India affirms its growing prominence as Space power in global arena
India affirmed its growing prominence as Space power in global arena as Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology; Earth Sciences and Minister of State for PMO, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Jitendra Singh addressed the Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX 2025) at Bharat Mandapam, according to a latest official update. The high-profile summit, themed "Reaching New Worlds: A Space Exploration Renaissance," brought together space leaders, astronauts, and scientists from across the globe, with participation of more than 35 countries and international agencies, reinforcing India's role at the forefront of space diplomacy and innovation.
Organized jointly by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), and the Astronautical Society of India (ASI), the three-day summit is hosting over 240 interactive presentations across 10 parallel technical sessions, spanning 15 critical thematic areas. Jitendra Singh underscored India's transition from being a follower in space exploration to becoming a global enabler. India is now collaborating as an equal partner with some of the leading space-faring nations. This is a testimony to our scientific capability, visionary leadership, and commitment to peaceful space cooperation, he noted. He also added that India's space journey, which began with humble beginnings, has evolved into a source of inspiration for developing countries.
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India Gazette
34 minutes ago
- India Gazette
Visakhapatnam sets world record on International Day of Yoga; 3 lakh perform yoga along 28km beach road
Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) [India], June 22 (ANI): A new Guinness World Record was set on the 11th International Day of Yoga for the largest gathering for a Yoga session in one place in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam on Saturday. Around three lakh people participated in the event, which was organised on a 28-kilometre stretch from RK Beach to Bheemili in the presence of India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In a post on X, the Ministry of Ayush wrote, 'Main event of IDY 2025 sets Guinness World Record in Visakhapatnam. With an estimated 3 lakh participants, the grand celebration along the 28 km beach road--from RK Beach to Bheemili--and across various parts of Visakhapatnam marked the world's largest gathering for a yoga session at a single venue.' 'Led by Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the event was part of the 'Yoga Sangam' initiative, synchronised across 13 lakh+ locations nationwide. A historic morning for yoga and India's global wellness leadership,' it added. Addressing the world's largest-ever yoga gathering, the Prime Minister joined thousands of participants from India and abroad for a historic yoga session by the sea, the Ministry of AYUSH said in a release. As per the release, in the national event, PM Modi was joined by the Governor of Andhra Pradesh, Abdul Nazeer, and the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, N Chandrababu Naidu. Union Minister for Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu and Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Ayush and MoS for Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) Prataprao Jadhav were also present alongside Union Minister of State Dr. Chandrasekhar Pemmasani. Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan Garu and State Cabinet Minister Nara Lokesh Garu were also present. Extending warm greetings to people across India and the world on International Day of Yoga, the Prime Minister highlighted that this year marks the 11th occasion when the world has come together on 21st June to practice yoga collectively. He remarked that the essence of yoga is 'to unite', and it is heartening to see how yoga has united the world. Reflecting on the journey of Yoga over the past decade, PM Modi recalled the moment when India proposed the idea of International Yoga Day at the United Nations. He noted that 175 countries supported the proposal, a rare instance of such wide global unity. He emphasised that the support was not merely for a proposal but represented a collective effort by the world for the greater good of humanity. 'Eleven years on, yoga has become an integral part of the lifestyle of millions across the globe', he added. The Prime Minister expressed pride in seeing how Divyang individuals are reading yogic texts in Braille and how scientists are practicing yoga in space. He also noted enthusiastic participation of youth from rural areas in Yoga Olympiads. PM Modi underscored that whether it is the steps of the Sydney Opera House, the summit of Mount Everest, or the vast expanse of the ocean, the message remains the same,'Yoga is for everyone and for all, Beyond Boundaries, Beyond Backgrounds, Beyond age or ability.' The Prime Minister expressed his delight at being in Visakhapatnam, describing it as a vibrant blend of natural beauty and modern progress. Highlighting that more than two crore people have taken part in the Yogandhra Abhiyan, the Prime Minister said that this overwhelming public response reflects the spirit of Jan Bhagidari, which forms the foundation of a Viksit Bharat. He emphasised that when citizens take ownership of national missions, no goal is too ambitious. The energy, commitment, and goodwill of the people were clearly evident throughout the celebrations in Visakhapatnam. In