News for 'Agency for International Development'

The looming winter of discontent that awaits India

The looming winter of discontent that awaits India

Rediff.com3 Oct 2022

The dreary, cold months from December to February may prove to be the undoing of many a nation as they grapple with sky-high fuel prices - a result of the Ukraine conflict and the pandemic. Many - Europe, South Korea, Japan, and China - will still pull through on the strength of their wealth or because of strong storage infrastructure. But India will have its back to the wall. Signs of liquefied natural gas (LNG) rates hitting new records this winter are already evident.

CBI updates its crime manual after 15 years

CBI updates its crime manual after 15 years

Rediff.com21 Dec 2020

The manual has a new chapter on procedures to be followed while conducting investigations abroad and coordinating and operating with Interpol.

MDs on 'forced' leave, but its business as usual for ICRA and Care Ratings

MDs on 'forced' leave, but its business as usual for ICRA and Care Ratings

Rediff.com26 Jul 2019

The reason for both the officials being sent on leave is the same - an anonymous complaint received by the market regulator against the agency.

Adani row: Strengthen regulatory system to protect investors, SC tells govt

Adani row: Strengthen regulatory system to protect investors, SC tells govt

Rediff.com10 Feb 2023

The Supreme Court on Friday said there should be a robust mechanism to ensure that the interests of Indian investors are protected in the stock market and sought views of the Centre and market regulator SEBI on PILs alleging exploitation of innocent investors and "artificial crashing" of the Adani group's stock value.

Long Covid can negatively impact overall quality of life, says study

Long Covid can negatively impact overall quality of life, says study

Rediff.com26 Oct 2021

According to a new Mount Sinai study, patients experiencing post-acute COVID syndrome (also known as 'long COVID') may have symptoms for at least 12 months after initial COVID-19 infection, significantly and negatively impacting their cognition, ability to work, participation in physical activity, interaction with others, and overall quality of life.

From Dixon to Lava, Indian firms in JV talks with Chinese players

From Dixon to Lava, Indian firms in JV talks with Chinese players

Rediff.com11 Nov 2022

Home-grown companies, including electronics manufacturing services (EMS) firm Dixon Technologies and mobile device maker Lava International, have started exploratory talks with Chinese sub-assemblies and component players for setting up joint ventures (JVs) in the country. Sources in the industry say many domestic companies have also had preliminary discussions with original design manufacturers (ODMs) in China to look at a JV model for manufacturing smartphones. Key ODM players in mobile devices in China include Longcheer, Huaqin, and Wingtech, which has already set up a plant in Tirupati.

Govt likely to unveil new DFI framework in Budget

Govt likely to unveil new DFI framework in Budget

Rediff.com21 Jan 2021

Industry players believe the new DFI model will be initially risk capital, which will then be used to mobilise additional resources from development agencies such as World Bank.

COVID-19: 13% museums around the world may never reopen

COVID-19: 13% museums around the world may never reopen

Rediff.com19 May 2020

On the occasion of International Museum Day Monday, two studies by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation and the International Council of Museums said that museums have been especially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with nearly 90 per cent of them, or more than 85,000 institutions, having closed their doors for varying lengths of time during the crisis.

Indian-American astronaut in NASA's manned Moon mission

Indian-American astronaut in NASA's manned Moon mission

Rediff.com11 Dec 2020

Raja Jon Vurputoor Chari, 43, a graduate of the US Air Force Academy, MIT and US Naval Test Pilot School, is the only Indian-American in the list.

Pak Army Chief Is In No Mood To Forgive Imran Khan

Pak Army Chief Is In No Mood To Forgive Imran Khan

Rediff.com6 Mar 2023

The military establishment is in no mood to forgive or forget Imran's anti-military utterances, observes Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RAW, India's external intelligence agency.

