Author: CNBCTV18.com

Tata Steel, ABB to jointly explore technologies to help reduce carbon footprint of steel production

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Tata Steel and ABB India have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to work together and co-create models and technologies to help reduce the carbon footprint of steel production.

As per the MoU, the two companies will focus on system-level assessments of Tata Steel’s manufacturing plants and production facilities to evaluate and co-develop short and long-term options for energy efficiency, decarbonisation and circularity.

Tata Steel and ABB will explore energy optimisation via hydrogen as an alternative fuel for upstream processes and energy reduction as well as substitution through fully integrated electrification and digital systems such as ABB Ability eMine and e-Mobility solutions and energy efficient motors.

Tata Steel, a global steel company, has an annual crude steel capacity of 35 million tons per annum. The company expects to increase capacity to 40 million tons by 2030 hence this collaboration with technology partner ABB is a key enabler to achieve that growth in a sustainable manner.

Tata Steel said that it is committed to major sustainability targets including achievement of carbon neutrality by 2045. Tata Steel has a medium-term target to reduce carbon emissions to less than two tons of CO₂ per ton of crude steel in its Indian operations by 2025.

The global steel industry contributes between 7 to 9 percent of global fossil fuel CO₂ emissions, according to various sources including the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Shares of ABB India was trading 0.80 percent higher at Rs 4,476.15 per share at 12:03 PM on NSE Wednesday, while the shares of Tata Steel was down 2.09 percent at Rs 128.95 per share.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Article 370 Abrogation Hearing | J&K MPs had been taken into confidence, says lawyer for BJP leader

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi on Friday (September 1) said the abrogation of Article 370 was not just an executive decision but the entire Parliament, including the MPs of Jammu and Kashmir were taken into confidence. Dwivedi presented his arguments on the 14 day of the hearing on the abrogation of Article 370 in the Supreme Court. Dwivedi is representing Ashwini Upadhyay, senior advocate and BJP leader and one of the petitioners in the case

Dwivedi informed by the Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud that the source for creation of the Jammu and Kashmir Constituent Assembly (JKCA) and the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir is Article 370 itself. The JKCA did not enjoy the freedom that the Constituent Assembly of India had as the JKCA always abided by the diktat of the Indian Constitution. “It was bound so that the sovereign democratic republic of India is not adversely affected.” Dwivedi said.

“This methodology of the Jammu and Kashmir Constituent Assembly is very akin to the juristic concept of devolution of powers. It is not an independent power like the Constituent Assembly of India,” Dwivedi added.

Earlier, the central government had told the apex court that it was unable to give a specific timeline for restoring the statehood status of Jammu and Kashmir but clarified that Union Territory status is temporary. “Developments are taking place for it to become a complete state,” the Centre said.

Appearing before the Constitution Bench, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said three elections are due in the UT.

Mehta argued by comparing figures of 2018 and 2023, “Terrorist-initiated instances reduced by 45.2 percent… Infiltration, which was a very major problem in J&K, reduced by 90.2 percent, and stone-pelting etc reduced by 97.2 percent… Casualty of security persons too has reduced by 65.9 percent.”

However, CJI Chandrachud clarified that the court would hear the proceedings only on the basis of constitutional arguments and not on the basis of the central government’s argument.

Senior advocate V. Giri, the counsel of the All India Kashmiri Samaj, also argued that the power of Article 370 was co-terminus with the life of the Constituent Assembly itself.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Microsoft to delink Teams from Office bundle to duck EU antitrust fine

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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On Thursday, Microsoft announced its plans to decouple its chat and video application, Teams, from its Office suite in an effort to enhance compatibility with competing software products, as well as preempt a potential antitrust penalty from the European Union (EU). The decision follows a recent investigation initiated by the European Commission due to a complaint made by Slack, the workspace messaging app owned by Salesforce, in 2020.

