Amazon India on Tuesday announced the launch of 'Delivering Smiles'&nbsp;initiative, where the company will directly give, and facilitate contribution of digital devices like mobile phones, and laptops, among students and young people from marginalised communities.

The initiative aims to bridge the digital divide in the country, increase accessibility of digital devices for students from underprivileged communities, and empower them for a brighter future.

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As part of the initiative, Amazon will directly provide 20,000 new digital devices to underprivileged young people, in partnership with over 150 large and small non-profit organisations, impacting over 100,000 students across India, the company said in a statement.

In addition, the company also encourages its customers to either contribute in cash on Amazon Pay or donate their old devices essentially mobile phones, and laptops, that will be refurbished and distributed to provide digital learning devices for young people, it added.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to focus the stark digital divide, not only in the field of education but also in access to essential services. Amongst the most adversely affected are young people from marginalised communities," said Manish Tiwary, Vice President, Amazon India, in the statement.

"Together with our customers, employees and partners, we aim to bridge the gap by enabling young people with digital devices for continued access to online education and essential services for their families," he added.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/jeff-bezos-shares-an-old-article-predicting-amazons-failure-elon-musk-replies-419819">Jeff Bezos shares an old article predicting Amazon's failure, Elon Musk replies</a>

Cash contribution from customers is enabled by a partnership between Amazon Pay and GiveIndia. Proceeds from the contribution will be used for purchasing new devices, data cards and digital accessories for students.

Old mobiles that customers contribute will be picked-up by Cashify, Amazon's partner in this initiative, who will refurbish it and donate to Goonj, a nonprofit organization working in the field of sustainable material giving, the company said.

Amazon India on Tuesday announced the launch of 'Delivering Smiles' initiative, where the company will directly give, and facilitate contribution of digital devices like mobile phones, and laptops, among students and young people from marginalised communities.

Amazon India on Tuesday announced the launch of 'Delivering Smiles' initiative, where the company will directly give, and facilitate contribution of digital devices like mobile phones, and laptops, among students and young people from marginalised communities. The initiative aims to bridge the digital divide in the country, increase accessibility of digital devices for students from underprivileged communities, and empower them for a brighter future. Also Read | Amazon launches dog-like robot that can monitor your home As part of the initiative, Amazon will directly provide 20,000 new digital devices to underprivileged young people, in partnership with over 150 large and small non-profit organisations, impacting over 100,000 students across India, the company said in a statement. In addition, the company also encourages its customers to either contribute in cash on Amazon Pay or donate their old devices essentially mobile phones, and laptops, that will be refurbished and distributed to provide digital learning devices for young people, it added. "The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to focus the stark digital divide, not only in the field of education but also in access to essential services. Amongst the most adversely affected are young people from marginalised communities," said Manish Tiwary, Vice President, Amazon India, in the statement. "Together with our customers, employees and partners, we aim to bridge the gap by enabling young people with digital devices for continued access to online education and essential services for their families," he added. Also Read | Jeff Bezos shares an old article predicting Amazon's failure, Elon Musk replies Cash contribution from customers is enabled by a partnership between Amazon Pay and GiveIndia. Proceeds from the contribution will be used for purchasing new devices, data cards and digital accessories for students. Old mobiles that customers contribute will be picked-up by Cashify, Amazon's partner in this initiative, who will refurbish it and donate to Goonj, a nonprofit organization working in the field of sustainable material giving, the company said.

Amazon to provide 20K digital devices to underprivileged youth in India

Switzerland opens the world&#39;s longest and deepest rail tunnel through the heart of the Alps on Wednesday in an engineering marvel that stands as a symbol of European unity at a time of increasing fragmentation. 
 
The 57.1-km (35.5 mile)-long Gotthard Base Tunnel, 17 years under construction and designed to last a century, is part of a 23 billion Swiss franc infrastructure project to speed passengers and cargo by rail under the mountain chain that divides Europe&#39;s north and south. 
 
Typically Swiss, the project that federal transport office director Peter Fueglistaler called &quot;a masterpiece of timing, cost and policy&quot; came in on schedule and on budget. 
 
High-speed trains will whisk passengers in 17 minutes through a passage that took days until the first Alpine rail tunnel opened in 1882. Around 260 freight trains and 65 passenger trains will traverse the two-tube tunnel daily once final testing ends later this year. 
 
The Swiss, as a rule rail fanatics, are throwing a party to mark the event that will draw the leaders of all its neighboring countries in a show of European solidarity. 
 
&quot;It is just part of the Swiss identity,&quot; Fueglistaler said of the Swiss fondness for major engineering feats. &quot;For us, conquering the Alps is like the Dutch exploring the oceans.&quot; 
 
The tunnel along Europe&#39;s main rail line that connects the ports of Rotterdam in the north to Genoa in the south snakes through the mountains as much as 2.3 km below daylight and through rock as hot as 46 degrees Celsius (114.8&deg;F). 
 
The rail route goes over the pass now in a series of loops and tunnels. The new flat route means even heavy trains will need only one locomotive rather than two or three. 
 
Engineers had to dig and blast through 73 kinds of rock as hard as granite and as soft as sugar. Nine workers died. 
 
Swiss voters -- despite opposition at times from the government and parliament -- supported the gargantuan rail project in a series of binding referendums in the 1990s. 
 
Fittingly, the first ones to travel the tunnel at the official opening will be 500 lucky winners plus guests from the 130,000 who entered a ticket lottery for the inaugural trip. 
 
The overall project includes the Loetschberg rail tunnel that has already opened, the Cereti tunnel still being built and renovations to make rail tunnels at least 4 meters high at the corners to be able to handle big freight containers. Work is due to finish in 2020. 
 
The mammoth rail venture is being financed by value-added and fuel taxes, road charges on heavy vehicles and state loans that are due to be repaid within a decade. 
 
Major contractors included Alpiq, Balfour Beatty, Thales and Heitkamp. 
 
(Editing by Richard Balmforth)

Construction took two decades, will provide high-speed rail link under the Swiss Alps between northern and southern Europe

Switzerland opens the world's longest and deepest rail tunnel through the heart of the Alps on Wednesday in an engineering marvel that stands as a symbol of European unity at a time of increasing fragmentation. The 57.1-km (35.5 mile)-long Gotthard Base Tunnel, 17 years under construction and designed to last a century, is part of a 23 billion Swiss franc infrastructure project to speed passengers and cargo by rail under the mountain chain that divides Europe's north and south. Typically Swiss, the project that federal transport office director Peter Fueglistaler called "a masterpiece of timing, cost and policy" came in on schedule and on budget. High-speed trains will whisk passengers in 17 minutes through a passage that took days until the first Alpine rail tunnel opened in 1882. Around 260 freight trains and 65 passenger trains will traverse the two-tube tunnel daily once final testing ends later this year. The Swiss, as a rule rail fanatics, are throwing a party to mark the event that will draw the leaders of all its neighboring countries in a show of European solidarity. "It is just part of the Swiss identity," Fueglistaler said of the Swiss fondness for major engineering feats. "For us, conquering the Alps is like the Dutch exploring the oceans." The tunnel along Europe's main rail line that connects the ports of Rotterdam in the north to Genoa in the south snakes through the mountains as much as 2.3 km below daylight and through rock as hot as 46 degrees Celsius (114.8°F). The rail route goes over the pass now in a series of loops and tunnels. The new flat route means even heavy trains will need only one locomotive rather than two or three. Engineers had to dig and blast through 73 kinds of rock as hard as granite and as soft as sugar. Nine workers died. Swiss voters -- despite opposition at times from the government and parliament -- supported the gargantuan rail project in a series of binding referendums in the 1990s. Fittingly, the first ones to travel the tunnel at the official opening will be 500 lucky winners plus guests from the 130,000 who entered a ticket lottery for the inaugural trip. The overall project includes the Loetschberg rail tunnel that has already opened, the Cereti tunnel still being built and renovations to make rail tunnels at least 4 meters high at the corners to be able to handle big freight containers. Work is due to finish in 2020. The mammoth rail venture is being financed by value-added and fuel taxes, road charges on heavy vehicles and state loans that are due to be repaid within a decade. Major contractors included Alpiq, Balfour Beatty, Thales and Heitkamp. (Editing by Richard Balmforth)

World's longest, deepest rail tunnel opens in Switzerland

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