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The Indian Navy cruiser INS Mormugao arrived to the MV Chem Pluto, the India-bound merchant vessel that was “attacked by an Iranian drone” on Saturday night and ascertained specifics of the attack, officials said on Sunday. The Indian Navy, according to officials, has initiated an investigation to determine whether the drone used to attack the vessel was launched from a considerable distance or from a local vessel. An official informed ANI, “The vessels operating in the area where the attack took place are being checked.” A Pentagon spokesperson told Reuters that the motor vessel CHEM PLUTO, a Liberian-flagged, Japanese-owned, and Dutch-operated chemical tanker, was hit by a one-way attack drone fired from Iran at approximately 10 a.m. local time (6 a.m. GMT) today in the Indian Ocean, 200 nautical miles off the coast of India. Meanwhile, the Indian shore Guard ship Vikram is escorting the MV Chem Pluto, which is slated to arrive on the Mumbai shore on Monday. According to Indian

Following an attack by Iran-backed Houthi militants on two vessels in the Red Sea, including the crude oil tanker MV SAIBABA, the Indian Navy said on Sunday that all 25 Indian crew members on board are safe, clarifying that the vessel was not an India-flagged vessel, as claimed by the US earlier, but one flying the Gabonese flag. In an earlier statement, the US Central Command stated that one of the two warships targeted by the Houthis was flagged in India. According to CENTCOM, this is the 14th and 15th strike on commercial vessels by Houthi terrorists since October 17. “On December 23 two Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles were fired into international shipping lanes in the Southern Red Sea from Houthi-controlled areas of Houthi militants. No ships reported being impacted by the ballistic missiles,” US Central Command posted on X. At the same time, between 3 and 8 pm (Sanaa time), the USS LABOON (DDG 58) was patrolling the Southern Red Sea as part of Operation Prosperity Guardia

A Japanese-owned chemical tanker was attacked Saturday off the coast of India by a drone “fired from Iran,” according to the Pentagon, indicating that commercial maritime threats are moving beyond the Red Sea. It was the first time the Pentagon has accused Iran of actively attacking ships since Israel launched its war against the Palestinian group Hamas, which is backed by Tehran. The incident comes amid a flurry of new drone and missile attacks on the key Red Sea shipping lane by Yemen’s Iran-backed Huthi rebels since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, with the group claiming to act in sympathy with Gaza. The incident in the Indian Ocean on Saturday occurred at 10 a.m. local time (0600 GMT) and resulted in no casualties aboard the vessel, according to a Pentagon statement, which also stated that a fire was doused. The US military “remains in communication with the vessel as it continues toward a destination in India,” it added. The drone strike occurred 200 nautical

India’s foreign exchange reserves rose for the fifth straight week, reaching an over 20-month high of $615.97 billion as of Dec. 15, data from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) showed on Friday. The reserves rose by $9.1 billion in the reporting week, after climbing by a total of $16.5 billion in the prior four weeks. Indian debt and equity markets have seen net inflows of $9.2 billion so far in December, after receiving $2.9 billion in November. India’s foreign exchange reserves include cash, bank deposits, bonds, and other financial assets denominated in currencies other than the Indian rupee. Notably, stronger foreign currency reserves allow developing market central banks to “buffer their currencies against sharp declines by supplying dollars to the market” at times of volatility. India’s foreign currency assets (FCA), the biggest component of the forex reserves, rose USD 8.349 billion to USD 545.048 billion, the central bank’s weekly statistical data showed. FCA includes the eff

With coronavirus rearing its ugly head once again in most part of the world, a man from Noida in India’s Uttar Pradesh has tested positive for COVID-19, becoming a first case of the respiratory infection in Gautam Buddh Nagar after several months. The patient is a 54-year-old male who resides in Noida and works at a multinational company in Haryana’s Gurugram, Gautam Buddh Nagar Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Sunil Sharma said. “His test sample has been sent to Delhi for genome sequencing. The result is awaited,” Sharma said. The patient had travelled to Nepal earlier this month and after returning, he also went to work in his Gurugram office, District Surveillance Officer and public healthcare expert Dr Amit Kumar said. COVID-19 symptoms in Noida patient Whether the Noida COVID-19 patient showed any symptoms, Kumar said, he is asymptomatic and went for the COVID-19 test on his own. “This is the only confirmed case in Gautam Buddh Nagar so far,” he added. Testing for COVID-19 ha

