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

<keyword id="19929103" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nationalist-Congress-Party" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Nationalist Congress Party" meta.hostid="83" meta.entityid="Nationalist Congress Party">Nationalist Congress Party</keyword> (SP) president <keyword id="19913755" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sharad-pawar" source="keywords">Sharad Pawar</keyword> on Friday hit out at the <keyword id="19909267" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Centre" source="keywords">Centre</keyword> over <keyword id="20214944" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Leader-of-Opposition" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Leader of Opposition" meta.hostid="83" meta.entityid="Leader of Opposition">Leader of Opposition</keyword> <keyword id="19895780" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rahul-Gandhi" source="keywords">Rahul Gandhi</keyword> not being allotted a <keyword id="22807715" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="front-row-seat" source="keywords">front-row seat</keyword> at the <keyword id="22594483" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Independence-Day-event" source="keywords">Independence Day event</keyword>, accusing it of not honouring the post of LoP. Addressing party workers of the opposition bloc <keyword id="19924537" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Maha-Vikas-Aghadi" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Maha Vikas Aghadi" meta.hostid="83" meta.entityid="Maha Vikas Aghadi">Maha Vikas Aghadi</keyword>, Pawar said the threat to the <keyword id="19942019" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Constitution" source="keywords">Constitution</keyword> is still not over even if the BJP did not get majority in the Lok Sabha polls. "The Centre did not honour the post of Leader of Opposition," Pawar said. "The Leader of Opposition was made to sit in the back row," said the NCP (SP) chief. The Congress on Thursday said making Gandhi "sit in the fifth row" at the <keyword id="20069086" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="independence-day" source="keywords">Independence Day</keyword> celebrations at the Red Fort showed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "pettiness" and lack of respect for democratic traditions. Pawar said that when he was the leader of the opposition during Atal Bihari Vajpayee's tenure, his seating arrangement at the I-Day event was alongside the cabinet ministers. He recalled that when Manmohan Singh was the PM, the then LoP Sushma Swaraj was given a seat allotted to cabinet ranks. The prime minister is an institution, and so is the leader of the opposition. The prestige of the PM's post has to be maintained. Similarly, LoP's prestige is also equally important, Pawar stressed.

Centre did not honour LoP's post: Pawar on Rahul not being allotted front-row seat at Independence Day event

Several portions of the maiden <keyword id="20010618" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="speech" source="keywords">speech</keyword> of <keyword id="19895780" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rahul-Gandhi" source="keywords">Rahul Gandhi</keyword> as Leader of the Opposition in <keyword id="19895394" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha" source="keywords">Lok Sabha</keyword> targeting the central government over various issues, including <keyword id="20105286" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="minorities" source="keywords">minorities</keyword>, NEET row and Agnipath scheme among others, have been <keyword id="22254289" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="expunged" source="keywords">expunged</keyword> from the records of the Parliament on the orders of the Speaker. The portions expunged include his comments on Hindus, and PM Narendra Modi-BJP-RSS among others. Rahul Gandhi in his speech in Lok Sabha on Monday afternoon, during the debate on the motion of thanks on President Draupadi Murmu's address accused the <keyword id="19894848" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="BJP" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="BJP">BJP</keyword> and RSS of preaching and spreading <keyword id="19972953" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="violence" source="keywords">violence</keyword> and hatred. His remarks drew protests from the Treasury benches. The Bharatiya Janata Party - led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh among others stood up to express their protest and rebut the <keyword id="19895371" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Congress" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Congress" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Congress">Congress</keyword> MP's remarks. The BJP leaders accused the Congress MP "of speaking lies, misleading the House and terming the entire <keyword id="20157361" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hindu-community" source="keywords">Hindu community</keyword> violent". The Congress hit back with counter-allegations against the Modi government. Rahul Gandhi invoked Lord Shiva, Prophet Mohammad, Guru Nanak, Jesus Christ, Lord Budha and Lord Mahavir, saying that he had taken the idea of fearlessness from their teachings. <keyword id="19899320" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="PM-Modi" source="keywords">PM Modi</keyword> slammed Rahul Gandhi during his speech. "Calling the entire Hindu community violent is a very serious matter," the Prime Minister said. Home Minister Amit Shah demanded an apology from Rahul Gandhi. While the BJP held a press conference later to denounce Rahul Gandhi's remarks, Congress also held an evening press conference to slam the ruling party at the Centre. Among the portions of Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha speech that got expunged were his accusations against the BJP, stating that the party was treating minorities unfairly and perpetrating violence. Portions of the Congress MP's remarks on industrialists Adand Ambani and on the Agniveer Scheme were also expunged. Dismissing Rahul Gandhi's claims on violence against minorities, Dilip Mandal a prominent Dalit voice, claimed that the last decade was the "most peaceful time for India since independence" as he compared the governance under the Congress party. "During his address, Rahul Gandhi made an objectionable statement that a lot of atrocities are happening against Muslims and Christians in India. I believe that the numbers don't suggest this. The last 10 years have been the most peaceful time for India after independence if you see the numbers," Dilip Mandal told ANI. "During the Congress regime, so many riots used to happen, if you compare that in the last 10 years, only two major communal riot incidents have happened, Delhi and Manipur. So the scale has reduced...riots don't last long now," he said. Mandal alleged Gandhi's remarks as an attempt "to scare investors" and added that the Congress party is "again trying to appease" Muslims. "This is an attempt to scare the investors and it will affect India. Congress is again trying to appease Muslims. He is thinking of getting the Muslim votes, especially the Muslim votes of Bihar and UP, from SP and RJD," Mandal said.

Portions of Rahul Gandhi's speech in Lok Sabha expunged

New Delhi, From appealing people not to vote for them to flaunting the unsuccessful tag, changing name in each election to losing huge sums of money in security deposits -- some tenacious <keyword id="20022603" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="independent" source="keywords">Independent</keyword> candidates have tried these all but losing elections became a habit for them. Tamil Nadu's K Padmarajan, who proudly calls himself the "Election King", might be the only candidate in the election fray who urges people not to vote for him, so he can retain his tag of being "most unsuccessful candidate", a feat also registered in the Limca Book of records. The 65-year-old tyre repair shop owner also finds pride in his entry in the <keyword id="19981515" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="guinness-book-of-world-records" source="keywords">Guinness Book of World Records</keyword> for candidate with most contested elections. He claims to have lost Rs 80 lakh so far in security deposits which gets forfeited every time he loses an election besides expenses for filing nomination amid fanfare. Gearing up for his 239th attempt, Padmarajan has filed his nomination for the 18th <keyword id="19895394" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lok-sabha" source="keywords">Lok Sabha</keyword> elections from Thrissur in Kerala and Dharmapuri in Tamil Nadu. "I began fighting elections in 1988 from my home town of Mettur, located in Tamil Nadu. I have contested 238 elections so far including against former prime ministers <keyword id="20374221" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="atal-bihar-vajpayee" source="keywords">Atal Bihar Vajpayee</keyword>, P V Narsimha Rao and Manmohan Singh. This will be my 239th attempt. I pick a unique battle every time," he told PTI. Asked about his campaign plans, Padmarajan said, "I ask people not vote for me, I don't want the votes but I want to continue to hold the tag of most unsuccessful candidate. I don't campaign but when I go for filing nomination, I do that in a grand way." From former chief ministers like Jayalalitha, M Karunanidhi, YSR Reddy and AK Antony to filmstars Hema Malini and Vijayakanth -- the list of bigwigs against whom Padmarajan has contested is long. Indore's Parmanand <keyword id="21190647" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tolani" source="keywords">Tolani</keyword> is taking forward his father's legacy who fought elections as independent candidate for three decades. "My father passed away in 1988 and I am taking forward his legacy. I have contested 18 elections so far including eight Lok Sabha and eight Vidhan Sabha. I will be contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha polls too," 65-year-old Tolani told PTI. "My father's wish was that we do not have to stop the trend till someone from the family gets elected. If I am not able to do it in my lifetime, my two daughters will carry forward the baton," said Tolani, who is a property broker. <keyword id="21190648" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vijay-prakash-kodekar" source="keywords">Vijay Prakash Kodekar</keyword> from <keyword id="19897309" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pune" source="keywords">Pune</keyword>, a retired staffer from state electricity board, has a different agenda behind contesting elections as independent candidate -- advocating zero budget poll campaigns. He can be seen pushing a steel cart on wheels in streets of Latur, where he is planning to contest the Lok Sabha polls. A flex board on the cart says "Main bhi Pradhanmantri". "The message why cannot any poor individual be the Prime Minister of the country. Why this exorbitant expenditure by parties on election campaigns? Polls can be fought on zero budget and the money can be utilised for public welfare," said 78-year-old Kodekar, who campaigns wearing a white dhoti. Having contested 24 elections so far, Kodekar uses a different name for different elections. "Some elections I have contested using the name Vijay, some with 'Rashtrapati' and some with the name 'Znyosho' -- as I am a disciple of Osho. I complete the name change formalities and then I contest the polls using the new name," he said. Hyderabad techie Ravinder Uppula, uses different campaign strategies for each Lok Sabha election he fights. In 2014 -- it was anti-corruption march and in 2019 it was a liquid only fast. "I promise during my campaign that if I get elected, I will get a lie detector test done every 100 days so public who votes for me doesn't feel cheated. That is how our politicians should do as well to weed out corruption," he said. Uppula, however, is disappointed with the poll campaign expenses. "It should not be an expensive deal to canvass in this country, an agenda and the right promise should be enough rather than the poll fray leaving the voters with no choice except voting for a smaller thief or a bigger thief," he added. The strange obsession of the independent candidates has also been featured in the book "The Power of The Ballot: Travail and Triumph in the Elections". Sharing the saga of some of the independent candidates' stint at the elections, the book decodes "why do some people contest every time knowing they will lose?" Kaka Joginder Singh, also known as "Dhartipakad", was a textile-shop owner who contested and lost over 300 elections. He died in 1998. In elections, he always contested independently, and always lost his security deposits. He earned the nickname Dhartipakad after several unsuccessful runs for the post of the President of India. The year with the greatest yield for him was during the tenth presidential elections in 1992 in which he earned fourth place in the polling with 1,135 votes, losing to Shankar Dayal Sharma; it was his best performance. He also contested elections from 14 states of India in the 1990s, mostly for state assemblies. Singh died in 1998. Long before <keyword id="19895781" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="narendra-modi" source="keywords">Narendra Modi</keyword> chose Varanasi as an election destination, the city had Narendra Nath Dubey "Adig". Often referred to as Kashi's Dhartipakad, he has been fighting every election as an independent candidate since 1984, losing his security deposit each time. He passed away in 2022.

