NTA Postponed UGC NET December 2024 Exam: Candidates are advised to keep visiting the NTA website – nta.ac.in and ugcnet.nta.ac.in for latest updates on UGC NET December 2024 exam.
NTA Postponed UGC NET Exam Scheduled on Jan 15 2025: The National Testing Agency (NTA) has postponed the January 15 exam of the University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test (UGC NET) December 2024. The postponement comes after representations were received to postpone the exam amid Pongal, Makar Sankranti and other festivals on January 15. The new exam date will be announced later, NTA said.
UGC NET is held to award Junior Research Fellowship and appoint Assistant professor, for appointment as Assistant Professor and admission to PhD and admission to PhD only. The UGC NET December 2024 exam is conducted for 85 subjects. The UGC NET December 2024 exam which started on January 3 was supposed to continue till January 16. The exams scheduled to be held on January 16 will be conducted as per earlier schedule, NTA added.
The exams are being held online in two shifts – the first from 9 am to 12 noon and the second between 3 pm and 6 pm.
Candidates are advised to keep visiting the NTA website – nta.ac.in and ugcnet.nta.ac.in for latest updates on UGC NET December 2024 exam.
Tuesday, January 14, 2025
Why is Meta shutting down fact-checkers? | Explained
Is crowd-sourced fact-checking a better way of implementing content moderation? What role did fact-checkers play during the COVID-19 pandemic? How have fact-checking communities responded to Zuckerberg’s announcement? When are policy changes likely to be implemented?
The story so far: On January 7, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company will get rid of fact-checkers and simplify content policies by removing restrictions on topics as it is “out of touch with mainstream discourse.” In a five-minute video, he said that the company will return to its roots as the fact-checkers have been “too politically biased” and “destroyed more trust than they created, especially in the U.S.”
After the 2016 U.S. presidential election results were out, Meta, then known as Facebook, faced serious backlash for amplifying political posts that helped tilt the election in favour of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. To build back its reputation, Facebook roped in content moderators globally and developed technology to filter harmful content.
The story so far: On January 7, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company will get rid of fact-checkers and simplify content policies by removing restrictions on topics as it is “out of touch with mainstream discourse.” In a five-minute video, he said that the company will return to its roots as the fact-checkers have been “too politically biased” and “destroyed more trust than they created, especially in the U.S.”
After the 2016 U.S. presidential election results were out, Meta, then known as Facebook, faced serious backlash for amplifying political posts that helped tilt the election in favour of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. To build back its reputation, Facebook roped in content moderators globally and developed technology to filter harmful content.
Is groundwater contamination high in India? | Explained
The story so far: An assessment of India’s groundwater by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) found that several States are grappling with a serious problem of nitrate contamination.
The most concerning finding was that the number of districts with excessive nitrate in their groundwater rose from 359 in 2017 to 440 in 2023. This works out to nearly 56% of India’s districts having excessive nitrate in ground water, defined as having more than 45 mg/l (milligram per litre). Of the 15,239 groundwater samples collected from across the country for testing, 19.8% samples had nitrates — nitrogenous compounds — above safe limits though it must be said that this proportion has not substantially changed since 2017. In the 13,028 samples analysed in 2017 for instance, 21.6% had excessive nitrate. There are two major concerns with excess nitrate content: one is methemoglobinemia, or a reduced ability of red blood cells to carry oxygen.
The most concerning finding was that the number of districts with excessive nitrate in their groundwater rose from 359 in 2017 to 440 in 2023. This works out to nearly 56% of India’s districts having excessive nitrate in ground water, defined as having more than 45 mg/l (milligram per litre). Of the 15,239 groundwater samples collected from across the country for testing, 19.8% samples had nitrates — nitrogenous compounds — above safe limits though it must be said that this proportion has not substantially changed since 2017. In the 13,028 samples analysed in 2017 for instance, 21.6% had excessive nitrate. There are two major concerns with excess nitrate content: one is methemoglobinemia, or a reduced ability of red blood cells to carry oxygen.
GATE 2025 Dates and Admit Card Download
GATE 2025 Examinations
1st February 2025
2nd February 2025
15th February 2025
16th February 2025
1st February 2025
2nd February 2025
15th February 2025
16th February 2025
Admit Card Download: https://goaps.iitr.ac.in/login
Monday, January 13, 2025
TCS to hire 40,000 freshers from campuses this year with AI skills expected at all levels, CHRO says: Report
TCS is increasingly integrating the use of AI into various functions and that it is an important skill to have across all levels of the hierarchy
Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS) plans to hire 40,000 freshers from campuses this year, the IT giant's Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) Milind Lakkad said.He added that despite the quarterly headcount fluctuations, TCS manages through a combination of “employees on the bench, ongoing productivity enhancements, and other operational adjustments.”(Representational Image/Mint)
This however, comes at a time when its headcount had decreased by over 5,000 employees in the third quarter of the financial year 2024-25.
