Latest news with #Cluster
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Business Standard
4 days ago
- Business Standard
Delhi women to get 'Saheli Smart Cards' for free bus travel; know more
According to officials on Tuesday, the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) plans to replace the current "pink ticket" system with the "Saheli Smart Card," which will provide free bus travel for women and transgender people in the Capital. However, the card will only be accessible to Delhi residents, which represents a significant change in the scheme's eligibility requirements. Women and transgender citizens of Delhi who are 12 years of age or older can travel for free on all DTC and Cluster buses using the Saheli Smart Card, a personalised transit card that includes the holder's name and photo. According to an official, the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) framework would be used to issue the Saheli Smart Card. Who can apply for 'Saheli Smart Cards'? The official said that, unlike the current paper-based pink ticket system, this personalised smart card, featuring the user's name and photo, will allow free travel only on DTC and Cluster buses. Additionally, it will support recharge and top-up features, enabling use on other modes of public transport as well. The official stated, "To obtain the digital card, applicants must be bona fide residents of Delhi, aged 12 years or above, and have valid proof of address. They must register online through the DTC portal, select a participating bank, and complete full KYC verification at the chosen bank branch". The bank will send the card to the applicant's registered address after the KYC procedure is finished. • Aadhaar card • Proof of residence in Delhi • Passport-size photograph • PAN card • Any other documents required under bank-specific KYC norms. 'Saheli Smart Cards': Insights In a communication to banks and other financial organisations, the Delhi government expressed interest in issuing these cards. According to the report, these cards will mark the beginning of a new era of accessible, safe, and paperless public transportation for transgender and female city dwellers. The source went on to explain that although the government will not impose travel fees on commuters, issuing banks may, by their regulations, charge a small cost for card issuance or maintenance. What will happen if you lose your card? Users must notify the issuing bank of any lost cards, and they may be eligible for a replacement based on the terms of the card. Prior to usage, the card must be activated using DTC's Automatic Fare Collection System (AFCS). The free travel benefit is limited to DTC and Cluster buses under this arrangement, although the card can be used on other transport systems after topping up. "No card will be issued directly by DTC. Registration is completely online through the DTC portal, and cards are issued only after full KYC verification by the selected bank," the official added. The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has an operational fleet of 3,266 buses, including 1,950 electric and 1,694 CNG buses, and runs 44 depots in Delhi and one in Noida. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta denounced the pink paper ticketing system used by the previous administration as a major source of corruption during her March Budget Day speech. She declared that paper tickets will be replaced by a new digital system called the 'Saheli Smart Card', which would allow women to travel conveniently and safely with customised digital cards.
The Print
6 days ago
- Business
- The Print
Saheli Smart Cards with names, photos to offer free-bus ride to Delhi women
'To obtain the digital card, applicants must be bona fide residents of Delhi, aged 12 years or above, and have valid proof of address. They must register online through the DTC portal, select a participating bank, and complete full KYC verification at the chosen bank branch,' the official said. An official said the smart card will be issued under the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) framework. Unlike the existing paper-based pink ticket system, the card will allow free travel only on DTC and Cluster buses, and support recharge and top-up functionality for use on other transit modes. New Delhi, Jul 7 (PTI) Saheli Smart Card, a personalised travel pass carrying the holder's name and photo, will facilitate free rides to women and transgender residents of Delhi aged 12 and above on all DTC and Cluster buses. Once the KYC process is completed, the card will be dispatched to the applicant's registered address by the bank. Giving more details on the required documents, the official said Aadhaar card, PAN card, proof of residence in Delhi, passport-size photograph, and any other documents under bank-specific KYC norms will be needed. The Delhi government, in its communication to banks and financial institutions, has invited expressions of interest for the issuance of these cards. It said these cards will usher in a new era of safe, accessible, and paperless public transport for women and transgenders in the city. The official further clarified that while the government will not charge commuters for travel, issuing banks may levy a nominal card issuance or maintenance fee as per their policies. In case the card is lost, users must report it to the issuing bank, which may provide a replacement as per its terms. The card will need to be activated through the Automatic Fare Collection System (AFCS) of DTC before use. Though the card can be used on other transit systems after topping up, the free travel benefit is restricted to DTC and Cluster buses under this scheme. 'No card will be issued directly by DTC. Registration is completely online through the DTC portal, and cards are issued only after full KYC verification by the selected bank,' the official added. The Delhi Transport Corporation operates 44 depots across Delhi and one in Noida. It has an active fleet of 3,266 buses, comprising 1,950 electric and 1,694 CNG buses. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, during her Budget Day address in March, criticised the earlier practice of issuing pink paper tickets to women, alleging that it was a major source of corruption under the previous administration. She announced that the new system would allow women to travel without having to rely on paper tickets, instead using secure digital cards. PTI NSM NSM NSD NSD This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Saudi Gazette