his welcome speech, Union Minister of State (IC) for Ayush and Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav said that 'the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji initiated the unprecedented step of getting a resolution passed at the United Nations General Assembly to celebrate the International Day of Yoga. This initiative has now transformed into a global public health movement celebrated in over 180 countries.' Prataprao Jadhav added that after completing a decade of this movement, 'we have launched 10 Signature Events this year. These include Harit Yoga (Green Yoga) with tree plantation, Yoga Connect, Yoga Parks, Yoga Bandhan, Yoga Mahakumbh, and Yoga Sangam, being celebrated by over 10 lakh (1 million) organisations across the country.' Congratulating the Andhra Pradesh Government, the Union Ayush Minister stated that 'under the leadership of the Chief Minister Shri Chandrababu Naidu, a 'YogAndhra Abhiyan' was launched in Andhra Pradesh on May 21. As part of this campaign, more than 22,000 tribal students performed 12 rounds of Surya Namaskar in 15 minutes yesterday, entering their names into the Guinness Book of World Records.' He further said that inspired by the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Ayush has taken a small initiative to promote healthy food among the public, and today, at 70 locations in Delhi, the ministry was distributing Ayush Aahar (Ayush Diet) to all participants of this IDY programme. 'This Ayush Aahar is based on Moringa-based food products, and will emerge as a healthy and tasty food alternative for the people,' he said. Thanking the Prime Minister for granting Andhra Pradesh the honour to host this historic event, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu said that Andhra Pradesh marked the 11th International Yoga Day with unprecedented enthusiasm as over 3 lakh citizens gathered in Visakhapatnam for a mass yoga demonstration. 'The event concluded with the successful month-long Yogandhra campaign that engaged 2.17 crore participants statewide, creating several records,' he said. (ANI)
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Centre, Karnataka govt to share price gap relief for mango farmers
In a major relief to mango farmers in Karnataka, the Centre and the state government have agreed to jointly bear the cost of the price difference being faced by producers due to a sharp fall in market rates. The decision was announced following a video conference held on Saturday between Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Karnataka Agriculture Minister N Chaluvaraya Swamy. As part of the agreement, both governments will compensate farmers for the price gap on up to 2.5 lakh metric tonnes of mangoes. The financial support will be extended under a central government scheme and shared equally by the Union and state governments. The move came after the Karnataka government submitted a proposal to the Centre, highlighting the steady decline in prices of both tomatoes and mangoes – especially the Totapuri variety. Union Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi also participated in the virtual meeting. During the discussion, Minister Chaluvaraya Swamy noted that while tomato prices were also a concern earlier, they have since stabilised and do not require immediate intervention. 'The decision to provide this relief will greatly help mango farmers who have been struggling due to low market prices,' Chaluvaraya Swamy said, thanking the Union minister for his support. Officials said details regarding the implementation mechanism, including how the differential price will be calculated and disbursed, will be announced soon. On Thursday, the state cabinet resolved to urge the Centre for greater support, flagging crises in major mango-producing regions such as Kolar and Chikkaballapura. The Karnataka government has been facing the heat of mango growers of Chikkaballapura and Kolar districts, who have been demanding a Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 per quintal for their produce. The prices crashed due to the ban on the 'Totapuri' variety of Karnataka mangoes in Andhra Pradesh for having more water content. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had written twice – once to Union Agriculture Minister Chouhan requesting implementation of the Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS) and Market Intervention Scheme (MIS), and once to Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu urging the rollback of AP's ban on Karnataka Totapuri mangoes entering Chittoor. The letter highlighted plummeting prices (from Rs 12,000 to Rs 3,000 per quintal) versus cultivation costs (Rs 5,466 per quintal). Andhra Pradesh's import ban on Totapuri mangoes had stranded Karnataka produce at the border, cutting access to processing units and amplifying the price slump. Farmers were demanding an MSP and immediate state intervention as lorry-loads remained blocked. On Tuesday, Janata Dal (Secular) MLAs Samruddhi Manjunath and Venkatashiva Reddy staged a dharna at the Gandhi statue on the premises of Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru to protest against the government for 'ignoring' the demands of mango farmers. In Srinivasapura under Kolar district, farmers also dumped tonnes of mangoes on roads to protest against the slump in prices. A mango trader in Srinivasapura died reportedly from a heart attack after suffering heavy losses. He had invested Rs 30 lakh in produce, which dropped in value due to the ban and market slump.
