Author: Sonam Singh Subhedar
The space industry has historically been characterised by significant financial investments, complex engineering, and prolonged development cycles. Traditionally dominated by government agencies like ISRO, NASA, ESA, and Roscosmos, the landscape has shifted dramatically in recent years with the entrance of private enterprises such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Rocket Lab. Among these innovative private entities, Agnikul Cosmos, an Indian aerospace startup, has emerged as a formidable player, recently achieving a landmark milestone: The successful launch of a 3D-printed rocket, which it carried out recently on 30 May. This accomplishment not only underscores India’s burgeoning capabilities in space technology but also…
Dr Mukund Thattai, professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Bioinformatics at the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), located in Bengaluru, has been awarded the Infosys Prize 2023 in Physical Sciences in recognition of his contributions to the knowledge of the development of complex cells. Dr Thattai has ‘studied a problem lying at the crossroads of cell biology and evolution using powerful tools from physics and computer science,’ according to an official release by Infosys. Citing his research on the evolution and function of the Golgi apparatus, the release adds that Dr Thattai…
While most of his peers would use the internet for scrolling social media, Aryan Singh, a 17-year-old from Rajasthan’s Kota, would use this technology to hunt for the world’s latest technologies. Singh, who was raised on a farm, came up with the concept of a rover, called ‘AgRobot’, in his tenth grade because he wanted to make farming easier for his father. Singh’s inquisitive mind would search for answers as he closely observed his family’s struggles with issues like crop loss from diseases, and climate change. All Images Courtesy: Aryan Singh “I grew up watching my family toil in the…
The eagerly anticipated Chandrayaan-3 mission to the Moon was launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on July 14. On board the Launch Vehicle Mark-III (LVM3) at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, the spacecraft launched flawlessly. India’s second attempt to set foot on the moon’s surface was made with Chandrayaan-3, the third mission in the Chandrayaan series. The mission, which is expected to have cost Rs 615 crore, aspires to make India a moon fairing country and join the privileged club. By placing the Chandrayaan-3 mission in a precise orbit, the LVM3 was able to complete the…
Henry Benedict Medlicott is not someone an average Indian would have a quick recall about. But it would be worthwhile to know this British officer whose comment on Indians and their scientific aptitude and potential best sums up the discriminatory attitude colonial rulers had against Indians hoping to study, do research or make a career in the sciences. Head of the Geological Survey of India from 1876-87, Meldicott believed Indians were incapable of any original work in natural science. He wanted to wait till the “scientific chord among the natives” was touched and added that “if indeed it exists as…
In its relatively short life history and with legendary small budgets compared to western counterparts, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has not only made a name for itself in the exclusive club of global space powers but also given the country confidence enough to entrust it with ambitious programmes such as the upcoming first manned mission — the Gaganyaan — or the unprecedented mission to the sun, Aditya-I. India’s space success stories bring a sense of pride to its citizens, inducing euphoria comparable to winning accolades in international sports. These stories have been inspiring enough to make a career…
Society and government should join hands to tackle the situation The devastating second wave of the deadly coronavirus infection has shaken the very foundations of Indian society and apprehensions are already rife about an impending third wave. Even as the country pulls out all stops to contain the cruel impact of the second wave, it seems befitting to start preparing for the next so as to minimise the damage and not repeat the extremely painful consequences witnessed in the second quarter of this year. Pls check Science India spoke to Dr Sanjay K Rai, Professor, Centre for Community Medicine, All India Institute of…
Science India Bureau India may have put the second wave of COVID-19 behind itself but the heart-rending devastation it has left in its wake will not be forgotten for a very long time to come. It was a historically unprecedented situation when the best equipped of Indian cities — Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and Bengaluru, to name a few — cracked up under the onslaught of the virus. In such a scenario, the ravages that the second wave of COVID-19 caused on rural India can only be conjectured, especially because the data is shocking — there is less than one radiologist…