Is India ready for the AI revolution? The rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, from generative AI tools to sophisticated machine learning algorithms, are transforming industries across the nation. From fintech's burgeoning use of AI-powered fraud detection to the agricultural sector's embrace of precision farming technologies, the impact is undeniable. This week saw a major breakthrough in indigenous 5G technology development, signaling India's growing prowess in the global tech landscape. But alongside this progress comes the crucial discussion surrounding data privacy, cybersecurity, and the ethical implications of AI deployment. How will India navigate these challenges and harness the transformative power of technology for inclusive growth? Explore the latest developments in Indian tech, from the rise of digital payments to the burgeoning startup ecosystem, and discover how innovation is shaping the nation's future. Stay informed with Abtak.com – your gateway to understanding the tech revolution reshaping India.
Pune: In a significant boost to scientific research and biodiversity conservation, the Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune, has been designated as a national repository under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. The notification was issued on April 7, 2026, by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in consultation with the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA). The designation covers two key facilities at ARI, the MACS Collection of Microorganisms and the National Fungal Culture Collection of India, recognising their role in preserving and documenting the country's microbial and fungal diversity. Under Section 39 of the Act, the Centre may notify institutions as repositories for various biological resources. These facilities ensure the safe custody of materials, including voucher specimens, and support the documentation of newly discovered species, as well as the resources used in research and commercial applications. Prashant K. Dhakephalkar, director of ARI, told HT, "We are deeply honoured that the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has designated the MACS Collection of Microorganisms and the National Fungal Culture Collection at Agharkar Research Institute as National Repositories under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. This recognition affirms our long-standing expertise in microbial and fungal preservation, strengthening our commitment to safeguarding India's biological wealth for research, agriculture, healthcare, and industry. ARI repositories will safeguard and preserve India's microbial heritage, including industrially important extremophiles and obligate anaerobic microorganisms." With this addition, the number of designated repositories in the country has risen to 18, strengthening the national framework for conservation and systematic biodiversity documentation. The MACS Collection of Microorganisms is known for preserving diverse microbial cultures, including rare, anaerobic, and extremophilic organisms, supporting applications across agriculture, healthcare, and industry. The National Fungal Culture Collection of India maintains authenticated fungal cultures from diverse habitats nationwide and plays a key role in identification, classification, and research. It also provides services to academic institutions, research organisations, and industry, along with training and collaborative programmes. Alongside ARI, the Referral Centre Bhavasagara at the Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (CMLRE), Kochi, has also been notified as a repository. Officials said, "The strengthened repository network will ensure biological materials are preserved in scientifically controlled conditions and made accessible for research and innovation in a transparent and accountable manner. It will also support effective implementation of access and benefit-sharing provisions by improving record-keeping and traceability."
New Delhi, June 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, J.P. Nadda, on Sunday emphasised the role of key government initiatives in transforming the lives of women across India, marking "11 years of Sashakt Nari" -- a sustained efforts toward women's empowerment under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Initiatives such as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, PM Ujjwala Yojana, Drone Didi, the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan with its focus on toilet construction, Mahila Shakti Kendras, and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao have empowered our sisters and opened countless new oppor ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: Nature lovers have a fresh reason to visit Nandankanan Zoological Park in Odisha's Bhubaneswar, as the famed wildlife sanctuary welcomed seven baby yellow anacondas into its reptilian fold on Sunday -- a rare and exciting addition that underscores the zoo's growing reputation as a haven for exotic species. The tiny hatchlings were born to a breeding pair of yellow anacondas brought to Nandankanan from the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust in Chennai in October 2019. With these new arrivals, the zoo now proudly houses a thriving family of 14 yellow anacondas -- two adult males, two adul ...Read More >
In a groundbreaking conservation effort, a large-scale underwater cleanup at Sindhudurg’s coral reefs removed 300 kg of marine debris, marking a significant step in protecting the fragile ecosystem. Organized by environmental groups, the Maharashtra Forest Department, and local divers, the operation targeted harmful pollutants like fishing nets, plastic, and glass bottles. The cleanup, which took place over two days, aims to restore coral health by removing debris that suffocates corals and disrupts marine life. The initiative, supported by local communities, sets the stage for further efforts ...Read More >
VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has directed the officials to develop 'Visakha Economic Region' as the growth engine of Andhra Pradesh, with an aim to transforming it into a USD 120 billion economic region by 2032. He emphasised the need to develop Visakhapatnam on the lines of Mumbai in the next seven years. The Economic Region consists of eight districts including Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Srikakulam, Anakapalli, Kakinada, East Godavari, ASR, and Manyam. The Chief Minister instructed officials to develop projects that would boost economic activity across this eight-distri ...Read More >
Chennai, June 29 (UNI) The four member Ax-4 crew were fully immersed in their mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS), Axiom Space said today. On the fourth day updates, it said Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) Commander Peggy Whitson, Indian Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla "Shux," Mission Specialist Sławosz "Suave" Uznański-Wiśniewski, and Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu are now fully immersed in their mission aboard the ISS wrapping up their day on orbit with a schedule full of scientific research and international outreach." The Ax-4 crew has transitioned smoothly from arrival protocols to ha ...Read More >
To boost agroforestry and double farmers' income, the Centre has introduced model rules for tree felling on agricultural land. These rules aim to simplify permissions, promote sustainable land use, and align with climate goals. By registering on the National Timber Management System (NTMS), farmers can gain transparency and access better market prices for their timber, including international markets.The Centre has issued model rules for the felling of trees on agricultural land in a bid to promo ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is probing from all angles, including sabotage, in the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad that killed 274 people on board and on the ground last month, Minister of State (MoS) For Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said. Mohol said the black box of the Air India flight AI 171 that has been recovered is in AAIB's custody and will not be outside the country for a thorough assessment. The MoS was speaking at the Pune chapter of the Emerging Business Conclave. "It (plane crash) was an unfortunate incident. The AAIB has begun a full investig ...Read More >
Chandigarh: Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini on Tuesday said the state govt was consistently working to provide better resources to the doctors and quality healthcare services to the citizens.He mentioned that medical colleges were being established in every district.While there were only six medical colleges in 2014, the number has now increased to 15, and nine new colleges are under construction. As a result, MBBS seats in the state increased from 700 in 2014 to 2,185, at present. The state govt aims to increase the MBBS seats to over 3,400 by 2029, said Saini.The CM was addressing a ...Read More >
New Delhi: Three Indian citizens vanished mysteriously in Tehran. Darkness closed in as hope seemed lost. A ruthless Pakistani gang with potential links to ISI snatched them away, casting a shadow of fear. But relentless Indian diplomats refused to back down. Against all odds, a daring rescue mission ignited. Now, the captives are free, and a chilling game of espionage comes to light. The Punjab-based trio - Amritpal Singh from Hoshiarpur, Jaspal Singh from SBS Nagar and Hushnapreet Singh from Sangrur - had landed in Iran on May 1. Promised a clandestine route to Australia via Dubai and Tehra ...Read More >
Srinagar- Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said foreign countries were told clearly during the post-Operation Sindoor diplomatic outreach that in case of a fresh provocation, India would repeat its action. Speaking at a discussion at the Ahmedabad Management Association, Tharoor said Indian delegations which visited foreign countries in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor managed to convey that India acted with restraint and responsibility. "In other places, we actually were able to get some very high-placed people to say not only that they respected and supported India's right of self- ...Read More >
Gorakhpur: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday announced that every district in UP will soon have a 100-bed AYUSH Health & Wellness Centre to provide comprehensive healthcare through traditional systems like Panchakarma and Ksharsutra.Addressing the inauguration ceremony of the Mahayogi Guru Gorakhnath AYUSH University, Yogi said govt would also establish AYUSH colleges in six divisional headquarters.Yogi highlighted how traditional Indian medical systems received global attention only after 2014, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi created ministry of AYUSH, integrating Ayurveda, Yoga, Un ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Former head of Air India and chairman of the Railway Board Ashwani Lohani is the new Prime Ministers Museum and Library (PMML) director. The official order for his appointment was issued on Wednesday. A 1980-batch officer of the Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineering (IRSME), Lohani is known for turning around various organisations during his illustrious career. Following his retirement from IRSME service, he joined the GMR Group as the CEO. According to the order dated June 4, his appointment to the post of director, Prime Ministers Museum and Library in the rank and pa ...Read More >
