Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to make his first state visit to Washington in nine years next week. The trip comes as the United States and India increase cooperation in critical emerging technologies. Matt Dibble has the story for Voice of America.

WION-VOA Co-Production: Indian PM Modi to begin US tour on June 21

Cyclone Biparjoy made landfall in Gujarat at Jakhau Port in the Kutch area on June 15, hitting the state with winds of around 115 kmph and leaving a trail of destruction as it continues its touchdown process over Pakistan and Rajasthan.

Cyclone Biparjoy batters Gujarat coast, storm to reach southern Rajasthan | World DNA

In a major boost for India's military infrastructure, the government has reportedly approved the purchase of US long range drones - the MQ-9 Reaper. According to the reports, this followed a Defence Council meeting headed by India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

India-US Armed Drones deal sealed, India to buy 31 drones from America | World News | WION

Cyclone Biparjoy has now weakened. Biparjoy has reduced from 'very severe' category to 'severe' after the storm made landfall in coastal areas of Gujarat on Thursday.

Cyclonic storm Biparjoy weakens into deep depression

The Nepal release of the Indian mythological Epic film Adipurush remains uncertain. The film's release has been stalled amid protests the morning shows of Adipurush have been canceled in Kathmandu. This comes after the city's mayor Balen Shah raised an objection to one dialogue in the film taking to social media. Watch this report to know more.

'Adipurush' sparks new controversy in Nepal

A mob stormed and set Indian Union Minister of State for External Affairs RK Ranjan's home on fire in Imphal, Manipur on Thursday night. The union minister and his family were not present in the house when the incident took place.

Indian Union Minister RK Ranjan's home set on fire in Manipur

Five terrorists have been killed in an encounter in Kashmir today. The operation was carried out jointly by the Indian army and the Kashmir police. It took place in the Juma Gund area of Kashmir Kupwara District the operation was based on intelligence from the Kupwara police.

India: Five terrorists killed in Kashmir

Following a series of discussions, the G20's Woman 20 engagement group released a communique that included a collection of suggestions for promoting women-led development. To learn more about this, watch G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant in an exclusive conversation with WION.

'Women empowerment a key priority for India's G20 Presidency', says G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant

At least 2 dead & over 20 injured as cyclone Biparjoy strikes Gujarat, heavy rain alert for southern Rajasthan.

Cyclone Biparjoy makes landfall in India | WION Climate Tracker

<p dir="ltr">Alan Turing, a pioneer in computing, predicted in 1950 that computers would successfully simulate human intellect within a few decades, an achievement known as passing the Turing Test. Hop-skip to 2022, when a Google&nbsp;software engineer said his interactions with the company’s AI-powered chatbot had convinced him that it had become “sentient.” Then came ChatGPT,&nbsp;an artificial intelligence chatbot developed by OpenAI that very year, which according to analysis by data firm Similarweb reached 100 million users just two months after being launched.&nbsp;Whichever way we cut it,&nbsp;artificial intelligence (AI) has once again become the hottest buzzword in the tech world.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Can explosion of data be the reason behind AI’s latest buzz?</strong></h2>

<p>Data is multiplying at an unprecedented rate. We double the world's data every two years at the current rate at which humanity is producing it, and this rate is anticipated to only accelerate going forward. A Forbes report says that data will double every 12 hours by 2025, which means that between the time we wake up and&nbsp;go to sleep, humanity will either be twice as smart or half as smart.</p>

<p>“AI has been around for the last 40 years, but the latest buzz around it can be attributed to the algorithms invented in 2012,” Dr Srinivas Padmanabhuni, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, testAIng.com, an Indian AI startup which performs security testing, ethics testing and bug finding for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/can-artificial-intelligence-become-a-deterrent-to-photojournalists-anmestys-ai-generated-images-draw-flak-588401">AI</a> models told WION.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Dr Padmanabhuni says the newer algorithms have been able to work on all kinds of data including text, image and audio, in addition to conventional data which was purely mathematical and in tabular formats.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“With the advent of the newer version of AI, also known as Deep Learning, we can see an expansion of data to images, text and audio. The moment that happened, the application of AI suddenly exploded. Because of the expansion of the ability of analysis to image, text and audio, we’re seeing this new found interest in AI application,” explains Dr Padmanabhuni.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>AI in Indian academia&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Author Rajiv Malhotra in his book, <em>Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Power,&nbsp;</em>explains how China's ascent to dominance in the 21st&nbsp;century must be contrasted with Britain's rise to power in the 1800s. China wants to overtake the world through an AI revolution, much as how Britain did during the Industrial revolution.</p>

<p>Dr Balaraman Ravindran, Head, Robert Bosch Centre for Data Science &amp; Artificial Intelligence (RBCDSAI) at IIT Madras, explains the two criteria used to gauge success in the realm of AI in India. First, in terms of academic research and innovation, and second, in terms of the quantity and performance of AI startups in the country.&nbsp;</p>

<p><iframe aria-label="Grouped Bars" data-external="1" frameborder="0" height="749" id="datawrapper-chart-af6Zu" scrolling="no" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/af6Zu/1/" style="border: none;" title="AI investment puffs up in India" width="600"></iframe></p>

