Monday, March 18, 2024

Kerala's entrepreneur to revolutionise Malawi's transportation!

Brijesh Balakrishnan, a young entrepreneur hailing from Kozhikode, has forged a partnership with the government of the southeastern African country. His innovative electric-vehicle company is poised to export eco-friendly two-wheelers and three-wheelers to the land-locked nation.

Malawi, a country known for its commitment to sustainability and green initiatives, sees the introduction of e-vehicles as a significant step towards reducing carbon emissions and promoting cleaner modes of transportation. Balakrishnan's company, Axeon Ventures Pvt Ltd, has been making waves in the e-vehicle industry with its cutting-edge technology and commitment to the environment.

With his experience in the automobile industry, Balakrishnan believed in going to the core of sustainable development and coming up with the most creative and high-end solutions. In 2017, he along with his friends started building e-vehicles after an extended period of trial and error. 

The manufacturing unit of Kozhikode-headquartered Axeon is in Coimbatore. The company has already sold around 500 e-vehicles in different parts of the country. His vehicles have garnered attention on the global stage, thanks to their affordability, reliability and eco-friendly design.

The partnership marks a new chapter in the relationship between India and Malawi.

Courtesy. Pooja Nair in the NIE.

My take

A venture, about which, all of us can be proud of! 


Tailpiece.

Got up at my usual time, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

Frequent power-cuts were the order of the day.

Finished up my work by lunchtime. 

A quiet evening.

Sunday, March 17, 2024

India extends DDT production for Africa

India has decided to continue production of DDT(Dichloro Diphenyl Trichloroethane) for another five years though the deadline to phase out the deadly chemical is ending this year under the Stockholm Convention.

The Convention outlawed the production and use of DDT limiting it mosquito control. Senior officials. Officials say that the demand from African countries made India to continue DDT. The Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC) will inform the Convention secretariat in September about the decision.

Developed in the 1940s and used to control vector-borne diseases like malaria and typhus, it was soon realised that DDT is a potential carcinogen. Despite being banned in agriculture use in 1972, India continued using it to control vector-borne diseases.

MoEF&CC has received consent from the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals (DCP) for continuing DDT production to meet its export obligations. Currently, Hindustan Insecticide Ltd (HIL) is under obligation to meet the demand of 36 MT from five African countries by march-end.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW), a major buyer of DDT to control vector-borne disease, has said it does not need the chemical further as alternatives are available. Moreover, MoH&FW has stocked 578 MT of DDT.

Besides being toxic to environment, studies show mosquitoes are developing resistance to DDT. India has been working on environment-friendly alternatives. A joint project with UN agency UNIDO will come up with world's first neem-based biopesticides and Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis)-based biopesticides. "Its commercial production would be started by the end of 2025 as the facility is being set up, HIL says.

Courtesy. Jitendra Choubey in the NIE.


Tailpiece.

Got up at my usual time, the chores and was ready by 10.

A quiet Sunday.


Saturday, March 16, 2024

Kerala's Forest Department's Initiative.

Lawyers, professors among 2,400 certified snake rescuers!

A lawyer by profession, he entertains two types of phone callers :-
  * Those who get in touch with him for legal advice and
  * Those who have sighted a snake and want it rescued.

The first are his bread and butter but he pays equal attention to the second group as he is one of the 2,400 rescuers in the state, trained and certified by the state department.

Since 2020, the department has been training those interested in rescuing snakes under the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which bars such activity by unauthorised persons. The initiative followed several untoward incidents during rescues by untrained persons. In the past four years, the department has trained over 4,000 people. Of these, those exhibiting extreme proficiency were deemed as certified rescuers.

Among the 2,400-odd certified rescuers are more than 200 women, who regularly conduct rescue operations. As volunteers, these men and women stand out in their passion for handling snakes. "Snakes have fascinated me from childhood", says one. While studying Kathakali at Kerala Kalamandalam, he was suspended from the hostel for rearing a snake. Most of the volunteers have similar interesting anecdotes.

The assistant conservator of forests and state nodal officer of SARPA (Snake Awareness Rescue and Protection App) says that people from diverse backgrounds are opting for the training and enhanced public participation has increased the extent of rescue operations.

Number of snakes captured, over the years, across the state by rescuers trained by forest department

Species                                                    Year
                                               2021          2022            2023 

* King cobra                           54               81                82
* Indian rock python            1,159         1,768            2,568
* Spectacled cobra               1,537         2,797            3.428
* Others                                1,703         2,297            2,902
   Total                                  4,453         6,943            8,980

Courtesy.     AS Shan in the NIE


Tailpiece.

Got up at a half past 5, the chores and was ready by a quarter past 9.

Today happens to be :-

    * the 8th remembrance day of Lekha's dad by the Malayalam calendar
    * the 24th remembrance day of Bruno

Lekha goes to the Perunthatta Siva kshetram to offer a thila homam on her dad's memory.

The maid was at work but she left after lunch as she was going to collect a loan from the bank.

Friday, March 15, 2024

India bans 18 OTT Platforms.

Centre bans OTT platforms for vulgar and obscene content

The Information & Broadcasting ministry blocked 18 OTT platforms, 19 websites and 10 mobile apps for exhibiting obscene and vulgar content.

