New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas clarified on Tuesday that 20 per cent Ethanol Blended Petrol (E20) gives better acceleration, better ride quality and has lowered carbon emissions by approximately 30 per cent as compared to E10 fuel.The statement, issued to allay fears over mileage and vehicle life, further said that ethanol’s higher octane number (about 108.5 compared to petrol’s 84.4) makes ethanol-blended fuels a valuable alternative for higher-octane req…

New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) The Indian National Congress on Tuesday sharply criticised Israel’s Ambassador to India over his response to party leader and MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s remarks on the situation in Gaza, terming the envoy’s reaction “totally unacceptable.” In a statement posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said the party “condemns the words used” by the Israeli envoy in reply to Gandhi Va…

Mumbai, Aug 12 (IANS) Union Minister of Ports and Shipping Sarbnanda Sonawal on Tuesday said India and Singapore share a strong and multi-faceted partnership rooted in mutual respect, shared values and a common vision for prosperity. He said that under the visionary leadership of PM Narendra Modi, our bilateral relations have expanded across sectors.In his virtual address at the Leaders’ Dialogue on Green & Digital Maritime Corridors‘ held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), t…

New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 12 (IANS) The Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has delivered a scathing critique of the National Highways Authority of India’s (NHAI) functioning in Kerala, urging a comprehensive audit of its operations.PAC Chairman and Congress’s Alappuzha MP K.C.Venugopal said the decision has been made that a CAG audit has to be conducted in the wake of the detailed perusal that was done by the PAC.The recommendations were outlined in the PAC’s latest report,…

Kohima, Aug 12 (IANS) An international team of researchers, led by the Nagaland University, have identified lanthanide salts, a class of rare-earth compounds that can serve as next-generation, environmentally friendly corrosion inhibitors, varsity officials said on Tuesday. University officials said that this cutting-edge research, published in one of the highest-ranked international journals, charts a path for industrial applications in sectors such as oil and gas, marine engineering, automotiv…

Shillong, Aug 12 (IANS) The Meghalaya government, on Tuesday, launched Shillong’s first Public Electric Bicycle Sharing (PBS) System, marking a milestone in clean, sustainable, and people-centric urban transport for the Northeast. Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma along with fitness icon Milind Soman, ceremonially inaugurated the city’s first PBS docking station and e-cycles. Chief Minister Sangma said, “The programme is driven by a commitment to meaningfully benefit the city, its citizens, and to…

Agartala, Aug 12 (IANS) Tripura, a power-surplus state, is set to usher in a new era of power generation with the upcoming installation of a 120 MW Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) plant at Rokhia in Sepahijala district. A senior official of Tripura State Electricity Corporation said that the Tripura Power Generation Limited (TPGL) company initiated to installation of the power project, which would be the first-ever project of its kind in India, marking a historic milestone in the country’s p…

Ahmedabad, Aug 12 (IANS) Ahmedabad has been crowned India’s safest city in the 2025 Crime and Safety Index by Numbeo, a feat Police Commissioner G.S. Malik calls “a proud moment for Ahmedabad and a model for cities across India.” The city outperformed major metros like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, securing a stellar safety score of 68.3, a testament to its citizen-focused policing and robust surveillance network.The city boasts over 25,000 CCTV cameras, with 22,000 voluntarily …

Amaravati, Aug 12 (IANS) Work on 74 projects in the greenfield Andhra Pradesh capital Amaravati has commenced, while tenders have been issued for works worth Rs 50,552 crore, officials said on Tuesday.The Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) has proposed works worth Rs 81,317 crore.Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday reviewed the progress of the capital construction, land allocations to various agencies, and other pending matters with officials from the CRDA and the EDC.Municip…

Bhopal, Aug 12 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangubhai Patel on Tuesday said that Centre for Research and Industrial Staff Performance (CRISP) should assess the employment demand in various industrial sectors of the state. Patel stated that students should be trained through skill development programs in line with the requirements of regional industries, enabling them to secure jobs within their regions. He urged CRISP to conduct new programs that focus not only on skill development but also on…