Srinagar, Jun 7 (PTI) Authorities on Saturday barred Eid prayers from taking place at the Eidgah ground and the Jama Masjid in the old city here, while Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq claimed that he was put under house arrest. "Anjuman Auqaf Jama Masjid Srinagar deeply regrets to inform that the authorities have once again disallowed Eid-ul-Adha prayers at the Eidgah as well as at the historic Jama Masjid in Srinagar by closing the gates of the mosque and deploying police personnel outside," the management of the historic mosque said in a statement. ...Read More >
Srinagar, June 7: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, on Saturday, congratulated the University of Kashmir for getting an A++ grade in the NAAC inspection. The Lt Governor extended his heartiest congratulations to the Vice Chancellor, faculty, staff, and students of the University of Kashmir for attaining the prestigious A++ Grade by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), and securing an outstanding Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.68 on a seven-point scale. Calling it a proud moment for J&K UT, the Lt Governor said, "The A++ Grade places the Un ...Read More >
New Delhi: Alleging "blatant misuse" of agencies to defame its leaders, AAP on Thursday questioned why the first information report filed against former Delhi ministers Saurabh Bharadwaj and Satyendar Jain was being kept under wraps and "selective" press notes were being leaked to the media.Bharadwaj, who is Delhi AAP convener, alleged that only two former ministers were named in the case without any reasonable cause while all the officers of the health and public works departments, who were actually responsible for executing the hospital projects, were spared. "Is the FIR so baseless that BJP ...Read More >
MADURAI: Likening the custodial murder of Ajith Kumar in Tiruppuvanam to an 'organised crime by police where the state kills its own citizens,' Madras high court lambasted the Tamil Nadu police and said the action against the perpetrators should be more stringent than in normal murder cases.A division bench of Justice S M Subramaniam and Justice A D Maria Clete pointed to 44 external injuries on the person of Ajith Kumar and said no part of the body was spared by the delinquent cops. "Even an ordinary murderer would not have inflicted such kind of injuries," the bench said on Tuesday.The natur ...Read More >
Silchar: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday visited the flood-ravaged districts of Hailakandi and Sribhumi in the Barak Valley. He assured affected residents of providing timely disbursement of rehabilitation grants and swift repair of damaged infrastructure.This marks Sarma's second visit to the flood-hit region within four days, underscoring the gravity of the situation. Speaking to the media in Sribhumi after inspecting multiple relief camps, the CM said, "Flood-related problems may persist till July. I will return before Durga Puja to ensure that roads and infrastructure ar ...Read More >
Kolkata, June 28: A political slugfest has erupted in West Bengal after a woman accused Padma Shree awardee monk Kartik Maharaj, who is posted with the Murshidabad unit of Bharat Sevashram Sangha, of allegedly raping her 12 times for six months in 2013. As per the police complaint lodged by the woman, Kartik Maharaj raped her multiple times 12 years ago promising her a job at a local school. The ruling Trinamool Congress is highlighting the issue in a major way and accusing the BJP of being silent on it since the accused monk had been reportedly close to the saffron party. The woman accusin ...Read More >
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Thursday took strong action against the police officers allegedly responsible for the Bengaluru stampede, suspending several high-ranking officials, including the city's police commissioner. Addressing a press conference, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also announced a one-man commission to probe the lapses that triggered the deadly stampede. "Cubbon Park Police Station police inspector, station house master, station house officer, ACP, Central Division DCP, cricket stadium in-charge, additional commissioner of police, commissioner of police have been susp ...Read More >
SAMBALPUR: Debrigarh wildlife sanctuary has reported a significant rise in the population of Indian Bison (gaur) with their number increasing to 788 from 659 in just six months. According to the latest census conducted by the Hirakud Wildlife division, the sanctuary is now home to 788 gaurs including 315 juveniles and 128 newborns, indicating the robust breeding and healthy herd dynamics of this Schedule I species. The census was carried out from May 11 to 13 through a three-day direct counting exercise involving 73 units and 147 personnel. It used 122 camera traps and 130 permanent inspecti ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 7 (PTI) Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Saturday dismissed Congress leader Jairam Ramesh's criticism regarding the Delhi Zoo's proposed agreement with the Reliance Group's Gujarat-based wildlife facility, saying such collaborations are routine and aimed at improving animal care and management practices. "Some people have made it a habit to create doubts in the mind of the public at every instance," Yadav said on X in response to Ramesh's remarks. He clarified that the National Zoological Park (NZP), also known as the Delhi Zoo, had signed a memorandum of understa ...Read More >