<p>“With regards to AI research, India is still middling. We are not among the top few countries in the world in terms of research output. Even though&nbsp;publicly reported stats from different&nbsp;sources would say otherwise,&nbsp;these figures should be critically examined,” Dr Ravindran&nbsp;told WION.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Only a small number of Indian AI researchers are well-known outside of India, according to the number of people who cite their work. Despite this, the AI community as a whole has grown tremendously in the past few years," he adds.</p>

<p>As per statistics from the International Data Corporation (IDC), China is expected to more than double its investment in AI to nearly $27 billion by 2026.</p>

<p>“China recognised a while back that the&nbsp;impact was coming from top-notch AI conferences and started incentivising people to publish in these conferences,” explains Dr Ravindran.&nbsp;</p>

<p>China’s state-funded AI research is also growing steadily.</p>

<p>“China is giving significant incentives to companies to spend on fundamental research. The scale is unimaginably large in China,” he adds.</p>

<p>A total of 48.6 billion real-time transactions were made in India in 2021, more than three times as many as its closest rival, China ($18 billion), and nearly seven times as many as the combined real-time payments volume of the world's top five economies—the US, Canada, the UK, France, and Germany ($7.5 billion transactions).</p>

<p>India is uniquely positioned with a great digital ecosystem in place. Additionally, India released an <a href="https://niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2019-01/NationalStrategy-for-AI-Discussion-Paper.pdf">AI strategy document</a> in 2018 that most countries don’t have.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Despite this, Dr Ravindran explains, the gap between the private and public sector is growing with the former taking lead, as they are not waiting for the government to release data. They are collecting the required data themselves.</p>

<h2><strong>Is India more AI positive, what does it mean for its growth?</strong></h2>

<p>When it comes to trusting artificial intelligence, India tops the list of countries. According to a&nbsp;<a data-auth="NotApplicable" data-safelink="true" href="https://assets.kpmg.com/content/dam/kpmg/au/pdf/2021/trust-in-ai-multiple-countries.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">KPMG survey</a>, developing countries like India, Brazil, China, and South Africa are more accepting of AI, with India having a 75 per cent acceptance rate.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe aria-label="Bar Chart" data-external="1" frameborder="0" height="363" id="datawrapper-chart-ZA1mU" scrolling="no" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/ZA1mU/1/" style="border: none;" title="How much do countries trust AI?" width="600"></iframe></div>
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<p>The study says more than half of the respondents from these countries expressed strong trust and acceptance of artificial intelligence technologies.</p>

<p>Additionally, it demonstrated the increased use of AI in emerging markets, particularly in the BRICS countries. However, when it came to the use of artificial intelligence in the workplace, China came on the top with 75 per cent, followed by India at 66 per cent and Brazil at 50 per cent.</p>

<p>With the&nbsp;inception of AI, experts have stressed on the importance of it in key professional fields, such as ed-tech and e-commerce.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Many ed-tech companies have developed new ways to tailor education for Indian students, but AI continues to be the most efficient approach, as its key impact in the Indian education space&nbsp;is going to be in personalised and adaptive,&nbsp;as per Devesh Mishra, Chief Technology Officer, Physicswallah, an Indian educational technology startup that became a unicorn in June 2022 after raising a $100 million at a valuation of $1.1 billion, who spoke to WION.</p>

<p>Mishra emphasised that a student-teacher&nbsp;relationship cannot be replaced by artificial intelligence, since, as he believes, "online and offline education go hand-in-hand."</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/ai-to-defeat-cancer-doctors-create-ai-tool-that-can-detect-disease-587653">AI to defeat cancer? Doctors create AI tool that can detect disease</a></p>

<p>Aside from the education sector, trade and commerce is another significant area where India anticipates AI to show promise.</p>

<p>The India Brand Equity Foundation predicts that by 2025, the country's e-commerce market will be worth $111.40 billion.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Therefore, a strong AI response or data accumulation strategy is necessary for smooth customer relations.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to N Sekar, Chief Technology Officer, Quinbay, an e-commerce AI startup, artificial intelligence&nbsp;is required to create a more customised user experience, collect&nbsp;customer behaviour data and trends,&nbsp;which will ultimately increase productivity.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;Scientists can now use AI to convert brain scans into words</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/scientists-can-now-use-ai-to-convert-brain-scans-into-words-588271/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>Sekar emphasised the decline in fraudulent activities as well, noting that several e-commerce platforms are using this data to reduce such occurrences.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“By analysing the behaviour or data of fraudulent sellers and customers (example receiving a stone instead of a phone) platforms can take action on such people. All that is decreased because of the extensive use of AI or machine learning capabilities,” Sekar told WION</p>

