PATAN [Maha Media]: An FIR has been filed against 15 students from a medical college in Patan, Gujarat, following the tragic death of an 18-year-old student, Anil Methaniya. Authorities report that Methaniya was allegedly ragged by seniors, leading to this unfortunate incident.

The accused, all second-year MBBS students, reportedly subjected their juniors, including Methaniya, to prolonged mental and physical torture. The events allegedly took place in a hostel room, where the juniors were made to stand for several hours, among other demeaning activities.

The victim's declining health during the ordeal resulted in his collapse and subsequent death. Officials have suspended the accused from the college and its hostel as investigations continue, with charges including culpable homicide and wrongful confinement filed against them.
 

BHOPAL [Maha Media]: Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education (MPBSE) has sent letters to district collectors, instructing them to identify suitable exam centers. The board emphasised that no student should have to take the exam while seated on floor mats, as had been the case in previous years.

Approximately 4k exam centers will be established across the state, with the majority being set up in private schools. MPBSE will begin 10th and 12th board exams on February 25, 2025. This year, around 1.7 million students are expected to appear for the exams. Collectors have been instructed to ensure that all centres have proper seating arrangements, with furniture transported from nearby schools if needed.

Under no circumstances should furniture be rented from tent houses. During last yearís exams, there were numerous complaints from various districts about inadequate seating arrangements, forcing students to sit on floor mats.

Despite clear directives from MPBSE that centres without proper chairs and tables should not be designated as exam centresóor should at least arrange furniture from nearby schools if necessaryósuch issues still arose. Sensitive exam centres will be monitored through CCTV cameras. An additional budget of Rs1 lakh will be provided to each district collector to cover transport and other logistical needs.

Before finalising any exam centre, collectors must confirm that the school has basic amenities like toilets, furniture, electricity, water, computers and printers.

Additionally, CCTV cameras will be mandatory at sensitive and highly sensitive exam centres. Schools where CCTV cameras are not functional must be repaired before exams. If repairing is not possible, alternative video recording arrangements will have to be made to ensure strict monitoring.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: British author Samantha Harvey has won the 2024 Booker Prize for her “ambitious and beautiful” ‘Orbital’, which becomes the first novel set in space to win the GBP 50,000 literary prize selected from a historic shortlist that was dominated by women this year.

‘Orbital’, the biggest-selling book on the shortlist in the UK, takes place over a single day in the life of six astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station who observe 16 sunrises and sunsets on Earth spinning past continents and cycling past seasons.

It was named the winner at a ceremony at Old Billingsgate in the City of London on Tuesday evening after the judges described it as a compact yet beautifully expansive novel which invites readers to observe Earth’s splendour whilst reflecting on the individual and collective value of every human life.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The results for the Delhi University Students' Union elections will be declared on November 21, almost two months after the polls were held, according to university officials.

The elections were held on September 27 and the results were originally scheduled to be announced the next day. Out of 1.45 lakh eligible voters, 51,379 students cast their votes this year, marking the lowest turnout in at least 10 years.

The election had resulted in widespread defacement of public spaces by campaign materials. The Delhi High Court took cognizance of the matter and stayed the results until all defacement issues were addressed.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The Supreme Court on Friday declined to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking a direction for the appointment of a 'Yoga Mitra' in all schools across the country.

"We cannot direct the government to appoint ‘Yoga Mitra’ in all schools. These are matters of policy. There is no doubt about the fact that yoga contributes to all-round development. The question is can the court direct the government to appoint ‘Yoga Mitra’ in all schools? That’s not our function and that’s for the government to do," a bench, headed by CJI D.Y. Chandrachud, said.

When the Bench, also comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, proceeded to dictate a dismissal order, the PIL litigant sought liberty to withdraw the petition.

Ultimately, the PIL was dismissed as withdrawn.

The PIL, filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, said that the appointment of ‘Yoga Mitra’ in all schools will be beneficial for the overall development of children of 6-14 years but will also enhance their knowledge, potentiality and talent.

"Right to Health guaranteed under Article 21 and Right to Education guaranteed under Article 21A are not only supplementary and complementary to each other but also the most important fundamental right as other rights are meaningless without it. Right to health includes prevention-protection of health and is a minimum requirement to enable children to live with dignity," it said, adding that the state governments have not only a constitutional obligation to appoint ‘Yoga Mitra’ in schools but also to ensure the creation and sustaining of conditions congenial to good health.

"Article 21 read with Articles 39 and 47, casts the duty on the State to take appropriate steps to improve the health of the citizens, particularly children and provide the necessary information, instruction, training and supervision in this regard,” the PIL contended. It stressed that it is the duty of the state governments to appoint ‘Yoga Mitra’ in schools in the spirit of Section 29 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act read with Articles 21, 21A, 39 and 47 of the Constitution.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The Government has approved the PM-Vidyalaxmi scheme to provide financial support to meritorious students. Briefing media in New Delhi today on the decisions taken in the Cabinet meeting, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, students will be eligible to get collateral-free and guarantor-free loans to pursue higher education. He said the scheme has been introduced so that financial constraints do not prevent any youth of India from pursuing quality higher education.

As per the scheme, loan amount up to 7.5 lakhs rupees will be provided 75 percent credit guarantee by the government to support banks to expand coverage. Three percent interest subvention for loans up to 10 lakh rupees will also be provided during the moratorium period for students with an annual family income of upto eight lakh rupees. This scheme is expected to benefit seven lakh students. To avail the benefit of the scheme, the students can apply on the unified portal PM Vidyalaxmi for an education loan.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: China on Tuesday announced plans to launch its fourth manned mission to replace the crew of its space station and named a three-member squad, including a woman, to man the low-orbit station for the next six months.

China's crewed spaceship Shenzhou-19 is scheduled to be launched at 4.27 a.m.(Beijing Time) on Wednesday from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the country's northwest, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced.

The launch will use a Long March-2F carrier rocket, said Lin Xiqiang, the deputy director of CMSA, at a press conference at the Jiuquan centre.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The Supreme Court has rebuked the Karnataka government for its handling of board examinations, accusing it of unnecessarily pressuring students across different academic classes.

In a ruling delivered on Monday, the court ordered that results for classes 8, 9, and 10 should be withheld until further notice, emphasizing a need for better educational measures rather than administrative obstinacy.

