Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

By Yoshita Singh United Nations, Jun 12 () Recognising the importance of yoga in helping people deal with increased depression and anxiety due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, India's Permanent Mission to the UN has developed a special "Yoga Module" of exercises, breathing and meditation practices to mark this year's International Yoga Day. The 6th International Day of Yoga will be commemorated virtually this year due to COVID-19 restrictions in place and requirements of social distancing. The Permanent Mission of India to the UN will commemorate the International Day of Yoga on June 19, at a time when the global outbreak of COVID-19 has upended lives and disrupted lifestyles of people across the world, the mission said. Recognising the important role of yoga, the mission, together with yoga gurus and therapists, has created a special yoga module, 'Yoga for Health - Yoga at Home' on the occasion of the International Yoga Day. The mission said that the module is a safe set of yoga practices, based on available scientific evidence, designed for all age-groups, which can be practiced from homes. The module, which includes simple yoga exercises, breathing and meditation practices to improve physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health, will be webcast on various virtual platforms on June 19. The mission noted that adapting to lifestyle changes such as work from home and lack of physical contact with friends and colleagues have been particularly challenging for people. "Studies indicate that there has been a rise in depression, anxiety, and fear than normal among people during these changing times. The increasing psychological suffering, mental health problems and the mental health dimension of this pandemic needs to be effectively addressed," the mission said in a press release. Given the increase in depression and anxiety among people in the era of coronavirus, the message of yoga in promoting physical and mental health and the well-being of humanity have never been more relevant, it added. "There is a growing trend of people all over the world embracing yoga to fight social isolation and depression during the pandemic. Yoga can also play a significant role in the psycho-social care and rehabilitation of COVID-19 patients in quarantine and isolation. They are particularly useful in allaying their fears and anxiety," it noted. The module includes a session by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev on 'Yoga for Respiratory Health' where the spiritual leader will speak about the need and importance of maintaining an inner balance during these challenging times. In a 15-minute session 'Yoga for Soothing the Heart', Yoga Guru Kishor Chandra from the Bhakti Center will lead followers through asanas and pranayama that will help balance and soothe the heart. In the session 'Basics of Yoga', Yoga Acharya Swami Sivadasananda, Director of the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres in Europe, will give a glimpse of simple Asanas along with Pranayama and relaxation. A meditation session from Sahaj Yoga will be a guided meditation exercise aimed to relax the mind. India's Consulate General in New York will host a virtual session titled 'Sustainability Yoga and Social Inclusion' on June 13 to mark International Yoga Day. Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty said on Twitter the event highlights the "intrinsic link between Yoga and Sustainability." YAS RUP RUP RUP

Amid COVID-19, special 'Yoga Module' by India's Mission to UN to commemorate International Yoga Day

By Yoshita Singh United Nations, Jan 24 (PTI) India has paid USD 29.9 million in UN regular budget assessments for the year 2022. "#India proud to pay again in full! India joins the "2022 Honour Roll" of 24 Member States out of 193 that have paid their @UN Regular Budget Assessments in full," India's Permanent Mission to the UN tweeted. As of January 21, 2022, 24 Member States have paid their regular budget assessments in full. India is currently a non-permanent member of the 15-nation Security Council and its two-year term will end on December 31, 2022. PTI YAS IND

India pays USD 29.9 million in UN regular budget assessments for 2022

By Yoshita Singh United Nations, Jul 15 () Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually address the UN on Friday at the High-Level Segment of the ECOSOC, his first since India was overwhelmingly elected as a non-permanent member of the powerful Security Council last month. Modi will deliver the keynote address at the Valedictory of the High-Level Segment of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on July 17. India last month was overwhelmingly elected as a non-permanent member of the powerful UN Security Council on Wednesday for a two-year term. India, the endorsed candidate from the Asia-Pacific States, won 184 votes out of the 192 ballots cast in the elections for the five non-permanent seats of the Security Council. During the address, Modi will be joined by Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will also address the segment. The theme of this year's High-Level Segment is 'Multilateralism after COVID19: What kind of UN do we need at the 75th anniversary'. Held on an annual basis, the High-level Segment represents the culmination of the ECOSOC's annual cycle of work and convenes a diverse group of high-level representatives from Government, the private sector, civil society and academia. "Against the backdrop of a changing international environment and the unfolding COVID-19 pandemic, the session will focus on critical forces shaping the course of multilateralism and explore ways to bolster the multilateral agenda through strong multilateral leadership, effective international institutions, a broadening of participation and an enhanced focus on global public goods," the Permanent Mission of India to the UN said in a statement. The event, being held on the eve of the 75th Anniversary of the founding of the UN, assumes special significance as it will be the first opportunity for Modi to address the broader UN membership since India overwhelmingly won the Security Council election on June 17. This year's theme also resonates with India's priority for its Security Council tenure in which New Delhi has called for reformed multilateralism in a post-COVID-19 world. Modi had earlier delivered the keynote address virtually at the 70th anniversary of the ECOSOC in January 2016. India has had a long tradition of close association with the ECOSOC. The inaugural Presidency of the ECOSOC in 1946 was held by Sir Ramaswami Mudaliar of India. The UN Charter established the ECOSOC in 1945 as one of the six main organs of the United Nations and is mandated to offer direction to, and undertake the coordination of, the economic, social, and cultural activities of the United Nations, with responsibility for advancing international economic and social cooperation and development. YAS NSA AKJ NSA

PM Modi to deliver keynote speech at High-Level Segment of UN ECOSOC

As the ambitious <keyword id="3204746" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="2030-Development-Agenda">2030 Development Agenda</keyword> is starting to be implemented, India has demanded that the priorities and needs of developing countries must be kept at the centre of attention. 
 "The 2030 Agenda including the <keyword id="879547" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sustainable-development-goals">Sustainable Development Goals</keyword> as well as the commitments contained in the <keyword id="3205079" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Addis-Ababa-Action-Agenda">Addis Ababa Action Agenda</keyword> must now be implemented expeditiously and in good faith," said <keyword id="882197" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Syed-Akbaruddin">Syed Akbaruddin</keyword>, India's new Permanent Representative to the UN. 
 
