Latest news with #BARC
New Indian Express
a day ago
- Health
- New Indian Express
Former drug user shares powerful recovery story; calls for more women's de-addiction centres in Mangaluru
MANGALURU: Beena, a victim of drug addiction who has now recovered and runs a deaddiction centre and a certified counsellor shared her inspiring story during International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking 2025, observed by Mangaluru City police on Thursday. "It was not an easy journey. I came from a conservative family. I got introduced to cigarettes and beer initially, and eventually ganja. I wanted to live independently, and I told my mother and left the house. I was out of my house for 12 long years. I made money and worked for top firms. I was the multiple drug consumer, and it was controlling me. When I didn't take drugs, my body did not function. I used to work and earn money to buy drugs. Consumption went high and I used to spend up to Rs 35,000 a month," said Beena who is the founder of the Born Again Recovery Centre (BARC). Finally she wanted to end it. "I even decided to end my life. Helpless, I called my mother one day and all she said was to come back. I went back to my house and the withdrawal was a nightmare. My body was shaking and I had hallucinations. My mother put me in a psychiatric ward. I am a victim of this crime, and many women are suffering due to addiction who need help. There is a lack of de-addiction centres for women in Mangaluru. Stigma related to drugs must be addressed ," she said.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Barclays to Ban Credit-Card Crypto Purchases Starting Friday
Barclays (BARC), one of the U.K.'s largest banks, said it will stop customers using their credit cards to purchase cryptocurrency by the end of the week. The London-based company will block cryptocurrency transactions on its Barclaycard-branded payment cards starting June 27, it said on a website page published Wednesday. The page cited "certain risks" when purchasing crypto. "We're doing this because a fall in the price of crypto assets could lead to customers finding themselves in debt they can't afford to repay," the page reads. "There's also no protection for crypto assets if something goes wrong with a purchase, as they're not covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service and Financial Services Compensation Scheme." The FSCS reimburses up to 85,000 pounds ($116,000) to customers who lose money if an institution covered by the program fails. While banks preventing customers using their credit cards to purchase crypto is nothing new, it is unclear why Barclays has put this restriction in place now. Rival institutions Nationwide and HSBC did something similar back in March 2023 at a time when wounds from the collapse of multiple crypto firms in 2022 were still fresh. The bank did not provide further comment on this matter when contacted by CoinDesk. CORRECT (June 25, 16:37 UTC): Correct acronym for Financial Services Compensation Scheme in fourth paragraph. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Action-packed Caterham Racing Weekend returns to Croft this weekend
The British Automobile Racing Club (BARC) returns to North Yorkshire's Croft Circuit on June 28-29 for a thrilling Caterham Racing Weekend (Image: Tony Todd) The British Automobile Racing Club (BARC) returns to Croft Circuit with its action-packed Caterham Racing Weekend this Saturday and Sunday (June 28 and 29). Just two weeks since its last visit, this time round BARC will be hosting several rounds of the popular Caterham series along with the Vertu Mini Challenge Trophy and the Darlington and District Motor Club (DDMC) Northern Sports and Saloon Car Championship over the two days. Advertisement Headlining will be the Dutch Barn Vodka Caterham Seven Championship UK which is the flagship series on the Caterham ladder and one of the most prestigious national racing championships in the UK. The Caterham series returns to Croft Circuit (Image: Tony Todd) These machines sport a 180bhp two-litre engine along with a six-speed sequential gearbox and will line up on the grid three times over the course of the event. The visit to the North Yorkshire track will be the fourth round of the season and as ever will promise some close wheel-to-wheel action across the tarmac. Series leader Matt Armstrong is not heading to Croft but second-placed Harry Senior and Paul Donkin, who is third, will be and will be looking to take advantage in Armstrong's absence. Advertisement The Vertex Caterham 310R Championship will also be contesting round four of their series. The class is seen as the penultimate rung on the ladder in the Caterham ranks, with drivers taking to the wheel of machines which have evolved from the Academy car. They will also go head-to-head three times over the weekend. Opening the racing on Saturday afternoon will be the Edge Caterham 270R Championship. A step up from the Roadsport series, most of the cars have evolved from the Academy stage but boast a stiffer suspension and the removal of the windscreen and lights. They will also be in action twice on Sunday, but championship leader Ben Wheatley will be missing so second-placed Louis Darling and third-placed Henry Speaks will be looking to reap the benefits. Advertisement The Bilstein Caterham Roadsport Championship will be in action once on Saturday and again on Sunday. This series is for graduates of the Academy and pits drivers against each other in the road-legal Roadsport race car, which is a simple progression of the 125bhp Ford Sigma powered Academy car. In the Moobob Caterham Academy Championship, novice drivers learn the trade on the first step of the ladder and will race just once on Saturday afternoon. Away from the Caterhams, the Vertu Mini Challenge Trophy will race three times over the weekend. The Trophy championship uses an older generation MINI Cooper which always provides close action. Advertisement DDMC's Northern Sports and Saloon Car Championship will be contesting round seven on Saturday and round eight on Sunday in two 15-minute races which always provides a full grid and an eclectic range of both modern and historic cars in the various classes. Qualifying begins at 9.30am on Saturday followed by racing at 1.55pm. On Sunday there is the opportunity for fans to get up close to the drivers with autographs taking place in the pit lane at 11am. The first race will follow at midday with a full programme of racing throughout the afternoon. Adult admission is just £17 on both days with accompanied children aged 15 and under admitted free, with free parking and paddock access. For further information, contact Croft Circuit on 01325 721815 or you can book your tickets online now at
Mint
6 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Rare-earth crunch: India's quest for critical minerals must race the clock
Aditya Sinha , Aatman Shah Our EV makers face a rare-earth magnet scarcity while the country faces a steep challenge in securing local supplies of various rarely found critical minerals. But a Quad-led effort could forge a realistic action plan to create a supply chain independent of China. India should advocate a partnership within the Quad, anchored by an Indo-Pacific Rare Earth Processing Hub in India. Gift this article Globally, critical mineral development is marked by long gestation cycles, taking 15–25 years from discovery to production, given the inherently uncertain nature of exploration and hurdles at multiple stages of mine development. Australia's Olympic Dam project took 13 years and Mongolia's Oyu Tolgoi took 20 years. Globally, critical mineral development is marked by long gestation cycles, taking 15–25 years from discovery to production, given the inherently uncertain nature of exploration and hurdles at multiple stages of mine development. Australia's Olympic Dam project took 13 years and Mongolia's Oyu Tolgoi took 20 years. Even in the US, the Thacker Pass lithium project was delayed by about a decade as it faced environmental litigation. These delays reflect universal geological, regulatory, social and financial constraints. India's critical mineral strategy faces added hurdles from legacy inefficiencies, under-resourced exploration and fragmented institutional coordination. Geologically rich areas like Bastar Craton and Karbi Anglong are yet to move beyond early-stage exploration. The Geological Survey of India has historically focused on bulk commodities, resulting in inadequate pre-auction data on rare minerals under the post-2015 regime. Our lack of fully validated reserves tends to deter private sector participation. Infrastructure gaps, tribal rights issues and delayed clearances further slow progress. Also, India faces steep technical barriers in downstream processing. Rare earth separation requires up to 180 solvent extraction steps, demanding precision in chemical parameters and contamination control. Australia, while mining over half the world's lithium, processes only a fraction domestically and relies heavily on China. Indonesia's efforts to process nickel through 'high-pressure acid leach' (HPAL) plants have been marred by shutdowns, cost overruns and corrosion-related technical failures. Also Read: Rare earths: China is choking its own prospects of leadership India suffers from five critical deficits. First, process R&D infrastructure is minimal, with pilot-scale capability available only with a handful of government labs like CSIR-NML and BARC. Second, India lacks commercial-scale plants for key processing methods like 'solvent extraction-electrowinning' (SX-EW) or HPAL that are essential for extracting materials like copper, lithium or nickel from complex ores. Third, Indian facilities don't offer the ultra-high purity needed for battery-grade lithium or rare-earth magnets. Fourth, our hazardous waste handling is inadequate; the processing of some rare earths generates radioactive tailings and acidic sludge that require advanced containment systems. Finally, India lacks digitized continuous process control systems that are essential for safe, consistent and scalable refining. Without addressing these gaps, India won't be able to capture value beyond raw extraction (whenever mining starts). Also Read: China risks overplaying its hand by curbing rare earth exports Fortunately, there have been a slew of reforms lately. The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act of 2023, for instance, empowers the Centre to exclusively auction mineral concessions for 24 critical minerals. It also removes six minerals from the restrictive list of atomic minerals, thereby opening them up to the private sector. The Act also introduces a new category of exploration licences through reverse bidding, allowing private and foreign firms to undertake reconnaissance and prospecting for deep-seated, high-value critical minerals. Aimed at attracting foreign investment and explorers with advanced technology and risk capital, the regime was launched in March 2025, with auctions for 13 blocks across eight states. The government also aims to introduce viability gap funding, ease regulatory norms and fast-track rare-earth mine auctions. The aim is to capture 10% of global rare-earth processing capacity supported by incentives under the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) 2025 and a proposed ₹ 1,500 crore recycling incentive scheme. While state-run firms are being mobilized, the real thrust must come from private participation. Magnet imports doubled in 2024-25 and tightening Chinese export controls have added to the urgency. But this is too little too late. While China has mastered the entire value chain, India has not even scratched the surface. Our processing technology is primitive and concentrated in a single state-owned company, Indian Rare Earths Ltd. Recent reforms cannot compensate for decades of lost time, inadequate research and strategic inertia. By the time we catch up, the geopolitical window may shut. Without speed and global alignment, current efforts risk being symbolic. India should advocate a partnership within the Quad, anchored by an Indo-Pacific Rare Earth Processing Hub in India. Each member can offer a unique strength: Australia has raw materials, Japan has technology and India could do the processing, while the US invests and generates demand. Under the NCMM 2025, a research stream led by the Anusandhan National Research Foundation should drive innovation across the value chain. This would include scaling advanced extraction methods like bio-leaching and solvent extraction, developing capabilities for rare earth separation and ultra-high-purity fabrication, and building digital infrastructure. Further, while restricting exports to promote downstream industries is a valid strategy, it should be pursued only after India has developed adequate processing capacity. At the same time, the planning and construction of processing facilities must begin in parallel with mining and exploration, rather than waiting for their completion. Even these efforts would barely scratch the surface. What India needs are radical, time-bound disruptions. The authors are public policy professionals. Topics You May Be Interested In
The Wire
20-06-2025
- Health
- The Wire
Somaiya Vidyavihar University Hosts Global Conference on Technologies for Energy, Agriculture & Healthcare (ICTEAH 2025) at the Somaiya Vidyavihar campus
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India (NewsVoir) Somaiya Vidyavihar University, built on the proud 84-year legacy of the Somaiya Trust, successfully hosted the 2nd International Conference on Technologies for Energy, Agriculture, and Healthcare (ICTEAH-2025). Organised by the K J Somaiya School of Engineering, the conference brought together researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders to explore transformative technologies shaping our collective future. The conference was inaugurated in the presence of distinguished dignitaries, including Dr. Sanjay Jambhulkar (Senior Scientist, BARC), Prof. V N Rajasekharan Pillai (Vice Chancellor, SVU and former Chairman, UGC), Dr. Suresh Ukarande (Director & Dean, K J Somaiya School of Engineering, Somaiya Vidyavihar University), Dr. Nandkumar Gilke (Registrar, SVU), and Dr. Shailesh Nikam (Organising Secretary and Professor). 'A new domain of epidemics is emerging from environmental risk factors. Climate change, even a rise of just 0.5 to 1 degree in temperature, is impacting 12% of the population by exacerbating heat-related diseases. Additionally, exposure to various artificial environmental agents poses significant health risks. This has led to the rise of exposomics, a new discipline focused on understanding the health effects of environmental exposures. Given these challenges, healthcare remains a critical focus area worldwide,' said Prof. V N Rajasekharan Pillai, Vice Chancellor, Somaiya Vidyavihar University. With over 120 delegates, the conference featured 93 paper presentations and 7 posters, creating a vibrant platform for knowledge exchange in clean energy, precision agriculture, and digital healthcare. Selected papers will be published by Taylor & Francis with individual DOIs and will be submitted for Scopus indexing, significantly contributing to the global body of academic research. The highlights of the conference were dignitaries from various fields. Dr. Sanjay Jambhulkar (Senior Scientist, BARC) spoke about the use of new technologies in agriculture and food security, emphasising their critical role in building sustainable food systems. Dr. Sudhir Ranjan Jain (Somaiya Vidyavihar University) presented insights into quantum computation for energy, highlighting its potential to revolutionise energy systems and contribute to sustainability. Dr. Nandkumar Kunchge (Director, K J Somaiya Institute of Applied Agricultural Research, Sameerwadi) presented regenerative agriculture methods which are hoping to take agriculture back to its deep connection with Mother Nature. Dr. S. D. Sharma (Founder Auflows CardioTech Pvt. Ltd. and Retired Professor from IIT Bombay) presented palliative surgical procedures required for congenital heart disease patients having Univentricular hearts to help their pulmonary circulation. 'Energy, agriculture, and healthcare are the three critical pillars of our future. With rising population and urbanisation, the demand for renewable energy (i.e. solar, wind, tidal, and hydrogen) is only going to increase. Research in these areas is not just ongoing, it's essential. Tomorrow's breakthroughs may come from innovations and research e.g 2cm x 2cm solar panel generating the same power as today's larger systems (2m x 2m). This is where scientists, academicians, and industry leaders must come together to solve real-world challenges," said Dr. Suresh Ukarande, Director & Dean, K J Somaiya School of Engineering, Somaiya Vidyavihar University. In recognition of outstanding contributions, Best Paper Award from each domain were presented to Dr. Sarika Bukkawar, Mr. Haseen Shaikh, Ms. Sonia Pol and Mr. Nitish Yadav. Further, the best poster award was given to Ms. Alka Dattatray Gadakh. Certificates of Excellence acknowledged the commitment and performance of participants and student volunteers throughout the conference. The conference reaffirmed Somaiya Vidyavihar University's mission to bridge academic research with real-world impact. Through initiatives like ICTEAH, the University continues to align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, fostering innovation that serves both industry and society. About K J Somaiya School of Engineering - (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with Newsvoir and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR This is an auto-published feed from PTI with no editorial input from The Wire.
