Tehri Garhwal: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday inaugurated the Kaddukhal-Siddhpeeth Devi ropeway service and said that the ropeway initiative will be a relief to the devotees and tourists coming for the darshan.After the inauguration, the Chief Minister offered prayers at the Maa Surkanda Devi Temple and wished for the state's happiness and prosperity."The inauguration of this ropeway will be a relief to the devotees and tourists coming for the darshan of Maa Surkanda Devi. They had to walk on foot from here for around 2 hours, they can now go easily. This will also benefit the tourism sector," said Dhami.The Chief Minister said that the ropeway service will also increase the livelihood of the people at the local level and along with religious tourism, adventure tourism is also being promoted in the state."The ropeway project is a major means of pollution-free transport for commuters and tourists. Action is being taken by the state government for the construction of various ropeway projects in the districts under the Parvatmala scheme of the Centre. Various adventure water sports are being conducted in the giant lake spread over 42 square kilometers in the Tehri district. Other activities related to tourism are being planned in this lake," he said.Dhami further said that under the guidance of the Prime Minister, development works are being done rapidly in all the areas of the state."In 2025, when we celebrate the silver jubilee of the establishment of the state of Uttarakhand, it will be among the leading states of the country in this area. Lakhs of devotees are expected to visit Chardham Yatra this year. Every effort has been made to ensure that the devotees get every facility in the state," he added.The Chief Minister also directed the District Magistrate Tehri to identify land for the construction of a permanent helipad in this area.Meanwhile, Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj said "With the start of ropeway service for Maa Surkanda, there will be a rapid increase in the number of devotees. Efforts are being made to provide all possible facilities for the devotees in view of the Chardham Yatra. Religious and adventure tourism is also being promoted in other areas of the state." The length of the ropeway built at a cost of about 5 crores to reach the Surkanda Devi temple is 502 meters. Its capacity is about 500 persons per hour.Surkanda Devi Temple Ropeway Service is the first important ropeway project after the formation of the state of Uttarakhand, which has been constructed by the State Tourism Department. With the start of the Surkanda Devi Ropeway service, devotees will be able to easily have darshan of Mother Surkanda Devi throughout the year in just five to ten minutes from Kaddukhal. —ANI

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday inaugurated the Kaddukhal-Siddhpeeth Devi ropeway service and said that the ropeway initiative will be a relief to the devotees and tourists coming for the darshan.

Uttarakhand: Kaddukhal-Siddhpeeth Devi Ropeway Service To Boost Tourism

Chennai: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Friday went a step ahead in its human space mission programme 'Gaganyaan' by successfully completing the static test firing of the solid fuel powered rocket booster engine.The booster engine is part of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle MkIII (GSLV Mk III) rocket that would carry Indian astronauts to space.The test was conducted at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, it is learnt.The 135 seconds test firing of the booster 'HS200' happened in the morning and is part of the human rating process of the rocket GSLV Mk III.The GSLV Mk III rocket is a three staged vehicle.The first stage is powered by solid fuel, the second by liquid fuel and the third is cryogenic stage powered by liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.—IANS

 The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Friday went a step ahead in its human space mission programme 'Gaganyaan' by successfully completing the static test firing of the solid fuel powered rocket booster engine.

ISRO carries out static test of Gaganyaan rocket's booster

 The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Friday went a step ahead in its human space mission programme 'Gaganyaan' by successfully completing the static test firing of the solid fuel powered rocket booster engine.



Hyderabad: Biological E. Limited, a Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical and vaccines company, on Saturday, announced that its Corbevax COVID-19 vaccine has been approved by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) as a heterologous COVID-19 booster dose for individuals aged 18 years and above after six months of administration of primary vaccination (two doses) of Covaxin or Covishield vaccines for restricted use in an emergency situation.A statement issued by pharmaceutical and vaccines company read, "The BE's Corbevax is the first such vaccine in India to be approved as a heterologous COVID-19 booster. Recently, BE has furnished its clinical trials data to the DCGI who after a detailed evaluation and deliberations with the Subject Experts Committee granted their approval for administering the Corbevax vaccine as a heterologous booster dose to people who have already taken two doses of either Covishield or Covaxin." Biological E's clinical trial data showed that the Corbevax booster dose provided significant enhancement in immune response and the excellent safety profile required for an effective booster, said the statement.Mahima Datla, Managing Director, Biological E. Limited, said, "We are very happy with this approval, which will address the need for COVID-19 booster doses in India. We have crossed yet another milestone in our COVID-19 vaccination journey. This approval reflects once again the sustained world-class safety standards and high immunogenicity of Corbevax." The statement further said, "Biological E has conducted a multicentre Phase III placebo-controlled heterologous booster clinical trial in 416 subjects from 18 to 80 years of age who were previously vaccinated with two doses of either Covishield or Covaxin at least 6 months prior to the administration of CORBEVAX as a booster dose." The booster dose of Corbevax increased the neutralizing antibody titers in the Covishield and Covaxin groups significantly when compared to the placebo, said the pharmaceutical company in its statement. "In a subset of subjects evaluated for nAb against the Omicron variant, the Corbevax booster shot resulted in a significant increase in the nab titers against the Omicron variant. After the booster dose of Corbevax, Omicron nAbs were observed in 91 pc and 75 pc of subjects who had received primary vaccination by Covishield and Covaxin respectively," said the statement.It stated that the Corbevax booster dose also resulted in a significant Th1 skewed cellular immune response as indicated by cytokine expression analysis post-stimulation of the T-cells, said the company in its statement. "The Corbevax heterologous booster vaccine was well tolerated and safe. There were no severe or adverse events of interest for 3 months of follow-up after the booster dose was administered," said the statement. The Corbevax vaccination slot can be booked through the Co-WIN app or Co-WIN portal. So far, 51.7 million doses of Corbevax have been administered to children across the country, including 17.4 million who have completed the two-dose regimen. BE has supplied 100 million doses of Corbevax to the Government of India. "Corbevax is entirely developed and manufactured by Biological E. Limited in association with Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine as a recombinant protein subunit vaccine against COVID-19," the statement concluded.—ANI

