COVID-19: New dates announced for Tokyo 2020 Olympics

                                     COVID-19: New dates announced for Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Tokyo: The Tokyo Olympics will open next year in the same time slot scheduled for this year’s games.

Tokyo organizers said on Monday that the opening ceremony will take place on July 23, 2021,  almost exactly one year after the games were due to start this year.

Last week, the IOC and Japanese organizers postponed the Olympics until 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

This year’s games were scheduled to open on July 24 and close on Aug. 9. But the near exact one-year delay will see the rescheduled closing ceremony on Aug. 8.

There had been talks of switching the Olympics to spring, a move that would coincide with the blooming of Japan’s famous cherry blossoms. But it would also clash with European soccer and North American sports leagues.

After holding out for weeks, local organizers and the IOC last week postponed the Tokyo Games under pressure from athletes, national Olympic bodies and sports federations. It’s the first postponement in Olympic history, though there were several cancellations during wartime.

World Idli Day: Know the origin and significance of South India’s favorite delicacy

World Idli Day: Know the origin and significance of South India’s favorite delicacy

Idli is a very popular South Indian dish that is consumed with coconut chutney and sambhar. World Idli Day is celebrated every year on March 30.

The World Idli Day was started by Eniyavan, a famous Idli caterer from Chennai in 2015. According to reports, Eniyavan made about 1,328 varieties of idlis in 2015 for the celebration. It was also during March 30, 2015, when a giant 44 kg idli was cut by a government employee in order to officially declare the 30th of March as the World Idli day.

Origin of Idli

It is said that, Idli first originated in Indonesia, which is known for its long tradition of fermented food. Later, it came to India in the form of steamed idli during the period of 800-1200 CE. Sources claim that, the word was derived from ‘Iddalige’, and was mentioned in a Kannada work of 920 AD, and it indicates that it was made from an urad dal batter.

The Sanskrit Manasollasa of 1130 AD has ‘Iddarika’, that mentioned it as a dish made with urad dal. Tamil people first mentioned it as ‘Itali’ in the 17th century.

Covid-19: Tips to prevent the spread of virus at workplace

Covid-19: Tips to prevent the spread of virus at workplace

Amid Covid-19 several MNCs and firms have adapted to work from home plans for assuring sound health of their employees. But a few organizations are still functioning as usual with a few restrictions.

Well, if your organization is one of them, then here are a few tips for employees and management to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Regular cleaning and disinfecting

It is better to regularly clean washrooms, reception and conference rooms are used by all. Cleaning staff must be advised to clean these areas 2-3 times a day.

Do not shake hands

Avoid shaking hands with your coworkers instead just do a Namaste. It also advised to wear gloves while in office.

Frequent hand wash

Always wash your hands at intervals to reduce the germs that surface on it. You can also use a sanitizer with appropriate amount of alcohol.

Avoid using biometric sensors.

Biometric sensors are used in the offices to register the entry/exit of employees during the office hours. For now, its usage can be dismissed, and manual entry of employees could be done.

Cover your mouth with a tissue or handkerchief while sneezing

If you are ill with cold and cough, carry a handkerchief always with you. In case of a tissue, immediately dispose it in a dustbin after use.

Postpone events and conferences

Social gatherings like events and conferences can be put on hold or organized over a video call to avoid the spread of virus.

Pint-sized bird may be smallest dinosaur yet: study

Pint-sized bird may be smallest dinosaur yet: study

Paris: Tinier than the teeniest bird, older than T-Rex and perfectly preserved for eternity: scientists have identified a 100-million-year-old flying dinosaur encased in amber that may be the smallest yet discovered.

The skull of Oculudentavis khaungraae was found in a globule of amber in Myanmar, offering researchers a startlingly clear view of its features.

“When I first saw it I was blown away,” said Jingmai O’Connor, a paleontologist from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and lead author of the study published in Nature on Wednesday.

“It’s pretty exquisitely preserved and really weird looking, with its unique scleral ring (eye bones) and a large number of teeth,” she told AFP.

The preserved skull is just 7.1 millimeters (less than one-third of an inch) long, likely making it the smallest dinosaur yet discovered. It would have been smaller than the smallest bird alive today, the bee hummingbird.

