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From uncrewed moon landings and lunar sample returns to human spaceflight, India’s expanding space program is set to strengthen its position in the global <keyword id="20114940" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="space-race" source="keywords">space race</keyword>. Under ISRO Chairman S. Somanath’s leadership, India’s space exploration vision includes high-stakes projects like Chandrayaan-4, Chandrayaan-5 and the human spaceflight mission Gaganyaan, positioning the nation as a significant player in space exploration. <h2>Chandrayaan-4: India’s first <keyword id="23227406" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lunar-sample-return" source="keywords">lunar sample return</keyword> mission </h2>Chandrayaan-4, scheduled for 2028, is one of India’s most anticipated upcoming missions. This mission aims to collect approximately 3 kilograms (about 6.6 pounds) of lunar samples from a water-ice-rich area near the moon’s south pole. Water ice in the lunar south pole is a prized resource, as it holds the potential to support life support systems and rocket fuel production, making it essential for long-term lunar exploration. Though the United States and Russia completed similar missions decades ago, Somanath highlighted that achieving this feat today is still both complex and costly. India, however, is determined to carry out this mission efficiently, with a budget of 21 billion rupees (roughly $250 million USD). Chandrayaan-4’s mission plan is highly intricate, relying on five spacecraft modules that will require two launches from ISRO’s powerful LVM-3 rocket. This setup includes modules for the lander, sample-collecting vehicle, transfer module, and a reentry module parked in lunar orbit to safely deliver the collected samples back to Earth. To practise in-orbit docking — a critical component of this mission — ISRO is set to launch a $14 million docking experiment (SPADEX) later this year or in early 2025, marking an essential step toward ensuring the mission's success. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111455720" title="ISRO&amp;#39;s Chandrayaan-3 moon mission continues to uncover lunar treasures at Shiv Shakti point" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> <h2>A step beyond with Chandrayaan-5</h2>Following Chandrayaan-4, ISRO plans to launch Chandrayaan-5 in collaboration with the Japanese space agency, JAXA. The joint mission aims to leverage strengths of both space agencies, with ISRO developing the lander and JAXA providing the rover. Shortly after Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander and Pragyan rover had landed near the Moon’s South Pole, Japan’s Smart Lander had landed upside down near the lunar equator. While theC-3’s rover failed to awaken after the lunar night, JAXA’s rover did survive the lunar night and even snapped pictures of the lunar surface after that! This mission, also known as the Lunar Polar Exploration Project (LUPEX), will carry a 770-pound rover contributed by Japan, a significant upgrade from the 60-pound Pragyan rover deployed on Chandrayaan-3. Chandrayaan-5 will further strengthen India’s presence on the moon, targeting the resource-rich south pole, an area of growing international interest. The mission will come after Chandrayaan-4, but S Somnath has confirmed that the plan for the mission is ready already! <h2>Gaganyaan: India’s first human spaceflight </h2>Perhaps the most exciting of India’s upcoming space projects is Gaganyaan, a mission set to take India’s first astronauts to low Earth orbit by 2026. Originally scheduled for 2025, the timeline was extended to prioritise astronaut safety amid recent setbacks in the industry. Recognising the significance of this mission, the Indian government allocated an additional Rs 111 billion to Gaganyaan, bringing the program closer to launch. ISRO’s cautious approach includes a series of uncrewed test flights to evaluate critical systems. An uncrewed test flight, G1, is scheduled for December and will carry a humanoid robot named Vyomitra to test reentry, parachute deployment, and splashdown capabilities. Following G1, three more uncrewed missions will complete this rigorous testing phase. The mission’s crew, including Indian Air Force test pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, has been undergoing intensive training both in India and abroad, including a stint with Axiom Space at the International Space Station (ISS), where Shukla is training under former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson. Meanwhile, ISRO’s ambitious roadmap also includes future goals to land astronauts on the moon by 2040 and potentially establish a moon base before 2050. With these projects, India is set to establish itself as a formidable force in space exploration. As Somanath expressed in a recent lecture in New Delhi, the next few years will be dedicated to designing, developing and executing these complex missions, marking a new chapter in India’s journey toward the stars. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="108891587" title="European Space Agency Director praises ISRO, calls India&amp;#39;s accomplishments in space &amp;quot;astonishing&amp;quot;" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

ISRO’s ambitious lineup of missions include Chandrayaan-4, Chandrayaan-5 and Gaganyaan — likely within the end of this decade!