"In this process, the objectives, priorities and needs of the developing countries must remain the centre of attention, "Akbaruddin said. 
 He was speaking at the handover ceremony of the <keyword id="3205080" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="G77-Chairmanship">G77 Chairmanship</keyword> from South Africa to Thailand, which was his first speech at the world body after taking charge at the Permanent Mission of India here last week. He also said that if 2015 was a year of negotiation and deliberation, "2016 should be a time of consolidation and implementation." 
 He further added that India will be resolute in pushing for developing country unity and there would be no stone unturned to give special consideration to the interests of the <keyword id="484496" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="least-developed-countries">Least Developed Countries</keyword>, <keyword id="3205081" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Small-Island-Developing-States">Small Island Developing States</keyword> and <keyword id="3205082" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Landlocked-Developing-Countries">Landlocked Developing Countries</keyword>. 
 <keyword id="97094" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="UN-secretary-general">UN Secretary General</keyword> <keyword id="41013" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ban-Ki-Moon">Ban Ki-moon</keyword>, in his address to UN member states, said that the year 2015 was a "turning point" in international efforts to safeguard the plan and make sure that the world was a place of peace and sustainable prosperity for all. 
 
"This year there are heightened expectations for the directions the United Nations development system can take to support Agenda 2030. The test for success will always remain what happens on the ground," the UN Chief said. 
 
"We need to get this right so that our operational and normative work can converge and make a difference where it matters most -- at the country level," he added. 
 
<a href="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/740181-SyedAkbaruddin-1406145662.jpg">Image source</a>

India wants priorities of developing nations to be the centre of attention of 2030 Development Agenda

In a significant victory, India got elected as Member of the <keyword id="233455" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="UN-Commission">UN Commission</keyword> on the Status of Women, the principal global body focussed on gender equality and women empowerment, beating China in a hotly-contested election. The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is a functional commission of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The 54-member ECOSOC, holding the first plenary meeting of its 2021 session in the General Assembly Hall on Monday, held elections for two seats in the Asia-Pacific States category with Afghanistan, India and China in the fray. Afghanistan, which is led by Ambassador Adela Raz at the UN, garnered 39 votes and India got 38 votes of the 54 ballots cast. China, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, got only 27 votes and could not even cross the half-way mark and also failed to get the required majority of 28 votes. "India wins seat in prestigious #ECOSOC body! India elected Member of Commission on Status of Women #CSW. It's a ringing endorsement of our commitment to promote gender equality and women's empowerment in all our endeavours. We thank member states for their support," India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti tweeted. India beat China in the hotly-contested election to the prestigious UN body in the year when the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, that was held in Beijing in 1995, is being commemorated around the world. It is highly notable and telling that China lost the election to the UN's principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and women empowerment when the silver jubilee anniversary of the landmark Beijing conference on women is being commemorated and of which China takes a lot of ownership on. The election result is being seen as sending a strong signal about China's own record of women's equality and empowerment. India's Permanent Mission to the UN worked tirelessly for the hard-fought election, reaching out and sensitising all Member States, sources said. India and Afghanistan will join Argentina, Austria, Dominican Republic, Israel, Latvia, Nigeria, Turkey and Zambia, which were elected by acclamation, to the Commission on the Status of Women for a four-year term beginning from 2021-2025. India's election win at the CSW is highly significant as it comes on the eve of India gearing up to sit at the UN Security Council high table as non-permanent member for a two-year term beginning January 1, 2021. Former UN Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director of UN Women Lakshmi Puri congratulated the Indian Mission and Ambassador Tirumurti on the election win. "Victory Earned! #CSW is an important normsetting organ for #Gender #Equality &amp; #WomenEmpowerment &amp; #India has made a significant contribution to evolving global women's human rights standards in UN including #SDG5 in Agenda 2030!," she tweeted, referring to the Sustainable Development Goal of achieving gender equality and empower all women and girls. The Commission on the Status of Women is instrumental in promoting women's rights, documenting the reality of women's lives throughout the world, and shaping global standards on gender equality and the empowerment of women. In 1996, ECOSOC expanded the Commission's mandate and decided that it should take a leading role in monitoring and reviewing progress and problems in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and in mainstreaming a gender perspective in UN activities. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/rajnath-singh-to-address-parliament-on-india-china-border-row-as-tensions-continue-to-simmer-in-ladakh/articleshow/78118498.cms">Rajnath Singh to address Parliament on India-China border row as tensions continue to simmer in Ladakh</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/sachin-tendulkar-is-now-paytm-first-games-brand-ambassador-app-aims-to-garner-100-million-users-during-ipl/articleshow/78118256.cms">Sachin Tendulkar is now Paytm First Games’ brand ambassador – with a ₹300 crore marketing spend, the app aims to garner 100 million users during IPL</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/top-stocks-to-watch-future-retail-pvr-central-bank-icici-bank-spicejet-indiabulls-housing-finance-and-more/articleshow/78117441.cms">Top stocks to watch— Future Retail, PVR, Central Bank, ICICI Bank, SpiceJet, Indiabulls Housing Finance and more</a>

