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GLOBAL: NATIONAL: AEROSPACE / MANY FIRSTS : World’s First Rocket with Single Piece 3D Printed Engine launched from Sriharikota

The feat has been achieved entirely through indigenous design and development.

The world’s first rocket with a single piece 3D printed engine was launched from Sriharikota on Thursday by Agnikul Cosmos, the IITMadras-incubated start-up.

The launch was witnessed by various luminaries including Dr S Somanath, Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Dr Pawan Goenka, Chairman of IN-SPACe, Rajeev Jyoti, Director (Technical), IN-SPACe, and A Raj Rajan, Director SHAR.

The ISRO chairman said that the success involving many firsts, including the 3D printed semi-cryogenic engine, flight control systems etc. demonstrate the prowess of indigenous design and innovation. “It motivates ISRO to support the Space startups and non-governmental entities for innovation and Atmanirbharata to create a vibrant space ecosystem in the country,” he said.

The feat has been achieved entirely through indigenous design and development after the launch was postponed many a times. ‘Agnibaan – SOrTeD’ Sub-Orbital Technology Demonstrator also has the unique distinction of having been launched from India’s first private launch pad called ‘Dhanush’ established by Agnikul. It is also India’s first semi-cryogenic engine-powered rocket launch.

“The key purpose of this mission, which is also Agnikul’s first flight, is to serve as a test flight, to demonstrate the in-house and home grown technologies, gather crucial flight data and ensure optimal functioning of systems for Agnikul’s orbital launch vehicle, the ‘Agnibaan’,” a statement issued by the company said.

The Agnibaan SOrTeD is powered by a semi-cryogenic engine that uses commercially available aviation turbine fuel or essentially kerosene and medical grade liquid oxygen, according to the company. Agnikul follows up on the first launch made by an Indian space company which was Skyroot Aerospace Private Limited which in 2022 flew a solid fuelled sounding rocket from Sriharikota.

Speaking about the next steps, Prof Satyanarayanan R Chakravarthy, founding advisor, Agnikul Cosmos and also the Head of National Centre for Combustion Research and Development (NCCRD), IIT Madras, said, “We are proud to present India’s first Semi-cryo rocket engine, which is also the world’s most integrated single shot 3D printed piece. It signals the ability to rapidly assemble rockets that is unparalleled.”

The Agnikul team consists of over 200 engineers and is associated with NCCRD at IIT Madras. Additionally, the team is guided by 45 former scientists from ISRO who bring invaluable expertise to the endeavour of democratising access to space, a statement said.

The flagship launch vehicle, ‘Agnibaan’, is designed to be compatible with the mobile launchpad called ‘Dhanush,’ allowing for launch flexibility regardless of location. Agnibaan can be configured to accommodate payloads ranging from 30 kg to 300 kg, ensuring versatility across a wide range of mission requirements, the statement added. The startup is aiming to fly an orbital mission towards the end 2024-2025.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: MIDDLE EAST: Centuries-old documents from Indian community in Oman digitised for posterity 

The Embassy of India, in collaboration with the National Archives of India (NAI), has completed a special digitisation project for the protection and compilation of age-old documents that give us a peek into individual anecdotes of the people of Oman and India. 

For the preservation of the rich history of the Indian community in Oman, this initiative aims to collate and safeguard valuable historical documents held by the Indian diaspora in Oman, many of whom have been residing in the country for generations.

A two-member expert team from the NAI finished the daunting task on Monday in just over a week starting from May 19.

The event concluded at the embassy premises with a successful digitisation of over 7,000 documents. 

Digitised contents include pictures, receipts, letters, certificates, passports, invoices and notes. These records, sourced from 30 families across Oman, trace back as far as 250 years, providing a unique window into the historical presence and contributions of the Indian community in the region.

Speaking at the event, H E Amit Narang, the Ambassador of India to Oman, said, “Our aim was to compile historical documents so that we can have a databank on the centuries-old relationship that the people of the two countries enjoyed.” 

The documents also showcase how Indians were at the centre of trade among the Arab and African countries. Digitised documents adequately prove how Muscat was always a trade hub for so many countries.

“They reveal a web of historical interactions and economic exchanges, illustrating the pivotal role the Indian community played in the trade networks linking Oman, Arabia and Africa. By preserving these records, the project ensures that future generations can access and learn from this rich heritage.”

A notable aspect of the project was the creation of an oral archive, a first for the NAI. 

