India's Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan taken from Egypt's project: World Bank

The Narendra Modi government's ambitious Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan is based on the knowledge sharing from a similar project in Egypt, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said here.

"Through our new structure of global practices, knowledge sharing across countries has become easier and faster. When the Government of India came to the bank to prepare a major programme to expand sanitation services for the poor, we were able to transfer knowledge and experience from Egypt's Rural Sanitation Project and apply it in India," Kim said at the plenary meet of the World Bank held on Friday.

AIIMS conducts 11th heart transplant this year, total 48

New Delhi:Doctors at AIIMS have transplanted a heart, harvested from a young traffic accident victim in Indore, into a 45-year-old cardiac patient from south Delhi, taking to 48 the number of such surgeries performed at the premier institute since the first transplant in 1994.

This is the 11th heart transplant undertaken at the AIIMS in 2016, the highest number in the last few years, officials said.

"The patient suffered from ischemic heart disease (condition that affects the supply of blood to the heart) and already had a stent procedure surgery. The heart was harvested from the 30-year-old man in Indore who had died in a road accident.

"It was flown through a green corridor to Delhi and transplanted in him, between three-and-a-half to four hours," Professor of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery at AIIMS, Balram Airan said.

GSAT-18 launched successfully on board Ariane-5 from Kourou

Bengaluru, Oct 6 :India's latest communication satellite GSAT-18 was today successfully launched by a heavy duty rocket of Arianespace from the spaceport of Kourou in French Guiana.

The launch was originally scheduled for yesterday, but deferred by 24 hours owing to unfavourable weather conditions at Kourou, a French territory located in northeastern coast of South America.

GSAT-18, built by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), aims at providing telecommunications services for the country by strengthening ISRO's current fleet of 14 operational telecommunication satellites.

PM congratulates ISRO on successful launch of satellites

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today congratulated ISRO scientists on the successful launch of advanced weather satellite SCSAT-1 and 7 other satellites, saying their "innovative zeal" has made India proud worldwide.

"Moment of immense joy & pride for India.

WHO certifies Sri Lanka as Malaria-free

In a remarkable public health achievement, Sri Lanka has been certified as malaria-free island country by World Health Organisation (WHO) on Monday.

"Sri Lanka's achievement is truly remarkable. In the mid-20th century it was among the most malaria-affected countries, but now it is malaria-free. This is testament to the courage and vision of its leaders, and signifies the great leaps that can be made when targeted action is taken. It also demonstrates the importance of grass-roots community engagement and a whole-of-society approach when it comes to making dramatic public health gains," WHO Regional Director, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, said here.

Fadnavis, Bachchan dirty hands for 'MahaCleanathon'

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan on Saturday picked up brooms to clean up the sprawling Sir J.J. Hospital complex as part of the NDTV-Dettol 'MahaCleanathon' campaign.

"We have not come here to make speeches. We want to set an example and hope this movement continues and we can keep our cities clean," Fadnavis said as he dug his hands into dirt at the event.


He pointed out that all the hill stations in the state once had 'kachra points' which are now known as 'Swachch Points' to drive home the mission philosophy.

China's first driverless subway line to launch in 2017

China's first driverless subway line in Beijing is expected to start operations by the end of 2017, authorities said on Monday.

Operations on the line will be fully automatic, including train departures, door opening and closing, and cleaning, said the report. The trains will only use domestic technology, Xinhua news agency reported.


China started developing its own fully automatic subway system in 2010 and has mastered the core technologies, the authorities said.

Woman pensioner donates Rs 50,000 for LPG to poor women: Modi

Pitching for the government's 'Give It Up' campaign to voluntarily surrender cooking gas subsidy, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday cited the case of an octogenarian retired woman teacher who has donated Rs 50,000 for the programme to replace the smoke-emitting "chulhas" (stoves) on which poor women have to cook food.

"An 84-year-old retired lady teacher, who has given up her LPG subsidy, wrote to me praising the programme to supply cooking gas to poor women to give them relief from 'chulha' smoke, and has sent a donation of Rs 50,000 for the programme," Modi said in his monthly Mann Ki Baat radio address.

