable space at 49.7 million sq ft worth $8.6 billion.
REIT is an investment tool that owns and operates rent-yielding real estate assets. (Photo: Representational Image)
New Delhi: India has $35 billion worth of office space eligible to be listed under the Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT), according to property consultant JLL India.
REIT is an investment tool that owns and operates rent-yielding real estate assets. It a..
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Swimming pools on terrace okay, says Telangana government
Posted on April 24,2019
State issues new building rules; GOs modified to allow investments in realty.
The amendment states that swimming pools may be allowed on terraces subject to compliance of safety norms including structural and fire safety and conditions imposed under the building permission.
Hyderabad: State government has notified amendments to the existing building rules to allow swimming pools on terraces and ventilation rooms and also mandating the developers to form BT/CC roads in case ..
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EarthDay: 5 Ways To Make Your Home Eco-Friendly
Posted on April 23,2019
(Dreamstime/Graphicsdunia4you)
The American poet Gary Snyder once said, “Nature is not a place to visit. It is home.” Yes, nature is home and what better way to save the environment than by beginning the process from your own home.
Years of industrialisation and urbanisation have led to environmental degradation. With the degradation taking place at an alarming pace, the human race is now focusing on developing energy-efficient methods and tech..
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HPCL ignores ONGC as promoters again
Posted on April 22,2019
The government has not yet interviewed for the post by its selection panel — Public Enterprise Selection Board (PESB).
However, a top source said, “The government will face a real test when interviews to fill the post of director (finance) of HPCL as it is learnt to have faced with some technicalities to not list ONGC as its promoter.”
New Delhi: Even after state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) acquiring Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) in January ..
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Job creation trebles in Feb at 8.61 lakh, according to EPFO payroll data
Posted on April 21,2019
According to latest EPFO data, highest job creation was recorded in January 2019 at 8.94 lakh.
During February 2019, the highest number of 2.36 lakh jobs were created in the 22-25 years age group, followed by 2.09 lakh in the 18-21 years age bracket.
New Delhi: Net employment generation in the formal sector almost trebled to 8.61 lakh in February compared to 2.87 lakh in the same month of last year, according to the latest Employees' Provident Fund Organisation ..
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105-tonne ‘Concreteberg’ found in UK sewer
Posted on April 20,2019
Fatbergs, congealed masses formed by a mix of non-biodegradable solid matter, such as wet wipes usually afflict sewers.
The ‘concreteberg’ found under the streets of central London. (Photo: Thames Water)
London: What could happen if people started pouring concrete into sewers? In London, it has led to formation of “concreteberg” weighing 105 tonnes, equal to the weight of a blue whale.
Three Victorian-era sewers in the heart of the British capital ..
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Laser Scan Data Integral to Fast-Track Rebuild of Notre Dame Cathedral
Posted on April 19,2019
As the donations pour in to aid the reconstruction efforts of the fire-damaged Notre Dame cathedral in Paris and the French government opens the question of whether to rebuild the 850-year-old landmark as it was, engineers, architects and contractors can turn to 3D laser scan data of Notre Dame to help with the government’s pledge to reconstruct the building within five years.
“Having laser scans [of Notre Dame] is critical in shortening the reconstruction time frame,” says ..
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Skill shortage may delay Notre Dame reconstruction
Posted on April 18,2019
Architect firm says few people can work on so much stone, timber, lead and glass in Europe.
Firefighters at work on top of a tower of Notre-Dame Cathedral, as a crane lifts up construction material in Paris on Wednesday, two days after a fire that devastated the building in the centre of the French capital. (Photo: AFP)
London: One of the architects who helped restore Windsor Castle after a devastating fire said a shortage of craftsmen could hold up Notre-Dame’s recons..
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Money Laundering Law Prevails Over Bankruptcy Act: HC
Posted on April 17,2019
The Delhi High Court (HC) has ruled that the money laundering law prevails over the bankruptcy Act and the insolvency code when it comes to attachment of properties obtained as "proceeds of crime".
The court said the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the Recovery of Debt and Bankruptcy Act (RDBA), the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Securities Interest Act (SARFAESI Act) and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) must co-exist ..
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'Worst avoided, vow to rebuild': Macron on Notre-Dame Cathedral fire
Posted on April 16,2019
Around 400 firefighters battled into night to control flames, declaring in early hours of Tuesday that fire was under control.
The inferno destroyed the roof of the 850-year-old UNESCO world heritage landmark, whose spectacular Gothic spire collapsed as orange flames and clouds of grey smoke billowed into the sky. (Photo: AP)
Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to rebuild Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, after a colossal fire tore through the building, sending th..
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India can tell the world to ‘Do Better With Less’
Posted on April 15,2019
The West can learn a lot from India, say Navi Radjou and Jaideep Prabhu, co-authors of Do Better With Less – Frugal Innovation for Sustainable Growth.
According to them, Indians do things straight from the heart, even if it it is research and development (R&D), while in the West, R&D engineers tend to be remote from the user.
Starting with “India can lead the world with frugal innovation,” the book is somewhat of a continuation of their first book, J..
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Our Mission Is More Urgent Than Ever
Posted on April 14,2019
The global outlook foresees a moderate slowdown in economic activity, with lingering downside risks. Global trade growth has weakened, while investment prospects have softened; both of these remain important engines of growth, productivity, innovation, job creation and sustainable development. Debt vulnerabilities persist, and policy uncertainty is weighing on confidence. For developing countries, it is important to adopt growth-enhancing policies while containing risks and protecting the ..
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First supermassive black hole photographed to be named Powehi
Posted on April 13,2019
This image released Wednesday, April 10, 2019, by Event Horizon Telescope shows a black hole. Scientists revealed the first image ever made of a black hole after assembling data gathered by a network of radio telescopes around the world. (Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration/Maunakea Observatories via AP)
The team of astronomers who created the image of the black hole called it M87(asterisk). (The asterisk is silent.) A language professor has given it a name from a Hawaiian chant — Pow..
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Air Quality In Indian Cities 'Deteriorating', Says Report
Posted on April 12,2019
New-Delhi:The worsening air quality in Indian cities is on further decline according to a report released by India-based environment group Climate Trends, quoting the last year's World Health Organisation (WHO) list of most polluted cities. The organisation has also listed the proposed actions and work that could be taken up by the respective city authorities to control the situation.
According to the WHO report, the air quality in Varanasi (ranked third) has been deteriorating faster than othe..
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Market opens on a cautious note as Lok Sabha poll begins
Posted on April 11,2019
The BSE Sensex was trading 33.29 points or 0.09 per cent higher at 38,618.64.
The NSE Nifty was trading 10.20 points, or 0.09 per cent, higher at 11,594.50.
Mumbai: Domestic equity benchmarks opened on a cautious note on Thursday as voting began in 91 constituencies across the country in the first phase of Lok Sabha election.
The BSE Sensex was trading 33.29 points or 0.09 per cent higher at 38,618.64. The gauge had ended 353.87 points, or 0.91 per cent, lower to close at 3..
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Direct tax mop-up short by Rs 50,000 crore
Posted on April 10,2019
The revision was made during the interim Budget for 2019-20 in February this year.
“The government may witness a shortfall of Rs 50,000 crore in the direct tax collection target of Rs 12 lakh crore for 2018-19, though it was expecting higher collections from corporate taxes,” finance ministry sources said on Tuesday.
New Delhi: The government is likely to miss the direct tax collection target for 2019-19 owing to lower-than-expected goods and service tax (GST) re..
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Housing units worth Rs 4.5 lakh crore stuck in top cities
Posted on April 10,2019
NCR and Mumbai collectively account for the lion’s share of the total stuck housing units worth Rs 3,49,010 crore.
The top seven cities currently have a total stock of 5.6 lakh delayed housing units, which were launched either in 2013 when RERA was launched or before that. (Representional Image)
Chennai: Housing properties worth Rs 4,51,750 crore are stuck in various stages of non-completion across top seven cities. Mumbai and NCR together hold 72 per cent share of the..
