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On Monday, July 15, 2019, G Kishan Reddy, the Minister of State For Home Ministry introduced the NIA Bill in the Lok Sabha. NIA stands for National Investigation Agency and the present bill seeks to make a significant amendment to the concerned clause in the Legislature. As per the statement made by Reddy, the Chief Justice will continue to appoint special court judges who will carry out the trial process on a fast track. The minister added that the state governments need to set up special courts for tackling terrorism. He said, “We will continue to fight terrorism with zero tolerance.” Objective of <keyword id="7870179" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="nia-amendment-bill-2019">NIA Amendment bill 2019</keyword> The main objective of the NIA bill is to strengthen the powers of the National Investigation Agency to probe into terrorist attacks that target Indians and the Indian interests on foreign lands. While introducing the bill, the Union Minister also said the legislation will also permit the NIA to probe into cybercrimes and also the cases related to human trafficking. As per the statement of Kishan Reddy, the government is keen about strengthening the NIA Act and hence the bill follows. As per the clauses of the bill, the agency will be empowered to conduct the investigation in any part of the globe in case of any terrorist attacks happen targeting Indians or Indian interests. History of National Investigation Agency The NIA was set up for the first time in 2009 immediately following the grave incident of terrorist attack in Mumbai that took a toll on 166 precious lives. Reddy said while introducing the amendment that the NIA bill is doing so well and has succeeded in convictions in over 90% of the cases. The Act has so far registered 272 cases and for 52 of them, judgment was delivered already. The present amendment is called for during the time when terrorism is assuming international dimensions. What the opposition says Challenging the very existence of the NIA bill, Tiwari added, “The NIA Bill, in 2008, came under specific circumstances after the country felt some unprecedented incidents. The constitutional validity of the NIA Act is not settled as of now. The Bombay High Court had upheld the constitutional validity of the act. The Jammu and Kashmir Court has not yet given its approval. In November 2013, a division bench of Gauhati High Court had spoken of the ‘illegal organization.” While opposing the bill, Congress MP Manish Tiwari commented that the founding fathers of India gave prime importance to civil liberties. A number of criminal laws were introduced by the British Government only to suppress the Indians. In several cases, the investigation agencies have been misused for political vendetta. While the NIA bill seeks to empower the probe body, it is also necessary to keep investigation and prosecution separately in order to ensure that the probes are done in a fair manner. Tiwari said the present bill seeks to turn the nation into a police state and if enacted, the ramifications of this legislature can extend far beyond its tenure.

Modi Government powers NIA in fight against terrorism, passes NIA (amendment) Bill 2019

Minister of Human Resource Development Mr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank introduced the Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2019 on July 8, 2019. As it was cleared by the Lok Sabha on July 12, 2019, the bill was eventually approved by the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, July 16, 2019. The provisions of this act amend the Central Universities Act, 2009, that is aimed at establishing Universities for education and research across different states of India. What the bill implies? The Central Universities Amendment Bill creates room for establishing two central universities in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The names of these universities will be the Central University of Andhra Pradesh and the Central Tribal University of Andhra Pradesh. The principal objective of the Central Tribal University is to take added measures to offer opportunities to the tribal population in the realms of higher education and research and also create enough facilities for researches related to tribal art, technology, culture, and customs. The background It is important to note that the creation of a Central University and a Central Tribal University in the state of Andhra Pradesh becomes mandatory as per the provisions found in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2014. Measures taken as per the amendment While talking on the bill, <keyword id="7877691" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="HRD-Minister-Ramesh-Pokhriyal-Nishank">HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank</keyword> made an assurance to the members of the houses that the said universities will be created within the next four years. The minister said that the Government of India has now allotted a sum of RS. 450 crore for the project’s first phase that will see the emerging of the Central University. The total value of the project will be Rs. 902.07 crore. The government has also allotted a sum of Rs. 420 crore for the first phase of setting up the Tribal University which will be accomplished at a total allotment of Rs. 836 crore. The minister also said that the government is attaching a high priority to empower the education system in the country further. With this objective, the budget for education has been increased to Rs. 95,000 crore this year from Rs. 67,000 crore in 2013-14. The minister stated that the creation of these two universities in the state of Andhra Pradesh will significantly enhance the quality of Higher Education and also promote the avenues for research and higher education for the people residing in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Talking about the Tribal University, the minister remarked, "Apart from being focused on tribal education, the Central Tribal University shall carry out all educational and other activities like any other Central University.” Discussions in Rajya Sabha K Ram Mohan Naidu of the Telugu Desam Party said that the educational institutions that exist today in Andhra Pradesh are not running well and they lack the resources to function properly. YSRCP party’s Lavu Devarayalu requested the government to sanction enough funds towards the creation of the Central universities and urged for introducing more courses and research programs in these two budding universities. He also said, "More funds need to be allocated to the Eklavya schools in tribal areas so that the students who eventually go to the tribal university have a strong foundation.”