16-06-2025
- Health
- Saudi Gazette
207 catheterization and surgical procedures performed for Hajj pilgrims in Madinah
Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — The Madinah Health Cluster revealed that it has performed 207 cardiac catheterization and surgical procedures for the Hajj pilgrims during the last 47 days since the beginning of the Hajj season. It stated that the number of visitors to health centers reached 37,46, while the number of emergency patients accounted for 16,059, ambulance services reached 2,289, and dialysis sessions stood at 120. The Cluster beefed up its operations in Madinah during the post Hajj season to receive pilgrims through 33 permanent and seasonal hospitals and health centers, in addition to mobile clinic vehicles. More than 21,000 health and technical personnel work around the clock to provide the highest levels of medical care. The Cluster launched a comprehensive multilingual awareness and educational campaign targeting pilgrims arriving in Madinah, with the aim of promoting health and preventative awareness in multiple languages. Awareness screens were activated at Prince Muhammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport and the Haramain High-Speed Railway Station, in addition to 109 screens within the Cluster's health facilities.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists chased a falling spacecraft with a plane to understand satellite air pollution
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A dramatic aircraft chase of a falling spacecraft has provided new insights into the fiery processes that accompany the atmospheric demise of retired satellites. The measurements will help scientists better understand how satellite air pollution affects Earth's atmosphere. In early September last year, a team of European scientists boarded a rented business jet on Easter Island to trace the atmospheric reentry of Salsa, one of the European Space Agency's (ESA) four identical Cluster satellites. The aircraft was fitted with 26 cameras to capture the brief occurrence in different wavelengths of light. The first results from the unique observation campaign were released in early April at the European Conference on Space Debris in Bonn, Germany. The satellite burn-up, a meteor-like event lasting less than 50 seconds, took place above the Pacific Ocean shortly before noon local time on Sept. 8, 2024. Bright daylight complicated the observations and prevented the use of more powerful instruments, which would have provided more detailed views. Still, the team managed to gain new insights into satellite incineration, something that is little understood and hard to study. "The event was rather faint, fainter than we expected," Stefan Löhle, a researcher at the Institute of Space Systems at the University of Stuttgart in Germany, told "We think that it might mean that the breakup of the satellite produced fragments that were much slower than the main object and produced less radiation." Following the initial breakup at an altitude of about 50 miles (80 kilometers), the researchers were able to record the fragmentation for about 25 seconds. They lost track of the fading streak of fragments at an altitude of about 25 miles (40 km). Using filters of different colors, the team was able to detect the release of various chemical compounds during the burn-up, which provides hints about the nature of the air pollution that arises during the satellite incineration process "We detected lithium, potassium and aluminum," Löhle said. "But at this stage, we don't know how much of it ends up in the atmosphere as long-term air pollution and how much falls down to Earth in the form of tiny droplets." Satellite reentries are a growing concern for the global atmospheric science community. Satellites are made of aluminum, the incineration of which produces aluminum oxide, also known as alumina. Scientists know that alumina can trigger ozone depletion and alter Earth's ability to reflect sunlight, which, in turn, could alter the atmosphere's thermal balance. With the increase in satellite launches, many more satellites are falling back to Earth. Whatever byproducts arise during the atmospheric burn-up will likely keep accumulating high above Earth in the coming years. The effects of this satellite air pollution, however, are not well understood. The altitudes at which satellites disintegrate are too high for meteorological balloons to reach but too low for satellites to sample. Aircraft chases, such as the one that traced the Cluster Salsa reentry last year, provide the best chance to gather accurate data on the chemical processes unfolding during those events. Such campaigns, however, are rather costly and difficult to execute. So far, only five spacecraft reentries have been tracked from the air; the previous cases included an Ariane rocket stage and three International Space Station resupply vehicles. "Right now, researchers that model these events don't really know what happens during the satellite fragmentation," said Löhle. "That's