1) Indore- India’s first city to use robot to control unruly traffic
•The number one clean city of India - Indore has got another milestone to its name. This commercial capital of Madhya Pradesh has reportedly become the first city in India where the robot is being used on an experimental basis to control its ever growing and unruly traffic.
•The traffic police in association with a private engineering college of the city for the first time has installed a metallic robot at a busy MR 9 intersection on an experimental basis to control the chaotic traffic in the locality.
2) China unveils World’s first train that runs on Virtual Tracks
•China has unveiled the world's first train that operates on a virtual track using sensor technology instead of metal rails. The new trains are battery powered and are nonpolluting. The train's top speed is 70 kilometers per hour, and it can travel 25 kilometers in distance after just 10 minutes of charging.
•The train can reportedly carry up to 307 passengers despite the fact that it is only about 32 meters long. The vehicle is fitted with sensors that detect the dimensions of the road allowing it to follow routes without the need for metal rails. The train will be ready to roll out to the public by 2018.
3) India, Russia identify key areas to boost cooperation in Science & Technology sector
•India and Russia have identified key areas to bolster cooperation in the science and technology sector, including space and marine technologies, IT and deep ocean engineering. The areas were chosen at the first meeting of India-Russia Joint Committee on Science and Technology Cooperation in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk.
•The meeting was co-chaired by Defence Minister Arun Jaitley and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitryi Rogozin. Inspired by India's 'Make in India' initiative, Moscow has launched a “Do It In Russia” initiative to promote local manufacturing and technology development.
4) Qatar Airways is voted the World’s Best Airline in 2017
•Qatar Airways was announced the World’s Best Airline at the SKYTRAX 2017 World Airline Awards. Qatar Airways was voted Best Airline by travelers across the world in the annual passenger survey.
•The Doha-based carrier has now won the prestigious Airline of the Year title for a fourth time. Qatar Airways also won the World’s Best Business Class, the World’s Best First Class Lounge and the Best Airline in the Middle East awards. On the other hand, Malaysia-based Air Asia won awards for being the Best Low-Cost Airline in Asia for a month year in the row, and also as World's Best Low-Cost Airline Premium Cabin 2017.
5) Indian agri microbiologist Shrihari Chandraghatgi given environment award in Japan
•Indian agricultural microbiologist Shrihari Chandraghatgi has been conferred the Ministry of Environment Award for 2017 in Japan for developing cutting edge technologies to address burning environmental problems.
•Chandraghatgi, who is President and CEO of EcoCycle Corporation, is the first foreigner to be given the Ministry of Environment Award, the highest award in the environmental sector in Japan.
6) SEBI relaxes norms for banks to take over stressed assets of listed companies to recover bad loans
•Capital markets regulator, SEBI (Securities Exchange Board of India) relaxed takeover norms for the acquisition of stressed assets of listed companies to help the government and the RBI in their efforts to tackle bad loans.
•SEBI Chairman Ajay Tyagi took the decision after a board meeting in Mumbai. SEBI’s board also approved a proposal to tighten rules for participatory notes through the imposition of a regulatory fee on issuers of such instruments. SEBI will also issue a discussion paper for easier registration of foreign investors.