<keyword id="19896118" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="United-Nations" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="United Nations" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="United Nations">United Nations</keyword>, <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword> with its significant economic growth and leadership of the <keyword id="19930049" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Global-South" source="keywords">Global South</keyword> deserves a permanent seat at the <keyword id="19900775" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="UN-Security-Council" source="keywords">UN Security Council</keyword>, <keyword id="20047250" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bhutan" source="keywords">Bhutan</keyword>'s Prime Minister <keyword id="20103768" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tshering-Tobgay" source="keywords">Tshering Tobgay</keyword> has said. He also expressed "deepest" gratitude to India for its "support and friendship" for his country's journey of graduating from the Least Developed Countries (LDC) category. "The United Nations must evolve to meet the realities of today's world. The Security Council, as it stands, is a relic of the past. We need a Council that reflects the current geopolitical, economic landscape and social realities," Tobgay said in his address to the General Debate of the 79th session of the UN <keyword id="20282473" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="General-Assembly" source="keywords">General Assembly</keyword> on Friday. He said Bhutan has long advocated for reform of the 15-nation Security Council to make it more representative and effective and voiced support for India to sit as a permanent member at the horse-shoe high table. "For this, India with its significant economic growth and population and leadership of the Global South deserves a permanent seat at the Security Council," Tobgay said. He also voiced support for Japan, "a leading donor and peacebuilder", to become a permanent UNSC member. During the high-level week, several UN Member states, including permanent members France, UK and the US explicitly voiced support for India to become a permanent member in a reformed Security Council. In his address, Tobgay also highlighted Bhutan's journey of graduating from the <keyword id="23349840" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="LDC-category" source="keywords">LDC category</keyword> in December last year, about 52 years after it joined the United Nations. He noted that this achievement did not come easily, it was a journey marked by hard work, perseverance and one in which Thimphu was not alone. It had the support of many friends who "accompanied us on this important journey", he said extending "deep gratitude" to the United Nations, its specialised agencies, and <keyword id="23349841" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="development-partners" source="keywords">development partners</keyword>, including Japan, the European Union, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank for their unwavering support. "But most importantly, I would like to reserve our deepest thanks to India, our closest friend and neighbour. They have been with us from the very beginning of our development journey, and have remained steadfast in their support and friendship," Tobgay said. He noted that graduating from the LDC category is a significant milestone and what truly matters is that Bhutan did it on its own terms. Describing Bhutan's story as one of hope and also a call to action, Tobgay however voiced concern that only seven nations have graduated from the LDC category in about 50 years and 46 countries are still in need. "This is unacceptable. The international community must intensify its efforts to ensure that no nation is left behind, that all LDC countries achieve graduation," he said, adding that to accomplish this, "we must address poverty, inequality and vulnerability with a renewed sense of urgency." The Pact for the Future, which UN Member States adopted collectively at the Summit of the Future earlier this week, provides "us with a road map to transform the lives of the world's most vulnerable," he said.

