The Chief of India's Civil Aviation regulator(DGCA) highlighted the growing collaboration with the country's drone industry, via initiatives such as establishing a robust regulatory framework and fostering partnerships for drone certification, pilot training, and indigenous manufacturing. Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, IAS, Director General, DGCA, was speaking at the launch of private firm Garuda Aerospace's drone battery manufacturing facility in the Southern Indian city of Chennai.&nbsp;&nbsp;Kidwai officially inaugurated the new Academic Block at Garuda Aerospace’s DGCA-approved Remote Pilot Training Organisation (RPTO), which is a commercial drone pilot training facility approved by the government of India. The expanded infrastructure is aimed at enhancing training capacity, strengthening curriculum delivery, and meeting the rising demand for certified drone pilots across key sectors such as agriculture, infrastructure, defence, disaster management, and logistics.&nbsp;&nbsp;"The range of drones being manufactured here is beneficial to armed forces, farmers, and industry, and is used in various applications. Garuda Aerospace is taking indigenisation to the next level by producing critical components,assembling and producing parts for which we are dependent on other countries," said Kidwai. To meet the demand for certified drone pilots in the country, the DGCA has approved around&nbsp;170 Remote Pilot Training Organisations (RPTOs)&nbsp;as of 2025, which have churned out thousands of pilots.&nbsp;&nbsp;The students here, once they obtain their licenses and become certified drone pilots, will have a significant role to play in ensuring the growth of this industry, as drone applications are expected to expand exponentially, the DGCA Chief stated. It was added that the DGCA's collaboration with India's drone industry is aimed at positioning India as a drone hub and ensuring safe, legal, and efficient drone operations across various sectors. As of June 2025, more than 100 drone models have received DGCA Type Certification, allowing manufacturers to mass-produce specific models without individual testing for every unit. To boost the manufacturing of drones within the country, the DGCA certifies domestic facilities. Agnishwar Jayaprakash, Founder and Director, Garuda Aerospace, said, “Over the last 10 years, Garuda Aerospace has been in agriculture technology, and has manufactured over 3,000 drones and trained more than 2,500 drone pilots. We were approved by the DGCA for both drone manufacturing and training, and our clients received the first-ever Agriculture Infra Financing drone loan".&nbsp;It is heartening to see the practical impact of progressive government initiatives and policies coming to fruition, including schemes where women’s self-help groups were provided with agricultural drones to enhance livelihoods, the SMAM drone subsidy scheme, and the Production Linked Incentive for boosting indigenous manufacturing, he added.&nbsp;

DGCA chief highlights collaboration between aviation regulator and drone industry

The Chief of India's Civil Aviation regulator(DGCA) highlighted the growing collaboration with the country's drone industry, via initiatives such as establishing a robust regulatory framework and fostering partnerships for drone certification, pilot training, and indigenous manufacturing. Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, IAS, Director General, DGCA, was speaking at the launch of private firm Garuda Aerospace's drone battery manufacturing facility in the Southern Indian city of Chennai. Kidwai officially inaugurated the new Academic Block at Garuda Aerospace’s DGCA-approved Remote Pilot Training Organisation (RPTO), which is a commercial drone pilot training facility approved by the government of India. The expanded infrastructure is aimed at enhancing training capacity, strengthening curriculum delivery, and meeting the rising demand for certified drone pilots across key sectors such as agriculture, infrastructure, defence, disaster management, and logistics. "The range of drones being manufactured here is beneficial to armed forces, farmers, and industry, and is used in various applications. Garuda Aerospace is taking indigenisation to the next level by producing critical components, assembling and producing parts for which we are dependent on other countries," said Kidwai. To meet the demand for certified drone pilots in the country, the DGCA has approved around 170 Remote Pilot Training Organisations (RPTOs) as of 2025, which have churned out thousands of pilots. The students here, once they obtain their licenses and become certified drone pilots, will have a significant role to play in ensuring the growth of this industry, as drone applications are expected to expand exponentially, the DGCA Chief stated. It was added that the DGCA's collaboration with India's drone industry is aimed at positioning India as a drone hub and ensuring safe, legal, and efficient drone operations across various sectors. As of June 2025, more than 100 drone models have received DGCA Type Certification, allowing manufacturers to mass-produce specific models without individual testing for every unit. To boost the manufacturing of drones within the country, the DGCA certifies domestic facilities. Agnishwar Jayaprakash, Founder and Director, Garuda Aerospace, said, “Over the last 10 years, Garuda Aerospace has been in agriculture technology, and has manufactured over 3,000 drones and trained more than 2,500 drone pilots. We were approved by the DGCA for both drone manufacturing and training, and our clients received the first-ever Agriculture Infra Financing drone loan". It is heartening to see the practical impact of progressive government initiatives and policies coming to fruition, including schemes where women’s self-help groups were provided with agricultural drones to enhance livelihoods, the SMAM drone subsidy scheme, and the Production Linked Incentive for boosting indigenous manufacturing, he added.

Kidwai officially inaugurated the new Academic Block at Garuda Aerospace’s DGCA-approved Remote Pilot Training Organisation, which is a commercial drone pilot training facility approved by the government of India

Indian space agency ISRO's workhorse PSLV rocket is back on the launchpad for a mission on Monday, (Jan 12). Dubbed 'PSLV-C62', this launch marks PSLV's return to flight after a rare failure in May 2025. Back then, the PSLV's third stage malfunction led to the loss of the rocket and the EOS-09 radar imaging satellite mid-flight. The May 2025 flight marked the third major failure of the PSLV in its 63 flights across 32 years.In what is its first mission of 2026, ISRO has announced that the 'PSLV-C62' vehicle is expected to liftoff from the First launchpad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, at 10:17 am. While the PSLV will be carrying multiple satellites to Earth orbit, its primary satellite will be the EOS-N1 or Anvesha, a hyperspectral Earth-imaging satellite built by DRDO.In addition to the primary satellite, there will be multiple small satellites and experiments that are from India and abroad.<h2>'PSLV C-61' failure in May 2025</h2>On Sunday, 18th May, barely eight minutes after liftoff, ISRO halted its live broadcast of the PSLV-C61/EOS-09 mission. "Up to the second stage, performance was normal. Third stage ignited, but we made an observation regarding its functioning. Mission could not be accomplished. We are studying the data," said ISRO Chief Dr V. Narayanan, following the mishap.Addressing journalists at the spaceport, the ISRO Chief had elaborated on the observations. "The third stage of the PSLV uses a solid-fuel motor system. There was a fall in the chamber pressure in the motor case. We are studying the entire performance," the ISRO Chief had said in May.<h2>PSLV-C61 Failure Analysis Committee report yet to be made public</h2>As a taxpayer-funded civilian space agency founded with the ideals of serving the people of India, ISRO has made public the Failure Analysis Committee(FAC) reports. These FAC reports are typically readied by in-house experts within a few months of the failure.However, the FAC report related to the May 2025 PSLV-C61 has not been publicly released so far. &nbsp;Likewise, the FAC report pertaining to the failure of the NVS-02 satellite in January 2025 remains unreleased to the public. This is widely seen as a departure from the "ISRO culture". However, both these FAC reports are learnt to have been tabled before the Government of India.Given ISRO's role in launching foreign satellites belonging to governments and private firms, FAC reports being made public are crucial for maintaining transparency and re-establishing confidence.

In what is its first mission of 2026, ISRO has announced that the 'PSLV-C62' vehicle is expected to liftoff from the First launchpad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, at 10:17 am on Jan 12. 

Indian space agency ISRO's workhorse PSLV rocket is back on the launchpad for a mission on Monday, (Jan 12). Dubbed 'PSLV-C62', this launch marks PSLV's return to flight after a rare failure in May 2025. Back then, the PSLV's third stage malfunction led to the loss of the rocket and the EOS-09 radar imaging satellite mid-flight. The May 2025 flight marked the third major failure of the PSLV in its 63 flights across 32 years. In what is its first mission of 2026, ISRO has announced that the 'PSLV-C62' vehicle is expected to liftoff from the First launchpad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, at 10:17 am. While the PSLV will be carrying multiple satellites to Earth orbit, its primary satellite will be the EOS-N1 or Anvesha, a hyperspectral Earth-imaging satellite built by DRDO. In addition to the primary satellite, there will be multiple small satellites and experiments that are from India and abroad. 'PSLV C-61' failure in May 2025 On Sunday, 18th May, barely eight minutes after liftoff, ISRO halted its live broadcast of the PSLV-C61/EOS-09 mission. "Up to the second stage, performance was normal. Third stage ignited, but we made an observation regarding its functioning. Mission could not be accomplished. We are studying the data," said ISRO Chief Dr V. Narayanan, following the mishap. Addressing journalists at the spaceport, the ISRO Chief had elaborated on the observations. "The third stage of the PSLV uses a solid-fuel motor system. There was a fall in the chamber pressure in the motor case. We are studying the entire performance," the ISRO Chief had said in May. PSLV-C61 Failure Analysis Committee report yet to be made public As a taxpayer-funded civilian space agency founded with the ideals of serving the people of India, ISRO has made public the Failure Analysis Committee(FAC) reports. These FAC reports are typically readied by in-house experts within a few months of the failure. However, the FAC report related to the May 2025 PSLV-C61 has not been publicly released so far. Likewise, the FAC report pertaining to the failure of the NVS-02 satellite in January 2025 remains unreleased to the public. This is widely seen as a departure from the "ISRO culture". However, both these FAC reports are learnt to have been tabled before the Government of India. Given ISRO's role in launching foreign satellites belonging to governments and private firms, FAC reports being made public are crucial for maintaining transparency and re-establishing confidence.