<h2><strong>Can AI take away our jobs?</strong></h2>

<p>As per a&nbsp;<a data-auth="NotApplicable" data-safelink="true" href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/10/dont-fear-ai-it-will-lead-to-long-term-job-growth/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">World Economic Forum (WEF) report</a>, automation and artificial intelligence (AI) will result in the creation of 97 million new jobs by 2025. In the meantime, Chatbots are all the rage, and there is growing concern that an AI capable of responding to cues and&nbsp;questions&nbsp;in a manner that is remarkably human and in a short amount of time would be bad for the job market as a whole.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Dr Padmanabhuni thinks reinvention is the key. “We are living in an era where technology is changing every five years. So, we need to relearn in order to stay relevant. It is not a matter of job displacement, but a matter of reorientation.”</p>

<p dir="ltr">Additionally, Dr Ravindran thinks&nbsp;AI is very much a productivity tool and it cannot replace humans at this point.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE:</strong></p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></p>


Alan Turing, a pioneer in computing, predicted in 1950 that computers would successfully simulate human intellect within a few decades, an achievement known as passing the Turing Test.

Alan Turing, a pioneer in computing, predicted in 1950 that computers would successfully simulate human intellect within a few decades, an achievement known as passing the Turing Test. Hop-skip to 2022, when a Google software engineer said his interactions with the company’s AI-powered chatbot had convinced him that it had become “sentient.” Then came ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence chatbot developed by OpenAI that very year, which according to analysis by data firm Similarweb reached 100 million users just two months after being launched. Whichever way we cut it, artificial intelligence (AI) has once again become the hottest buzzword in the tech world. Can explosion of data be the reason behind AI’s latest buzz? Data is multiplying at an unprecedented rate. We double the world's data every two years at the current rate at which humanity is producing it, and this rate is anticipated to only accelerate going forward. A Forbes report says that data will double every 12 hours by 2025, which means that between the time we wake up and go to sleep, humanity will either be twice as smart or half as smart. “AI has been around for the last 40 years, but the latest buzz around it can be attributed to the algorithms invented in 2012,” Dr Srinivas Padmanabhuni, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, testAIng.com, an Indian AI startup which performs security testing, ethics testing and bug finding for AI models told WION. Dr Padmanabhuni says the newer algorithms have been able to work on all kinds of data including text, image and audio, in addition to conventional data which was purely mathematical and in tabular formats. “With the advent of the newer version of AI, also known as Deep Learning, we can see an expansion of data to images, text and audio. The moment that happened, the application of AI suddenly exploded. Because of the expansion of the ability of analysis to image, text and audio, we’re seeing this new found interest in AI application,” explains Dr Padmanabhuni. AI in Indian academia Author Rajiv Malhotra in his book, Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Power, explains how China's ascent to dominance in the 21st century must be contrasted with Britain's rise to power in the 1800s. China wants to overtake the world through an AI revolution, much as how Britain did during the Industrial revolution. Dr Balaraman Ravindran, Head, Robert Bosch Centre for Data Science & Artificial Intelligence (RBCDSAI) at IIT Madras, explains the two criteria used to gauge success in the realm of AI in India. First, in terms of academic research and innovation, and second, in terms of the quantity and performance of AI startups in the country. “With regards to AI research, India is still middling. We are not among the top few countries in the world in terms of research output. Even though publicly reported stats from different sources would say otherwise, these figures should be critically examined,” Dr Ravindran told WION. "Only a small number of Indian AI researchers are well-known outside of India, according to the number of people who cite their work. Despite this, the AI community as a whole has grown tremendously in the past few years," he adds. As per statistics from the International Data Corporation (IDC), China is expected to more than double its investment in AI to nearly $27 billion by 2026. “China recognised a while back that the impact was coming from top-notch AI conferences and started incentivising people to publish in these conferences,” explains Dr Ravindran. China’s state-funded AI research is also growing steadily. “China is giving significant incentives to companies to spend on fundamental research. The scale is unimaginably large in China,” he adds. A total of 48.6 billion real-time transactions were made in India in 2021, more than three times as many as its closest rival, China ($18 billion), and nearly seven times as many as the combined real-time payments volume of the world's top five economies—the US, Canada, the UK, France, and Germany ($7.5 billion transactions). India is uniquely positioned with a great digital ecosystem in place. Additionally, India released an AI strategy document in 2018 that most countries don’t have. Despite this, Dr Ravindran explains, the gap between the private and public sector is growing with the former taking lead, as they are not waiting for the government to release data. They are collecting the required data themselves. Is India more AI positive, what does it mean for its growth? When it comes to trusting artificial intelligence, India tops the list of countries. According to a KPMG survey, developing countries like India, Brazil, China, and South Africa are more accepting of AI, with India having a 75 per cent acceptance rate. × The study says more than half of the respondents from these countries expressed strong trust and acceptance of artificial intelligence technologies. Additionally, it demonstrated the increased use of AI in emerging markets, particularly in the BRICS countries. However, when it came to the use of artificial intelligence in the workplace, China came on the top with 75 per cent, followed by India at 66 per cent and Brazil at 50 per cent. With the inception of AI, experts have stressed on the importance of it in key professional fields, such as ed-tech and e-commerce. Many ed-tech companies have developed new ways to tailor education for Indian students, but AI continues to be the most efficient approach, as its key impact in the Indian education space is going to be in personalised and adaptive, as per Devesh Mishra, Chief Technology Officer, Physicswallah, an Indian educational technology startup that became a unicorn in June 2022 after raising a $100 million at a valuation of $1.1 billion, who spoke to WION. Mishra emphasised that a student-teacher relationship cannot be replaced by artificial intelligence, since, as he believes, "online and offline education go hand-in-hand." ALSO READ | AI to defeat cancer? Doctors create AI tool that can detect disease Aside from the education sector, trade and commerce is another significant area where India anticipates AI to show promise. The India Brand Equity Foundation predicts that by 2025, the country's e-commerce market will be worth $111.40 billion. Therefore, a strong AI response or data accumulation strategy is necessary for smooth customer relations. According to N Sekar, Chief Technology Officer, Quinbay, an e-commerce AI startup, artificial intelligence is required to create a more customised user experience, collect customer behaviour data and trends, which will ultimately increase productivity. ALSO WATCH | Scientists can now use AI to convert brain scans into words Sekar emphasised the decline in fraudulent activities as well, noting that several e-commerce platforms are using this data to reduce such occurrences. “By analysing the behaviour or data of fraudulent sellers and customers (example receiving a stone instead of a phone) platforms can take action on such people. All that is decreased because of the extensive use of AI or machine learning capabilities,” Sekar told WION Can AI take away our jobs? As per a World Economic Forum (WEF) report, automation and artificial intelligence (AI) will result in the creation of 97 million new jobs by 2025. In the meantime, Chatbots are all the rage, and there is growing concern that an AI capable of responding to cues and questions in a manner that is remarkably human and in a short amount of time would be bad for the job market as a whole. Dr Padmanabhuni thinks reinvention is the key. “We are living in an era where technology is changing every five years. So, we need to relearn in order to stay relevant. It is not a matter of job displacement, but a matter of reorientation.” Additionally, Dr Ravindran thinks AI is very much a productivity tool and it cannot replace humans at this point. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Data Lab | India and AI: Are we ahead of the curve?

