LIRC@SFIT

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/

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 t...

India will have to invest close to $4 billion-$5 billion, says Samir V. Kamat Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chairman Samir V. Kamat. | Photo Credit: ANI The only way India can develop a sixth-generation aero-engine and other technologies required is by co-development with a foreign manufacturer, Samir V. Kamat, Chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), said while noting that India currently invests only 5% of its defence budget for research and development, which needs to increased to 15%. To realise that capability, he said the country will have to invest close to $4 billion to $5 billion, that’s ₹40,000 crore to 50,000 crore. His remarks come against the backdrop of huge delays in the development of indigenous fighter jets, while China has made rapid progress in this area. Incidentally, India is in talks with France for the co-development of a 110KN engine for the fifth-generation jet, Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), that is ...

  "India’s Genomic Revolution: 10,000 Whole Genome Samples Now Accessible Globally" "Prime Minister Modi Congratulates Scientific Community as India Poised to Lead the Next Generation Revolution in Biotech" Posted On: 09 JAN 2025 7:51PM by PIB Delhi Making a vital move towards self-reliance in the field of genomics, Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, today announced that India is no longer dependent on foreign genomic data. At the Genome India Data Conclave, held at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi, Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi the Indian Genomic Data Set unveiled and Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh launched the ‘Framework for Exchange of Data Protocols (FeED)’ and the Indian Biological Data Centre (IBDC) Portals, making 10,000 whole genome samples accessible to researchers across India and the globe. Addressing the conclave, Dr. Singh proudly stated, “India has developed its own genomic dat...

NEW DELHI: Traditional jobs such as farmworkers, delivery drivers, construction and food processing workers and salespersons are expected to see the highest growth in absolute numbers over the next five years, although in percentage terms, it will be the tech jobs with AI and machine learning (ML) being the most sought-after skills, said a new report released on Wednesday. The World Economic Forum's (WEF) Future of Jobs report concluded that clerical and secretarial workers could see the largest decline in absolute numbers with health workers and education seeing robust rise. In India, specialists in Big Data, AI and ML, and security management are seen to be in demand. The report said that structural factors - from broadening digital access to higher cost of living, climate change mitigation, demographic shift and geopolitical fragmentation - could displace 8% or 92 million of the current workforce, but they will also create around 170 million new jobs, which is 14% of the current...

During his visit to India, Nadella announced strategic partnerships with the Government of India and industry leaders to advance cloud and AI transformation. NEW DELHI: India must prioritise frontier research in artificial intelligence (AI) and develop foundational models to drive innovation, Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella said on Wednesday. However, he noted that major investment is required to overcome the entry barrier and a single groundbreaking mathematical discovery can revolutionise the entire AI landscape. “There is no reason why India can’t do frontier work, but you can even define frontier pretty unique. For example, I don’t think the last known big breakthrough in AI frontier has happened. I always say we are one mathematical breakthrough away from that entire edifice being thrown out and being going after something else,” said Nadella During his visit to India, Nadella announced strategic partnerships with the Government of India and industry leaders to advance cl...

BATHINDA: AnemiaPhone, a technology developed by Cornell University researchers to accurately, quickly and cheaply assess iron deficiency, has been transferred to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for integration into its programs for anemia, women’s health, and maternal and child health throughout the country. In a press release on Wednesday Cornell University has stated that AnemiaPhone will enable access to rapid screening and diagnosis of iron deficiency at the point of need. Iron deficiency is the leading cause of anemia, a condition which can cause a range of symptoms, from fatigue and shortness of breath to multi-organ failure and death. Anemia affects 50-70% of pregnant women in India. The technology, a test strip that can be coupled with small, portable wi-fi or Bluetooth-enabled test strip readers, was developed and tested in the laboratories of Dr Saurabh Mehta, David Erickson and Julia Finkelstein, founding director and co-directors of the Joan Klein Jacobs Cent...