Current Affairs
Morning Brief: First Test Launch For Human Spaceflight Mission In Two Years From Now; Death Toll In Kerala Floods Jumps To 67, And More News
Good morning, dear reader! Here’s your morning news and views brief for today.
First Test Launch For Human Spaceflight Mission In Two Yeas From Now
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will conduct the first test launch for the human spaceflight programme in two years from now, organisation’s Chairman K Sivan said on Wednesday. Addressing the nation on the Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that India will launch a crewed space mission by 2022 to mark 75 years of independence. According to Sivan, India will conduct two test flights before the launch of the actual mission. The first test flight will, however, be unmanned.
ISRO has been preparing for a crewed mission for the past few years, although it had not been officially sanctioned by the government until now. Moving a step closer last month, it had successfully tested the crew escape system designed to quickly pull out the crew to a safe distance in case of a launch abort. In June 2017, the organisation had tested GSLV Mark-III, India's first launch vehicle capable of putting humans in space. ISRO had also conducted demonstration of the atmospheric re-entry flight developed for the programme.
Death Toll In Devastating Kerala Floods Jumps To 67
The number of deaths due to floods, landslides and bridge collapses in the monsoon-hit state of Kerala has jumped to 67. At least 29 people were killed on Wednesday. Over 50,000 are in relief camps. Agencies are on the highest alert level in what has turned out to be Kerala's worst monsoon in almost a century. Rains have been severe since 9 August. Almost all districts have received over 100mm rainfall, forcing the state to open 33 of its 39 dams for the first time.
The Chief Minister has said that the situation is gravely serious. While all 14 districts are on red alert, the hilly districts such as Idukki and Wayanad, remain the most hit with flooding and landslides, as per local reports. Kerala has lost more than Rs 3,000 crore in 24 hours due to damage, said a government official.
Vajpayee Put On Life Support, Condition Critical
Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's health has worsened over the last 24 hours and he remains critical, the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) said late on Wednesday, adding that he has been put on life support. The 93-year-old, who served as India's 10th prime minister, has been undergoing treatment at the hospital since 11 June. When he was admitted, doctors had described the visit as a routine check-up. Vajpayee is diabetic and has only one functional kidney. He suffered a stroke in 2009 and developed dementia.
Elected prime minister thrice between 1996 and 1999, Vajpayee was the only non-Congress prime minister to complete the full term of five years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Smriti Irani visited the hospital late in the evening on Wednesday to meet the former prime minister.
India Gets Back 12th Century Buddha Statue Stolen In 1961
A 12th century Buddha statue, which was stolen from an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) site museum in 1961, was returned to India by London’s Metropolitan Police on Wednesday. This was one of the 14 statues stolen from the museum in Nalanda, Bihar. The statue is believed to have changed several hands over the years before finally surfacing at a London auction.
The statue was first identified in March of this year by India Pride Project’s Vijay Kumar and Association for Research into Crimes Against Art’s (ARCA) functionary Lynda Albertson, who alerted the police. Both the dealer and the “owner” of the statue were subsequently made aware of the statue’s stolen nature, who then fully cooperated the Metropolitan Police’s Art and Antiques Unit.
Wholesale Price Inflation Eases To 5.09 Per Cent In July
Wholesale inflation eased to 5.09 per cent in July on account of cheaper food articles, especially fruits and vegetables, government data showed on Tuesday. The wholesale price index (WPI) based inflation was recorded at 5.77 per cent in June. This was largely due to a 2.16 per cent contraction in food prices.
Data released by the government late on Monday showed that inflation based on consumer price index (CPI) for the month of July fell to a nine-month low of 4.17 per cent. Its previous low was in October 2017 at 3.58 per cent. In June, the retail inflation stood at a five-month high of 5 per cent. In a Reuters poll, economists had predicted the inflation to come down to 4.51 per cent.
MUST READ OPINIONS AND COLUMNS
Reimagining Fiduciaries In The Digital Economy: The Srikrishna committee’s conceptualization is riddled with several challenges which indicate that past mistakes are being repeated.
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SWARAJYA SPECIAL
For a truly Ayushman Bharat, all stakeholders in the country will need to look within, spruce up their acts and be in this together.
We hope you enjoyed reading our morning brief. Have a great day ahead!
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