India’s first moon lander Vikram successfully separated from its mother spacecraft Chandrayaan-2 on Monday at 1.15 a.m., said Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). According to ISRO, the Vikram Lander is currently located in an orbit of 119 km x 127 km. The Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter continues to orbit the Moon in its existing orbit. The Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft comprises three segments — the Orbiter (weighing 2,379 kg, eight payloads), the lander ‘Vikram’ (1,471 kg, four payloads) and rover ‘Pragyan’ (27 kg, two payloads). Vikram also carries Pragyan. The health of the Orbiter and Lander is being monitored from the Mission Operations Complex…
Author: Our Correspondent
A meeting between Kulbhushan Jadhav and Indian Charge d’Affaires Gaurav Ahluwalia is currently underway here on Monday after Pakistan formally granted consular access to the Indian national in line with the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). According to The Express Tribune, the venue of the meeting is not known due to the sensitivity attached to the matter. The meeting comes after India announced that it was accepting the offer of consular access to Jadhav. India said it hoped Pakistan would ensure “right atmosphere” for the meeting, so that the meeting is “free, fair, meaningful and effective in…
Over 6,000 participants from 196 countries are likely to attend the 14th session of the 12-day Conference of Parties (COP14), starting here on Monday. The conference, being organised by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), will be inaugurated by Union Minister Prakash Javadekar and UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw. The theme of this COP14 is ‘Investing in the land, unlocking opportunities’. “Close to a quarter of our land is now almost unusable. By the middle of the century, we will have to produce twice as much grain as we do today to keep up with global population growth. If…
A man was arrested while trying to enter Parliament premises with a knife on Monday morning. He is being interrogated by Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Eish Singhal. An alert has been sounded in the New Delhi district following the arrest. Singhal told IANS: “Sagar, 25, was arrested from gate no. 1. He hails from Laxmi Nagar and is connected with a religious organisation. He is being questioned at the Parliament Street police station. Intelligence Bureau officials have also arrived for questioning.” According to Singhal, “We have recovered a knife from him and also the motorcycle on which he arrived…
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday greeted the nation on Ganesh Chaturthi, a festival that celebrates the birth of Lord Ganesha. Modi took to Twitter and said: “Ganpati Bappa Morya! Wishing everyone a blessed Ganesh Chaturthi.” Bharatiya Janata Party President and Union Homes Minister Amit Shah posted a quote in Sanskrit and a photo of Lord Ganesha also on the micro-blogging site. Meanwhile, Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi in a statement said: “Ganesh Chaturthi is a festival which symbolises the cultural unity of the country and brings people together in an atmosphere of happiness. This festival gives a message of…
In the first meeting with Kulbhushan Jadhav, incarcerated in a Pakistani military prison since his arrest on charges of alleged espionage three years ago, Indian Charge d’Affaires Gaurav Ahluwalia will be meeting Jadhav on Monday, in keeping with the International Court of Justice’s direction in July. India said it hoped Pakistan would ensure “right atmosphere” for the meeting, so that the meeting is “free, fair, meaningful and effective in keeping with the letter and spirit of the ICJ orders”. A day after Pakistan said it would provide consular access to Jadhav, the second time since its first offer made on…
Slamming the commentaries in foreign media about the National Register of Citizens (NRC) as “incorrect”, India on Sunday said that NRC is a “statutory, transparent, legal process” mandated by the Supreme Court and a “non-discriminatory process, which leaves no room for bias and injustice.” In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said the NRC application form does not ask for the religion of the applicant and it is “not an executive-driven process”. “The process is being monitored by the Supreme Court directly and the government is acting in accordance with the directives issued by the court,” the statement by…
The Indian space agency on Sunday evening successfully completed the fifth and final lunar bound orbit change for the Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft. According to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the spacecraft’s maneuver began at 6.21 p.m. using its onboard propulsion system for 52 seconds. The orbit achieved is 119 km x 127 km. All spacecraft parameters are normal. The next crucial operation is the separation of Vikram, the lander, from the spacecraft scheduled on September 2 at 12.45 p.m. -1.45 p.m. After Vikram’s separation, there will be two de-orbital operations on September 3 and 4 so that it could soft land…
BJP President and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday once again lashed out at the Congress for its opposition to the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution in Jammu and Kashmir. Speaking at an event at Dadra, Nagar Haveli, Shah said the Congress has given up on “parampara” (tradition) of rising above party politics when it comes to national interest. “They went and stood with those who chanted ‘Bharat tere tukde honge, Insha Allah, Insha Allah’. They questioned our forces when they launched attack against Pakistan… Now they are objecting to Article 370 being axed,” thundered Shah. Shah…
In a reshuffle on Sunday, President Ram Nath Kovind announced the appointment of five new Governors in the states of Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala and Telangana. Prominent Muslim face and former Congress leader Arif Mohammed Khan has been appointed the new Kerala Governor, replacing P. Sathasivam. Khan had earlier quit the Rajiv Gandhi government over the Shah Bano case and has been cited many times by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in triple talaq debates. He has also supported the Centre on its Article 370 move. The 68-year-old former Cabinet Minister hails from Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh. Tamil Nadu BJP…