After launch success, ISRO says SSLV development is complete

THE SMALLEST launch vehicle of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) - - SSLV (Small Satellite Launch Vehicle)- in its third and final developmental flight placed the EOS- 08 and SR-O satellites into a precise 475-km circular orbit. With this, the SSLV will be inducted into the space agency's fleet of operational launch vehicles.

The technology of the vehicle, however, will be transferred to the private industry for commercial flights in bigger numbers.

Yunus dials Modi, assures the security, and safety of Hindus, other minorities

In the first high-level contact between the two countries since the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and concerns in India over attacks on minorities, especially Hindus, in Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus, head of the interim government in Dhaka, called up Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

He assured him that the interim government would "prioritise protection, safety and security of Hindus and all minority groups in Bangladesh". 

Govt launches geospatial decision support system for agriculture: 'Will be a milestone'

The centre unveiled the Krishi Decision Support System (K-DSS) portal, a geospatial platform that will function as a repository of standardised data from weather to soil, crops to reservoirs and groundwater besides integrating data on government schemes and services.

It is part of the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for Agriculture, an ambitious plan aimed at the development of innovative farm-centric digital services and making timely, reliable information available to farmers for better decision-making. The DPI for Agriculture was announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget speech. 

The K-DSS portal, developed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, was launched by Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Bhagirath Choudhary, during the 'National Conference on Space Driven Solutions for Agriculture Transformation in India'.

The conference, organised by the Agriculture Ministry, was part of the events the government plans to hold in the run-up to the first National Space Day on August 23, to celebrate India's successful landing on the Moon's south pole last year. 

Rishab wins Best Actor; Nithya, and Manasi share top award

The 70th National Film Awards winners were announced in Delhi, with director Anand Ekarshi's 2023 Malayalam film Aattam (The Play) selected as the Best Feature Film. The film had earlier won the 2023 Grand Jury Award at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles. It was the opening feature film at the 54th International Film Festival of India in Goa.

Actor Rishab Shetty bagged the Best Actor award for his role in the 2022 Kannada-language action-thriller Kantara, which was also written and directed by him. The film won critical acclaim after its release for its cinematic direction and powerful performances by the cast, which included Shetty's dual role as Kantara and his son Shiva, both performers of a ritualistic dance performed as part of the worship of the local deities in Karnataka. 

Gaza ceasefire talks paused with resumption planned for next week

GAZA ceasefire talks in Doha were paused with negotiators to meet again, seeking an agreement to end fighting between Israel and Hamas and free remaining hostages, as the US cautioned there was much work to be done.

In a joint statement, the US, Qatar and Egypt said Washington had presented a new proposal. Mediators would continue to work on the proposal, they said. 

An Israeli official said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to meet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. 

BAD WEATHER REPORT

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's latest data shows that the world has experienced its hottest July ever recorded. The American institute's measurement differs slightly from the EU's Copernicus Observatory which clocked last month as the second hottest July on record. 

Some of the warming is due to El Nino and there is a distinct possibility that September will be cooler if La Nina keeps its date. However, given the staggering difference between the temperatures of the last 12 months and earlier records, there is now near unanimity on one thing: The world is entering uncharted territory on climate change. 

This will not only require hastening mitigation measures but also plugging knowledge gaps in diverse realms of weather reporting, making agriculture climate resilient, healthcare and urban planning.

India's fuel exports to Europe shift entirely to longer route around Africa

With no signs of a let up in threat to ships transiting the Red Sea, India's petroleum product exports to Europe have shifted entirely to the significantly longer and costlier, albeit safer, route around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope.

As per ship tracking data, not even one Europe-bound fuel taker that set sail from India in June and July took the Red Sea route, which used to be the mainstay of India's exports to Europe and other Western markets.

Since late 2023, numerous cargo ships have come under attack from the Iran-backed Houthi rebels of Yemen around the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, which leads to the Red Sea and Suez Canal, forming the shortest, although narrow, route to the Mediterranean Sea and beyond from the Arab Peninsula, North- East Africa, and the Arabian Sea. 

The route is seen as an important artery of global goods and energy supplies. The Houthis have been claiming that they are targeting vessels with links to Israel and its allies in response to its military offensive in Gaza.

Centre finalises tender to procure 1,000 GPUs under India AIMission

The government has finalised a tender document to procure 1,000 graphics processing units (GPUs) as part of its ambitious IndiaAl Mission and offer computing capacity to Indian start-ups, researchers, public sector agencies and other entities approved by the government.

The move is part of the Rs 10,370 crore India Al Mission to establish a computing capacity of more than 10,000 GPUs and also help develop foundational models with a capacity of more than 100 billion parameters trained on datasets covering major Indian languages for priority sectors like healthcare, agriculture, and governance.

The idea is that if such an infrastructure exists in the country, startups could plug into it for developing Al systems.

Computing capacity, or compute, is among the most important elements of building a large Al system, apart from algorithmic innovation and data sets.

It is also one of the most difficult elements to procure for smaller businesses looking to train and build such Al systems, given the high costs. 

Need to address demographic dividend, geopolitical tensions, Al through policy and action: PK Mishra

Harnessing demographic dividend, geopolitical tensions, declining globalisation and rising economic nationalism, the impact of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, and climate change are some of the challenges that need to be addressed both through policy and action, said PK Mishra, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

To become a developed country by 2047, India needs to go beyond achieving the desired level of per capita income to achieve a "more inclusive and innovative" economy, with women leading the development story, he said. 

SMALL SATELLITE LAUNCH VEHICLE

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the third developmental flight of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The SSLV-D3 placed the Earth observation satellite EOS-08 precisely into orbit.

This marks the completion of ISRO and the Department of Space's SSLV Development Project. NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), ISRO's commercial arm, and India's private space industry can now produce SSLVs for commercial missions.

Questions in cosmic history

Images from the largest and most powerful telescope in space have dazzled everyone, but they have left astronomers rather nonplussed. The jigsaw puzzle of the history of the Universe is getting more difficult than ever to solve with the pieces that the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is gathering.

With its huge mirror - five times bigger - than that of its predecessor, the Hubble Space Telescope - the JWST, which was launched on Christmas Day in 2021 and arrived at its destination, the Sun-Earth Lagrange point 2 in January 2022, has been peering at the early epochs in the history of the Universe, when the first galaxies had barely formed.