John Kerry arrives in India on three-day visit

John Kerry arrives in India on three-day visit

Rediff.com23 Jun 2013

Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in New Delhi onto participate in the fourth round of Indo-US strategic dialogue even as US announced to invest $100 million in India's burgeoning clean energy sector.

Situation not normal, work in progress: Jaishankar gets candid on China

Situation not normal, work in progress: Jaishankar gets candid on China

Rediff.com25 Mar 2022

Wang arrived in Delhi on Thursday evening in the highest-level visit between the two countries after the ties came under severe strain following the military standoff in eastern Ladakh that began nearly two years ago.

'Doubts persist about Pak's commitment to denying terrorists safe harbour'

'Doubts persist about Pak's commitment to denying terrorists safe harbour'

Rediff.com4 Nov 2017

Two influential Congressional sub-committees will hold a joint hearing on Pakistan's commitment in the fight against terrorism

Arunachal Pradesh has ALWAYS been part of India

Arunachal Pradesh has ALWAYS been part of India

Rediff.com15 Dec 2021

China has long coveted Arunachal Pradesh, which it calls Southern Tibet. But, as Venkataraghavan Subha Srinivasan explains, in 1947, the present state of Arunachal Pradesh constituted the North East Frontier Tract of Assam. When India adopted its Constitution on 26 January 1950, NEFT became 'a separate politico-administrative entity' although it was constitutionally still a part of Assam. Its administration was brought directly under the President of India with the Governor of Assam acting as his agent. A revealing excerpt from his book The Origin Story of India's States.

AUKUS And The Militarization Of Indo Pacific

AUKUS And The Militarization Of Indo Pacific

Rediff.com20 Mar 2023

Although the pact would focus mainly on the Pacific and the South China Sea region, any action designed to deter China with or without New Delhi's active participation is a welcome move, notes Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).

PM celebrates Diwali in Kargil with soldiers; says India never waged war

PM celebrates Diwali in Kargil with soldiers; says India never waged war

Rediff.com24 Oct 2022

Modi invoked the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata to assert that it is in Indian tradition to avoid war be it in Lanka or Kurukshetra and the country stands for world peace.

Chandrayaan-3 Will Head To Moon In 2022

Chandrayaan-3 Will Head To Moon In 2022

Rediff.com8 Feb 2022

ISRO hopes to put a crew on the moon, but it has to learn how to keep people alive and healthy in space first.

PFI, 8 other outfits banned under UAPA for 5 years for terror links

PFI, 8 other outfits banned under UAPA for 5 years for terror links

Rediff.com28 Sep 2022

The Centre has imposed a ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI) and several of its associates for their alleged terror activities.

Govt to deploy 30,000 central forces for Bihar polls

Govt to deploy 30,000 central forces for Bihar polls

Rediff.com27 Sep 2020

The maximum 80 companies, as per an official order, will be drawn from the Central Reserve Police Force followed by 70 from the Sashastra Seema Bal, 55 from the Border Security Force, 50 from the Central Industrial Security Force, 30 from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police force and 15 from the RPF.

When Santa Wore A Red Sari

When Santa Wore A Red Sari

Rediff.com1 Feb 2023

The Budget oration of the finance minister and the confidence with which she delivered it, along with the measures and the recent upsurge in the economy would all contribute to unleashing the storied 'animal spirits' and help the economy run on the growth path quite smoothly. Or so the government hopes, notes Shreekant Sambrani.

Experts sceptical about CMIE's unemployment data

Experts sceptical about CMIE's unemployment data

Rediff.com3 May 2022

Economists on Tuesday are not convinced about the latest monthly unemployment data released by the Centre for Monitoring India Economy (CMIE), particularly about the statistics of the rural areas. They asserted that it is difficult to get the real picture of unemployment from the methodology used by the CMIE to get the data. The overall unemployment rate in India has increased to 7.83 per cent in April 2022 as compared to 7.60 per cent in the previous month, CMIE said in its report.

Trial by Fire Review: Gripping

Trial by Fire Review: Gripping

Rediff.com13 Jan 2023

What works for Trial By Fire is Rajshri Deshpande's and Abhay Deol's portrayal of the distraught parents who struggled and toiled for justice for over two decades, observes Utkarsh Mishra.

'Abu Salem will be bumped off... by Indian intelligence agencies'

'Abu Salem will be bumped off... by Indian intelligence agencies'

Rediff.com29 Dec 2014

'Even the mafia has certain ethics and follow certain rules, but Abu Salem was so ruthless, so inhuman, there was no ethics at all. He had no basic humanity in him.' India's foremost crime writer S Hussain Zaidi on the dreaded gangster.

IMF cuts India's FY22 growth forecast to 9%

IMF cuts India's FY22 growth forecast to 9%

Rediff.com26 Jan 2022

The IMF on Tuesday cut India's economic growth forecast by 0.5 percentage points to 9 per cent for the current fiscal year, with its chief economist Gita Gopinath saying that the slight downgrade is mainly due to the impact of the spread of the Omicron variant. "If you look at the 2021-22 fiscal year, we have a slight downgrade of -0.5 percentage points and for the next fiscal year 2022-23 we have a slight upgrade of 0.5 percentage points. So, growth for the previous fiscal year is now nine per cent and for this year now is at nine per cent. We moved it up slightly," Gopinath told reporters during a news conference in Washington. In its latest update of World Economic Outlook on Tuesday, the International Monetary Fund has cut India's economic growth forecast to 9 per cent for the current fiscal year ending March 31, joining a host of agencies which have downgraded their projections on concerns over the impact of the spread of Omicron on business activity and mobility.

Human clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccine initiated in India: ICMR

Human clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccine initiated in India: ICMR

Rediff.com14 Jul 2020

Since India is one of the largest vaccine producers in the world, it is the country's 'moral responsibility' to fast-track vaccine development process to break the chain of coronavirus transmission, ICMR Director General Dr Balram Bhargava said referring to the two vaccine candidates developed indigenously.

Strictly enforce one hand bag rule: Govt to airlines

Strictly enforce one hand bag rule: Govt to airlines

Rediff.com22 Jan 2022

Airline executives said the rule is conflicting as regulator's own rules permits a passenger to carry multiple other things like laptop bag, ladies' hand bag, blanket, item bought at duty free shops, reports Arindam Majumder.

Kodiyeri Balakrishnan steps aside as CPI-M secy days after son's arrest

Kodiyeri Balakrishnan steps aside as CPI-M secy days after son's arrest

Rediff.com13 Nov 2020

While the CPI-M in a statement after the secretariat on Friday maintained that Balakrishnan, who is also a Polit Bureau member, had sought leave for further treatment which had been accepted, the leader of opposition in the state assembly Ramesh Chennithala dubbed the move as a delayed dawning of wisdom.

Trust Indian industry: WHO on delay in Covaxin nod

Trust Indian industry: WHO on delay in Covaxin nod

Rediff.com29 Oct 2021

A technical advisory group of the UN health agency which met on Tuesday has sought "additional clarifications" from Bharat Biotech for Covaxin to conduct a final "risk-benefit assessment" for Emergency Use Listing of the vaccine.

Why Switzerland is as desperate as Adityanath for Noida airport to take off

Why Switzerland is as desperate as Adityanath for Noida airport to take off

Rediff.com5 Oct 2021

There is little that Andreas Schmid, the Swiss-born chairman of Flughafen Zurich AG (Zurich Airport International AG), and Yogi Adityanath, chief minister of Uttar Pradesh (UP), could have in common. But Schmid, whose company is building the Noida airport in partnership with the UP government, finds himself on the same footing as the firebrand Hindutva leader who rules the state. Both hope the Rs 30,000-crore ($4 billion) project, hanging fire for 20 years, shows some progress when UP goes to the polls in 2022.

India more secure, free of corruption after 2014: Modi

India more secure, free of corruption after 2014: Modi

Rediff.com31 May 2022

At the rally in Shimla's Ridge Maidan to mark the eighth anniversary of becoming prime minister, Modi said, "Now our borders are more secure than they were before 2014."

Antrix dispute: Devas seizes $87,457 cash in US

Antrix dispute: Devas seizes $87,457 cash in US

Rediff.com17 Aug 2022

Devas Multimedia has seized $87,457.47 cash that ISRO's commercial arm Antrix Corporation held in the US as it looked to enforce a $1.2 billion compensation it had won over a cancelled satellite deal, its lawyer said on Wednesday. Devas Multimedia America Inc had sought seizure of $145,000 but the actual recovery was $87,457.47 (a little less than Rs 70 lakh). This came after it secured a favourable order from the Eastern District Court of Virginia, Matthew D McGrill said.

New Ways To Fight Terrorism in Kashmir

New Ways To Fight Terrorism in Kashmir

Rediff.com7 Jun 2022

In the Kashmir Valley, we need to begin to make a distinction between an insurgent who fights the security forces and a terrorist who murders unarmed civilians, suggests Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).

Anil Pahwa chosen as Jefferson Science Fellow

Anil Pahwa chosen as Jefferson Science Fellow

Rediff.com5 Jun 2014

Anil Pahwa, Logan-Fetterhoof chair professor of electrical and computer engineering, Kansas State University, was last month named among the 13 Jefferson Science Fellows. The prestigious program is administered by the National Academies and supported through partnerships with the science, technology and engineering academic community, professional scientific societies, the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development.

US to send raw material to India for Covishield

US to send raw material to India for Covishield

Rediff.com26 Apr 2021

The Biden administration has come under criticism from several quarters, including from members and supporters of the Democratic party, for not releasing surplus COVID-19 vaccines to India when the country is experiencing its worst-ever public health crisis.

What US looks like during a shutdown

What US looks like during a shutdown

Rediff.com14 Jan 2019

A partial United States government shutdown over President Donald Trump's demand for $5.7 billion to build a wall along the US-Mexico border entered its 23rd day on Sunday making it the longest shuttering of federal agencies in the country's history, with no end in sight. The closure, which began on December 22, broke a decades-old record by a 1995-1996 shutdown under former US President Bill Clinton that lasted 21 days.

Australia formally recognises India's Covaxin

Australia formally recognises India's Covaxin

Rediff.com1 Nov 2021

Australia's medicines and medical devices regulator on Monday formally recognised India's Covaxin, a vaccine against the coronavirus as the country's border was reopened for the first time in nearly 20 months.

US Influence in Afghanistan has touched Ground Zero

US Influence in Afghanistan has touched Ground Zero

Rediff.com26 Aug 2021

A confrontation with the Taliban in Kabul in this fading light of a twilight zone would have been sheer madness, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.

Hindujas's 1.2 Billion Project Makes Waves

Hindujas's 1.2 Billion Project Makes Waves

Rediff.com22 Jan 2022

'Our family philosophy is to build a bridge between India and Britain.'

Why Moody's outlook on India need to be viewed with scepticism

Why Moody's outlook on India need to be viewed with scepticism

Rediff.com18 Oct 2021

The improved outlook on the Government of India announced by rating agency Moody's might need to be viewed with some scepticism. There is no doubt the performance of the Indian economy has sharply improved from the deep trough it hit last year. But the ability of the second largest global ratings agency to assess an upside and downside before events make everyone wise about India has been dismal for a long time, as the chart shows.

Ashok Lavasa named as new ADB vice-president

Ashok Lavasa named as new ADB vice-president

Rediff.com15 Jul 2020

Lavasa, a career bureaucrat, joined as Election Commissioner on January 23, 2018, and being senior most on the poll panel would have become CEC in April next year after the term of incumbent Sunil Arora ends.