The Karnataka government was instructed to submit comprehensive details about these examinations within four weeks, following concerns raised by Organization for Unaided Recognised Schools against the state's controversial educational policies.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: China sent a new satellite group into space on Tuesday from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province. The 18 satellites are the second batch of the first generation of the Spacesail Constellation, developed to deliver lowlatency, high-speed and ultra-reliable satellite (broadband) internet services to global users, according to the launch service provider China Great Wall Industry Corporation, a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). 

The satellite group was launched at 7:06 p.m. (Beijing Time) aboard a modified Long March-6 carrier rocket and entered its preset orbit successfully. The modified Long March-6 launch vehicle is a new-generation Chinese medium launcher featuring a configuration of liquid core stages and four solid strap-on boosters. It was developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, a subsidiary of CASC. It has a designed capacity of over 4,500 kg for a 700 km sun synchronous orbit. This mission is its 8th launch. 

The launch marks the 539th flight mission of the Long March carrier rocket series. China sent the first batch of the first-generation Spacesail satellites into space on Aug. 6 from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center.
 

UDAIPUR [Maha Media]: President Droupadi Murmu will be on a two-day visit to Rajasthan beginning today. During her visit, the President will attend the 32nd convocation of Mohanlal Sukhadia University at Udaipur. 

Tomorrow, the President will attend the global summit organised by Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya at Mount Abu. She will also be present in the Adi Gaurav Samman Samaroh organised by the Rajasthan Government.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered SpaceX to investigate a malfunction that occurred during a NASA astronaut mission, grounding the Falcon 9 rocket for the third time in three months. The rocket's second stage failed to properly re-light its engine for its 'deorbit burn,' causing the booster to fall outside of the designated safety zone in the Pacific Ocean.

The NASA astronaut crew safely reached the International Space Station as planned, with no reported injuries or property damage. SpaceX confirmed the second stage experienced an 'off-nominal deorbit burn' and landed outside the targeted area. The company stated it would resume launches once it understands the root cause of the issue.

This incident follows previous malfunctions in July and August, which also resulted in Falcon 9 groundings. Despite these setbacks, SpaceX has maintained a rigorous launch schedule, far outpacing its competitors. Tensions between SpaceX and the FAA have heightened over launch licensing regulations and fines imposed on the company.

The current grounding does not impact SpaceX's next-generation rocket, Starship, which is awaiting FAA approval for its fifth flight test. Starship testing involves more ambitious objectives than previous missions.
 

INDORE [Maha Media]: Ojasvi Gupta, a 21-year-old girl from Indore who studied in the prestigious NIT Trichy, has been missing since two weeks now. The girl has cited torture, mental harassment, and discrimination at the college in her last letter recovered from her hostel room.

"Everything was going great. A few days ago, I became the CR of my class, and since then I have been subjected to mental harassment. People could not digest the fact that I, being a North Indian, became the CR," the letter read.

In the last page of the 4-page letter, Ojasvi wrote, "Bye, bye." Nobody is to blame. I couldn't take the mental pressure," suggesting she might have resorted to the extreme step.

For now, a missing case has been registered by the Tamil Nadu police, and the parents of the girl were informed. Further investigations are underway.

CCTV footage shows the girl leaving the NIT campus alone early in the morning.

According to information, 21-year-old Ojasvi Gupta, a resident of Indore city went missing from the NIT Trichy campus in Tamil Nadu. The missing report was filed about 15 days ago and there has been no development till now. Ojasvi's father, Nitesh Gupta said that he had a conversation with her daughter the night before she went missing and she claimed that everything was fine. The next morning, he called her and there was no response. Hours later, Nitesh got a call from the NIT campus asking him about the whereabouts of her daughter. The campus officials told him to file a missing persons complaint at the police station. Her parents and brother reached Trichy campus and are there ever since.

According to sources, Ojasvi did not take any belongings with her. Her ATM card, Aadhar Card, and other important documents were still in her hostel room. Moreover, her mobile phone is switched off since September 15; the day she went missing.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]:Amid heavy security, more than 1.45 lakh students cast their votes in the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections at the varsity’s North and South campuses on Friday. The Delhi University which underwent elections was a scene of raucous activity, with candidates’ supporters still hard at distributing pamphlets and throwing flyers while students queued up at colleges to cast their votes.

The counting for the DUSU polls will be held only after October 21, when the Delhi High Court, which halted the process over defacement of public property by candidates, will hear the matter next, an election officer said on Friday. Rajesh Singh, Returning Officer for DUSU elections, said the counting of votes will take place after the next court hearing.

“The court will now hear the matter on October 21. Only after that will we be able to decide when the counting will take place,” he said.”It is likely the counting will be done after the court’s hearing,” he said.

Students stood in long lines at their colleges with the hope of seeing improvement in campus infrastructure, also women’s safety, a major issue.The voting was held in two phases, remained peaceful and except one or two incidents.

The race for the post of president is expected to be a close one between ABVP’s Rishabh Chaudhary, NSUI’s Rounak Khatri and AISA’s Saavy Gupta. The ABVP, the NSUI, the left-wing student body All India Students’ Association (AISA) and the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) have exuded confidence that their respective candidates would win.

After the voting, the student’s organizations- thanked students who cast their votes.

According to the office of chief election officer, DUSU, a total of 1,45,893 students from 52 colleges had cast their votes till 5.45 pm to elect a new president, vice president, secretary and joint secretary. The data for the remaining colleges is yet to be released. Heavy police deployment was made at both North and South campuses for smooth conduct of the elections. Police personnel were seen patrolling the campus on motorcycles. Polling was held in two phases. Students of morning colleges cast their votes till 1 pm and the second phase of polling for students of evening colleges started at 3 pm and continued till 7.30 pm.

Meanwhile, campus tea and food stalls, busy enough on usual days, made brisk business as students gathered there to discuss their political opinion. Several students have complained that they couldn’t cast their vote as they did not receive their identity cards.

A total of 21 candidates, eight are in the fray for the post of president, five for vice president, and four each for the posts of secretary and joint secretary.

The RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the Congress-backed National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), the left-wing student body All India Students’ Association (AISA) and the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) are the key players this year.

Currently, the ABVP has the maximum number of seats in the student body and holds the posts of president, vice president and joint secretary. The NSUI holds the secretary’s post.

“The ABVP has been extensively campaigning for the elections for the past few days. We were able to reach out to around one lakh students during this period. The ABVP has had a strong presence in the DUSU for many years. We have consistently stood by the students and raised their concerns. “As a result, we are seeing a positive response and getting support from the students. We are confident that the students are with us and the ABVP will win the polls 4-0,” said ABVP national general secretary Yagywalkya Shukla.

