Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday asked the top commanders of the Indian Air Force to examine the rapidly changing global geo-political situation and assess them in the Indian context besides emphasising on the need to bolster its operational readiness.

In an address at the inaugural session of the two-day IAF commanders’ conference, Singh also exhorted the top brass of the force to focus on strengthening India’s air defence systems and use of drones, noting that new trends have emerged in the field of air warfare.

It is learnt that the commanders are extensively analysing use of various aerial platforms in the Hamas-Israel conflict and the Russia-Ukraine war.

“There are new challenges emanating from the global security scenario. We must always be ready to deal with them,” Singh told the commanders at the conference here.

Chief of Air staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari and other commanders are also carrying out a comprehensive review of the security situation along the border with China and Pakistan.

In his address, Singh emphasised on the need to enhance operational preparedness and highlighted the importance of joint planning and execution of operations by the three services.

Singh urged the IAF commanders to examine the rapidly changing global geo-political situation and assess them in the Indian context, the defence ministry said.

He pointed out that new trends have emerged in the field of air warfare and there is a need to analyse and learn from them to strengthen the defence preparedness.

The defence minister also exhorted the IAF to focus on strengthening the air defence systems, use of drones and making headway in the field of aerospace to protect India’s air domain, the ministry said.

It said Singh praised the “stellar role” played by the IAF during the recent humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) missions in Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and other flood affected areas.

He also congratulated the IAF for successfully organising the Air Force Day parade and air display in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj.

Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan were among those present on the occasion.

The commanders will hold wide-ranging deliberations on the IAF’s plans for the future with an aim to bolster its combat capabilities, sources said.

They are especially expected to hold extensive deliberations on use of new technologies. 

The Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings (WUR) for Global MBA and Business Master’s in 2024 were released on Wednesday, placing the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore as the top-ranked business school in India, securing the 48th global position. The Wharton School and Harvard Business School ranked second and third, respectively. Stanford GSB’s MBA programme rose to the top spot. Notably, 10 Indian MBA colleges earned spots in the top 250 institutes in Asia.

In the QS Global Full-Time MBA Rankings, IIM Bangalore exhibited significant improvement, climbing from 50th place in the 2023 rankings to 48th in 2024. Meanwhile, IIM Calcutta secured the 59th position, and IIM Ahmedabad claimed the 53rd spot.

Two Indian MBA colleges made their mark among the top 50 globally in terms of employability. IIM Bangalore secured the 39th global ranking and stood fourth in Asia, while IIM Calcutta was placed at the 46th position worldwide and ranked seventh in Asia.

IIM Ahmedabad was positioned at 33rd, making it the second-best in Asia, while The Indian School of Business secured the 43rd position and was the fifth-best in Asia in the QS alumni outcomes and entrepreneurship indicator.

IIM Bangalore ranked at number 31, emerged as the only MBA institute in India included in the top 50 for return on investment. Although it didn’t break into the top 50 overall, with an overall ranking of 57th, it led the country in thought leadership.

Furthermore, QS provides rankings for 28 specialized master’s programmes in business, including fields such as supply chain management, marketing, business analytics, finance, and management (with 17 in supply chain management, five in finance, and three in management).

According to the QS World University Rankings, IIM Bangalore claimed the top spot for the Master in Management programme in India and secured the 31st position overall, primarily due to its exceptional alumni outcomes, where it ranked 10th.

IIM Calcutta, positioned within the top 100, stood out as one of India’s premier master’s programmes in business analytics. For this programme, it secured a rank between 61 and 70. Meanwhile, IIM Udaipur ranked 51 or higher for its master’s in supply chain management programme.

Apple’s upcoming mixed-reality headset, Vision Pro, may have mental health monitoring features. The headset’s cameras and sensors could detect signs of depression, anxiety, stress, and post-traumatic stress disorder in users. It could then display images and sounds to improve the wearer’s mood. Apple is also exploring other healthcare use cases for Vision Pro, such as detecting mood through pupil dilation and screening for ailments like Parkinson’s disease. However, concerns about effectiveness and regulatory obstacles may prevent these features from being released. Apple has also been working on mental health tracking software for the iPhone.