In what is its first mission of 2026, ISRO has announced that the 'PSLV-C62' vehicle is expected to liftoff from the First launchpad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, at 10:17 am on Jan 12.&nbsp;

After rare May 2025 failure, ISRO's PSLV to fly on Jan 12th

With barely four months to go for the state assembly elections, Tamil Nadu's principal opposition party AIADMK has alleged corruption amounting to Rs 4 lakh crore ($44.35bn) by the MK Stalin-led DMK Government. In this regard, the AIADMK said that it submitted a comprehensive dossier to the Governor, detailing "large-scale corruption, financial mismanagement and systemic loot committed by the DMK government".&nbsp;&nbsp;The AIADMK demanded a thorough investigation into all the allegations, adding that detailed evidence on "department-wise corruption figures and supporting documents" have been handed over to the Governor. AIADMK, Tamil Nadu's Principal Opposition party, which is an ally of India's ruling BJP, urged the Governor to constitute a Special Investigation Commission headed by a retired Supreme Court Chief Justice to conduct a detailed inquiry into the allegations and ensure strict legal action.&nbsp;&nbsp;"For the past 56months, the DMK family has occupied the corridors of power and indulged in brazen loot running into crores, pushing Tamil Nadu into an unprecedented debt trap," said the AIADMK. The opposition party mentioned that under the DMK regime, Tamil Nadu has been pushed into severe financial distress, with the government borrowing nearly Rs.1 lakh crore every year and increasing the state's debt burden by over Rs 4 lakh crore.&nbsp;&nbsp;Referring to an earlier leaked audio clip of Tamil Nadu's former Finance Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan, the AIADMK said that "the DMK Minister had openly admitted that within just one year of coming to power, the DMK Govt had looted Rs 30,000 crore, with the money allegedly benefitting the Chief Minister's son and son-in-law."&nbsp;&nbsp;Alleging corruption in over 20 government departments and providing the related figures, the AIADMK demanded that action be initiated against the DMK ministers and the officials who facilitated and enabled it.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Alleging corruption in over 20 government departments and providing the related figures, the AIADMK demanded that action be initiated against the DMK ministers and the officials who facilitated and enabled it. 

With barely four months to go for the state assembly elections, Tamil Nadu's principal opposition party AIADMK has alleged corruption amounting to Rs 4 lakh crore ($44.35bn) by the MK Stalin-led DMK Government. In this regard, the AIADMK said that it submitted a comprehensive dossier to the Governor, detailing "large-scale corruption, financial mismanagement and systemic loot committed by the DMK government". The AIADMK demanded a thorough investigation into all the allegations, adding that detailed evidence on "department-wise corruption figures and supporting documents" have been handed over to the Governor. AIADMK, Tamil Nadu's Principal Opposition party, which is an ally of India's ruling BJP, urged the Governor to constitute a Special Investigation Commission headed by a retired Supreme Court Chief Justice to conduct a detailed inquiry into the allegations and ensure strict legal action. "For the past 56months, the DMK family has occupied the corridors of power and indulged in brazen loot running into crores, pushing Tamil Nadu into an unprecedented debt trap," said the AIADMK. The opposition party mentioned that under the DMK regime, Tamil Nadu has been pushed into severe financial distress, with the government borrowing nearly Rs.1 lakh crore every year and increasing the state's debt burden by over Rs 4 lakh crore. Referring to an earlier leaked audio clip of Tamil Nadu's former Finance Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan, the AIADMK said that "the DMK Minister had openly admitted that within just one year of coming to power, the DMK Govt had looted Rs 30,000 crore, with the money allegedly benefitting the Chief Minister's son and son-in-law." Alleging corruption in over 20 government departments and providing the related figures, the AIADMK demanded that action be initiated against the DMK ministers and the officials who facilitated and enabled it.

Alleging corruption in over 20 government departments and providing the related figures, the AIADMK demanded that action be initiated against the DMK ministers and the officials who facilitated and enabled it.&nbsp;

'DMK govt looted Rs 4 lakh crore' AIADMK alleges, meets Governor seeking probe

The government in the Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu has started distributing two million laptops to students of government colleges. This is being done as part of a scheme known as "Ulagam Ungal Kaiyil" (World is in your hands), which is aimed at promoting digital advancement and skill development among students. Chief Minister MK Stalin officially started the first phase of distribution on Monday, (January 5), in Chennai. This major youth-centric welfare scheme comes barely four months ahead of the Assembly polls in the state.&nbsp;According to the Tamil Nadu government, this two-phase initiative would cover government college students from various academic disciplines, including engineering, arts and science, medicine, agriculture, law, and technical education, among others. The laptops meant for the students have been procured from renowned brands such as Acer, Dell, HP, at a total expenditure of Rs 2,000 crore ($221mn), said the government.&nbsp;&nbsp;These laptops are a gateway to success; they come with specifications such as Intel i3/AMD Ryzen 3 processors, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD storage, Windows OS, BOSS Linux OS, MS Office 365, Perplexity Pro subscription, explained Professor V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras. He added that these laptops would help students attend online courses, access digital libraries, learn and practice programming languages, among a host of other applications.&nbsp;Chief Minister Stalin said that similar laptop distribution will take place across the districts of Tamil Nadu. He emphasised that digital empowerment and the progress of students will help the state and country. “The laptop is not a gift, it is an opportunity to rule the world... As far as we are concerned, this is not an expenditure, but an investment for the future generation's education.” In 2011, during the tenure of former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, Tamil Nadu became the first state in India to provide free laptops to millions of students in government-funded secondary schools and colleges.

Tamil Nadu starts distributing 2 million laptops to government college students

The government in the Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu has started distributing two million laptops to students of government colleges. This is being done as part of a scheme known as "Ulagam Ungal Kaiyil" (World is in your hands), which is aimed at promoting digital advancement and skill development among students. Chief Minister MK Stalin officially started the first phase of distribution on Monday, (January 5), in Chennai. This major youth-centric welfare scheme comes barely four months ahead of the Assembly polls in the state. According to the Tamil Nadu government, this two-phase initiative would cover government college students from various academic disciplines, including engineering, arts and science, medicine, agriculture, law, and technical education, among others. The laptops meant for the students have been procured from renowned brands such as Acer, Dell, HP, at a total expenditure of Rs 2,000 crore ($221mn), said the government. These laptops are a gateway to success; they come with specifications such as Intel i3/AMD Ryzen 3 processors, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD storage, Windows OS, BOSS Linux OS, MS Office 365, Perplexity Pro subscription, explained Professor V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras. He added that these laptops would help students attend online courses, access digital libraries, learn and practice programming languages, among a host of other applications. Chief Minister Stalin said that similar laptop distribution will take place across the districts of Tamil Nadu. He emphasised that digital empowerment and the progress of students will help the state and country. “The laptop is not a gift, it is an opportunity to rule the world... As far as we are concerned, this is not an expenditure, but an investment for the future generation's education.” In 2011, during the tenure of former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, Tamil Nadu became the first state in India to provide free laptops to millions of students in government-funded secondary schools and colleges.