<p>A survey from the<a href="https://www.henleyglobal.com/newsroom/press-releases/henley-private-wealth-migration-report-2023"> Henley Private Wealth Migration Report&nbsp;2023</a>, which monitors wealth and investment movement patterns globally, predicts that 6,500 high-net-worth people (HNIs) would likely leave India in 2023.</p>

<p>China is projected to lose 13,500 HNIs this year, and India will follow. According to the forecast, there will be fewer HNIs departing than the 7,500 millionaires who left the previous year, reported Live Mint.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As per&nbsp;the report, the outflow is not especially alarming because India can produce new millionaires. The analysis projects that by 2031, there will be a spectacular 80 per cent&nbsp;rise in the population of high-net-worth individuals, making India one of the world's wealth markets with the quickest growth rates during this time. Financial services, healthcare, and other sectors will be particularly important drivers of this development.</p>

<p>As the standard of living rises, it has also noticed&nbsp;a trend of wealthy people returning to India, and it expects a significant number of these people to return in increasing numbers.</p>

<p>The UK will have 3,200 millionaires, while Russia will have 3,000 HNIs, according to a study citing New World Money, a company that has been monitoring patterns in the movement of money throughout the world for more than ten years.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/us-nsa-meets-pm-narendra-modi-ahead-of-latters-visit-to-us-604058">US NSA Jake Sullivan meets PM Narendra Modi ahead of latter's visit to US</a></p>

<h2><strong>Investors thinking about relocating families?</strong></h2>

<p>Dominic Volek, the company's group head for private clients, claimed that the recent and ongoing unrest has resulted in a change where more investors are thinking about relocating their families for a variety of reasons, including safety and security, education and healthcare, climate change resilience, and even crypto-friendliness.</p>

<p>“Nine of the top 10 countries for forecast net HNI inflows in 2023 host formal residence by investment programmes that encourage foreign direct investment in return for the right to reside, which can also lead to citizenship in some cases. Investors see the clear value of diversifying their domicile portfolios as the ultimate hedge against both regional and global volatility, now and in the future," Volek told Live mint.</p>

<p>Sunita Singh-Dalal, partner, private wealth and family offices at Hourani told Live Mint, “Prohibitive tax legislation coupled with convoluted, complex rules relating to outbound remittances that are open to misinterpretation and abuse, are but a few issues that have triggered the trend of investment migration from India. Dubai and Singapore remain preferred destinations for wealthy Indian families. The former, also known as the '5th City of India',&nbsp;is particularly attractive for its government-administered global investor 'Golden Visa'&nbsp;programme, favourable tax environment, robust business ecosystem and safe, peaceful environment."</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Cyclone Biparjoy likely to make landfall in Gujarat on June 15</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-cyclone-biparjoy-likely-to-make-landfall-in-gujarat-on-june-15-604066/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>Additionally,&nbsp;Rohit Bhardwaj, director, of private clients at the company’s India office, told Live Mint,&nbsp;“With a current count of approximately 3.5 lakh high-net-worth individuals (HNIs) residing in the country, India showcases a robust wealth presence. Asia is home to various wealth hubs and just this year, the number of enquiries received from South Asia in the first four months of 2023 already accounted for 72.2 per cent&nbsp;of the total number of enquiries recorded the previous year which in itself was a record year. We project this upward trajectory to continue this year, with Indian investors voicing the demand for alternative residences and additional citizenships."</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE:</strong></p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></p>


A survey from the Henley Private Wealth Migration Report 2023, which monitors wealth and investment movement patterns globally, predicts that 6,500 high-net-worth people (HNIs) would likely leave India in 2023.