Explained: Central Universities (Amendment) Bill 2019

On Tuesday, July 16, 2019, the Rajya Sabha passed the AERA (Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India) Bill with an aim to bid out any new airport on the basis of a pre-approved tariff structure. While replying during the discussion on the said bill, Hardeep Singh Puri, the Civil Aviation Minister said, "As many as 16 airports will be in the purview of AERA. All other airports continue to be looked after by the Civil Aviation Ministry." The implications of the AERA bill At present, the major airports that have an annual capacity to handle about one and a half million passengers remain under the purview of the AERA (Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India). If the bill is passed, the definition of what makes a major airport will change. Henceforth, a major airport will be any aerodrome which already has or even designated to handle an annual passenger capacity of about three and a half million. The background On June 24, the cabinet had given its approval for the AERA bill. The AERA is a regulator with which the power to fix the tariffs that the airports charge. During the last time, the AERA bill was approved by the cabinet in December 2017 when the Narendra Modi Government was ruling during its first tenure. Nevertheless, the bill could not be passed during the monsoon session during the last year. With the formation of the new Lok Sabha now, the older AERA bill stands lapsed and hence the cabinet had to approve it once again. What the different provisions of the AERA bill imply? The government is looking forward to significantly increase the traffic threshold for the major airports. For instance, the annual traffic threshold of major airports will rise from 15 lakhs to more than 35 lakhs. This will see many airports in the country come out of the ambit of AERA. Hence those that will cease to be identified as major airports will come under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Government of India. So, henceforth, for all these airports, the tariff charges will be decided by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The amendment also vests the Aviation Ministry with the powers to bid out airports projects on the basis of a pre-approved tariff. The AERA bill seeks to reduce the burden hanging on AERA as there has been a phenomenal increase in the passenger traffic which has increased the workload on AERA. With its limited resources, the AERA is finding it difficult to monitor the quality of services delivered at the major airports and also determine the various tariffs. The need for the amendment Notably, when the AERA bill was passed in 2008, the country had 11 airports with annual passenger traffic exceeding 15 lakhs, but the increase in the volume of air travels saw the number of airports almost triple eventually. Criticisms Some Rajya Sabha members argued against the bill saying that the government should have taken steps to strengthen the hands of AERA to be able to manage the additional workload instead of removing the airports from its control.

A major airport is the one having an annual capacity of 3.5 million passengers, says AERA (amendment) bill 2019