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Documents To Check To Avoid Property Fraud
Posted on April 09,2019
(File)With our lifetime savings, we all plan to buy our dream home. While the cost of the property and the means to fund it are important, it is equally critical that you don't end up becoming the victim of a fraud. Hence, it is essential to know which documents need to be checked when you buy a property.
Sale deed
This is the core legal document, a proof of sale as well as the transfer of ownership from the seller to you. A sale deed should be registered, apart from ensuri..
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Housing supply, sales up in FY19
Posted on April 09,2019
Among the seven cities, the highest number of units was added in Mumbai Metropolitan Region- 77,300 units.
Bangalore sold 61,430 units and Delhi-NCR 48,970 units. In case of Pune, the supply went up five times in the fourth quarter over the same quarter last year, while the sales picked up only 80 per cent.
Chennai: Despite the NBFC liquidity crisis, housing supply in top seven cities grew by 65 per cent and sales by 29 per cent in FY19. GST rate rationalisation, tax incenti..
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MNRE working on unified portal to help consumers install rooftop solar panels
Posted on April 08,2019
The portal will facilitate as a single-window clearance system for consumers looking to install rooftop solar panels.
The portal, the official said, will provide all information related to installation of solar panel. (Photo: File)
New Delhi: The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) in association with the World Bank and Asian Development Bank is developing a unified web portal, which will facilitate as a single-window clearance system for the consumers looking to ins..
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Composition scheme option open till April 30
Posted on April 08,2019
Businesses applying for new registration may avail of the benefit in Form GST REG-01 when filing for registration.
This option to pay goods and services tax (GST) would be effective from the beginning of the financial year or from the date of obtaining new registration.
New Delhi: The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has given service providers with turnover of up to Rs 50 lakh time till April 30 to opt for the composition scheme and pay 6 per cent GST.
Th..
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India to be third largest economy by 2030: Arun Jaitley
Posted on April 07,2019
Talking about growth avenues for next 20 years, finance minister listed infrastructure, rural expansion and gender parity.
Union finance minister Arun Jaitley said the 2011 Census showed that 21.9 per cent of India's population lived below the poverty line (BPL) and with the present rate of growth, this might have further reduced to 17 per cent today.
New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday said India is expected to become the third largest economy in the world ..
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World Bank’s 13th President David R. Malpass
Posted on April 06,2019
WASHINGTON, April 5, 2019 - The Executive Directors of the World Bank today unanimously selected David R. Malpass as President of the World Bank Group for a five-year term beginning on Tuesday, April 9, 2019. The Board expressed its deep gratitude to Interim President Kristalina Georgieva for her dedication and leadership in recent months.
The Executive Directors followed the selection process agreed in 2011. The process included an open, transparent nomination where any national of t..
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India's First Underwater Metro Tunnel
Posted on April 05,2019
All You Need To Know About India's First Underwater Metro Tunnel
All You Need To Know About India's First Underwater Metro Tunne
Underground tunnelling is a noticeable construction feature across the world. Thames Tunnel in London, is the oldest existing underwater tunnel which was opened in 1843. Many emerging economies have begun to realise the huge potential underground spaces possess, for providing connectivity between cities. Creation of an underwater passag..
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National Green Tribunal imposes Rs 100 crore fine on Andhra Pradesh govt
Posted on April 05,2019
PIL was filed against illegal digging of sand.
National Green Tribunal
VIJAYAWADA: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) fined the Andhra Pradesh government of Rs 100 crore for the illegal digging of sand from the Krishna river.
The well-known farmers’ leader of the Amaravati capital region, Anumolu Gandhi, and water conservationist Rajendra Singh (popularly known as the Waterman of India), had filed a public interest litigation in the NGT objecting to the heedless diggin..
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Housing market affordable in all 7 major cities except Mumbai: JLL India
Posted on April 04,2019
Hyderabad was the most affordable housing market in 2018, followed by Kolkata and Pune.
In 2018, all the cities except Mumbai crossed the affordability threshold as per JLL HPAI,"
New Delhi: Stable prices and lower interest rates on home loans have made housing market affordable in all major cities of the country except Mumbai, according to property consultant JLL India.
Hyderabad was the most affordable housing market in 2018, followed by Kolkata and Pune, the consultant s..
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Researchers develop new material that changes colours like neon tetra fish ANI
Posted on April 03,2019
The material relies on the use of a magnetic field which changes the orientation of a formation of nanocolumns.
By changing the angle of the columns, the wavelength of light shifts that is most strongly reflected by the material.
Researchers at the North Carolina State University have developed a new material that is inspired by nature and is capable of changing colour.
The colour-changing material is inspired by the flashing colours of the neon tetra fish, 150sec.com reports. T..
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Remesh Ramachandran using Innovative tech to solve complex cybercrime cases
Posted on April 02,2019
The nature of multiple cyber attacks happening these days make cyber security a vital investment.
The recognition has come to Remesh because he discovered the dangerous cross site scripting bug. (Representational image)
Remesh Ramachandran, an ethical hacker and a native of south India and has solved a number of cybercrime cases, worked with government and international agencies received recognition in Google hall of Fame.
The recognition has come to Remesh because he discovered..
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PAN-Aadhaar linking: Govt extends date for linking PAN with Aadhaar by 6 months
Posted on April 01,2019
From April 1 onwards, it will be mandatory to quote as well as link Aadhaar number while filing income tax return.
The last date for linking PAN with Aadhaar was March 31.
New Delhi: The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) on Sunday extended the last date for intimating the Aadhaar number and linking it with Permanent Account Number (PAN) by six months to September 30.
The last date for linking PAN with Aadhaar was March 31.
“The matter has been considered by the Ce..
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Stamp Duty On Property Purchase In Top Indian Cities
Posted on March 31,2019
When you set out to buy a property, you have to budget additional expenses that you would have to incur during the process that include stamp duty and registration charges.
From time to time, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been nudging banks to factor in additional expenses on property purchase while granting home loans. However, banks typically offer only 80 per cent of the property value as home loan, without factoring in stamp duty and registration ch..
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Govt to borrow Rs 4.42 lakh cr in H1 FY2019-20: Economic affairs secy
Posted on March 30,2019
Economic Affairs Secy Subhash Chandra Garg said government will stick to fiscal deficit target of 3.4 pc of GDP for current fiscal.
As per the Union Budget, the gross borrowing was pegged at Rs 7.1 lakh crore for 2019-20, higher than Rs 5.71 lakh crore estimated for the ongoing fiscal.
New Delhi: The finance ministry Friday said the government will borrow Rs 4.42 lakh crore in the first half of the fiscal 2019-20.
As per the Union Budget, the gross borrowing was pegged at R..
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UAE-based group to expand in India with two more new malls
Posted on March 29,2019
We have acquired an ongoing mall development in Bengaluru and will build our own in Chennai, said Yousuf Ali, CMD of Lulu Group.
Lulu Group intends to maintain a similar investment momentum in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, its core markets, this year. (Photo: Representational Image | PTI)
The UAE-based NRI-owned Lulu Group will expand its retail presence in India by building two new shopping malls in Bengaluru and Chennai, media reported on Wednesday.
The group, which is headquarter..
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Tatas to enter airport business with GMR stake buy
Posted on March 28,2019
GMR cuts `8,000-cr deal with Tata, GIC & SSG; stake to fall to 53.5%.
GMR Infrastructure shares were volatile and rose over nine per cent intra-day but closed almost flat at on the BSE after rising to 21.25.
Mumbai: Salt-to-software conglomerate the Tata Group has made an entry into the airport business by investing in GMR Airports, a subsidiary of GMR Infrastructure.
A consortium of Tata Group, an affiliate of Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC and Hong Kong-b..
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Eco Champions
Posted on March 27,2019
An increasing number of celebrities and conscientious citizens are undertaking green measures in a bid towards sustainable living.
Celebrities from Dia Mirza to Gul Panag and Prakash Raj have gone the extra mile to create green houses that will inspire their fans to do the same.
The trend of ecological responsibility is fast catching up among the elite set as several public figures are setting about remodeling their homes to keep the planet healthy. Celebrities from Dia Mirza to ..
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The next economic crisis is almost here -- will it be worse than 2008?
Posted on March 26,2019
Global bankruptcy expert Professor Edward Altman warns that global debt levels are too high
Macro-economic data, Fed's policy, oil and gold prices, all point to an unfolding recession
Unsecured, short-term credit to corporates has ballooned in India too
On the other hand, S&P Global Ratings expects the next crisis to be milder than the one in 2008
The US Federal Reserve set off alarm bells when it unexpectedly decided not to hike interest rates. The signal from Fed has eroded the mar..
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Rs 3 lakh crore private power investment at risk as discoms delay payments
Posted on March 25,2019
NEW DELHI: As much as Rs 3 lakh crore of investment in a dozen power plants of the private sector is at risk of turning into NPA as states buying power have not been making payment for months, official data and sources said. According to data available on the PRAAPTI portal of the Ministry of Power, 12 power generating companies belonging to firms such as GMR and Adani Group and public sector generators like NTPC have about Rs 41,730 crore outstanding from state distribution companies.
Due..
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Dharwad building collapse: Seven officers suspended for negligence
Posted on March 24,2019
While four partners of Renuka Construction surrendered before the police, Vivek Pawar was taken into custody from Kolhapur, Maharashtra.
The rescue operation is being conducted jointly by the NDRF and the State Disaster Response Force. (Photo: File)
Dharwad: The Karnataka government on Saturday suspended seven corporation officials for negligence in connection with the under-construction building which collapsed here on Tuesday and claimed 15 lives.
The officers suspended by the..
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Govt exceeds disinvestment target this fiscal, proceeds touch Rs 85 000 cr
Posted on March 23,2019
For next fiscal the disinvestment target has been fixed at Rs 90,000 crore.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. (Photo: PTI)
New Delhi: The Government on Friday said it has exceeded its disinvestment target for the current fiscal by Rs 5,000 crore and the proceeds have touched Rs 85,000 crore.
"As against a target of Rs 80,000 crore for disinvestment for the current year, the divestment receipts have touched Rs 85,000 crores today," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley tweeted.
The go..
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From waste to wealth
Posted on March 22,2019
Hyderabad couple Amey Marathe and wife Sujata are working to transform food wastes and greenhouse gases into useful fuels and green energy.
One of the microbial consortia plants set up by the organisation.
According to a World Health Organisation report, 11 out of the 12 most polluted cities in the world are from India. While the Prime Minister has been creating awareness through his Swachh Bharat campaign, a city-based couple is pro-actively doing something for the environm..
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Sebi asks exchanges dealing in agri-commodity derivatives to create fund for farmers
Posted on March 21,2019
The exchanges would be required to disseminate the details of the action plan on their websites under intimation to Sebi.
The earmarked fund shall not be clubbed with any other funds such as Investor Protection Fund.
New Delhi: Sebi on Wednesday asked the exchanges dealing with agri-commodity derivatives to create a fund for farmers and FPOs in which the regulatory fee forgone by the regulator would be deposited.
Besides, it has issued framework including action plan and gu..
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GST Council Approves Transition Plan For New Tax Rates For Realty
Posted on March 20,2019
(Shutterstock)
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council on March 19 approved a transition plan for the implementation of new tax structure for housing units, Revenue Secretary A B Pandey said. Reasonable time for transition would be given to developers in consultation with states, he said. Developers of new projects would, however, have to offer the GST benefit to buyers starting April 1 only.
The meeting deliberated on the transition provision and related issues for the implementation..
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Mumbai bridge collapse: Structural auditor sent in police custody
Posted on March 20,2019
Auditor has been sent to police custody till March 25.
Foot over-bridge collapse, last week leaving six people dead. (Photo: ANI)
Mumbai: Structural auditor Neerajkumar Desai, arrested in connection with the last week's foot over- bridge (FOB) collapse here that left six people dead, was Tuesday sent to police custody till March 25, police said.
Desai, arrested Monday, was produced in Killa court in south Mumbai this afternoon and he was sent to police custody till March 25, sai..
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Australia setting standard for clean air globally
Posted on March 19,2019
Remote Cape with 'world's cleanest air' offers smog respite.
The levels of carbon dioxide found at Cape Grim now are akin to those found in some towns at the start of the industrial revolution. (Photo: AFP)
Australia: As much of Asia wheezes, coughs and sniffles its way through another smog season, one isolated and windswept corner of Australia is serving as the global standard for clean air.
With panoramic views of swaying tussock grass and the vast crystalline expanse of ..
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Telangana government seeks tech study on Polavaram project
Posted on March 19,2019
Till today, 67.2 per cent project works were completed at Polavaram and water will be provided to the farmers by June-July 2019.
Devineni Umamaheswara Rao
VIJAYAWADA: Telangana government has filed a fresh case in the Supreme Court, seeking a technical study on the impact of backwaters of Andhra Pradesh’s Polavaram Multi-Purpose Irrigation Project, in the affected states.
This has posed a threat to the crores worth ongoing works at the site of the state’s lifeli..
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Kochi to get first Super Fab Lab in July
Posted on March 18,2019
The Kerala Startup Mission had set up two state-of-the-art fabrication facilities, here and Kochi, in 2014.
Kerala Startup Mission
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The first ever Super Fab Lab - which aims at providing access to the tools and knowledge to innovate and invent, using digital fabrication - will come up in Kochi in July.
The Kerala Startup Mission is gearing up to ink an agreement with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to set up the Super Fab Lab, which ..
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Eight of top 10-cos add Rs 1.4 lakh cr in m-cap; RIL, HDFC Bank shine
Posted on March 17,2019
During the past week, Sensex surged 1,352.89 points or 3.68 per cent to close at 38,024.32 on Friday.
The market valuation of RIL zoomed Rs 35,500.21 crore to Rs 8,38,355.65 crore. HDFC Bank's market capitalisation (m-cap) jumped Rs 33,724.93 crore to Rs 6,12,846.54 crore and that of Kotak Mahindra Bank surged Rs 16,676.22 crore to Rs 2,52,871.75 crore. (Photo: File)
New Delhi: Eight of the 10 most valued firms together added Rs 1,42,643.2 crore in market valuation last week..
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FM Logistic to invest USD 150 million in India for warehouses
Posted on March 16,2019
The company plans to expand to five cities including four metropolitan cities.
This amount will be used to focus on multi-client warehouses, the company said. (Photo: Pixabay))
New Delhi: France-based FM Logistic on Friday said it plans to invest USD 150 million (a little over Rs 1,000 crore) over the next five years to set up new warehouses in India.
This amount will be used to focus on multi-client warehouses, the company said. CEO Jean-Christophe Machet said: "I am impre..
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Krishna water allocated to Telangana, AP
Posted on March 15,2019
Mr. Muralidhar told the board that AP had utilized more water than the amount that was allocated to it earlier.
The Board said it was in no way responsible if either of the two states failed to correctly utilize the water that is being allocated to them over the prescribed time limit. (Representational Image)
Hyderabad: The Krishna River Water Management Board on Thursday allocated 28 TMC of the Krishna waters to Telangana and 17.5 TMC to Andhra Pradesh for consumption durin..
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After Mumbai-Ahmedabad, Indian Railways eyes 10 more bullet train routes
Posted on March 14,2019
Indian Railways eyes expanding the bullet train network! The National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), which is implementing the country’s first bullet train project, linking Mumbai to Ahmedabad, has been asked to study the feasibility of 10 more bullet train corridors.
To conduct the survey for running bullet trains on 10 routes, the Railway Board has recently asked for Railway Ministry’s permission. Moreover, to finalize four routes, the ministry is likel..
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Colours of a village
Posted on March 13,2019
Madhvi Parekh, whose work is on display at the biennale, has found inspiration from her childhood spent in a Gujarat village.
Madhvi Parekh
Imbued with a child-like creativity, Madhvi Parekh’s paintings and sculptures at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale evoke a fantasy world populated with motifs from traditional forms of art.
As a Gujarati settled in Delhi, her art practice has been shaped by her upbringing in the country’s west. Most importantly, Madhvi owes it to her ex..
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Goa to use micro air abrasion technology to clean antiques
Posted on March 12,2019
The coastal state has a rich collection of old artefacts and antiques.
The micro air abrasion technology, so far being used in the industrial sector for cleaning heavy machines, is a minimum invasive technique to preserve objects without causing any physical harm.
Precious archaeological antiquesin Goa will now be preserved in a better way with the help of the Italian 'micro air abrasion' cleaning technology, an official has said.
The modern technology is already being used worl..
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EC declares schedule for 2019 LS polls, counting of votes on May 23
Posted on March 11,2019
Elections will be held for 543 seats of Lok Sabha on approximately 10 lakh polling booths across the country.
Lok Sabha polls would be held in 7 phases. (Photo: ANI)
New Delhi: The Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora on Sunday announced the schedule for the 17th Lok Sabha election that would be held in 7 phases.
Sharing the details of the execution, Arora said that the first phase of Lok Sabha polls would be held on April 1.
The second phase of Lok Sabha polls would b..
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New AI system scans tweets to spot security bugs early
Posted on March 10,2019
The system is able to identify tweets about new vulnerabilities that will show up days later on the National Vulnerability Database.
The system is yet to be perfect, but it could someday prove useful by leveraging the discussions happening on social media platforms.
A group of researchers have built a new system that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to scan tweets for signs of security vulnerabilities.
Researchers from Ohio State University, security company FireEye, and resear..
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In a first, SBI links pricing of loans, deposits to repo rate
Posted on March 09,2019
The repo rate is currently at 6.25 pc after the Feb 7 review where the central bank surprisingly lowered the repo rate by 25 bps.
The new rates will be effective May 1.
Mumbai: In a first-of-its kind initiative, the nation's largest lender State Bank on Friday announced linking of its savings deposits rates and short-term loans to an external benchmark--the repo rate of the Reserve Bank.
The new rates will be effective May 1, the bank said in a late evening statement.
The ..
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Success of TOT model critical for funding Bharatmala programme, says ICRA
Posted on March 08,2019
Timely monetisation of mature road assets will be a critical determining factor in plugging shortfall in budgetary allocations, said ICRA.
TOT is a model for monetising operational national highway projects where investors make a lump sum payment in return for long-term toll collection rights backed by a sound tolling system. (Representational Image)
New Delhi: The success of the toll-operate-transfer (TOT) model will be very significant for funding the government's ambitiou..
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Top realty players post 50% sales growth in 9 months of FY19
Posted on March 07,2019
Nearly 8.9 million sqft of sales were recorded in Q3 FY2019 alone, as per ICRA data.
During the first nine months (April-December) of fiscal 2019, the sales of ten large listed entities in its sample set, stood at a robust 22.4 million sqft, registering a 50.7 per cent growth over the corresponding period a year ago, rating agency ICRA said in its report. (Representational Image)
Mumbai: Despite a slowdown in the realty sector post implementation of various policy reforms li..
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Sensex surges 378 points tracking positive domestic cues
Posted on March 06,2019
Sensex started on a positive note at 36,141.07 in the morning and touched a high of 36,457.44 and low of 35,926.94 during the session.
Global investors remained edgy amid caution on the US-China trade talks front and concerns over slowing Chinese economy.
Mumbai: Market benchmark Sensex on Tuesday surged by nearly 379 points to close at 36,442 on intense buying mainly in auto, financial and energy counters amid easing of geo-political tensions and positive macroeconomic outlook...
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IIT Madras builds prototype for next gen transport
Posted on March 06,2019
Avishkar Hyperloop is only Indian team shortlisted for Space X competition.
IIT Madras.
Chennai: Avishkar Hyperloop, a student team from IIT Madras has successfully built a prototype hyperloop pod that would take just 25 minutes to travel from Chennai to Bangaluru.
It is the only Indian team to enter into the final of International Hyperloop Pod Competition organised by Elon Musk’s Space X.
Hyperloop is being hailed as the fifth mode of transportation that can move ..
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Govt to set ball rolling for 1 GW solar power in NE
Posted on March 05,2019
This tender will be governed by the viability gap funding (VGF) programme guidelines.
Request for selection to be issued this month. Solar photovoltaic projects will be developed under under Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission Phase-II Batch-IV.
Kolkata: Hills and mountains are the new corridors of power, it seems. Close on the heels of firming up 7,500 MW of grid-connected solar power projects in J&K’s Leh and Kargil districts, the Solar Energy Corporation of ..
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Builders may pass on input tax to buyers
Posted on March 05,2019
Affordable home prices may be raised by 2-3 per cent.
The new effective rate of 1 per cent will be charged on the entire value of an affordable property instead of 12 per cent on two-thirds of its value.
New Delhi: Lowering the tax rates on affordable and under construction properties by the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council may be good news for homebuyers but there is also a bad news for them as the builders are set to pass on the burden of input tax credit, or ITC, with..
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Country's first monorail network, Mumbai Monorail, now fully operational
Posted on March 04,2019
The entire 19.54 kilometre route of the country's first monorail system, being implemented by MMRDA, is now functional.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Sunday flagged off the much-delayed 11.28 kilometre second phase. (Photo:AP)
Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Sunday flagged off the much-delayed 11.28 kilometre second phase of the Chembur-Wadala-Jacob Circle monorail network.
With this, the entire 19.54 kilometre route of the country's firs..
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Hyderabad: Teak on priority list of Haritha Haram
Posted on March 04,2019
Forest officials have seized about 659 cubic metric tons of smuggled wood worth around Rs 1.58 crore.
(Representational Image)
Hyderabad: The forest department has taken up large-scale plantation of teakwood in the Haritha Haram project. Seeing the demand for teakwood in the state, the forest department is also encouraging farmers to grow teak wood trees in their fields.
Forest officials have seized about 659 cubic metric tons of smuggled wood worth around Rs 1.58 crore. Th..
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Five of top 10 firms together add Rs 35,503 crore in m-cap last week
Posted on March 03,2019
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) topped the chart among the gainers.
HDFC Bank, HUL, HDFC and Kotak Mahindra Bank saw losses on the other hand. (Photo: File)
New Delhi: Five of the 10 most valued Indian firms together added Rs 35,503 crore in their market valuation last week, with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) topping the chart among the gainers.
While TCS, ITC, Infosys, SBI and ICICI Bank witnessed rise in their market capitalisation (m-cap) during the trading week ended ..
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JNTU Hyderabad bags 1st prize in hackathon
Posted on March 03,2019
The team made a mobile application for pest detection using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.
Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad
Hyderabad: A five-member team from the JNTUH computer science department won first prize in the Hackathon-2019 conducted by the Indian Institute of Rice Research on February 9 and 10. The team made a mobile application for pest detection using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.
Source:DC
******..
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7 ways to maximise your credit card benefits
Posted on March 02,2019
Cashbacks and discounts offered by credit cards can help reduce your cost of purchase or services.
Those with consistent repayment history can also avail instant loan against the sanctioned limit of their credit card.
Today, availing a credit card is not just about making payment or financing them in case of fund shortages. It is also about earning discounts, cashbacks, reward points and free vouchers on credit card transactions. Those with consistent repayment history can also a..
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Green environ decreases mental disorders
Posted on March 01,2019
Being surrounded by greenery in childhood may improve mental health of the future urbanites.
There is a close relationship between green space, urban life and mental disorder. (Photo: Representational/Pixabay)
Washington: A new study now finds that children who grow up with greener surroundings have up to 55 per cent less risk of developing various mental disorders later in life. The study by Aarhus University, Denmark, emphasises the need for designing green and healthy cit..
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A true soldier, look how bravely he spoke: Pilot Abhinandan’s father
Posted on February 28,2019
Abhinandan is the son of retired Air Marshal Simhakutty Varthaman, who last served as Eastern Air Command chief.
The 38-year-old has been a fighter pilot for 16 years and is the son of a decorated and senior officer of the Air Force. (@OfficialDGISPR/Twitter)
Mumbai: Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman of the Indian Air Force (IAF) is in Pakistan’s custody following the crash of an Indian MiG-21 on Pakistan soil on February 27.
He ejected safely from his aircraft, but..
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Despite RERA, title cover has no takers
Posted on February 27,2019
Insurers blame the delay in notifying the rules under the Act by respective state govt for the slow offtake of title insurance covers.
Title insurance provides indemnity to property developers and homeowners against defects in land title that arise out of third-party challenges. (Representional Image)
Mumbai: Only three title insurance policies have been sold in nearly two years despite the Central Real Estate Regulation and Development Act 2016 (RERA) mandating builders to ..
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Climate change affecting summertime thunderstorms
Posted on February 26,2019
Summertime thunderstorms 'robustly connected' to climate change.
USA: Scientists at The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) attributed the cause of summertime thunderstorms to the massive climate change, as reported by the Daily Mail.
The scientists from MIT calculated the energy change level that triggers climate change across the globe by using data from 1979 to 2017. Electrical energy has risen by 13 per cent that causes stormy weather. According to the scientists, the redistri..
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Recommendations of the 33rd GST Council meeting
Posted on February 25,2019
Real estate sector is one of the largest contributors to the national GDP and provides employment opportunity to large numbers of people. “Housing for All by 2022” envisions that every citizen would have a house and the urban areas would be free of slums. There are reports of slowdown in the sector and low off-take of under-construction houses which needs to be addressed. To boost the residential segment of the real estate sector, following recommendations were made by the GST Council in its..
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GST set at 1 per cent for affordable housing
Posted on February 25,2019
The new tax rates will be effective April 1 this year.
The Council, in its 33rd meeting, said a residential property priced at Rs 45 lakh or below will now fall under the category as affordable and will be taxed at 1 per cent, clarifying that the concession relate to property measuring 60-sq metre in metros and 90-sq metre in non-metro cities.
New Delhi: In a huge relief to homebuyers, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council on Sunday reduced the GST rate on affordable hous..
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Indian-origin students develop device for automatic watering of plants in Singapore
Posted on February 25,2019
Pratyush Bansal and Aekas Singh Gulati, class eight students at the Global Indian International School (GIIS) made the plant.
Two Indian-origin students in Singapore have developed a device which enables automated watering of plants.(Representational Image)
Singapore: Two Indian-origin students in Singapore have developed a device which enables automated watering of plants to ensure the plants don't suffer while you are away at work or vacations.
Pratyush Bansal and Aekas S..
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347 infra projects show cost overruns worth over Rs 3.2 lakh cr
Posted on February 24,2019
The average time overrun in these 360 delayed projects is 44.43 months.
According to the report, the expenditure incurred on these projects till November 2018 is Rs 7,97,496.44 crore, which is 37.07 per cent of the anticipated cost of the projects.
New Delhi: As many as 347 infrastructure projects, each worth Rs 150 crore or more, have shown cost overruns to the tune of over Rs 3.2 lakh crore owing to delays and other reasons, a Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implement..
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Paris marches to save the planet
Posted on February 23,2019
Hundreds of students march in Paris for climate action.
Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg (centre), carrying a sign that reads: "school strike for the climate", leads a march of thousands of French students through Paris on Friday. (Photo:AP)
Paris: Hundreds of French students have taken to the streets of Paris to call for more action to fight climate change, one day after a similar march in Brussels. Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old Swedish schoolgirl who is being hailed as he..
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India turns heat on Pakistan, to stop water
Posted on February 22,2019
Fallout of Pulwama attack to cost hostile neighbour dearly.
Three western rivers going to Pak make up over 80 per cent of the Indus river system due to the presence of the mighty Indus.
New Delhi: India decided on Thursday to stop the flow of its share of water to Pakistan from rivers under the Indus Water Treaty, a move seen as an immediate fallout of the deadly terrorist attack in Pulwama, Kashmir, that killed well over 40 paramilitary personnel.
Water resources minister ..
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Budget 2019-20: KCR shocks all, keeps finance, key portfolios
Posted on February 20,2019
He shocked former finance minister Etala Rajendar by allotting him medical and health portfolio.
Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao.
Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has retained major portfolios like finance, revenue, commercial taxes, irrigation, power, IT and industries, and will present the vote-on-account Budget for 2019-20 on February 22. Mr Rao will also retain all ministries not allotted to other ministers.
He shocked former finance minister Etala Rajend..
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JNPT development works will generate 1.25 lakh jobs: Gadkari
Posted on February 19,2019
JNPT has deepened and widened the existing channel from 14 mt to 15 mt draft .
Gadkari further said JNPT has won the bid for Dighi port and now it will undertake all the necessary developments to revamp the port. (Photo: File)
Uran: Terming ports as the engines of growth, Union Minister for Shipping and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Sunday said the developments undertaken by the JNPT here will change the face of the Konkan region and make it a global tourist destination.
Gadkari ..
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Ireland’s Magnet Networks launches its award winning IoT solutions in India
Posted on February 18,2019
Magnet Networks was recognised as one of Ireland’s top 100 companies in 2018.
By locating in India, Magnet Networks is able to provide ‘in-country’ technical and support services to its largest global clients.
An Irish company’s technology is enabling a new way of smart living and redefining the traditional rental model globally. Dublin-based Magnet Networks - leading IoT solutions, Telecommunications, Data Connectivity and Security Services provider, offe..
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Bengaluru: Garden city weighed down by brick and mortar, says IISc report
Posted on February 16,2019
A 1028 per cent rise in paved surface since 1973: Indian Institute of Science (IISc.).
Picture for representation
Bengaluru: If there was any doubt about Garden City Bengaluru going steadily downhill, a report by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc.) has just removed it. Released by its lead scientist, Dr TV Ramachandra, it deplores the “senseless concretisation” of the city, noting that there has been a 1028 per cent rise in its paved surface from 1973 to 2017..
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Amla – The Wonder Berry
Posted on February 15,2019
Amla is well known for its powerful antioxidant properties that form the foundation of its healing properties.
With the passage of time and rapid proliferation in research, it has been found that amla is an important medicinal plant. It provides effective solution for various contemporary lifestyle diseases which is of major concern.
It is considered to be a wonder berry that takes care of the overall well being of a person. Enriched with the goodness of Vitamin C it aids in increasing imm..
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Smart Cities: Tendering Opportunities Worth Rs 382 Billion!
Posted on February 14,2019
India is going smart in a hurry.
The score card
Just consider the numbers: 33 per cent of the total 5,151 projects under the smart cities mission have been completed or are currently under implementation, utilising 25 per cent of the envisaged investment. Since the launch of the mission, projects worth Rs 2 trillion are in various stages of implementation in the 100 cities. So far, 534 projects worth Rs 101.16 billion have been completed. Implementation has commence..
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Outlook of Steel Industry – 2019
Posted on February 14,2019
2018 was a subtle year full of upheavals especially for the iron and steel industry. Steel360 compiled insights which could help in determining what can be expected from steel industry in 2019.
Global Steel Demand-
After a contraction of -3.0% reported in 2015, global steel demand is continuously growing and as we are entering in 2019 the demand for steel is expected to remain on the positive side. While the robustness of steel demand recovery seen in 2017 was carried forwarded to 20..
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Groundwater overexploited in 65 Telangana villages
Posted on February 14,2019
Proposals were sent to the government to construct 700 recharge shafts across the state.