The team even refer among themselves to the specimen as “Teenie Weenie”, O’Connor said.

Despite its minuscule size, researchers believe it hunted insects, using its sharp teeth and large eyes to home in on prey.

Unlike fossils encased in rock, amber specimens still retain their soft tissue, showing scientists their original color and morphology.

As to whether Teenie is a bird or a dinosaur, O’Connor said the lines were blurry.

“We think it’s a bird the skull has a shape that only occurs in birds and some dinosaurs,” she said,

“However there are no skull characteristics that define birds, therefore, it could be a dinosaur or even something else,” she added.

Writing in a linked editorial, Roger Benson from Oxford University’s Department of Earth Sciences said the discovery suggests birds may have evolved miniature body sizes much earlier than thought.

he skull of Oculudentavis khaungraae was found in a globule of amber in Myanmar, offering researchers a startlingly clear view of its features.

This indicates that, only shortly after their origins late in the Jurassic period (which lasted from about 201 million to 145 million years ago), birds had already attained their minimum body sizes,” he said.

And although it’s encased in amber, there’s no risk of scientists bringing it back to life, as a certain Steven Spielberg film.

“There are most certainly fragments of DNA preserved inside but we’ll never reach ‘Jurassic Park’,” said O’Connor.

Netflix to reduce traffic on telecom networks by 25 pc to mitigate congestion

Netflix to reduce traffic on telecom networks by 25 pc to mitigate congestion

New Delhi: Video streaming major Netflix on Tuesday, March 24 said that it will reduce traffic on telecommunications networks by 25 per cent while maintaining the quality of service for users in India, as part of its efforts to help mitigate network congestion amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Companies like Amazon Prime Video are also temporarily lowering bit rates a measure of how much data is being transferred to ease pressure on telecom network infrastructure.

Consumption of digital content has gone up manifold as people are forced to stay indoors as almost the entire country is under lockdown to contain the spread of the deadly COVID-19.

“Given the crisis, we’ve developed a way to reduce Netflix’s traffic on telecommunications networks by 25 per cent while also maintaining the quality of our service. So consumers should continue to get the quality that comes with their plan – whether it’s Ultra-High, High or Standard Definition,” Netflix VP Content Delivery Ken Florance said in an emailed statement.

He added this will provide significant relief to congested networks, and the measure will be deployed in India for the next 30 days.

The company, which has over 167 million users globally, has already undertaken similar measures in Europe. It doesn’t provide country-specific subscriber numbers.

Netflix typically has many different streams for a single title within each resolution. This action would result in removal of the highest bandwidth streams, and so, subscribers will continue to have access to the service they have paid for (Ultra-High Definition, High Definition or Standard Definition) depending on the device they use.

In India, Netflix has a significant number of subscribers on the Mobile Plan which is Standard Definition.

Netflix’s rival, Amazon Prime Video on Monday had said that it has begun efforts to reduce streaming bitrates in India. Bitrate usually determines the size and quality of video and audio files. Higher bitrate indicates better quality.

The Cellular Operators’ Association of India (COAI) had written to the government urging issuance of instructions to streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and others to initiate measures that will ease pressure on network infrastructure, which is needed for “critical” functions at this juncture.

“We support the need for careful management of telecom services to ensure they can handle the increased internet demand with so many people now at home full-time due to COVID-19. In India, we’ve already begun the effort to reduce streaming bitrates whilst maintaining a quality streaming experience for our customers,” an Amazon Prime Video spokesperson had said.

A Hotstar spokesperson had said that the company’s video streaming is based on adaptive bitrate streaming, which ensures that it is “lean” in internet consumption. However, the company said it is “prepared to reduce the bitrate for our HD streams, should the need arise”.

6 ways to protect yourself from Cybercrime

6 ways to protect yourself from Cybercrime

Due to the coronavirus, entire country is under a lockdown, resulting in a surge in online transactions and bill payments. Even though there is speed and convenience, online transactions bear the risk of cyber fraud.

Here are some basic precautions everyone using the Internet should take to protect themselves from cyber crime.

Use strong passwords.

