Morning Digest: Assured pensions return as govt. backtracks on New Pension Scheme; Zelenskyy seeks tie-up with India for producing drones, electronic warfare systems, and more
Here is a select list of stories to start the day
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses a press conference after meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in Kyiv on August 23, 2024.
| Photo Credit: ANI
Assured pensions return as govt. backtracks on New Pension Scheme
The NDA government on Saturday (August 24, 2024) reversed a 21-year-old reform of India’s civil services pension system boldly brought in by the Atal Behari Vajpayee government, unveiling what it called a new ‘Unified Pension Scheme’ (UPS) that is virtually akin to the Old Pension Scheme, and assures government employees 50% of their last drawn pay as a lifelong monthly benefit.
Zelenskyy seeks tie-up with India for producing drones, electronic warfare systems
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pitched for greater cooperation with India in high-end technologies across several areas such as agriculture, cybersecurity and defence, stressing co-production of drones, electronic warfare systems, among others. He said he discussed these during talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
NASA decides to keep astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore in space until February
NASA decided on Saturday (August 24, 2024) it’s too risky to bring two astronauts back to Earth in Boeing’s troubled new capsule, and they’ll have to wait until next year for a ride home with SpaceX. What should have been a weeklong test flight for the pair will now last more than eight months.
CBI begins polygraph tests on seven linked to Kolkata rape and murder case
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday (August 24, 2024) started the process of conducting polygraph tests on seven people, in connection with the rape and murder of a doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital (MCH).
Nicobar project will not disturb or displace tribes: Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav
The development of a port and airport in the pristine Nicobar islands “will not disturb or displace” any of the Shompen, one of the indigenous, vulnerable tribes native to the island, according to Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav. He offered the assurances in a written response this week to concerns raised by Rajya Sabha MP and Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh earlier this month.
Cabinet approves scheme to boost biotech manufacturing
The Union Cabinet on Saturday (August 24, 2024) cleared a proposal to bolster biotechnology-based manufacturing, called BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment) Policy for Fostering High Performance Biomanufacturing. To be steered by the Department of Biotechnology, the aim is to have it catalyse a technology revolution “just as the IT industry revolutionised life in the 1990s”, an internal note viewed by The Hindu said.
Rajnath Singh interacts with defence industry leaders in U.S.
On the second day of his visit to the United States, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh interacted with the senior leadership of American defence companies at a round-table in Washington, and outlined the various emerging co-development and co-production opportunities in the sector in India.
IAF airlifts bodies of 25 Indians killed in road accident in Nepal
A military transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force on Saturday (August 24, 2024) brought to Maharashtra's Jalgaon the mortal remains of 25 Indian pilgrims from Bharatpur in Nepal. The Indians were killed in a tragic bus accident on Friday in Tanahun district of Nepal, around 115 kilometres from Kathmandu.
Not for SC sub-classification of quota but want to help disadvantaged, says Sanjay K. Jha
National Working President of Janata Dal (United) Sanjay K. Jha discusses his party’s stand on the Waqf Bill, lateral entry to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), sub-categorisation of Scheduled Castes and the need for a caste census. Dismissing the questions on Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) Chief Nitish Kumar’s mental acuity, he said the party is not yet searching for his successor.
Most number of deaths by H1N1 in Punjab, Kerala, and Gujarat
Punjab (41), Kerala (34), and Gujarat (28) top the list of States that have recorded the maximum number of deaths by influenza A (H1N1), according to the latest figures released by National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), which collects data from across India.
After a traumatic fortnight, media in Bangladesh slowly returning to normal
On August 19, a group of men arrived at the East West Media Group’s office in the heart of Dhaka and indulged in vandalism. They also hurt a female journalist and threatened those present. The media house in the Bashundhara neighbourhood is home to several leading newspaper and TV brands in Bangladesh which had navigated Sheikh Hasina’s iron-fisted media and social media policies and had managed to thrive during the past one-and-a-half decades.
German police arrest knife rampage suspect as Islamic State claims attack
German police on Saturday (August 24, 2024) arrested the suspect behind a knife rampage that left three people dead at a local festival in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group. The assailant fled after striking in the western town of Solingen late on Friday (August 23, 2024), sparking a day-long manhunt.
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