ISRO successfully test fires scramjet engine

India on Sunday successfully tested its own scramjet or air breathing engine with the launch of a rocket, said a senior official of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

"The mission was successful. Two scramjet engines were tested during the flight," the official told IANS.


He said that as scheduled at 6 a.m., the two stage/engine RH-560 sounding rocket took off from the rocket port located at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

Avoid Ganesha idols made of POP: Modi

Raising concerns over the environment, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged people to avoid using Ganesha idols made of Plaster of Paris (POP) during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival.

Modi suggested that instead of POP idols, which after immersion cause damage to the aquatic life and environment, people should use eco-friendly idols made of clay.


"Festival is the time of self evaluation and they need to change with time. Environment is damaged due to immersion of POP idols. Lets go back to old traditions and adopt idols made of pond clay," Modi said in his "Mann ki Baat" radio address.

Wi-Fi power to eight more suburban stations in Mumbai

Mumbai, Aug 22 Indian Railways today launched free Wi-Fi facility at eight suburban stations in the metropolis coupled with a host of other passenger amenities at various destinations.

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu who inaugurated the broadband internet facility at eight major stations reaffirmed that his ministry was doing every bit to ease the commute and raise the bar of comfort for rail passengers.

MP university starts engineering stream courses in Hindi

Bhopal, Aug 20  With an aim of imparting technical and medical education in Hindi, the Madhya Pradesh's Atal Bihari Vajpayee Hindi Vishwavidyalaya has started courses in Hindi medium for electrical, mechanical and civil streams.

"The process is on for admitting students in electrical, mechanical and civil engineering degree and diploma courses.

'GST positive for growth"

New Delhi, Aug 4  Moody's Investors Service today said the GST implementation will be positive for the country's economic growth without any significant impact on inflation, but cautioned that other "controversial reforms" may witness a slower progress.

The long-pending indirect tax reform Goods and Services Tax (GST) Constitutional Amendment Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha yesterday.

Goods and Services Tax: Frequently Asked Questions

The GST is a single indirect tax for the whole nation, which will make India one unified common market. It is a single tax on the supply of goods and services, right from the manufacturer to the consumer.

Digital classrooms to impart performing arts education

Art lessons will no longer be a monotonous interaction between teachers and students in classrooms, thanks to the exclusive online platform "Virsa", which was launched recently with an aim to give free digital learning on Indian culture and music to children across India.

Foundation stone laid for India-Bangladesh new rail project

Six years after the finalisation of a new India-Bangladesh railway project, railway ministers of the two countries on Sunday laid the foundation stone of a Rs 968 crore vital rail link scheme.

Indian Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and his Bangladeshi counterpart Mazibul Hoque jointly laid the foundation stone for the 15 km Agartala (India) - Akhaura (Bangladesh) railway project.

Bezwada Wilson, T M Krishna win Ramon Magsaysay Award

Manila, Two Indians -- Carnatic singer T M Krishna and prolific campaigner for eradication of manual scavenging Bezwada Wilson -- were today chosen for the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award for 2016 along with four others.

Hillary makes history as first woman White House nominee

Philadelphia,  Scripting history, Hillary Clinton today became the first woman to win the presidential nomination of a major US party as she secured the backing of the Democrats at the convention here to set up an epic clash with Republican rival Donald Trump in the November polls.

Clinton, who has been secretary of state, first lady and a Senator from New York, secured her nomination at the Democratic National Convention here after a majority of the 4,764 party delegates formally backed her.

Doctors gearing up for east India's first cadaver liver transplant

Kolkata,  Bolstering efforts to carry out cadaver organ transplants in West Bengal, a team of doctors is gearing up to perform eastern India’s first such liver transplant in the city, a doctor said on Tuesday.

Family members of a 45-year-old male patient who was declared brain dead on Monday have assented to the procedure to transplant the heart and liver that could bequeath a new lease of life to a potential female recipient with liver damage.

Solar plane completes round-the-world trip

The world's largest solar-powered aircraft, Solar Impulse 2 on early Tuesday completed its round-the-world trip after landing at Abu Dhabi International Airport, from where it took off in March 2015.