India beats China to win crucial election to UN commission on women

During his recent visit to <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>, <keyword id="14566" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chinese-President">Chinese President</keyword> <keyword id="191809" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Xi-Jinping">Xi Jinping</keyword> made a statement that he will support India for a permanent membership in the UN Security Council (<keyword id="45167" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="UNSC">UNSC</keyword>). The statement means more to those who are closely watching Sino-Indian relation have hailed than the trade and investment deals which are expected to lead to inflow of billions of dollars to India. 
 While the statement seems to reflect the seemingly improved relationship between the two Asian giants which is said to have precipitated Jinping’s visit and the string of trade pacts he signed, critics warn that it should be taken with a pinch of salt, for this is not the first time <keyword id="1334" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="China">China</keyword> has pronounced something like this. Each time, it has turned out to be a propagandist assertion of its traditional position on India’s quest for a permanent membership in UNSC—that it is in favour of India playing a greater role in UNSC—which is nothing but typical diplomatic PR punchline that lacks clarity, purposefulness and earnestness. 
 
While India was among the founding members of United Nations, the permanent membership in UNSC always remained elusive. In fact, India’s endeavour for permanent membership in UNSC began in 1955 when the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru reportedly turned down the coveted status offered to India which was then grabbed by China. While the reason for Nehru’s inadvertent gesture—which he repeatedly denied—still remains a mystery (there are those who believe that he trusted China a bit too much), it proved to be costlier for India. 
 
Why India deserves a permanent place in UNSC? 
 The reasons are aplenty. First, with a population of a tad more than 1.2 billion, India will soon overtake China as the most populous country of the world. So no one can deny its ubiquitous physical presence in the world stage and the resultant need for adequate representation in a strategic forum like UNSC. Second, barring nagging problems including inequality, illiteracy, poverty and corruption, India is the largest democracy in the world. Excluding the 21-month interlude of ‘emergency’ during 1975-77 under Indira Gandhi, it religiously adhered to the norms of democracy since gaining independence from the British In 1947. Third, it is the 10th largest economy in the world and its army is the third-largest globally. Fourth, India has been a member of the UNSC for six terms totaling 12 years besides being a member of G-77 and G-4; therefore, a permanent membership in UNSC seems a logical extension. Fifth, it is the third-largest contributor of troops (close to 160,000 soldiers) to more than 40 UN peacekeeping efforts including those in Korea, Egypt, the Congo, Somalia, Angola, Haiti, Liberia, Lebanon, Rwanda and South Sudan and more than 150 Indian soldiers lost their lives while serving in UN missions. 
 
Prerequisites that will lead to India’s permanent membership of the UNSC First, for the UNSC should be enlarged to 25 members from 15 currently, possibly ensuring geographic representation (for instance, Africa and South America are excluded from permanent membership). Considering UNSC’s slow, conservative demeanour, this seems unlikely in the near future. Second, all the five permanent members—the US, the UK, France, Russia and China which enjoy veto power—should endorse India’s candidature. US President Barack Obama and UK Prime Minister David Cameron recently said they would support India’s case for permanent <keyword id="487341" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="UNSC-membership">UNSC membership</keyword>. France and Russia too are not averse to supporting India. This means than India’s bigger Asian counterpart China is the real stumbling block in its quest for permanent UNSC membership. 
 
But why China is vehemently opposed to India’s permanent entry in the august body? Well, for one, it doesn’t want to lose its coveted status as the only Asian country in UNSC permanently. Second, China opposes Japan's bid for permanent UNSC membership while India supports Japan and China is not likely to support India as long as India supports Japan. India’s is unlikely to withdraw support for Japan as being part of the G4 nations—Brazil and Germany besides India and Japan—it is committed to support each other’s bids for permanent seats in UNSC. 
Given this labyrinthine situation, it is to be seen how the Narendra Modi government coerce China to convert Jinping’s recent diplomatic rhetoric to concrete action supporting India’s decade-long quest for a permanent UNSC seat.

India's Quest For Permanent UN Security Council Seat: The Ball Is In China’s Court

On the celebration of <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>’s 72nd <keyword id="28240" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Independence-day">Independence Day</keyword>, the country’s prime minister addressed the nation making a few key announcements about future projects. One of the more significant developments was the promise of a manned space mission by 2022. But closer home, the Ayushman Bharat Healthcare Scheme is set to launch on 25 September. Here are the <keyword id="6381696" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="highlights">highlights</keyword> from Modi’s Independence Day address: <div type="image" title="independence day highlights" msid="65423758" hostid="261"></div>

