Category: Life & Style

The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has started a research study to develop lab-grown fish meat. In this groundbreaking initiative, India will soon have its first lab-grown fish meat, meticulously designed to emulate the original flavour, texture, and nutritional value of natural fish.

The Kochi-based CMFRI has partnered with a start-up, Neat Meatt Biotech, which is working on cultivated meat. CMFRI will be responsible for conducting research on the early cell line development of valuable marine fish species, including the isolation and culture of fish cells. It will also manage the project’s analytical, biochemical, and genetic tasks.

The anticipated lab-grown fish meat will be crafted by isolating specific cells from fish specimens and nurturing them within laboratory confines, utilising animal component-free media. Meanwhile, Neat Meatt will assume the responsibility for crafting scaffolds or microcarriers, refining optimal cell growth conditions, and amplifying production through bioreactors.

India’s determination to meet rising seafood demand while reducing pressure on wild resources led to the creation of this innovative initiative. Additionally, it aims to position India alongside trailblazing countries like Singapore, Israel, and the US in the realm of cultured seafood research.

French President Emmanuel Macron will attend India’s Republic Day as a chief guest on Friday. This visit is seen as a significant milestone in strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries ahead of a multi-billion-dollar deal to buy French fighter jets and submarines for the Indian military.

On January 25, he will first visit Jaipur to see the Amber Fort and later meet PM Modi to take a tour of the pink city together.

According to reports, Macron’s visit will be more ceremonial than substantial, and he will meet many business leaders from the pharmaceutical, auto, space, energy, and hydrogen industries. India-France ties have been one of the oldest among European nations. Additionally, it has been India’s second-largest arms supplier, and India has been relying on French fighter jets for more than 40 years now.

PM Modi’s last visit to France was for the Bastille Day celebration in July. During his visit, the Indian government first authorised the acquisition of 26 Rafale aircraft, and the two countries collaborated to build three 800 billion rupee Scorpene-class submarines.

However, the deal was not finalised then. France further looks forward to enhancing cooperation in the space and nuclear sectors.

A prominent socialist leader and former Bihar chief minister, Karpoori Thakur, will be awarded the highest civilian award in the country, ‘Bharat Ratna.’ Along with him, 49 other people have been granted the Bharat Ratna award, including 17 posthumously.

Thakur was dubbed the Jan Nayak despite serving for a short while. He served as the Bihar CM from December 1970 to June 1971 and from December 1977 to April 1979. The award was presented 35 years after he passed away on February 17, 1988.

Bihar’s chief minister, Nitish Kumar, and his party, JDU, have long demanded the award from the Centre for the state’s first non-Congress Chief Minister. Kumar stated, “This highest honour to the late Karpoori Thakur ji on his 100th birth anniversary will create positive sentiments among the Dalit, deprived, and neglected sections.”

Upon the award being given posthumously, it is seen as a BJP masterstroke ahead of the general election as Thakur belonged to OBC and BJP aims to gain allegiance of this group as they are still loyal to Nitish Kumar. Bihar has forty parliamentary seats and it is yet to be seen how this move will impact the upcoming elections.

The silvery-white element is set to put Thailand on the global stage as one of the key sources of lithium mines, as it has discovered nearly 15 million tonnes of lithium deposits. The latest discovery has positioned Thailand as the third-largest lithium resource in the world. However, it is unclear about the amount to be commercially exploited.

Meanwhile, Thailand aims to start producing lithium mines in its southwest in about two years. Government deputy spokeswoman Rudklao Intawong Suwankiri said, “We are trying to find out how much we can use from the resources we found. It will take time.”

According to government officials and companies involved in lithium production, it will boost Thailand’s ambition to become a regional electric vehicle production hub. Along with lithium mines, it will develop an EV production industry, which will include $1.44 billion in investment commitments from Chinese carmakers.

The 14.8 million tonnes of lithium are distributed between two separate sites in the southern province of Phang Nga. Miner Pan Asia Metals is gearing up to file mining permits in March. It will be filed for the Phang-Nga, which includes the prospective Reung Kiet and Bang I Tum sites.

On Tuesday, a massive crowd poured in to seek the blessings of Lord Ram in Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir Temple. After the spectacle inauguration of the Ram Janmabhoomi by PM Modi on Monday, the gates were swung open to the general public on Tuesday.

However, tens of thousands of devotees flocked to the temple on Tuesday morning, which compelled the temple management to temporarily stop the people from darshan. The gates were re-opened at 2 p.m. With the massive influx, separate gates for entry and exit were introduced, and a separate line for women was added.

Many devotees had been lining up since 4 a.m. in temperatures below 8 degrees. It became difficult for security personnel to manage the crowd, with at least one person fainting in the commotion. The historic occurrence of the public inauguration of the temple, which continues to attract devotees, represents profound devotion and the culmination of a journey spanning centuries.

According to reports, more than 100,000 devotees are expected to visit the temple each day for the next few months. The police urged people to avoid overcrowding the temple for the next few days.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the first traditional Hindu stone temple in Abu Dhabi on February 14. The temple will be inaugurated in a Vedic ceremony under the guidance of Pujya Mahant Swami Maharaj. On February 18, the temple will open its gates to the general public.

The Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) previously confirmed in a press release that Mr Modi will be accompanied by Swami Ishwacharandas and Swami Brahmaviharidas, along with the board of directors.

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan gifted the land during the prime minister’s first official visit to the UAE in August 2015. The temple construction kicked off in December 2019 and is anticipated to last for more than 1,000 years.

1,500 workers meticulously crafted the 27-acre pink sandstone temple by hand. Countless community leaders and hundreds of volunteers supported the temple construction, which is a dream come true for BAPS and millions of Hindus.

Abdulnasser Alshaali, the UAE’s ambassador to India, stated that the inauguration of the Swaminarayan temple of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha will be a momentous occasion to “celebrate tolerance and acceptance.”

President Draupadi Murmu awarded the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2024 to nineteen children on Monday. Among the winners were Aaditya Vijay Brahmane, 12, from Rajasthan who sacrificed his life to save his cousins Harsh and Shlok from drawing in the river while playing.

The list includes a nine-year-old mountaineer, R Surya Prasad, from Andra, who was awarded for accomplishing his feat of scaling Mount Kilimanjaro at the age of nine. The six-year-old ‘Google boy,’ Armaan Ubhrani, for his outstanding prowess in mathematics and science. Anushka Pathak, 8, captivated people across 22 states by establishing herself in ‘Katha Vachan’n (religious text narration).

Arijeet Banerjee, 13, a prodigy who plays the traditional Pakhawaj, has had a major impact on the cultural landscape. He also received the Bharat Ratna MS Subbulakshmi Fellowship and the Asia Book of Records. 17-year-old Aryan Singh is recognised for his work on an AI robot that integrates state-of-the-art technologies such as the Internet of Things to help improve the lives of farmers.

The 13-year-old Hetvi Kantibhai Khimsuriya has created 250 works of free-hand painting despite suffering from cerebral palsy. She also donates her monthly pension to support differently-abled children.

India continues to be generous in helping Afghanistan by supplying the latest 40,000 litres of Malathion pesticide through Chabahar port. Malathion is an environment-friendly pesticide used to fight locust-widespread and is best suited for arid regions.

Afghanistan is currently suffering from a locust menace as they continue to destroy crops in the country. Its spread further endangers neighbouring countries like Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan.

The consignment of 40,000 Malathion was supplied in two trucks and was officially handed over to the Ministry of Agriculture. The Taliban-controlled Agriculture Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock expressed their gratitude to India for helping to protect crops and ensuring food security in the nation.

Due to their voracious nature and capacity to destroy vegetation, locusts pose a significant hazard to food security. One of the worst cases was seen in Pakistan in early 2020, where it had to declare a national emergency due to a locust attack.

India continues to help the people of Afghanistan with the supply of wheat and the provision of materials for drug rehabilitation camps run by the UN. Under the partnership of the Indian government and the UN World Food Programme, India has supplied 47,500 metric tonnes of wheat.

PM Narendra Modi will hold an extravagant inauguration ceremony at Ramjanmbhoomi to welcome Lord Ram’s return to Ayodhya after a wait of more than 500 years.

Following centuries of oppression by a particular community and colonial powers, Ayodhya is finally ready to move Ram Lalla from a broken tent to a temple. The original temple was razed by the Mughals in 1528, and the Babri Masjid was built on it.

PM Modi is scheduled to arrive in Ayodhya on Monday at 10:25 am and will reach Shri Ram Janmabhoomi at 10:55 am. He will perform the Pran Pratishtha ceremony at 12:05 pm with a team of priests led by Lakshmikant Dixit.

The specific time and date are chosen as per Hindu mythological history. It is believed that Lord Vishu took one of his incarnations on this particular Karma Dwadashi, Mrigashira Nakshatra, and Indra Yog Day. Shri Ram is also one of Shri Vishu’s incarnations. Thus, this date plays a significant role in the inaugural ceremony.

The consecration ceremony will be performed in the Abhijit Muhurat, which is considered one of the most auspicious muhurats in Hindu traditions. The muhurat will last 84 seconds between 12:29:08 p.m. and 12:30:32 p.m.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled commemorative postage stamps dedicated to Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir and a book of stamps related to Lord Ram.

The Ram Mandir, Choupai “Mangal Bhavan Amangal Hari,” the Sarayu River, the Sun, and sculptures within and outside the temple are just a few of its many highlights. It consists of six stamps in total. It includes Lord Ganesh, Ram Temple, Lord Hanuman, Kevatraj, Jatayu, and Ma Shabri.

The gold leaf depicting sun rays and Chaupai is included in the pattern, giving the small sheet an imposing appearance and reflecting Panchbhutas. Panchbhutas are the five elements of the physical world: earth, water, fire, air, and sky.

The book covers stamps issued by more than 20 countries, including the United States, New Zealand, Singapore, Canada, Cambodia, and the UN, which demonstrate Lord Rama’s appeal to various communities worldwide.

The much-awaited Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir ‘Pran Pratishtha’ celebration is all set to welcome more than 7,000 guests, including saints, politicians, businessmen, and celebrities. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the chief guest of the extravagant “Pran Pratishta’ ceremony, which will take place on January 22.