Microsoft’s initial concessions failed to alleviate the concerns raised by the EU competition enforcer,  However, the company’s fresh announcement has been acknowledged by the EU, which refrained from offering further commentary on the matter.

Teams was initially integrated into Office 365 in 2017, provided for free. It eventually supplanted Skype for Business and gained significant traction, particularly during the pandemic, largely attributed to its video conferencing capabilities. Microsoft aims to proactively address the EU’s worries through these changes, even as the European Commission’s investigation remains ongoing.

Nanna-Louise Linde, Microsoft’s Vice President for European Government Affairs, stated in a blog post that the modifications target two main EU concerns: the ability for customers to opt for an Office suite without Teams at a lower cost, and the facilitation of interoperability between competing communication and collaboration solutions, Microsoft 365, and Office 365 suites.

These modifications, slated to become effective on October 1, will exclusively apply to Europe and Switzerland. The revised approach will offer Office minus Teams at a reduced price, a deduction of 2 euros per month or 24 euros ($26.17) annually, primarily targeting Microsoft’s core enterprise clientele in Europe. New enterprise customers will have the option to purchase Teams as a standalone product for 5 euros per month or 60 euros per year. Existing enterprise clients who are already utilising a suite inclusive of Teams can elect to retain their current setup or transition to a suite that doesn’t include Teams.

Microsoft will also introduce additional support resources to aid customers and independent software vendors seeking to extract data from Teams for use in alternative products. Furthermore, the company plans to develop a novel method for hosting Office web applications within competing applications and services, akin to its strategy with Teams.

For Microsoft, the stakes are considerable as it navigates this situation. The tech giant previously faced 2.2 billion euros ($2.40 billion) in EU antitrust fines over the past decade for bundling or tying multiple products together.

Also read: Microsoft says Russian hackers behind dozens of Teams phishing attacks

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

M&M to gift XUV400 special edition to R Praggnanandhaa’s parents

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Mahindra’s Chairman Anand Mahindra has decided to gift an XUV400 EV to the parents of 18-year old Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa who finished second in the FIDE Chess World Cup 2023, last week. 

Mahindra Group’s chairman decided to gift the EV car to Praggnanandhaa’s parents as a form of gratitude for nurturing his talent. 

Anand Mahindra responded to one of the replies on X as several people urged him to gift Mahindra Thar to Praggnanandhaa after he finished second and said, “Appreciate your sentiment, Krishlay, & many, like you, have been urging me to gift a Thar to @rpragchess But I have another idea … I would like to encourage parents to introduce their children to Chess & support them as they pursue this cerebral game (despite the surge in popularity of video games!). It’s an investment in a better future for our planet, just like EVs. And so, I think we should gift an XUV4OO EV to the PARENTS of @rpragchess Shrimati Nagalakshmi & Shri Rameshbabu, who deserve our gratitude for nurturing their son’s passion & for giving him their untiring support. What do you think, @rajesh664?”

Appreciate your sentiment, Krishlay, & many, like you, have been urging me to gift a Thar to @rpragchess
But I have another idea …
I would like to encourage parents to introduce their children to Chess & support them as they pursue this cerebral game (despite the surge in… https://t.co/oYeDeRNhyh pic.twitter.com/IlFIcqJIjm

— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) August 28, 2023

In the tweet, the chairman also tagged executive founder and CEO of the farm and auto sector of M&M, Rajesh Jejurikar seeking his advice on this. Rajesh Jejurikar responded to the tweet by congratulating R Praggnanandhaa and said,, “Congratulations @rpragchess for your spectacular achievement.Thanks @anandmahindra for the idea of recognising PARENTS of @rpragchess Shrimati Nagalakshmi & Shri Rameshbabu.The All Electric SUV XUV400 would be perfect-our team will connect for a special edition and delivery.” 

Several users on the platform hailed Anand Mahindra’s idea of appreciating the grandmaster’s parents by gifting them the EV SUV. 