Biological E. Limited, a Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical and vaccines company, on Saturday, announced that its Corbevax COVID-19 vaccine has been approved by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) as a heterologous COVID-19 booster dose for individuals aged 18 years and above after six months of administration of primary vaccination (two doses) of Covaxin or Covishield vaccines for restricted use in an emergency situation.

DCGI approves Corbevax as first heterologous booster shot for adults

Chandigarh (The Hawk):&nbsp;Prof. Raj Kumar, Vice Chancellor PU and Prof. Renu Vig, DUI, PU, launched Recyteq’s Plant Booster on 16 May 2022. This product is a "Natural Plant Booster", with a 100% natural go-to-home gardening product, made of human hair and free from harmful chemicals. Prof. Raj Kumar, Panjab University also inaugurated the product on Amazon E-commerce platform.Recyteq, a startup started in May 2020 by Ritik Srivastava under the mentorship of Prof. Naveen Aggarwal. It is incubated at TBIU, Panjab University, by Prof. J.K. Goswamy and supported by the American Center (Joint Initiative by the U.S Embassy, New Delhi and ACIR). Main aim of the Recyteq is to build a digital ecosystem to collect human hair waste from saloons, process it as plant booster, and sell it directly through e-commerce. Human hair is a natural source of protein hydrolysate and nitrogen. This natural protein increases plant growth and productivity and makes plants strong against harsh weather and pest attacks. Human hair based fertilizer also acts as an activator of phytohormones and enhances flowering rate and fruit formation by increasing the absorption of micro and macro nutrients. Recyteq Plant Booster comes with a ready to use spray application, making it a perfect plant booster for plants and is available for purchase at Rs. 349/-, with an initial discount of 20% to PU students, Faculty and Staff.&nbsp;Recyteq is currently supported by Team of Rajat Mittal, Sanitya Srivastava, Akashdeep , Kanishk Tyagi and Amandeep.

Prof. Raj Kumar, Vice Chancellor PU and Prof. Renu Vig, DUI, PU, launched Recyteq’s Plant Booster on 16 May 2022. This product is a "Natural Plant Booster", with a 100% natural go-to-home gardening product, made of human hair and free from harmful chemicals. Prof. Raj Kumar, Panjab University also inaugurated the product on Amazon E-commerce platform.

PU VC Launches Recyteq’s Plant Booster

New Delhi: COVID-19 cases are on the rise again in the country, but the government, despite its best efforts, has not been able to convince citizens to get the precautionary third dose of the vaccine.A Business Standard analysis found that until June 23, less than 20 per cent of those eligible had been administered the precautionary dose of the vaccine.Of the 1.4 million doses administered on June 23, 452,600 were precautionary.Of these, over 100,000 were administered to the 18-59 age group, and 352,084 to those aged 60 and above as well as frontline and healthcare workers.While 38.3 million doses have been administered to the frontline, healthcare and 60-plus category, the uptake in the 18-59 age group has been limited -- barely 4.4 million doses have been administered to this age group.Further analysis shows that just three cities account for a quarter of the precautionary doses administered in the 18-59 category.Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru administered over a million of the 4.4 million doses.Among states, five -- Bihar, Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana and West Bengal -- accounted for 70 per cent of the precautionary doses given to the 18-59 age group. Bihar led at 27 per cent, followed by Delhi and Maharashtra at 15 per cent and 12.9 per cent, respectively.In the 60-plus, frontline and healthcare worker category, the distribution was more even, though the three cities -- Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru -- accounted for a mere 5 per cent of the doses administered.A state-wise comparison shows that Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Maharashtra accounted for 46 per cent of the total doses given.Andhra Pradesh had an 11.7 per cent share, followed by Gujarat at 9.7 per cent.India has so far administered the precautionary third Covid vaccine dose to only 3 per cent of its total population -- far lower than the world average of 26 per cent.—IANS

 COVID-19 cases are on the rise again in the country, but the government, despite its best efforts, has not been able to convince citizens to get the precautionary third dose of the vaccine.