India deserves permanent UNSC seat: Bhutan

India's <keyword id="22879519" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="organised-gold-loan-market" source="keywords">organised gold loan market</keyword> is projected to double in the next five years to Rs 14.19 lakh crore despite expected moderation in growth due to stricter regulations, according to a <keyword id="19938520" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="PwC-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="PwC India" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="PwC India">PwC India</keyword> report. In fiscal 2023-24, the organised <keyword id="21627536" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="gold-loan-market" source="keywords">gold loan market</keyword> demonstrated substantial growth, reaching a valuation of Rs 7.1 lakh crore, according to the report titled 'Striking gold: The rise of India's gold loan market' . "It is expected to reach around Rs 14.19 lakh crore by FY 2029 at a five-year CAGR of 14.85 %," it said. Indian families own massive quantities of gold, estimated at 25,000 tonne. Existing gold holdings with <keyword id="19895507" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-households" source="keywords">Indian households</keyword> are valued at roughly Rs 126 lakh crore, the report said. It further said the gold loan market is poised to see moderate growth over the next two years, as gold lenders are facing increased scrutiny from regulatory authorities regarding loan-to-value (LTV) maintenance and auction-related procedures. "The second-largest player in the gold loan market being inactive would have an impact on market growth in FY25," the report said. Also, the <keyword id="19899808" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rbi" source="keywords">RBI</keyword>'s advisory to <keyword id="19938300" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NBFCs" source="keywords">NBFCs</keyword> on cash disbursement, which limits the amount of cash disbursal to Rs 20,000, could push customers to rely on the unorganised sector. The regulator has also raised concerns about the evaluation process for lending activities through fintech startups. The increased regulatory scrutiny and revised guidelines have led to a dip in the share prices of leading NBFCs, PwC said. "Gold loan lenders are expected to use this period to ensure that they are compliant with all regulatory guidelines while undertaking several measures to optimise their middle and back offices through digitisation initiatives," it said. Lenders are also expected to implement cost optimisation initiatives that will help drive up the bottom-line profitability of their companies and enhance investor confidence which has slightly depleted as a result of the regulatory scrutiny. Furthermore, the report said rising gold prices over the past financial year may also drive lenders to take a cautious approach to lending rates and pricing as any downward movement in gold prices will result in a substantial LTV breach that will further create operational issues for lenders in the form of auctions. "The growth of the gold loan market is expected to be steered by both banks and NBFCs," the report said. The emergence of digital gold loan aggregator platforms and their strategic collaboration with gold loan lenders such as banks and NBFCs will be a key driving factor for the growth of the industry, enabling gold loan lenders to tap into a previously untapped segment of digitally savvy customers. "While the forecasted growth of the gold loan market means potential growth for all players, the impact on the players may vary. Banks are expected to benefit from their lower interest rates," PwC said. Jaikrishnan G, Partner (Financial Services), PwC India said lending against gold is the oldest form of credit. It remains one of the most attractive options for consumer as well as lenders. "High return-on-assets, manageable risk, timely regulatory interventions, growing adoption, tech-enabled operating models have all contributed to sector growth. As India embraces the vision of Viksit Bharat, gold loans will provide much needed liquidity and credit access to growing small and medium entrepreneur segments," he said. The report further said growth by NBFCs is expected to be fuelled by their expansion and increased outreach to regions with low penetration, bringing new credit customers to the financial services ecosystem. Also, fintechs will play a critical role in bringing in the required technology and innovation into the industry, thus helping lenders to create unique product propositions to boost growth, it said. <keyword id="20037818" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="South-India" source="keywords">South India</keyword> contributes to a vast extent, as it emerges as the dominant market for gold loans, with 79.1% share of the total outstanding loans. The report also noted that an assumption can be made that the entire Rs 126 lakh crore worth of gold will not be available for pledging due to various reasons like jewelry belonging to religious institutions, jewellery with emotional value, and certain jewellery held by individuals who are not in need of finance.

Gold loan market projected to double in 5 years to Rs 14.19 lakh crore, says PwC India's report

Chennai: The <keyword id="19896558" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tamil-Nadu" source="keywords">Tamil Nadu</keyword> government on Thursday said home and personal care products maker <keyword id="20297128" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Dabur-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Dabur India" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Dabur India">Dabur India</keyword> will set up a Rs 400 crore manufacturing <keyword id="20102134" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="plant" source="keywords">plant</keyword> in the state's Villupuram district, marking the FMCG company's maiden foray into the South. State Industries Minister TRB Rajaa said a pact was inked on Thursday for this purpose. "Welcome to Tamil Nadu, @DaburIndia! In fact, welcome to <keyword id="20037818" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="South-India" source="keywords">South India</keyword>! In the presence of Honourable @CMOTamilNadu Thiru. @MKStalin avargal, @Guidance_TN today signed an MoU with <keyword id="20075276" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dabur" source="keywords">Dabur</keyword> for the establishment of a world-class manufacturing plant, their FIRST EVER in South India, at the SIPCOT Food Park in #Tindivanam, Villupuram district," Rajaa said in a post on 'X.' He said the company will invest Rs 400 crore in this facility which will create over 250 jobs. "More importantly, it will open up new opportunities for farmers in the nearby #Delta region to sell #AgroProduce to be processed in this facility," he added. Dabur's decision to choose Tamil Nadu is a testament to the state's thriving industrial ecosystem and availability of a work-ready labour force, Rajaa added.

Dabur to set up first plant in South India, to invest Rs 400 crore in TN, says Minister Rajaa

The Indian women's archery team, comprising <keyword id="22054720" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bhajan-Kaur" source="keywords">Bhajan Kaur</keyword>, <keyword id="20724017" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Deepika-Kumari" source="keywords">Deepika Kumari</keyword> and <keyword id="22054721" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ankita-Bhakat" source="keywords">Ankita Bhakat</keyword>, directly qualified for the <keyword id="20090923" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="quarter-finals" source="keywords">quarter-finals</keyword> of the event at the <keyword id="20006192" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Paris-Olympics" source="keywords">Paris Olympics</keyword> by securing a fourth-place finish with 1983 points. In the Women's Archery <keyword id="22544528" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ranking-round" source="keywords">Ranking Round</keyword>, <keyword id="19916007" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="South-Korea" source="keywords">South Korea</keyword> ended at the top of the list with 2046 points, followed by China (1996) and Mexico (1986). For <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword>, Ankita Bhakat finished in the 11th spot with 666 points, a season-best, and grabbed the 11th seed in the women's archery competition. South Korea's Lim Sihyeon (694), a world record, and Nam Suhyeon (688), her personal best, finished as the first and second-ranked women archers in the women's ranking. During the ranking round, each shooter was supposed to hit 72 arrows in two halves of 36 each. A set consists of six arrows shot at once, and there are six sets per half. The top four seeds earned a direct qualification to the quarterfinals. At the conclusion of the first set, Indian archers Ankita Bhakat scored 54 points and had 22nd place (X, 10, 9, 9, 8, 8), Deepika Kumari had 51 points and 51st place (10, 9, 9, 9, 8, 6) and Bhajan Kaur had 51 points (9, 9, 9, 9, 8, 7) and 52nd place. The leading player was Sihyeon Lim of South Korea, with 59 points. In the subsequent two sets, Ankita and Bhajan started to improve their standings, rising to seventh and 41st place, respectively. On the other hand, Deepika rose to the 36th spot in the second set with 54 points but slipped to the 39th spot in the third set with 54 points. Halfway through the first set, South Korea's Sihyeon Lim (176) and Suhyeon Nam (172) occupied the top two spots. Ankita (7th with 170 points), Deepika (39th with 161 points) and Bhajan (41st with 161 points) were also climbing up. India as a team had climbed up to fourth seeding out of 12 by the time the third set ended. In the fourth set, Ankita faced a brief drop to 8th spot, while Deepika and Bhajan climbed to 31st and 38th place, respectively. In the fifth set, Ankita fell to the 10th spot, while Bhajan and Deepika rose to the 23rd spot and 33rd spots, respectively. India concluded the first half of the ranking round in 6th place as a team, with Ankita (12th place with 335 points), Deepika (37th place with 327 points) and Bhajan (23rd place with 330 points) having to put their all in the second half for a direct spot in the quarter-finals. South Korea occupied both the top spot as a team and individually, led by Sihyeon. Turkey's Elif Berra Gokkir had the second spot, while Suhyeon of South Korea held the third spot in the individual category. India started the second half really well, with Ankita falling to 15th place with 389 points, but Deepika (25th place with 384 points) and Bhajan (28th place with 383 points) rising up. India rose to fourth seeding at the start of the second half. India maintained its fourth seeding at the end of the eighth set, with Ankita rising to the 11th spot with 445 points, Deepika rising to the 24th spot with 439 points, and Bhajan falling to the 30th spot with 437 points. India slid down to the fifth spot at the end of the ninth set, with Ankita intact at the 11th spot, Deepika falling to the 30th spot, and Bhajan rising to the 25th spot. India once again went up to fourth spot at the tenth set end, with Ankita dropping to 12th spot, Bhajan rising to 21st, and Deepika reaching 28th spot too. In the 11th set, Bhakat accumulated 58 points, while Bhajan and Deepika claimed 56 points each. In the final set, Deepika shined by hitting four consecutive 10-point marks. She accumulated 57 points and finished in 23rd place with an aggregate total of 658. Bhajan finished the final set with 53 points. She secured 22nd place with an aggregate of 659. Ankita walked away with 11th place with an aggregate of 666 points and accumulated 54 points in the final set. (ANI)

Paris Olympics: India directly qualify for quarter-finals in women's team archery event