NSUI president Varun Chaudhary said, “This year’s elections are not ordinary. They are crucial for saving the university. Over the years, a culture of violence has emerged in the university because of the ABVP. We have promised a violence-free campus.”

“In addition, we have also pledged to address issues like paper leaks and fee control,” he said. Rishabh Chaudhary, who hails from Ganaur, Sonipat, graduated from Shyam Lal College and is currently a student of the Department of Buddhist Studies. Saavy Gupta is a third-year law student at Law Centre-2.In the fray for the post of vice president are ABVP’s Bhanu Pratap Singh, NSUI’s Yash Nandal and AISA’s Ayush Mondal.

The ABVP has fielded Mitravinda Karanwal, a third-year student of History (Hons) at Laxmibai College, as its candidate for the post of secretary. She is up against NSUI’s Namrata Jeph Meena and SFI’s Anamika K.Aman Kapasia, a Hindi (Hons) graduate from PGDAV Evening College, is the ABVP’s pick for the post of joint secretary and will take on NSUI’s Lokesh Choudhary and SFI’s Sneha Aggarwal.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Thursday recently released the guidelines for the implementation of 10 bagless days in schools. The guidelines have been bifurcated in three parts namely science, environment and technology, Public Offices, Local Industries and Businesses and Art, Culture and History. These guidelines include Visit to a Bird Sanctuary, Cycle Rally on ‘Go-Green’, identification of Plants, Trees and Birds around school, visits to villages, panchayat offices, puppetry and others.

As stated by the board in the letter, under these guidelines, students may visit historical monuments, cultural sites, craft canters, places of tourist interest and many more. They can meet local artists and craftsmen, which can broaden their understanding of different concepts and traditions, and help them appreciate the importance of preserving heritage. More importantly, it helps to inculcate a love for going to school every day. When students enjoy their school experience, they are more likely to be motivated to learn and to develop a lifelong love for education. 
 

JAIPUR [Maha Media]: President Droupadi Murmu will begin a three-state visit to Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand from today. In Jaipur today, she will attend the convocation of Malaviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT), as the chief guest and deliver the convocation address. The President will also inaugurate a new “Aravali Hostel” for students. Governor of Rajasthan, Haribhau Kisanrao Bagde and Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma will also attend the programme.

According to the correspondent reports that Director of MNIT, Prof. Narayan Prasad Padhi has informed that a total of 1361 degrees will be awarded in the convocation. Of these, 402 degrees will be awarded to girl students.

In the afternoon, the President will leave for Madhya Pradesh on a two day visit. During her visit, she will attend various programmes in Indore and Ujjain. President Smt Droupadi Murmu will visit Mrignayani emporium at Indore on the first day of her visit today and will meet the artisans who have earned fame for their skills. Mriganyani is the main handloom saree centre of the MP Government.

The President will address Safai Mitra Sammelan and lay the foundation stone for the Indore-Ujjain Six Lane Road Project at Ujjain tomorrow. The President will also visit the Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple. She will also interact with the sculptors of Shrimahakal Lok.

On the same day, she will grace the 14th convocation of Devi Ahilya University at Indore. Sanjeev Sharma, Akashvani News, Bhopal. On Friday, President Murmu will grace and address the centenary celebration of the ICAR-National Institute of Secondary Agriculture Ranchi in Jharkhand.

IMPHAL [Maha Media]: The Manipur government has said that schools and colleges, which have remained closed due to the prevailing law and order situation, will reopen on Tuesday and normal classes will resume.

Schools and colleges were closed on September 7 after rocket attacks killed one person and injured several others. The institutions continued to remain closed as students hit the streets demanding the return of peace to the ethnic strife-torn state. They clashed with security forces, prompting the imposition of curfew in several districts.

Orders for the reopening of schools and colleges were issued by the Directorate of Education (Schools) and the Higher and Technical Education Department on Monday night.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The rings of Saturn are some of the most famous and spectacular objects in the Solar System. Earth may once have had something similar.

In a paper published last week in Earth & Planetary Science Letters, my colleagues and I present evidence that Earth may have had a ring.

The existence of such a ring, forming around 466 million years ago and persisting for a few tens of millions of years, could explain several puzzles in our planet’s past.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: CBSE has fixed the exam application date, fees etc. for 10th – 12th board exams. Registration for class 9th – 11th has also started.

This time the board has announced to conduct the exams for the said classes in February, while practical exams will be conducted from January 1. CBSE Board has recently issued a circular regarding registration and exam form. Registration fee has been mentioned in the circular. This time the fee has been fixed at Rs 1500 for five subjects. Registration of students studying in class 9th and 11th has started.

Practical fee Rs 150: According to the circular, Rs 300 has been fixed for additional subjects. Practical fee for each subject has been fixed at Rs 150 for practical exam. Main exams will start from February 15 and practical exams from January 1. Along with this, CBSE Board has abolished this fee for getting a migration certificate. Now the migration certificate will be uploaded directly to the student’s DIGilocker, from where the student can download it anytime.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: US private space company SpaceX launched 21 Starlink satellites into orbit. 

According to SpaceX, the satellites were launched aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 11:33 a.m. Eastern Time on Thursday. Shortly after the launch, Falcon 9's first-stage booster returned and landed on a droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. 

SpaceX later confirmed the deployment of the 21 satellites.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has signed an MoU with the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG) for scientific collaboration in the domain of space science, technology and exploration. The event took place in ISRO Headquarters, Bengaluru, and was presided by Dr. Somanath S., Chairman, ISRO/Secretary, Department of Space (DOS). The pact was signed by Shantanu Bhatawdekar, Scientific Secretary, ISRO and Prof. A.P. Dimri, Director, IIG. This collaboration will facilitate formulation of joint programme in the scientific understanding of the Sun-Earth connection, as well as exploration of space, ISRO said in an upate. 

IIG is an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India,
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]:Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar has said that India cannot become a developed nation if women are not participants in its growth. He was addressing an interactive session on “Role of Women in Viksit Bharat” at Bharati College, University of Delhi, today. Mr Dhankhar said that women are the most important stakeholders in the making of Viksit Bharat. He said that girls and women have energy and talent, and creating an ecosystem is a must for their optimal participation. 

