India Launches 24x7 toll free Tourist Infoline in 12 International Languages

The Minister of State for Culture (Independent Charge), Tourism (Independent Charge) and Civil Aviation, Dr. Mahesh Sharma addressing at the launch of the “24x7 Toll Free Multi-Lingual Tourist Info Line in 12 International Languages including Hindi & English”, in New Delhi on February 08, 2016. The Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Shri Vinod Zutshi and other dignitaries are also seen.

 Incredible India Mobile App to be Launched very soon


Dr. Mahesh Sharma, the Minister of State (I/C) for Tourism & Culture and Minister of State for Civil Aviation launched the “24x7 Toll Free Tourist Infoline in 12 International Languages including Hindi and English” available on the existing Toll Free Number 1800111363 or on a short code 1363 at a function here today. This project is being implemented by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India through M/s. TATA BSS who have been associated with the work after open bidding process. The languages handled by the contact centers include ten International languages besides English and Hindi, namely, Arabic, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. A “Live Demo” of this Multilingual Infoline Service in Japanese, Chinese, Russian and Italian languages was also presented on the occasion. The Minister also announced that very soon his Ministry will launch an “Incredible India Mobile App.” to facilitate tourists in a better way.

Addressing on the occasion, the Minister said that the launching of this Multilingual Infoline has marked the fulfillment of the promise made to the people by the present Government for according priority for safety and security of tourists. This Infoline service will provide information relating to Travel & Tourism in India to the domestic and International tourists/visitors and to assist the callers with advice on action to be taken during times of distress while travelling in India and if need be alert the concerned authorities.

He said that now Tourists travelling in or planning to travel to India can seek help and information for a hassle free experience. He said that the calls made by tourists (both international and domestic) while in India will be free of charge. The international tourists in India and also international callers who speak the aforesaid languages will be directed to the call agents proficient in the respective language.

Shri Vinod Zutshi, Secretary, M/o Tourism in his address said that the focus will be on IEC i.e. Information, Education and Communication for the Tourists followed by a Helpdesk and then safety and security of the Tourists. The website of Incredible India is also being revived to make it more Tourist friendly. Ministry of Tourism in order to provide information services to the incoming tourists & domestic tourists has setup this Tourist info line. This service will primarily serve those who know very little about India or about travel within India, and those who do not understand Indian systems and often not even English.

Shri Srinivas Koppolu, MD & COO of TATA –BSS gave the details of the functioning of Infoline and how will it be very beneficial for Tourists. Dr. Ravi Kant Bhatnagar, Addl. DG (Tourism) dwelt upon the need for such a valuable Infoline and informed about the various aspects of it.

More than 3,100 pregnant women in Colombia have Zika virus

BOGOTA | By Julia Symmes Cobb : More than 3,100 pregnant Colombian women are infected with the mosquito-borne Zika virus, President Juan Manuel Santos said on Saturday, as the disease continues its rapid spread across the Americas.
Brazil is investigating the potential link between Zika infections and more than 4,000 suspected cases of microcephaly, a birth defect marked by an abnormally small head size that can result in developmental problems. Researchers have identified evidence of Zika infection in 17 of these cases, either in the baby or in the mother, but have not confirmed that Zika can cause microcephaly.
There are so far no recorded cases of Zika-linked microcephaly in Colombia, Santos said. The government is now uncertain about a previous projection for up to 500 cases of Zika-linked microcephaly, based on data from other countries battling the disease, he said.
Much remains unknown about Zika, for which there is no vaccine. An estimated 80 percent of those infected show no symptoms, and those that do have a mild illness, with a fever, rash and red eyes.
There are 25,645 people infected with Zika in Colombia, Santos said during a TV broadcast with health officials. Among them are 3,177 pregnant women.

Results 12th South Asian Games

India opened its account with Gold that too by women. Indian woman cyclist claimed the first Gold medal in the 30m Individual Time Trial cycling event. Bidyaluxmi Tourangbam claimed the first Gold for the country by winning the cycling race. The 2nd place also went to the Indian eve, Chaoba Devi winning Silver. Pakistans’s Sabiha Bibi got Bronze in the event. The cycling event was held at the Lakshmi Bai National Institute of Physical Education (LNIPE), Guwahati.

.In the Men’s cycling 40 Km event, Arvind Panwar won the Gold. Manjeet Singh won silver while Sri Lankan , Janaka Hemantha Kumara Gonagalage won the Bronze medal.

