Top peach producing states in india

KERALA (REUTERS)- Before Govindan Satheeshan installed solar panels on the roof of his home in southern India's Kerala state under a government scheme two years ago, the 70-year-old retiree was unsure. Would the panels produce enough electricity? Would they be too expensive? Would the system suffer technical glitches? But his hefty electricity bills, of up to 15,000 rupees (S$272) every two months, motivated him to sign up - and today his bills have dropped close to zero. Satheeshan is so happy with the results he invited anyone uncertain about installing a home solar system to visit him in Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital. "People are still doubtful about the feasibility of rooftop solar panels. If anyone is interested but sceptical, they are welcome to visit my home and I will clarify (the benefits)," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Kerala now hopes to convince more residents to make the switch, launching a new solar rooftop programme in January aimed at ... » Learn More about India’s Kerala turns homes into ‘mini-solar power stations’

BRASILIA/RIO DE JANEIRO (REUTERS) - Brazil made a diplomatic push on Monday (Jan 4) to guarantee an Indian-made shipment of British drugmaker AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine, hoping to avoid export restrictions that could delay immunisations during the world's second-deadliest outbreak. In parallel, Brazil's private clinics struck a preliminary deal for an alternative injection made by India's Bharat Biotech despite a lack of public results from late-stage trials. The scramble by Brazil's government and private sector underscored how Latin America's largest nation, once an example of mass immunisation success in the developing world, has fallen behind peers in the race to inoculate against the coronavirus. Plans by Brazil's Fiocruz Institute to import AstraZeneca's vaccine in bulk, filling and finishing doses locally, would have only 1 million doses ready by the second week of February, the head of the government-funded biomedical centre told Reuters last week. Amid rising ... » Learn More about Brazil scrambles for India-made coronavirus vaccines to jumpstart inoculations

NEW DELHI - Amazon.com Inc’s Prime Video streaming service on Tuesday (March 2) issued a rare apology to its Indian viewers for some scenes in its original political drama series “Tandav”, which allegedly offended Hindu religious beliefs. “Tandav”, a Hindi word meaning “fury”, stars top Bollywood actors. In several states it has faced police complaints and court cases alleging the show had depicted Hindu gods and goddesses in a derogatory manner, and offended religious beliefs. Lawmakers from India’s ruling nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party have also criticised it. In a statement titled “Amazon Prime Video Apologizes”, the company on Tuesday said it deeply regrets viewers considered certain scenes to be objectionable. Amazon apologises “unconditionally to anyone who felt hurt,” it said, adding that it will continue to develop content while respecting the diversity of audiences’ culture and beliefs. The “Tandav” controversy escalated last week when police in the northern state ... » Learn More about Amazon issues rare apology in India after complaints that series hurt Hindu beliefs

NEW DELHI  - Indian doctors and politicians on Thursday (March 4) welcomed efficacy data for a state-backed coronavirus vaccine that was given emergency approval in January without the completion of a late-stage trial, making people reluctant to receive the shot. Government data shows ( dashboard.cowin.gov.in ) that only 10per cent of about 13.3 million people immunised in India have taken the COVAXIN shot, which was found to be 81 per cent effective in an interim analysis of the late-stage trial, its developer Bharat Biotech said on Wednesday (March 3). Any boost to the vaccine’s acceptance in India, which on Thursday reported the highest number of new Covid-19 cases in five weeks, could also brighten its export prospects. Bharat Biotech said 40 countries were interested in COVAXIN, with Zimbabwe here on Thursday becoming the first country outside India to approve it, according to the Indian embassy here there. Many Indian doctors and opposition politicians had rejected ... » Learn More about India’s Covid vaccine wins over some sceptics after promising data

WASHINGTON - The Feb 7 disaster in the high mountains of India's Uttarakhand state, should be a wake-up call for governments and contractors bent on building infrastructure across the inherently unstable Himalayas, experts say. But there have been previous wake-up calls which have gone unheeded. Please subscribe or log in to continue reading the full article. Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month Latest headlines and exclusive stories In-depth analyses and award-winning multimedia content Get access to all with our no-contract promotional package at only $0.99/month for the first 3 months* Subscribe now *Terms and conditions apply. ... » Learn More about Himalayan disaster: No lessons learned in India’s Uttarakhand