The Vice President also stressed women-led empowerment. Expressing pain over the Kolkata rape and murder incident, the Vice President said that where women and girls do not feel safe, that society is not a civilized society. He called upon everyone to resolve to create a system of zero accommodation and zero tolerance for such outrageous incidents of violence. The Vice President said that the Uniform Civil Code is a constitutional ordainment and is part of the Directive Principles. 

He said it will help in several ways, but majorly, it will be a measure of justice for women. He said that India is heading fast towards becoming a mature, sophisticated, and formal economy. The Vice President also said that the nation is on track to create a robust industrial ecosystem.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The registration window for the Joint Admission Test for Masters (JAM) 2025, to be organised by IIT Delhi, will open on the 3rd of September this year. Candidates can apply online through the JAM application portal for admissions to various Masters programs for the academic year 2025-26. The registration window will close on the 11th of October. The examination will be held on 2nd of February, 2025. Candidates who have completed an undergraduate degree or are currently studying in the final year of undergraduate programs are eligible to apply for the JAM 2025 examination.

There is no age restriction. JAM 2025 will be conducted as a computer-based test in seven test papers, namely, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Economics, Geology, Mathematics, Mathematical Statistics, and Physics, in over 100 cities across the country.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: India recorded a significant 19.3 per cent drop in particulate pollution in 2022 compared to 2021, the second-highest reduction in the world after Bangladesh, adding an average of one year to the life expectancy of every citizen, according to a new report.

The annual report, ''Air Quality Life Index'' 2024, by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) also said that Indians are likely to lose 3.6 years of life expectancy if the country fails to meet the World Health Organisation's annual PM2.5 concentration standard of 5 micrograms per cubic metre.

The researchers attributed the decline in particulate levels in India and other South Asian countries primarily to favourable meteorological conditions and a reduced number of thermal inversions -- when a layer of warm air traps cooler air near the ground, causing pollution to build up.

PM2.5 concentrations in India in 2022 were around 9 micrograms per cubic metre (19.3 per cent) lower compared to 2021.

The most significant declines were observed in Purulia and Bankura districts of West Bengal, followed by Dhanbad, Purbi, Paschim Singhbhum, Paschim Medinipur and Bokaro districts in Jharkhand. In each of these districts, PM2.5 concentrations dropped by over 20 micrograms per cubic metre.

The report said that the northern plains, the most polluted region in India, saw a 17.2 per cent reduction in particulate levels in 2022 compared to 2021.

However, despite this improvement, the average resident in this region is still likely to lose about 5.4 years of life expectancy if the current pollution levels persist. On the other hand, if the decline in particulate levels continues at the same rate in the coming years, life expectancy in the northern plains could increase by 1.2 years, it said.

''The report clearly shows that even a modest reduction in air pollution levels could lead to increased life expectancy. Air pollution, even at low levels, significantly shortens lives and poses serious public health risks.

''Our current national air quality standards fall short of protecting public health and must be revised in line with World Health Organisation guidelines. We have the tools and technologies to solve the air pollution crisis, what we need now is the political will to implement them,'' said Avinash Chanchal, Campaign Manager, Greenpeace India.

The report said that PM2.5 concentrations declined by 19 per cent on average in districts with cities covered by India's flagship programme on air quality management, the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), while districts not covered by the programme saw a 16 per cent decline.

However, barring Dhanbad, none of the districts with the highest decline in PM2.5 concentrations are covered by the NCAP framework.

Launched in 2019, the NCAP is India's first national effort to set clean air targets, aiming for a 20-30 per cent reduction in particulate pollution by 2024, using 2017 as the base year. The revised target is a 40 per cent reduction by 2026, with 2019-20 as the base year.

The programme covers 131 non-attainment cities, which consistently failed to meet the prescribed national ambient air quality standards between 2011 and 2015.

''As of 2022, pollution in districts with non-attainment cities has declined by 18.8 per cent relative to 2017, adding 10.8 months to the life expectancy of 446.7 million residents of these districts and four months to India's national average life expectancy,'' the report said.

If India meets the NCAP target, residents in non-attainment areas could see their life expectancy increase by two years compared to 2017. India's national average life expectancy would also increase by an additional 7.8 months as a result, it said.

The EPIC team emphasised that in India, where the annual PM2.5 standard is 40 micrograms per cubic metre, more than 40 per cent of the population breathes air that exceeds this standard.

However, India is responding by implementing innovative policies. In 2019, Gujarat launched the world's first market for particulate pollution, which has since reduced pollution by 20-30 per cent in Surat and is rapidly expanding to other cities and states.

These types of innovative policies demonstrate that it is possible to achieve improvements in air quality and people's health, without unduly impeding economic growth, the researchers said.

The report also praised India's clean cooking programme, the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, saying that the decline in emissions from the residential sector in India can largely be attributed to the nationwide rollout of this scheme.

It attributed the reduction in transport-related emissions to the decreased use of diesel in the transport sector.
 

BHOPAL [Maha Media]: Three teachers of the state have received the National Teacher Award for the year 2024. This announcement has been made by the Union Ministry of Education, New Delhi.

The 3 teachers of Madhya Pradesh who have been selected for the National Award are Shri Madhav Prasad Patel, teacher Government Middle School Lidhora District Damoh and Sushri Sunita Godha, Government High School Khajuria Sarang District Mandsaur. Besides, Sunita Gupta, teacher of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Dhamangaon of Dindori district has also received the National Level Teacher Award.

The National Level Teacher Honour Ceremony will be held in New Delhi on 5 September on Teachers’ Day. The selected teachers will be awarded a silver medal, a citation and an honorarium of Rs 50 thousand.

Education Minister greets

School Education Minister Uday Pratap Singh has greeted the teachers honoured with the National Teacher Award. He said that the hard work of teachers doing outstanding work is always held in high regards. He expressed hope that the work of these teachers will inspire other teachers as well.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has recommended a new evaluation model that integrates students' performance from Classes 9, 10, and 11 into their Class 12 board results. The recommendations were detailed in a report titled 'Establishing Equivalence across Education Boards,' released in July.

The report proposed a progressive assessment framework for assessing students in Classes 10 and 12, dividing the academic year into two terms. It recommended that Class 12 board results now incorporate marks from Classes 9, 10, and 11. The weighting will progressively increase the emphasis on summative assessment as students advance. For Class 9, the split will be 7% formative and 30% summative. For Class 10, an equal 50% formative and summative division. For Class 11, 40% formative and 60% summative, and for Class 12, a 30% formative and 70% summative ratio.