A survey from the Henley Private Wealth Migration Report 2023, which monitors wealth and investment movement patterns globally, predicts that 6,500 high-net-worth people (HNIs) would likely leave India in 2023. China is projected to lose 13,500 HNIs this year, and India will follow. According to the forecast, there will be fewer HNIs departing than the 7,500 millionaires who left the previous year, reported Live Mint. As per the report, the outflow is not especially alarming because India can produce new millionaires. The analysis projects that by 2031, there will be a spectacular 80 per cent rise in the population of high-net-worth individuals, making India one of the world's wealth markets with the quickest growth rates during this time. Financial services, healthcare, and other sectors will be particularly important drivers of this development. As the standard of living rises, it has also noticed a trend of wealthy people returning to India, and it expects a significant number of these people to return in increasing numbers. The UK will have 3,200 millionaires, while Russia will have 3,000 HNIs, according to a study citing New World Money, a company that has been monitoring patterns in the movement of money throughout the world for more than ten years. Also read | US NSA Jake Sullivan meets PM Narendra Modi ahead of latter's visit to US Investors thinking about relocating families? Dominic Volek, the company's group head for private clients, claimed that the recent and ongoing unrest has resulted in a change where more investors are thinking about relocating their families for a variety of reasons, including safety and security, education and healthcare, climate change resilience, and even crypto-friendliness. “Nine of the top 10 countries for forecast net HNI inflows in 2023 host formal residence by investment programmes that encourage foreign direct investment in return for the right to reside, which can also lead to citizenship in some cases. Investors see the clear value of diversifying their domicile portfolios as the ultimate hedge against both regional and global volatility, now and in the future," Volek told Live mint. Sunita Singh-Dalal, partner, private wealth and family offices at Hourani told Live Mint, “Prohibitive tax legislation coupled with convoluted, complex rules relating to outbound remittances that are open to misinterpretation and abuse, are but a few issues that have triggered the trend of investment migration from India. Dubai and Singapore remain preferred destinations for wealthy Indian families. The former, also known as the '5th City of India', is particularly attractive for its government-administered global investor 'Golden Visa' programme, favourable tax environment, robust business ecosystem and safe, peaceful environment." Also watch | Cyclone Biparjoy likely to make landfall in Gujarat on June 15 Additionally, Rohit Bhardwaj, director, of private clients at the company’s India office, told Live Mint, “With a current count of approximately 3.5 lakh high-net-worth individuals (HNIs) residing in the country, India showcases a robust wealth presence. Asia is home to various wealth hubs and just this year, the number of enquiries received from South Asia in the first four months of 2023 already accounted for 72.2 per cent of the total number of enquiries recorded the previous year which in itself was a record year. We project this upward trajectory to continue this year, with Indian investors voicing the demand for alternative residences and additional citizenships." WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Over 6,500 high net worth individuals to leave India in 2023: Report

The most definite rivalry and world cricket gets underway this week with England and Australia locking horns in the ashes. But a new rivalry is emerging and this relates to cricket equipment. The century-old cricket bat industry of the Kashmir valley has become the biggest rival of the famous English Willow bat.

Rise in demand for Kashmir's willow bats | 400 bat manufacturers in Kashmir valley

The outgoing Wrestling Federation of India's chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has been charged with sexual harassment and stalking. The Delhi police, however, have suggested dropping the case filed by the minor, citing insufficient evidence. The chargesheet comes after months of protests by prominent Indian wrestlers like Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia.

Gravitas: Brij Bhushan Singh charged for sexual assault

India has reportedly cleared a deal to buy 31 MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones from the US. How lethal are these drones? Mohammad Saleh reports.

Gravitas: India to buy US-made MQ-9B drones?

Major Cyclone Biparjoy has made landfall strong winds and heavy rainfall are pounding the coastline of India and Pakistan now according to the Indian Meteorological Department it hit the coast between Karachi and Mandvi and regions close to the port of Jakao in Gujarat. It's moving at the speed of 115 kilometers per hour and up to midnight the landfall process will continue. Nearly 1,75,000 people have fled the predicted path of Cyclone Biparjoy. Meteorologists are warning it could devastate homes and tear down power lines.

Cyclone Biparjoy makes landfall with heavy rains, high tides and rough seas

Cyclone Biparjoy is turning into an unpredictable behemoth. It has intensified into an extremely severe cyclonic storm. Cyclone Biparjoy is all set to make landfall between Gujarat's Mandavi & Pakistan's Karachi on June 15. It will be preceded by winds with speeds of 135-145 kmph gusting to 150 kmph & extremely heavy rainfall.

Cyclone Biparjoy: How are India & Pakistan preparing for the extremely severe cyclonic storm?

Cyclone Biparjoy has made landfall. High tides are pummeling coastal Gujarat. 94,000 people have been evacuated & 25 teams of NDRF have been deployed. Mohammad Saleh reports.

Gravitas: Cyclone Biparjoy makes landfall | High tides pummel Gujarat's coast

3 years since the Galwan clashes, what has changed in the region? India is ramping up its defences along the border but China seems to be sounding the war bugle. Mohammad Saleh reports.

Gravitas | 3 years since Galwan: What has changed?

Major Cyclone Biparjoy has made landfall strong winds and heavy rainfall are pounding the coastline of India and Pakistan now according to the Indian Meteorological Department it will hit the coast between Karachi and Mandvi and regions close to the port of Jakao in Gujarat. It's moving at the speed of 115 kilometers per hour and up to midnight the landfall process will continue. Nearly 1,75,000 people have fled the predicted path of Cyclone Biparjoy. Meteorologists are warning it could devastate homes and tear down power lines.

Cyclone Biparjoy hits Gujarat coast | India-Pakistan News

Today, June 15th was the deadline given by the wrestlers in India who paused the demonstrations and gave an ultimatum to the Delhi Police and the authorities have come through. The Delhi Police has officially filed a charge sheet against Wrestling Federation Chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and as they promised, Brij Bhushan is facing charges of sexual harassment and stalking. Both of these are bailable offenses however a third charge of outraging the modesty of a woman has also been levied against him which is a non-bailable offense. The 1000-page report comes after six months of protests in the national capital.

Wrestlers' Protest in India: WFI Brij Bhushan faces slew of charges

Here we bring you a quick round-up of all the latest news and top headlines from all across the globe: The cyclonic storm Biparjoy began to make landfall near Jakhau Port in Gujarat's Kutch district as heavy rain and strong winds were witnessed along the coast.

Cyclone Biparjoy begins making landfall in Gujarat, India | WION Speed News

<p>A group of 33 academicians, who were part of the development committee of National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks, have expressed concerns about the significant changes made to the original texts. They have requested the council to remove their names from the current textbooks. This request follows the recent dissociation of two former NCERT advisors, Yogendra Yadav and Suhas Palshikar, from the revised political science textbooks.</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/roger-payne-biologist-who-discovered-whales-could-sing-passes-away-at-88-604714">Roger Payne, biologist who discovered whales could sing, passes away at 88</a></p>

<p>In a letter addressed to the NCERT director Dinesh Prasad Saklani, the 33 political scientists, who were members of the textbook development committee in 2006-07, expressed dissatisfaction with the recent rationalisation exercise conducted by NCERT. They stated that these changes have undermined their collective effort and raised concerns about the lack of transparency and academic contestation in the decision-making process.</p>

<p>“NCERT is now making changes to the textbooks. These involve deletions of sentences and removal of some sections (even chapters) considered unacceptable with emphasis given to others considered desirable. The decision of who decides what is unacceptable and what is desirable has been kept rather opaque, violating the core principles of transparency and contestation that, we believe, underlies academic knowledge production.” read the letter.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/at-least-26-including-six-children-killed-in-fresh-fighting-between-army-and-resistance-fighters-604760">At least 26 including six children killed in fresh fighting between army and resistance fighters</a></p>

<p>The academicians found it difficult to associate their names with the revised textbooks, as the substantive revisions have allegedly transformed them into different books. They emphasised that these revisions have “jeopardised their creative collective effort” of the original texts, making it challenging for them to claim ownership of the revised versions.</p>

<p>“Since there are several substantive revisions of the original texts, making them thereby different books, we find it difficult to claim that these are the books we produced and to associate our names with them,” the academicians added.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | UK MPs publish Partygate report | English Latest news</strong></p>

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<p>The signatories of the letter include notable figures such as Pratap Bhanu Mehta, former vice-chancellor of Ashoka University, Radhika Menon from Delhi University, Nivedita Menon from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Kanti Prasad Bajpai, Vice-Dean of the National University Singapore, and Rajeev Bhargava, former professor at JNU.</p>

<p>Yogendra Yadav and Suhas Palshikar had previously written to NCERT, accusing the rationalisation exercise of mutilating the textbooks beyond recognition and rendering them academically dysfunctional.</p>

<p>The controversy surrounding the removal of various topics from the syllabus in 2022, including references to the theory of evolution, the Cold War, the industrial revolution, the 2002 Gujarat riots, the contribution of agriculture to the Indian economy, the Mughal courts, and challenges to democracy, further fueled their concerns.</p>

<p>In response, NCERT stated that the council has the right to make changes based on copyright ownership and rejected the possibility of any member withdrawing their association. NCERT clarified that textbook development committees were dissolved once the textbooks were published, and the copyright remained with NCERT, independent of the committee.</p>

<p>The 33 academicians sought clarification on the issue of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), accepting that NCERT has the IPR on the textbooks. However, they argued that while NCERT could publish the original texts as many times as it wished, it was not at liberty to make substantive changes, minor or major, and still attribute the revised texts to the same contributors and chief advisors.</p>

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A group of 33 academicians, who were part of the development committee of National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks, have expressed concerns about the significant changes made to the original texts.