 1. <keyword id="6797456" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gaganyaan">Gaganyaan</keyword> to take off in 2022 The preparations for the India’s first manned space mission have already been in the news for a while but the PM has officially set a launch deadline for 2022. Currently, project ‘Gaganyaan’, an initiative of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), is in its initial stages having successfully tested the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/isro-pads-up-to-make-indias-manned-mission-into-space-a-reality/articleshow/64887057.cms">Crew Escape System</a>. That being said, while ambitious with its intentions, ISRO has had trouble meeting past deadlines. Most recently, the Chandrayaan-2 mission set to launch in April and then in October, is now looking at a 2019 launch date. But, the chairman of ISRO also warned that the launch maybe delayed to March if the changes aren’t made to the spacecraft in time. 2. Ayushman Bharat Healthcare scheme to launch on 25 September Also called the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Abhiyaan, the prime minister claims that it will benefit nearly 500 million citizens of the country. The scheme aims to give ₹500,000 ($7,123) cover per year for a whole family. Inclusive of nearly 1,354 packages within the scheme, the measure covers 100 million vulnerable families. That’s over 40% of the Indian population. The initiative, though necessarily for a country like India where statistics indicate that 67% of health expenditure is out-of-pocket, has ruffled a few feathers. There are questions over whether using third party administrators is the best idea and how easy it would be to exploit the loopholes in the scheme. 3. Permanent commissioning of <keyword id="624" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Women">women</keyword> in the <keyword id="3790" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Armed-forces">armed forces</keyword> It’s not that women weren’t allowed in the Indian armed forces before, but with permanent commissioning, they can now be a part of the direct combat arms like the infantry, armoured corps and artillery. The current 3,700 women employed in the armed forces are restricted to officer posts. This initiative opens up a myriad of career choice where they can now apply for subordinate posts to achieve the ranks of colonels, brigadiers, major generals and lieutenant generals. 4. New agricultural export policy soon In a mission to double farmer incomes in India by 2022, the prime minister has stated that a new agricultural export policy will be rolled out soon that will boost their compensation. Using the ‘Beej se Bazaar tak’ (from planting seeds to accessing the market) approach, Modi expressed the importance of value addition. While no other details were revealed during the Independence Day address, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry did publish a Draft Agricultural Export Policy back in March that was aimed at doubling India’s agricultural exports and integrating agricultural commodities in to the global value chain. 5. <keyword id="95908" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Panchayat-polls">Panchayat polls</keyword> in Jammu and Kashmir It’s been seven years since the last panchayat polls in the volatile state of Jammu and Kashmir. The polls that were supposed to take place in 2016 were, first, postponed due to the unrest that followed the death of Burhan Wani and then, eventually cancelled due to ‘security concerns’. Even the local body elections haven’t been conducted in over eight years now. According to the state’s Governor, NN Vohra, the local body election will happen first over the course of September and October followed by the panchayat polls from October to December. Reviewing the country’s progress over the past couple of years, Modi made it a point to assert how his government has pulled pending initiatives through without directly pointing the finger at the Opposition. That being said, a fact-checking report by <a href="https://www.thequint.com/news/india/independence-day-speech-modi-fact-check">The Quint</a> calls those claims into question. Which is why though these announcements may bring a ray of hope to many, expectations should be adjusted keeping past performances in mind.

India’s power 5: Big announcements from the world’s second most populous country on its Independence Day

<ul><li>The <keyword id="74503" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Goa-government">Goa government</keyword> wants to reserve 80% private jobs for locals. </li><li>Recently, <keyword id="37102" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Andhra-Pradesh">Andhra Pradesh</keyword> government too announced 75% <keyword id="7915650" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="job-reservation-for-locals">job reservation for locals</keyword> in private companies. </li><li>India’s unemployment rate stood at 7.91% in June, according to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE). </li></ul>The Goa government is bringing a policy in place, that will ensure nearly 80% of the state’s private sector jobs will be reserved for locals. Four in every five jobs in Goa will now belong to Goans only. <keyword id="864632" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pramod-Sawant">Pramod Sawant</keyword>, the Chief Minister of Goa said that reservations will apply to permanent jobs across industry roles. The companies will have to hire a minimum of 60% permanent staff, Hindustan Times <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/goa-to-reserve-80-private-jobs-for-locals/story-uu1yxrg0Hm0qZaaG5mje4L.html">reported</a>. Goa does not have an employment or labour policy at present. However, this recent change will require them to have one. It will take at least six months of the policy to come in place. “In the interest of the state’s youth, who mainly are employed on a contractual basis in various industries, if we are to ensure 80% jobs are given to Goans and to secure their jobs, then the policy will have to be finalised at the earliest,” Sawant said. However, the state government also noted that the initiative can only be implemented if the companies also benefit from it. As job crisis looms across the country, more states are taking protectionist measures. The Andhra Pradesh government too reserved <a href="https://www.news18.com/news/politics/andhra-pradesh-becomes-first-state-to-reserve-75-private-jobs-for-local-youths-2241653.html">75% jobs</a> for its local citizens. In fact, the Madhya Pradesh government also said that it will formulate a law to ensure 70% jobs belong to locals. In India, the unemployment rate stood at <a href="https://www.businesstoday.in/sectors/jobs/unemployment-rate-rises-to-33-month-high-june-2019-cmie-jobs/story/360660.html">7.91% in June</a> this year, as per Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE). See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/skill-india-mission-employment-rate-is-too-low/articleshow/70459576.cms">Only one in five people trained under government's Skill India Mission found jobs</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/soft-skills-can-save-your-job-from-the-machines-but-young-professionals-are-severely-short-of-it/articleshow/70243130.cms">Soft skills can save your job from the machines but young professionals are severely short of it</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/there-may-be-33000-vacancies-for-freshers-in-indias-retail-and-fmcg-sector/articleshow/69889840.cms">There may be 33,000 vacancies for freshers in India's retail and FMCG sector</a>