Only 3% Indians Have Received Booster Dose

New Delhi: The Centre on Wednesday reduced the gap for administration of Covid vaccine booster doses from existing 9 months or 39 weeks to 6 months or 26 weeks.The Union Health Ministry said that as per the recommendation, it has been decided all beneficiaries from 18-59 years will be administered the booster after completion of 6 months or 26 weeks from the date of administration of 2nd dose. "In view of the evolving scientific evidence and global practices, the Standing Technical Sub Committee (STSCI) of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) has recommended to revise the duration between 2nd dose and precaution dose from existing 9 months or 39 weeks to 6 months or 26 weeks," it said, adding that the NTAGI has endorsed it. "Therefore it has now been decided that the precaution dose for all beneficiaries from 18-59 years will be administered after completion of 6 months or 26 weeks from the date of administration of 2nd dose at Private Covid Vaccination Centres (CVCs)," the ministry said in a letter to the states. It also said that for beneficiaries aged above 60 years and above as well as the Health Care Workers (HCWs) and Front Line Workers (FLWs), the precaution dose would be administered after completion of 6 months or 26 weeks from the date of administration of 2nd dose at Government CVCs free of charge. "Instructions in this regard may be issued to all the concerned officials and it may also be publicised widely. I look forward to your support and leadership for extending the benefits of precaution dose to all due beneficiaries at Covid Vaccination Centres (CVCs) as well as at household level during the ongoing Har Ghar Dastak 2.0 Campaign," Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said in the letter. —IANS

The Centre on Wednesday reduced the gap for administration of Covid vaccine booster doses from existing 9 months or 39 weeks to 6 months or 26 weeks.

Covid-19 Booster Dose Gap Reduced To 6 Months For All Adults

New Delhi (The Hawk):&nbsp;A total of 15 villages in different parts of the country may soon be seamlessly connected through a next-generation networking solution that can address congestion issues in 4G infrastructure and provide high-tech and affordable internet connectivity.The network solution called GigaMesh wirelessly provides fibre-like backhaul capacity and paves the road for 5G.The solution has been developed by Astrome, a deep-tech startup expediting the implementation of 5G and rural telecommunications infrastructure through its patented millimetre wave E-band radios and satellite communication solutions. They have signed a contract with the Department of Telecommunication to start the pilot with 15 villages in India. Plans are afloat to scale the activity to more rural parts of India on the basis of the pilot. The startup is supported by AI &amp; Robotics Technology Park (ARTPARK), the Technology Innovation Hub (TIH) at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), which aims to chart the future for millimetre wave wireless communication on Earth and in space. ARTPARK is a not-for-profit foundation promoted by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, with support from the AI Foundry in a public-private collaborative model to promote technology innovations in artificial intelligence (AI) &amp; Robotics with seed funding from the Department of Science &amp; Technology (DST), Govt. of India, under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) and from the Government of Karnataka. It is designed to bring about a collaborative consortium of partners from industry, academia, and government bodies.GigaMesh, developed by Astrome, supported by ARTPARK, is world’s first multi-beam E-band Radio that is able to communicate from one tower to multiple towers simultaneously while delivering multi GBPS throughput to each of these towers. A single GigaMesh device can provide up to forty links with 2+ Gbps capacity, communicating up to a range of ten kilometres. This flexibility in range makes it suitable for both decongesting the dense urban networks and extending rural coverage. With India’s huge population in the rural segment, Astrome can help improve domestic internet connectivity.Major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) like Ericsson, Siklu, Huawei and NEC have developed E-band products. While all of these products can only do point-to-point communication, requiring a large number of devices which increases the cost of deployment, Gigamesh by ARTPARK’s startup, features multiple point-to-point communication in E-Band, lowering cost and is driven by software to make it easy to deploy, maintain and repair remotely.Besides this, AI researchers at ARTPARK, in collaboration with HealthTech startup Niramai Health Analytix and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), have also developed XraySetu, a platform that can interpret chest X-rays with 98.86 % sensitivity toward COVID-19 within few seconds.ARTPARK also organised the ARTPARK Innovation Summit that brought industry, academia and the government under one roof to discuss important topics such as how to create next-generation connectivity in rural areas, health AI for Bharat, connecting Bharat with Drones, inclusive learning for the future and building AI and research ecosystem. Apart from this, they participated in an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) experiment of the Indian Army and showcased India’s only Legged Robotic Dog.

A total of 15 villages in different parts of the country may soon be seamlessly connected through a next-generation networking solution that can address congestion issues in 4G infrastructure and provide high-tech and affordable internet connectivity.