A group of 33 academicians, who were part of the development committee of National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks, have expressed concerns about the significant changes made to the original texts. They have requested the council to remove their names from the current textbooks. This request follows the recent dissociation of two former NCERT advisors, Yogendra Yadav and Suhas Palshikar, from the revised political science textbooks. Also Read | Roger Payne, biologist who discovered whales could sing, passes away at 88 In a letter addressed to the NCERT director Dinesh Prasad Saklani, the 33 political scientists, who were members of the textbook development committee in 2006-07, expressed dissatisfaction with the recent rationalisation exercise conducted by NCERT. They stated that these changes have undermined their collective effort and raised concerns about the lack of transparency and academic contestation in the decision-making process. “NCERT is now making changes to the textbooks. These involve deletions of sentences and removal of some sections (even chapters) considered unacceptable with emphasis given to others considered desirable. The decision of who decides what is unacceptable and what is desirable has been kept rather opaque, violating the core principles of transparency and contestation that, we believe, underlies academic knowledge production.” read the letter. Also Read | At least 26 including six children killed in fresh fighting between army and resistance fighters The academicians found it difficult to associate their names with the revised textbooks, as the substantive revisions have allegedly transformed them into different books. They emphasised that these revisions have “jeopardised their creative collective effort” of the original texts, making it challenging for them to claim ownership of the revised versions. “Since there are several substantive revisions of the original texts, making them thereby different books, we find it difficult to claim that these are the books we produced and to associate our names with them,” the academicians added. Watch | UK MPs publish Partygate report | English Latest news × The signatories of the letter include notable figures such as Pratap Bhanu Mehta, former vice-chancellor of Ashoka University, Radhika Menon from Delhi University, Nivedita Menon from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Kanti Prasad Bajpai, Vice-Dean of the National University Singapore, and Rajeev Bhargava, former professor at JNU. Yogendra Yadav and Suhas Palshikar had previously written to NCERT, accusing the rationalisation exercise of mutilating the textbooks beyond recognition and rendering them academically dysfunctional. The controversy surrounding the removal of various topics from the syllabus in 2022, including references to the theory of evolution, the Cold War, the industrial revolution, the 2002 Gujarat riots, the contribution of agriculture to the Indian economy, the Mughal courts, and challenges to democracy, further fueled their concerns. In response, NCERT stated that the council has the right to make changes based on copyright ownership and rejected the possibility of any member withdrawing their association. NCERT clarified that textbook development committees were dissolved once the textbooks were published, and the copyright remained with NCERT, independent of the committee. The 33 academicians sought clarification on the issue of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), accepting that NCERT has the IPR on the textbooks. However, they argued that while NCERT could publish the original texts as many times as it wished, it was not at liberty to make substantive changes, minor or major, and still attribute the revised texts to the same contributors and chief advisors. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

India: 33 academicians demand removal of names from 'rationalised' NCERT textbooks

The Indian state of Manipur has been on the edge for the last month, and fresh instances of violence & arson erupted earlier this week. A state minister's office was set ablaze in the capital city of Imphal on Wednesday. This was less than 24 hours after nine people, including a woman, were killed. This is the highest toll in a single incident after a fresh wave of violence in Manipur. It is also the second major wave of violence, after initial large-scale clashes that erupted in the first week of May. Violence between members of the Kuki ethnic group, and Mei-teis, the dominant community, erupted on the third of May.

Manipur rocket by fresh violence & arson, BJP minister's office gutted after 10 killed in gunfire

The coastal regions of India and Pakistan continue to remain on high alert as thousands are now being evacuated before Cyclone Biparjoy makes a landfall. Classified as a very severe cyclonic storm, Biparjoy is currently packing maximum sustained winds of up to 145 kilometres per hour.

Cyclone Biparjoy: At least 50,000 evacuated from Gujarat | Mumbai on high alert | World News | WION

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to embark on an official state visit to the United States from June 21 to 24. This visit holds greater significance compared to his previous trips to Washington, as per diplomatic protocol. Take a look why this visit is special.

PM Modi's state visit to the US: Why is it special? Everything you need to know

According to reports, India's defence ministry has approved the procurement of US made armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones. India will buy 31 drones made by General Atomics worth slightly over $3 billion, one of the sources said.

Reports: India approves procurement of MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones

Howling gales and crashing waves are pounding the coastline of India and Pakistan, hours before powerful Cyclone Biparjoy makes landfall. WION brings you more insights.

Gales lash India and Pakistan as powerful cyclone Biparjoy approaches

Today's third anniversary of the Galwan Valley clash severely damaged India-China bilateral relationship with India losing 20 of its armed soldiers and China around 30. According to the reports, the senior commanders of the Indian Army's Northern Command include the Northern Army Commander, 14 Corpse Commander, and other top officers. Watch to know more in this interview with Former Army Chief, General V P Malik (R).