Kalpana Shukla, an NAI representative, conducted long interviews with senior members of the community, some as old as 80 years. “This is the first time ever that the NAI has done this type of digitisation. Soon, all these records from Oman will be available for people to see. This digitisation is not only for preservation but also for research,” Kaplana said. 

She added that as these digital archives become accessible, they will serve as a valuable resource for historians, researchers and the general public, fostering a deeper understanding of the contributions of the Indian community to Oman’s development.

source/content: muscatdaily.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: FASHION : Meet Santanu Das, the Kolkata-based fashion designer who crafted Payal Kapadia’s Cannes 2024 outfit

Payal, who won the Grand Prix Award for her film All We Imagine As Light at Cannes, ordered her outfit for the festival from Santanu’s artisanal clothing brand Maku Textiles.

Filmmaker Payal Kapadia carried a piece of Kolkata with her when she walked onto the stage at Cannes 2024 to receive the Grand Prix Award for All We Imagine As Light on May 25. She was wearing an outfit that was exclusively crafted for her by Kolkata-based artisanal clothing brand Maku Textiles in less than a week.

The Telegraph Online recently caught up with Maku Textiles founder-director Santanu Das, an alumni of National Institute of Design, to know the thoughts and craftsmanship that went into Payal’s outfit.

The Telegraph Online: What was your first thought when you came to know that Payal Kapadia wore an outfit designed by you to receive her Grand Prix Award at the Cannes 2024?

Santanu Das: We are part of history now. It was a very special moment. We understood her achievement is going to live forever and with that we will also be attached to her. I wrote to Payal just after I got to know about her Cannes win. It’s wonderful.

Did you know Payal Kapadia before she ordered the outfit from you? How did she come to know about Maku Textiles?

Santanu Das: No, I didn’t know her before that. Maybe that’s because I am not very social and prefer to live in a cocoon.

I don’t know how her team got in touch with me. Things happened very fast. We had to finish the outfit and deliver it in less than a week. I had to send it to Mumbai, and the last person from her team travelling to Cannes hand-carried the outfit.

Could you decode Payal’s Cannes outfit for us.

Santanu Das: We had two pieces — a jacket and a sleeveless silk dress. She wore the jacket at the screening, but it was designed in such a way that you could see the dress from the front. While collecting the award, Payal wanted to open the jacket.

When we were talking about the outfit, Payal wanted something blue and I had something black — but not very black, black. Our signature colour is indigo, so we created a different tonality of black indigo. We also considered that it could be an emotional as well as a vulnerable moment for her and that’s why I wanted her to feel guarded in our design. We talked about how the design needs to be ironed and what earrings would go with it.

Did you speak to Payal to understand how she actually wanted to present herself on the big stage?

Santanu Das: Oh, yeah, we talked a couple of times. We had a long call where we discussed how to go about the styling. We tried to understand what she generally wears and what she would feel comfortable in as we didn’t want to impose anything on her. We were very aware that she is a film director. She is from the creative world, so anything she wears must match her personality.

You are into artisanal fashion. How do you elaborate on it?

Santanu Das: It’s a segment, which isn’t open and big. This specific segment has only a handful of people coming up with handmade signature designs but in a small batch. We do everything by our hand, making it part of a sustainable network. We mix our identity with the neutral cloth to add character to it.

Your label is made in Kolkata and was founded in 2012 but your focus has always been international…

Santanu Das: Our focus has always been on international sales and curation. We want to invest in developing new things. We are present in Japan, China, Taiwan, South Korea, the US, Europe, France, the UK, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy. Stores buy our clothes and then sell them.

In Kolkata, we have an atelier-cum-factory for people who are too keen to visit. We invite them by appointment. Our team comprises 60 people. We have 200 weavers from West Bengal, and our fabric is handwoven. We do everything such as fabrication, stitching and merchandising in Kolkata.

But some people love your work in India…

Santanu Das: I don’t know if anyone in Kolkata knows about Maku Textiles. A few people in Mumbai and Delhi know about us. More than actresses, we get filmmakers, cinematographers and art directors as clients. Anvita Dutt (creator of Bulbbul, Qala) has all my saris. Meenal Agarwal (production director), Konkona Sen Sharma, Tillotama Shome and Dia Mirza wear Maku Textiles. Anushka Sharma also visited our Kolkata studio while shooting for Pari. Both Anvita and Anushka came to know about us from Meenal.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: PEACEKEEPERS: Indian Woman Peacekeeper Major Radhika Sen to receive ‘UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award’ . Who is she?

Radhika Sen served with the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo from March 2023 to April 2024.