AI Boosts Rural Connectivity & Healthcare

Washington: According to a recent study, less than half of patients with hematologic malignancies developed detectable antibodies after the initial COVID-19 vaccination, but 56 per cent of "nonresponders" developed antibodies after receiving a booster dose.The findings of the research were published in the journal 'Cancer'.For the study, Thomas Ollila, MD, of Brown University, and his colleagues retrospectively analyzed antibody responses to initial and booster COVID-19 vaccination in 378 patients with hematologic malignancies.Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were detected in the blood of 181 patients (48 per cent) after initial vaccination with one of three U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccines, and patients with active cancer or those recently treated with an immune cell-depleting therapy were least likely to produce these antibodies. Among patients who did not mount an antibody response following initial vaccination, responses were observed after a booster dose in 48 of 85 (56 per cent) patients who were assessed.By the end of February 2022, 33 patients (8.8 per cent) developed a COVID-19 infection, with three COVID-19-related deaths (0.8 per cent). Although there was no significant link between post-vaccination antibody response and incidence of COVID-19 infection, no patient with antibody responses died from COVID-19.Also, no patient who received tixagevimab plus cilgavimab was diagnosed with a COVID-19 infection. Tixagevimab and cilgavimab are antibody therapies that bind to non-overlapping portions of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, preventing the virus from binding to and infecting cells. The FDA authorized the combination therapy for emergency use during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to help prevent COVID-19 infection in certain individuals. "Our findings build on the wealth of literature showing that patients with hematologic malignancies have an impaired response to COVID vaccination. Importantly, we show that many of these patients who did not respond initially will in fact have a response to booster vaccination," said Dr. Ollila."Moreover, when we looked at outcomes, we found that deaths from COVID-19 in the patient population we reviewed only occurred in those with undetectable antibodies, and nobody who received prophylactic antibody therapy was diagnosed with COVID-19. This suggests to us the importance of checking antibody levels in these patients and arranging prophylactic antibody therapy."Dr. Ollila encourages providing booster vaccines for patients and prioritizing prophylactic antibody therapy when indicated. "This is real-world evidence that these actions can save lives," he said.&nbsp;—ANI

 According to a recent study, less than half of patients with hematologic malignancies developed detectable antibodies after the initial COVID-19 vaccination, but 56 per cent of "nonresponders" developed antibodies after receiving a booster dose.

Study Finds Adults With Blood Cancer Respond To Booster Dose Of COVID-19 Vaccination Rather Than First Dose

San Francisco: SpaceX's Starship rocket launch vehicle's first-stage booster Super Heavy faced an unintended explosion during a ground test.During a test on Monday, a blaze erupted at the base of Booster 7 -- a prototype of Super Heavy -- at the company's Starbase facility in South Texas. It was "not good" and "unintentional", SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk said on Twitter. "Team is assessing damage."He added that the explosion took place when an "engine spin start test" did not go according to plan. SpaceX is developing Starship to take people and cargo to the moon, Mars, and beyond. The vehicle consists of two elements: a first-stage booster called Super Heavy and an upper-stage spacecraft known as Starship.Both Starship and Super Heavy are designed to be completely and rapidly reusable, and will be powered by SpaceX's new Raptor engine - 33 for Super Heavy and six for Starship.The company is prepping Booster 7 for the first-ever Starship orbital test flight, which is likely to lift off in the next few months, SpaceX.com reported. SpaceX has launched several upper-stage Starship prototypes on high-altitude test flights, even sticking the landing with one of them in May 2021. But the upcoming mission, which will send a Starship vehicle known as Ship 24 to orbit, will be the first-ever launch for a Super Heavy. —IANS

SpaceX's Starship rocket launch vehicle's first-stage booster Super Heavy faced an unintended explosion during a ground test.

SpaceX's Starship Booster Engine Explodes In Test

New Delhi: People in the 18-59 age group will get free precaution doses of the Covid vaccine at government vaccination centres under a 75-day special drive likely to begin from July 15, official sources said on Wednesday.The drive, aimed at boosting the uptake of Covid precaution doses, will be held as part of the government's Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to celebrate the 75th anniversary of India's Independence, they said.So far, less than 1 per cent of the target population of 77 crore in the 18-59 age group have been administered the precaution dose. However, around 26 per cent of the estimated 16 crore eligible population aged 60 and above as well as healthcare and frontline workers have received the booster dose, an official source said."A majority of the Indian population got their second dose over nine months ago. Studies at ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) and other international research institutions have suggested that antibody levels wane around six months after the primary vaccination with both doses... giving a booster increases the immune response," the official said."The government is therefore planning to start a special drive for 75 days during which individuals aged between 18 and 59 years will be administered precaution doses for free at government vaccination centres starting from July 15," he said.The Union Health Ministry last week reduced the gap between the second and precaution dose of COVID-19 vaccine for all beneficiaries from nine to six months. This followed a recommendation from the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization.To accelerate the pace of vaccination and encourage booster shots, the government initiated the second round of the 'Har Ghar Dastak campaign 2.0' across states and UTs on June 1. The two-month programme is currently underway.According to government data, 96 per cent of India's population has been administered the first dose of Covid vaccine while 87 per cent of the people have taken both doses. On April 10 this year, India began administering precaution doses of COVID-19 vaccines to all aged above 18 years.The countrywide vaccination drive had rolled out on January 16 last year with healthcare workers getting inoculated in the first phase. Vaccination of frontline workers started from February 2 last year.On March 1 last year, COVID-19 vaccination began for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with specified comorbid conditions.Vaccination for all people aged more than 45 years began on April 1 last year. The government then decided to expand the ambit of the vaccination drive by allowing everyone above 18 years to be inoculated against Covid from May 1 last year. Inoculation of those in the age group of 15-18 commenced on January 3 this year. The country began inoculating children aged 12-14 from March 16. —PTI

People in the 18-59 age group will get free precaution doses of the Covid vaccine at government vaccination centres under a 75-day special drive likely to begin from July 15, official sources said on Wednesday.

Free Covid Booster For Below 60 From July 15

New Delhi (The Hawk): India is determined to boost cooperation with Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), said Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Union Minister, Heavy Industries while virtually attending the 2nd meeting of Ministers of Industry of the member states of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Uzbekistan.The 2nd meeting of Ministers of Industry of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation was held in Uzbekistan today with Uzbekistan being the host nation. SCO has China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India &amp; Pakistan as full- time member nations.During the meeting, the Minister highlighted that India will continue to play an active, positive and constructive role in the organisation. He also reiterated India’s commitment to collaborate with industrialists of SCO member countries to explore mutually beneficial opportunities.The Minister further stated that by walking together and with mutual cooperation, we can give new direction to socio-economic and industrial development in the region. He said that it is because of this desire for the development of the SCO region, India has prepared the 'Draft Program for Promotion of Industrial Cooperation among Business Worlds of SCO Member States and the Regulations for the Organization and Organizing of Exhibition Programs' at the Industry Ministers' Session of the SCO Member States.Dr. Pandey emphasized upon India’s robust industrial environment and reiterated that despite disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, its performance had significantly improved in 2021-22. He said that the share of mining &amp; quarrying, manufacturing &amp; construction in India’s GDP is now 28%. He told that under the inspirational leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister, the government has drawn up a comprehensive program for industrial rejuvenation to remove long-standing bottlenecks arising due to inadequate infrastructure &amp; sluggish business processes.&nbsp;He also highlighted that various labour market reforms have also been introduced to improve the industrial environment in the country.

India is determined to boost cooperation with Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), said Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Union Minister, Heavy Industries while virtually attending the 2nd meeting of Ministers of Industry of the member states of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Uzbekistan.

India Is Determined To Boost Cooperation With Shanghai Cooperation Organisation: Dr Mahendra Pandey 

Mumbai: The pandemic has caused the world to understand a sound way of life and brought the focus towards better urban health.Understanding this Bharath Agarwal, the young and dynamic entrepreneur has launched 'Booster Water' a range of Alkaline Ionised water.At the beginning the focus would be on Alkaline Water, Black Water and Whiskey Water and more variations will be added to the line-up in the following months.At present Alkaline and Black water are available in 500 ml cans while Whiskey water is available in 250 ml can.Alkaline water helps in increasing hydration level and elevates oxygen level in the body amongst other features. It also flushes out acids from the body which helps in protecting humans from diseases and it is important that people who suffer from kidney ailments consume this water.The Black water which is focused on athletes and fitness enthusiasts has a pH value of 8.5 compared to regular mineral water and is infused with more than 70+ natural minerals. It also helps in anti-aging and is also prevents or treats cancer.Whiskey water on the other hand is deionized water and acts as a great replacement for your mixer and not only helps enhance whiskey's taste but also is a great hangover cure.Talking about the same Bharath Agarwal, Founder and CEO of Booster Water says, "Water is one of the main ingredients which we humans consume, and its main feature is not just to quench our thirst but has a very vital role in our well-being and we wanted to give the best to everyone. We wanted everyone to have a better lifestyle and the idea of launching a range of water is to cater to everyone as per their needs. The Black Water is enriched with 70-plus minerals; the refined minerals are processed without the use of chemicals."Adding further he said, "This water not only provides good health but also has a range of benefits. We have few more range in the pipeline which will be launched soon."Booster water is already tied up with various retail chains and hospitality sectors across key markets and very soon they will be establishing a network which will help it to reach every nook and corner of India.

The pandemic has caused the world to understand a sound way of life and brought the focus towards better urban health.

Booster Water launches a range of Alkaline Ionised water

New Delhi (The Hawk): The Government has taken several steps to increase the share of renewable energy in energy mix of the country. These include:-Permitting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) up to 100 percent under the automatic route, Waiver of Inter State Transmission System (ISTS) charges for inter-state sale of solar and wind power for projects to be commissioned by 30th June 2025,Laying of new transmission lines and creating new sub-station capacity for evacuation of renewable power, Declaration of trajectory for Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) up to the year 2029-30, Setting up of RE parks to provide land and transmission to RE developers on a plug and play basis,Schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM), Solar Rooftop Phase II, 12000 MW CPSU Scheme Phase II, etc, Notification of standards for deployment of solar photovoltaic system/devices, Setting up of Project Development Cell for attracting and facilitating investments, Standard Bidding Guidelines for tariff based competitive bidding for procurement of Power from Grid Connected Solar PV and Wind Projects.Government has issued orders that power shall be dispatched against Letter of Credit (LC) or advance payment to ensure timely payment by distribution licensees to RE generators. This information was given by Shri R.K Singh Union Minister for Power and MNRE in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

The Government has taken several steps to increase the share of renewable energy in energy mix of the country. These include:-

Steps By Govt To Boost The Share Of Renewable Energy In Energy Mix Of The Country

Dehradun (The Hawk): RCPSDC joins hands with Government of Uttarakhand (UKSDM) and UNDPGovernment. of Uttarakhand (UKSDM) and Rubber, Chemical &amp; Petrochemical Skill Development Council (RCPSDC) organised a Skill Meet cum Workshop in collaboration with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for a large number of Rubber &amp; Plastic industries present in the state.&nbsp;The meet was aimed at fostering an ecosystem of skill development in the Rubber, Chemical and Petrochemical sectors.The highlight of the day was the inauguration of RCPSDC’s Project Utthaan - Uplifting lives of Plastic Waste Management Workforce. A Mobile Skill Van under the project Utthaan was inaugurated and flagged off by honourable Shri Vijay Kumar Yadav IAS, Secretary, Skill Development and Employment, Government of Uttarakhand and other dignitaries on the occasion.&nbsp;The skill van, under the Utthaan project will roam around the state of Uttarakhand and provide skill training to plastic rag pickers, segregators, and other labourers at plastic recyclers in the unorganised sector and help them perform their job roles more efficiently. Initially RCPSDC has been mandated by UKSDM to undertake skill training of 200 rag pickers in Dehradun under the job role of Plastic Waste Segregator. Mr Kishore P Sampat, President, All India Plastics Manufacturers Association (AIPMA) graced the occasion as the Guest of honour.Speaking on the occasion, Shri Vijay Kumar Yadav IAS exhorted the industry to come forward with requirements of skilled manpower which are placement linked. Uttarakhand Skill Development Mission (UKSDM) will be keen to organise such trainings that matches the requirements of the industry, he said.“Rubber &amp; Plastic industries have a significant presence in Uttarakhand holding immense potential for growth resulting in employment opportunities for a large number of youth. However formal skilling of the youth and reskilling of existing workforce is a must to increase competitiveness of the sector. We are thankful to Government of Uttarakhand (UKSM) for mentoring this one-of-its-kind conclave with the industry”, said Mr Vinod Patkotwar, Chairman RCPSDC.Eminent speakers at the Skill Meet included Ms Chandrakanta, Project Director, UKSDM, Dr Pradeep Mehtha, State Head, UNDP, Dr Neena Pahuja, Executive Member, NCVET, Ms Pangkhuri Borgohain Head-Industry Collaboration, NSDC and Dr Rupesh Rohan, Assistant Director &amp; Center Head- South Centre , IRMRA, Mr Dipankar Ray, Manufacturing Head, Tupperware India Pvt Ltd. spoke on the criticality of Reskilling and Recycling of Plastic in the sector.A panel discussion brought forth rich expertise in all aspects of Waste Management. The industrial viewpoint was put forth by Mr Kishore P Sampat, President, AIPMA, and Mr Vinod Patkotwar, Chairman RCPSDC, the eminent socialist of Dehradun, Mr Anoop Nautiyal Founder - Social Development for Communities Foundation, Uttarakhand brought insights from the social sector, Mr Abhishek Rajvansh, Joint Director &amp; Head of CIPET Dehradun explained the techniques from his academic expertise and Mr Shailender Singh, Founder and CEO, SustainMantra acted as the moderator of the session. A large section of industries, especially MSMEs, are still not conversant with the benefits that accrue from a skilled workforce and importance of efficient recycling. The workshop acted as a much-needed bridge to discuss the roadmap for skilled manpower while contributing to the circular economy.