Goa will reserve 4 in every 5 private jobs for locals-- making it the third Indian state to crackdown on migration

<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image on-image">NASACanadian Space Agency astronaut Chris Hadfield</div></div>
Retired astronaut Chris Hadfield has predicted that humans will have a colony on the moon within the next 30 to 40 years and establish a base on Mars within the next 70, <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/10521578/Humans-will-live-on-the-Moon-within-30-40-years-predicts-Commander-Chris-Hadfield.html" target="_blank">Sarah Knapton from The Telegraph reports</a>.
Hadfield, who gained fame for <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/best-pictures-videos-from-chris-hadfield-2013-5" target="_blank">tweeting pictures of space</a> and performing his <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/astronaut-covers-bowie-song-in-space-2013-5">own version of David Bowie's "Space Oddity</a>" during his command of the International Space Station (ISS) this year, discussed the future of human space exploration in a public appearance at the <keyword id="41551" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="science">Science</keyword> Museum in London on Monday.
"It's a pattern we have been following for the last 70,000 years," the astronaut said. "We gradually made our way around the world. In the last 100 years we have got to Antarctica and now there are people who live there for months at a time."
"I think within my lifetime we will see a permanent lunar base. Setting up a permanent habitation on the Moon will help make space exploration better," he added.
Hadfield believes that humans will begin building a lunar base once the aging ISS is decommissioned, something that will happen in around 15 years, he said. This will be made possible with the help of countries like India and China, which both have ambitious space plans.
China successfully <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/china-has-landed-on-the-moon-2013-12" target="_blank">carried out the first soft-landing on the moon</a> in nearly 40 years on Saturday. In November, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/indias-mars-mission-enters-second-stage-2013-12" target="_blank">India launched its first mission to Mars</a>.
Hadfield, 54, retired from the Canadian Space Agency in June. He is currently on tour promoting his new book "<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/astronaut-covers-bowie-song-in-space-2013-5" target="_blank">An Astronaut's Guide To Life on Earth</a>."

Retired Astronaut: Humans Will Live On The Moon Within 40 Years

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/intuitive-machines-im-1-odysseus-moon-lunar-landing-mission-nasa-2024-2">Intuitive Machines' Odysseus spacecraft landed on the moon</a> for NASA with complications on Thursday.</li><li>NASA tried a different moon landing with another company in January. That ended in flames.</li></ul><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moon-missions-why-astronauts-have-not-returned-2018-7">NASA returned to the moon</a> for the first time in more than 50 years on Thursday, with help from Houston-based company Intuitive Machines.The uncrewed Odysseus lunar lander, built and operated by Intuitive Machines, became the first commercial spacecraft ever to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-moon-landings-on-lunar-south-pole-crashed-2023-8">land on the moon</a> on Thursday, when it touched down on the lunar surface at about 6:23 p.m. EST.But in that very moment, it suddenly stopped communicating with mission controllers. The control room on NASA's livestream looked tense.You can watch this historic and nail-biting moment in the video below.Though the lander sent pings to Earth that indicated it was still alive and intact, relieving some of the suspense, mission controllers were still unable to receive data from the lander about its status."We're not dead yet," mission director Tim Crain said on NASA's livestream of the landing. "It's faint, but it's there."Still, Intuitive Machines and NASA declared success, and Crain said all signs pointed to a communications outage — but a live lander."What an outstanding effort. I know this was a nail-biter, but we are on the surface and we are transmitting. Welcome to the moon," Stephen Altemus, Intuitive Machines CEO, told the control room.<div type="image" title="Earth photographed by the Intuitive Machines' Odysseus moon lander." height="945" width="1260" msid="107895897" hostid="261"></div>The landing helps catapult the US into the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-china-race-to-the-moon-photos-launches-2022-11">21st-century space race</a>.<h2>The US had fallen behind</h2>Despite being the first to land on the moon in 1969, until now <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moon-missions-why-astronauts-have-not-returned-2018-7">NASA hadn't returned anything to the lunar surface</a> in the 21st century.<div type="image" title="the moon bright round blotchy cratered disc in the blackness of space" height="1986" width="1986" msid="107700645" hostid="261"></div>Unlike <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-bill-nelson-warns-china-claim-moon-territory-lunar-resources-2023-1">China</a>, India, and Japan, the US had not put anything on the moon in more than 50 years.NASA made an attempt in January, collaborating with the company <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-moon-lander-peregrine-burn-up-earth-atmosphere-satellite-astrobotic-2024-1">Astrobotic to launch the Peregrine</a> mission to the moon.But the lander never made it because a faulty valve caused a fuel leak that forced them to call off the mission mid-flight.Luckily, NASA already had its next attempt lined up.Through a $118 million contract, the agency sponsored Intuitive Machines to launch its first mission, called IM-1, toward the moon early Thursday.<div type="image" title="falcon 9 white and black rocket climbing in the blue sky with bright flame extending below its engines" height="1500" width="2480" msid="107700648" hostid="261"></div>The Nova-C, dubbed Odysseus, is a hexagonal cylinder about 14 feet tall and 5 feet wide. If it is still functional and restores communications, NASA will get a chance to study the lunar surface with the six science instruments it has aboard, including a mini radio telescope test.<div type="image" title="The IM-1 mission spacecraft floating in space with Earth in the background." height="945" width="1260" msid="107895898" hostid="261"></div>With a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-sls-mega-rocket-unaffordable-costs-hit-20-billion-2023-9">few exceptions</a>, this is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-helping-private-companies-build-business-moon-make-lunar-billions-2023-6">NASA's model for future deep-space exploration</a>: contract commercial entities to do the hard engineering, and then hitch a ride with its science.But this strategy had not yet put anything on the lunar surface for NASA — until Thursday. Still, a lot could have gone wrong and it's not clear what exactly happened.<h2>The moon's graveyard of failed spacecraft is growing</h2><div type="image" title="New crater in the moon thought to be site of Luna-25 lander crash." height="1100" width="1100" msid="107673669" hostid="261"></div><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-india-moon-landing-cost-cheap-compared-to-nasa-russia-2023-8">Nailing a moon landing</a> is extremely difficult. India only achieved the feat a few years after crashing on its first attempt, and a few days after Russia attempted and crashed.Japan joined India in the ranks of 21st-century moon-goers in January, but its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/japan-moon-probe-landed-upside-down-still-works-2024-1">spacecraft landed upside-down</a>.<div type="image" title="moon surface grey rocky slope with yellow space probe balanced on its nose" height="480" width="640" msid="107673670" hostid="261"></div>Even that was a sort of redemption from a previous failure. Less than a year ago, the Japanese private company<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/japanese-company-ispace-fears-moon-probe-crash-landed-2023-4"> ispace tried and failed its own moon landing</a>.So many spacecraft have crashed on the moon that ispace wasn't even the first non-government enterprise to do it. In 2019, Israeli nonprofit SpaceIL also crashed a spacecraft it was trying to gently lower to the lunar surface."Spaceflight is hard. A million things have to go right, and if one thing goes wrong, you can still have a failure," Trent Martin, vice president of space systems at Intuitive Machines, said in a NASA press briefing last month."I can't say that we've solved every problem," he added, "but we certainly have looked at, as much as we can, the lessons that we've learned over the last four or five years as various missions have attempted to land on the moon."<h2>Odysseus landed in the moon's coveted south pole region</h2>What's more, NASA and Intuitive Machines aimed closer to the moon's south pole than anyone's ever gotten. The area is coveted real estate as space-faring nations race to establish permanent bases on the moon.<div type="image" title="moon astronauts artemis" height="2160" width="3840" msid="107673671" hostid="261"></div>That's because <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-made-oxygen-out-of-thin-air-on-mars-2023-9">astronauts could launch toward Mars</a> from the surface of the moon — if they can mine the water frozen in permanently shadowed craters around the lunar south pole.In theory, with that water NASA (or China or Russia) could produce fresh rocket fuel on-site. But lunar territory is first-come first-serve.Until now, only <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-moon-rover-to-collect-first-samples-lunar-south-pole-2023-8">India had landed in the lunar south pole region</a>.