As per the Tamil Nadu government, this two-phase initiative would cover government college students from various academic disciplines, including engineering, arts and science, medicine, agriculture, law, and technical education, among others

"By doing this kind of thing, nothing is going to change in reality... Arunachal Pradesh is, and will always be a part of India," emphasized Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar. He was responding to an IIT Madras student's question regarding the November 2025 incident, where an Indian national from Arunachal Pradesh was detained and harassed while transiting the Shanghai Airport in China. China claims almost all of India's Arunachal Pradesh state, calling it "Zangnan" or "Southern Tibet".&nbsp;&nbsp;The incident involving the Indian national at Shanghai airport took place at a time when both countries were seen as working towards mending ties after the Galwan military clashes of 2020, the resultant standoff, and the escalated tensions. A student hailing from the Northeast Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh had asked the External Affairs Minister about China's behaviour towards the people from his state. The student highlighted the November 2025 incident of the Indian national from Arunachal who was detained at Shanghai International Airport, while holding a valid Indian passport and&nbsp;transiting China for onward travel to Tokyo (Japan) via Seoul (South Korea).&nbsp;The Indian passport-holding lady was reportedly stopped by Chinese immigration officials at the Shanghai airport, and the officials mocked her and told her to “apply for a Chinese passport.” "One of our nationals from Arunachal Pradesh was transiting through China.. She was arbitrarily detained, harassed, and inconvenienced... We protested and made the point that there are two issues. This kind of tactic is not going to change anything on the ground. Some international conventions and regulations govern the transit of people, and we expect countries to abide by them... This is an issue, where we have a firm and clear stance," Jaishankar said.&nbsp;The diplomat-turned-minister was the chief guest at the launch of IITM Global, an initiative of the Indian Institute of Technology Madras(IIT-M), which intends to take Indian tech to foreign countries, facilitate tech transfers, take Indian startups abroad, and help explore business opportunities abroad, among others.&nbsp;&nbsp;According to the Institute, IITM Global will expand its global footprint by enabling international research, innovation, startups, and academic collaborations, and position the institute as a globally-networked hub. IIT-M is widely recognised as India’s leading institution for higher education. As part of the IITM Global rollout, IIT Madras has signed a series of memoranda of understanding with leading multinational institutions and partners across key global regions. These include three MoUs in the United States, one in the United Kingdom, three in Germany, three in Dubai, three across the Asia-Pacific region, including Singapore and Malaysia, and six under the India-for-Global initiative. The partnerships are focused on joint research, industry and startup collaboration, global talent and knowledge exchange, and translating deep-tech innovation into real-world applications.&nbsp;Speaking on the occasion, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “IITM Global Research Foundation is a global outreach initiative of IIT Madras aimed at strengthening international collaborations. It follows a four-pronged approach. First, we aim to take our technologies abroad and explore opportunities for technology transfer across different countries. Second, we plan to bring projects from these nations under joint development agreements, enabling our faculty to work on and provide solutions to global challenges. Third, we aim to introduce our start-ups to business opportunities in these countries. Fourth, we aim to attract foreign investments into our start-ups.”&nbsp;Further, Prof. V. Kamakoti said, “These four verticals form the core focus of IITM Global. Initially, we are establishing a presence in five locations, including the United States, Dubai, Malaysia, and Germany. Based on success, this initiative will be expanded to multiple nations.”&nbsp;IITM Global is designed as a dynamic ‘plug-and-play’ framework that enables deep-tech innovators, researchers,&nbsp;startups, and industry partners to access global markets, capital, and research opportunities. By integrating local context with international engagement, the platform aims to catalyse innovation-led growth while fostering high-impact collaborations with global industry and R&amp;D partners.

India's Foreign Minister S Jaishankar counters China's claim over Arunachal Pradesh

"By doing this kind of thing, nothing is going to change in reality... Arunachal Pradesh is, and will always be a part of India," emphasized Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar. He was responding to an IIT Madras student's question regarding the November 2025 incident, where an Indian national from Arunachal Pradesh was detained and harassed while transiting the Shanghai Airport in China. China claims almost all of India's Arunachal Pradesh state, calling it "Zangnan" or "Southern Tibet". The incident involving the Indian national at Shanghai airport took place at a time when both countries were seen as working towards mending ties after the Galwan military clashes of 2020, the resultant standoff, and the escalated tensions. A student hailing from the Northeast Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh had asked the External Affairs Minister about China's behaviour towards the people from his state. The student highlighted the November 2025 incident of the Indian national from Arunachal who was detained at Shanghai International Airport, while holding a valid Indian passport and transiting China for onward travel to Tokyo (Japan) via Seoul (South Korea). The Indian passport-holding lady was reportedly stopped by Chinese immigration officials at the Shanghai airport, and the officials mocked her and told her to “apply for a Chinese passport.” "One of our nationals from Arunachal Pradesh was transiting through China.. She was arbitrarily detained, harassed, and inconvenienced... We protested and made the point that there are two issues. This kind of tactic is not going to change anything on the ground. Some international conventions and regulations govern the transit of people, and we expect countries to abide by them... This is an issue, where we have a firm and clear stance," Jaishankar said. The diplomat-turned-minister was the chief guest at the launch of IITM Global, an initiative of the Indian Institute of Technology Madras(IIT-M), which intends to take Indian tech to foreign countries, facilitate tech transfers, take Indian startups abroad, and help explore business opportunities abroad, among others. According to the Institute, IITM Global will expand its global footprint by enabling international research, innovation, startups, and academic collaborations, and position the institute as a globally-networked hub. IIT-M is widely recognised as India’s leading institution for higher education. As part of the IITM Global rollout, IIT Madras has signed a series of memoranda of understanding with leading multinational institutions and partners across key global regions. These include three MoUs in the United States, one in the United Kingdom, three in Germany, three in Dubai, three across the Asia-Pacific region, including Singapore and Malaysia, and six under the India-for-Global initiative. The partnerships are focused on joint research, industry and startup collaboration, global talent and knowledge exchange, and translating deep-tech innovation into real-world applications. Speaking on the occasion, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “IITM Global Research Foundation is a global outreach initiative of IIT Madras aimed at strengthening international collaborations. It follows a four-pronged approach. First, we aim to take our technologies abroad and explore opportunities for technology transfer across different countries. Second, we plan to bring projects from these nations under joint development agreements, enabling our faculty to work on and provide solutions to global challenges. Third, we aim to introduce our start-ups to business opportunities in these countries. Fourth, we aim to attract foreign investments into our start-ups.” Further, Prof. V. Kamakoti said, “These four verticals form the core focus of IITM Global. Initially, we are establishing a presence in five locations, including the United States, Dubai, Malaysia, and Germany. Based on success, this initiative will be expanded to multiple nations.” IITM Global is designed as a dynamic ‘plug-and-play’ framework that enables deep-tech innovators, researchers, startups, and industry partners to access global markets, capital, and research opportunities. By integrating local context with international engagement, the platform aims to catalyse innovation-led growth while fostering high-impact collaborations with global industry and R&D partners.

The diplomat-turned-minister was the chief guest at the launch of IITM Global, an initiative of the Indian Institute of Technology Madras(IIT-M)

Russian&nbsp;Nuclear Power agency Rosatom announced that it has supplied the entire quantity of 'TVS-2M' type of nuclear fuel for the initial loading of the VVER-1000 reactor core at Unit 3 of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant(KKNPP) in India. The fuel, including the initial reactor loading and some reserve assemblies, was manufactured by the Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant (a facility of Rosatom’s Nuclear Fuel Division). The shipment is provided under the contract covering full lifetime fuel supply for Units 3 and 4. The Indo-Russian KKNPP at Kudankulam in the Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu is India's largest Nuclear power generation facility.&nbsp;&nbsp;Of the KKNPP's six VVER-1000 reactors, units 1 and 2 were connected to India’s national power grid in 2013 and 2016 respectively, and currently supply electricity to the southern regions of the country.&nbsp;Unit 3 is in the pre-commissioning phase, and Units 4,5,6 are in various stages of construction. Each of these reactors can generate 1000Megawatts of power. When fully operational, KKNPP would generate about 6,000Megawatts of power. At present, KKNPP generates 2,000Megawatts, which is about one-fourth of India's total Nuclear power generating capacity. In November 2025, Rosatom had announced that preparations are underway for one of the key milestones- testing of safety systems on an open reactor at Unit 3 of KKNPP.&nbsp;Kudankulam Unit 3 to use longer-lasting Nuclear fuel&nbsp;According to Rosatom, during the operation of Units 1 &amp; 2 of the KKNPP, Russian and Indian engineers have worked towards increasing the reactors' efficiency through the introduction of advanced nuclear fuel and extended fuel cycles.&nbsp;Starting from 2022, the KKNPP is supplied with nuclear fuel of the 'TVS-2M' model. It provides more reliable and cost-effective reactor operation due to its rigid design, a new generation anti-debris filter and an increased mass of uranium. Its introduction has also enabled elongation of the fuel cycle of the reactors from 12 to 18 months, so the power units are being stopped less frequently for fuel re-load. Earlier, the reactors had to be refuelled every year, but now they need to be refuelled only once in 18 months, offering increased runtime after every refuelling.The upcoming Units 3 &amp; 4 of the KKNPP will become the first-ever VVER-1000 type reactors to commence operations in an 18-month fuel cycle. This is the result of successful cooperation in recent years between Rosatom's Nuclear Fuel Division and Indian partners, as the efficient solutions that had been previously implemented at similar power plants in Russia and China, were introduced at the two operational Kudankulam power units.Throughout the entire operational life of nuclear power plants, Rosatom not only supplies nuclear fuel, but also provides engineering services, increasing the efficiency of power units introducing new fuel and fuel cycle solutions. &nbsp;

The Indo-Russian KKNPP at Kudankulam in the Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu is India's largest Nuclear power generation facility. 