Galwan Valley clash third year anniversary | India News

<p>India's defence ministry has approved the procurement of U.S.-made armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones, sources told Reuters on Thursday. India will buy 31 drones made by General Atomics worth slightly over $3 billion, one of the sources said. India’s defence ministry did not respond to a request for comment.</p>

<p>The defence ministry's initial clearance for the procurement comes just days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves for a state visit to the U.S. next week.</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/roger-payne-biologist-who-discovered-whales-could-sing-passes-away-at-88-604714">Roger Payne, biologist who discovered whales could sing, passes away at 88</a></p>

<p>According to the two sources, Indian defence ministry’s apex body for capital procurement met on Thursday to approve the deal, which is expected to be announced when Modi meets U.S. President Joe Biden next week.</p>

<p>Biden has made deepening defence ties with India a priority to counter China’s growing dominance, and has offered to collaborate on military technology even though the two countries lack a formal security alliance.</p>

<p>The ministry's “Acceptance of Necessity” is the first step in the procurement process, which now needs clearance from Modi's cabinet.</p>

<p>The U.S. government approved the sale of 30 drones to India more than two years ago, but the Indian defence ministry had been sitting on the decision.</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/at-least-26-including-six-children-killed-in-fresh-fighting-between-army-and-resistance-fighters-604760">At least 26 including six children killed in fresh fighting between army and resistance fighters</a></p>

<p>However, once dates for Modi’s four-day U.S. visit starting June 21 were finalised, the Biden administration started nudging India to show progress on the deal.</p>

<p>The drones will predominantly be used by the navy in the Indian Ocean Region. Both of India’s traditional adversaries, China and Pakistan, have sophisticated air defence systems that can limit the use of the drones along India’s land borders.</p>

<p>The Indian navy has leased two MQ-9B unarmed drones since November 2020 for surveillance.</p>

<p>U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan finished his two-day visit to New Delhi on Wednesday, meeting his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval, Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Modi.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | UK MPs publish Partygate report | English Latest news</strong></p>

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<p>A week earlier American Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin had spent two days in Delhi and announced a joint roadmap for defence industry cooperation, providing a boost to India’s ambitions of manufacturing more weapons within the country.</p>

<p>The U.S. has been trying to wean India away from its traditional arms dependence on Russia, its largest exporter of weapons for decades.</p>

<p>The Biden administration is also poised to approve manufacturing of General Electric’s engines in India for the country’s domestically produced fighter jets, which will also be announced during Modi's visit.</p>

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India's defence ministry has approved the procurement of U.S.-made armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones, sources told Reuters on Thursday. India will buy 31 drones made by General Atomics worth slightly over $3 billion, one of the sources said.

India's defence ministry has approved the procurement of U.S.-made armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones, sources told Reuters on Thursday. India will buy 31 drones made by General Atomics worth slightly over $3 billion, one of the sources said. India’s defence ministry did not respond to a request for comment. The defence ministry's initial clearance for the procurement comes just days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves for a state visit to the U.S. next week. Also Read | Roger Payne, biologist who discovered whales could sing, passes away at 88 According to the two sources, Indian defence ministry’s apex body for capital procurement met on Thursday to approve the deal, which is expected to be announced when Modi meets U.S. President Joe Biden next week. Biden has made deepening defence ties with India a priority to counter China’s growing dominance, and has offered to collaborate on military technology even though the two countries lack a formal security alliance. The ministry's “Acceptance of Necessity” is the first step in the procurement process, which now needs clearance from Modi's cabinet. The U.S. government approved the sale of 30 drones to India more than two years ago, but the Indian defence ministry had been sitting on the decision. Also Read | At least 26 including six children killed in fresh fighting between army and resistance fighters However, once dates for Modi’s four-day U.S. visit starting June 21 were finalised, the Biden administration started nudging India to show progress on the deal. The drones will predominantly be used by the navy in the Indian Ocean Region. Both of India’s traditional adversaries, China and Pakistan, have sophisticated air defence systems that can limit the use of the drones along India’s land borders. The Indian navy has leased two MQ-9B unarmed drones since November 2020 for surveillance. U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan finished his two-day visit to New Delhi on Wednesday, meeting his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval, Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Modi. Watch | UK MPs publish Partygate report | English Latest news × A week earlier American Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin had spent two days in Delhi and announced a joint roadmap for defence industry cooperation, providing a boost to India’s ambitions of manufacturing more weapons within the country. The U.S. has been trying to wean India away from its traditional arms dependence on Russia, its largest exporter of weapons for decades. The Biden administration is also poised to approve manufacturing of General Electric’s engines in India for the country’s domestically produced fighter jets, which will also be announced during Modi's visit. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

India approves $3 billion deal to procure US predator drones: Report

Today's third anniversary of the Galwan Valley clash severely damaged India-China bilateral relationship with India losing 20 of its armed soldiers and China around 30. According to the reports, the senior commanders of the Indian Army's Northern Command include the Northern Army Commander, 14 Corpse Commander, and other top officers.

Galwan Valley clash anniversary: Clash damaged Indo-China ties severely

Thousands evacuated in India, Pakistan as cyclone Biparjoy approaches

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