In Men’s Swimming 200 mt Freestyle event, Md. Mahfizur Rahman of Bangladesh won the Gold. Srilankan Matthew Abeysinghe won the Silver while Saurav Sangvekar won the Bronze medal.

U.S., India in talks to settle solar power trade dispute

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A worker walks through the installed solar modules at the Naini solar power plant in the northern Indian city of Allahabad March 21, 2012. The 5 MW capacity plant by the Electrical Manufacturing Company Ltd. (EMC) has started under the phase-1 of the Jawaharlal Nehru solar...

Reuters/Jitendra Prakash (INDIA - Tags: ENERGY BUSINESS EMPLOYMENT) - RTR2ZNLX

WASHINGTON The United States and India are in talks that could settle a long-running solar power trade dispute, delaying the announcement of a ruling by the World Trade Organization, an Obama administration official said on Friday.
Washington filed the WTO challenge three years ago, claiming that India's national solar power programme illegally discriminated against imported solar panels and related products though its domestic content requirements.
The WTO in recent weeks has twice delayed the public announcement of a ruling in the case, rescheduling it for next Wednesday. Indian media reported last August that a WTO dispute settlement panel had confidentially notified Washington and New Delhi that it would rule against India in the case.

U.S. Trade Representative spokesman Andrew Bates declined to confirm any details of the WTO's intentions, but said the talks were aimed at reaching an out-of-court resolution before any public announcement by the Geneva-based trade body.
"The United States initiated this dispute for the purpose of advancing the rapid deployment of clean, affordable energy in India and around the world," Bates said. "India has now asked to speak with the United States regarding the issue, and in light of ongoing discussions, release of the WTO panel's report ruling has been temporarily delayed."

The U.S. complaint in 2013 alleged that the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission subsidies were available only if developers used equipment produced in India, violating a key global trade rule. The programme is aimed at easing chronic energy shortages in India, Asia's third-largest economy.
The Obama administration argued that the rules are a barrier to solar products made in America and elsewhere but also effectively raised the cost of generating solar power in India and were extending the country's dependence on fossil fuels.

Green groups, including the Sierra Club, Greenpeace USA, and Friends of the Earth urged the USTR last year to drop the challenge, saying it would hurt efforts to combat climate change by undercutting India's development of a domestic solar industry.

(Reporting by David Lawder; Editing by James Dalgleish)

India says no rush on GM food but will not stand in way of science

Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar delivers his speech during a meeting at the World Climate Change Conference 2015 (COP21) at Le Bourget, near Paris, France, December 7, 2015.

NEW DELHI India needs more data before deciding whether to permit commercial growing of its first genetically modified food crop, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said on Friday, but indicated it would not stand "in the way of science" despite protests.

Javadekar said the evaluation process would continue before the country moves ahead with the use of a technology that promises better farm yields but sharply divides public opinion.
A committee of government and independent experts is seeking more information from a team of Indian scientists who have spent almost a decade on laboratory and field trials for a GM mustard crop.
"We will not rush through, but we will also not come in the way of science," Javadekar told reporters. "We have to feed more than a billion mouths and we have to raise productivity... (but)we will not compromise on people's health."
The meeting, the third held to evaluate field trial data on GM mustard this year, had raised hopes among scientists that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is keen to push technology to lift food productivity.
India spends billions of dollars every year importing edible oils and other food items to help offset its abysmal food productivity levels.

Farmers are stuck with old technology, yields are at a fraction of global levels, cultivable land is shrinking and weather patterns have become less predictable.
Some farm economists have said India should speed up efforts to embrace GM foods after China took a giant leap towards GM with its bid for Swiss transgenic seed developer Syngenta.
But public and political opposition to transgenic food remains strong amid fears they could compromise food safety and biodiversity.

About 200 placard-holding protesters shouted anti-GM slogans outside Javadekar's office earlier on Friday.
Kapil Mishra, a minister in Delhi state who met Javadekar, called it a win for those resisting GM crops.
"(A) small victory but a long battle ahead," he said on Twitter.

India placed a moratorium on GM aubergine in 2010, fearing the effect on food safety and biodiversity. That effectively brought the regulatory system to deadlock.
However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was instrumental in making Gujarat state the leading user of GM cotton in India when he was chief minister, cleared several field trials soon after taking office in New Delhi in 2014.
BMI Research said in a note that though some Asian governments are becoming more open to the idea of allowing GM food cultivation, the adoption rate of GM crops will remain slow.