Praggnanandhaa gave a tough fight to Magnus Carlsen in the final of the Chess World Cup that went into the tie-breaker after draws in two games played in the classical format.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Samplify raises $2 million in pre-series A funding round

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Health-tech Logistics startup Samplify has raised $2 million in Pre-Series A funding round. The startup is aiming to build India’s largest and fastest logistics ecosystem for diagnostic laboratory players in India. The funds raised will be deployed towards enhancing and increasing technology offerings and expanding operations to larger number of cities across India, Samplify said.

The firm currently operates in more than 20 cities across India.

The round witnessed the participation of existing investors as well as new Investors.

Amit Sinha, Founder, of Samplify, said, “As a tech-enabled healthcare logistics provider, we are building highways to power high-speed logistics across India for diagnostics providers.”

The investors in the round include Roland Manger, Co-Founder of Earlybird Venture Capital, Dan Lupu and Cem Sertoglu, Senior Partners at Earlybird Venture Capital, Michael Reitermann, former CEO of Siemens´ Diagnostic Business and Managing Board Member of Siemens Healthineers,

Samplify does more than 7,000 sample visits per day and is aiming to reach 1,00,000 per day in the next 3-year, it said.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Revolutionary brain-computer AI technology offers hope for stroke survivors’ speech restoration

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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In a remarkable collaborative effort between UC San Francisco and UC Berkeley, a groundbreaking brain-computer technology is sprouting to life. The researchers are developing a brain-computer technology that could allow brainstem stroke survivors to communicate more naturally through a digital avatar that resembles them, according to a report by University of California San Francisco (UCSF).

Edward Chang, MD, chair of neurological surgery, UCSF has worked on this technology, known as brain-computer interface (BCI) for over a decade. He is hopeful that this latest research development that would enable speech for stroke survivors from brain signals will lead to an FDA-approved system in the near future.

Ann, the 48-year-old participant in the study who suffered a stroke 18 years ago had to undergo therapy for years to be able to move her facial muscles that would help her laugh or cry. However, the muscles that assisted in speech did not function.

While talking about the syndrome she is suffering from, Ann wrote, “Locked-in syndrome, or LIS, is just like it sounds. You’re fully cognizant, you have full sensation, all five senses work, but you are locked inside a body where no muscles work. I learned to breathe on my own again, I now have full neck movement, my laugh returned, I can cry and read and over the years my smile has returned, and I am able to wink and say a few words.”

Chang’s team implanted a paper-thin rectangle of 253 electrodes onto the surface of Ann’s brain over areas that were discovered to be necessary for speech. The signals that would have travelled to muscles in Ann’s face, lips, tongue, jaw and larynx if she would not have suffered the stroke are intercepted by these electrodes, as per the UCSF report. These electrodes are then connected to a bank of computers using a port attached to Ann’s head.

Ann worked with Chang’s team to train the artificial intelligence algorithms of the system that recognise her brain signals for speech. In this process, she would be required to repeat different phrases from a 1,024-word conversational vocabulary repetitively. This process continues until the system recognises the brain’s activity patterns related to all the basic sounds of speech.

The AI is trained to identify words from phonemes – the sub-units of speech that form spoken words, similar to the way letters form written words. For instance, the phonemes in the word ‘Hello’ are ‘HH’, ‘AH’, ‘L’ and ‘OW’.

Due to this approach, the system became more accurate and three times faster as the computer was required to learn only 39 phonemes to interpret any English word.

Speech Graphics, a company that makes AI-driven facial animation created Ann’s avatar with its software that simulates and animates muscle movements of the face. The company’s software with the assistance of machine-learning processes made by the researchers will convert the signals that were sent from Ann’s brain while she was trying to speak into the movements on her Avatar’s face. The movements would be detailed enough to depict the facial movements for happiness, sadness and surprise.

Going ahead, the team wants to create a wireless version that would not require a participant to be physically connected to the BCI.