We all repeat the same mistakes and we use the same passwords everywhere. The most common are child birth dates, marriage anniversaries, and similar. It is very easy to find out the date of birth or name. Password should be unique and contain at least 8 characters, including a combination of words, letters and symbols

Keep your software updated.

We should regularly update our software on mobile devices or desktop because cybercriminals often use the damages of our software to enter our system

Antivirus Programs

It’s very important to use antivirus programs because they help to protect us from malware like viruses and remove them from our PC. It can also protect our financials.

Encrypt and back up your data

It is always better to encrypt the data that’s stored on your phone and pc. It is good to have more backups, in this way we will not lose any data in case of the attack. The backups should be done regularly.

Use secure websites

The website you use should start with “https”. It stands for secure, this means that our data is encrypted. In this way we will have a secure connection. A trusted website will never ask us for a password.

Keep financial details private

Do not enter any kind of personal information into online forms. These forms are often look genuine but in fact have been created by fraudsters looking to take money or steal your identity.

Location surveillance apps to fight Covid-19 in India

Location surveillance apps to fight Covid-19 in India

India sees a surge in Covid-19 cases and now authorities are using location-tracking apps on smartphones to identify possible Covid-19 infections or to keep people indoors.

Apps which allow citizens to track whether they have come in contact with infected people are increasing on Google and Apple app stores.

It is said that most of the apps use smartphone locations and tally them against government databases of infected people. They can alert users on encounter with those infected.

One such app is said to be the Corona Kavach, launched by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeiTY). Corona Kavach depends on users to voluntarily enter their information. But, Niti Aayog, is reportedly planning to launch an advanced app called COWIN-20.

Meanwhile, there is an app called Unmaze, which informs the authorities if a quarantined user breaks isolation. The app is available to the authorities for free and at least three police departments plan to launch it.

However, Countries like, Israel, Iran China, have used location to track infected patients or prevent the disease from spreading.

4 stretches you should practice when working from home

4 stretches you should practice when working from home

Most of the people are now working from home to protect themselves from the Coronavirus Chances are that you’re spending a minimum of 8 hours sitting glued to your laptop, but instead of your usual comfortable work stations at office, you might now be using sofa or kitchen table etc.

Well, it can surely be a fast track ticket towards cramps, aches and pain. Here are a few stretches to combat body stiffness and pain.

Hip- release

Sit on the edge of your chair with both feet hip-width apart and directly underneath your knees. Cross one ankle over the opposite knee, and then stretch forward gently.

Sitting slouched over in a C shape position can hurt your lower hip and back, hence this can relieve the pain.

Neck release

Tilt your head toward your right shoulder. Rotate your neck to the left to look up toward the ceiling. Gently pull your head further toward your right shoulder using your right hand. While maintaining that gentle pull, rotate your neck to look down toward the floor.

Do five rotations, looking at the ceiling and then the floor. Breathe deeply and slowly while you move. Release and repeat on the other side.

Our necks are constantly tight from hunching over our computers and phones, which can further lead to jaw pain and headaches.

Doorway stretches

Stand in a doorway and place your right arm on the frame beside you. Keep the elbow bent at 90 degrees.

Lean into the stretch by stepping forward through the doorway with your arm staying in place on the door frame. Hold for 10 full breaths, taking five seconds for each exhale. Switch sides and repeat.

Wrist and shoulder release

As one types on a keyboard and click with a mouse, muscles tighten up. Hence, this exercise will help loosen the muscle.

For your wrists: extend your arm with the palm facing up, then gently pull your fingers down and back with your other hand. Switch hands and repeat. For the shoulders: stretch both arms straight out in front of you and interlace your fingers, then turn your hands so the palms are facing outward. Raise your arms over.

WhatsApp sees 40% increase in usage due to COVID-19 pandemic

WhatsApp sees 40% increase in usage due to COVID-19 pandemic

London: As COVID-19 pandemic envelopes the world, WhatsApp has seen a 40 per cent increase in usage, according to a study by Kantar, a data and consulting company. Across all stages of the pandemic, WhatsApp is the social media app experiencing the greatest gains in usage as people look to stay connected. Overall WhatsApp has seen a 40 per cent increase in usage.