(Reporting by Mayank Bhardwaj; Writing by Krishna N. Das; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Jan Harvey)

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Kickstarts 12th South Asian Games

The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today inaugurated the South Asian Games at Guwahati, Assam in a glittering ceremony in the presence of a galaxy of national and international dignitaries including Chief Minister of Assam Shri Tarun Gogoi and Union Minister of State (I/C) Shri Sarbananda Sonowal. A colorful March- Past by players of participating countries enthralled the audience.

The events related to South Asian Games are to be held in Guwahati & Shillong till 16-Feb-2016.This is the biggest sporting extravaganza ever held in the North East India. and the 1st ever gender equal South Asian Games with men & women participation in all the sports. For conduct of the games an organizing committee has been set up under the Chairmanship of Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports (I/C) Government of India and Shri N. Ramachandran President Indian Olympic Association as co - chairman.

SAARC nations namely Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are participating in the games. SAARC is a platform for the people of South Asia to work together in a spirit of friendship, trust and understanding so as to achieve lasting peace and prosperity of its member nations. South Asian Games play a vital role in achieving this objective.

228 events in 23 Sports disciplines will be played during the games. Total No. of medals for medal tally – 228 Gold, 228 Silver and 308 Bronze medals. 16 Sports Disciplines will be played at Guwahati – Athletics, Basketball, Volleyball, Swimming, Triathlon, Hockey, Weightlifting, Wrestling, Squash, Shooting, Kho Kho, Kabaddi, Handball, Cycling and Tennis. 7 Sports Disciplines will be played at Shillong – Archery, Badminton, Boxing, Judo, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Wushu. Men Football will be played at Guwahati and Women football at Shillong.

Games logo symbolizes peace, progress & prosperity in the region. It consists of 8 petals representing the 8 countries participating in the Games. Colors of petals are from the flags of the 8 countries. Mascot “TIKHOR” a Baby rhino is Sharp, Naughty, Sporty & Modern. He is a Motivator, friend and messenger of peace, progress & prosperity. The theme song is ‘Ei Prithibi Ekhon Krirangon, Krira Hol Shantir Prangon’ sung by the world famous musician late Dr. Bhupen Hazarika. It means that the whole world is a playground and sports is a symbol of peace. The song is being translated in official languages of all SAARC nations and will be sung in each of these languages.

Bharat Biotech says working on two possible Zika vaccines

MUMBAI: Indian biotechnology company Bharat Biotech said on Wednesday it was working on two possible vaccines to fight the Zika virus, which has been linked to birth defects in thousands of babies in Brazil.

The virus is spreading rapidly in the Americas, and WHO officials on Tuesday expressed concern that it could hit Africa and Asia as well. No vaccine has been developed so far.
One of the possible vaccines is "recombinant", which means it is created by genetic engineering, while the other was "inactivated", and will enter pre-clinical trials in animals in two weeks, Bharat Biotech managing director Krishna Ella told Reuters.
An inactivated vaccine is created by killing a pathogen in a way that its ability to replicate is destroyed, but the immune system can still recognise it.


Bharat Biotech's announcement came a day after France's Sanofi said it had launched a project to develop a Zika vaccine. On Wednesday, Japanese drugmaker Takeda Pharmaceutical also said it was investigating the possibilities of developing a vaccine for the disease.
Privately held Bharat Biotech, based in Hyderabad, said it started work on the Zika virus a year ago, while developing vaccines for chikungunya and dengue. Zika is closely related to dengue and is spread by the same species of mosquito.


Bharat Biotech sells its vaccines for polio, hepatitis B, H1N1 and rabies, among others, to more than 65 countries, according to its website.
"They've got a lead, essentially ... it's certainly not a vaccine yet," said Soumya Swaminathan, the Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the apex body for biomedical research in India, funded by the health ministry.Swaminathan said it was premature to comment on the two vaccine candidates, but the ICMR had put together a group of experts to examine their validity.
No cases of the virus have been detected in India yet, but the health ministry on Tuesday issued guidelines on the disease, including an advisory that travel to affected countries be postponed or cancelled.

(Reporting by Zeba Siddiqui in Mumbai; Editing by Nick Macfie)

India Signs an Agreement to Become an Associate Member State of European Molecular Biology Organisation

India through the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology signed a Cooperation Agreement to acquire the status of the Associate Member State European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO).  This would strengthen scientific interaction and collaborative research between India and Europe in this field. After the signing of an agreement with Singapore by EMBC in July 2015, India will now become second such country outside the European region.

