AGARTALA : India Gives Power, Gets Internet from B’desh
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated by remote control 100 mw power supply from Tripura’ Palatana to Bangladesh. At the same time, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina provided 10 GB Internet bandwidth to India and the entire programme was held through video-conferencing. “In this age of interdependence, the two countries would further strengthen its ties and it is a significant day that both are promoting the ways of development,” Modi said. Hasina said t “the relation between the countries has further consolidated through the supply of power and Internet bandwith.” The eight north-eastern States would be benefited form the third Internet gateway, the Prime Minister said.
India Developing Vaccine to Fight Zika, Says WHO
The World Health Organisation has said that India was one of the countries which was developing a vaccine for Zika virus, which has affected 38 countries as of now. In an international briefing on the spread of the Zika virus, WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said, 23 projects are being worked on by 14 vaccine developers in the United States, France, Brazil, India and Austria. Chan said that the WHO estimates that at least some of the projects will move into clinical trials before the end of this year. Earlier last month, Indian company Bharat Biotech had said that it was working on two possible vaccines to fight the Zika virus. Indian Council of Medical Research director general Soumya Swaminathan had said that the premier research body of the country had invited the company for a presentation.
Views Sought on Giving Details of RTI Applicants
The Centre has sought views of stakeholders on whether there was a need to disclose personal details of information seekeres through the RTI as it can put their lives at risk. The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said that it has been impressing upon public authorities to disclose maximum information proactively so that public at large need not file RTI applications to seek information held by the public authorities. The DOPT is inviting comments from the stakeholders within 15 days in the matter. The DoPT said that keeping in view the direction by the Kolkata High Court in a case, the public authorities may note that while proactively disclosing RTI applications and appeals, the personal information of an individual should not be disclosed.