Watch the video of Intuitive Machines and NASA landing on the moon and hitting a snag, with $118 million on the line

The <keyword id="6415708" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Khadi-and-Village-Industries-Commission">Khadi and Village Industries Commission</keyword> (<keyword id="6407941" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="kvic">KVIC</keyword>) is seeking international trademark protection for 'Charkha' symbol used on khadi products, according to an official statement. The commission is the registered proprietor of over a hundred trademark registrations, including the symbol of 'Charkha' in India and other countries like Russia, China, Germany, Australia, UK and Bhutan, the MSME ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. These <keyword id="1376938" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="trademarks">trademarks</keyword> and symbols, it said, have been misused time and again by private players. "In an initiative to prevent such misuse any further, KVIC has taken up the matter with the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Commerce and Permanent Mission of India at UN, Geneva seeking international trademark protection of symbol of 'Charkha' under the Paris Convention," it said.
 An article of the convention protects armorial bearings, flags and other state emblems as well as official signs and hallmarks of the states.
 The signs published with <keyword id="141585" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Intellectual-Property-Organization">World Intellectual Property Organization</keyword> (WIPO) under this act are prevented from being registered or used as trademarks, across the world, without authorization, it said. The commission has written to Commerce Minister <keyword id="6355222" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="piyush-goyal">Piyush Goyal</keyword> seeking his intervention to expedite the matter. "KVIC is fighting cases in several countries for violation of the khadi mark regulations," it said.
 The regulations issued in 2013 by the MSME ministry empower KVIC to grant 'Khadi Mark' registration and take royalties from any producer using this mark.
 "KVIC has issued notices against 600 entities in India, including a renowned garment chain and three entities in the international market, for misusing these symbols and indulging in unfair trade practices in the recent past," it added.

