News updates: Delhi govt plans to procure mist-spraying drones to check pollution

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The AAP government in Delhi is planning to procure mist-spraying drones this winter to target the pollution hotspots in the city, officials said on Monday. In a bid to combat air pollution, these drones will have sensors to record air quality data, including measurements of PM2.5 and PM10, and help reduce dust levels. Officials familiar with the initiative confirmed that a tender has been floated by the environment department for the acquisition of three drones designed to operate from above the city's most polluted areas.

The Government of India has decided to expel the following 6 Canadian Diplomats: Stewart Ross Wheeler, Acting High Commissioner, Patrick Hebert, Deputy High Commissioner, Marie Catherine Joly, First Secretary, lan Ross David Trites, First Secretary, Adam James Chuipka, First Secretary, Paula Orjuela, First Secretary. They have been asked to leave India by or before 11:59 PM on Saturday, October 19, 2024.

Canada expels six Indian diplomats after police collect evidence they were part of an Indian government 'campaign of violence', reports Reuters Meanwhile, the Government of India has decided to withdraw its high commissioner to Canada and 'other targeted diplomats and officials', says Ministry of External Affairs. 

Reliance Industries reported a drop in second-quarter profit on Monday, hurt by weakness at its mainstay oil-to-chemicals business. The Mukesh Ambani-led conglomerate posted a consolidated profit of Rs 16,563 crore ($1.97 billion) in the quarter ended Sep 30, compared with Rs 17,394 crore a year earlier. Analysts were, on average, expecting a profit of Rs 16,561 crore as per LSEG data.

IT services company HCL Technologies on Monday reported a 10.51 per cent rise in consolidated net profit to Rs 4,235 crore in the July-September quarter of the current financial year. It had reported a net profit of Rs 3,832 crore in the year-ago period. Revenue came in at Rs 28,862 crore during the reporting quarter, 8.21 per cent higher than Rs 26,672 crore in the year-ago period. HCLTech CEO & Managing Director C Vijayakumar said that the company's pipeline is very strong, including data & AI, digital engineering, SAP migration and efficiency-led programmes.
 

Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson and James Robinson won the 2024 Nobel economics prize "for studies of how institutions are formed and affect prosperity", the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said on Monday. The prestigious award, formally known as the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, is the final prize to be given out this year and is worth 11 million Swedish crowns ($1.1 million).

The Delhi government today imposed an immediate ban on the production, storage, sale and use of firecrackers across the city, effective till January 1.Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai made the announcement and urged Delhi residents to support the government's efforts to curb air pollution. The Delhi Pollution Control Committee has issued detailed instructions to ensure the effective implementation of the ban.

Addressing a high-level conference,  Reserve Bank of India's governor Shaktikanta Das asked banks to have adequate risk mitigation measures and underlined the need for emerging economies to strengthen their risk buffers. The RBI governor highlighted that technologies pose financial stability risks. "The heavy reliance on AI can lead to concentration risks, especially when a small number of tech providers dominate the market," Das stated.

A New York-bound Air India flight from Mumbai was  diverted to the Delhi airport following a security concern arising out of a bomb threat in the aircraft, officials stated today. "The aircraft is currently stationed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, and all standard safety protocols are being diligently followed to ensure the safety of the passengers and crew on board," a senior police officer said.

A joint operation between Delhi Police's special cell and Gujarat Police resulted in the seizure of 518kg of cocaine from a major pharmaceutical company's facility in Gujarat’s Ankleshwar. The operation is part of an ongoing series of major drug seizures targeting an extensive international smuggling network. Officials are currently questioning the pharmaceutical company's owners to ascertain their involvement in the drug trafficking operation.This recent seizure on Sunday marks the third significant bust in a span of 15 days,  bringing the total amount of cocaine seized to 1,288kg. The first operation on October 1 in Mahipalpur yielded 562kg of cocaine, followed by a second seizure on October 10 in Ramesh Nagar, where 208kg of cocaine was discovered concealed within packets of “namkeen.” 

The ossification test of Dharmaraj Kashyap, an accused in the murder case of NCP leader and former Maharashtra Minister Baba Siddique, was conducted by Mumbai police, and it was confirmed that he is not a minor, officials said on Monday. An ossification test is a medical procedure that estimates a person's age by analyzing the degree of bone fusion and is commonly used for age determination.

Congress leader P Chidambaram argued that the first task before the new Jammu and Kashmir government should be to demand restoration of statehood and the INDIA bloc parties should support it. "After the election results in J-K and days before the new government will take office, the LG of J-K has taken powers to himself that mocks the verdict of the people," he said in a post on X. Chidambaram added that in case the government does not agree, then they should approach the court as the central government had promised restoration of statehood before the Supreme Court.