India Narrative

  As the Russian currency -- ruble -- tumbled prompting worried citizens to queue up at ATMs to withdraw cash, Bank of Russia, the country’s central bank, has sprung into action amid concerns over a liquidity crunch. The value of the ruble is now less than 1 US cent. The Russian currency on Tuesday was pegged at over 105 to a dollar, up from about 75 just a month ago after companies and even households came under severe pressure with the US and EU thrashing out sanctions against Russia and barring many Russian banks from accessing the SWIFT payment system. The central bank, which acknowledged that the country’s economic dynamics have “altered dramatically,” increased the key policy rates to 20 per cent– more than double -- from 9.5 per cent in a desperate attempt to maintain financial and price stability. In a bid to support the local currency and protect it from further depreciation, foreigners have been banned from selling Russian securities. Read more

  Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday discussed the crisis in Ukraine with French President Emmanuel Macron, Polish President Andrzej Duda and European Council President Charles Michel, and shared India’s concerns over the issue. He emphasised India’s consistent appeal for “cessation of hostilities and a return to dialogue and diplomacy” during his conversation with all three leaders, according to official statements. President Macron and Prime Minister Modi shared their “concerns over continuing hostilities and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Ukraine,” according to an official statement. PM Modi stressed India’s belief that respect for international law, the UN Charter and the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all states “underpin the contemporary world order”. Modi welcomed the talks between Ukraine and Russia and stressed the importance of “ensuring free and uninterrupted humanitarian access and smooth movement of all people”. He briefed Macron about India’s e

  Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who is overseeing the evacuation efforts of Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine as a Government of India-appointed special envoy, on Wednesday (local time) met the Indian Ambassador to Romania and Moldova, Rahul Shrivastava to discuss the operational issues for evacuation and the flight plan from Bucharest and Suceava in the coming days. "Met the Indian Ambassador to Romania & Moldova, Sh Rahul Shrivastava Ji to discuss the operational issues for evacuation and the flight plan from Bucharest & Suceava in the coming days. #OperationGanga in full gear!" Scindia tweeted. The ministers informed that Moldova's borders have been opened for incoming Indian students and talks are underway to make arrangements for their journey to Bucharest for onward flight to India. "Moldova's borders have been opened for incoming Indian students. Proper shelter and food arrangements will be made. Talks are on to make arrangements

  A bird visiting the United States has caught the attention of all its avian lovers and why shouldn’t it be as this is the first time a bat falcon has been seen in the country, as per a report smithsonianmag.com. Bird lovers from all over have been visiting Texas to catch a glimpse of this bird which is normally seen in Mexico, and Central and South America. Talking about this species to Border Report, Jeffrey Gordon who was earlier president of the American Birding Association said: “It’s got everything going for it. It’s rare. It’s spectacular and it’s a bird of prey. It’s showing up in a great location. It’s the perfect storm in the birding world.” Also read:  Smart male sparrows shuffle their playlist to woo females! A small bird which is carnivore, the bat falcon’s belly is rust coloured while its throat is white. Their staple diet is large insects, birds, bats, and small rodents which they prey either at dawn or dusk. It is categorised as “Least Concern” by the International Uni

  Vladimir Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, has accused the West of leaving his country alone after Russia launched a special military operation in the Donbass region on Thursday. Addressing the Ukrainians in the early hours of Friday, Zelensky said that his country had to defend itself on its own "no matter how many conversations" he has had with the leaders of other countries till now. "I heard a few things. The first is that we are supported. And I am grateful to each state that helps Ukraine specifically. Not just words," said Zelensky in his address after the end of the first day of Russia's operation. "But there is another - we are left alone in defence of our state. Who is ready to fight with us? I do not see such. Who is ready to guarantee Ukraine's accession to NATO? Everyone is afraid," he added. Also Read:  Ukraine crisis: PM Modi speaks to Russian President Putin, appeals for an immediate cessation of violence Visibly shaken by the d

  The discovery and study of Jurassic period’s largest Pterosaur or flying reptile fossil had plenty of twists and turns. Discovered by a graduate student, Amelia Penny at Brothers’ Point, who was looking for dinosaur bones during low tide on Isle of Skye, Scotland in 2017, its excavation involved use of saw with diamond tips and it was nearly lost when the tide returned, mentions a report in sciencealert.com. This find of a lifetime was studied thoroughly and its anatomy revealed it to be an unknown species. Christened Dearc sgiathanach, a Scottish Gaelic name, it has double meaning -- “winged reptile" and "reptile from Skye” – since the Gaelic name of Skye means "the winged isle". Also read:  "Flying dragon" Thapunngaka shawi dominated Australian skies 105 million years ago This species had a wingspan measuring more than eight feet – a big size for a Jurassic period (201.3 million to 145 million years ago) pterosaur. Sharing details about this species in

  The rising geopolitical tension after Russia announced a military operation in Ukraine has already pushed up global oil prices. On Thursday, Brent crude futures crossed $100 per barrel mark – the highest since 2014. On February 1, the price was less than $90 a barrel. Higher oil prices will affect global recovery. India, which imports more than 80 per cent of its oil requirements, is carefully monitoring the situation as an increase in prices would have a direct impact on the country’s inflation even as New Delhi imports oil and gas imports from Russia is not much due to the high transportation costs. That apart, Russia supplies heavy crude which the Indian refineries cannot process. Read More

  Russian President Vladimir Putin today announced that he had decided on a special military operation in eastern Ukraine's Donbass region after the Kremlin received requests from the breakaway region for help in repelling threats from Kiev. "Kiev is continuing its military buildup along the line of disengagement, simultaneously receiving comprehensive support, including military one, from the United States and other Western states. The Kiev regime is determined to resolve the conflict by force," the letters to Putin said according to Russian news agency Tass. Also Read:  At the UN, India rejects war - says Ukraine situation should be resolved through quiet diplomacy Putin had on Monday signed decrees, announcing immediate recognition of the "independence and sovereignty" of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic while deploying troops into "independent republics" for peacekeeping functions. "Circumstances require

  Nearly 34 years after the outbreak of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, the Government has decided to construct a high security prison for terrorists, secessionists and other anti-national elements in the Union Territory. The Administrative Council headed by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday allotted land in Jammu’s Kathua district for the establishment of a special jail. It is for the first time that a special jail is being built in the terror-ravaged UT for convicts and under-trial detainees involved in terrorism, secessionism, sedition and other unlawful subversive activities. As of now, such convicts and under-trials are lodged either in the UT’s own prisons or some jails outside. A number of such detainees remain lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail where the JKLF co-founder Maqbool Bhat and a Jaish-e-Mohammad operative Afzal Guru were executed respectively in 1984 and 2013. Also read:  Two overground workers of terrorist group arrested in Baramulla Some of such detainees have

The space dagger -- made with meteorites’ rocks -- entombed with King Tutankhamen has always been an enigma for historians and archaeologists. Now a new study brings to the fore several interesting aspects about this captivating artefact says a report in sciencealert.com. Using modern scientific tools like high-resolution photography and X-rays for analysis has unveiled the type of meteorite used to make the dagger and how it was made. Interestingly, the research also suggested that the dagger may not have been made in Egypt and was gifted to King Tutankhamen or one of his ancestors. Also read:  Ancient Egyptians celebrated peace and prosperity of King Amenhotep III in grand style Sharing details of the study, Tomoko Arai, Chiba Institute of Technology, Japan’s planetary scientist told Gizmodo: "To understand the manufacture and origin of the dagger, we conducted on-site non-contact, non-destructive two-dimensional chemical analysis for the dagger. We noticed a cross-hatched text