PM campaign on a cart, most unsuccessful record: Independents who never call it quits

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Elon Musk, a self-styled free-speech absolutist, actually has a spotty track record on the issue.</li><li>But in his ongoing public feud with Brazilian judge Alexandre de Moraes, Musk has a point.</li></ul>Even a broken clock is right twice a day.Billionaire businessman and X owner <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a>, a self-styled free-speech absolutist, has for months been locked in a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-fight-brazilian-supreme-court-justice-x-2024-4">public feud</a> with Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes over content moderation concerns.But this time, despite his <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/judge-throws-out-hate-speech-lawsuit-elon-musk-x-2024-3">poor track record</a> of actually living up to the values he espouses — for example, he has readily complied with moderation orders from India's increasingly authoritarian Prime Minister Narendra Modi — Musk might actually have a point.The battle between Musk and de Moraes hinges on government requests to ban social media accounts associated with extremist groups engaging in disinformation campaigns favoring Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil's ousted far-right president.Musk has repeatedly refused to abide by de Moraes' orders to remove accounts affiliated with the "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-defies-brazil-order-to-block-x-accounts-2024-4">digital militias</a>" the justice is targeting as part of his anti-disinformation task force. Musk has also, against Brazilian law, refused to appoint a legal representative to handle government requests to remove content from the site.In response, de Moraes has levied millions of dollars in fines against X, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/brazil-judge-orders-elon-musk-x-stop-operations-2024-8">blocked access to the site</a> around the country, announced plans to fine Brazilians who attempted to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vpn-demand-surges-brazil-x-banned-legal-threats-fines-2024-9">access the app through VPNs,</a> and threatened a local X employee with jail time.Despite Musk being a far-from-perfect avatar for free speech issues, the Brazilian justice has taken a more extreme stance to address disinformation than other democratic leaders — one that appears to be bordering on outright censorship, critics say.Veridiana Alimonti, a Brazil-based expert with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, told Bloomberg that, by international standards of freedom of expression, it's "problematic" to block access to an entire platform, especially one that hosts both legal and illegal speech."I don't post on X anymore myself, and I will not lament its passing when it disappears," tech journalist Casey Newton wrote in his Platformer newsletter. "But whatever role the 140 X accounts in question in Brazil may have played in threatening Brazil's democracy, they cannot have threatened it more than silencing the 20 million or so Brazilians who have been using it regularly."<h2 id="14d73b7e-374a-4bfd-a770-e6b7627cd912">Musk's questionable free speech record</h2>After he purchased Twitter in 2022, Musk quickly reduced moderation on the platform and restored accounts once banned for spreading false information, like those of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-said-donald-trumps-twitter-account-will-be-reinstated-2022-11">former President Donald Trump</a> and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-restores-alex-jones-account-5-years-after-ban-2023-12">conspiracy theorist Alex Jones</a>, in the name of free speech.More recently, he was one of the first social media moguls to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-telegram-ceo-pavel-durov-arrest-france-free-speech-2024-8">defend Telegraph founder Pavel Durov</a> when last month <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/telegram-ceo-pavel-durov-arrested-french-airport-2024-8">French police arrested Durov</a>, in part due to his <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/telegram-ceo-pavel-durov-charges-questions-free-speech-censorship-2024-8">refusal to moderate content</a> more strictly on his messaging app.Musk's commitment to the issue of free speech, however, is otherwise spotty, if not outright hypocritical.The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-ceo-elon-musk">Tesla CEO</a> has banned <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/musk-said-comedy-now-legal-twitter-jokes-getting-users-suspended-2022-11">parody accounts</a> that impersonated him and threatened to sue bloggers critical of him and his companies. He has also <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/free-speech-absolutist-elon-musk-censors-employees-critics-2022-3">fired employees who disagreed with him</a>.Perhaps even more egregious, at least in the context of his battle in Brazil, Musk said last year he had <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/musk-twitter-no-actual-choice-censorship-governmental-request-free-speech-2023-5">no "actual choice"</a> but to comply with government requests to restrict content in Turkey and India — both large democracies that have, in recent years, become more autocratic. One analysis by El Pais estimated that, under his leadership, X complied with 83% of requests from authoritarian governments to remove content.Though his history on the issue is inconsistent, Musk has made himself central to the conversation about censorship, content moderation, and free speech worldwide in part by picking fights like the one he has in Brazil.<h2 id="a4f17cb4-b06a-458e-9258-a98ac7bd5985">The battle in Brazil</h2>In Brazil, the battle got real for Musk.In addition to slapping X with more than $3 million in fines and threatening to jail the company's employees, prompting the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/x-closes-brazil-office-elon-musk-alexandre-de-moraes-2024-8">closure of X's Brazilian office</a>, de Moraes also targeted Musk's other business ventures in the country.The Brazilian judge briefly froze the financial accounts for Starlink — a subsidiary of Musk's company SpaceX that provides internet connectivity through its constellation of satellites — in order to collect the fines on X.When Starlink refused to comply with orders to block access to X in the country, Brazilian telecom regulators weighed slapping the company with sanctions and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/brazil-starlink-sanctions-amid-feud-elon-musk-x-2024-9">revoking the company's license to operate</a>.Starlink backed down, eventually complying with legal demands to block X in Brazil, but Musk hasn't given up.<h2 id="5f8a4d7c-bd6f-4f1f-8964-e222c474bfdf">Musk argues in memes</h2>For now, Musk seems to be defending free speech (and X's presence in Brazil) by publicly attacking de Moraes.In a series of recent posts on X, Musk questioned de Moraes' credibility and political motives, calling him "an evil dictator cosplaying as a judge" and accusing the justice of being "engaged in serious, repeated &amp; deliberate interference" in Brazil's most recent presidential election, during which voters elected leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva over Bolsonaro.He has also shared images of de Moraes alongside Lord Voldemort from the "Harry Potter" franchise and suggested the judge belongs behind bars.These attacks may ultimately work against Musk and his companies.His decision not to appeal de Moraes' orders in court (and instead turn the topic into a battle of memes online) has scattered about 20 million active Brazillian X users to new platforms, including Bluesky and Threads."Where this is heading from here will really depend on Elon Musk. I think if Elon Musk decides to start to comply, as he eventually did in India, for example, it might be that X comes back," Mariana Valente, a law professor and the director of Brazil's InternetLab, a think tank, told Bloomberg. "But if Elon Musk doesn't act differently, I think X or Twitter will be blocked in Brazil for a long time."

Elon Musk is an imperfect mascot for free speech — but he's got a point on Brazil

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The DNC has shown Democrats really want to win over Republican and independent voters.</li><li>Several Republicans have spoken at the convention, including former Trump White House officials.</li></ul>Here's something you don't usually expect: partisans speaking at the convention of the opposing political party.But that's exactly what's been unfolding at the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/obama-joke-dnc-trump-crowd-size-hand-gesture-watch-2024-8">Democratic National Convention</a> in Chicago this week.It's just one indication of what <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris">Vice President Kamala Harris</a> and the Democrats are really after between now and Election Day: the vote of both independents and disillusioned Republicans.Even before Harris was the party's nominee, the Biden-Harris campaign was making moves to win over Republicans. In early June, the campaign hired Austin Weatherford, who previously served as chief of staff to now-former GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger, to help them do exactly that.The surge in momentum Harris gained since becoming the nominee — including <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-and-his-allies-sure-seem-rattled-by-harriss-momentum-2024-8">in the polls and in donations</a> — has fired up the Democratic base and opened the door to focusing even more on courting Republicans and independents.Those efforts have been on full display at the DNC.<h2 id="32750f33-a5f3-44e0-90f9-1d47e82a6264">Republicans at the DNC say voting for Harris is about democracy</h2>Several Republicans, from former elected officials to former Trump White House aids, have spoken or are scheduled to speak. And these aren't former Republicans — some even chose to mention their Republican status during their DNC remarks — but most have already said they are voting for Harris.The list of Republican speakers includes <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ex-trump-aide-stephanie-grisham-slams-trump-democratic-dnc-speech-2024-8">Stephanie Grisham</a>, former aid to President Donald Trump and Melania Trump; Kinzinger, the former representative from Illinois (speaking Thursday); Olivia Troye, former advisor to Vice President Mike Pence; and Geoff Duncan, former lieutenant governor of Georgia.Troye and Duncan, who spoke during night three on Wednesday, emphasized that their vote for Harris was not about party or agreeing with all her policies but about defending Democracy.<h2 id="61ccf3d8-609e-4345-973b-b6411f61372d">Bill Clinton mentioned Republicans directly and bragged about the economy</h2>When former President Bill Clinton spoke on Wednesday, one of the first things he said was that he was grateful to the Republicans and independents who had appeared on the stage before him that night.He also delivered a big brag about the economy, an issue that Republican voters typically feel strongly about but that is often seen as a weakness for Democrats. Clinton said that since the end of the Cold War, the US has created 51 million jobs — nearly all of which he said Democrats were responsible for."I swear I checked this three times. What's the score? Democrats 50, Republicans one," Clinton said.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link" href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/08/21/dnc-fact-check-tim-walz/74831613007/">USA Today</a> fact-checked Clinton's claim and said those numbers were correct. The outlet noted that economists say a variety of factors impact jobs numbers, not just the president, and that President George W. Bush and Trump's jobs numbers were impacted by the start of the recession in 2007 and the pandemic in 2020, respectively.Several times in his speech, he also mentioned protecting the rights of every single American, "however they vote." At one point, he also said he has spoken to a lot of people in rural America and that it's important Americans get to know their neighbors and talk to them, even if they disagree with them, another clear attempt to bridge the party gap.<h2 id="160139c7-3477-406a-8f78-ecb48ac9d583">Even Oprah was on message</h2>Oprah, who spoke later Wednesday night, made a direct appeal to independents, noting she counts herself among them."You know what? You're looking at a registered independent who's proud to vote again and again and again because I'm an American, and that's what Americans do," she said."I'm calling on all you independents, and all you undecideds — you know this true, you know I'm telling you the truth — that values and character matter most of all," she said, adding that "decency and respect are on the ballot."Time will tell if Democrats' efforts to attract independents and Republicans will ultimately work, winning Harris the swing states she needs to beat Trump.But she is already seeing some wins. Earlier this month she released a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/harris-campaigns-outreach-plan-republican-voters-rcna165040">list of dozens of Republicans</a> who planned to vote for her.

Between the GOP speakers, Oprah's call to action, and Bill Clinton's economy brag, the DNC sure seems set on attracting Republicans and independents