Sean Metzger, a Bioengineering Program graduate at UC Berkeley and UCSF who developed the text decoder with his fellow graduate Alex Silva, emphasised that accuracy, speed and vocabulary are crucial, as per the report by UCSF.

Sean further said, “It’s what gives Ann the potential, in time, to communicate almost as fast as we do, and to have much more naturalistic and normal conversations.”

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

69th National Film Awards 2023: Let’s have a look at the winners in feature, non-feature films category

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The National Film Awards are divided into three categories – feature films, non-feature films and best writing in cinema. Furthermore, winners were selected for 31 categories in feature films, 24 categories in non-feature films and three categories in best writing on cinema.

The jury informed that the Dadasaheb Phalke Award and the ranking of the film friendly states would be announced later. The jury also received entries for films in 14 languages that are not specified in the Schedule 8 of the constitution.

Feature Films 

The jurors selected winners for 31 categories in the feature films category that are listed below, as per a PIB release.

Non-feature films

The jurors selected winners for 24 categories in the non-feature films category that are listed below.

Best Writing on Cinema

For this category, the jurors selected winners in three categories that are listed below.

1. Award for Best Book on Cinema

2. Award for the best film critic is awarded to Telugu language film critic Purushothama Charyulu.

3. Special mention – critic is bagged by Subramanya Badoor who is a Kannada language film critic

The jury informed that the

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

69th National Film Awards 2023: Rocketry bags award for best feature film, Allu Arjun wins best actor

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The winners of the sixty-ninth National Film Awards were announced on Thursday, August 24, 2023. The highest opening Indian film ‘RRR’, directed by SS Rajamauli won the award for the most famous feature film.

‘‘Rocketry: The Nambi Effect’, directed by R Madhavan won the award for the best feature film. Allu Arjun bagged the award for the best actor for his role in ‘Pushpa’. While the award for the best actress is shared between Alia Bhatt and Kriti Sanon for their performance in Gangubai Kathiawadi and Mimi, respectively.

The National Film Awards “aim at encouraging the production of films of aesthetic and technical excellence and social relevance,” according to the Directorate of Film Festivals of the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The sixty-ninth edition of the National Film Awards have been shortlisted from the films released and certified in 2021.

The National Film Awards are divided into three categories – feature films, non-feature films and best writing in cinema. Furthermore, winners were selected for 31 categories in feature films, 24 categories in non-feature films and three categories in best writing on cinema.

Here’s a list of all the winners in feature film, non-feature films and best writing in cinema categories.

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PM Modi at G20 | Committed to making India the third largest global economy in few years — Full text

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the government is committed to make India the third largest global economy in the next few years. He suggested the G20 trade ministers to work collectively to ensure equitable competition between large and small sellers as there are challenges in the fast growing cross-border e-commerce. In a video message at the G20 Trade and Investment Minister’s meeting in Jaipur, he also emphasised on the need to address the problems faced by consumers in fair price discovery and grievance handling mechanisms.

Here’s the full statement by PM Modi

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Namaskar!

A very warm welcome to Jaipur – the Pink City! This region is known for its dynamic and enterprising people.

Friends,

Throughout history, trade has led to exchange of ideas, cultures, and technology. It has brought people closer. Trade and globalization have also lifted hundreds of millions out of extreme poverty.

Excellencies,

Today, we see global optimism and confidence in the Indian economy. India is seen as a combination of openness, opportunities and options. During the last nine years, India has become the fifth largest global economy. This is the result of our sustained efforts. We embarked on the journey of ‘Reform, Perform, and Transform’ in 2014. We have increased competitiveness, and enhanced transparency. We have expanded digitization, and promoted innovation. We have established dedicated freight corridors and built industrial zones. We have moved away from red tape to red carpet and liberalized FDI flows. Initiatives like Make in India and Aatma Nirbhar Bharat have given a boost to manufacturing. Above all, we have brought policy stability. We are committed to make India the third largest global economy in the next few years.