Russian Nuclear Power agency Rosatom announced that it has supplied the entire quantity of 'TVS-2M' type of nuclear fuel for the initial loading of the VVER-1000 reactor core at Unit 3 of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant(KKNPP) in India. The fuel, including the initial reactor loading and some reserve assemblies, was manufactured by the Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant (a facility of Rosatom’s Nuclear Fuel Division). The shipment is provided under the contract covering full lifetime fuel supply for Units 3 and 4. The Indo-Russian KKNPP at Kudankulam in the Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu is India's largest Nuclear power generation facility. Of the KKNPP's six VVER-1000 reactors, units 1 and 2 were connected to India’s national power grid in 2013 and 2016 respectively, and currently supply electricity to the southern regions of the country. Unit 3 is in the pre-commissioning phase, and Units 4,5,6 are in various stages of construction. Each of these reactors can generate 1000Megawatts of power. When fully operational, KKNPP would generate about 6,000Megawatts of power. At present, KKNPP generates 2,000Megawatts, which is about one-fourth of India's total Nuclear power generating capacity. In November 2025, Rosatom had announced that preparations are underway for one of the key milestones- testing of safety systems on an open reactor at Unit 3 of KKNPP. Kudankulam Unit 3 to use longer-lasting Nuclear fuel According to Rosatom, during the operation of Units 1 & 2 of the KKNPP, Russian and Indian engineers have worked towards increasing the reactors' efficiency through the introduction of advanced nuclear fuel and extended fuel cycles. Starting from 2022, the KKNPP is supplied with nuclear fuel of the 'TVS-2M' model. It provides more reliable and cost-effective reactor operation due to its rigid design, a new generation anti-debris filter and an increased mass of uranium. Its introduction has also enabled elongation of the fuel cycle of the reactors from 12 to 18 months, so the power units are being stopped less frequently for fuel re-load. Earlier, the reactors had to be refuelled every year, but now they need to be refuelled only once in 18 months, offering increased runtime after every refuelling. The upcoming Units 3 & 4 of the KKNPP will become the first-ever VVER-1000 type reactors to commence operations in an 18-month fuel cycle. This is the result of successful cooperation in recent years between Rosatom's Nuclear Fuel Division and Indian partners, as the efficient solutions that had been previously implemented at similar power plants in Russia and China, were introduced at the two operational Kudankulam power units. Throughout the entire operational life of nuclear power plants, Rosatom not only supplies nuclear fuel, but also provides engineering services, increasing the efficiency of power units introducing new fuel and fuel cycle solutions.

The Indo-Russian KKNPP at Kudankulam in the Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu is India's largest Nuclear power generation facility.&nbsp;

Russia completes delivery of 'TVS-2M' Nuclear fuel to India

In what is said to be a first, a helicopter carrying a human heart landed at a college ground within &nbsp;Chennai city limits, to give a new lease of life to a 33-year-old who was battling end-stage heart failure, at the MGM hospital near the college. Generally, organs meant for transplant are flown to the city airport and then transported to hospitals via ambulance through a specially cleared route known as a 'green corridor'.The heart meant for transplant belonged to a teenage boy, who sustained a traumatic brain injury in a road accident, and tragically succumbed to his injuries and was declared brain-dead on the morning of Friday, (Dec 26), at Thanjavur, about 350 km away from Chennai. With the consent of his family, his heart and small intestine were retrieved for transplantation from Thanjavur government hospital.To save the life of a 33-year-old patient from Maharashtra with end-stage heart failure, the team at MGM Healthcare, Chennai, decided to transport the precious organ by a special helicopter from Thanjavur to Chennai city. The helicopter landed at the grounds of D.G Vaishnav College, which is a few kilometres away from the MGM hospital. A green corridor set up by the Chennai police then facilitated the speedy transport of the organ to the hospital.According to MGM, the green corridor had ensured that the heart reached the hospital two minutes, following which the transplantation procedure was carried out by a team headed by Dr. K R Balakrishnan, Director of the Institute of Heart and Lung Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support at MGM Healthcare, the transplant was performed with great success, offering the recipient a new lease of life.In a statement, MGM Healthcare extended heartfelt appreciation to D.G. Vaishnav College, Chennai Traffic Police, the helicopter operator, and the Tamil Nadu Government's Transplant Authority TRANSTAN for their invaluable support. The rapid organ transportation, coupled with the expertise of the medical team, exemplifies the incredible progress made in organ transplantation and highlights the potential for further advancements in the field, it added.

To save the life of a 33-year-old patient from Maharashtra with end-stage heart failure, the team at MGM Healthcare, Chennai, made the decision to transport the precious organ by a special helicopter from Thanjavur to Chennai city. 

In what is said to be a first, a helicopter carrying a human heart landed at a college ground within Chennai city limits, to give a new lease of life to a 33-year-old who was battling end-stage heart failure, at the MGM hospital near the college. Generally, organs meant for transplant are flown to the city airport and then transported to hospitals via ambulance through a specially cleared route known as a 'green corridor'. The heart meant for transplant belonged to a teenage boy, who sustained a traumatic brain injury in a road accident, and tragically succumbed to his injuries and was declared brain-dead on the morning of Friday, (Dec 26), at Thanjavur, about 350 km away from Chennai. With the consent of his family, his heart and small intestine were retrieved for transplantation from Thanjavur government hospital. To save the life of a 33-year-old patient from Maharashtra with end-stage heart failure, the team at MGM Healthcare, Chennai, decided to transport the precious organ by a special helicopter from Thanjavur to Chennai city. The helicopter landed at the grounds of D.G Vaishnav College, which is a few kilometres away from the MGM hospital. A green corridor set up by the Chennai police then facilitated the speedy transport of the organ to the hospital. According to MGM, the green corridor had ensured that the heart reached the hospital two minutes, following which the transplantation procedure was carried out by a team headed by Dr. K R Balakrishnan, Director of the Institute of Heart and Lung Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support at MGM Healthcare, the transplant was performed with great success, offering the recipient a new lease of life. In a statement, MGM Healthcare extended heartfelt appreciation to D.G. Vaishnav College, Chennai Traffic Police, the helicopter operator, and the Tamil Nadu Government's Transplant Authority TRANSTAN for their invaluable support. The rapid organ transportation, coupled with the expertise of the medical team, exemplifies the incredible progress made in organ transplantation and highlights the potential for further advancements in the field, it added.

To save the life of a 33-year-old patient from Maharashtra with end-stage heart failure, the team at MGM Healthcare, Chennai, made the decision to transport the precious organ by a special helicopter from Thanjavur to Chennai city.&nbsp;

Heart flown 350kms for transplant, helicopter lands at Chennai college to save 33yo

&nbsp;After a series of improvements over the years, India's most capable rocket LVM3 is presently capable of lifting 9,200kg to low Earth orbit (about 400kms above the Earth), ISRO Chief Dr. V. Narayanan told WION. He added that the rocketry muscle power of the LVM3 would be further enhanced to lift 9,500kg to facilitate the Indian Gaganyaan Human Spaceflight mission. He added that the rocket can lift 9,500 kg to LEO after being fitted with a 'C32' Cryogenic upper stage which is a larger version of the existing 'C25' stage. The 'C32' stage will carry 32 tonnes of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen, seven tons higher than the 'C25'.&nbsp;In its present avatar, the LVM3 can lift about 4,200-4,300 kg to the higher orbit known as Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit, Dr Narayanan stated. Geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) is where heavy communication satellites are initially launched into before being pushed into their final geostationary orbit.&nbsp;The ISRO Chairman and Secretary of the Indian Government's Department of Space spoke following the successful placement of American firm AST SpaceMobile's Bluebird-6 satellite in orbit nearly 520 kilometres above the Earth. This marked the ninth successful mission in a row for the LVM3 vehicle and its third commercial mission. Weighing 6,100kg, the Bluebird-6 is the heaviest satellite to be carried by an Indian rocket.&nbsp;This goes on to further cement the reliability of the Indian rocket that is meant to carry India's astronauts to space as part of Gaganyaan. The LVM3 vehicle that will carry astronauts will be designed as H-LVM3 or Human-rated LVM3, indicating that it has been certified and enhanced for safely ferrying astronauts.&nbsp;&nbsp;Gaganyaan is an Indian government-funded project to launch astronauts to space from home soil on an indigenously designed and developed rocket and crewed capsule. The target is to launch the crewed capsule 400 km above the Earth, allow the astronauts to spend a short time in orbit, and then return for a splashdown landing&nbsp;&nbsp;In Indian waters. Four Indian Air Force test pilots have been chosen for the Gaganyaan programme. Speaking about the commercial demand for LVM3, M. Mohan, Acting CMD for ISRO's commercial arm NSIL, said that there is a demand for launching six to ten LVM3 rockets annually, in the coming years. He added that the precise launch carried out on Wednesday (Dec 24) yet again demonstrated the rocket's performance and capability. Elaborating on the precise launch, he mentioned that the rocket placed the satellite at an altitude of 518.5kms, against a targeted 520 km.&nbsp;&nbsp;In the last 11 years, the LVM3 has flown nine times and all of these missions have been successful. Usually, LVM3 launches happen only once in a year or once in a few years. However, in recent years, ISRO has shown the capability of launching LVM3 in quicker succession than ever before. Between October 2022 and March 2023, ISRO launched two LVM3 rockets to ferry 72 satellites of European satellite internet provider Eutelsat OneWeb. Further, officials pointed out that they had now executed two LVM3 launches now within a span of 52 days.&nbsp;The previous LVM3 mission was launched on 2nd&nbsp;November to ferry the Indian Navy's GSAT-7R/CMS-03 communication satellite. With the latest launch of Bluebird-6, ISRO and its commercial arm NSIL have ferried a total of 434 satellite for 34 nations. These 434 satellites have been of varying sizes and masses - from shoebox-sized satellites weighing less than 10kg to the massive Bluebird-6 that weighs nearly 6,100 kg.&nbsp;&nbsp;“This mission exemplifies ISRO’s engineering excellence and operational maturity, enabling heavier payloads that cater to the global demand for advanced satellite constellations. It significantly enhances India’s self-reliance in heavy-lift launches, positioning ISRO as a go-to provider for international missions and fuelling growth in the domestic space ecosystem through technology maturation and infrastructure scalability,” said Lt. Gen. (Retd.) AK Bhatt, Director General, Indian Space Association (ISpA), an industry body.&nbsp; &nbsp;