<ul><li>The 17th Parliament ended the winter session on December 13, 2019 which concluded the parliament’s discussions for the year 2019</li><li>Among the 59 bills introduced, a total number of 45 bills passed becoming law in the year </li><li>Here is a list of the bills passed in both the houses in 2019 with a short overview </li></ul> After the <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> Government came to power for its second consecutive tenure in this summer, the government held its first winter session concluding on December 13, 2019. Together with this session, the government had passed 47 bills in total for 2019. The statistics also makes the recently concluded winter session one of the most productive ones of all the winter sessions of the Narendra Modi government. Nearing the end of 2019, here is an overview of the complete list of all the bills passed in both houses of the parliament which have successfully become laws. 1. The Constitution (One Hundred Twenty-Sixth Amendment) Bill, 2019. Resolves and clarifies some issues that came up over the recent past and aims to strengthen the insolvency and bankruptcy code 2016 framework. 2. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 Makes some classes of specified illegal entrants to the country eligible to become Indian citizens. 3. The Appropriation (No. 3) Bill, 2019 The bill authorizes the <keyword id="6355187" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="lok-sabha">Lok Sabha</keyword> to appropriate the funds available in the Consolidated Fund of India for the services of the financial year 2019-20. 4. The Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2019 The bill gives room for giving the maximum punishment of life time imprisonment for manufacturing and transporting illegal arms. 5. The National Capital Territory of Delhi (Recognition of Property Rights of Residents in Unauthorised Colonies) Bill, 2019 The Bill makes it possible to recognize the rights over property of some residents of some unauthorised colonies in Delhi, the National Capital. 6.The Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (Merger of Union Territories) Bill, 2019 This bill creates room for merging these three union territories in order to bring down administrative costs and ease administration. 7. The Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019 Gives some tax concessions in order to boost up the investments in the manufacturing sector. 8. The International Financial Services Centres Authority Bill, 2019. The act sets up a single authority for regulating all financial services in IFSCs in the country. 9. The Recycling of Ships Bill, 2019 Creates room for the safe and environmentally sound recycling of ships. 10. The Special Protection Group (Amendment) Bill, 2019 The bill intends to reduce the special protection group cover only for the Prime Minister, former Prime Minister and all their immediate family members for about 5 years after they step down from their post. 11. The Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes (Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Sale, Distribution, Storage and Advertisement) Bill, 2019 The law bans the trading, advertising, storing, and transporting of e-cigarettes on grounds of studies indicating that they might create a new line of nicotine users. 12. The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019. The Bill gives scope for reorganizing the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories namely Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh. 13. The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2019 This bill increases the number of Supreme Court judges from 30 to 33. 14. The Chit Funds (Amendment) Bill, 2019 This bill is meant to streamline the operations of collective funds management in the country. 15. The National Institute of Design (Amendment) Bill, 2019 The aim of the bill is to declare four national institutes of design across four states (Assam, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh) as institutions of national importance. 16. The Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2019 The ordinance makes it possible for some domestic companies to move to a lower income tax rate provided they do not claim some kinds of deductions. 17. The Repealing and Amending Bill, 2019 This bill repeals 68 Acts in whole and makes some small amendments to (i) the Beedi Workers Welfare Fund Act, 1976, and (ii) the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2001. 18. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2019 This amendment aims to remove the challenges, streamlines the insolvency resolution process in the corporate world and protects the last mile funding for boosting up the investments in the financially affected sectors. 19. The Codes on Wages, 2019 The ordinance seeks to create a floor wage as the guideline across the country for fixing the minimum wages to different classes of workers. 20. The National Medical Commission Bill, 2019 He bill paves way for replacing the MCI with a new body since it is fond plagued with corruption. 21. The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019 The provisions of the bill aims to prevent discrimination of transgender persons in the society. 22. The Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2019 Tis bill brings in a mechanism for banning the unregulated schemes for deposit in order to take care of the interests of the depositors. 23. The Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019 The bill alters the terms and conditions governing the offices of the Chief Information Commissioner. 24. The Protection of Children from sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill 2019 The bill intends to protect children from sexual harassment, sexual assault and pornography. 25. The Appropriation (No. 2) Bill, 2019 This bill permits the government to borrow Rs 98.18 crore for the Consolidated fund of India to meet the country’s expenditure in 2019-20. 26. The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill,2019 A measure to bring down accidents due to negligent driving, the act increases the penalties for driving errors. 27. The Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill,2019 Seeks to make the arbitration processes friendly and robust with a focus on easing the doing of business in the country. 28. The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (Amendment) Bill,2019 Meant to increase the threshold of airports in India, the bill changes the definition of what is a major airport in the country. 29. The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill, 2019 Ventures to bring in a tough law to uproot terrorist activities in the country. 30. The National Investigation Agency (Amendment) Bill, 2019 Projecting the government zero tolerance policy towards terrorism, the bill seeks to broaden NIA’s powers and prosecute the offenders in a stricter way. 31. The Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2019 Advancing the interests of protecting human rights, the bill creates room for the establishment of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), State Human Rights Commissions (SHRC), as well as Human Rights Courts. 32. The Consumer Protection Bill, 2019 Replacing the outdated consumer protection laws, this bill tightens the rules to further protect the interests of the customers in India. 33. The Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Amendment Bill, 2019 This ordinance creates room for evicting unauthorized occupants from certain public places. 34. The Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Bill, 2019 The law seeks to lift the party politics in the national memorial and create a new trust to administer the site. 35. The Central Universities (Amendment)Bill,2019 The bill was passed to give room for the creation of a central university and a tribal university in the state of Andhra Pradesh. 36. The Finance (No. 2) Bill, 2019 This law amends the earlier income tax act and reduces the corporate taxes. 37. The New Delhi International Arbitration center Bill, 2019 Gives room to create a centralized and independent arbitration enter in India to manage arbitrations in the country in a better way. 38. The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2019 This act makes it possible to make reservations in the state and central government posts and seats in educational institutions for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. 39. The Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers Cadre) Bill, 2019 Creates room for reserving the teaching positions for SC, ST, economically weaker and socially and environmentally weaker persons in the Central Educational Institutions. 40. The Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill, 2019 This act creates a Medical Council of India to regulate the education and practice of medicine in India. 41. The Dentists (Amendment) Bill, 2019 In order to regulate the profession of dentistry in India, the act creates (i) the Dental Council of India, (ii) State Dental Councils, and (iii) Joint State Dental Councils. 42. The Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019 The law regulates, clarifies and amends some procedures related to Aadhaar in a way of easing and streamlining the use of Aadhaar identity card in India. 43. The Special Economic Zones (Amendment) Bill, 2019 Creates room for establishing, managing and developing special economic zones in the country. 44. The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019 The bill declares that all kinds of talaq both verbal and written as illegal in order to safeguard the interests of the Muslim women in the country. 45. The Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2019 This ordinance amends the Homepathy Central Council Act, 1973 and sets up a council to regulate the practice of Homeopathy in India.