India's Khadi industry wants international protection for Gandhi's 'Charkha' symbol

<ul class="summary-list"><li>NASA and Intuitive Machines' <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-intuitive-machines-moon-landing-attempt-after-astrobotic-fail-2024-2">IM-1 mission</a> landed on the moon on Thursday.</li><li>This is NASA's first return to the lunar surface since the last Apollo mission in 1972.</li></ul>An American moon lander touched down on the lunar surface for the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moon-missions-why-astronauts-have-not-returned-2018-7">first time in more than 50 years</a> on Thursday.The uncrewed Odysseus lander, made by the Houston company Intuitive Machines in collaboration with NASA, claimed a major victory not just for the US but for the space industry at large: It's the first commercial spacecraft to ever <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-moon-landings-on-lunar-south-pole-crashed-2023-8">land on the moon without crashing</a>. The past five years have racked up a series of failed moon landings — by Russia, India, Japan, an Israeli nonprofit, a Japanese company, and, just last month, the NASA collaborator <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/astrobotic-moon-lander-leaking-fuel-after-launch-threatening-mission-2024-1">Astrobotic</a>. Everyone is scrambling to get their feet on the moon in a new race to claim lunar territory and resources.The success of Odysseus brings NASA and its commercial partners, finally, to the front of the 21st century's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-helping-private-companies-build-business-moon-make-lunar-billions-2023-6">mad moon dash</a>.There were some initial complications in the landing. When the spacecraft touched down on the moon, it stopped communication with mission control.<div type="image" title="Illustration of Intuitive Machines' Odysseus spacecraft attempting moon landing" height="604" width="1094" msid="107926875" hostid="261"></div>"We're not dead yet," the mission director, Tim Crain, said on NASA's livestream of the landing. "It's faint, but it's there."A couple of hours later, however, <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/Int_Machines/status/1760838333851148442">Intuitive Machines</a> announced on X it had established communications and learned the spacecraft had landed upright on the moon."After troubleshooting communications, flight controllers have confirmed Odysseus is upright and starting to send data. Right now, we are working to downlink the first images from the lunar surface," the private company wrote on X.<h2>The Odysseus lander's odyssey so far</h2>Odysseus launched atop a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-elon-musk">SpaceX</a> rocket on February 14, carrying 12 payloads — six of them belonging to private companies and six of them science experiments for NASA.The spacecraft traveled 620,000 miles to aim for its destination: a crater in the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-scientist-microbial-life-hiding-on-moon-south-pole-2023-6">moon's south pole</a>.On Thursday, however, the landing was delayed about 45 minutes after the lander's navigation system failed.Intuitive Machines mission controllers scrambled to upload software patches that instructed the lander to instead use a system of navigation lasers that NASA had loaded on board. The NASA laser system was meant to be a demo to see whether the technology even worked — not to guide the landing on its own.As Odysseus plummeted to the lunar surface and tilted itself to point the lasers toward the lunar surface to map it out, everything seemed to be going well. But the lander fell out of communication in the final moments of its descent to the lunar surface.Intuitive Machines mission control reported that it was receiving pings from the lander, which meant it touched down at about 6:24 p.m. ET, intact and alive.It's unclear whether the touchdown issues were related to the navigation-system failure.<h2>A race to the moon's south pole</h2>The IM-1 mission was designed to get NASA and Intuitive Machines closer to the moon's south pole than anyone had ever been before.The US — along with its commercial and international allies — is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-china-race-to-the-moon-photos-launches-2022-11">racing against China and Russia</a> to establish a permanent base in this lunar region. The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-scientists-discover-moons-hidden-water-stores-2020-10">moon's south pole</a> is so coveted because it contains water frozen in its permanently shadowed craters. In theory, NASA (and anyone else who claims a crater) could use that water to produce fresh rocket fuel from their lunar base.With that fuel, astronauts could <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-made-oxygen-out-of-thin-air-on-mars-2023-9">launch toward Mars</a> from the surface of the moon.Adding a lunar pitstop to a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-seeking-applicants-mars-simulation-habitat-live-year-2024-2">mission to Mars</a> would mean the spacecraft doesn't have to leave Earth with all the fuel required to make it to the red planet.Until now, only <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-moon-rover-to-collect-first-samples-lunar-south-pole-2023-8">India</a> had solidly landed in the moon's south-pole region.<h2>Landing on the moon is tricky and expensive</h2>Landing on the moon is no easy feat. The US isn't the only nation to have <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-moon-lander-peregrine-burn-up-earth-atmosphere-satellite-astrobotic-2024-1">tried and failed</a> in previous attempts.India found success several years after crashing during its first attempt. Russia's lunar lander was destroyed in a crash in August, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/japan-moon-probe-landed-upside-down-still-works-2024-1">Japan's landed upside down</a> in January.<div type="image" title="The IM-1 mission spacecraft floating in space with Earth in the background." height="945" width="1260" msid="107926876" hostid="261"></div>"Spaceflight is hard. A million things have to go right, and if one thing goes wrong, you can still have a failure," Trent Martin, the vice president of Intuitive Machines' space systems, said during a NASA press briefing last month.In fact, only about 50% of lunar landing missions succeed. While technology has advanced a lot since Apollo, the moon's treacherous terrain and distance from Earth make failure pretty likely.<h2>Space exploration goes commercial</h2>The IM-1 mission is part of NASA's new deep-space strategy.Through its Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, the government space agency can <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-helping-private-companies-build-business-moon-make-lunar-billions-2023-6">outsource spacecraft design to private companies</a>, such as Intuitive Machines.The idea is that companies build the hardware, and NASA hitches a ride, saving taxpayer money and giving the agency more options.IM-1 wasn't the first time NASA has done this. For its last lunar-landing attempt in January, NASA partnered with the Pittsburgh company Astrobotic Technology to send its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-moon-lander-peregrine-burn-up-earth-atmosphere-satellite-astrobotic-2024-1">Peregrine spacecraft</a> to the moon. But the mission didn't succeed.<div type="image" title="Earth photographed by the Intuitive Machines' Odysseus moon lander." height="945" width="1260" msid="107926877" hostid="261"></div>NASA has several CLPS missions scheduled over the next two years, including two more with Intuitive Machines.In Intuitive Machines' next mission, its spacecraft is scheduled to launch toward the moon's south pole again in 2024, this time to deliver a drill designed to dig down into a ridge near the Shackleton crater to look for ice.Even later this year, a different Intuitive Machines spacecraft is scheduled to head to the western edge of the moon's near side. In that mission, it's targeting a specific geographic feature named a "lunar swirl" that has a localized magnetic field.So NASA and Intuitive Machines have officially put the new commercial lunar era in swing, and they're just getting started.