“In any given quarter, changes in headcount don't always reflect growth or demand because our hiring plans are structured on an annual basis,” TCS Lakkad said in an interview with Business Standard.
He added that despite the quarterly headcount fluctuations, TCS manages through a combination of “employees on the bench, ongoing productivity enhancements, and other operational adjustments.”
Lakkad said that the company is increasingly integrating the use of artificial intelligence (AI) into various functions and that it is an important skill to have across all levels of the hierarchy such as E0, E1, E2, E3, and so on in what has been described as a “pyramid with different skill sets.”
Even for the entry-level E0 tier, TCS expects employees to have a foundational understanding of large language models (LLMs) and their applications.
At the E1 level, employees have to be able to work with LLM APIs, which is a skill set similar to that of prompt engineers.
At E2, employees have to use TCS GenAI tools.
At levels E3 and above, TCS expects by default, advanced expertise in AI and its applications across various domains.
However, Lakkad said that while AI is certain to transform jobs, it will more likely change the nature of the roles rather than eliminate them altogether.
“AI will enhance efficiency, but humans will continue to play a crucial role—especially in client-facing and knowledge-intensive roles, where the value of human insight and empathy remains irreplaceable,” he added.
He also said that degrees are a must as they provide foundational understanding necessary for the broader demands of the services industry as TCS requires “more than just coding skills.”
Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS) plans to hire 40,000 freshers from campuses this year, the IT giant's Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) Milind Lakkad said.He added that despite the quarterly headcount fluctuations, TCS manages through a combination of “employees on the bench, ongoing productivity enhancements, and other operational adjustments.”(Representational Image/Mint)
This however, comes at a time when its headcount had decreased by over 5,000 employees in the third quarter of the financial year 2024-25.
“In any given quarter, changes in headcount don't always reflect growth or demand because our hiring plans are structured on an annual basis,” TCS Lakkad said in an interview with Business Standard.
He added that despite the quarterly headcount fluctuations, TCS manages through a combination of “employees on the bench, ongoing productivity enhancements, and other operational adjustments.”
Lakkad said that the company is increasingly integrating the use of artificial intelligence (AI) into various functions and that it is an important skill to have across all levels of the hierarchy such as E0, E1, E2, E3, and so on in what has been described as a “pyramid with different skill sets.”
Even for the entry-level E0 tier, TCS expects employees to have a foundational understanding of large language models (LLMs) and their applications.
At the E1 level, employees have to be able to work with LLM APIs, which is a skill set similar to that of prompt engineers.
At E2, employees have to use TCS GenAI tools.
At levels E3 and above, TCS expects by default, advanced expertise in AI and its applications across various domains.
However, Lakkad said that while AI is certain to transform jobs, it will more likely change the nature of the roles rather than eliminate them altogether.
“AI will enhance efficiency, but humans will continue to play a crucial role—especially in client-facing and knowledge-intensive roles, where the value of human insight and empathy remains irreplaceable,” he added.
He also said that degrees are a must as they provide foundational understanding necessary for the broader demands of the services industry as TCS requires “more than just coding skills.”
Friday, January 10, 2025
Prioritise growth-oriented regulations, deep tech push; invest in human capital, particularly in STEM fields
The upcoming 2025 budget presents a critical juncture for India. As global economic uncertainties and geopolitical tensions loom large, the choices we make today will determine whether India can sustain its growth trajectory and emerge as a global leader in the coming decades. While India has made significant strides, particularly in building a world-class digital public infrastructure, our policy framework needs a fundamental shift to capitalise on the opportunities before us. I outline three key expectations that should be central to the 2025 budget.
Read the full article at: https://indianexpress.com/article/business/economy/prioritise-growth-oriented-regulations-deep-tech-push-invest-in-human-capital-particularly-in-stem-fields-9770602/
Centre links Farmer ID to PM-Kisan, makes it mandatory for new applications
The Centre has set a target of creating 6 crore farmer IDs by the end of March this year.
Written by Harikishan Sharma
According to sources, all new applicants for the PM-Kisan scheme will have to get registered with the Farmers' Registry and provide their farmer ID in the application form.
The Centre has made it mandatory for new applicants to obtain a farmer ID for enrolment into the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) to get benefits under the scheme.
The move by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare to make farmer ID mandatory for registering new beneficiaries under the PM-Kisan is significant as it receives about 2 lakh new applications monthly. “This farmer ID guarantees that the applicant-farmer owns the land, and thus, the PM-KISAN registration process would be vastly simplified,” said a source, adding that it will ease the process for farmers to avail themselves of the benefits of the Central scheme.