Multiple warnings by I & B ministry ignored

The ministry said all the banned entities were given multiple warnings before action was taken against them. Those on the banned list are listed below :-

      * Dream Films                                                   * Rabbit
      * Yoovi                                                               * Xtramood
      * Yess Ma                                                           * MoodX
      * Uncut Adda                                                     * Mojflix
      * Tri Flicks                                                         * Hot Shots VIP
      * X Prime                                                           * Chikooflix
      * Neon X VIP                                                     * Prime Play
      * Besharams                                                       * Nuefliks
      * Hunters                                                            * Fungi

Wide consultation before crack down

* The content on the platforms showed nudity, sexual acts in various inappropriate contexts such as 
   relationship between teachers and students and incestuous family relationships, the ministry said.

* Before banning, inputs from various ministries, domain experts in media, entertainment, women's
   rights, child rights were taken.

Courtesy. The NIE

My take

Appropriate action! BZ!!


Tailpiece.

Got up at my usual time, the chores and was ready by a half past 9.

A quiet forenoon.

Lekha goes out for sundry purchases.

Thursday, March 14, 2024

The centre - state governments' tussle in the Supreme Court.

The Kerala government rejected the central government's conditional offer of additional borrowing  worth Rs.5,000 cr in this financial year as a one-time measure during the hearing at the Supreme Court. The court will now hear the state government's plea for being allotted Rs.10,000 cr.

At the hearing, the Additional Solicitor General informed the court that the Centre was ready to allow additional borrowing to the state under five stringent conditions viz. :-

   (a) The amount will be adjusted from the state's net borrowing ceiling for the first nine months in the
        next fiscal.
   (b) No adhoc borrowing will be allowed.
   (c) The state government should implement Plan B for resource mobilisation before the last quarter
        of 2024-'25 (Plan B was a budget announcement of the state government).
   (d) The consent for borrowing will be given only if the state government submits certain documents.
   (e) Also, the consent for borrowing for the first nine months will be issued on a quarterly basis. This
        would be for up to 25% of eligibility, arrived after deducting Rs.5,000 cr.

My take

Kerala is galloping toward a debt-trap on the same lines as Sri Lanka due to sloth, overspending, misgovernance, corruption and the government's inability to collect taxes and other dues that are rightly its. Another thing that needs to be observed is that, now, the state government is not talking about its dues because of GST! 

So, it's evident that the Kerala government's arguments need to be studied, by the court, for the authenticity of facts.


Tailpiece.

Got up at our usual time, the chores and was ready by 10.

Shaji, the curtain man from Kunnamkulam, had come to take measurements for the white lace curtains at 10. So did the PCI's Ranjoo for carrying out the quarterly servicing.

The maid was at work.

A quiet evening. 



Wednesday, March 13, 2024

The first crash of Tejas fighter jet.

In the first such incident since its first test flight in 2001, a Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA) of the IAF crashed near a residential area in Jaisalmer, around 1400 hrs, yesterday. The pilot successfully ejected from the aircraft before the crash and there were no casualties.

A court of inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident, said IAF sources. The accident happened when the indigenously built fighter jet was returning to the Jaisalmer air base after taking part in the Bharat Shakti military exercise in Pokhran.

Jaisalmer is roughly 100 km away from the exercise venue in Pokhran. The aircraft crashed into a five-room hostel for the Bhil community in Jawahar Nagar near Jaisalmer. There were three students in the hostel compound at the time of the crash but they were unhurt as the fighter jet damaged one of the rooms.

It is set to replace the ageing squadrons of MiG fighter jets and become the mainstay of the force in the coming years. It is significant as the sanctioned IAF combat squadrons are 42 but it has come down to around 30. A squadron in the IAF comprises 16-18 aircraft.

Currently, the IAF has two operational Tejas squadrons. The first IAF Squadron to induct the Tejas was No.45 Squadron, the Flying Daggers in Jul 2018. Flying Bullets, raised in 2020, is the second squadron.

Manufactured by the Hindustan Aeronautics, the aircraft is a potent platform for air combat and air support missions.

Courtesy. Rajesh Asnani and Mayank in the NIE.


Tailpiece.

Got up at a half past 3, thanks to Lekha's cellphone alarm, the chores and we were ready by a half past 5. Set off for toothy Mallan's clinic soon after.

Breakfast was at Ananda Bhavan at 7. Reached the clinic by a half past 9. Lekha will have to visit next Tuesday also. Scaling was done on my teeth.

Returned to The Quarterdeck by a half past 5 but not before initiating the acquisition of the white lace curtains and the buying of fruits. 

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

India enters the multi-warhead club.

India successfully test-fired an Agni-5 missile, which has the capability to deploy multiple warheads and has a range of 5,000+ km, effectively bringing the northern most part of China within striking distance.

The test was named Divyastra and by doing it successfully, India has joined a select club comprising the US, the UK, Russia, France and China that have the capacity to deploy multiple warheads under the MIRV (Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicles) technology.

The technology makes a missile capable of carrying and delivering multiple warheads at one or multiple targets. Designed by the DRDO, the Agni-5 missile is a canister-launched system transported by truck. The Agni-5 is an intercontinental surface-to-surface ballistic missile It can carry a payload of 1.5 tons and weighs around 50 tons.

My take

Yet another step toward becoming a superpower!


Tailpiece.

Got up at our usual time, the chores and was ready by 10. 

Drove down to town to do my work and topped up the Chevy with fuel and check tyre pressure.

Met Dr Rani Menon, the ophthalmologist to have my right eye checked. Both eyes are healthy, she said but has given me drops to administer on both the eyes, to overcome dryness, if it were to come by.

A quiet evening.