In its present avatar, the LVM3 can lift about 4,200-4,300 kg to the higher orbit known as Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit, Dr Narayanan stated. 

After a series of improvements over the years, India's most capable rocket LVM3 is presently capable of lifting 9,200kg to low Earth orbit (about 400kms above the Earth), ISRO Chief Dr. V. Narayanan told WION. He added that the rocketry muscle power of the LVM3 would be further enhanced to lift 9,500kg to facilitate the Indian Gaganyaan Human Spaceflight mission. He added that the rocket can lift 9,500 kg to LEO after being fitted with a 'C32' Cryogenic upper stage which is a larger version of the existing 'C25' stage. The 'C32' stage will carry 32 tonnes of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen, seven tons higher than the 'C25'. In its present avatar, the LVM3 can lift about 4,200-4,300 kg to the higher orbit known as Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit, Dr Narayanan stated. Geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) is where heavy communication satellites are initially launched into before being pushed into their final geostationary orbit. The ISRO Chairman and Secretary of the Indian Government's Department of Space spoke following the successful placement of American firm AST SpaceMobile's Bluebird-6 satellite in orbit nearly 520 kilometres above the Earth. This marked the ninth successful mission in a row for the LVM3 vehicle and its third commercial mission. Weighing 6,100kg, the Bluebird-6 is the heaviest satellite to be carried by an Indian rocket. This goes on to further cement the reliability of the Indian rocket that is meant to carry India's astronauts to space as part of Gaganyaan. The LVM3 vehicle that will carry astronauts will be designed as H-LVM3 or Human-rated LVM3, indicating that it has been certified and enhanced for safely ferrying astronauts. Gaganyaan is an Indian government-funded project to launch astronauts to space from home soil on an indigenously designed and developed rocket and crewed capsule. The target is to launch the crewed capsule 400 km above the Earth, allow the astronauts to spend a short time in orbit, and then return for a splashdown landing In Indian waters. Four Indian Air Force test pilots have been chosen for the Gaganyaan programme. Speaking about the commercial demand for LVM3, M. Mohan, Acting CMD for ISRO's commercial arm NSIL, said that there is a demand for launching six to ten LVM3 rockets annually, in the coming years. He added that the precise launch carried out on Wednesday (Dec 24) yet again demonstrated the rocket's performance and capability. Elaborating on the precise launch, he mentioned that the rocket placed the satellite at an altitude of 518.5kms, against a targeted 520 km. In the last 11 years, the LVM3 has flown nine times and all of these missions have been successful. Usually, LVM3 launches happen only once in a year or once in a few years. However, in recent years, ISRO has shown the capability of launching LVM3 in quicker succession than ever before. Between October 2022 and March 2023, ISRO launched two LVM3 rockets to ferry 72 satellites of European satellite internet provider Eutelsat OneWeb. Further, officials pointed out that they had now executed two LVM3 launches now within a span of 52 days. The previous LVM3 mission was launched on 2nd November to ferry the Indian Navy's GSAT-7R/CMS-03 communication satellite. With the latest launch of Bluebird-6, ISRO and its commercial arm NSIL have ferried a total of 434 satellite for 34 nations. These 434 satellites have been of varying sizes and masses - from shoebox-sized satellites weighing less than 10kg to the massive Bluebird-6 that weighs nearly 6,100 kg. “This mission exemplifies ISRO’s engineering excellence and operational maturity, enabling heavier payloads that cater to the global demand for advanced satellite constellations. It significantly enhances India’s self-reliance in heavy-lift launches, positioning ISRO as a go-to provider for international missions and fuelling growth in the domestic space ecosystem through technology maturation and infrastructure scalability,” said Lt. Gen. (Retd.) AK Bhatt, Director General, Indian Space Association (ISpA), an industry body.

In its present avatar, the LVM3 can lift about 4,200-4,300 kg to the higher orbit known as Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit, Dr Narayanan stated.&nbsp;

India's LVM3 rocket enhanced to lift over 9,200 kg to Low Earth Orbit

Indian space agency ISRO has commenced the 24-hour countdown to the Wednesday, (24th Dec) launch of US firm AST SpaceMobile's BlueBird-6 satellite aboard the LVM3 rocket. The three-stage LVM3 rocket, India's most capable spacefaring vehicle is to liftoff from the second launchpad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh at 8:54am Indian Time, Wednesday. The satellite would be injected into orbit 520kms above the Earth, barely 16 minutes after launch.&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">⏳ 24 hours to go! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LVM3M6?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LVM3M6</a> is set to launch the BlueBird Block-2 spacecraft tomorrow from SDSC SHAR. Final countdown begins. Stay tuned for live updates. Launch on 24 Dec 2025 at 08:54 IST. Youtube Livestreaming link:<a href="https://t.co/FMYCs31L3j">https://t.co/FMYCs31L3j</a> 🗓️ 24 Dec 2025 | 🕗 08:24 IST… <a href="https://t.co/tKoVu8rDUq">pic.twitter.com/tKoVu8rDUq</a>&mdash; ISRO (@isro) <a href="https://twitter.com/isro/status/2003306159927869784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The countdown to a rocket launch involves sequential tasks like fueling, system checks, and approvals, synchronizing hundreds of people and automated systems. It's a crucial operational checklist during which all processes are validated.&nbsp;The 6,100kg BlueBird 6 satellite is the heaviest payload to be lifted by the LVM3 vehicle in its operational history. Therefore, this satellite would be the heaviest payload to be carried by an Indian rocket. LVM3 has a track record of having delivered success in all its eight missions to date.&nbsp;This mission is being executed as part of a commercial deal between ISRO's business arm NewSpace India Limited(NSIL) and the Texas-based AST SpaceMobile. As a launch services provider(rocket builder and operator), ISRO launches foreign-origin satellites to space on a commercial basis. Facilitated by NSIL, these commercial space missions are like a taxi ferrying a passenger. In this case, the passenger is the US firm, which pays the Indian Government for the launch service.&nbsp;This is the third commercial mission of LVM3, and the first time that the Indian LVM3 rocket is executing the mission for an American customer. Earlier, it had executed two launches for a European customer OneWeb(now Eutelsat OneWeb).<h2>About AST SpaceMobile and their internet-beaming satellites</h2>AST SpaceMobile is a Texas-based telecom company that aims to build and launch a fleet of satellites that can directly provide internet connectivity to mobile phones. Typically, only purpose-built satellite phones can facilitate satellite communication. These traditional satellite phone handsets are bulky and require visible antennas, they offer voice connectivity, and low-bandwidth texting and data services. Such services are offered by firms such as Iridium, Thuraya, among others. They are widely used in the defence and maritime sectors for providing connectivity where no communication infrastructure exists.&nbsp;Firms like AST and Starlink are attempting to change this by ensuring direct connectivity between smartphones and satellites. They intend to ensure that Android and Apple devices available in the market can communicate directly with satellites, without any modifications or special hardware. Thanks to the global coverage planned using a fleet of satellites, such services would eventually enable cell phone connectivity almost anywhere on Earth. In simple terms, one need not worry about being "not reachable" or "out of coverage area".&nbsp;As per reports, AST presently has a fleet of five first-generation (Block-1) satellites in orbit. The firm plans to launch a fleet of 45-60 second-generation (Block-2)satellites to offer services in major global regions, it is said.&nbsp;The firm has announced that they have a series of satellites that will be launching in the coming months. BlueBird 7 has shipped to the Cape Canaveral, Florida launch site this month, BlueBirds 8-16 are in various stages of production, with launches planned every 1-2 months on average during 2025 and 2026, the firm announced.&nbsp;They expect to have 45-60 satellites in orbit by year-end 2026. It is touted that these BlueBird satellites(by size) will be the largest commercial satellites ever deployed in Low Earth orbit (about 600kms above earth). Each of these satellites would carry a 2,400sq feet phased array antenna with true direct-to-cell broadband, with a claimed capability of up to 10,000 MHz of processing bandwidth and claimed peak speeds of 120 Mbps per cell.&nbsp;The firm says they have partnered with 50+ mobile network operators serving nearly 3 billion subscribers, "supported by a flexible spectrum strategy blending our own licensed spectrum with partner spectrum".&nbsp;While the launch of Bluebird-6 is being carried out from India, it must be noted that such direct-to-mobile satellite internet services have not been approved by the Indian Government. Firms like Starlink and Eutelsat OneWeb that are also into providing LEO satellite-based high-speed internet connectivity are in the process of seeking approvals from various departments of the Indian government. &nbsp;

ISRO has begun the countdown for launching AST SpaceMobile’s 6,100 kg BlueBird-6 satellite aboard its LVM3 rocket on Dec 24 from Sriharikota. This marks LVM3’s heaviest payload and first commercial mission for a US customer.

Indian space agency ISRO has commenced the 24-hour countdown to the Wednesday, (24th Dec) launch of US firm AST SpaceMobile's BlueBird-6 satellite aboard the LVM3 rocket. The three-stage LVM3 rocket, India's most capable spacefaring vehicle is to liftoff from the second launchpad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh at 8:54am Indian Time, Wednesday. The satellite would be injected into orbit 520kms above the Earth, barely 16 minutes after launch.

ISRO has begun the countdown for launching AST SpaceMobile’s 6,100 kg BlueBird-6 satellite aboard its LVM3 rocket on Dec 24 from Sriharikota. This marks LVM3’s heaviest payload and first commercial mission for a US customer.

Countdown starts for ISRO's launch tomorrow

Chaos unfolded at the Thiruparankundram hill in Tamil Nadu's Madurai district late Sunday (Dec 21st) night, when followers of Islam went to hoist a flag at their shrine (Dargah) at the hilltop, which is in close proximity to an ancient Hindu temple. The Thiruparankundram hilltop is home to the Subramaniya Swamy temple, which dates back to the 6th century, and the Sikkander Badusha dargah, an Islamic shrine that came up in the 17th century.Protests by locals began late on Sunday, when members of the Islamic community proceeded to hoist a flag at the Islamic shrine on the hill. The flag hoisting at the Islamic Shrine is done as part of an annual commemorative event known as the Santhanakoodu festival that goes on from late-December to early-January. Tensions are high in the region due to an ongoing court battle over the conduct of Hindu religious rituals at the hill, and disagreements between the DMK government ruling Tamil Nadu and the Hindu religious outfits.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/-extremists-emboldened-hasina-blames-yunus-govt-for-anti-india-hostility-in-bangladesh-1766380925403">'Extremists emboldened': Hasina blames Yunus govt for anti-India hostility in Bangladesh</a>Amid a heavy police presence, the flag hoisting was done to mark the commencement of the local Santhanakoodu festival of the Islamic community. Meanwhile, locals protested and made attempts to light a Hindu lamp at the hilltop temple. However, they were blocked by the police. The lamp lighting at the hilltop is a matter pending before the Court, owing to differing views over the ritual's conduct.The DMK government in Tamil Nadu maintains that the lamp must be lit at the same spot where it has been lit for over a century. Tamil Nadu government authorities say that the lamp must be lit at what is known as the Deepa Mandapam, a different location in the vicinity of the hilltop temple. They cite that lighting the lamp at the Deepa Mandapam has been in practice for the last 100 years or so. They also believe that lighting the lamp at the hilltop Hindu temple, very close to a mosque, could potentially cause communal tensions and lead to law and order issues. The DMK government has accused the BJP and BJP-backed outfits of attempting to create communal unrest.&nbsp;Whereas, Hindu outfits maintain that the lamp must be lit at a stone lamp pillar at the hilltop temple, as per ancient custom. They believe that the ancient customs and faith must be upheld. They believe that the lamp must be lit at a spot that is in proximity to the mosque. The BJP and related outfits accuse the DMK government of being anti-Hindu and indulging in minority appeasement politics.&nbsp;This dispute over the lamp lighting ritual has been in court since the start of the month, and final orders are awaited. Despite the Court permitting the lamp lighting at the hilltop stone lamp pillar earlier this month, the Tamil Nadu Government had cited law and order issues and previous legal proceedings to challenge the Court order. On two occasions, the Tamil Nadu government did not permit the lighting of a lamp at the stone lamp pillar. Instead, the authorities went ahead with the century-old ritual of lighting the lamp at the Deepa Mandapam.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/-extremists-emboldened-hasina-blames-yunus-govt-for-anti-india-hostility-in-bangladesh-1766380925403">'Extremists emboldened': Hasina blames Yunus govt for anti-India hostility in Bangladesh</a>The matter remains a sensitive one, as Tamil Nadu is barely four months away from the state assembly polls. The DMK Government in Tamil Nadu, which is seeking re-election, has taken a firm stance on this matter and is against the temple lamp lighting near the Islamic shrine.Meanwhile, the BJP, which is part of the opposition NDA alliance in Tamil Nadu, is equally firm in ensuring the lamp lighting at the hilltop stone lamp pillar.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Amid a heavy police presence, the flag hoisting was done to mark the commencement of the local Santhanakoodu festival of the Islamic community. Meanwhile, locals protested and made attempts to light a Hindu lamp at the hilltop temple. However, they were blocked by the police.

Chaos unfolded at the Thiruparankundram hill in Tamil Nadu's Madurai district late Sunday (Dec 21st) night, when followers of Islam went to hoist a flag at their shrine (Dargah) at the hilltop, which is in close proximity to an ancient Hindu temple. The Thiruparankundram hilltop is home to the Subramaniya Swamy temple, which dates back to the 6th century, and the Sikkander Badusha dargah, an Islamic shrine that came up in the 17th century. Protests by locals began late on Sunday, when members of the Islamic community proceeded to hoist a flag at the Islamic shrine on the hill. The flag hoisting at the Islamic Shrine is done as part of an annual commemorative event known as the Santhanakoodu festival that goes on from late-December to early-January. Tensions are high in the region due to an ongoing court battle over the conduct of Hindu religious rituals at the hill, and disagreements between the DMK government ruling Tamil Nadu and the Hindu religious outfits. Also read | 'Extremists emboldened': Hasina blames Yunus govt for anti-India hostility in Bangladesh Amid a heavy police presence, the flag hoisting was done to mark the commencement of the local Santhanakoodu festival of the Islamic community. Meanwhile, locals protested and made attempts to light a Hindu lamp at the hilltop temple. However, they were blocked by the police. The lamp lighting at the hilltop is a matter pending before the Court, owing to differing views over the ritual's conduct. The DMK government in Tamil Nadu maintains that the lamp must be lit at the same spot where it has been lit for over a century. Tamil Nadu government authorities say that the lamp must be lit at what is known as the Deepa Mandapam, a different location in the vicinity of the hilltop temple. They cite that lighting the lamp at the Deepa Mandapam has been in practice for the last 100 years or so. They also believe that lighting the lamp at the hilltop Hindu temple, very close to a mosque, could potentially cause communal tensions and lead to law and order issues. The DMK government has accused the BJP and BJP-backed outfits of attempting to create communal unrest. Whereas, Hindu outfits maintain that the lamp must be lit at a stone lamp pillar at the hilltop temple, as per ancient custom. They believe that the ancient customs and faith must be upheld. They believe that the lamp must be lit at a spot that is in proximity to the mosque. The BJP and related outfits accuse the DMK government of being anti-Hindu and indulging in minority appeasement politics. This dispute over the lamp lighting ritual has been in court since the start of the month, and final orders are awaited. Despite the Court permitting the lamp lighting at the hilltop stone lamp pillar earlier this month, the Tamil Nadu Government had cited law and order issues and previous legal proceedings to challenge the Court order. On two occasions, the Tamil Nadu government did not permit the lighting of a lamp at the stone lamp pillar. Instead, the authorities went ahead with the century-old ritual of lighting the lamp at the Deepa Mandapam. Also read | 'Extremists emboldened': Hasina blames Yunus govt for anti-India hostility in Bangladesh The matter remains a sensitive one, as Tamil Nadu is barely four months away from the state assembly polls. The DMK Government in Tamil Nadu, which is seeking re-election, has taken a firm stance on this matter and is against the temple lamp lighting near the Islamic shrine. Meanwhile, the BJP, which is part of the opposition NDA alliance in Tamil Nadu, is equally firm in ensuring the lamp lighting at the hilltop stone lamp pillar.