 

EMBO is an organization of more than 1700 leading researchers that promotes excellence in the life sciences. The major goals of the organization are to support talented researchers at all stages of their careers, stimulate the exchange of scientific information. The movement was started in 1964 as European Molecular Biology Conference (EMBC) and subsequently it got intergovernmental funding.  More information on the organisation is at www.embo.org

 

With this India as an EMBC Associate Member State, researchers working in India are now eligible to participate in all EMBO programmes and activities. Indian scientists can apply to EMBO’s programmes, such as long-term fellowships for postdoctoral researchers, short-term fellowships, courses and workshops, as well as the EMBO Young Investigator Programme. At the same time, Europe will benefit from networking with the top-level scientists in India’s research community.

 

The official kick-off launch ceremony of the agreement was held in New Delhi, India today (4 February 2016). Scientific presentations were made by Nobel Laureates Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard and Ada E. Yonath to mark the occasion.

 

To mark the occasion, Professor Maria Leptin, Director of EMBO said - “For the past five years, we have been promoting international interactions beyond Europe, and India is one of our prime partners. I am extremely pleased that India is going to be an Associate Member of EMBC and I look forward to India being able to access EMBO activities. Many European researchers have established scientific connections in India. No doubt these will be strengthened further once more tools and formal opportunities for interactions are available.”

 

Professor K. Vijay Raghavan, Secretary of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) for the Government of India, who signed the agreement: “India is rapidly growing into a position where we are making extraordinary demands on ourselves. India can only succeed if we partner with the best everywhere to bring the best here.” He added: “Through EMBO, we will not only have the excellent joint programmes that benefit India and Europe, but we hope to be a magnet that attracts bright young people to science from in- and outside India.” 

 

Professor Gerrit van Meer, President of the EMBC, remarked: “All member states welcome the exchange with Indian scientists that this agreement will bring. We look forward to seeing transcontinental projects spanning India and Europe grow in future.”

 

An EMBO-led delegation of ten researchers is in India now to visit various institutes across the country and meet with Indian scientists and government representatives.

 

This newly forged cooperation will build upon already existing links between Indian and European scientists. In 2015, 10 Indian postdoctoral researchers received an EMBO Long-Term Fellowship to work in Europe and eight India-based scientists received the EMBO Short-Term Fellowship. A satellite symposium focusing on research in India has been an integral part of the annual conference The EMBO Meeting.

Isolated Nepal PM could be toppled by constitution crisis

KATHMANDU: An unwieldy coalition of lawmakers trying to implement Nepal's first democratic constitution is finding common cause with protesting minority groups, isolating Prime Minister K.P. Oli and increasing the risk his government could fall this spring.
Oli, of the leftist Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), promised to resolve simmering tensions in the southern plains and lift a blockade of the Indian border when he was voted in to power almost four months ago.
Yet sporadic violence, in which more than 50 people have died since August, continues in the Himalayan nation with police shooting dead three demonstrators last month.
Protest leaders say the heavy-handed police tactics show the government is not sincere about finding a solution, while in Kathmandu residents have to choose between queuing for hours for fuel and gas and paying exorbitant prices on the black market.
"There are reports that corruption is rising and the government is not able to meet expectations of the people," said Dinanath Sharma, a spokesman for the Maoist party that props up Oli's fragile coalition.
Oli, 63, heads a fractious cabinet with no less than six deputy premiers – one a royalist bent on reinstating the monarchy and another the leader of a party representing minority Madhesis who has yet to sign the constitution.

EU draft deal on Britain not a euro zone veto: Tusk letter

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A letter sent by European Council President Donald Tusk to European Union (EU) leaders after it was released to the media, is seen in Brussels, Belgium February 2, 2016.

Reuters/Francois Lenoir

BRUSSELS Proposals to protect Britain and other non-euro zone countries from deeper euro zone integration do not grant London the right of veto over decisions, European Council President Donald Tusk told EU leaders in a letter on Tuesday.
Publishing the letter moments after he released the draft proposal to keep Britain in the EU, Tusk said EU ambassadors would meet on Friday to discuss the plans.
Tusk said that "giving necessary reassurances on the concerns of non-euro area member states cannot constitute a veto nor delay urgent decisions."

EU leaders hope to agree the proposals at a summit on Feb.18.



(Reporting by Robin Emmott and Jan Strupczewski; editing by Barbara Lewis)