'Should be completely back to normal by 2022-end': Bill Gates on COVID pandemic

FM Sitharaman launches Central Scrutiny Centre to scrutinise user filings

Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday virtually launched Central Scrutiny Centre (CSC), an initiative of Corporate Affairs Ministry, to scrutinise the filings by users under straight through processes. The finance minister also launched the mobile app of Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA). The two initiatives aim to strengthen Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Digitally empowered India'. The objective behind the launch of CSC is to ensure that data quality is uncompromised and free from flaws, Sitharaman said.

Karnataka govt launches 'quarantine watch' amid rising Covid-19 cases

The Karnataka government has launched a new mobile application called Quarantine Watch in Bengaluru to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The app developed by the government will monitor those on quarantine so that they do not violate the rules. Users of the app will need to send photos or selfies to the monitoring team every hour through the app. The selfies would have GPS coordinates that will tell the exact location of the person. The state government said that all the photos sent will be checked by the government photo verification team.

'Should be completely back to normal by 2022-end': Bill Gates on COVID-19 pandemic

Bill Gates has predicted that the world will be "completely back to normal" by the end of 2022, overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic. Stressing that the pandemic has been an "incredible tragedy", the Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist has heightened hopes that the virus could be brought to bay across the world in less than two years. He added that the only good news during these stressful times was the access to coronavirus vaccines.

COVID-19: Second wave may last up to 100 days, says SBI report

The second wave of COVID-19 cases in India can last up to 100 days from February 15 and the total cases in the country are expected in the order of 25 lakh, a research report by the State Bank of India (SBI) said. India is witnessing a second wave of infections from February, with daily new cases and daily tests rising again. Considering the number of days from the current level of daily new cases to the peak level during the first wave, India might reach the peak in the second half of April, the report prepared by the bank's economic research department said.

Steve Jobs' job application letter sells for GBP 162,000 at auction

Apple co-founder Steve Jobs' job application letter, which was filed almost 50 years ago in 1973, was put up for auction on Wednesday and sold for a whopping GBP 162,000 (approx. Rs 1.06 crore). Auction website Charterfeilds had put up Jobs' first job application letter for auction. The single-page job application letter was hand-written by Steve Jobs. The letter does not mention which position Jobs was applying for or the name of the company it was sent to. The document was reportedly the first job application filed by the Apple CEO, according to India Today.

Centre working on proposal to construct double-decker flyover in Jamshedpur: Nitin Gadkari

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said that the Centre is working on a proposal to build a double-decker flyover in steel city Jamshedpur to reduce traffic congestion in the city. Replying to a query from Jamshedpur MP Bidyut Baran Mahato during the Question Hour in Lok Sabha, Gadkari also said the total toll collection on national highways is expected to reach Rs 34,000 crore in the financial year ending March 31, 2021 despite farmers' protest on some highways.