Amid a heavy police presence, the flag hoisting was done to mark the commencement of the local Santhanakoodu festival of the Islamic community. Meanwhile, locals protested and made attempts to light a Hindu lamp at the hilltop temple. However, they were blocked by the police.

Chaos at Thiruparankundram during Islamic event; public protest for Deepam lighting

Since 28th November 2025, the Indian Armed Forces have been playing a major role in providing Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR) for cyclone-hit Sri Lanka, where the impact of Cyclone Ditwah, resultant landslides and floods claimed over 600 lives. The Indian Army has now successfully demonstrated the use of satellite-based internet connectivity on an emergency basis to re-establish reliable communications in regions where terrestrial networks have been severely disrupted.&nbsp;This satellite-based connectivity is facilitating 24/7 telemedicine consultations with specialist medical teams, ensuring the Army is able to deliver essential healthcare and emergency assistance to affected communities without delay. The initiative highlights the critical role of resilient, fast, satellite infrastructure in restoring essential services and in operational continuity during disaster response efforts.&nbsp;This was made possible as European firm Eutelsat and its partner Indian firm Airtel are extending OneWeb Low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite connectivity to strengthen the Indian Army’s ongoing humanitarian relief operations in flood-impacted areas of Sri Lanka.&nbsp;Neha Idnani, Regional Vice President for APAC, Eutelsat, said, “Eutelsat is deeply committed to supporting the Indian Army’s relief efforts with OneWeb LEO connectivity, delivered in partnership with Airtel. The ability to maintain high-quality communications in crisis situations is vital, and we remain committed to equipping organisations on the ground with secure, resilient connectivity required to safeguard lives and enable essential services.”<h2>How conventional satellite connectivity works</h2>For several decades, militaries and civilians have been using satellite internet and satellite telephony services by utilising special devices that can access signals from large communication satellites that are placed 36,000 km above the Earth. From 36,000 km away from the Earth, these satellites can see almost one-third of the planet and provide a wide area of coverage, as the satellites are in geostationary orbit. A satellite in geostationary orbit spins in sync with the Earth's rotation; therefore, it appears to be stationary when viewed from the Earth. This is why TV antennae at rooftops at are positioned to look towards a specific direction, towards the specific Geostationary satellite.&nbsp;However, Geostationary satellites have some limitations. Because these satellites are 36,000 km above the Earth, there is a slight lag (of a few milliseconds) as the signal has to travel a huge distance. This lag, also known as latency, is not best suited for contemporary applications such as HD video-conferencing, online gaming, stock market trading among others etc.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/yunus-govt-condemns-lynching-of-hindu-man-says-violence-has-no-place-1766143705105">Yunus government condemns lynching of Hindu man, says violence has no place in New Bangladesh</a>&nbsp;<h2>How Low Earth Orbit satellite constellations work</h2>Over the last five years, Low Earth Orbit satellite constellations have become increasingly popular. Several private firms, including Eutelsat OneWeb have been operating Low Earth orbit satellite constellations comprising hundreds, if not thousands, of small satellites. These satellites are placed barely 400-1,200 km above the Earth. Therefore, a single satellite would be visible from one point on Earth only for a handful of minutes, which means that each satellite offers coverage only over a small area at a time.&nbsp;Eutelsat-OneWeb operates more than 640 satellites in its fleet, so that they can almost encircle the Earth with its fleet of satellites and provide coverage in most regions. Being close to the Earth, it is possible to rapidly beam down internet signals from these satellites and enable internet usage on-board flights, ships, and even in remote areas (where terrestrial communication connectivity is sparse) for high-speed utilities such as HD video-calling, online gaming, trading, etc.&nbsp;While Geostationary satellite signals would have to travel 72,000 km for a two-way communication, Low Earth Orbit satellite signals have to travel barely 2,000 km for two-way communication. Significantly less signal travel time is what makes LEO satellite-based internet services so unique. Users of LEO-based satellite internet can obtain connectivity via portable devices known as terminals, which can communicate with satellites. Such terminals are small in size, lightweight and portable.<h2>Why LEO-based internet is in high demand</h2>Estimates from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations specialised agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs) say that one-third of the world's population is not connected to the internet or might not have access to high-speed internet. This is owing to a mix of economic reasons, societal divide, technological barriers, electricity problems, digital literacy gaps, etc.&nbsp;Conventional internet cables and telecom infrastructure are laid only in highly populated regions and areas with a large consumer base. In contrast, it is unviable and too expensive to lay down similar communication infrastructure in sparsely populated regions, mountains, forests, and islands.&nbsp;A fleet of satellites in Low Earth orbit can help bridge this connectivity gap and offer high-speed internet for such remote regions. Which is why there are multiple business entities such as Elon Musk's Starlink, Jeff Bezos' Amazon Leo(formerly Project Kuiper), Europe's Eutelsat OneWeb, China's Guowang and Qianfan that are competing for this lucrative market. In simple terms, they want to ensure that there are no major internet connectivity blind spots in most parts of the world. Such services can also enable high-speed internet access on board moving platforms such as aeroplanes, ships, and trains. Such LEO-based constellations serve military applications as well, as they offer significantly better capabilities than conventional communication satellites placed in higher geostationary orbits. &nbsp;

This satellite-based connectivity is facilitating 24/7 telemedicine consultations with specialist medical teams, ensuring the Army is able to deliver essential healthcare and emergency assistance to affected communities without delay.

Since 28th November 2025, the Indian Armed Forces have been playing a major role in providing Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR) for cyclone-hit Sri Lanka, where the impact of Cyclone Ditwah, resultant landslides and floods claimed over 600 lives. The Indian Army has now successfully demonstrated the use of satellite-based internet connectivity on an emergency basis to re-establish reliable communications in regions where terrestrial networks have been severely disrupted. This satellite-based connectivity is facilitating 24/7 telemedicine consultations with specialist medical teams, ensuring the Army is able to deliver essential healthcare and emergency assistance to affected communities without delay. The initiative highlights the critical role of resilient, fast, satellite infrastructure in restoring essential services and in operational continuity during disaster response efforts. This was made possible as European firm Eutelsat and its partner Indian firm Airtel are extending OneWeb Low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite connectivity to strengthen the Indian Army’s ongoing humanitarian relief operations in flood-impacted areas of Sri Lanka. Neha Idnani, Regional Vice President for APAC, Eutelsat, said, “Eutelsat is deeply committed to supporting the Indian Army’s relief efforts with OneWeb LEO connectivity, delivered in partnership with Airtel. The ability to maintain high-quality communications in crisis situations is vital, and we remain committed to equipping organisations on the ground with secure, resilient connectivity required to safeguard lives and enable essential services.” How conventional satellite connectivity works For several decades, militaries and civilians have been using satellite internet and satellite telephony services by utilising special devices that can access signals from large communication satellites that are placed 36,000 km above the Earth. From 36,000 km away from the Earth, these satellites can see almost one-third of the planet and provide a wide area of coverage, as the satellites are in geostationary orbit. A satellite in geostationary orbit spins in sync with the Earth's rotation; therefore, it appears to be stationary when viewed from the Earth. This is why TV antennae at rooftops at are positioned to look towards a specific direction, towards the specific Geostationary satellite. However, Geostationary satellites have some limitations. Because these satellites are 36,000 km above the Earth, there is a slight lag (of a few milliseconds) as the signal has to travel a huge distance. This lag, also known as latency, is not best suited for contemporary applications such as HD video-conferencing, online gaming, stock market trading among others etc. Also Read: Yunus government condemns lynching of Hindu man, says violence has no place in New Bangladesh How Low Earth Orbit satellite constellations work Over the last five years, Low Earth Orbit satellite constellations have become increasingly popular. Several private firms, including Eutelsat OneWeb have been operating Low Earth orbit satellite constellations comprising hundreds, if not thousands, of small satellites. These satellites are placed barely 400-1,200 km above the Earth. Therefore, a single satellite would be visible from one point on Earth only for a handful of minutes, which means that each satellite offers coverage only over a small area at a time. Eutelsat-OneWeb operates more than 640 satellites in its fleet, so that they can almost encircle the Earth with its fleet of satellites and provide coverage in most regions. Being close to the Earth, it is possible to rapidly beam down internet signals from these satellites and enable internet usage on-board flights, ships, and even in remote areas (where terrestrial communication connectivity is sparse) for high-speed utilities such as HD video-calling, online gaming, trading, etc. While Geostationary satellite signals would have to travel 72,000 km for a two-way communication, Low Earth Orbit satellite signals have to travel barely 2,000 km for two-way communication. Significantly less signal travel time is what makes LEO satellite-based internet services so unique. Users of LEO-based satellite internet can obtain connectivity via portable devices known as terminals, which can communicate with satellites. Such terminals are small in size, lightweight and portable. Why LEO-based internet is in high demand Estimates from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations specialised agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs) say that one-third of the world's population is not connected to the internet or might not have access to high-speed internet. This is owing to a mix of economic reasons, societal divide, technological barriers, electricity problems, digital literacy gaps, etc. Conventional internet cables and telecom infrastructure are laid only in highly populated regions and areas with a large consumer base. In contrast, it is unviable and too expensive to lay down similar communication infrastructure in sparsely populated regions, mountains, forests, and islands. A fleet of satellites in Low Earth orbit can help bridge this connectivity gap and offer high-speed internet for such remote regions. Which is why there are multiple business entities such as Elon Musk's Starlink, Jeff Bezos' Amazon Leo(formerly Project Kuiper), Europe's Eutelsat OneWeb, China's Guowang and Qianfan that are competing for this lucrative market. In simple terms, they want to ensure that there are no major internet connectivity blind spots in most parts of the world. Such services can also enable high-speed internet access on board moving platforms such as aeroplanes, ships, and trains. Such LEO-based constellations serve military applications as well, as they offer significantly better capabilities than conventional communication satellites placed in higher geostationary orbits.