List of new bills passed In 2019 in parliament by Narendra Modi govt

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Dominic-Madori Davis is a reporter at Insider, and Keishel Williams is an editing fellow.</li><li>Together, they attended an invitation-only virtual "<keyword id="1112328" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Influencers">Influencers</keyword> Dinner" salon hosted by behavioral scientist Jon Levy.</li><li>Below is their conversation about what the unique event was like.</li></ul>It was a Tuesday night in May when we attended an "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influencers_Dinner">Influencers Dinner</a>" salon - a virtual party hosted by author and behavioral scientist Jon Levy. There were games, breakout room trivia, and a musical performance by singer-actress Jihae, who's set to star in the upcoming season of "Succession." The event was co-hosted by actress Nia Vardalos - best known for starring in and writing the hit movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" - and also counted CEOs, an Oakland Raiders linebacker, a serial entrepreneur, and a film producer in attendance. About 124 people attended the evening, which was actually somewhat of a reunion for past guests of Jon's parties.Before the pandemic, these virtual parties were dinner soirées. Insider <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/master-networker-jon-levy-party-2015-1">covered</a> one six years ago when it was held at Levy's New York apartment. (During that one, Bill Nye "The Science Guy" gave a presentation in Levy's living room.) The caveat is that the dinners are supposed to be secretive - guests, unaware of who else will be attending, are only given a date and a time. After arrival, no one is supposed to talk about work or boast about achievements. It's a time to connect and understand one another as equals. It's a safe space, in a sense, for these high-profile guests to simply exist. And then there was us. Guests were told reporters would be there, but our identities were never revealed. In our anonymity, we watched the event unfold.<h2>Our 'therapeutic' experience at the salon </h2>Levy discussed his new book "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Youre-Invited-Science-Cultivating-Influence/dp/0063030977">You're Invited: The Art and Science of Cultivating Influence</a>" and then sent guests into breakout rooms where we had to work together with other strangers to quickly answer trivia questions such as: what came first - Tumblr or Myspace? (Myspace, obviously.) Later on, Jihae - who afterward told us she found the night "refreshing" - sang her new single "<a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BgrY8AbFTlk">Utopia</a>" as well as a rendition of Sam Cookes' "A Change is Gonna Come."Edited for clarity, here's our post-salon conversation about what else we saw happen during the evening. Keishel Williams: What was your first impression when you logged in?Dominic-Madori Davis: Oh my god, I thought it was going to be him promoting his book for two hours, but it definitely turned into therapy in a sense. KW: I'd had a chance to read a bit of excerpt from his book, so I knew that there are specific ways he likes to get things done in order for people to feel like they're connecting with each other. DD: That first game where we had to quickly check our phones, then put them down, and try to remember what was on the right of our screen was interesting - it got pretty deep fast.<div type="image" title="Dom Davis and Keishel Williams virtual event photo" height="1130" width="2880" msid="83114688" hostid="261"></div> KW: One thing that I think we both wanted to know: What about these gatherings makes busy, important people want to attend? DD: The artist that performed that night said one reason she really likes going there is because it feels like a "wisdom circle."KW: That's an interesting way she put it.DD: I agree, it seemed everybody was really into the whole introspective thinking about how they live their lives and how they can better themselves.KW: I felt a bit like that too. I also spoke to someone, South African-Canadian actress Kandyse McClure. She's attended several in-person salons in New York and LA, in addition to a few of the virtual ones, and said one of the reasons she enjoys attending is because Jon himself is very authentic. And that even though she's an accomplished actress, and is usually in a room with other accomplished people, she doesn't feel like they're going there to network. They just go in there to connect on a human level. For you, did you feel a sense of kinship with any of the people, when you had to do the breakout sessions?DD: Oh my gosh, during the breakout session, I was muted right when everyone was introducing themselves, and then the breakout session ended because my group jumped right into the activity. So I didn't really know who I was with the entire time until like the final two seconds when everyone went around, introducing themselves. I was muted, so they didn't know I was a reporter at all. KW: I'm not sure how many people were in your group but it was just five of us in my group, so it started off a little awkward where nobody really wanted to start talking first. But as soon as the ball got rolling we were all speaking and really trying to figure out the answers [to the games]. We were done at an early enough time that we had time to chat after and find out who was who and what they enjoyed about being there. After that, we all decided that we wanted to speak further and I thought that was a really great way to connect.DD: It was really interesting to play all the games and everything. It gave me 'safe space for notable people' vibes.KW: I believe there was a photographer in my group. Indrani [ Pal-Chaudhuri]. There was also a journalist, Joel Stein - he was in my group as well, and a few other people.DD: Yeah, there was also a journalist in my group. I forget if he worked for either the Wall Street Journal or the Washington Post, but he was a journalist and I had heard of him and I think I looked him up on Twitter afterward. We were like six people in my group, and they just jumped right into the activity. Everyone, I mean, I don't know, were we allowed to Google? I'm not gonna say we were Googling.[Laughter.]There were things that, at 23 years old,I'm not sure if I would have known about them. I think the one question I got was 'what was older Tumblr or my space,' and I was like, obviously MySpace. That thing is ancient. But one of the other questions I was like, oh I don't know, I'm gonna need to be like an adult to answer this stuff. What did you think?KW: For me, it was very interesting to see the mix of people. I tried to make sure to keep a count, and there were about 124 people there. There was an Emmy Award winner, Barry Kibrick. And then there were entertainers, there were other stars, there were producers, photographers, musicians, CEOs, medical professionals. DD: Wow. KW: What do you think made this particular virtual version work for them? Because when [Levy's] events first started, they were dinners and he brought together these 12 people, strangers, to cook together and get to know each other that way. But now he had to move it virtually. What do you think made this still remain such an intimate experience for them?DD: I don't know, I think they're really just longing to connect with other people. I'm thinking if the dinners were still on, it's kind of like you just go to a stranger's house, in a sense, and meet other strangers. It must be people just really want to connect with each other and other people and probably find a sense of humanity in one another.KW: Yeah. You said you spoke with the musician [Jihae], what was that conversation like?<div type="image" title="Several Influencers Dinner alumni participate in a salon hosted by Jon Levy at a 2019 event." height="2400" width="3600" msid="83114695" hostid="261"></div>DD: She told me that she was recommended by one of his guests to be the musical performer. She said that it was great to meet new people, and it reminded her of going to diplomatic receptions with her dad as a teenager, watching diplomats, generals, and politicians maneuver intelligent questions to each other. That's also the vibe I got ... and I guess there's not, like, a superficial vibe to [the parties], which I guess is the recurring theme.KW: Exactly. Authentic, that genuine connection. The fact that these people are so accomplished but they don't seem to be coming there to get something from each other, rather than just be in each other's company. DD: Yes. KW: I know Jon did mention specifically that was one of his aims when he decided to do these types of events. Even though it's called a <keyword id="6375238" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="networking">networking</keyword> event, people don't necessarily come there to network because 'networking' brings a somewhat negative connotation that you go into a room, you carry your business cards, and you pretty much just want to know what someone does, in order to know how you fit into their circle. DD: Yeah, I know that the idea of networking can be so uncomfortable because to the root of it, it's basically, like you said: How does this person fit within my circle and how can we possibly lean on each other to do good? There's an element of using each other and it can be uncomfortable. KW: So he really tries to make it more like a vibe where people are coming to create friendships and close connections. And I think just the short time that we've been there, I was able to see some of that taking place. DD: Having an influencer circle where it's not necessarily branded straight as networking, but you go to get genuine relationships that can then more organically and authentically bring you together. I think people feel much more comfortable with that type of branding and with that type of setup than just straight networking.

