L&T Tech: First company to directly obtain and implement 5G spectrum
The first IT company to publicly indicate interest in the government’s direct distribution of spectrum for exclusive 5G networks is L&T Technology Services. According to CEO Amit Chadha, it will acquire spectrum to set up a 5G private network and develop use cases for the technology. In addition, the engineering and research and development services company will roll out 5G solutions for parent company Larsen & Toubro globally.
KEY POINTS:
India recently published regulations allowing businesses that are not in the telecom industry to purchase spectrum directly from the telecom department for the construction of private 5G networks.
To supply 5G automation services and quick integration of open radio access network technologies that they will launch jointly, the company has partnered with network software provider Mavenir.
The business applauded the government’s decision to permit private businesses to use 5G, but it demanded that the laws be changed to permit the deployment of the same 5G network in more than one location.
Additionally, it is demanded that the difficulty of connecting the 5G spectrum that businesses receive to the Internet be adjusted for the provision of application-as-a-service or lab offer-as-a-service options
According to regulations for private 5G networks, the Department of Telecommunications will carry out demand assessments and then ask the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India for recommendations before granting spectrum. The agency would only impose a small processing fee of Rs 50,000 when allocating spectrum to businesses for connecting their facilities; no licence or entry fees will be assessed.
Sri Lanka: Ranil Wickremesinghe elected as 9th President
Veteran Sri Lankan politician and six-time Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe has been elected as the 9th President of the Island nation by the Parliament. He secured 134 votes in the presidential election by the 225-member parliament. The 73-year-old Wickremesinghe will serve the remaining term of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, which ends in 2024.
Why does this happen?
Wickremesinghe will replace Gotabaya Rajapaksa who fled the country and resigned after public anger over the country’s worst economic crisis exploded on the streets 10 days ago.
Indeed, the bulk of Wickremesinghe’s support came from the Rajapaksas’ Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party which witnessed a split within its ranks, but not enough to dent Wickremesinghe’s candidature.
He defeated Dullas Alahapperuma, a rebel leader of the SLPP who was backed by the Opposition. Wickremesinghe, who has previously lost two Presidential elections and even his MP seat, will be the 8th Executive President of Sri Lanka.
Uttarakhand CM Dhami released the book “BEYOND THE MISTY VEIL”
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami released the book “BEYOND THE MISTY VEIL”, Temple Tales of Uttarakhand written by Ms Aradhana Johri (Senior IAS) on the temples of Uttarakhand. This book will be known as an authentic introduction to the divine temples of Uttarakhand in the country and abroad. Former IAS officer Aradhana Johri who had served earlier as the District Magistrate of Nainital.
The essence of the book:
The book based on the mythological temples of Devbhoomi Uttarakhand informs us about our culture and mythology. Apart from Chardham, religious tourism should also be promoted. The book talks about the temples of Uttarakhand, their significance and the tales associated with them. This will connect the main temples coming in different areas of the state and will promote religious tourism by developing them in the form of circuits.
NAARM received Sardar Patel Award of ICAR
The National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM) has bagged the Sardar Patel Outstanding ICAR Institute Award 2021 (in the Large Institute Category) for its overall performance. Ch Srinivasa Rao, Director of NAARM, received the award from the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar in New Delhi. The awards were given away at a function to mark the 94th Foundation Day of the ICAR.
About the NAARM:
The National Academy of Agricultural Research Management is a national-level Natural Resource Service training institute for ARS cadre located in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It was established by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research in 1976, to address issues related to agricultural research and education management, in India.
Morgan Stanley cuts India’s FY23 GDP forecast to 7.2%
American brokerage Morgan Stanley cut its FY23 real GDP expansion estimate for India by 0.40 per cent to 7.2 per cent on slower global growth and GDP growth will slow down to 6.4 per cent in FY24. A majority of watchers are expecting FY23 GDP growth to come at over 7 per cent levels. The RBI estimate also stands at 7.2 per cent.
Global growth, Morgan Stanley said, is likely to slow to 1.5 per cent YoY in the quarter ending December 2022 from 4.7 per cent in the quarter ended December 2021. Slower trade growth, tighter financial conditions and changes in commodity prices are the three main reasons, it said, is why they see the pace of global growth slow going ahead.
CPI inflation expected by Morgan Stanley:
Morgan Stanley expects the CPI inflation to average 6.5 per cent in F23, as compared to its forecast of 7 per cent earlier. However, they do not expect much change in inflation beyond FY23, and expect it to average 5.3 per cent in FY24. The near-term risks to the inflation trajectory, it said, stem from changes in commodity prices and/or domestic food prices.
Henley Passport Index 2022: India ranks 87th
The Henley Passport Index has recently released the list of the World’s Most Powerful Passports for the year 2022. Three Asian nations Japan, Singapore and South Korea bagged the top three positions on the list, reversing pre-pandemic rankings that were dominated by European nations. India is ranked 87th on the list of the world’s most powerful passports in 2022, according to the latest Henley Passport Index from Henley & Partners, an immigration consultancy.
Key points of the Index:
India’s neighbouring country Pakistan reportedly has the fourth worst passport in the world, according to Henley Index.
The Japanese passport provides hassle-free entry to 193 countries, while Singapore and South Korea both provide entry to 192 countries.
Among other countries from Asia, India, along with Mauritius and Tajikistan, has been ranked 87th, with its passport providing access to 67 countries.
China ties with Bolivia for the 69th spot, with each of their passports allowing access to 80 destinations.
As for Bangladesh, it occupies the 104th position – five spots higher than Pakistan.
Pakistan has the fourth worst passport in the world after Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.
World’s most powerful passports 2022: Top 10 countries
Japan
Singapore
South Korea
Germany
Spain
Finland
Italy
Luxemburg
Austria
Denmark
About the Henley Passport Index:
Henley Passport Index has ranked all the world’s 199 passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa. The ranking is based on data from the International Air Transport Association, which maintains the world’s largest database of travel information, and it is enhanced by extensive, ongoing research by the Henley & Partners Research Department.
PM Narendra Modi unveils ‘SPRINT Challenges’ to boost usage of Indigenous Technology
Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled ‘SPRINT Challenges’, aimed at giving a boost to the usage of indigenous technology in the Indian Navy, during the Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) seminar ‘Swavlamban’ in New Delhi. This collaborative project is named SPRINT {Supporting Pole-Vaulting in R&D through Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), NIIO and Technology Development Acceleration Cell (TDAC)}.
In a bid to achieve ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence and as part of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’, NIIO, in conjunction with the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO), aims to induct at least 75 new indigenous technologies/products into the Indian Navy. The seminar was organised by the Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) and the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM).
About the seminar:
The two-day seminar, to be held on July 18-19, 2022, aims to engage Indian industry and academia towards achieving self-reliance in the Defence sector.
It will provide a platform for leaders from Industry, Academia, Services and Government to come together on a common platform to ideate and come up with recommendations for the Defence Sector.
Sessions dedicated to Innovation, Indigenisation, Armament and Aviation will be held. The second day of the Seminar will witness outreach to the Indian Ocean Region, in line with the government’s vision of SAGAR.