Indian woman peacekeeper Major Radhika Sen, who served with the UN mission in Congo, will be honoured with the prestigious military gender advocate award by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on May 30 (Thursday), marking the International Day of UN Peacekeepers.

Who is Major Radhika Sen?

  • Radhika Sen served with the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) from March 2023 to April 2024 as the Commander of MONUSCO’s engagement platoon for the Indian rapid deployment battalion (INDRDB).
  • Major Radhika Sen joined the Indian Army eight years ago. She graduated with a degree in biotechnology engineering and was pursuing her Master’s degree at IIT Bombay when she decided to join the armed forces.
  • Sen was deployed to MONUSCO in March 2023 as the engagement platoon commander with the Indian rapid deployment battalion. She completed her tenure in April 2024. Sen is the second Indian peacekeeper to receive this prestigious award, following Major Suman Gawani, who served with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and was honoured with the United Nations military gender advocate of the year award in 2019.
  • UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres lauded Major Sen for her service and said she was a true leader and role model. “Her service was a true credit to the United Nations as a whole,” Guterres said.
  • Reacting to the development, Major Sen said, “This award is special to me as it gives recognition to the hard work put in by all the peacekeepers working in the challenging environment of DRC and giving their best to bring a positive change in the society.”

“Gender-sensitive peacekeeping is everybody’s business – not just us, women. Peace begins with all of us in our beautiful diversity!” she added.

Created by the office of military affairs within the department for peace operations (DPO) of the UN in 2016, the United Nations military gender advocate of the year award acknowledges the dedication and efforts of an individual military peacekeeper in promoting the principles of UN Security Council resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security.

The awardee is selected from among candidates nominated by force commanders and heads of mission from all peace operations. India currently ranks as the 11th largest contributor of women military peacekeepers to the United Nations.

(With inputs from PTI)

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: REGIONAL: SPORTS / ATHLETICS: Asian Relay Championships: Indian Men’s and Women’s 4x400m teams win Silver Medals

Indian mixed 4×400 relay team set a national record while winning the gold medal but missed the target of entering the Paris Olympics qualification bracket.

Fielding under-strength teams after having qualified for the Paris Olympics, both the men’s and women’s 4x400m quartets finished second at the inaugural Asian Relay Championships in Bangkok on May 21.

he women’s team of Vithya Ramraj, M R Poovamma, Prachi Choudhary and Rupal Chaudhary clocked 3 minutes 33.55 seconds to finish behind Vietnam (3:30.81) in the women’s 4x400m relay final, which was conducted amid thundershowers at the Suphachalasai National Stadium. Japan won the bronze medal with 3:35.45.

Vietnam runners were ahead all through the race.

Vithya and Prachi were not part of the Indian quartet that clocked 3 minutes and 29.35 seconds to book a Paris Olympics quota during the World Athletics Relays in Nassau, Bahamas earlier this month.

Jyothika Sri Dandi and Subha Venkatesan had teamed up with Poovamma and Rupal on that occasion.

The men’s quartet of Muhammed Anas Yahiya, Santosh Kumar, Mijo Chacko Kurian and Arokia Rajiv also failed to stand on top of the podium as they clocked 3:05.76 to finish second behind Sri Lanka (3:04.48). Vietnam was third with 3:07.37.

The Sri Lankan team was ahead after the first leg but Santosh put India in the lead in the second. Chacko kept India in the lead after the third leg but Sri Lanka’s anchor runner Hewa Kalinga Kumarge overtook Arokia at the final stretch.

Santosh and Chacko were not part of the Indian quartet that clocked 3 minutes and 3.23 seconds to book a Paris Olympics quota during the World Athletics Relays in Bahamas earlier this month.

Muhammed Ajmal and Amoj Jacob had teamed up with Muhammed Anas Yahiya and Arokia Rajiv on that occasion.

Muhammed Ajmal and Amoj Jacob had teamed up with Jyothika Sri Dandi and Subha Venkatesan for the mixed 4x400m race on Monday as India was aiming to enter the Paris Olympics bracket in that event. The quartet was the first choice members of the mixed 4x400m team and they were thus not fielded on Tuesday in the men’s and women’s relays.

On Monday, the Indian mixed 4×400 relay team set a national record while winning the gold medal but missed the target of entering the Paris Olympics qualification bracket.

The quartet of Muhammed Ajmal, Jyothika Sri Dandi, Amoj Jacob and Subha Venkatesan clocked 3 minutes 14.12 seconds to win the race. The earlier national record of 3:14.34 was clocked by the Indian team while winning silver medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year.