We attended a virtual salon with Emmy award winners, actresses, and athletes. Spending 2 hours playing games with influential strangers was strangely therapeutic.

At a time when growing US-China tensions on trade-related issues have created complications for scientific research, teams of physicists from the two countries are putting such rivalries aside to develop the clean energy of the future. Whereas some Chinese scientists are experiencing greater difficulty in getting a US visa and Washington is banning the transfer of many technologies to China, fusion - a power source often referred to as man-made sun - has brought the two sides together. Teams from both countries are working together to make significant progress in controlling fusion's considerable power, as well as playing soccer together, according to scientists involved. The world's two largest economies are major contributors of knowledge and finance for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), the world's first fusion reactor, which is under construction in Europe. Both countries are considering building industrial-scale prototype reactors to test the applications of fusion - power generated by blending hydrogen atoms in plasma, an extremely hot gas, in a chamber 10 times hotter than the core of the sun. And now, for the first time, Chinese and American physicists have managed to confine plasma in a powerful magnetic field and prevent it escaping, according to a paper they published in the latest issue of journal Physical Review Letters. This could solve a major problem in the construction of fusion reactors, which could use the technology to produce an endless supply of clean energy. Occasionally the hot gas can erupt and break free from its magnetic prison, which would cause severe damage to a reactor. At the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) facility in Hefei, in the southeastern Chinese province of Anhui, the joint research team came up with a new technology to reduce the energy intensity of the heat pulses to a fraction of what they had been. This meant the pulses would occur more frequently but not reach far enough to risk burning the reactor wall. The scientists have dubbed this controlled state "grassy mode". The unprecedented experiment in Hefei was carried out by the Institute of Plasma Physics, part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, with three fusion research entities from the US: the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, General Atomics and Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. A lead scientist in the study, Professor Xu Guosheng - director of the tokamak physics division at the Institute of Plasma Physics - said the achievement was a result of long-term collaboration backed by the world's two most powerful governments. "We have been working very closely for decades. [The US team] just came over and played soccer with us," Xu said. In May, China and the US marked the 30th anniversary of fusion research collaboration in Hefei, and the celebration events included soccer matches. The <a href="https://www.scmp.com/topics/us-china-trade-war" target="_self">trade war</a> "has not affected us at all", he added. Next month, a team of Chinese fusion experts will go to San Diego, where part of their mission will be to replicate the experiment on the DIII-D, the largest magnetic fusion research facility in the United States. If that is successful, the "grassy mode" may become a standard protocol of operation for all fusion reactors in the future. General Atomics, a contractor operating the DIII-D facility for the US departments of energy and defence, confirmed the collaboration. "The research teams on EAST and DIII-D actively collaborate on fusion research topics," the company said in a statement on Thursday. "These collaborations have benefited the fusion energy communities in both countries, with DIII-D receiving new hardware built by the Chinese, EAST researchers receiving dedicated experimental time on DIII-D to carry out targeted research, and both teams working together on experiments on DIII-D and EAST," the company said. It is highly unusual for a major US defence contractor to hail a Chinese-American collaboration. General Atomics develops and produces a large number of cutting-edge weapons, such as railguns, laser weapons and some of the world's deadliest drones, including the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper. The company said the China-US collaboration was part of a much larger global fusion research programme involving more than 40 nations, to develop the physics basis for fusion as an energy source. This global partnership has been active for over 60 years since the declassification of magnetic fusion research in 1958. "Within this global endeavour, the EAST/DIII-D collaboration continues to be highly productive in delivering important results and numerous scientific publications," the company added. Broader developments between the two countries had threatened some of their scientific collaborations. While their Chinese counterparts working in the US have been encountering <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3010404/basic-self-defence-us-lawmakers-want-bar-chinese-military-scientists" target="_self">visa