A new study by <keyword id="5069783" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Centre-for-Chronic-Disease-Control" source="Orion">Centre for Chronic Disease Control</keyword>, India (CCDC) on cardiovascular risk reduction in South Asia has demonstrated significant long-term benefits of a multi-faceted quality improvement (QI) strategy, comprising of task sharing, and clinical decision support software (CDSS) with electronic health records, in managing type-2 diabetes in India and Pakistan. The study, published in the prestigious journal PLOS Medicine, highlights the sustained impact of QI interventions on <keyword id="21411276" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="diabetes-care" source="keywords">diabetes care</keyword> and associated complications over a median follow-up period of 6.5 years. The burden of diabetes Diabetes control remains a global challenge, leading to severe complications such as <keyword id="22908" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="heart-disease" source="Orion">heart disease</keyword>, <keyword id="25191" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="stroke" source="Orion">stroke</keyword>, <keyword id="16753" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="blindness" source="Orion">blindness</keyword> or visual impairment, and kidney and nerve damage. LMICs are often faced with challenges such as inadequate infrastructure and trained healthcare staff with digital literacy. In that respect, the study's findings are crucial for integrating care models sustainably and identifying relevant organizational barriers. Previous studies from high-income countries showed improvements in diabetes care, but their long-term impact on vascular complications and mortality was unclear. This study aimed to address the critical gap in data regarding the long-term effectiveness of QI strategies and their impacts on vascular complications in LMICs. Professor Nikhil Tandon, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, and senior author of the study explained the relevance of these findings in the context of national efforts to combat non-communicable diseases (NCDs). He said, "The <keyword id="22511956" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Programme-for-NCDs" source="keywords">National Programme for NCDs</keyword> [NP-NCDs] operationalized by the Government of India has already a functional portal which provides an electronic health record functionality. Integrating the CDSS in this portal will provide significant incremental benefit to the impact of the National Programme, and bolster governmental efforts to battle the scourge of NCDs including diabetes and hypertension." Speaking about the findings, Prof. (Dr) Dorairaj Prabhakaran, Executive Director, CCDC, and one of the study authors, said, "Through the trial, we've demonstrated that a sustained quality improvement strategy can significantly enhance diabetes care and reduce complications in South Asia. For every 13 patients treated with this strategy, one major adverse cardiovascular event like heart attacks or strokes- or a microvascular event -like eye disease or decline in kidney function- was prevented, showcasing its profound impact on patient outcomes." Professor MK Ali, William H. Foege Distinguished Professor of Global Health, Emory University and one of the key authors of this article, said, "This study is an exemplar of trans-national collaboration for benefits of both, the global south and global north." Study Design and Findings The randomized clinical trial included 1,146 patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes across ten outpatient diabetes clinics from January 2011 through September 2019. Participants were randomized to receive either the QI strategy, which involved trained non-physician care coordinators and a clinical decision support software (CDSS) integrated into the electronic health record form, for physicians, or the usual care. Some of the key findings from the study include: <ul><li>At 6.5 years, patients in the QI strategy group were nearly twice as likely to achieve and maintain target levels for HbA1c (&lt;7%), systolic blood pressure (&lt;130mmHg), and LDL-cholesterol (&lt;100mg/dl), compared to the usual care group. </li><li> The incidence of first microvascular complications, such as diabetic eye disease, decline in kidney function, and nerve pain was notably 32% lower in the QI group. </li><li>There was a significant 28% reduction in the combined occurrence of microvascular and macrovascular events in the QI group.</li></ul> Importantly, these benefits were sustained only in clinics that continued the QI strategy for 6.5 years. With diabetes accounting for one in seven deaths in South Asia, the study provides unique insights into the sustainability of QI strategies in achieving diabetes care goals in low- and middle-income (LMICs) and the effects of these improvements on reducing vascular complications and diabetes-related deaths.

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ISRO’s ambitious lineup of missions include Chandrayaan-4, Chandrayaan-5 and Gaganyaan — likely within the end of this decade!

Ashmita Gupta

India deserves permanent UNSC seat: Bhutan

PTI

Gold loan market projected to double in 5 years to Rs 14.19 lakh crore, says PwC India's report

PTI

Dabur to set up first plant in South India, to invest Rs 400 crore in TN, says Minister Rajaa

PTI

Paris Olympics: India directly qualify for quarter-finals in women's team archery event

ANI

CCDC study reveals multi-pronged diabetes care improves patient outcomes in India, Pakistan

ANI

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