The groundwater department has identified all the 65 overexploited villages in the districts of Nagarkurnool, Jangaon, Siddipet, Karimnagar and Sangareddy and construction of recharge shafts has started
Hyderabad: The groundwater department of Telangana state has identified 65 overexploited villages where groundwater has been extracted by more than 100 per cent of the recharge capacity.
The depar..
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Hyderabad imports toxic pollution in form of tyres
Posted on February 13,2019
Shipments of used tyres are being dumped in Hyderabad from the US, UK and West Asia.
Reports claim the harm to the environment could be worse than plastic because when rubber burns, toxins that could be carcinogenic are released into the air.
Hyderabad: A problem worse than plastic could be plaguing Hyderabad. While the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation cracks down on plastic bags of less than 40 microns, environmentalists believe it is the import of thousands of tonnes ..
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The number of migrant labour are travelling from TS and AP
Posted on February 12,2019
· ACCORDING to the unicon ministry of labour and employment, 25.081 labours from telemgana emigrated to ECR nation in 2016; 16,470 in 2017 and 13,085 in 2018
· THE DATA comprises immigration clearance taken by recruiting agents and project exports
The number of migrant labour travelling to 18 EmigratIon Check Required nations has fall· en alar..
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Southern cit ies have seen relatively faster recovery
Posted on February 13,2019
• Chennai,Bengaluru and Hyderabad collectively saw 77% rise in new supply
•These cities saw 20% rise in housing sales against 18% in North and 15% in West
Southern cit ies have seen relatively faster recovery in the supply and sales of real estate p1"0jects
in residential, commercial and retail segments in 2018. Wh ile Chennai witnessed the fastest growth in the residential segment. Bangalore topped in both supply and absorption in the commercial segment and Hyderabad in ma..
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India achieves 20% reduction in emissions intensity, with efficient buildings a key focus
Posted on February 11,2019
On National Energy Conservation Day last week, it was announced that India has achieved a 20% reduction in emissions intensity. This marks a significant milestone toward the nation’s goal of achieving a 33% reduction by 2030 (from 2005 levels).
The news was announced by Power Minister Raj Kumar Singh on Friday. “We have in our Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INCD) said that by 2030 we will cap the emissions intensity of our economy to 33% as compared to the 2005 levels..
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GST Council on Real Estate Sector By Rajat Mohan Partner AMRG & Associates
Posted on February 10,2019
GST Council on Real Estate Sector By Rajat Mohan Partner AMRG & Associates
Taxation of this sector was loaded with multiple taxes including Value Added Tax (VAT), Service Tax, Stamp Duties etc. There is no uniformity in taxation, as real estate was being subject to tax by State Governments, tax rates of which varies state to state.
Average taxes on a residential property in Pre-GST regime
Tax
Bengaluru
Mumbai
Pune
Chennai
Gurugram
VAT
4.0%
1.0%
1.0%
2.0%
4.0%
..
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RBI rate cut to boost growth, make loan affordable: India inc
Posted on February 09,2019
RBI cut benchmark interest rate by 0.25 per cent to 6.25 per cent on expectation of inflation staying within its target range.
Mumbai: The Reserve Bank of India on Thursday cut benchmark interest rate by 0.25 per cent to 6.25 per cent on expectation of inflation staying within its target range, a move that may translate into lower monthly installments for home and other loans.
The central bank also changed its monetary policy stanc..
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Realty sector hope for revival in housing sales after rate cut
Posted on February 08,2019
Reduce in repo rates will give a fillip to the realty sector especially after sops in the recent interim budget.
The decision will not just enhance liquidity in the economy but also boost investment and give the economy a positive growth phase.
Mumbai: Liquidity crisis-hit real estate industry Friday welcomed the decision ofthe RBI to reduce the repo rates saying the 'unexpected' move will give a fillip to the sector especially after sops in the recent interim budget.
RBI G..
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India pushes to complete 61 strategic roads on China border by 2022
Posted on February 07,2019
These roads add up to a total length of 3,417km, of which 2,350km has been completed.
The roads along the country’s northern border with China are spread across Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.(Reuters)
India has sharpened its focus on scaling up infrastructure along the China border and set a target of three years to complete all strategic road projects alon..
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MPCB yet to submit its plan for cleaner air, stares at legal action
Posted on February 06,2019
MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government is yet to submit its action plan to reduce air pollution in 17 cities, more than a month after it missed its last deadline. The state could now be taken to court.
On October 8, the chairperson of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) bench, Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, took suo motu cognisance of news reports about the Centre’s plan to set up a National Clean Air Action Plan (NCAP), and asked 23 states to come up with ways to reduce air pollution.
The s..
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Ganga flow may rise till 2050, then fall abruptly
Posted on February 06,2019
MUMBAI: Change will begin altering water levels in the Ganga and the Brahmaputra in the next three decades, and after 2050, the rivers could record an abrupt decrease in flow, according to a study on the Hindu Kush and Himalayan (HKH) region that predicts disruptions which could jeopardise agriculture and access to drinking water.
The findings are part of the 600-page report from Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), which includes 210 auth..
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What Stops Borrowers From Switching Lenders?
Posted on February 05,2019
The option to switch banks is always open to home-loan borrowers. However, most borrowers refrain from going to another bank. They would rather stick with their current lender if it allows them to avail of the benefits of reduced rates. However, when they see a rival bank making one of the kindest cuts in interest rates, the temptation may only be too persistent to ignore. Most borrowers will still prefer to stay with their existing lender despite ruing the fact that rival banks are offer..
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Hyderabad Prepares For A Civic Makeover
Posted on February 05,2019
The Greater Hyderabad of Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has rolled out tenders to start the road repair work in the city. Approximately, 17,000 manholes lead to safety issues and bumpy rides along the 2,000-km stretch of roadways in the city. These roads which are under the GHMC and the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) may soon see a correction.
The city's municipal body has set a budget of Rs 20 crore for the project, which it aims to complete before th..
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New international standards on BIM
Posted on February 04,2019
BSI, the British Standards Institution, has published two new international standards relating to building information modelling (BIM).
BS EN ISO 19650-1 and BS EN ISO 19650-2 provide recommendations for the organisation of information about construction works using BIM.
These two international standards, the first of the 19650 series, supersede BS 1192 (principles) and PAS 1192-2 (capital/delivery phase).
Part 1* deals with the concepts and principles applicable to the whole life-cyc..
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Protostar fined £14k for unauthorised asbestos removal
Posted on February 04,2019
A London construction company has been fined £14,000 for breach of asbestos controls last year at a site on Finchley Road.
Westminster magistrates heard how, in February 2018, Protostar Construction Ltd (PCL) commissioned an asbestos survey which identified a significant amount of asbestos at the site and provided detailed instructions on how it should be dealt with.
PCL invited the survey company to attend site to quote for the asbestos removal and when the surveyor arrived, they discov..
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Investment in 17 entities under shipping ministry hiked to Rs 5,778 cr for FY'20
Posted on February 03,2019
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The government has increased the proposed investment in 17 enterprises under the shipping ministry to Rs 5,778 crore for 2019-20 in order to boost the 'blue economy'. The estimated investment in these enterprises that include 12 major ports is Rs 5,548.12 crore in 2018-19, according to the revised numbers in the recent budget document. The government had proposed an investment of Rs 5,079.80 crore in the Budget for 2018-19.
Aspiring to be a USD 10 trillion economy in the n..
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Budget 2019: Operating ratio of Indian Railways likely to improve
Posted on February 02,2019
The government has sharply accelerated the development of highways, ports and waterways, and made the Indian Railways much safer and financially more efficient, interim finance minister Piyush Goyal told Parliament on Friday.
Goyal made the highest ever capital-expenditure allocation of Rs 1.58 lakh crore for the railways in the interim budget, while leaving passenger fares and freight rates unchanged ahead of general elections this year.
India is building roads at 27 kms a day, the minister s..
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Budget 2019: MEA gets an allocation of Rs 16,061 crores
Posted on February 01,2019
The total aid to countries stands at Rs 6,447 crores - up from last year's budget of Rs 5,545 crores.
The budget for the Ministry of External Affairs has increased from Rs 15,011 to 16,061. (Photo: ANI | Twitter)
New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs has been allocated a budget of Rs 16,061 crores in the Interim Budget 2019-20, with an increase of Rs 1,050 crores over last year's Rs 15,011 crore. The total aid to countries, which has increased by almost Rs 902 crores, stand..
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Another Apple employee arrested over stealing self-driving tech secrets
Posted on February 01,2019
It was after an employee saw him taking photos in a sensitive work area that Apple conducted an investigation.
According to the criminal complaint against him, he was arrested a day before he was supposed to fly to China.
Apple’s closely guarded self-driving technology was again vulnerable at the hands of its own employee. The company employee in question, Jizhong Chen, allegedly tried to pass on the information to a Chinese competitor.
It was after an employee saw him tak..
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The One Color You Need in Your Home (Based on Your Zodiac Sign)
Posted on February 16,2019
GEMINI: Mint (May 21- June 20)
Chris Amaral
A Gemini’s eloquence and charm inevitably lands them in the center of attention, and there is nowhere else that they would rather be. Represented by twins, Geminis serve a double dose of personality with their quick-wit and sociable demeanor. They tend to change their mind just as soon as they have made it up, which makes decorating particularly tricky.If you are an ever-evolving Gemini, you’ve likely already made some ..
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Cement Manufacturers’ Association, trade unions reach new wage pact
Posted on January 31,2019
The negotiation committee was headed by N Srinivasan, Vice-Chairman & MD, The India Cements and past president of CMA. The CMA is an employers’ representative body of the cement industry representing companies in wage negotiations since 1978.Cement Manufacturers’ Association (CMA) and Federation of major Central Trade Unions (INTUC, AITUC, BMS, HMS, and CITU & LPF) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding agreeing on an increase in gross pay, enhanced dearness allowance an..
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The right temperature for a building
Posted on January 30,2019
Buildings are one of the largest consumers of energy and emitters of GHG emissions. Gaurav Burman, who heads a building intelligence solutions provider, tells Dhiraj Shetty how to tackle this issue
With air-conditioning becoming almost de rigueur in the modern office, arguments over the temperature inside are not uncommon. The temperature inside an office affects the productivity of the employees inside. In fact, some people are even uncomfortable with air-conditioning itself.
Interestingly,..
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Why no experts on RTI panels, asks Supreme Court
Posted on January 30,2019
Bench asks why only bureaucrats were appointed, excluding subject experts
The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked why Right to Information bodies, especially the apex forum of Central Information Commission (CIC), were almost completely manned by bureaucrats.
Justice A.K. Sikri, who led a Bench comprising Justice S. Abdul Nazeer, pointed out that the Right to Information Act of 2005 mandates that people with a range of experience and from various fields should serve as information commi..
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GHMC plans new project to stop flooding
Posted on January 29,2019
Hyderabad: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has finally decided to tackle flooding in the city at an estimated cost of Rs 5,000 crore. The corporation has already finalised the proposals and sent them to the state government.
The project will be executed in phases. It will separate sewer and storm water drain lines, construct stormwater drains along 500 km, and construct sewerage treatment plants (STPs) near the outlets of the sewerage networks. Construction of about 2.7 l..
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Narendra Modi may put reforms aside in Budget for a 2019 encore
Posted on January 28,2019
Desperate for five more years in power, India's Hindu nationalist government will woo rural and urban middle-class voters with farm relief measures and tax cuts, said officials privy to plans for the final budget before a general election. Stung by opposition parties victories in three state polls last month, and needing to call a national election by May, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is facing growing discontent over depressed farm incomes and doubts over whether his policies are creating ..
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MoRTH launches 16,878-cr road projects in AP
Posted on January 27,2019
The transport minister has laid the foundation stones for 39 national highways projects of 1,384-kms, entailing an investment of Rupees.16,878 crore, in Andhra Pradesh, said official sources. The minister revealed that the state, prior to May 2014, had 4,193 km roads, which has now increased to 7,246 km. In fact, the Centre has targeted a total of 108 projects involving an investment of Rupees.1,64,719 crore for development of highways. Under Bharatmala program, about 2,520 km of roads amounting..
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JICA injects 2,470-cr in Chennai ring road project
Posted on January 27,2019
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Central government have signed an agreement to provide an Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan of 40,074 million Japanese Yen amounting to Rupees.2,470 crore, for the Chennai Peripheral Ring Road Project (Phase 1). The mega road venture has been placed as a priority project in the "Comprehensive Integrated Master Plan for Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor. The main objective of the project is to ease vehicular traffic in the Che..
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Google Taps Black & Veatch to Help Build Solar in Asia
Posted on January 26,2019
A rendering of what Google's solar panels above the commercial fish ponds in Taiwan might look like.
Black & Veatch subsidiary Diode Ventures is helping Google develop its first renewable energy project in Asia, a unusual solar farm in Taiwan featuring 40,000 solar panels built above fish ponds.
Diode helped put the deal together, which brings in Black & Veatch to provide owner’s engineering and construction management; Taiwan’s New Green Power to ha..
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Armed with Guinness record, Navayuga now eyes global markets
Posted on January 25,2019
Engineering and construction firm Navayuga Engineering Company (NEC), which on Monday secured the Guinness World Record for largest continuous concrete pour at Polavaram irrigation project, will now eye global markets with world-class equipment and expertise in completing critical projects in record time. Polavaram irrigation project in Andhra Pradesh is the world's largest flood discharge dam currently under construction, involving Rs 57,000 crore in outlay including land acquisition, reha..
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World Bank Group Announces $50 billion over Five Years for Climate Adaptation and Resilience
Posted on January 24,2019
WASHINGTON, January 23, 2019 – The World Bank Group today launched its Action Plan on Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience. Under the plan, the World Bank Group will ramp up direct adaptation climate finance to reach $50 billion over FY21–25. This financing level—an average of $10 billion a year—is more than double what was achieved during FY15-18. The World Bank Group will also pilot new approaches to increasing private finance for adaptation and resilience..
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Indian Railways to invest Rs 18,000 crore on solar power units along tracks
Posted on January 24,2019
linear land along the tracks with greater efficiency, the Indian Railways is planning to come up with solar power tenders of 4 giga watt (GW) soon. The bids will open up business opportunities of about Rs 18,000 crore for the domestic solar industry that consists of equipment makers and plant installers.
The tender conditions will include certain levels of domestic production, in consonance with the Make in India project.
For the first time, the national transporter will own power ge..
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BRO successfully constructs road on difficult terrain in Kailash Mansarovar Yatra route
Posted on January 23,2019
Under Border Roads Organisation (BRO)’s Project Hirak, the long 2.5 km stretch between Lakhanpur to Najang has been connected with the mainland despite all odds on Jan 15.
According to army officials, “This connectivity is very important being chicken neck corridor with Nepal in Dharchula Sub- Division of Uttarakhand, where the only alternative route was a mule track passing below the new road alignment.”
The connectivity between Lakhanpur to Najang has been very challengin..
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Bharatmala 2.0 to focus on expressways, add 4000 km greenfield roads
Posted on January 21,2019
NEW DELHI: The next phase of highway development in India will focus on building expressways which allow uninterrupted traffic flow. Under the second phase of Bharatmala, the government has proposed to build nearly 3,000 km of expressways, including Varanasi-Ranchi-Kolkata, Indore-Mumbai, Bengaluru-Pune and Chennai-Trichy.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which has been tasked with implementing the flagship highway development programme, has invited bids for undertaking p..
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Rs 75,000 crore invested for infrastructure development in Mumbai: Piyush Goyal
Posted on January 20,2019
PTI
@moneycontrolcom
Union minister Piyush Goyal claimed on January 19 that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre has invested Rs 75,000 crore for infrastructure development in Mumbai so far.