According to sources, all new applicants for the PM-Kisan scheme will have to get registered with the Farmers’ Registry and provide their farmer ID in the application form. This system has come into force across 10 states for any new applicant with effect from January 1, 2025, said the sources.
The agriculture ministry has sent a communication to these 10 states, said the sources. In the remaining states, it will be made mandatory at a later date, they added.
Kisan Pehchaan Patra or farmer ID is an Aadhaar-like unique digital identity linked dynamically to the state’s land records with information like demographics, crops sown, and ownership details. The database created through the farmer ID will be known as Farmer’s Registry — one of the three registries under the Agri-Stack component of the Centre’s Digital Agriculture Mission for the creation of digital public infrastructure in the farm sector, which was approved by the Union Cabinet last year. The government has set a target of creating 6 crore farmer IDs by March end this year. Till January 7, one crore farmer IDs have been created.
The 10 states in which farmer ID has been made mandatory for registration of new beneficiaries under the PM-Kisan are Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. These 10 states account for about 84 per cent (9.25 crore) of 11 crore PM-Kisan beneficiaries.
Under the PM-Kisan scheme, eligible farmer families receive Rs 6,000 per annum in three equated instalments (Rs 2,000 in each instalment) through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) every four months. The scheme was launched on February 24, 2019, just before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. With 100 per cent funding from the Centre, the money is directly transferred to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the 18th instalment of the PM-KISAN scheme on October 5, 2024, in Washim, Maharashtra. In the latest round of the instalment, the PM-Kisan amount was transferred to over 9.4 crore farmers across the country.
Recently, a Parliamentary panel has recommended doubling the yearly payouts under the PM-Kisan to Rs 12,000 per annum from the present Rs 6,000.
Written by Harikishan Sharma
According to sources, all new applicants for the PM-Kisan scheme will have to get registered with the Farmers' Registry and provide their farmer ID in the application form.
The Centre has made it mandatory for new applicants to obtain a farmer ID for enrolment into the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) to get benefits under the scheme.
The move by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare to make farmer ID mandatory for registering new beneficiaries under the PM-Kisan is significant as it receives about 2 lakh new applications monthly. “This farmer ID guarantees that the applicant-farmer owns the land, and thus, the PM-KISAN registration process would be vastly simplified,” said a source, adding that it will ease the process for farmers to avail themselves of the benefits of the Central scheme.
According to sources, all new applicants for the PM-Kisan scheme will have to get registered with the Farmers’ Registry and provide their farmer ID in the application form. This system has come into force across 10 states for any new applicant with effect from January 1, 2025, said the sources.
The agriculture ministry has sent a communication to these 10 states, said the sources. In the remaining states, it will be made mandatory at a later date, they added.
Kisan Pehchaan Patra or farmer ID is an Aadhaar-like unique digital identity linked dynamically to the state’s land records with information like demographics, crops sown, and ownership details. The database created through the farmer ID will be known as Farmer’s Registry — one of the three registries under the Agri-Stack component of the Centre’s Digital Agriculture Mission for the creation of digital public infrastructure in the farm sector, which was approved by the Union Cabinet last year. The government has set a target of creating 6 crore farmer IDs by March end this year. Till January 7, one crore farmer IDs have been created.
The 10 states in which farmer ID has been made mandatory for registration of new beneficiaries under the PM-Kisan are Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. These 10 states account for about 84 per cent (9.25 crore) of 11 crore PM-Kisan beneficiaries.
Under the PM-Kisan scheme, eligible farmer families receive Rs 6,000 per annum in three equated instalments (Rs 2,000 in each instalment) through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) every four months. The scheme was launched on February 24, 2019, just before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. With 100 per cent funding from the Centre, the money is directly transferred to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the 18th instalment of the PM-KISAN scheme on October 5, 2024, in Washim, Maharashtra. In the latest round of the instalment, the PM-Kisan amount was transferred to over 9.4 crore farmers across the country.
Recently, a Parliamentary panel has recommended doubling the yearly payouts under the PM-Kisan to Rs 12,000 per annum from the present Rs 6,000.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
Featured Posts
-
READING INSPIRATION DAY 2021 We salute APJ Abdul Kalam and celebrate his monumental achievements as a Scientist, Scholar and the President... -
UGC-CARE has received complaints about several journals which are not following the standard publishing practices. After scrutinizing these...
-
🎉 Celebrate Marathi Bhasha Diwas with Your Creativity! 🎉 In honor of Marathi Bhasha Diwas on 27th February, the Learning and Information ...