The cumulative marks at the end of the secondary stage will be 15% for Class 9, 20% for Class 10, 25% for Class 11, and 40% for Class 12. This implies that students' performance over the years will significantly impact their final scores. The proposed framework for Classes 9 through 12 aims to provide a balanced and holistic view of learners' progress through a combination of ongoing (formative) and end-term (summative) assessments.

For Classes 10 and 12, the assessment will be divided into two terms. The terms will feature Classroom Assessments that include Portfolio Assessment, Self Assessment, Peer Assessment, Teacher Observation, Group Work, and Laboratory activities.

The End Term Assessment will continue with competency-based assessments. Teachers will select questions from a question bank using the ITMS. Term II will introduce formative assessments, including Project Work, Paper Presentations with viva voce, and Group Discussions. The summative assessment will consist of various question types, linking with Learning Outcomes based on the question paper design and blueprint.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The Space Applications Centre (ISRO) in Ahmedabad and AlphaMERS Ltd., Bengaluru, formalized their partnership with an MOU signed on July 4, 2024. The collaboration aims to leverage combined resources to develop and refine a robust Artificial Intelligence model designed to identify and profile marine pollution.

The cutting-edge AI technology will focus on detecting macro plastics and oil spills in India's coastal waters through remote sensing capabilities. This initiative underscores a significant step toward environmental conservation and technological advancement in the fight against marine pollution.

The partnership highlights the critical role of interdisciplinary cooperation in addressing environmental challenges, setting a precedent for future scientific collaborations aimed at preserving ocean health.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) ended their hunger strike early Tuesday morning after 17 days of protest against the university administration to press their demands.

According to the students' union, the hunger strike was called off after the JNU administration on Monday agreed to several of its key demands and provided verbal assurances on others.

"Due to the worsening health of the hunger strikers, JNUSU has decided to call off the hunger strike. However, our struggle is far from over. The mode of protest has changed but the fight for our demands continues with renewed determination," the JNUSU said in a statement.
 

LUCKNOW [Maha Media]: Aspirants thronged exam centres across Uttar Pradesh on Saturday for the police constable recruitment exam 2024, conducted for over 60,000 vacancies, under tight security.

Long queues were witnessed at centres in Moradabad and Kanpur, marking the start of exams scheduled on August 23, 24, 25, 30, and 31 at 67 locations statewide. Conducted in two shifts daily, each shift will accommodate about five lakh candidates.

The Uttar Pradesh Police, ensuring smooth proceedings, have implemented extensive security and assistance measures. Joint Commissioner (Law & Order) Amit Verma confirmed, 'Teams are deployed at centres for both security and student facilitation,' while GRP SP Prashant Verma added that dedicated help desks assist candidates, especially those from distant districts.

The security setup includes deployments from the Rapid Action Force (RAF), police, civil defense, Government Railway Police (GRP), and Railway Protection Force (RPF). This re-examination follows orders from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, necessitated by a paper leak earlier this year.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: NASA officials may reach a definite decision as early as Saturday on whether they have approved Boeing's troubled Starliner can return to Earth with its flight crew Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams on board, or whether the spacecraft will be brought back to Earth unmanned and by remote control, the US space agency announced in an official blog. 

"NASA’s decision on whether to return Starliner to Earth with astronauts aboard is expected no earlier than Saturday, August 24 at the conclusion of an agency-level review chaired by Ken Bowersox, the associate administrator of NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate," the release said on Thursday. The agency flight readiness review is where any formal dissents are presented and reconciled, NASA said. 

"Other agency leaders who routinely participate in launch and return readiness reviews for crewed missions include NASA’s administrator, deputy administrator, associate administrator, various agency center directors, the Flight Operations Directorate, and agency technical authorities," the blog said. NASA officials have already said Wilmore and Williams may stay on the International Space Station for another six months, making their stay nine months in all on what was due to have only been a visit of a few days before the Starliner developed five helium leaks and failures of five of its 28 maneuvering thrusters. NASA will host a televised news conference following the review’s conclusion to discuss the agency’s decision and next steps. More information on the news conference will be shared once confirmed. After the agency-level decision, program and flight control teams will continue preparing for Starliner’s return, including training sessions and other actions as appropriate.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) has decided to postpone the Civil Services Examination. The Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) has given this information through a tweet.

MPSC has tweeted “In the commission meeting held, it has been decided to postpone the Maharashtra Gazetted Civil Services Combined Preliminary Examination 2024 scheduled on 25th August 2024. The new exam date will be announced soon.”

This decision comes as aspirants staged protest outside Ahilya Library in Navi Peth, Pune, on Tuesday, August 20. The demonstration was sparked by a recent MPSC notification regarding the preliminary examination scheduled for August 25, 2024.

The protesters voiced their frustration over the MPSC’s decision to exclude 258 positions in the agriculture department from the upcoming examination. They argued that they had been urging the MPSC to include these positions for the past three months, but their requests were ignored.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Over 65,800 candidates have confirmed their undergraduate admission at Delhi University, filling 91.98% of available seats in the first round. The university offers a total of approximately 71,600 undergraduate seats.

A senior university official revealed that out of 83,678 candidates who accepted their allotted seats, 65,483 have confirmed their admission. As of midnight on August 21, 2024, 43,515 candidates opted to upgrade their college or course preference, while 18,478 chose to freeze their admission status.

The allocation acceptance process began on Friday, with 97,387 seats offered in the first round of admission. To ensure optimal seat occupancy, the university made extra allocations, targeting an academic session start on August 29.

DU Dean of Admissions Haneet Gandhi provided an update, noting: "A total of 65,483 candidates had confirmed their seats by submitting fees." The admissions are being conducted for 71,600 seats across 69 colleges and departments, with 1,559 program-college combinations available.

According to records, 2,45,287 candidates applied for Phase I of the Common Seat Allocation System (CSAS(UG)), with 1,85,543 applicants submitting their preferences for program-college combinations in Phase II. The university received a total of 1,72,18,187 preferences. This year, DU introduced a feature on candidates' dashboards to view cutoffs and ranks based on category and quota.

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The Centre on Tuesday asked the UPSC to cancel the latest lateral entry recruitment, amid a row over reservation in the advertised posts.

Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh wrote to Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Chairman Preeti Sudan and asked her to cancel the advertisement so that marginalised communities get their rightful representation in government services.

The UPSC had on August 17 issued a notification for recruiting 45 joint secretaries, directors and deputy secretaries through lateral entry -- referred to as appointment of specialists (including those from the private sector) in government departments.\

The decision had ignited criticism from opposition parties, which claimed it undermined the reservation rights of OBCs, SCs and STs.

In his letter, Singh said that for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reservation in public employment is "a cornerstone of our social justice framework aimed at addressing historical injustices and promoting inclusivity".

"Since these positions have been treated as specialised and designated as single-cadre posts, there has been no provision for reservation in these appointments. This aspect needs to be reviewed and reformed in the context of the Hon'ble Prime Minister's focus on ensuring social justice," Singh said.

"I urge the UPSC to cancel the advertisement for lateral entry recruitment issued on 17.8.2024," he said.

This step would be a significant advance in the pursuit of social justice and empowerment, Singh said.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Starting from the academic year 2024-25, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has introduced a new enrollment procedure for students seeking admission in Open and Distance Learning (ODL) and Online Programmes.

UGC Chairman Prof. Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar told IAS on Wednesday, "This change, effective from September 2024, is aimed at ensuring that students enroll only in approved Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) to offer ODL Programmes and Online Programmes and enhancing transparency in the admissions process. The UGC (ODL Programmes and Online Programmes) Regulations, 2020 set the minimum standards for such programmes, and a list of recognised institutions is available on the UGC Distance Education Bureau website. Recent issues with unrecognised institutions admitting students highlighted the need for this standardised procedure."

To safeguard student interests, the UGC has developed a mechanism requiring students to register on the UGC-DEB web portal and create a unique DEB-ID using their Academic Bank of Credit (ABC)-ID. This DEB-ID will be mandatory for all students enrolling in recognised ODL/Online programmes, except for foreign learners, and will remain valid for their lifetime. HEIs are urged to implement this new admission process efficiently and promote it to new learners to ensure successful adoption and operation, Kumar added.

New procedure for students enrolling in Open and Distance Learning(ODL) or Online Programmes from academic year 2024-25, academic session beginning September 2024 and onwards, to ensure enrolment only in approved HEIs and to enhance transparency in admissions - UGC (ODL Programmes and Online Programmes) Regulations, 2020, stipulated the minimum standards for offering Programmes in Open and Distance Learning mode and Online mode by the Higher Educational Institutions and accordingly, the year-wise list of universities recognised/entitled by the Commission to offer Programmes in ODL/Online mode is in public domain at the UGC Distance Education Bureau website https://deb.ugc.ac.in/.

UGC said that it came to the notice of the Commission in the recent past that few HEIs admitted students in unrecognised ODL/Online Programmes putting the future of students at stake. To address such incidents and to increase the transparency in ODL and Online mode admission, the Commission in its 581st meeting held on June 25, 2024, decided to standardise the admission procedure for students enrolling in ODL and Online mode to safeguard their academic future and career prospects.

Accordingly, UGC developed a mechanism for transparent admission process wherein any student intend to enroll in ODL/Online Programmes shall register on UGC-DEB web portal (URL link: https://deb.ugc.ac.in/ and https://deb.ugc.ac.in/StudentDebId) with their Academic Bank of Credit (ABC)-ID for generating a unique DEB-ID.

All stakeholders are hereby informed that the creation of DEB-ID shall be required for every student (except foreign learners) willing to enroll in ODL/Online programmes in recognised/entitled HEIs from academic year 2024-25, beginning September, 2024 (revised from July-August, 2024) and onwards. The DEB-ID once generated on UGC-DEB web portal will remain valid for lifelong ODL/Online learning, the official added.

Kumar said that all Higher Educational Institutions are requested to expedite the smooth implementation of the new mechanism for ODL and Online mode admission process by doing the requisite API integration process and promote this initiative among new learners to ensure its successful implementation.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Delhi University will observe the 'Partition Horrors Remembrance Day' on August 14 in honour of the victims of the 1947 Partition, an official statement said on Tuesday.

The university under the aegis of the Centre for Independence and Partition Studies will organise various events on the occasion, including a photography exhibition and screening of a short film based on the experiences of partition survivors, it said.

The exhibition will be organised in collaboration with the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA).
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: On 23 August last year, India became the fourth country to land on the moon and the first to reach its southern polar region. To honour this landmark achievement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced August 23 as “National Space Day”. The country will celebrate its maiden National Space Day with the theme “Touching Lives while Touching the Moon: India’s Space Saga.
  
A myriad of events will be held highlighting India’s remarkable achievements in space, profound benefits to society, and boundless opportunities for people from all walks of life to engage with the Indian space programme. A distinguished Scientist of ISRO and Director of U R Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru, M Sankaran spoke exclusively to Akashvani News on the relevance of National Space Day. Mr. Sankaran informed that the President will inaugurate the main event in New Delhi and as a run-up to this event robotic challenges and hackathons are being organised across the country to create awareness about India’s strides in the Space sector.
 

CHENNAI [Maha Media]: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras remained on the top spot in the National Institute Ranking Framework, 2024 for the sixth consecutive year, while the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru was ranked as the best university for the ninth year in a row, according to the Ministry of Education.

IISc Bengaluru has bagged the second spot in the "overall" category followed by IIT Bombay while IIT Delhi, which was at the third spot last year in the category, has slipped to the fourth position.

Eight IITs have figured in the top ten besides All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi and the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

Among universities, IISc Bengaluru is followed by JNU and Jamia Millia Islamia.

Nine IITs are in the top ten list for engineering colleges with IIT Madras being at the top for the ninth consecutive year in the category. IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay have also retained their second and third spot respectively in the category. National Institute of Technology (NIT), Tiruchirapalli is the only non-IIT in the top ten list.

Among management colleges, the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad has retained its top spot, followed by IIM Bangalore and IIM Kozhikode. Two IITs -- Bombay and Delhi -- have also figured in the top ten list for management courses.

In pharmacy, Jamia Hamdard rose to the top spot from its second position last year while the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hyderabad slipped to the second rank. BITS Pilani has retained its third position in the category.

Delhi University's Hindu College and Miranda House have switched positions in the colleges category with the former bagging the top spot. St Stephen's College is in the third position among colleges.

Similarly for law, the National Law School of India University, Bengaluru followed by the National Law University, Delhi and NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad have retained first, second and third spots respectively.

For Architecture and Planning, IIT Roorkee has been announced as the best, followed by IIT Kharagpur and NIT Calicut.

Among medical colleges, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi has bagged the top position followed by PGIME, Chandigarh and CMC Vellore at second and third spot.