Kantar conducted the largest global study into consumer attitudes, media habits and expectations during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Kantar estimates that for WhatsApp in the early phase of the pandemic usage increases 27 per cent, in mid-phase 41 per cent and countries in the late phase of the pandemic see an increase of 51 per cent.

Spain experienced a 76 per cent increase in time spent on WhatsApp. Overall Facebook usage has increased 37 per cent. China experienced a 58% increase in usage of local social media apps including Wechat and Weibo.

According to a study, there is a crisis in trust. Traditional nationwide news channels (broadcast and newspaper) are the most trusted sources of information with 52 per cent of people identifying them as a `trustworthy` source.

Government agency websites are regarded as trustworthy by only 48 per cent of people, suggesting that government measures are not providing citizens around the world with assurances and security.

Also reflecting the loss of trust from recent election cycles, social media platforms are regarded by only 11 per cent of people as a source of trustworthy information.

As countries move deeper in to the pandemic so media consumption increases across all in-home channels. According to Kantar, in the later stages of the pandemic web browsing increases by 70 per cent, followed by (traditional) TV viewing increasing by 63 per cent and social media engagement increasing by 61 per cent over normal usage rates.

Increased usage across all messaging platforms has been the biggest in the 18-34 age group. WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram have all experienced a more than 40 per cent increase in usage from under 35-year olds.

Consumers expect the brands they choose to look after their employees first and foremost with 78 per cent saying take care of employees` health and 62 per cent saying implement flexible working.

Paytm looks to contribute Rs 500 cr to PM CARES Fund

Paytm looks to contribute Rs 500 cr to PM CARES Fund

New Delhi: For every contribution or any other payment made on Paytm using the wallet, UPI and Paytm Bank debit card, the company will contribute an extra up to Rs 10, Paytm said in a statement.

We are honored to do our duty to aid the government in all the relief measures being taken to fight the Corona pandemic. We hope our users wholeheartedly donate to PM CARES fund and help save lives,” Paytm President Madhur Deora said.

He added that the company will make a contribution for every payment transaction using the Paytm app and instruments, and this money would be directly sent to the PM-CARES fund.

Previously, Paytm had created a Rs 5 crore fund for innovators who are developing medical instruments or medicines to combat the virus.

The PM CARES Fund is exempt under the Income Tax Act, 1961 under Section 10 and 139 for return purposes. Contributions towards PM-CARES are notified for 100 per cent deduction from taxable income under section 80(G) of the Income Tax Act, 1961.

Airtel extends pre-paid validity till Apr 17, credits Rs 10 talk time

Airtel extends pre-paid validity till Apr 17, credits Rs 10 talk time

New Delhi: Telecom operator Bharti Airtel on Monday, March 30 announced an extension in the validity period of more than 8 crore pre-paid connections until April 17 as well as credited talk time of Rs 10 in these accounts.

“Airtel has extended the pre-paid pack validity for over 80 million customers till April 17, 2020. All these customers will continue to get incoming calls on their Airtel mobile numbers even after the validity of their plan is exhausted,” Airtel said in a statement.

The benefits will be available to users in the next 48 hours, it said.

“Airtel will also credit an additional Rs 10 of talk time in the pre-paid accounts of all these 80 million customers to enable them to make calls or send SMS and therefore stay connected with their loved ones,” the statement said.

State-owned telecom operators BSNL and MTNL have also extended validity period of their prepaid mobile services till April 20 and offer Rs 10 additional talk time even after zero balance, to enable users, especially poor and underprivileged, to stay connected during the 21-day nationwide lockdown.

An Airtel official said that the company will not recover Rs 10 credit given to all the pre-paid customers.

In this difficult hour of fighting off the threat of covid-19, Airtel is committed to ensuring that all people remain connected without any disruptions. And for this objective, it is critical to take care of the under-privileged daily wage earners of our country, whose lives have been disrupted due to the lock-down,” Shashwat Sharma, Chief Marketing Officer, Bharti Airtel said.

No change in fiscal year; govt extends applicability of stamp duty by 3 months

No change in fiscal year; govt extends applicability of stamp duty by 3 months

New Delhi: The government has not extended the current 2019-20 fiscal year and it will end as scheduled on March 31, the finance ministry said Monday, March 31.