the first thing we need to answer. We want to make sure that nothing falls on people's heads. Then we need to find out how harmful this stuff is for Earth's atmosphere." The data captured by Löhle and his colleagues suggest that the titanium fuel tanks from the 1,200-pound (550 kilograms) Cluster Salsa may have survived the reentry and likely splashed into the Pacific Ocean. This is an important piece of information. On average, three satellites fall back to Earth every day, according to a report released by ESA last month. Most of these satellites belong to SpaceX's Starlink megaconstellation. While the first generation of Starlinks weighed only about 570 pounds (260 kg) each, the current "V2 mini" variant of the satellite has a mass of about 1,760 pounds (800 kg). The planned V2 version will be even larger, weighing 2,750 pounds (1,250 kg). Although SpaceX claims the satellites are designed to burn up completely, the company previously acknowledged that some remnants might occasionally make it all the way down to Earth's surface. The European team continues analyzing the data and hopes to align their observations with computer models, which could provide further insights into the progression of events during satellite fragmentation and subsequent incineration. "We are comparing what we have seen with models of satellite fragmentation to understand how much mass is being lost at what stage," Jiří Šilha, CEO of Slovakia-based Astros Solutions, which coordinated the observation campaign, told "Once we have an alignment between those models and our observations, we may be able to start modelling how the melting metal interacts with the atmosphere." Related stories: — Who's going to fix the space junk problem? — Pollution from rocket launches and burning satellites could cause the next environmental emergency — Dangerous satellite air pollution exists in a legal loophole Löhle explained that researchers so far have too little understanding of the incineration process to be able to estimate how much satellite reentries affect the atmosphere. The disintegrating aluminum body of a reentering satellite melts, forming large droplets of molten metal. Some of these droplets vaporize into aluminum oxide aerosol, while others scatter and cool down, eventually drifting to the ground in the form of nano- and micrometer-sized bits of aluminum. The aluminum that turns into aerosol is what then triggers the ozone depletion and other climate effects. "We don't have the data yet to be able to say how much of it turns into the aerosol," Löhle said. "We hope that, at some point, we will be able to recreate a fragmentation sequence and say how much aluminum each of the subsequent explosions released into the upper atmosphere." The researchers hope to gather more data when Cluster Salsa's three siblings — Rumba, Tango and Samba — reenter in 2025 and 2026. The satellite quartet has circled Earth since 2000, measuring the planet's magnetic field and its interactions with the solar wind. All those reentries, however, will also happen during daytime, which means the researchers won't be able to obtain spectroscopy measurements, which could reveal the chemical processes in the fragmentation cloud in better detail. Spectroscopy is an observation method that breaks incoming light into individual wavelengths. The signal from a reentering spacecraft, however, is too weak and gets drowned out by the bright solar light.
The National
28-04-2025
- Business
- The National
UK Government must act urgently over £200m promise for Grangemouth
In February, the Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK Government would invest £200m into Grangemouth and that it should bring in 'three times that' in private funding, bringing the total to £800m. The financial package from the UK Government is an attempt to ensure that high-quality jobs and economic opportunity are not lost in the area. READ MORE: Louis Theroux: The Settlers showcases grim reality of Palestinans living in West Bank However, Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes has urged Starmer to accelerate the progress on the Acorn Carbon Capture project at Peterhead after the UK Government announced further funding for carbon capture projects in England without mention of finance or progress for the Scottish Cluster. At the time of the announcement, the SNP accused the Labour Government of treating Scotland as an afterthought. On Tuesday, at a parliamentary debate on supporting Scottish industry, Forbes is expected to call on the UK Government to be more transparent with the funds ringfenced for Grangemouth. She is expected to say: 'I welcome the UK Government's confirmation that £200 million has been ringfenced within the National Wealth Fund to support the deployment of projects at Grangemouth. (Image: free) 'However, many of the proposals for the site outlined in Project Willow may not meet the current criteria being applied by the fund and we must not find ourselves in a position where good intentions are not translated into meaningful practice. 'I call on UK ministers to take urgent and decisive action to ensure its £200 million commitment is deployed.' Forbes is expected to add: 'There must be clarity – and that clarity must be provided with the same urgency and decisiveness that we have now seen the UK Government show in respect of Scunthorpe - that these monies will be available for Grangemouth as soon as business needs it. 'We simply cannot risk the chance of high-quality jobs and the prospect of new economic opportunities being lost forever.' The Acorn project has been placed on a 'track two' reserved list for future funding from the UK Government. Earlier this month, business leaders in the north east urged ministers to treat Acorn as an 'immediate priority'.
