PM Modi announces new trilateral partnership with Australia, Canada to bolster tech, innovation
Johannesburg (PTI): A new trilateral technology and innovation partnership was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday after a meeting with his Australian and Canadian counterparts on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders’ Summit here.
“We are delighted to announce an Australia-Canada-India Technology and Innovation (ACITI) Partnership today,” Modi said in a social media post after meeting Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Canada’s Mark Carney.
“The initiative will deepen collaboration between democratic partners across three continents and three oceans in emerging technologies, support diversification of supply chains, clean energy and mass adoption of AI,” he said.
Separately, Modi on Saturday met his British counterpart Keir Starmer and UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
“It was wonderful meeting Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Johannesburg. This year has brought new energy to the India–UK partnership and we will keep driving it forward across many domains,” Modi said in a post on X.
The prime minister said he had a “very productive” conversation with UN chief Guterres.
Addressing the opening session of the G20 Leaders’ Meeting, Modi called for a profound rethink of the global development parameters and proposed setting up of a G20 initiative to counter the drug-terror nexus and a global healthcare response team.
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Power tariffs under BESCOM to rise from May 1
Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
