Month: August 2023

Chandrayaan-3’s Lander to Separate from Spacecraft and Russia’s spacecraft entered the moon’s orbit

Manish Kumar

India’s ambitious moon mission Chandrayaan-3 successfully completed its fifth and final lunar-bound orbit maneuver.  Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander is scheduled to separate from the spacecraft’s propulsion module today.  The lander and rover, Pragyaan, are expected to land on the Moon on August 23.   Once on the Moon, the Vikram lander will photograph the Pragyaan rover, which will deploy its instruments to study seismic activity on the lunar surface.  Chandrayaan-3 was launched into space by the LVM3 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on July 14.  On the…

Session on Family Boards held at T-Hub The role of the board is to govern and not rule: V. Ramakrishnan, one of the two speakers

Manish Kumar

Hyderabad, August 16, 2023…..FICCI Ladies Organisation(FLO) organised a unique “Women on Family Boards” session at T-Hub at Madhapur. V. Ramakrishnan, Founder and MD of Organisation Devt Pvt. Ltd, Singapore and Kasturi Balaji, Trustee of Palkivala Foundation addressed the 100-plus FLO members. The seminar series on the subject is the brainchild of Ms Sudha Sivkumar, FLO National President. Usharani Manne was Day Chair for the event. Welcoming the gathering Ritu Shah, Chairperson, quoting Indra Nooyi said, Leadership is hard to define and good leadership even harder. But, if you can get…

Ukraine’s Military Resources “Almost Exhausted”, Claims Russia; Ukraine recaptures settlement in Donetsk region, claims Ukraine

Manish Kumar

“Despite comprehensive assistance from the West, Ukraine’s armed forces are unable to achieve results,” Sergei Shoigu said at a security conference in Moscow.   While Ukraine has claimed gains around the war-torn city of Bakhmut in its east, Russia has claimed advances around the town of Kupiansk in the northeastern Kharkiv region.  Russia ‘almost certainly’ deploying aerial vehicles based on Iranian Shahed’s.  Ukraine recaptures settlement in Donetsk region, official claims. Kharkiv residents finally leave after mandatory evacuations.  Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday that Ukraine’s military resources were “almost…

IndiGo co-founder’s family to sell shares worth $450 million: Read to know who is Rakesh Gangwal

Manish Kumar

Family of IndiGo’s co-founder, Rakesh Gangwal, is looking to sell shares worth $450 million through a block deal, according to a media report.  Rakesh Gangwal and his wife Shobha Gangwal are likely to sell their shares for a starting price of 2,400 rupees ($29) each, which is almost six percent less than the going market rate.  Rakesh is an Indian business magnate and has served as the chairman and former CEO of the US Airways Group.  After falling into a feud with his friend and co-founder, Rahul, he resigned from…

Read to know the countries share their Independence Day with India

Manish Kumar

Not just India, 5 other nations celebrate their Independence Day on 15 August.  The 5 countries which share their Independence Day with India are South Korea, North Korea, the Republic of Congo, Bahrain, and Liechtenstein.   South Korea celebrates its National Liberation Day on 15 August, as on this day, in 1945, the Korean peninsula became free from Japanese occupation by the US and Soviet forces.  Liechtenstein, the sixth smallest nation in the world, yet among the richest countries in Europe, observes 15 August as its Independence Day to commemorate…

China’s fertility rate drops to record low 1.09 in 2022: Xi Jinping’s new headache

Manish Kumar

China’s fertility rate is estimated to have dropped to a record low of 1.09 in 2022.  China’s fertility rate is already one of the world’s lowest alongside South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore.  President Xi Jinping in May presided over a meeting to study the topic.  China has said it will focus on education, science, and technology to improve population quality and strive to maintain a “moderate fertility” level to support economic growth in the future.  Gender discrimination and traditional stereotypes of women caring for their children are still…

India and UAE make landmark move: India makes crude oil payment in Indian rupees

Manish Kumar

India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have embarked on a groundbreaking move by opting to settle their crude oil transactions using their respective national currencies.  This comes as a result of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the UAE on July 15.  It paves the way for cross-border transactions using the Indian rupee and the UAE dirham.  One of the key benefits of this pioneering LCS system is the reduction in transaction time and costs.   By eliminating the need for intermediary…

10,000 Kuki-Zo women Protest in Manipur’s Kangpokpi District; against Amit Shah’s remark

Manish Kumar

Around ten thousand Kuki-Zo women participated in the sit-in-protest against Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remark in the Parliament.   The protestors held placards with messages for Mr. Shah.  Amit Shah said in the Lok Sabha problems started in Manipur with the influx of Kuki refugees from neighbouring Myanmar after the military rulers there started a crackdown against militants in 2021.  The protestors, on their placards, said their existence in the area predates British rule when international boundaries were drawn in Manipur.  The “Manipur mayhem” is a pre-planned ethnic cleansing…

Highlights of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s 77th Independence Day address on giant strides India took in telecom sector

Manish Kumar

On the momentous occasion of 77th Independence Day, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addressed to the Nation from the Ramparts of Red Fort in New Delhi, highlighting the remarkable strides the country has taken in the technological landscape and emphasizing the significance of a digitally empowered India. In his address, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi highlighted the remarkable transformation in India’s digital landscape. He underscored the rapid strides made in bringing internet connectivity to the remotest corners of the country and internet is reaching to every village, ensuring that the benefits…

Subsidy of Rs. 10 lakh crore for providing cheaper Urea to farmers: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi

Manish Kumar

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi during his Independence Day speech at Red Fort said that the government allocated Rs 10 lakh crore as urea subsidy for farmers. He said “To give urea that costs Rs 3,000 per bag globally at a cheaper rate of Rs. 300 per bag to farmers, the government allocated Rs 10 lakh crore as urea subsidy.” The PM informed the nation from Red Fort that bags of urea which are sold at Rs. 3,000 in some global markets are being given to farmers at not more than…