The Railway Minister was speaking to reporters at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) here after flagging off the first Rajdhani Express of the Central Railway (CR) between CSMT Mumbai and Hazrat Nizamuddin, Delhi.
"Rs 1,171 crore were invested in the railwa..
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Budget 2019: Govt should launch NHAI InvIT to support Bharatmala
Posted on January 20,2019
Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RFCTLARR) Act has increased the land acquisition cost for road projects; a significant portion of the cost is required to be spent towards land acquisition.
Majority of the Bharatmala programme is expected to be undertaken through NHAI. The total budgetary allocations (including PBFF, CRF and GBS) to fund the ambitious new highway development programme is estimated at Rs. 3,43,045 crore over FY2019..
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Newtecnic: Construction trends for 2019
Posted on January 18,2019
Construction Sequence Simulation
Simulating and animating construction sequences will grow in popularity as city building sites become increasingly complex. Protected public spaces that need to account for pedestrians and transport systems can be simulated, along with buildings themselves. Putting them into context helps people better understand how to build harmoniously in tight spaces.
Real-world simulations that include noise and air quality impacts, delivery schedules, make worksite ..
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Pre-poll construction work to give a boost to cement sales
Posted on January 18,2019
A pick-up in infrastructure and construction jobs has resulted in cement sales volumes growing in strong double digits over the past few quarters and the momentum is likely to continue ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Typically, cement growth spikes in elections years, and experts believe that 2019 will be a strong year for construction as the elections are likely to be held in May 2019 and states, such as Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, too might hold elections.
Besides infrast..
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8 reasons why the global construction industry needs to innovate
Posted on January 18,2019
Business leaders are constantly told that innovation is ‘essential’ to business growth, competitiveness and productivity in a world of increasing competition and depleting natural resources.
A recent McKell Institute Report declared that firms must “innovate or perish” and that executives are faced with a fundamental choice. They can either take “the ‘low-road’ of narrow cost-cutting and ..
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Innovation 2050: 10 predictions for the future of the construction industry
Posted on February 17,2019
The construction industry will be taken over by robots. Not completely, but more and more construction sites will become human-free.
That’s the message from Balfour Beatty in its latest report, Innovation 2050.
Here, we take a look at the 10 predictions for the construction industry of 2050.
It may seem far away, but with the incredible advances in technology, 2050 seems just around the corner.
The industry will become increas..
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Tata's Trent buys 1.5 lakh sq ft space in Lodha's project
Posted on January 17,2019
Jan 16, 2019, 07.56 PM IST
Representative image.
MUMBAI: In a major commercial deal, Tata Group's retail arm Trent has acquired five floors of office space in Lodha Group's commercial building Lodha Excelus New Cuffe Parade for a transaction value of Rs 300 crore. Of the 5 floors, the company, as the first and anchor client, has bought four floors on an outright basis, while one floor has been taken on a long-term lease and the deal is value..
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Builders in Karnataka sell unfinished houses as completed projects: RERA activists
Posted on January 17,2019
Several property developers have allegedly cheated homebuyers right under the nose of the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) Karnataka, taking advantage of the fact that the system lacks a provision to verify claims on completion of projects.
As per the rule, developers have to specify the date of completion when they register the project with RERA and need to update its status on the authority’s portal on or before the declared date.
The RERA website says builders of 191 pr..
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Airports to go green as AAI announces ban on single-use plastic items
Posted on January 16,2019
Brilliant step towards environmental sustainability! It’s a known fact that plastic pollution causes great damage to the environment. Keeping this in mind, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has imposed a ban on single-use plastic items at its 129 airports across the country.
The single-use plastic items are ones which are used only once and then thrown in the trash. AAI’s step towards plastic ban is a great initiative towards saving the environment and resorting to green solut..
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Gunning for past glory: Desilt drive to revive Katora Houz
Posted on January 15,2019
Omer Bin Taher
Char minar:
Desilting work in the Katora Houz is almost over, raising hopes of saving the 450-year-old cupshaped water tank from encroachment and neglect Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has completed 80% of the work.
Kausar Mohiuddin, the AIMIM Karwan MLA, said that the tourism department was likely to take up further work and expressed hope that the desilting work of the water tank would be over by the end of this year. “Desilting works of Katora Hou..
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SAVE LAKES :Shatam lake now a stinky pond with waste, hyacinth
Posted on January 15,2019
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Hyderabad:
Historic Shah Hatim Talab, popularly known as Shatam Cheruvu, will soon disappear from the cityscape due to encroachment, dumping of garbage, free flow of toxic chemicals and hyacinth. The lake has already lost a third of its spread to encroachment and largescale dumping of construction waste.
“The lake has been cut off completely form the inlet channels and most of the construction debris which was being dumped around it has been dumped into the wate..
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Untreated sewage & garbage whip up froth at Ibrahim Cheruvu again
Posted on January 14,2019
Hyderabad:
With the constant release of toxic wastes from adjoining colonies, Ibrahim Cheruvu, commonly known as Pedha Cheruvu, near Taramati Baradari at Ibrahim Bagh is once again choking with froth. While this has been a regular occurrence at the lake for the past two years, what’s shocked people this time is the amount of froth accumulated near the outlet of the lake on Sunday.
Madhulika Chowdhary, an activist, said, “The lake has been frothing for over two years now. Repeated a..
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Commission: Flat buyer can claim interest even for a 22-month delay in possession
Posted on January 14,2019
Mumbai:
In a city where inordinate delays in receiving possession of flats has become commonplace, the state consumer commission has held that even a delay of 22 months entitles a flat buyer to claim interest.
The commission ruled in favour of Malad resident Neela More who had booked a 607 square feet flat for Rs 13 lakh in June 2000, but got its possession 22 months later, in April 2002. In addition to the 24% interest levied for the 22 months on the Rs 13 lakh, the state commission ordered t..
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World Bank Group President Kim to Step Down February 1
Posted on January 13,2019
WASHINGTON, January 7, 2019 — World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim today announced that he will be stepping down from his position after more than six years in which the institution’s shareholders provided strong support to multiple initiatives to ensure that the Bank Group retains strong leadership in the world of global development.
“It has been a great honor to serve as President of this remarkable institution, full of passionate individuals dedicated t..
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Storm clouds are looming for the global economy as growth slows to 2.9%
Posted on January 12,2019
The outlook for the global economy in 2019 has darkened.
International trade and investment have softened. Trade tensions remain elevated. Several large emerging markets underwent substantial financial pressures last year.
Against this challenging backdrop, growth in emerging market and developing economies is expected to remain flat in 2019. The pickup in economies that rely heavily on commodity exports is likely to be much slower than hoped for. Growth in many other economies is anticipated ..
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PPP reflections for a new year
Posted on January 11,2019
Before diving into a new year, I like to take some time for reflection. This past year, I’ve seen a real shift in how public-private partnerships (PPPs) are perceived and understood—both their benefits and risks. Many governments are considering PPPs to help them deliver infrastructure and services their citizens need. They also better understand the complexity of PPPs as a procurement method and are more strategic in when to use them.
Landscape of renewables as PPPsWith the Sc..
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Over 5,000 Projects Proposed Under Smart Cities Mission
Posted on January 11,2019
Cities selected under the Smart Cities Mission have suggested a total of 5,151 projects, Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri told the Rajya Sabha on January 3. In a written reply, the minister told the Upper House that all the cities had incorporated special purpose vehicles and constituted city-level advisory while 97 of them had procured project management consultants.
In June last year, the government had announced Shillong as the 100th city to rece..
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2018: A Year Of New Highs For India’s Infra
Posted on January 11,2019
Building a robust infrastructure has been this government’s priority. As soon as it took charge in 2014, it got busy making plans to build projects that would change the face of the city. That momentum picked pace in 2018, considering India goes to polls in the New Year. While several revolutionary plans remained on the drawing board, some of them were able to see the light of the day. Let us try to see how far India travelled infrastructure-wise in the year gone by.
Year 2018 ..
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