Foxconn, the Taiwanese electronics manufacturing services company, has recently applied to establish a semiconductor fabrication unit in India, according to disclosures made to the Parliament by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the Minister of State for Electronics and IT. The application falls under the “modified scheme for setting up semiconductor fabs in India,” part of the government’s initiative to boost the electronics manufacturing sector, with a particular focus on semiconductors. This move follows Foxconn’s withdrawal from a joint venture with the Vedanta Group, which had plans for a chip plant in Gujarat with an investment of approximately Rs 1.5 lakh crore. Despite this setback, Foxconn remains committed to the semiconductor sector in India. In June 2023, Micron received approval for the first semiconductor unit under the Semicon India programme, and construction is already underway, contributing to the positive momentum in the sector. Foxconn has been actively expanding its presen

According to Union Health Ministry officials on Wednesday, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is working on sequencing the genome of the novel JN.1 strain of SARS-CoV-2. According to NITI Aayog member (health) Dr. V K Paul, 21 cases of COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 have been found nationwide to date. This information was shared on Wednesday. He stressed the necessity for states to step up testing and fortify their monitoring system while stating that the scientific community in India was attentively examining the new variation. Officials told the media that one case each in Kerala and Maharashtra and nineteen cases in Goa have been linked to the COVID-19 subvariant JN.1. 16 COVID-19-related deaths in the last two weeks have been reported, and the deceased had significant comorbidities. Paul noted that roughly 91 to 92 percent of individuals infected are choosing home-based treatment, indicating minor sickness, in the midst of an increase in Covid cases throughout the nation

In the midst of an increase in infections throughout the nation, the Odisha government announced on Wednesday that the state has not recorded any Covid cases in the previous week. They added that the government is stepping up its surveillance and is on high alert. After attending the Covid-19 review meeting with Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Odisha Health Minister Niranjan Pujhari said, “Kerala, Goa and Karnataka have reported some cases of new variants of Covid-19. Though the new variant is not dangerous, the Centre has asked us to remain alert, enhance testing and strengthen surveillance.” Attending the conference as well, Sachidananda Mohanty, the director of medical education and training, reported that despite examining over 3,000 samples, not a single incidence of Covid-19 has been found in the past seven days. “We are prepared well. We are following Centre’s advisory,” Mohanty was quoted as saying by the media. “JN.1 variant has not been detected in Odisha so far

India announced 21 cases of the JN.1 Covid variant on Wednesday. Scientists allayed concerns but also advised adherence to current cautious measures, saying that the development is neither unexpected nor especially concerning. The Union Health Ministry reported 614 new cases of Covid, the largest number of cases per day since May 21. This news coincided with the release of the new sub-variant’s increasing prevalence, which was found in three states. Experts intervened as fear increased and Covid once again gained attention, assuring people that there was no reason to worry because there are effective therapies available, the infection is not severe, and viruses always evolve. “As it happens with most respiratory viruses, including the influenza viruses, the circulating viruses keep changing. Therefore, a sub-variant of SARS CoV-2 is not a surprise at all,” Chandrakant Lahariya, a senior consultant physician and public health expert, was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. Accordin

Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave his first response to the allegations by the United States of a plot to kill Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, saying he will “look into” any evidence, but assured that a “few incidents” would not derail India-US ties. In an interview to a UK-based Financial Times newspapers, PM Modi said: “If someone gives us any information, we would definitely look into it. If a citizen of ours has done anything good or bad, we are ready to look into it. Our commitment is to the rule of law.” The remarks by Prime Minister Modi come weeks after the US authorities accused an Indian intelligence official of planning and directing a plot, from India, to allegedly kill Pannun in New York. The plot allegedly involved another Indian citizen and two individuals, a source and a hitman, who turned out to be undercover US officers. ‘Deeply concerned’ PM Modi also said India was “deeply concerned about the activities of certain extremist groups based overseas.