Monday’s timing would put the Indian mixed 4x400m team at the 21st place — from earlier 23rd — in the Road to Paris list of World Athletics while the aim was to be either in the 15th or 16th spot.

India, thus, is in a difficult position to make the Olympics cut as only sixteen teams will compete in the mixed 4x400m relay event in Paris.

India’s target on Monday was to at least better 3:13.56 and sit at the 16th spot, but the country failed to do so.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: ARTS & CULTURE / MOVIES: Cannes 2024: Payal Kapadia’s ‘All We Imagine as Light’ scripts History for India, Wins Grand Prix

The film, the story of two Kerala nurses living in Mumbai, was the first Indian film in 30 years to compete in the main competition at Cannes.

In a historic win for India, Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light bagged the Grand Prix, the second-highest award at the Cannes Film Festival, on Saturday night.

The film, the story of two Kerala nurses living in contemporary Mumbai, was the first Indian film in 30 years to compete in the main competition at Cannes. It stars Indian actors Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha and Chhaya Kadam.

The jury for the 77th Cannes was presided over by Barbie director Greta Gerwig and included the illustrious likes of Lily Gladstone, Hirokazu Koreeda, Eva Green, Omar Sy, Ebru Ceylan and others.

American director Sean Baker’s Anora won the Palme d’Or, the top prize at Cannes.

The slate included Francis Ford Coppola’s Megapolis, Yorgos Lanthimos’ Kinds of Kindness, Andrea Arnold’s Bird, Jia Zhang-Ke’s Caught By the Tides amongst others.

The only Indian film to ever win the Palme d’Or — then known as Grand Prix du Festival International du Film — is Chetan Anand’s Neecha Nagar (1946). Mrinal Sen’s domestic help drama Kharij won the Jury Prize in 1983.

“Please don’t wait another 30 years to have an Indian film,” Kapadia said while accepting the honour.

In 1994, Malayalam director Shaji N Karun’s rural-set classic Swaham was the last film from India to compete for the Palme d’Or.

Kapadia, an alumnus of the Film & Television Institute of India (FTII), is best known for her acclaimed documentary A Night of Knowing Nothing, which premiered at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival’s Director’s Fortnight side-bar where it won the Oeil d’or (Golden Eye) award.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY/ RESEARCH : SII commences shipments of malaria vaccine ‘R21/Matrix-M’ to Africa

Developed in collaboration with the University of Oxford and Novavax’s Matrix-M adjuvant, the R21/Matrix-M vaccine is the second malaria vaccine to be authorised for use in children in malaria-endemic regions, SII said.

Vaccines manufacturer Serum Institute of India (SII) on Monday said it has started exports of ‘R21/Matrix-M’ malaria vaccine to Africa as part of the global fight against the disease.

Developed in collaboration with the University of Oxford and Novavax’s Matrix-M adjuvant, the R21/Matrix-M vaccine is the second malaria vaccine to be authorised for use in children in malaria-endemic regions, SII said in a statement.

The initial shipment is being sent to the Central African Republic (CAR), followed by other African countries such as South Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo in the coming days, it added.

In total, 1,63,800 doses of the ‘R21/Matrix-M’ malaria vaccine have been specifically allocated for the CAR region, of which only 43,200 doses have been dispatched on Monday from SII’s facility in Pune.

“The shipment of the ‘R21/Matrix-M’ malaria vaccine to Africa marks a momentous milestone in our collective fight against this life-threatening disease. This achievement is a testament to the power of collaboration and the efforts of our dedicated workforce at the Serum Institute of India, working in partnership with Novavax and the University of Oxford,” SII Executive Director, R&D, Umesh Shaligram, said.

Novavax President and CEO John C. Jacobs said, “The R21/Matrix-M vaccine is a vital new tool to help stop the devastating health and economic impact of malaria on nearly half of the world’s population, including the tragic loss of 1,300 children every single day.”

U.S. Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, who was present at the flag-off ceremony, said, “The development of the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine represents a great step forward in our battle against this deadly parasite. The quality, affordable vaccines that will be produced through this partnership between Novavax and SII will prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths every year across the globe.”

The start of the distribution at large scale of this high efficacy, very cost-effective vaccine should mark a turning point in the battle against malaria, said Professor Adrian Hill, Director of the Jenner Institute at Oxford University.

SII said the R21/Matrix-M vaccine received WHO recommendation for use in children last year in October. The vaccine is easily deployable, cost-effective and affordable.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: ARTS & CULTURE / CINEMATOGRAPHER: Santosh Sivan First Asian to be conferred the Pierre Angénieux Tribute award at Cannes 2024

Malayalam superstar Mohanlal was among the first to congratulate the ace cameraman.

Acclaimed cinematographer Santosh Sivan has become the first Asian to be awarded the prestigious Pierre Angenieux Tribute award at the 2024 Cannes film festival.

The honour has been conferred in recognition of his ‘career and exceptional quality of work’, said an official communication.

Santosh Sivan had expressed his delight at receiving the award to The New Indian Express. Bollywood star Preity Zinta was on stage in Cannes to hand it over to him.

Malayalam superstar Mohanlal was among the first to congratulate the ace cameraman. “Excited to witness the historic moment at the Cannes Film Festival 2024. Congratulations to our Santosh Sivan for being selected for the Pierre Angénieux Award,” he said.

Santosh Sivan is helming the cinematography in Mohanlal’s directorial debut Barroz.

Pierre Angénieux, after whom the award is named, was one of the inventors of the modern zoom lenses.

In the past, the award was given to legends like Philippe Rousselot, Vilmos Zsigmond, Roger Deakins, Peter Suschitzky, Chistopher Doyle, Edward Lachman, Bruno Delbonnel, Agnes Godard, Darius Khondji and Barry Ackroyd.

On May 23, a masterclass had been organised where the master technician had shared his experience with the younger generation.

An internationally acclaimed cinematographer, Santosh Sivan has worked in movies like Dil Se, Roja, Iruvar and Kaalapani.

He is currently directing a Malayalam film titled Kaliyugam and Moha, an English film.

It was in 2013 that Cannes started giving the Pierre Angénieux Tribute to cinematographers.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: ARTS & CULTURE / ACTING: Anasuya Sengupta scripts History, becomes First Indian to Win top Acting Award at Cannes 2024

Anasuya won won Un Certain Regard Prize for Best Actress for her performance in the romance-drama, The Shameless.

Anasuya Sengupta became the first Indian to win a top acting award at the Cannes Film Festival on Friday night.

Anasuya, a production designer who lives in Goa, won Un Certain Regard Prize for Best Actress for her performance in the romance-drama, The Shameless.

The film, directed and written by Bulgarian -American, self-taught filmmaker Konstantin Bojanov, revolves around Renuka, played by Anasuya who, in the dead of night, escapes from a Delhi brothel after stabbing a policeman to death. She takes refuge in a community of sex workers in northern India, where she meets Devika (Omara Shetty), a young girl condemned to a life of prostitution. Their bond develops into a forbidden romance. Together, they embark on a perilous journey to escape the law and forge their path to freedom.

Anasuya dedicated the award to “the queer community and other marginalised communities for so bravely fighting a fight they really shouldn’t have to”.

Apart from Anasuya, two Indian films Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know and Bunnyhood won the first and third place, respectively, in the La Cinef Selection at this year’s Cannes.

While Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know is a Kannada short film, directed by Chidananda Naik, a student from Film and Television Institute of India, Bunnnyhood is directed by Mansi Maheshwari. She hails from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh and has been studying in the UK, according to a report.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: MIDDLE EAST/ QATAR: India Book of Records recognises Mikhail Vincent Paul, of Birla Public School Doha, a prodigy

In a jaw-dropping feat, Mikhail Vincent Paul, a budding paleontologist and a grade three student at Birla Public School, has roared into the spotlight by identifying a staggering 202 dinosaurs in a mere 2 minutes and 48 seconds.

This remarkable achievement has secured Mikhail a coveted spot in the Asia Book of Records and the India Book of Records affirming his position as a dino-legend in the making.

At the tender age of 7 years and 11 months, this young explorer’s passion for prehistoric creatures has propelled him into the limelight, capturing the hearts of dinosaur enthusiasts globally.

The astonishing accomplishment unfolded during a special event organised by the Asia Book of Records on February 4, 2024, where he showcased an encyclopedic knowledge of dinosaurs that left spectators in awe.

The family, teachers, and peers alike are celebrating this extraordinary achievement, with many marvelling at Mikhail’s ability to swiftly rattle off the names of dinosaurs with unmatched precision.

The event not only showcased the child’s exceptional memory and passion for paleontology but also served as an inspiration for other young minds to explore their interests fervently.

The young prodigy has earlier entered into the Asia Book of Records and India Book of Records, at the age of 6 years and 7 months, for being able to memorise 411 logos of various brands of automobiles and identifying them in under 9 minutes with accuracy.

The staff and students of BPS Doha are proud of Mikhail and congratulated him and his family for the great achievement accomplished.

source/content: thepeninsulaqatar.com (headline edited)