Some peaches imported from the United States have been recalled after they were potentially linked to an ongoing salmonella outbreak across that country. The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said on Tuesday that it had told importer Satoyu Trading to recall peaches packed or supplied by Prima Wawona or Wawona Packing Company. Eating food contaminated with the bacteria Salmonella enteritidis can cause diarrhoea, fever, vomiting and abdominal cramps. A salmonella infection can be fatal to young children, the elderly and those with impaired immune systems, the SFA said. The recalled peaches may have stickers with these price look-up numbers: 4037, 4038, 4044, 4401, 94037, 94038, 94044, 94401. But not all peaches with these numbers are supplied by Prima Wawona, the SFA noted, adding: "Consumers who are unsure about the brand or variety of their loose peaches should contact the respective retailers." People who have already eaten these peaches and have concerns about their health ... » Learn More about SFA recalls peaches from US due to possible salmonella contamination

ISLAMABAD (DAWN/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) -The inauguration of the Biden administration has predictably generated a heated debate on America's likely policy concerning Pakistan. Any analysis of the emerging scenario must be firmly grounded in strategic realities rather than in wishful thinking. The end of the Cold War had already reduced Pakistan's importance in America's strategic calculations. On top of that, there is now growing strategic divergence between Pakistan and the US because of the development of the Indo-US partnership as an essential element of the US policy of containment of China, on the one hand, and the deepening cooperation between Pakistan and China on the other. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a prime example of growing Pakistan-China cooperation. Additional factors which will influence US policy on Pakistan are India's economic weight with a GDP of US$2.6 trillion (S$3.46 trillion), its increasing global political influence as evidenced by its ... » Learn More about How will US-India ties impact Pakistan?: Dawn contributor

SINGAPORE - Two pilot projects to increase awareness of and demand for locally produced food are set to be launched in the second half of this year by the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) and the Singapore Food Agency (SFA). One will target first-time mothers and aim to show them the benefits of eating local produce, while the other will make identifying local produce in wet markets easier. The two pilot projects were selected by MSE and SFA out of six proposals that were presented last year by a citizen's workgroup. Members of the public came together, alongside subject matter experts from the local agri-food industry, to discuss ideas. The two chosen pilot projects were announced by Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Amy Khor at an appreciation event for the Citizens' Workgroup on Saturday (Feb 6). The event was held at local sustainable farm Edible Garden City in Queenstown. Minister for Sustainability and the ... » Learn More about Two projects to promote locally produced food to be rolled out this year

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Authorities in Myanmar have asked India to return several police officers who sought refuge to avoid taking orders from a military junta that seized power in the Southeast Asian country last month, an official in northeast India said on Saturday. Around 30 Myanmar police and their family members came across the border seeking refuge in recent days, as the junta's suppression of protesters has turned increasingly violent, with dozens killed since the Feb. 1 coup. The senior-most official in Champhai, a district in the Indian state of Mizoram, told Reuters that she had received a letter from her counterpart in Myanmar's Falam district requesting the return of eight police "in order to uphold friendly relations." Deputy Commissioner Maria C.T. Zuali said on Saturday that she was "waiting for the direction" from the India's Ministry for Home Affairs in New Delhi. Although there have been instances recounted on social media of police joining the civil ... » Learn More about Myanmar asks India to return 8 police who fled across border

At least 19 Myanmar police have crossed into India to escape taking orders from a military junta that is trying to suppress protests against last month’s coup, an Indian police official said on Thursday, adding that more were expected. The men have crossed into Champhai and Serchhip, two districts in the northeastern state of Mizoram that share a porous border with Myanmar, the official said, declining to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue. All the men, who are lower-ranking policemen, were unarmed, the official said. “We are expecting more to come,” he said, citing intelligence reports. There have been several instances recounted on social media of police joining the civil disobedience movement and protests against the junta, with some arrested, but this is the first reported case of police fleeing Myanmar. The official said that the policemen crossed over fearing persecution for disobeying orders and would be temporarily housed by local Indian authorities. ... » Learn More about Myanmar coup: 19 policemen seek shelter in India to avoid military junta’s violent crackdown