complications</a>, some American scientists with ties in China have <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3017013/fear-mounts-chinese-american-scientists-are-being-targeted" target="_self">faced investigation</a> in the US, with some losing their jobs at unusually short notice. Last August, the White House initiated a strict ban on the transfer of nuclear-related technology to China, and some joint ventures - including Bill Gates' plan to build a new type of nuclear reactor in Tianjin, in northern China - were put on hold. Professor Chen Yiping, another fusion scientist with the Institute of Plasma Physics in Hefei, said the achievement of "grassy mode" was an important step, but there were many other challenges ahead. The EAST facility, for instance, holds the world record for the longest plasma burning, at 100 seconds. The DIII-D facility can maintain burning for only 10 seconds. A commercial fusion reactor, though, would require continuous operation for years or even decades, according to Chen. "Fusion is an uphill battle. The only chance to win is to unite as many talents and resources as possible," he said. Professor Xu said China and the US would "certainly" compete on fusion energy in the future, when the technology becomes ready for commercial applications. "But that may be decades away," he said. "Until then, we will remain partners." This article originally appeared on the <a href="http://www.scmp.com">South China Morning Post (SCMP)</a>, the leading news media reporting on China and Asia. For more stories, please download our <a href="https://go.onelink.me/3586748601?pid=3rdpartycontentexchange">mobile app</a>, follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/scmpnews">Twitter</a>, and like us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/scmp">Facebook</a>. Copyright (c) 2019. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

What trade war? How China and US bonded over soccer and nuclear energy's 'grassy mode'

<ul><li>The Health Ministry has proposed to drop NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Examination) for admission to MD and MS courses. </li><li>The admission will be based on the scores in the MBBS final examination and National Exit Test (NEXT). </li><li>The candidates wanting to enroll in PG courses in AIIMS will still have to go through the mandatory entrance exam. </li><li>NEET Super Speciality exam will also be mandatory to study Master of Surgery (Mch). </li></ul>MBBS pass outs might not have to go through an entrance exam to pursue post-graduate courses, if a proposal by Health Ministry goes through. It wants to drop NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Examination) for admission into MD (Doctor of Medicine) and MS (Master of Science) courses. If the draft National Medical Commission (NMC) bill goes through, students can be admitted based on score in the MBBS final examination and National Exit Test (NEXT), PTI<a href="https://www.thehindu.com/education/health-ministry-bill-proposes-to-axe-neet-pg/article28430886.ece"> reported</a>. They will also not be required to go through a separate examination to secure a licence to practice medicine, according to the proposed draft. The draft excludes All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) from the given criteria. The candidates wanting to enroll in PG courses in AIIMS will still have to go through the mandatory entrance exam. In addition to this, the NEET Super Speciality exam will also be mandatory to study Master of Surgery (Mch). The draft NMC Bill was tabled in the Parliament in 2017. It focussed at introducing a ‘bridge course’ that will enable medical practitioners of alternative medicine to pursue allopathy. However, it faced criticism from medical professionals and health associations in India. The bill was later revised with several amendments including aggressive punishments for unauthorised practice of medicine — a year long imprisonment or a fine of up to ₹500,000. However, to address the shortage of medical professionals, the government has <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/education/4800-mbbs-seats-reserved-for-economically-weaker-students-5826733/">allocated 26% more seats</a> for MBBS aspirants in the last two years — reserving nearly 5,000 seats for economically weaker sections. Overall, nearly 80,000 students take admission in MBBS courses every year in 480 institutes across the country. Of this, 150,000 take the entrance examination to enroll in PG courses. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/you-no-longer-need-to-know-chinese-languages-if-you-want-to-study-medicine-in-china/articleshow/69249827.cms">You no longer need to know Chinese languages if you want to study medicine in China</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/upsc-proposes-to-drop-csat-aptitude-test-from-the-civil-services-exams/articleshow/70143460.cms">UPSC proposes to drop aptitude test from the civil services exams</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/worlds-smallest-mri-scanned-and-it-did-not-capture-the-human-body-this-time/articleshow/70051460.cms">World’s smallest MRI scanned — and it did not capture the human body this time</a>