A day after he expressed displeasure over suspended TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee’s act of imitating him, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday said that he received a call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi who expressed great pain over the abject theatrics of some MPs during a protest on Parliament premises. Taking to X, Dhankhar wrote, “Received a telephone call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He expressed great pain over the abject theatrics of some MPs and that too in the Parliament complex yesterday.” Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar tweets, “Received a telephone call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He expressed great pain over the abject theatrics of some MPs and that too in the Parliament complex yesterday. He told me that he has been at the receiving end of such insults… pic.twitter.com/TBhJSMPu9d — ANI (@ANI) December 20, 2023 He said that PM Modi told him that he too has been at the receiving end of such insults but such a thing happening to Constitutional

Analysts and industry executives predict that India’s steel demand would decrease in the next fiscal year, which begins in March, due to a massive general election that will postpone government projects and infrastructure expenditure. Consistent government expenditure on infrastructure projects turned India, the world’s second-largest crude steel producer, into one of the alloy’s fastest-growing markets, even as global demand slowed. Steel demand, however, is forecast to expand at a slower 7%-10% in the fiscal year 2024-25, compared to a projected 11%-12% growth in the current year to March 2024, according to experts and industry officials. The incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will seek a third term in the upcoming general elections in early 2024. For weeks, India’s general elections, the world’s largest democratic exercise, are held with staggered voting. “We expect finished steel consumption in India to increase by 9% in FY25, following a 12% rise

The Lok Sabha Tuesday expelled 49 more MPs including Supriya Sule, Manish Tewari, Shashi Tharoor, Farooq Abdullah, Md Faisal, Karti Chidambaram, Sudip Bandhopadhyay, Dimple Yadav and Danish Ali for the remainder of the winter session of Parliament. The opposition lawmakers were disrupting the proceedings of the House, following which they were suspended on Tuesday. They were suspended for carrying placard in the Lok Sabha and entering the well of House. Soon after the suspension, the Lok Sabha was adjourned till 2 pm on Tuesday. More Opposition MPs in Lok Sabha including Supriya Sule, Manish Tewari, Shashi Tharoor, Md Faisal, Karti Chidambaram, Sudip Bandhopadhyay, Dimple Yadav and Danish Ali suspended for the remainder of the winter session of Parliament pic.twitter.com/nxcUVnlVEn — ANI (@ANI) December 19, 2023 A total of 141 MPs have now been suspended in the ongoing Winter session of the Parliament – 95 from Lok Sabha and 46 from Rajya Sabha. On Monday, 78 opposition MPs

Growing at a robust rate due to economic reforms in key sectors like digitisation and infrastructure, India has emerged as a star performer and is projected to contribute more than 16 per cent of the global growth, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Monday. “What we have been observing for quite some time now is that India has been growing at a very robust rate. It’s one of the star performers when it comes to real growth when you look at peer countries. It’s one of the fastest growing large emerging markets and it’s contributing, in our current projections, more than 16 per cent of global growth this year,” Nada Choueiri, the Mission of India at IMF, told PTI in an interview. The IMF on Monday released its annual Article IV consultation with India, according to which the South Asian country, underpinned by prudent macroeconomic policies, is on track to be one of the fastest-growing major economies in the world this year. Nonetheless, the economy is facing global headwin

Following an article IV assessment of the country’s policies, the International Monetary Fund has reclassified India’s “de facto” currency rate regime to “stabilised arrangement” from “floating” for the period December 2022 to October 2023. The reclassification comes as a result of the Reserve Bank of India’s likely interventions in the foreign exchange market, where the rupee moved in a “very narrow range” against the US dollar, “suggesting intervention likely exceeded levels necessary to address disorderly market conditions,” according to the IMF report. The Article IV consultation report of the IMF examines a country’s current and medium-term economic policies and prospects. The IMF stated in a news release that its staff disagreed with Indian authorities’ assessment “that exchange rate stability reflects improvements in India’s external position and that foreign exchange interventions have been used to avoid excessive volatility not warranted by fundamentals.” The rupee traded

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday inaugurated the world’s largest meditation centre Swarved Mahamandir in Varanasi. VIDEO | PM Modi inaugurates the newly built Swarved Mandir in Umaraha, Varanasi. pic.twitter.com/EkMFQgupTR — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 18, 2023 Following the inauguration, he along with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took a tour of the centre that can seat 20,000 people at a time for meditation. Verses of the Swarveda have been carved upon the walls of the Mahamandir — a seven-floor superstructure. “I was mesmerized when I took a tour of the Swarved Mahamandir…The divine teachings of Vedas, Upanishads, Ramayana, Gita and Mahabharata have been depicted through pictures on the walls of Swarved Mahamandir…,” he said. #WATCH | Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh: PM Modi says, “I was mesmerized when I took a tour of the Swarved Mahamandir…The divine teachings of Vedas, Upanishads, Ramayana, Gita and Mahabharata have been depicted through pictur

The Israeli government has approved the appointment of Reuven Azar as the new Ambassador to India. Azar will also serve as the non-resident Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Bhutan, as per an announcement from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His appointment is part of the approval for 21 new Heads of Missions, set to commence their diplomatic service shortly. Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, congratulating the new appointees, said they will “represent Israel and its citizens, strengthen its economy and strengthen international support for the State of Israel”. Azar is currently serving as the Ambassador of Israel to Romania. It is not yet known when he will take charge in New Delhi. Azar will replace Naor Gilon, who has been serving as the Israeli ambassador to India since 2021. Azar has earlier served as Head of the Israel-US-China internal task force at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, immediately after serving for three years as Deputy National Security Advisor for Foreign Policy

On Sunday, heavy rains caused by a cyclonic circulation battered southern Tamil Nadu, inundating numerous districts including Kanyakumari. Because the Thamirabarani River is in flood, Chief Minister MK Stalin instructed that excess water be released into the Kannadian canal, thereby ending a dry run under a river-linking project in southern Tamil Nadu. Stalin dispatched Ministers to rain-stricken areas to monitor and carry out relief efforts. According to a Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) report, cyclonic circulation is currently visible over the Comorin region and its surroundings, spreading up to mid tropospheric levels. On Sunday, heavy rains lashed Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Tenkasi districts. Some regions recorded very heavy rainfall. Since Saturday, light to moderate rainfall was recorded at most places of southern Tamil Nadu. Surplus water is being released from Pechiparai, Perunjani and Papanasam dams and alert messages (SMS) have been sent to over two l

The chairman and managing director of JSW Group, Sajjan Jindal, has refuted the charges of rape levelled against him. “Mr. Sajjan Jindal denies these false and baseless allegations. He is committed to providing full cooperation throughout the investigation. As the investigation is ongoing, we will refrain from commenting further at this stage. We kindly request you to respect the privacy of the family,” Sajjan Jindal said in his statement. On December 13, 2023, the Bandra Kurla Complex Police Station received a First Information Report (FIR) from the Mumbai Police Department against Jindal. The complainant, a 30-year-old Mumbai resident, claims in it that the event happened on January 24, 2022, at a penthouse in the BKC premises of JSW Group. IPC 376 (rape), IPC 354 (assault or criminal force to women with intent to insult her modesty), and IPC 503 (criminal intimidation) are the charges against Jindal. The complainant stated in the FIR that she first met Sajjan Jindal on October 8

A crippling poverty that forced her out of school and onto the grazing fields with someone else’s livestock, a patriarchal society that would have married her off as a minor, and an alcoholic father that she lost when she was very young. At the age of just 19, Pravina, a resident of Sakdara village in Pali district, overcome numerous obstacles to rise to the position of sarpanch of seven villages. She is currently an inspiration and a helper to many. She is committed to making sure local girls don’t have to fight like this to receive an education. “I could have been a child bride who lived the rest of her life grazing cattle and doing household chores,” Pravina told PTI. “But I found hope at the right time and now if I find any girl who is not going to school, I make it a point to ensure that she finds the same hope as I did.” But before she found the “hope”, her life was a maze of despair: acute poverty, an alcoholic father who had to take care four other kids, dropping out of scho

Over the past few years, there has been a consistent drop in the number of students enrolling in engineering and technology courses. According to TeamLease Edtech co-founder and president Neeti Sharma, this trend will continue as IT companies hire fewer people. “Over the past few years, there has been a steady decline in the number of students enrolling in engineering and technology courses. For example, the enrollment in BTech programs fell from roughly 40 lakh in 2016–17 to 36 lakh in 2020–21. “In the past five years, BTech and BE courses have seen a steady decline as job opportunities in core streams have diminished. The overall fresher hiring by IT companies has declined from 26 per cent of overall passouts in FY22 to 15 per cent and 10 per cent in FY23 and FY24, respectively,” Sharma told PTI. However, she noted that there is some light at the end of the tunnel and courses such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity are still seeing niche demand. “Both