1. Scientists at IIT Kharagpur Develop New Technology to Manufacture Biofuel.

The new technology makes use of natural resources to extract gaseous and liquid biofuel and then converts the wastes into bio fertilizer. At present 2gm of bioethanol can be manufactured from various naturally available ligno-cellulosic components.

However, this process requires chemical treatment that results in polluting the environment. Lignocellulose refers to biomass. The new technology has replaced this chemical treatment with enzymes which degrade the lignin thereby making the manufacturing process totally pollution free. 

Lignins are complex organic polymer deposited in the cell walls of  plants. In this process, the residual biomass can be used as organic fertilizer. 

The Project is funded  by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Department of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Human Resource Development.  

The scientists used corn, sugarcane plants, the waste part of paddy straw, bamboo, banana plant, pineapple and cotton plants, kans grass (kassh phool), castor plant etc to produce biofuel.

2. PM Narendra Modi to lay foundation stone for Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project in September.

The construction of India`s first bullet train project between Mumbai to Ahmedabad will begin from September this year.

Prime minister Narendra Modi and Japan`s prime minister Shinzo Abe will together lay the foundation stone for the project during the latter`s visit to India in September, the report said quoting Railway Board member traffic Mohd Jamshed, as saying. 

Speaking at the summit in New Delhi, Jamshed said the construction work would continue for another five years and mentioned that the government was committed to complete the project by the end of 2022, the report said. 

He further said that India`s bullet train, at the speed of 320 km per hour, will match the speed of the leading highspeed train systems across the world.

Highlights:

1. PM Narendra Modi and Japan`s PM Shinzo Abe will together lay the foundation stone for the bullet train project in September

2. Japan`s PM Shinzo Abe will visit India in September 

3. Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train will have speed of 320 km per hour