MBBS doctors can skip entrance exams for MD and MS courses, if Health Ministry has its way

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Two guaranteed basic income pilots are happening in Philadelphia.</li><li>One is for families on public housing waitlists and the other is focused on pregnant people. </li></ul>Philadelphia has joined the national <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/basic-income-gbi-ubi-low-income-americans-afford-housing-food-2024-5">guaranteed basic income wave</a> — with a focus on <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guaranteed-income-program-flint-michigan-new-moms-500-a-month-2024-1">pregnant people</a> and families experiencing <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bay-area-marin-county-basic-income-housing-food-ubi-gbi-2024-6">housing insecurity</a>.The PHLHousing+ pilot is in its second year of providing aid to families on public housing waitlists, while Philly Joy Bank just launched applications for its expectant parents pilot in June.The city, along with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/basic-income-funding-comes-from-philanthropy-federal-budget-housing-taxes2024-4#:~:text=Guaranteed%20basic%2Dincome%20pilots%20across,incentivizes%20reliance%20on%20government%20aid.">local philanthropists and foundations</a>, hope that no-strings-attached cash through the pilots can help alleviate rates of homelessness, childhood poverty, and maternal and infant mortality.Philadelphia's infant mortality rate is <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="ext" href="https://www.phila.gov/media/20200310161732/GrowingUpPhilly-031020.pdf">nearly 40% higher than the national average</a>. And, per the city's annual <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.phila.gov/2024-02-27-2024-pit-count-kicks-off-with-hundreds-of-volunteers/">point-in-time count</a>, about <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.phila.gov/media/20231004093640/2023-PIT-Count-Summary-Report.pdf">1,300</a> families with children were experiencing homelessness or living in shelters in 2023. Nonprofit United for ALICE also found that <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://phsa.memberclicks.net/assets/advocacy-tools/ALICE-in-Focus-Children-Pennsylvania%20%281%29.pdf">44% of all children in Pennsylvania</a> lived in households experiencing <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/middle-class-americans-earning-above-poverty-live-paycheck-to-paycheck-2024-4">financial hardship</a> in 2019, the latest available data. What's more, 17% of all children in the state were living below the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/poverty-line-leaves-behind-low-income-americans-snap-medicare-wic-2024-6#:~:text=The%20current%20federal%20poverty%20line,up%2C%20it%20is%20too%20low.">federal poverty line</a>.The guaranteed basic income model typically gives low-income participants cash payments for a set time period. Participants can spend the money however they choose and Business Insider has spoken with individuals who used their money to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guaranteed-basic-income-san-antonio-texas-woman-afford-food-housing-2024-4">pay rent</a>, buy groceries, pay down debt, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-york-basic-income-artists-helped-pay-healthcare-bills-gbi-2024-7">afford healthcare</a>, and support their children."We really want to uplift the autonomy and dignity of participants for them to address their needs in the way that they see fit," said Nia Coaxum, the Philly Joy Bank program manager within the Division of Maternal Child and Family Health at the Philadelphia Department of Public Health.GBI programs have been tried <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/which-states-cities-have-guaranteed-basic-income-programs-low-income-2024-4">over 100 times across America</a> as an approach to poverty reduction. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bay-area-marin-county-basic-income-housing-food-ubi-gbi-2024-6">The Bay Area</a>, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chicago-basic-income-helped-mother-rent-an-apartment-ubi-gbi2024-5">Chicago</a>, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/san-antonio-ubi-guaranteed-basic-income-housing-finances-austin-rent-2024-3">San Antonio</a>, New York City, and Denver have completed similar pilots — with some also focused on <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/denver-guaranteed-basic-income-gbi-ubi-housing-security-homeless-rent-2024-2">housing insecurity</a> and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pomona-basic-income-helps-new-parents-baby-parenting-gbi-ubi-2024-7#:~:text=A%20California%20city%20is%20giving,income%20pilots%20focused%20on%20families.&amp;text=Pomona%20is%20launching%20a%20basic,monthly%20to%20250%20eligible%20families.">new parents</a>.Still, results from GBI pilots often reflect participants' short-term, self-reported experiences. It's not yet clear how much guaranteed income will affect participants' financial stability after their payments end, and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guaranteed-basic-income-ban-ubi-arizona-texas-houston-homelessness-poverty-2024-2">not all policymakers agree</a> that it is a sustainable approach to poverty reduction.<h2 id="f446f055-e423-4e41-a4a6-3e01f03b312d">Philly Joy Bank hopes to improve birth outcomes</h2>The Philly Joy Bank pilot will offer $1,000 a month for 18 months to pregnant people beginning in their second trimester. In addition to cash payments, participants will have access to free doula care, lactation support, and financial counseling.Pilot leaders began accepting rolling applications on June 24, and will choose eligible participants in a randomized lottery until all 250 available spots are filled. To be eligible, individuals must be between 12 and 24 weeks pregnant and live in the Nicetown-Tioga, Strawberry Mansion, or Cobbs Creek areas of Philadelphia.The pilot was developed by the Philadelphia Community Action Network: a group of parents, health professionals, researchers, and policymakers. It is a partnership between the Philadelphia Department of Public Health and the Philadelphia City Fund — with funding coming from the city and various foundations.Coaxum said the goal of Philly Joy Bank is to support new families and mitigate Philadelphia's high infant mortality rate.And, while the city has notably high infant and maternal mortality rates, there are clear racial disparities in the data. According to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, non-Hispanic Black women made up 43% of births from 2013 to 2018 but <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://policylab.chop.edu/blog/philadelphias-persistently-high-infant-and-maternal-mortality-rates-require-response#:~:text=Non%2DHispanic%20Black%20women%20made,fluctuate%20based%20on%20singular%20failures.">accounted for 73% of pregnancy-related deaths</a>. Black infants are <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.phila.gov/media/20200310161732/GrowingUpPhilly-031020.pdf">almost twice as likely</a> to die before their first birthday than white infants in Philadelphia, per the city's Department of Public Health."Providing this extra cash to participants during pregnancy will lower their stress, which we know has real, measurable effects on the body," Coaxum said.The no-strings cash model will give pregnant people and new parents the agency to choose what they need most, Coaxum said. For example, families could spend their monthly $1,000 on household bills, groceries, pediatrician co-pays, postpartum supplies, formula, diapers, childcare, and more.Guaranteed income programs like Philly Joy Bank "should be the standard, not the exception," Coaxum said.<h2 id="d5815e8f-6aee-4194-a479-eb7c200bae0d">PHLHousing+ aims to increase housing security for low-income families</h2>PHLHousing+ program launched in the fall of 2022 and is expected to run until summer 2025. It's a partnership between the city and the nonprofit Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation. It offers guaranteed income to families on the city's waitlist for the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/housing-vouchers-crisis-funding-landlords-restrictions-inspections-renters-struggle-2024-5">Housing Choice Voucher Program</a> — also known as Section 8 — which helps reduce rent costs for low-income households facing housing insecurity.PHLHousing+ randomly selected 300 renter households on waitlists for housing vouchers to receive cash payments. To be eligible, participants must have at least one child under the age of 15 and be earning less than 50% of the area median income, which is slightly under $68,000 for a family of four.Throughout the pilot, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania will conduct surveys and interviews to compare the 300 participants to a group of 600 eligible households who were not selected to receive payments. The latter will act as a control group.Participants will pay about 30% of their personal monthly income <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/universal-basic-income-emergency-cash-rent-homes-government-housing-aid-2024-1">toward housing</a>, then they will receive guaranteed income to cover any remaining balance.The exact cash amount varies by household, but the Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation told BI that the median payment is $881 a month. Ninety-five percent of participants are also a female head of household.Dawn Benson is a single parent and participant in PHLHousing+. She previously told BI that guaranteed income allowed her to pay for gas, electricity, and water bills, as well as buy clothes and shoes for her family. Going forward, Benson hopes the money can help her build savings."This program saved my life for real," she told BI in April. "And it's still helping."Noah Sheidlower contributed to this report.Have you benefited from guaranteed basic income program? Are you open to sharing your experience? If so, reach out to this reporter at <a target="_blank" class="" href="mailto:allisonkelly@businessinsider.com">allisonkelly@businessinsider.com</a>.

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