Friends,

Current global challenges, from the pandemic to geo-political tensions, have tested the world economy. As G20, it is our responsibility to rebuild confidence in international trade and investments. We must build resilient and inclusive global value chains that can withstand future shocks. In this context, India’s proposal to create a Generic Framework for Mapping Global Value Chains is important. This framework aims to assess vulnerabilities, minimize risks, and enhance resilience.

Excellencies,

Technology’s transformative power in trade is undeniable. India’s shift to an online single indirect tax – the GST – helped create a single internal market boosting inter-state trade. Our Unified Logistics Inter-face Platform makes trade logistics cheaper and more transparent. Another game changer is ‘Open Network for Digital Commerce’, which will democratize our digital marketplace eco-system. We have already done that with our Unified Payments Inter-face for payment systems. Digitizing processes and use of e-commerce have the potential to enhance market access. I am glad that your group is working on the ‘High Level Principles for the Digitalization of Trade Documents’. These principles can help countries in implementing cross-border electronic trade measures, and reduce compliance burdens. As cross-border E-commerce continues to grow, there are challenges as well. We need to work collectively to ensure equitable competition between large and small sellers. We also need to address the problems faced by consumers in fair price discovery and grievance handling mechanisms.

Excellencies,

India believes in a rules-based, open, inclusive, multilateral trading system, with the WTO at its core. India has advocated the concerns of the Global South at the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference. We were able to forge consensus on safeguarding the interests of millions of farmers and small businesses. We must pay more attention to MSMEs, given their key role in the global economy. MSMEs account for 60 to 70 percent of employment and contribute 50 percent to the global GDP. They need our continued support. Their empowerment translates to societal empowerment. For us, MSME means – Maximum Support to Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises. India has integrated MSMEs into public procurement through our online platform -Government e-marketplace. We have been working with our MSME sector to adopt the ethos of ‘Zero Defect’ and ‘Zero Effect’ on the environment. Increasing their participation in global trade and Global Value Chains has been a priority of the Indian presidency. The proposed ‘Jaipur Initiative to foster seamless flow of information to MSMEs’ will address the challenge of inadequate access to market and business-related information faced by MSMEs. I am also confident that the upgrade of the Global Trade Help Desk will increase participation of MSMEs in global trade.

Excellencies,

It is our collective responsibility as One Family, to restore confidence in international trade and investment processes. I am confident that you will work collectively to ensure that the global trading system gradually transitions into a more representative and inclusive future. I wish you all success in your deliberations. Thank you very much!

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Russia: Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin on list of passengers on plane that crashed, leaving no survivors

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The chief of mercenary group Wagner — Yevgeny Prigozhin and nine other people were killed in a plane crash in Russia, according to TASS news agency. Yevgeny was on the list of passengers, on the plane, Rosaviatsia, Russia’s aviation authority informed.

“An investigation has been launched into the Embraer plane crash that occurred tonight in the Tver region. According to the passenger list, among them is the name and surname of Yevgeny Prigozhin,” Rosaviatsia said, according to a report by Reuters.

Earlier, TASS had also reported the death of 10 people in the private jet crash in Russia’s Tver region north of Moscow. A private Embraer Legacy aircraft flying from Moscow to St. Petersburg had crashed near the village of Kuzhenkino in the Tver Region, Russia’s emergency situations ministry said in a statement, according to TASS agency.

As per preliminary information, everyone on board had been killed, the ministry said.

On June 23, Prigozhin had vowed to “go to the end” to topple the Russian military leadership and accused them of launching strikes on his men.

However, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko convinced Prigozhin to end his rebellion on June 24. Prigozhin had in return asked for amnesty and security guarantees for himself and his soldiers along with permission to move to Belarus.

The Wagner chief on Tuesday posted his first video on social media, since he spearheaded a mutiny in late June. He suggested that the video was shot in Africa.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow