Last week I received a very unusual invitation indeed. It was to a 50th birthday party in a swanky Delhi hotel, but the party was for a plant: a strain of rice known only by its initials, IR8. A celebration for an angry rice variety; who could refuse? The Indian Agriculture Minister, Shri Sudarshan Bhagat, opened the event, describing the… Read more »
Images have been released showing the sheer size of a new solar power plant in southern India. The facility in Kamuthi, Tamil Nadu, has a capacity of 648 MW and covers an area of 10 sq km. This makes it the largest solar power plant at a single location, taking the title from the Topaz Solar Farm in California, which… Read more »
Pakistan’s prime minister has named his choice for the next head of the country’s army after weeks of uncertainty, and just days before the position falls vacant. A spokesman for Nawaz Sharif said the new chief of army staff would be Qamar Javed Bajwa, a lieutenant general currently in charge of military training. He will take over from outgoing Raheel… Read more »
Outside the Churchgate branch of the Bank of India in south Mumbai, some of those queueing for cash have become familiar faces. Ever since the prime minister, Narendra Modi, unexpectedly withdrew high-value 500- and 1,000-rupee banknotes from circulation, wiping out 86% of India’s currency overnight, queueing for cash has become a national sport. But for some, such as Santosh Garg,… Read more »