Jaisalmer, Jun 7 (PTI) To honour the armed forces following Operation Sindoor, a special tribute is taking shape in the border state of Rajasthan - rare Great Indian Bustard (GIB) chicks born under a conservation project in Jaisalmer have been named after key officers and significant milestones linked to the operation. Names like 'Sindoor', 'Atom', 'Mishri', 'Vyom', and 'Sophia' now resonate through the conservation centres at Sudasari and Sam, where science, strategy and national pride are working together to revive one of India's most endangered bird species. "By giving these chicks these ...Read More >
Mumbai, June 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) It was a belligerent, brilliant, and breathtaking performance from the Chennai Bulls, who were crowned the first ever champions of the Rugby Premier League, here in Mumbai, at the Shahaji Raje Bhosale Sports Complex. The Chennai Bulls thrashed the Delhi Redz by a scoreline of 41-0 in the final, to clinch the title. In fact, the margin of victory is the biggest across Season 1 of the GMR RPL. Meanwhile, the Hyderabad Heroes, who had finished top of the table in the league stage, came away with a third-place finish, after they won 17-12 against the Bengaluru Bra ...Read More >
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh is expected to witness a surge in demand for medicinal crops as Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced plans to start 100-bed ayurvedic wellness centres in every district and establish AYUSH colleges in six underserved divisions, officials said.The CM announced the expansion of AYUSH services across the state during the inauguration of Mahayogi Guru Gorakhnath AYUSH University in Gorakhpur on Tuesday."The vision will give a push to holistic healthcare and rural growth by boosting the demand for medicinal crops. This will enhance farmers' incomes and create jobs acr ...Read More >
Sikandar ka Muqaddar Controversy: A scene capturing the flamingos in the recently released Netflix movie has stirred a new row among environmentalists. As per a Free Press Journal report, the greens have alleged that the flamingo shot was captured from a close angle purportedly via a drone. The complaint was made to the Mangrove Cell with a request to take the issue in cognizance legally with the Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner, NRI Coastal police station and CIDCO. A part of the NatConnect Foundation's complaint stated that during the timeline 1:03:44 to 1:03:54 in the movie, a shot captured ...Read More >
Kolkata, Jan 10 (PTI) Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) scientists identified a new pangolin species which diverged from the Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) around 3.4 million years ago, the organisation said in a statement on Friday. The ZSI said the discovery of the Indo-Burmese pangolin (Manis indo-burmanica) sheds light on the evolutionary diversity of pangolins, likely influenced by dramatic geo-climatic changes in the region, one of the world's biodiversity hotspots. The study, led by Mukesh Thakur of the ZSI, used cutting-edge genomic tools to analyse mitochondrial genomes. "Thi ...Read More >
BHUBANESWAR: Emphasising the importance of cleaner and greener environment for a healthy society, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday announced the government's plan of planting 7.5 crore trees across the state within the next one year. Addressing a state-level function held at the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) to celebrate World Environment Day, the chief minister said the state has achieved a net increase of approximately 560 sq km in forest and tree cover, which is the fourth-highest among all states. The common people and institutions have planted nearly ...Read More >
Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], June 29 (ANI): Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in saving Jaipur's Dol Ka Badh forest from destruction. The Rajasthan government plans to convert the forest into a commercial hub, featuring a Prime Minister's Unity Mall, a Fintech Park, and hotels, which would involve cutting down approximately 2,400 trees. Sanjay Singh, in a letter to PM Modi, mentioned that the project is against the 'ideology' of PM Modi's 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' mission and would harm the natural form and ecological balance of the area, exacerbat ...Read More >
ITANAGAR, 1 Jul: Forest officials in Arunachal Pradesh have discovered a new species of flowering plant, Begonia nyishiorum, in the high-altitude forests of East Kameng district. The species was documented during a challenging expedition by the Seppa Forest Division. Its discovery was recently published in the prestigious international journal Novon: A Journal for Botanical Nomenclature, on 23 June. Named in honour of the Nyishi tribe, the plant stands out for its unique crimson-fringed petioles, an identifying feature not seen in any other Asian begonia, sources in the state Forest Departme ...Read More >
Sambalpur: The population of Indian Bisons (Gaur) in Odisha's Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary has increased to 788 from 659 in six months, a forest officer said. The authorities of the Hirakud wildlife division conducted the census from May 11 to May 13, this year and published the report Friday. As per the report, the total number of Indian Bison in the wildlife sanctuary was 788, which includes 315 juveniles (less than 2 year old) and 128 newborns (less than 3 months). Of the total bison population, 315 (40 per cent) are juvenile. For the first time, the census of Indian Bisons was conducted ...Read More >