Among the dental colleges, Saveetha Institute of Medical And Technical Sciences, Chennai and Manipal College of Dental Sciences retained the top two positions while the third rank has been bagged by Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences, New Delhi.

For research, IISc Bengaluru has been acknowledged as the best followed by IIT Madras and IIT Delhi at second and third spot.

In a newly introduced category for state public universities, Anna University in Chennai has bagged the top spot, followed by Jadavpur University in Kolkata and Savitribai Phule University, Pune.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a fresh plea filed by some examinees challenging the government's decision to cancel the UGC-NET examination following alleged question paper leak, saying that entertaining it at this stage will create "chaos".

A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said the government is conducting the exam afresh on August 21 and the students, who are around nine lakh, must have some kind of "certainty now".

"The Supreme Court stepping now will have a serious effect and there will be chaos all over," the CJI said while declining to entertain the plea filed by Praveen Dabas and others.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to unveil 109 high-yielding, climate-resilient, and biofortified crop varieties during an event at the India Agricultural Research Institute in Delhi this Sunday. According to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office, Modi will also engage with farmers and scientists at the event.

The new varieties encompass 61 different crops, including 34 field crops and 27 horticultural varieties. Field crops will feature cereals, millets, forage crops, oilseeds, pulses, sugarcane, cotton, and fiber crops, among others. Horticultural releases will cover fruits, vegetables, plantation crops, tubers, spices, flowers, and medicinal plants.

Modi has long championed sustainable farming practices and the integration of climate-resilient methods. The promotion of biofortified crops is aligned with government initiatives such as the Mid-Day Meal scheme and Anganwadi programs, aimed at combating malnutrition. These efforts aim to enhance nutrition, improve farmers' income, and open new entrepreneurial avenues.

The release of these 109 crop varieties signifies a major stride towards sustainable agriculture, reinforcing India's commitment to green and sustainable farming practices. Additionally, the government is advancing the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), part of the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), which seeks to make Indian agriculture more resilient to climate change. The 2023-24 Budget also includes the 'PM Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth' (PM-PRANAM) to promote alternative fertilizers and balanced chemical fertilizer usage.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The Supreme Court on Friday partly stayed a Mumbai college circular banning 'hijab, burqa, cap and naqab' on the campus and said girl students must have the freedom to choose what they wear.

Educational institutions, it said, cannot force on them their choice.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Sanjay Kumar issued notice to the Chembur Trombay Education Society, which runs the ‘N G Acharya and D K Marathe College', and sought its response by November 18.

"Girl students must have freedom of choice in what they are wearing and college cannot force them...It's unfortunate that you suddenly wake up to know that there are many religions in the country," the bench told the college administration at the centre of a fresh row over a dress code for Muslim students.

It added why the college did not ban 'tilak' and 'bindi' if it intended the religious faiths of the students to not be revealed.

"Will the students' names not reveal their religious identity?" the bench asked senior advocate Madhavi Diwan, appearing for the educational society.

The court, however, said no burqa can be allowed to be worn by girls inside the classroom and no religious activities can be permitted on the campus.

The bench said its interim order should not be misused by anybody and granted liberty to the educational society and the college to approach the court in case of any misuse.

The top court was hearing a plea challenging a Bombay High Court verdict upholding the college's decision to ban hijab, burqa and naqab inside the campus.

Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves and advocate Abiha Zaidi, appearing for the petitioners, including Zainab Abdul Qayyum, submitted that students were not able to attend classes because of the ban.
 

BHOPAL [Maha Media]: The Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education (MPBSE) announced the dates for the 2024-2025 High School and Higher Secondary exams on Tuesday. The High School exams will begin on February 27 and conclude on March 19. Meanwhile, the Higher Secondary exams will start on February 25 and end on March 25. The exams for regular, private, blind, and differently-abled (deaf-mute) students will also be conducted on the same date. The exam schedule is available on the board’s website at www.mpbse.nic.in.

For the 2023-24 session, the 10th class exams were held from February 5 to February 28, while the 12th class exams took place from February 6 to March 5.

Additionally, the dates for the 10th and 12th exams were announced on August 2, 2023. During that session, a total of 18.22 lakh students took the 10th and 12th board exams. Specifically 9.6 lakh students appeared for the 10th class exams across 3,868 exam centers, while 8.5 lakh students took the 12th class exams at 7,501 centers.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Former Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan will be the new Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) chairperson from Thursday, under Article 316 A of the Constitution.

The 1983 batch IAS from the Andhra Pradesh cadre will take over charge from Manoj Soni who recently resigned.

She will have tenure till April 2025.

Sudan, who retired as Union Health Secretary in July, 2020, also served as Secretary in Food & Public Distribution Department, and, in the Ministry of Women & Child Development and Defence.

She initiated two major flagship programmes of the country, i.e., 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' and 'Ayushman Bharat', apart from Legislation on the National Medical Commission, Allied Health Professionals Commission & ban on E-cigarettes.

She had also served as a Consultant with the World Bank.

Besides, she had served as Chair of COP-8 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, Vice Chair of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, Chair of Global Digital Health Partnership and a member of WHO's Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Bridging the gap between job seekers and employment opportunities across diverse sectors, the Central government's National Career Service (NCS) portal has surpassed 20 lakh active vacancies.

The current job opportunities available on the NCS Portal span several sectors, including finance and insurance (14.7 lakh), operations and support (1.08 lakh) and other service activities (0.75 lakh), informed the government

The jobs available also include manufacturing (0.71 lakh), transport and storage (0.59 lakh), IT and communication (0.58 lakh), education (0.43 lakh), wholesale and retail (0.25 lakh) and health (0.2 lakh), etc.

“This diverse range of vacancies reflects the broad spectrum of employment needs and industry demands across the country,” said the Ministry.

The current jobs suit candidates with educational backgrounds up to Class 12, ITI, and diploma holders.

The Ministry informed that specialised positions are also available for individuals with higher education or other expert qualifications.

The NCS portal of the Ministry of Labour and Employment has become a key resource for job seekers, with vacancies mobilised through various channels including direct reporting by employers, job fairs, and API integration with several private job portals.

The Ministry said it is working towards upgrading the NCS portal to NCS 2.0 with advanced technology, including AI, to provide more benefits and features to job seekers and employers.

According to data tabled in Parliament this week, the unemployment rate for youth aged 15 to 29 years in India has been declining steadily over the last five years.

It has come down from 17.8 per cent in 2017-18 to 10 per cent in 2023-24.

In the Budget 2024-25, the government announced a package of five schemes and initiatives to facilitate employment, skilling and other opportunities for 4.1 crore youth over a 5-year period with a central outlay of Rs 2 lakh crore.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: In a first, NASA has used laser communication technology to send 4K video streams from an aircraft to the International Space Station (ISS) and back, a feat that will pave the way for providing live video coverage of astronauts on the Moon during the Artemis missions.

While the US space agency has historically relied on radio waves to send information to and from space, it for the first time streamed 4K video footage from an aircraft to the ISS and back using optical or laser communications.

Laser communications are 10 to 100 times more data faster than radio frequency systems as they use infrared light to transmit.

Led by a team of engineers at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, the feat was achieved by installing a portable laser terminal on the belly of a Pilatus PC-12 aircraft, which flew over Lake Erie sending data from the aircraft to an optical ground station in Cleveland.

From there, it was sent over an Earth-based network to NASA's White Sands Test Facility in Las Cruces, New Mexico, where scientists used infrared light signals to send the data, the agency said.

NASA noted that the signals travelled 22,000 miles away from Earth to NASA's Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD), an orbiting experimental platform.

The LCRD then relayed the signals to the Integrated LCRD LEO User Modem and Amplifier Terminal (ILLUMA-T) satellite that was mounted on the ISS, which then sent data back to Earth.

The signal could penetrate cloud coverage more effectively with the help of High-Rate Delay Tolerant Networking (HDTN) -- a new system developed at Glenn.

Daniel Raible, principal investigator for the HDTN project at Glenn called it a "tremendous accomplishment".

He noted that future experiments can "now build upon the success of streaming 4K HD videos to and from the space station".

This will enable future capabilities, "like HD video conferencing, for our Artemis astronauts, which will be important for crew health and activity coordination", Raible said.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the Union Budget 2024 in Parliament, focusing on job creation, skilling, agriculture, infrastructure, and research. She introduced several new initiatives, including education loans up to INR 10 lakhs with a three per cent interest subsidy capped at one lakh rupees, and revisions to the skill loan scheme for first-time formal sector workers. An outlay of Rs. 1.48 lakh crore has been announced for education, employment, and skilling.

The budget outlay for the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) has increased from INR 9,661.50 crore last fiscal year to INR 10,324.50 crore. Also, the budget for Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs) has increased from INR 815.40 crore in 2023-24 to INR 918.27 crore in 2024-25. Here, candidates can check the reactions of some of the educators on the announcements in the Union Budget 2024:

Prof. Nishith Gupta, Head & Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, BITS Pilani stated, “This budget for healthcare, agriculture, biotechnology and lifescience reflects the government’s vision and intent to promote the R&D, prioritize education, and provide employment-specific skills and training. A primer minister package (INR 2 lakh crore) comprising five programs for boosting education, employment, and skills is unveiled. 

The government aims to transform agricultural research and perform a thorough review to increase productivity and develop climate-resilient varieties. There is also a strong emphasis on private sector-driven research and innovation overseen by domain experts from the public and private sectors. Our gross expenditure on R&D still stands at >0.70% of GDP. We hope that the government will continue to increase the annual R&D budget to meet the global average (ca. 1.8%). This budget offers a timely boost in R&D and education to fuel inventions and innovation at public and private academic institutions and lead to uniformity in cutting-edge research, high-quality education, and training of a competent workforce across the nation.”

Shreevats Jaipuria, Chairman of, the Education Committee, PHDCCI said, "An allocation of Rs 1.48 lakh crore has been made for education, compared to an allocation of Rs 1.12 lakh crore last year. This is an increase in absolute terms and needs to be applauded. Loans of up to Rs 7.5 lakh will be provided with Government guarantee for skilling courses and of Rs 10 lakh for higher education. E-vouchers will be given to 1 lakh students with interest subvention of 3 per cent of the loan amount from the government. We are hopeful that public expenditure on education will rise towards 6% in years to come".

Dr. P. Venkat Rangan, Vice Chancellor, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham shared, “The Union Budget announced by the Hon’ble FM has its heart in the right place. The allocation of Rs. 1.48 lakh crore to focus on education, employment, and skilling, augurs well for nation building in the long term. The increase in funding for central universities reflects a commendable commitment to strengthening the educational infrastructure. The financial support with loans up to Rs. 10 lakhs for higher education is a significant step towards making education accessible to all. The skilling program to train 20 lakh young people over the next five years in partnership with state governments and industries is a welcome step too. The new internships, offering stipends and assistance funded through CSR, are also commendable."

Siddharth Chaturvedi, Executive VP, AISECT Group, Chancellor– SGSU states,  "With the Union Budget 2024 focusing on MSMEs, employment, and youth job schemes, it is a positive step towards empowering India's future workforce. The allocation of Rs1.48 lakh crore for skill education and job creation, along with women-specific skilling programs, underscores the government's commitment to building a skilled workforce. The new job schemes targeting India's 4.1 crore youth population and the RS 2 lakh crore central outlay signal a strong initiative to address unemployment in the country. The increased loan scheme of up to Rs19 lakh for higher education and the one-month salary support for first-time employees are strategic moves to enhance educational access and job creation. Overall, the Union Budget 2024 sets a positive tone for skill development, job creation, and economic growth."
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced a transformative initiative for India's space sector in the Union Budget 2024-25, introducing a Rs 1,000 crore venture capital fund. This substantial fund aims to boost the space economy, targeting a fivefold increase in its size over the next decade.

The venture capital fund is designed to attract additional private sector investments, further galvanizing growth in the space economy. Siddharth Mody, Partner at JSA Advocates and Solicitors, praised this government commitment, highlighting its potential to bring India's space economy from USD 8.4 billion to USD 44 billion by 2033. Mody emphasized that the fund could mobilize capital and foster an environment conducive to early-stage space tech companies.

Industry experts like Sanjay Kumar, CEO of Geospatial World, also underlined the significance of geospatial technologies in driving citizen participation, social development, and economic transformation. Kumar pointed out that this budgetary allocation enhances the role of geospatial technologies, crucial for India's milestone of Viksit Bharat by 2047.

Saurabh Rai, CEO of Arahas, expressed optimism, underscoring the possibilities for collaboration and innovation in the space sector. The venture capital fund is set to support private sector-driven research and advanced space technologies, facilitating India's growing presence in space exploration and satellite services.