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Polling station clips may breach privacy of voters, says EC
The Election Commission of India has revised its rules for accessibility of video footage recorded during polls, saying that such footage cannot be viewed by anyone except a court hearing an election petition as it could breach privacy of voters and raise security concerns. Polling station clips may breach privacy of voters, says EC Sharing the footage — recorded through CCTVS, webcast or videography — would enable easy identification of electors by any group or individual, and would leave them vulnerable to 'pressure, discrimination, and intimidation by anti-social elements', officials familiar with the matter said citing the EC's communication. In a circular dated June 18, the commission directed all states and Union territories that the revised rule will apply to elections notified after May 30, 2025. '[The videos] shall be produced in original before the High Court adjudicating an election petition on its order and shall not be opened and their contents shall not be inspected by, or produced before, any person or authority except the High Court adjudicating the Election Petition,' the commission said in the circular, which also contained previous communications pertaining to the preservation of video. HT has seen a copy of the circular. The changes have come in the backdrop of a demand by the Congress and other opposition parties to release post-5pm CCTV footage from polling booths in the 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections. In December last year, the government tweaked an election rule to prevent public inspection of certain electronic documents such as CCTV cameras and webcasting footage as well as video recordings of candidates to prevent their misuse. Based on the recommendation of the EC, the Union law ministry amended Rule 93 of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, to restrict the type of papers or documents open to public inspection. The commission has also directed it officials to destroy such video footage after 45 days of declaration of results if the election verdict is not challenged in courts, a separate circular issued on May 30 and cited in the latest circular said. Since election results cannot be challenged beyond 45 days, retaining such footage beyond this period would make it susceptible to misuse for 'spreading misinformation and malicious narratives', an official familiar with the matter said. But in case an election petition is filed within the stipulated time of 45 days, the videos will not be destroyed and made available to the competent court, the official cited above said. Providing videos is akin to providing access to Form 17A (register of voters) — which contains information pertaining to the sequence in which electors enter a polling station, serial number of the elector in the electoral roll — under Rule 49L of the Conduct of Election Rules, the official said. 'Violation of secrecy of voting is a punishable offence under section 128 of RPA, 1951 [maintenance of secrecy of voting] with imprisonment for a term up to three months or fine or both. Thus, ECI is legally bound and committed to protect the privacy of the electors and secrecy of voting,' the official said requesting anonymity. A second official said that safeguarding the interests of its electors is 'of prime concern'. 'For the ECI safeguarding the interests of its electors and maintaining their privacy and secrecy is of prime concern, even if some of the political parties/ interest groups mount pressure on the Commission to abandon the laid down procedures or to ignore the security concerns of the electors. Maintaining privacy and secrecy of the elector is non-negotiable and the ECI has, never in the past, compromised on this essential tenet laid down in the law as well upheld by the Supreme Court,' the second official said, requesting anonymity. The move triggered a sharp reaction from Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, who accused EC of 'deleting evidence' when it was required to 'provide answers'. 'Voter list? Will not give machine-readable format. CCTV footage? Hidden by changing the law. Election photos and videos? Now they will be deleted in 45 days, not 1 year. The one who was supposed to provide answers - is the one deleting the evidence,' Gandhi alleged in a post on X. 'It is clear that the match is fixed. And a fixed election is poison for democracy,' the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha posted in Hindi. Gandhi has been demanding voter lists, poll data and video footage from the election commission, alleging irregularities in Maharashtra assembly elections. While the ECI did not respond to Gandhi's comments, a third official said: '[Opposition's remarks] suit their narrative in making the demand sound quite genuine and in the interest of voters and safeguarding the democratic process in the country, it is in fact aimed at achieving exactly the opposite objective. What is veiled as a very logical demand, is actually entirely contrary to the privacy and security concerns of the voters.' Earlier in the week, a purported video showing two people standing at the EVM in a polling booth during the Visavadar assembly bypoll in Gujarat — held on June 19 — emerged on social media, with EC launching a probe into how the video was leaked.
