Noida (Uttar Pradesh), Dec 30 (ANI): A thick layer of fog canopied Delhi-NCR on Dec 30. It affected vehicular movement and led to heavy traffic jam on DND flyover. Commuters are facing difficulty due low visibility. Temperature has dipped sharply in parts of North India.

Heavy traffic jam on DND flyover due to dense fog

Telecom operators Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea have sold their entire stake in Wi-Fi infrastructure company Firefly Networks to iBus Network and Infrastructure for Rs 9 crore, the telcos said in separate regulatory filings on Monday.
FireFly Networks Limited is a 50-50 joint venture between Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel Limited.
"Bharti Airtel Limited has entered into a Share Purchase Agreement with iBus Network and Infrastructure Private Limited for transfer of Company's entire stake (50 per cent) in Firefly Networks Limited," Airtel said in a filing.
The deal is expected to close within 30 business days from the date of execution of the agreement between the firms.
"The Company will receive Rs 45 million for the sale of its entire stake (50 per cent) held in Firefly," Vodafone Idea said in a separate filing.
Firefly manages and monetises Wi-Fi hotspots by providing the best Wi-Fi infrastructure to partners like educational institutes, hospitals, malls, cafes, public hangout

The deal is expected to close within 30 business days from the date of execution of the agreement between the firms

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Cowpea seedlings onboard PSLV-C60 POEM-4 module sprout their first leaves in space, signifying a milestone in space-based plant research, ISRO said on Monday.
According to India's national space agency, the Compact Research Module for Orbital Plant Studies (CROPS), developed by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), is an automated platform designed to cultivate and sustain plant life in the microgravity environment of space.
One of its recent experiments involved growing cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) seeds within a controlled, closed environment equipped with active thermal management, said ISRO.
The system monitored various parameters, including oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, relative humidity, temperature, and soil moisture, while capturing images to track plant growth, added ISRO.
According to the space agency, this setup successfully supported the germination and development of cowpea plants up to the two-leaf stage in space.
"This accomplishment not only demonstrates ISRO'

Understanding on how plants adapt to microgravity is crucial for developing life support systems that can produce food and regenerate air and water for astronauts

Delhi's annual PM2.5 levels rose in 2024 for the second consecutive year, despite a 37 per cent drop in stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana and the national capital, according to a new report.
The report by think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said Delhi's annual PM2.5 concentration increased to 104.7 microgrammes per cubic metre in 2024 -- a 3.4 per cent rise from the 2023 levels. This is also more than twice the national ambient air quality standard of 40 microgrammes per cubic metre.
While the 2024 average is still 9.6 per cent lower than the 2018 peak of 115.8 microgrammes per cubic metre, it is 3 per cent higher than the three-year average of 2021-2023, indicating a gradual reversal of earlier gains made between 2018 and 2022, it said.
The report highlighted that the total annual fire counts (on account of stubble burning) dropped by 37.5 per cent in 2024 in Delhi, Punjab, and Haryana. Punjab recorded a 75 per cent decline, and Haryana, a 37 per cent ...

Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, CSE, said the rise in PM2.5 levels cannot be seen as an annual aberration due to meteorological factors

After the Punjab government informed the Supreme Court about a scheduled meeting with septuagenarian farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, a SC-appointed panel met him at around 3.30 pm on Monday.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh was informed by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the Punjab government, that the protesting farmers had been persuaded to meet Justice (retd) Nawab Singh, who chairs the apex court-appointed committee.
"Some of us have been able to persuade those people under protest to meet Justice (retd) Nawab Singh led committee today at 3 pm. We are hopeful that there will be a breakthrough. Kindly take it up after a couple of days," Sibal said.
On hearing this, the bench said, "Let us hope and pray that better sense prevails on everyone."
The apex court asked Sibal to prepare a brief note of the deliberations and posted the hearing on January 10.
Solicitor general Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, said the committee would file a brief

After the Punjab government informed the Supreme Court about a scheduled meeting with septuagenarian farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, a SC-appointed panel met him at around 3.30 pm on Monday.

All-India Plastics Manufacturers' Association on Monday urged the government for a production-linked incentive scheme for the sector in the upcoming Budget 2025, to increase India's share in the global plastics market.
In a pre-budget consultation meeting with the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, All-India Plastics Manufacturers' Association (AIPMA) said it has asked the government to reduce GST to 'nil' for plastic waste as well as recycling machinery, to encourage recycling.
Besides, it has also sought lowering of GST to 5 per cent, from 18 per cent, on the conversion cost of recycled plastic granules, and providing a 20 per cent subsidy to purchase capital equipment for recycling, the association said in a statement.
AIPMA Chairman Arvind M Mehta said India has immense potential to scale up its operations and increase its share in the global plastic market.
"China's export of plastic finished goods is currently 25 times higher than India's, underscoring the vast ...

They have also sought lowering of GST to 5%, from 18%, on the conversion cost of recycled plastic granules, and providing a 20% subsidy to purchase capital equipment for recycling

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Heavy traffic jam on DND flyover due to dense fog

Noida (Uttar Pradesh), Dec 30 (ANI): A thick layer of fog canopied Delhi-NCR on Dec 30. It affected vehicular movement and led to heavy traffic jam on DND flyover. Commuters are facing difficulty due low visibility. Temperature has dipped sharply in parts of North India.

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