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SECTOR | 23 Apr 2025

Study estimates 80% length of rivers posing risks from antibiotic pollution

Business Standard

Eighty per cent of total length of India's rivers could be posing environmental and health risks due to antibiotic pollution, a study has estimated. Along with India, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Vietnam, and Pakistan are among the countries facing similar risks due to pollution from antibiotics, the research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) Nexus, said. Researchers from McGill University, Canada, explained that antibiotics -- they help fight bacterial diseases -- are not completely metabolised while passing through the body, nor completely destroyed or removed by most wastewater treatment facilities. Potentially 315 million people in India could be exposed to environmental risks arising from rivers contaminated with antibiotics, according to the study, which measured amounts of 21 antibiotics at 877 locations globally. Findings highlight the need for appropriate wastewater management plans and improving current practices, the team said. Regulations a

Education

SECTOR | 23 Apr 2025

Hyundai launches centre of excellence for EV battery research at IIT Delhi

Business Line

Initiative begins with nine joint research projects, carried out in collaboration with several IITs

Education

SECTOR | 23 Apr 2025

FTII Pune, SRFTI granted university status, says Education ministry

Business Standard

Renowned film making schools-- Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune and Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), Kolkata-- have been granted deemed-to-be university status, according to Ministry of Education. The new status will empower them to award degrees rather than just diplomas and also offer doctoral programmes. "FTII Pune and SRFTI Kolkata, have been granted deemed-to-be university status under section 3 of the UGC Act. The status has been notified following recommendation made by the University Grants Commission," a senior MoE official said. "Both institutes will launch doctoral, research and innovative academic programmes. They will also participate in NIRF Rankings and integrate with Academic Bank of Credits (ABC). Aligned with vision of National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, this landmark decision will pave way for greater autonomy, innovation and academic excellence in film and media education," the official added. FTII was set up by the...

Education

SECTOR | 22 Apr 2025

Harvard sues Trump admin to stop freeze of over $2 billion in grants

Business Standard

Harvard University announced Monday that it was suing the Trump administration to halt a freeze on more than USD 2.2 billion in grants after the institution said it would defy the Trump administration's demands to limit activism on campus. In a letter to Harvard earlier this month, Trump's administration had called for broad government and leadership reforms at the university, as well as changes to its admissions policies. It also demanded the university audit views of diversity on campus, and stop recognising some student clubs. Harvard President Alan Garber said the university would not bend to the government's demands. Hours later, the government froze billions of dollars in federal funding.

Education

SECTOR | 21 Apr 2025

Gunman opens fire at Harvard subway station; suspect remains at large

Business Standard

Harvard University issued a shelter-in-place alert after a gunman opened fire at the Red Line platform on Sunday; no injuries were reported but the suspect remains at large

Education

SECTOR | 19 Apr 2025, 06:48PM

Punjab govt to offer 33% subsidy on Bt cotton seeds to boost crop shift

Business Standard

The Punjab government on Saturday said it has decided to provide a 33 per cent subsidy on BT cotton hybrid seeds, as part of its move to promote crop diversification in the state. The subsidy will be given on seeds which are recommended by Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana. Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian said a sum of Rs 20 crore has been allocated for the subsidy programme and this move would reduce financial burden on cotton growers, while simultaneously discouraging the cultivation of non-recommended hybrids to enable them to adopt high-yielding and pest-resistant BT cotton hybrid seeds. The department has fixed a target to increase the cotton crop area to at least 1.25 lakh hectares this year, he said. Cotton, a crucial kharif crop in the south-western districts of the state, presents a viable alternative to the water-guzzling paddy crop, contributing to both agricultural diversification and economic growth. Urging farmers to take advantage of this ..

Education

SECTOR | 19 Apr 2025, 11:59AM

'Mistaken' letter, $2.2 bn freeze: Inside Harvard's showdown with Trump

Business Standard

An unauthorised letter sparked a $2.2 billion funding freeze, deepening a dispute between Harvard University and Trump's administration

Education

SECTOR | 19 Apr 2025, 10:16AM

Questions arise on deputy's stepson as accused gunman in FSU shooting

Business Standard

Amid the abandoned chemistry notes and other debris left behind after a deadly shooting at Florida State University are lingering questions about how the stepson of a beloved sheriff's deputy tasked with school safety at a middle school became the accused gunman. Political science student Phoenix Ikner was a long-standing member of a sheriff's office youth advisory council and was steeped in the family-like culture of the agency. When officers rushed to the university's student union on reports of gunfire, authorities say it was the 20-year-old who used his stepmother's former service weapon to open fire, killing two men and wounding six others. As people fled in terror, Ikner was shot and taken into custody. He invoked his right not to speak to investigators, and his motive remains unknown as he lies in a hospital bed. The prosecutor's office is weighing possible charges as stories emerge about a darker side. One classmate recalled him being kicked out of a student club over comme

Education

SECTOR | 19 Apr 2025, 09:57AM

Indian student killed in Texas hit-and-run just weeks before graduation

Business Standard

Vangavolu Deepthi, who was pursuing her MS in Computer and Information Science at the University of North Texas, had graduated from Narasaraopet Engineering College in Guntur in 2023

Education

SECTOR | 18 Apr 2025

Government's vision to increase number of IITs and IIMs to drive growth in Online Higher Education

Business Standard