PTI erroneously reported that the new financial year will start from July 1. The news alert and the related story have been withdrawn.

“There is no extension of the financial year,” the finance ministry said.

Officials said a gazette notification issued late on Monday evening pertained to date of applicability of stamp duty which has been changed from April 1 to July 1.

Industry has been demanding extension of fiscal year by three months in view of the economic impact caused by outbreak of Covid1-19.

The finance ministry in a statement said amendments have been made to the Indian Stamp Act (ISA) by deferring the effective date of applicability from April 1 to July 1, 2020.

To rationalize and harmonize the system of levying stamp duty and help curb tax evasion, the government had through the Finance Act, 2019, amended the Indian Stamp Act, 1899. Certain changes were to be effective from April 1, 2020.

Through a notification, the revenue department said these amended provisions will come into effect from July 1, 2020.

As part of the amendments, it was decided that the stamp duty rates levied by Maharashtra will be taken as a benchmark as it accounts for 70 per cent of the total collection.

It was amended to state that the stamp duty will have to be paid by either the buyer or the seller of a financial security, as against the current practice of levying the duty on both.

“It pertains to putting in place an efficient mechanism for collection of stamp duty on security market instruments transactions through stock exchanges or clearing corporation authorized by stock exchange and depositories,” it said. “This change was earlier notified to be implemented from April 1, 2020. However, due to the prevailing situation, it has been decided that the date of implementation will now be postponed to July 1, 2020,” it said.

The government in January this year had deferred the effective date of applicability from January 9 to April 1, 2020.

Tatas pledge Rs 1,500 crore support for combating COVID-19

Tatas pledge Rs 1,500 crore support for combating COVID-19

New Delhi: The Tatas on Saturday, March 28 have pledged Rs 1,500 crore for combating coronavirus pandemic.

Tata Sons, the holding firm of the Tata group companies, announced an additional Rs 1,000 crore support towards COVID-19 and related activities over and above Rs 500 crore pledged by Tata Trusts earlier in the day.

In a statement, Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran said that the group is also bringing in necessary ventilators and are gearing up to also manufacture the same soon in India.

“The current situation in India and other parts of the world owing to the impact of COVID-19 is very worrisome and requires our very best action,” he said in a statement.

Announcing an additional Rs 1,000 crore support towards COVID-19 and related activities, Chandrasekaran said, “We will work together with the Tata Trusts and our Chairman Emeritus Tata and would be fully supporting their initiatives, and work in a collaborative manner to bring the full expertise of the group”.

He further said, “In addition to the initiatives articulated by Tata Trusts, we are also bringing in the ventilators necessary and are gearing up to also manufacture the same soon in India. The country is facing an unprecedented situation and crisis. All of us would have to do whatever it takes to alleviate and enhance the quality of lives of the communities we serve”.

Earlier in the day, Tata Trusts pledged Rs 500 crore for prevention and relief activities of the coronavirus pandemic.

The philanthropic organization, which hold 66 per cent in the holding firm of the Tata Group, Tata Sons, said the fund has been earmarked for personal protective equipment for medical personnel on the front lines, respiratory systems for treating increasing cases and testing kits to increase per capita testing.

Besides, it would also be used for setting up modular treatment facilities for infected patients, knowledge management and training of health workers and the general public, Tata Trusts said in a statement.

Commenting on the initiative, Tata Trusts Chairman Ratan Tata said, “The current situation in India and across the world is of grave concern and needs immediate action…At this moment, the need of the hour is greater than any other time.

“In this exceptionally difficult period, I believe that urgent emergency resources need to be deployed to cope with the needs of fighting the COVID 19 crisis, which is one of the toughest challenges the human race will face” he said.

“Tata Trusts and the Tata group’s companies have in the past risen to the needs of the nation,” Tata added.

Tata Trusts, Tata Sons and the Tata group companies are joined by committed local and global partners as well as the government to fight this crisis on a united public health collaboration platform which will strive to reach out to sections that are underprivileged and deprived, he said.

“We are deeply grateful and have immense respect for every person of member organizations who have risked their life and safety to fight this pandemic,” Tata noted.