An Indian startup’s space surveillance satellite, SCOT, was commissioned last Saturday after capturing images over South America. Bengaluru-based Digantara launched SCOT on January 14 aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-12 rocket. The satellite tracks objects as small as 5cm in Earth’s orbit and captured a stunning image featuring the city of Buenos Aires.
Lalit Modi challenges Vanuatu government’s decision to revoke his passport in court. Modi, currently in Vanuatu, has appealed the cancellation of his citizenship. India’s high commission in London had refused his request to surrender his Indian passport. Vanuatu’s Citizenship Commission will await the court’s outcome before proceeding with citizenship revocation.
Karnataka’s Congress government has launched a probe into DGP Ramachandra Rao’s potential involvement in a gold-smuggling racket linked to his daughter, actress Ranya Rao. An inquiry led by ACS Gaurav Gupta will investigate allegations that Rao directed a constable to escort Ranya with 14.2kg of gold from Bengaluru’s airport. Other aspects being probed include possible links to a bitcoin scam.
The Rajasthan High Court has allowed a 13-year-old rape survivor to have a medical termination of her 27-week pregnancy. The court instructed that if the fetus survives, it should be incubated and cared for at the state’s expense. An FIR was lodged after discovering the pregnancy, and the medical procedure is to be supervised by the medical board.
Bengal’s opposition leader, Suvendu Adhikari, has caused controversy by stating the BJP would forcibly remove Muslim MLAs from the assembly upon forming the next government. The Trinamool Congress criticized the statement as hate speech, questioning Adhikari’s mental stability following recent political defections.
Opposition parties continued their protests in and outside Parliament over issues like duplicate EPIC numbers, the three-language formula, and delimitation. TMC, Congress, and BJD walked out of Rajya Sabha, while TMC and BJD approached the Election Commission. DMK MPs protested the three-language policy, and Congress MPs from Tamil Nadu joined them.
The Election Commission has asked for suggestions from political parties on unresolved voter list and photo identity card issues by April 30. Delegations from BJP, TMC, and BJD have raised concerns about duplicate voters and EPIC numbers. The Commission aims to address these issues and strengthen electoral processes through interactions with party leaders.
Congress has stated that states which controlled population will lose seats due to delimitation based on population criteria. States like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh are expected to lose seats, while Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Rajasthan are among the gainers. Tamil Nadu’s chief minister has invited various parties to join a joint action committee against this exercise.
A heated exchange occurred in Rajya Sabha over Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge’s controversial remark, ‘aapko theek se thokenge.’ BJP demanded an apology and expungement of the remark. Kharge later apologized, clarifying his comments were directed at government policies, not the Chair.
Air India, now under Tata Group, continues to face issues with clogged toilets caused by passengers flushing inappropriate items. Engineers noted the old aircrafts’ ducts are increasingly susceptible to blockages, leading to disrupted flights. Most foreign airlines experience this problem rarely, highlighting different passenger behavior aboard Indian carriers. Crew suggests educating passengers and improving onboard waste management systems.
A financially troubled couple in Hyderabad poisoned their son, throttled their daughter, and then hanged themselves. The father had been jobless after leaving a teaching position. A suicide note detailed their struggles. Their children were minors, studying in classes V and IX. The family previously moved to Hyderabad from Wanaparthy seeking better prospects.