Remember the pictures of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin locked in a good-natured embrace that had surfaced on the internet not long ago? While they might not be indicative of the leaders’ alignment in their politics, it is certainly representative of the close ties between India and Russia on multiple strategic aspects, including their respective space programs. The two nations have been mostly pally with each other since India’s post-independence — despite tensions between the US and USSR. And what is perhaps the best example of this friendship would be how the Soviet Union has contributed to the establishment and growth of India's space program. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111577453" title="Modi&amp;#39;s Russia visit shows India isn&amp;#39;t worried about making the US mad" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>India's space program, conceived in the 1960s under the visionary leadership of Dr <keyword id="20550009" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vikram-sarabhai" source="keywords">Vikram Sarabhai</keyword>, was primarily focused on utilising space technology for national development. Unlike the space programs of the United States or the Soviet Union, which were heavily influenced by military competition and the Cold War, India's space endeavours were rooted in civilian and developmental objectives. Recognising the potential of space technology, India sought international cooperation, and the Soviet Union emerged as a crucial partner. As India celebrates its first <keyword id="18542869" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="national-space-day" source="Orion">National Space Day</keyword>, we would be remiss to not acknowledge all that Russia has done for our nation in terms of space exploration. And here are seven examples of the USSR's involvement during <keyword id="19915124" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ISRO" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="ISRO" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="ISRO">ISRO</keyword>'s early years, with multiple instances of assistance. <h2>1. Aryabhata satellite (1975) </h2>The USSR was instrumental in the launch of India's first satellite, Aryabhata, in 1975. While the satellite was designed and developed by Indian scientists, it was launched using a Soviet Kosmos-3M rocket from the Kapustin Yar launch site in Russia. This marked India's first step into space and would not have been possible without Soviet support. <h2>2. Training of ISRO scientists</h2>Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, many Indian space scientists received training in Soviet institutions. This included training in areas like satellite communications, telemetry, and space mission operations. The transfer of technical knowledge was crucial for ISRO as it developed its own capacity to build and operate satellites independently. <h2>3. Bhaskara-I and Bhaskara-II satellites (1979 and 1981)</h2>The USSR launched two Indian Earth observation satellites, Bhaskara-I and Bhaskara-II, which were crucial for remote sensing applications in areas like meteorology, oceanography, and hydrology. Both satellites were launched aboard Soviet rockets, contributing to India's development of satellite-based Earth observation capabilities. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="109511778" title="US satellites could face threat from Russia and China&amp;#39;s &amp;#39;unfriendly&amp;#39; space behavior, warn defense analysts" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div><h2>4. Launch of apple satellite (1981)</h2>The Ariane Passenger Payload Experiment (APPLE) satellite, India's first experimental communication satellite, was launched in 1981 with Soviet assistance. While the satellite was launched aboard a European Ariane rocket, the Soviet Union provided crucial technical support during its development and also supported telemetry during its early operations. <h2>5. Tracking and telemetry support</h2>The USSR provided technical and infrastructural support to India by helping set up tracking and telemetry stations in India. These facilities were essential for controlling and receiving data from Indian satellites. Soviet technical assistance helped India develop its ground infrastructure for space missions. <h2>6. Interkosmos program (1984) </h2>Under the Soviet Union's Interkosmos program, India participated in a manned spaceflight mission. Rakesh Sharma, an Indian Air Force pilot, was sent into space aboard the Soviet Soyuz T-11 spacecraft, making him the first Indian to travel to space. This was a landmark event for India's space program, showcasing the close collaboration between ISRO and the Soviet space agency. <h2>7. Support for PSLV development</h2>In the early 1990s, during the development of ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), the Soviet Union provided guidance and support, particularly in rocket propulsion technology. This collaboration helped ISRO overcome technical hurdles and achieve greater self-reliance in launching satellites. The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 marked the end of an era in Indo-Soviet space collaboration. However, the legacy of the USSR's contributions to ISRO continues to influence India's space program. Russia, as the successor state of the Soviet Union, maintained friendly ties with India, and space collaboration continued, albeit with a different focus and scale. India’s manned space mission project, Gaganyaan, which aims to send Indian astronauts into space, involves training astronauts in Russia, demonstrating the lasting legacy of <keyword id="22892657" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indo-Soviet-space-cooperation" source="keywords">Indo-Soviet space cooperation</keyword>. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112569406" title="ISRO targets first Gaganyaan mission launch by December: Chairman" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

You Searched For "modi independence day speech" and got 6 results

Centre did not honour LoP's post: Pawar on Rahul not being allotted front-row seat at Independence Day event

PTI

Portions of Rahul Gandhi's speech in Lok Sabha expunged

ANI

PM campaign on a cart, most unsuccessful record: Independents who never call it quits

PTI

Elon Musk is an imperfect mascot for free speech — but he's got a point on Brazil

Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert

Between the GOP speakers, Oprah's call to action, and Bill Clinton's economy brag, the DNC sure seems set on attracting Republicans and independents

Kelsey Vlamis

7 times Russia aided India's space program — in chronological order

Ashmita Gupta

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides