Drone pilot training

"A SpiceXpress-led consortium had submitted a proposal to the regulator for conducting experimental beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations of remotely piloted aircraft in response to a DGCA notice inviting expression of interest,? SpiceJet said. … [Read more...] about SpiceXpress receives DGCA approval for drone trials

NEW DELHI: Facebook has started initial talks with Indian telecom companies and the government for potential pilot programmes to use its solar-powered plane called Aquila to provide the infrastructure needed to offer affordable mobile internet access in remote areas. The world’s largest social network has already started to tie up with telcos for its Express Wi-Fi project to provide broadband services in rural parts, Robert Pepper, Facebook’s Connectivity Public Policy Director, told ET. “Having fibre-like speeds in places without fibre and making it available to anybody is the reason why there’s so much interest in Aquila. We have begun discussions with telecom operators to see which ones might be interested,” Pepper said. “There is a huge amount of interest, but it is very early stages.” Telcos that don’t find it feasible to create the infrastructure for internet services in rural areas – given the lack of demand – can use … [Read more...] about Facebook in talks with Indian telecom companies for drone trials

Plant protection division joint director Suwa Lal Jat said the locust threat has been controlled in an area spread over 73,000 hectares in Rajasthan. He added 95,000 hectares was earlier affected across 24 districts in the state. “... Barmer, Jodhpur, Ganganagar, Dausa, Bikaner and Hanumangarh are badly affected,” he said. Jat said a swarm was present between Jaipur and Dausa and may either settle in Alwar or Dausa. Alwar is 100 km from Delhi. … [Read more...] about Copters, new gear to fight locust invasion amid warning in 16 states

Domestic violence cases most often go unnoticed as women have avoided speaking openly about these monstrosities inside their homes which make their safe space more dangerous than the outdoors. Love doesn’t need to mean pain, especially of the physical kind and just because it’s uncomfortable, doesn’t mean it’s not spoken about. Often times, issues like these affect the well-being of children which can have long-lasting effects on their psyche and who they end up becoming as adults, in turn affecting their relationships with their peers, colleagues, friends and beyond. If you are a victim of abuse of any kind, even something seemingly inconsequential such as emotional abuse, speak up so it helps you and someone else who hasn’t been able to. If you know of someone who might be going through something, stand by them and let them know they have support. Suffering in pain never yields a reward. … [Read more...] about Speak up: Domestic violence sees surge as people forced to stay home amid coronavirus pandemic

By Ayesha JhunjhunwalaAs the worst-hit countries including Italy and the UK limp past their infection peaks governments worldwide face difficult decisions about how to relax lockdowns. Some are already experiencing a second wave of infections which indicates that start-stop lockdowns might be a reality for months to come, possibly longer. This means preparing for a future in which containment and treatment are balanced with limited economic activity.Information and communications technology (ICT) can help us adapt to this new reality but tapping its full potential will require focus, collaboration, sustained investment, and safeguards. The basic pillars of any virus response include detection, containment, and treatment; the first two are where ICT can have the greatest impact. Available data and artificial intelligence (AI) tools can be harnessed to harvest and process large volumes of information to allow for hyper-local interventions. Leveraging technology to improve detection and … [Read more...] about ICT infrastructure could help navigate a post-Covid world