NASA is back on the moon &mdash; with the first commercial lunar landing ever

MUMBAI: In recent years, a rising number of countries are eyeing the Red Planet, both with the idea of establishing a permanent human settlement there, as well as carrying out unmanned scientific research. 
 
So far, just three countries or groupings have launched unmanned missions to Mars: the US, the former Soviet Union and the 17-member European Space Agency. India has thus joined an exclusive global Martian club as the fourth member, in the first shot, and become the first Asian nation. 
 <keyword id="6355311" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Japan">Japan</keyword>'s attempt to reach Mars with the Nozomi spacecraft in 1998 suffered a setback, and China's maiden effort with Yinghuo-1 in November 2011 didn't succeed because of a failure of the Russian rocket. UAE is planning an unmanned mission to Mars in 2021. 
 
The main reason why countries are aiming for Mars is to hunt for the elusive Methane and determine if life ever existed on that planet since it is most earth-like. 
 Nasa's <keyword id="69295" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Curiosity">Curiosity</keyword> mission, which landed on the Red Planet on August 6, 2012, established that conditions there were once suitable for life. But, it also declared that there was no methane, a theory dismissed by former <keyword id="6358064" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="ISRO">Isro</keyword> chief U R Rao, who played a key role in the selection of the five payloads for the <keyword id="6625456" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Mars-Orbiter-Mission">Mars Orbiter Mission</keyword> (MOM). Among five scientific equipment MOM carries is a Lyman alpha photometer to look for deuterium and hydrogen--indicators of water in the past. 
 
 
Nasa's Curiosity rover had declared that there was no methane on the Red Planet. 
 
READ ALSO: <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Isros-agent-Mars-The-name-is-Arunan/articleshow/43366888.cms">Isro’s agent Mars — The name is Arunan</a> 
 
<a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Mars-Orbiter-Mission-to-spawn-a-generation-of-smart-satellites/articleshow/43364220.cms">​Mars Orbiter Mission to spawn a generation of smart satellites</a> 
 
<a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/With-Mars-feat-India-checks-into-a-super-exclusive-league/articleshow/43369545.cms">With Mars feat, India checks into a super exclusive league</a> 
 
Some scientists have even been speculating that life began on Mars. They believe several billion years ago a rock with life in it could have struck the Red Planet, bounced back into space, and landed on earth. Another factor prompting countries to go to Mars is to know why it transformed from a warm, wet planet into a cold and dry one. 
 
 
Countries are hunting for the elusive Methane on Mars to determine whether life ever existed on the planet. 
 
Scientists also want to understand the Martian climate, its atmosphere and dust storms. A study of its minerals is also a part of the scientists' agenda. Space agencies also want to develop a detailed model of Mars relating to the physical and chemical processes taking place there. 
 
<a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Mars-Orbiter-Mission-Timeline/articleshow/43295819.cms">Mars Orbiter Mission: Timeline</a> 
 
<a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/listshow/43310891.cms">10 things you should know about Mangalyaan</a> 
 
V Adimurty , who headed the Indian Mars Mission Study Team, told TOI in an earlier interview that scientists are curious to know about Mars “because it holds the secrets of our past and the possibilities of our future“. 
 <keyword id="193230" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Buzz-Aldrin">Buzz Aldrin</keyword>, the second man to step on the moon, in his book 'Mission To Mars' wrote that understanding the Martian climate and atmosphere, including the evolution of Mars' surface and interior, can be “looped back into grasping the past, present and future of earth“.

You Searched For "Permanent Mission of India" and got 13 results

Amid COVID-19, special 'Yoga Module' by India's Mission to UN to commemorate International Yoga Day

PTI

India pays USD 29.9 million in UN regular budget assessments for 2022

PTI

PM Modi to deliver keynote speech at High-Level Segment of UN ECOSOC

PTI

India wants priorities of developing nations to be the centre of attention of 2030 Development Agenda

BI India Bureau

India beats China to win crucial election to UN commission on women

PTI

India's Quest For Permanent UN Security Council Seat: The Ball Is In China’s Court

Preetam Kaushik

India’s power 5: Big announcements from the world’s second most populous country on its Independence Day

Prabhjote Gill

Goa will reserve 4 in every 5 private jobs for locals-- making it the third Indian state to crackdown on migration

Prerna Sindwani

Retired Astronaut: Humans Will Live On The Moon Within 40 Years

Dina Spector

Watch the video of Intuitive Machines and NASA landing on the moon and hitting a snag, with $118 million on the line

Morgan McFall-Johnsen

India's Khadi industry wants international protection for Gandhi's 'Charkha' symbol

PTI

NASA is back on the moon with the first commercial lunar landing ever

Ellyn Lapointe,Morgan McFall-…

Why Mars? To Find The Elusive Methane And Secrets Of Life

TOI

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides