RIVANCH

In what seems to be yet another historic moment for India in outer space, Aditya-L1 — the country’s first mission to study the sun — has reached its final destination. The space observatory was launched on September 3 last year. This nearly 1,500 kg satellite, developed at an estimated cost of 50 million dollars will serve as India’s primary space-based observatory dedicated to studying the sun from a distance of approximately 1.5 million kilometres away from Earth. Lauding the country’s scientists for the achievement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India has created yet another landmark and that the country will pursue new frontiers of science to benefit humanity. “India creates yet another landmark. India’s first solar observatory Aditya-L1 reaches its destination. It is a testament to the relentless dedication of our scientists in realising among the most complex and intricate space missions. I join the nation in applauding this extraordinary feat. We will continue to pursue n

The first week of the year started with protests (now called off) and a sensational murder in India. For the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), it has been a worrisome few days – the growing buzz around Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest and the exposure of a scam linked to its pet project, the Mohalla Clinics. The Indian Navy pressed into action after a Liberia-flagged merchant ship with 15 Indians on board was hijacked and rescued its nationals. And it has been keeping a close eye on the Arabian Sea after the recent spate of attacks. We tell you what’s going on. Now moving on to something to look forward to. One of the biggest events of the month (and the year) is the inauguration of Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir and preparations are in full swing. We have been tracking the story closely. In our roundup of explainers, we take a look back at the big news of the week. 1. 2024 is a big year for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The general elections will be held between April and May and Pri

To keep a hawk eye on China’s activities across the LAC and ease movement of Indian troops to the Indo-China border, the Indian government has started work on the Frontier Highway in Arunachal Pradesh. The nearly 1,700 km-long Frontier Highway project is part of a big road infrastructure push in Arunachal Pradesh by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government in recent years. It is considered to be India’s most challenging and strategic and  is also seen as an effort to counter the designs of China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The project, first conceived around 2016 and had in the past been objected by China, is aimed to be completed by 2027. Govt invites first tenders The first tenders for construction of the Frontier Highway in Arunachal Pradesh have been invited by the Indian government and News18 , in an exclusive report, said they are worth nearly Rs 2,200 crore. Details of Frontier Highway project An important highway stretch of nearly 121 km between Hunli and

India’s ambitious Aditya L1 mission, the nation’s first dedicated solar study initiative, is approaching a significant milestone as it is poised to be injected into its final orbit on the evening of January 6. Launched on September 2, the spacecraft is on track to enter what is known as a ‘halo orbit’ around Lagrange Point 1 (L1), a key position in the Sun-Earth system. Aditya-L1 Mission: The SUIT payload captures full-disk images of the Sun in near ultraviolet wavelengths The images include the first-ever full-disk representations of the Sun in wavelengths ranging from 200 to 400 nm. They provide pioneering insights into the intricate details… pic.twitter.com/YBAYJ3YkUy — ISRO (@isro) December 8, 2023 The L1 point, located approximately 1.5 million kilometres from Earth, offers a relatively stable location for Aditya L1 to observe the Sun. This strategic orbit around L1, referred to as a ‘halo orbit,’ allows the spacecraft to view the Sun from various angles, presenting a u

India is “indeed a major power”, and rapid changes in internal and external strategies pose challenges to both itself and the international community, said China’s leading state-run newspaper Global Times , as it hailed the country’s strides in economic, social governance and foreign policy under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “It appears that a transformed, stronger, and more assertive India has become a new geopolitical factor that many countries need to consider,” said Zhang Jiadong, the director of the Centre for South Asian Studies at Fudan University, in an opinion piece in Global Times . India rapidly transforming The article on Global Times said, “India has always considered itself a world power. However, it has only been less than 10 years since India shifted from multi-balancing to multi-alignment, and now it is rapidly transforming toward a strategy of becoming a pole in the multipolar world. The speed of such changes is rarely seen in the history of international relatio

Another Hindu temple was defaced and attacked with anti-India and pro-Khalistani graffiti in the US state of California. The Hindu American Foundation informed about the incident and said they are in touch with temple leaders and in contact with Alameda Police as well as civil rights division at the Justice Department. The image of vandalism posted on social media showed the words ‘Khalistan Zindabad’ spray-painted on a sign post outside the temple along with other objectionable graffiti. According to HAF, the Vijay’s Sherawali Temple in Hayward, CA sustained a copycat defacement merely two weeks after the Swaminarayan temple attack and a week after a theft at the Shiv Durga temple in California. A photo of the vandalisation of the California’s Sherawali Temple was also shared by HAF on its page on X. #Breaking : Another Bay Area Hindu temple attacked with pro- #Khalistan graffiti. The Vijay’s Sherawali Temple in Hayward, CA sustained a copycat defacement just two weeks after th

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday alleged that the BJP-led Centre wants to arrest him so that they can stop him from campaigning for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. In a video message, he accused the BJP of wanting to tarnish his image. #WATCH | On ED summons in liquor police case, Delhi CM & AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal says, “The truth is that there was no corruption. BJP wants to arrest me. My biggest asset is my honesty & they want to dent it. My lawyers have told me that summons sent to me are illegal. BJP’s… pic.twitter.com/jLWmkZ2mxj — ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2024 “The truth is that there was no corruption. BJP wants to arrest me. My biggest asset is my honesty and they want to dent it,” said Kejriwal. He said that his lawyers have told him that the summons sent to him are illegal. “BJP’s aim is not to probe me, but not to let me campaign for Lok Sabha elections. They want to call me on the pretext of investigation and then arrest me,” he said. T

It’s the New Year and COVID cases continue to rise in the country and across the globe. The country’s COVID caseload has seen a significant jump thanks to the new JN.1 sub-variant, which experts call highly transmissible but milder. And as the highly-contagious Omicron subvariant ( JN.1 ) spreads across the country as well as the world, there are also two new symptoms to watch out for, according to medical experts. However, experts have cautioned that these symptoms may vary according to the patient. In fact, the United States’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had said, “The types of symptoms and how severe they usually depend more on a person’s immunity and overall health rather than which variant causes the infection.” Read on to find out more. The new COVID symptoms The identification of the new symptoms was first reported by the United Kingdom’s Office for National Statistics. The December 2023 data has revealed that besides the usual symptoms of runny noses, c

An encounter broke out between security forces and militants in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district late on Wednesday, police said. “Encounter has started at Hadigam area of Kulgam district,” the Kashmir Zone Police said in a post on X around 10.30 pm. Encounter has started at Hadigam area of Kulgam district. Kulgam Police ,Army and crpf are on the job. Further details shall follow. — Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) January 3, 2024 A joint team of police, CRPF and army launched a cordon and search operation in the surrounding village following the information regarding the presence of terrorists, a police officer said. from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/9Xma4oE Chandan Prakash

In a significant achievement, India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has surpassed the milestone of processing over 100 billion transactions, according to data released by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), as reported by the Economic Times. NPCI, the operator of the UPI service and other payment processing infrastructure, disclosed that in December 2023, UPI payments in India reached 12.02 billion transactions, processing payments totalling Rs 18.23 lakh crore during the month. This signifies a remarkable 54 per cent year-on-year growth in transaction volume and a 42 per cent increase in transaction value annually. The total transactions facilitated by UPI in the year 2023 amounted to 117.6 billion. Additionally, data reveals that the UPI rails saw a total value of just over Rs 182 lakh crore processed through the payments infrastructure in the previous year. This staggering growth in UPI payments reflects a remarkable increase from approximately 74 billion transa

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday wrote to the Enforcement Directorate that he will skip the third summons in the Delhi excise policy case after his party termed the probe agency notice “illegal”. “Ready to cooperate in ED investigation but the agency’s notice is illegal. Their intention is to arrest Arvind Kejriwal. They want to stop him from election campaign,” AAP said in a statement. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal will not go to the ED office today, CM wrote to ED. “Ready to cooperate in ED investigation but the agency’s notice is illegal. Their intention is to arrest Arvind Kejriwal. They want to stop him from election campaign: AAP https://t.co/Wh1GzkDAK4 — ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2024 Kejriwal was summoned on Wednesday for questioning by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with an excise policy-linked money laundering case. This was the third ED notice to Kejriwal, also the AAP’s convener, after he refused to appear before the federal agency on two earlie

Truckers’ body All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) on Tuesday said the government has assured that new laws concerning hit-and-run cases will be implemented after discussion with its members and urged truck drivers to call off their strike. Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla Tuesday said the decision to invoke a new penal provision related to hit-and-run cases, which has sparked protests by truckers, will be taken only after consultation with the All India Motor Transport Congress. He also appealed to the AIMTC and all the agitating drivers to return to work.”The government wants to point out that these new laws and provisions have not yet come into force. We would also like to point out that the decision to invoke Section 106 (2) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita will be taken only after consultation with the All India Motor Transport Congress,” he said after a meeting with a delegation of the AIMTC. A government source said that the issue has been resolved after the meeting with

WhatsApp, the popular messaging platform owned by Facebook, has reported banning close to 7 crore accounts in India between January and November 2023, according to its monthly reports. The reports are in compliance with Rule 4(1)(d) of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. WhatsApp has been releasing these monthly reports since July 15, 2021, to provide transparency regarding its actions and compliance with regulations. In its latest report, WhatsApp revealed that it banned over 6 crore (6,93,07,254) accounts in India until November 30, 2023. Out of this, over 2 crore (2,43,78,890) accounts were proactively banned before receiving many user reports. The platform takes such actions based on its abuse detection methods, which operate at various stages of an account’s lifecycle, including registration, during messaging, and in response to negative feedback received through user reports and blocks. WhatsApp’s Actionable Accounts

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar Tuesday said Canadian politics have given a lot of space to Khalistani forces and also allowed them to indulge in activities which that are “damaging” India-Canada relationship. “The issue at heart is the fact that in Canadian politics, these Khalistani forces have been given a lot of space and have been allowed to indulge in activities which I think are damaging to the relationship, clearly not in India’s interest, and not in Canada’s interest either. But unfortunately, that is the state of their politics,” EAM Jaishankar said in an interview to ANI . The minister also clarified that the G20 Summit 2023 in New Delhi had no relation to the Khalistani issue in Canada. “The Khalistan issue is not new. The Khalistan issue has existed for years…I can explain my government, my prime minister, and my book. It’s not for me to speculate on other Prime Ministers,” EAM Jaishankar said. #WATCH | On India-Canada ties & Khalistani issue, EAM Jaishank

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday expressed his condolences over the passing away of Professor Ved Prakash Nanada, a prominent member of the Indian diaspora in the US. Offering his condolences to the family members of Nanda, PM Modi said he was passionate about strong India-USA relations. “Deeply saddened by the passing away of Professor Ved Prakash Nanda Ji, a distinguished academic whose contributions to the legal field are invaluable. His work highlights his strong commitment to legal education. He was also a prominent member of the Indian diaspora in USA and was passionate about strong India-USA relations. Condolences to his family and friends. Om Shanti,” PM Modi said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. Deeply saddened by the passing away of Professor Ved Prakash Nanda Ji, a distinguished academic whose contributions to the legal field are invaluable. His work highlights his strong commitment to legal education. He was also a prominent member of the Indian diaspora i

D-Day is right around the corner. The highly-anticipated ‘Pran Pratishtha’ or consecration ceremony at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya is scheduled for 22 January and preparations are in full-swing for the big day. And before the arrival of the big day , it appears the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, the body in-charge of the temple and its construction, has made its selection of the Ram idol that will be placed inside the premises. A formal announcement is awaited. However, on Monday, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi revealed that the Mysuru-based sculptor Arun Yogiraj’s Ram Lalla idol had been selected, writing on X: “Where Rama is, there is Hanuman. The selection of the idol for the Prana Pratishtapana of Lord Rama in Ayodhya has been finalised. Renowned sculptor of our country, our proud Mr @yogiraj_arun.” “ಎಲ್ಲಿ ರಾಮನೋ ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಹನುಮನು” ಅಯೋಧ್ಯೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಶ್ರೀರಾಮನ ಪ್ರಾಣ ಪ್ರತಿಷ್ಠಾಪನಾ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ಕೆ ವಿಗ್ರಹ ಆಯ್ಕೆ ಅಂತಿಮಗೊಂಡಿದೆ. ನಮ್ಮ ನಾಡಿನ ಹೆಸರಾಂತ ಶಿಲ್ಪಿ ನಮ್ಮ ಹೆಮ್ಮೆಯ ಶ್ರೀ @yogiraj_arun ಅವರು ಕೆತ

The Indian Space Research Organisation, or ISRO, Monday launched X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) from the first launch-pad, SDSC-SHAR, at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. The launch of XPoSat marks India’s first satellite launch in 2023 and comes after the Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya L1 mission by the Indian space department. #WATCH | PSLV-C58 XPoSat Mission launch | ISRO launches X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) from the first launch-pad, SDSC-SHAR, Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. (Source: ISRO) pic.twitter.com/ua96eSPIcJ — ANI (@ANI) January 1, 2024 XPoSat stands as the world’s second X-ray polarimetry mission, following NASA’s launch of the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) in December 2021. 'POEM-3 being scripted' After the launch of XPoSat, ISRO took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to inform that the lift-off was normal and the satellite has been launched successfully. PSLV-C58/XPoSat Mission: Lift-off normal 🙂 🛰️XPoSat satellite is launched

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is gearing up for a groundbreaking start to 2024 with the launch of its maiden X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat), a space-based observatory designed to explore X-ray polarization and its cosmic sources, including celestial entities like black holes, neutron stars, and magnetars. Scheduled to lift off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 9:10 am on Monday, the PSLV-C58 rocket will carry the primary payload, XPoSat, along with 10 other satellites destined for deployment in low-earth orbits. XPoSat’s Mission XPoSat stands as the world’s second X-ray polarimetry mission, following NASA’s launch of the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) in 2021. Notably, XPoSat will operate within the medium X-ray band, distinguishing it from IXPE, which focuses on the soft X-ray band. If successful, India will secure its position as the second country globally to launch an advanced astronomy observatory dedicated to studying the i

President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared New Year greetings with the country on Monday, wishing for happiness, peace, prosperity and good health for everyone. ‘Welcome New Year with renewed commitment’ Extending her New Year’s wishes, President Murmu said: “Warm New Year greetings to all! May the Year 2024 bring happiness, peace and prosperity for everyone.” “Let us welcome the New Year with a renewed commitment to contribute to inclusive and sustainable development,” the President of India said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. Warm New Year greetings to all! May the Year 2024 bring happiness, peace and prosperity for everyone. Let us welcome the New Year with a renewed commitment to contribute to inclusive and sustainable development. — President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) January 1, 2024 'Wishing everyone a splendid 2024!' In his wish to people on New Year's, PM Modi said: "Wishing everyone a splendid 2024! May this year