 RCPSDC joins hands with Government of Uttarakhand (UKSDM) and UNDP

Skilling In Rubber & Plastic Sector To Get A Boost In Uttarakhand 

Kolkata: The framing of rules for the Citizenship (Amendment) Act will pave the way for its implementation.Passed by Parliament in December 2019, the Act is yet to be rolled out due to the absence of rules. The government has cited the outbreak of pandemic for not framing them so far.&nbsp;Adhikari, leader of the opposition in the state assembly, told reporters after meeting Shah that he also handed him a list of nearly 100 Trinamool Congress leaders allegedly involved in the recruitment scam in which former West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee has been arrested. Seeking a wider probe to expose everyone involved in the scandal, Adhikari gave the home minister even letterheads of some TMC leaders, including MLAs, that were purportedly used for recommending certain names for jobs by allegedly taking bribes.He tweeted after meeting Shah, "It's an honour for me to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah for 45 minutes at his office in Parliament. I briefed him how WB Govt is completely mired in corrupt activities such as the teachers recruitment scam.“Also requested him to implement CAA at the earliest."Adhikari told reporters that the implementation of CAA, slammed by critics for its alleged anti-Muslim bias, is very critical for West Bengal where a large number of people can benefit from its provisions.The CAA was passed by Parliament on December 11, 2019, and the Act was notified within 24 hours on December 12. In May, while addressing a rally in Bengal, Shah had said that the law would be implemented once the Covid pandemic ends. There is a view that the government is treading cautiously on the matter after the Act drew saw protests in different parts of the country. It seeks to grant citizenship to persecuted minorities of neighbouring countries, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, who had come to India by December 31, 2014.—PTI

BJP leader from West Bengal Suvendu Adhikari Tuesday urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to implement the citizenship law CAA at the earliest, with the latter assuring him that rules regarding it will be framed after the Covid precaution dose vaccination exercise is over.

CAA rollout after Covid booster dose exercise, Shah tells Suvendu

Geneva: Countries should consider giving a second Covid-19 vaccine booster to the elderly, pregnant women, health workers, people with weaker immune systems and those at higher risk of severe disease, according to a team of experts from the World Health Organization (WHO).
Most Covid-19 vaccines consist of a primary series of two doses, with a first booster administered some four to six months after completion to improve immune response.
While several countries had rolled out the second booster dose against Covid, the WHO had so far not recommended it.
But after a meeting, last week, the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization recommended the fourth dose or the second booster against Covid, but only for the vulnerable people.
"There is increasing evidence on the benefits of a second booster dose of vaccines in terms of restoring waning vaccine effectiveness (VE)," the SAGE said in a statement.
Protection offered by current vaccines declines substantially within a few months, particularly in the context of each variant of concern.
The guidance focuses on the need for a second booster as Omicron remains the dominant variant. It does not take into account future variants, or variant-containing vaccines, which are in late-stage development.
Factors such as waning vaccine- and infection-induced immunity, relaxation of public health measures, temporal fluctuations in transmission, and the potential emergence of new variants, may lead to Covid surges in the coming months, which could prompt the need for second booster doses.
"Evolving evidence from studies suggests that additional protection of the most vulnerable populations, at least for several months, is likely to be achieved through administration of a second booster dose, although follow-up time for these studies is limited," the SAGE noted.
The second booster should be offered four to six months after the last dose, or as soon as possible thereafter.
WHO further recommends that countries also consider administering Covid-19 vaccines alongside the seasonal flu vaccine, where feasible. —IAN

 Countries should consider giving a second Covid-19 vaccine booster to the elderly, pregnant women, health workers, people with weaker immune systems and those at higher risk of severe disease, according to a team of experts from the World Health Organization (WHO).

WHO Experts Recommend 2nd Covid Booster For Vulnerable Groups

New York: The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to approve new covid-19 booster shots for newer Omicron strains this week, making them accessible to people in the country before any human testing is finished, the media reported.
The vaccines have been modified to target the most recent Omicron variant, but the US FDA won't have finished testing them on humans, the Daily Mail reported citing The Wall Street Journal.
The report mentioned that the FDA is instead relying on information from other sources, such as mice study and data from previous immunisation.&nbsp;
"Real world evidence from the current mRNA Covid-19 vaccines, which have been administered to millions of individuals, show us that the vaccines are safe," FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said in a tweet last week.
The official also wrote that the FDA will rely on the totality of the available evidence in making a decision.
This includes, clinical trial data from other bivalent mRNA Covid-19 boosters, RWE from current Covid-19 vaccines administered to millions of people, and non-clinical data for the bivalent BA.4/5 vaccines.
Clinical trial data, which will be used for the clearance of the vaccines, is similar to what the approach the FDA uses regarding flu shots, which are updated annually to keep up with mutating strains, the report said.
But some vaccine experts are not fans of the approach and believe it would be better to wait, rather than going with "mouse data", it added.&nbsp;
—IANS

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to approve new covid-19 booster shots for newer Omicron strains this week, making them accessible to people in the country before any human testing is finished, the media reported.

 US likely to authorise updated Covid booster shots for newer Omicron variants

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu health department is planning to accelerate a campaign across the state for people to take the Covid-19 booster dose vaccine. The Tamil Nadu health minister, Ma Subramanian while speaking to IANS said, "We have already directed the district medical officers and district health departments to conduct campaigns so that a maximum number of eligible people are taking the booster dose of vaccine." He said that till September 30 the booster doses are free and that it will be available at 11,333 facilities of the state medical health department. The minister said that the people must take up the booster dose within the next five days as it is not known whether the booster dose vaccines would be available freely after the cut-off date of September 30. Tamil Nadu has vaccinated 96.55 per cent of its population with the first dose of Covid vaccine and 91.39 per cent of the people with the second dose of vaccine. Ma Subramanian said that these were made available due to the relentless efforts of the health department officers, including doctors, nurses, and other staff. The minister told IANS that people were still hesitant to take the booster dose and that there were still 3.40 crore people eligible for the vaccine. The state on Sunday conducted the 38th mega vaccination drive in 50,000 camps across the state and the minister said that Tamil Nadu was the only state that conducted such mega vaccination camps in the country. The mega vaccination camps in the state commenced on September 12, 2021. The state health department, it is learned, will conduct a door-to-door campaign using the services of primary health centres, which are situated across the state. The services of Anganwadi teachers and SC/ST promoters will also be used to reach out to yje maximum number of people for the booster dose of vaccine.&nbsp;
—IANS

The Tamil Nadu health department is planning to accelerate a campaign across the state for people to take the Covid-19 booster dose vaccine.

 TN to accelerate campaign for free Covid booster dose

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu health department is planning to launch a massive campaign which will see the participation of celebrities in an effort to increase the Covid-19 booster dose coverage in the state. Currently, only 27 per cent of the state's total population have been inoculated with the booster shot. The state government had provided free Covid-19 booster shot till September 30. Speaking about the upcoming campaign, Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian told that the state government has already written to the Centre requesting for more booster vaccines.
"After the massive promotions, we expect the booster dose coverage improving in the state," he added. He also said that the state has achieved 92 per cent coverage of the second dose against Covid-19 and that it was primarily due to the hard work put in by the doctors, nurses, and other allied staff of the health department, volunteers, and social workers across the state. The health department, according to sources has chalked out a clear roadmap for improving the booster vaccine drive in the state to prevent any further escalation of Covid-19.
Dr. Suchithra Menon, a health specialist at a private medical college in Chennai, told : "The state government's initiative is good and there has to be good coverage of booster dose among the population to keep the disease at bay. The health department promoting the booster dose vaccine will fetch results as it is seen in the 92 per cent coverage of the second dose of vaccine."
—IANS

The Tamil Nadu health department is planning to launch a massive campaign which will see the participation of celebrities in an effort to increase the Covid-19 booster dose coverage in the state.

 Massive campaign planned in TN to increase Covid booster dosage

Dehradun: Uttarakhand government on Sunday, in a press statement, announced that it will lay focus on the development of mythological temples and other pilgrimage areas of the state as per the instructions from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"The Prime Minister said that Devbhoomi Uttarakhand is the centre of faith and reverence for crores of people across the world. Like Kedarnath Dham and Badrinath Dham in Uttarakhand, the state government should prepare a master plan for the planned development of other mythological temples and pilgrimage areas of the state, the central government is ready for all possible help," the release stated.
As per the release, while discussing the development of the state with the officials who had come to congratulate him on Diwali, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that he had extensive discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the planned development of the pilgrimage and religious tourism in the state. Very important guidance was received from the Prime Minister in this regard.
The Prime Minister also suggested that the pilgrims visiting the Chardham Yatra should be made aware of the importance of other mythological temples as well as other tourist places. This will definitely lead to the development of tourism in the state. Due to this, the livelihood of the local people will be provided and the income will increase, the release stated.
It was also discussed in today's meeting that many devotees who have come on Char Dham Yatra, sometimes, have to wait for two to three days for Heli Seva. Arrangements should be such that during this time, the travellers can visit the nearby tourist places. This will make good use of the time of these travellers on the one hand, while on the other hand, the local residents will get employment due to the time spent by them while travelling, the release further stated.
The Chief Minister also informed the Prime Minister about the Manaskhand Mandir Mala Mission for the temples of Kolkumaon, the release said.
"Prime Minister has a special attachment to Uttarakhand. We have to take Dev Bhoomi Uttarakhand forward according to his guidance and vision. The action plan should be prepared according to the instructions given by them. Many important suggestions were also received from the Prime Minister regarding the Manaskhand Mandir Mala Mission, which was started for the development of religious places in the Kumaon region. It was also decided to start the work of preparing the master plan of the temples included in this project soon," CM Dhami said.
Other than CM Dhami, Chief Secretary Dr SS Sandhu, Additional Chief Secretary Radha Raturi, Anand Vardhan, Principal Secretary RK Sudhanshu, Secretary Dilip Jawalkar, Dr Ranjit Kumar Sinha, Sowjanya, Shailesh Bagoli, Pankaj Kumar Pandey, Director General of Information Banshidhar Tiwari and other senior officers were also present on the event.
The Chief Minister further instructed the officials to provide the topper students with educational tours to LBSNAA, IITs and other reputed institutions, which will inspire our children. —ANI

Uttarakhand government on Sunday, in a press statement, announced that it will lay focus on the development of mythological temples and other pilgrimage areas of the state as per the instructions from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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