This satellite-based connectivity is facilitating 24/7 telemedicine consultations with specialist medical teams, ensuring the Army is able to deliver essential healthcare and emergency assistance to affected communities without delay.

Explainer: How Indian Army used LEO satellite internet to aid cyclone-hit Sri Lanka

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is preparing to launch US firm AST SpaceMobile's BlueBird-6 satellite on Wednesday (Dec 24) &nbsp;from the second launchpad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The three-stage LVM3 rocket, the most capable space launch vehicle in India's fleet, is expected to liftoff at 8:54 am Indian time, carrying the 6,500kg BlueBird 6 to orbit(about 550 km above earth). This satellite would be the heaviest payload to be carried by an Indian rocket. LVM3 has a track record of delivering success in all its eight missions to date. &nbsp;&nbsp;This mission is being executed as part of a commercial deal between ISRO's business arm, NewSpace India Limited(NSIL,) and the Texas-based AST SpaceMobile. As a launch services provider(rocket builder and operator), ISRO launches foreign-origin satellites to space on a commercial basis. Facilitated by NSIL, these commercial space missions are like a taxi ferrying a passenger. In this case, the passenger is the US firm, which pays the Indian Government for the launch service. This is the third commercial mission of LVM3, and the first time that the Indian LVM3 rocket is executing the mission for an American customer. Earlier, it had executed two launches for a European customer, OneWeb(now Eutelsat OneWeb).<h2>About AST SpaceMobile and their internet-beaming satellites</h2>AST SpaceMobile is a Texas-based telecom company that aims to build and launch a fleet of satellites that can directly provide internet connectivity to mobile phones. Typically, only purpose-built satellite phones can facilitate satellite communication. These traditional satellite phone handsets are bulky and require visible antennas; they offer voice connectivity, and low-bandwidth texting and data services. Such services are offered by firms such as Iridium and Thuraya, among others. They are widely used in the defence and maritime sectors for providing connectivity where no communications infrastructure exists.&nbsp;Firms like AST and Starlink are attempting to change this by ensuring direct connectivity between smartphones and satellites. They intend to ensure that Android and Apple devices available in the market can communicate with the support of satellites, without any extra or special hardware. Thanks to the global coverage planned using a fleet of satellites, such services would eventually enable cell phone connectivity almost anywhere on Earth. In simple terms, one need not worry about being "not reachable" or "out of coverage area".&nbsp;As per reports, AST presently has a fleet of five first-generation (Block-1) satellites in orbit. The firm plans to launch a fleet of 45-60 second-generation (Block-2)satellites to offer services in major global regions, it is said.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/lightning-strikes-world-tallest-burj-khalifa-dubai-crown-prince-shares-dramatic-visuals-watch-1766144146883">Lightning strikes world tallest Burj Khalifa, Dubai Crown Prince shares dramatic visuals - WATCH</a>&nbsp;The firm has announced that they have a series of satellites that will be launched in the coming months. BlueBird 7 has shipped to the Cape Canaveral, Florida launch site this month, BlueBirds 8-16 are in various stages of production, with launches planned every 1-2 months on average during 2025 and 2026, the firm announced. &nbsp;&nbsp;They expect to have 45-60 satellites in orbit by year-end 2026. It is touted that these BlueBird satellites(by size) will be the largest commercial satellites ever deployed in Low Earth orbit (about 600kms above Earth). Each of these satellites would carry a 2,400-foot phased array antenna with true direct-to-cell broadband, with a claimed capability of up to 10,000 MHz of processing bandwidth and claimed peak speeds of 120 Mbps per cell.&nbsp;The firm says they have partnered with 50+ mobile network operators serving nearly 3 billion subscribers, "supported by a flexible spectrum strategy blending our own licensed spectrum with partner spectrum".&nbsp; &nbsp;

AST SpaceMobile is a Texas-based telecom company that aims to build and launch a fleet of satellites that can directly provide internet connectivity to mobile phones.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is preparing to launch US firm AST SpaceMobile's BlueBird-6 satellite on Wednesday (Dec 24) from the second launchpad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The three-stage LVM3 rocket, the most capable space launch vehicle in India's fleet, is expected to liftoff at 8:54 am Indian time, carrying the 6,500kg BlueBird 6 to orbit(about 550 km above earth). This satellite would be the heaviest payload to be carried by an Indian rocket. LVM3 has a track record of delivering success in all its eight missions to date. This mission is being executed as part of a commercial deal between ISRO's business arm, NewSpace India Limited(NSIL,) and the Texas-based AST SpaceMobile. As a launch services provider(rocket builder and operator), ISRO launches foreign-origin satellites to space on a commercial basis. Facilitated by NSIL, these commercial space missions are like a taxi ferrying a passenger. In this case, the passenger is the US firm, which pays the Indian Government for the launch service. This is the third commercial mission of LVM3, and the first time that the Indian LVM3 rocket is executing the mission for an American customer. Earlier, it had executed two launches for a European customer, OneWeb(now Eutelsat OneWeb). About AST SpaceMobile and their internet-beaming satellites AST SpaceMobile is a Texas-based telecom company that aims to build and launch a fleet of satellites that can directly provide internet connectivity to mobile phones. Typically, only purpose-built satellite phones can facilitate satellite communication. These traditional satellite phone handsets are bulky and require visible antennas; they offer voice connectivity, and low-bandwidth texting and data services. Such services are offered by firms such as Iridium and Thuraya, among others. They are widely used in the defence and maritime sectors for providing connectivity where no communications infrastructure exists. Firms like AST and Starlink are attempting to change this by ensuring direct connectivity between smartphones and satellites. They intend to ensure that Android and Apple devices available in the market can communicate with the support of satellites, without any extra or special hardware. Thanks to the global coverage planned using a fleet of satellites, such services would eventually enable cell phone connectivity almost anywhere on Earth. In simple terms, one need not worry about being "not reachable" or "out of coverage area". As per reports, AST presently has a fleet of five first-generation (Block-1) satellites in orbit. The firm plans to launch a fleet of 45-60 second-generation (Block-2)satellites to offer services in major global regions, it is said. Also Read: Lightning strikes world tallest Burj Khalifa, Dubai Crown Prince shares dramatic visuals - WATCH The firm has announced that they have a series of satellites that will be launched in the coming months. BlueBird 7 has shipped to the Cape Canaveral, Florida launch site this month, BlueBirds 8-16 are in various stages of production, with launches planned every 1-2 months on average during 2025 and 2026, the firm announced. They expect to have 45-60 satellites in orbit by year-end 2026. It is touted that these BlueBird satellites(by size) will be the largest commercial satellites ever deployed in Low Earth orbit (about 600kms above Earth). Each of these satellites would carry a 2,400-foot phased array antenna with true direct-to-cell broadband, with a claimed capability of up to 10,000 MHz of processing bandwidth and claimed peak speeds of 120 Mbps per cell. The firm says they have partnered with 50+ mobile network operators serving nearly 3 billion subscribers, "supported by a flexible spectrum strategy blending our own licensed spectrum with partner spectrum".

AST SpaceMobile is a Texas-based telecom company that aims to build and launch a fleet of satellites that can directly provide internet connectivity to mobile phones.

ISRO to launch US firm's Bluebird-6 satellite on December 24

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