Category Archives: Leaders

GLOBAL & NATIONAL / RECORDS : INDIA IN SPACE: Moon done for India, over to the Sun as ISRO’s Aditya-L1 lifts off successfully

The first space-based observatory to study the Sun, the spacecraft, after traveling about 1.5 million km from the Earth over 125 days, is expected to be placed in a Halo orbit around the Lagrangian point L1 which is considered closest to the Sun.

ISRO on Saturday launched the country’s ambitious Solar mission, Aditya L1 eyeing history again after its successful lunar expedition, Chandrayan 3 a few days ago.

As the 23.40-hour countdown concluded, the 44.4 meter tall Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) soared majestically at the prefixed time of 11.50 am from this spaceport, located on the Eastern coast about 135 km from Chennai.

It will be PSLV’s “longest flight” for about 63 minutes.

According to ISRO, Aditya-L1 is the first space-based observatory to study the Sun. The spacecraft, after traveling about 1.5 million km from the Earth over 125 days, is expected to be placed in a Halo orbit around the Lagrangian point L1 which is considered closest to the Sun.

Among others, it will send pictures of the sun for scientific experiments.

According to scientists, there are five Lagrangian points (or parking areas) between the Earth and the Sun where a small object tends to stay if put there. The Lagrange Points are named after Italian-French mathematician Joseph-Louis Lagrange for his prize-winning paper — “Essai sur le Probl me des Trois Corps, 1772.”

These points in space can be used by spacecraft to remain there with reduced fuel consumption.

At a Lagrange point, the gravitational pull of the two large bodies (the Sun and the Earth) equals the necessary centripetal force required for a small object to move with them.

After the lift-off at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre here, the scientists would be involved in placing the spacecraft at Low Earth Orbit initially, and later it will be more elliptical.

The spacecraft would be launched towards the Lagrange L1 point using on-board propulsion so that it exits the earth’s gravitational Sphere of Influence and cruises towards the L1. Later, it would be injected into a large Halo Orbit around L1 point near the Sun.

The total time from launch to reaching the L1 point would be about four months for the Aditya-L1 Mission, ISRO said.

Explaining the reasons to study the Sun, ISRO said it emits radiation in nearly all wavelengths along with various energetic particles and magnetic fields.

The atmosphere of the Earth as well as its magnetic field acts as a protective shield and blocks harmful wavelength radiations. In order to detect such radiation, solar studies are carried out from space.

The major objectives of the mission include understanding the Coronal Heating and Solar Wind Acceleration, the initiation of Coronal Mass Ejection (CME), near-earth space weather and the solar wind distribution.

The Aditya-L1 mission carries seven scientific payloads to carry out the study.

The Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) will study the solar corona and dynamics of CME.

VELC, the primary payload will be sending 1,440 images per day to the ground station for analysis on reaching the intended orbit.

It is “the largest and technically most challenging” payload on Aditya-L1.

The Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope would do imaging of the Solar photosphere and Chromosphere in near Ultraviolet and measure the solar irradiance variations.

The Aditya Solar Wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX) and Plasma Analyser Package for Aditya (PAPA) payloads will study the solar wind and energetic ions as well as the energy distribution.

The Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer and the High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS) will study the X-ray flares from the Sun over a wide X-ray energy range.

The Magnetometer payload is capable of measuring interplanetary magnetic fields at the L1 point.

The payloads of Aditya-L1 are indigenously developed with the close collaboration of various centers of ISRO.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

WORLD RECORD: SPORTS / JAVELIN: Neeraj Chopra Scripts History yet Again, becomes First Indian to Win Gold in World Athletics Championships

The 25-year-old dominated the competition and achieved his best throw of the day in his second attempt.

Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra on Sunday scripted history yet again as he became the first Indian to win a gold medal at the World Athletics Championships with a throw of 88.17m in the men’s javelin final here.

In another first, three Indians finished in the top eight with Kishore Jena (84.77m) and DP Manu (84.14m) taking the fifth and sixth spots, respectively. Never before did three Indians finish in top eight of an event at the World Championships.

The 25-year-old Chopra achieved his best throw of the day in his second attempt. He had a foul to start with, but then got 88.17m, 86.32m, 84.64m, 87.73m and 83.98m.

Pakistan’s reigning Commonwealth Games champion Arshad Nadeem took the silver with his season’s best throw of 87.82m, while Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic got the bronze.

Chopra has now become only the second Indian — after shooter Abhinav Bindra — to simultaneously hold the Olympics and World Championships titles.

Chopra, who had become the first Indian Olympic track and field gold medallist at the Tokyo Games in 2021, had won a silver in the 2022 edition of the World Championships.

Before him, legendary long jumper Anju Bobby George had won a bronze in the 2003 World Championships.

The Indian superstar also became only the third javelin thrower in history to simultaneously hold the Olympics and World Championships titles after the iconic Jan Zelezny of the Czech Republic and Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway.

The Indian men’s 4x400m relay team, however, failed to replicate their show from the heats to finish fifth in the final.

Another title

In men’s pole vault, Sweden’s world record holder Armand Duplantis claimed his second consecutive world title on Saturday, but did not have a seventh world record in him.

The Olympic champion cleared 6.10 metres for gold and then — in what turned into the “Mono show” — missed at three attempts to clear 6.23, which would have been world record number seven for the remarkable 23-year-old.

Uganda’s Victor Kiplangat, the 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, won the men’s marathon on Sunday with a time of two hours 8 minutes 53 seconds.

PTI, Reuters

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: Chandrayaan-3 Moon Landing: August 23 to be Celebrated as ‘National Space Day’, says PM Modi

Summary

-Terming the success of Chandrayaan-3 mission as an ‘extraordinary moment’ in the history of India’s space programme, he said the place where the Chandrayaan-2 lander crash-landed on the Moon’s surface in 2019 would be known as

-August 23, the day the Chandrayaan-3 lander touched down on the lunar surface, would be celebrated as

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flew down to Bengaluru on Saturday directly from the Greek capital of Athens to interact with ISRO scientists on the successful Chandrayaan-3 mission and announced the decision to name the place where lander ‘Vikram’ touched down on the lunar surface as “Shiva Shakti Point”.

Terming the success of Chandrayaan-3 mission as an ‘extraordinary moment’ in the history of India’s space programme, he said the place where the Chandrayaan-2 lander crash-landed on the Moon’s surface in 2019 would be known as “Tiranga Point”.

23 August, the day the Chandrayaan-3 lander touched down on the lunar surface, would be celebrated as “National Space Day”, said the Prime Minister, who turned emotional while addressing the team ISRO at ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) here, as he lavishly praised them for their dedication and passion.

ISRO Chairman S Somanath briefed him about the Chandrayaan-3 mission. A large number of people, many of them holding aloft national flags, gathered outside the HAL Airport and Jalahalli Cross, which is close to ISTRAC, to greet the Prime Minister.

On Wednesday evening as the Lander Module of Chandrayaan-3 mission successfully touched down on the lunar surface, Modi joined the ISRO team at Mission Operations Complex (MOX) at ISTRAC virtually from Johannesburg, where he was attending the 15th BRICS summit.

Modi had also flown down to Bengaluru on the night of 6 September 2019 to watch the planned touchdown of Chandrayaan-2 mission’s ‘Vikram’ lander. But in the early hours of September seven, barely minutes before it was slated to land, ISRO lost contact with the craft, just 2.1 km above the lunar surface.

source/content: telegraphindia.com/edugraph (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: Infosys Signs Rafael Nadal as Ambassador for 03 years

Salil Parekh, CEO & MD, Infosys, said, “It is an honour to welcome Rafa – one of the world’s most respected champion athletes and humanitarians – as an ambassador for Infosys.

 Infosys on Thursday announced a three-year partnership with tennis star Rafael Nadal. 
His collaboration with Infosys will be in the development of an AI-powered match analysis tool.

“This tool will be available in real-time to Nadal’s coaching team to simultaneously track insights from his live matches, when he is back on tour, along with historical data from his earlier matches,” Infosys said.

Nadal said, “I love the way Infosys has brought its digital expertise across industries to the global tennis ecosystem. It has transformed the tennis experience for a billion global fans and truly empowered all players on the tour with analytics that they could have only dreamt of a few years ago.”

Salil Parekh, CEO & MD, Infosys, said, “It is an honour to welcome Rafa – one of the world’s most respected champion athletes and humanitarians – as an ambassador for Infosys. He is someone who personifies the spirit of always evolving, never giving up, utmost dedication and determination to give the very best in every situation.”

As the digital innovation partner for the ATP Tour, Roland-Garros, Australian Open, and The International Tennis Hall of Fame, Infosys has helped reimagine the tennis ecosystem for a billion fans globally leveraging AI, cloud, data analytics and digital experiences.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL RECORDS: CHANDRAYAAN-3 Breaks World Streaming Records as 8M Watch India’s Moon Mission

India’s Chandrayaan-3 breaks world streaming records with 8 million viewers, outpacing Spanish streamer Ibai, and prepares for significant scientific discoveries on the Moon.

India’s Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission has not only captured the global spotlight for its ambition but has also smashed live-streaming records in the process. As the country gets closer to achieving its historic soft landing on the moon, the mission’s live stream has surpassed a previous record held by Spanish streamer Ibai.

World Records and Global Eyeballs

Before the Chandrayaan-3 made its historic touch on the lunar surface, it was already setting remarkable records here on Earth. A whopping 5.6 million viewers converged on ISRO’s official YouTube channel at 5:53 PM IST, surpassing the previous live stream record of 3.4 million viewers set by Ibai. As space enthusiasts from all corners of the globe eagerly anticipated the Vikram Landing Module’s descent onto the Moon’s south pole at 6:04 PM on Wednesday, 23rd August, the digital realm buzzed with this unparalleled achievement. By the time Chandrayaan-3 successfully landed, a record-breaking 8M had tuned in, marking the highest peak viewership in YouTube’s live streaming history. This event not only showcased India’s space prowess but also its significant digital footprint.

What’s Next After the Landing?

Once the Vikram Module successfully lands on the lunar surface, it has a well-defined checklist. An initial systems check and diagnostics will be run to ensure the module’s operational efficiency. Subsequently, it will gear up the Pragyaan Rover for its journey onto the moon’s surface. This rover has a mission span of 14 days, during which it will scrutinize the lunar surface for water ice, helium-3, and various other vital elements.

Significance of the Chandrayaan-3 Mission

Developed at a cost of just over Rs 600 crore, the Chandrayaan-3 mission holds significant implications for both India and the international community. One of its primary objectives is to assess the feasibility of establishing a launch station on the Moon for future interplanetary missions.

The mission’s findings could be a linchpin for our clean energy aspirations. Helium-3 (He-3), a potential source of virtually limitless clean energy, is one of the components that Chandrayaan-3 aims to study. Its presence on the moon could drastically change the trajectory of our global clean energy initiatives, positioning the moon as an indispensable ally in our pursuit of sustainable energy solutions.

As the Chandrayaan-3 nears its moment of truth on the Moon, its profound impact on Earth, from breaking streaming records to promising a cleaner energy future, is unmistakably evident. It’s not just a monumental step for India, but potentially, a giant leap for mankind.

source/content: yourstory.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL: INDIA WALKS ON THE MOON as Pragyan rover rolls into the lunar surface

The rover will carry out in-situ chemical analysis of the lunar surface during the course of its mobility.

Chandrayaan-3 mission’s Lander Module which touched down on the lunar surface, has rolled out the rover, Pragyan, with ISRO saying “India took a walk on the moon”.

On its official X handle, ISRO said the “rover ramped down.”

“Chandrayaan-3 ROVER: Made in India–Made for the Moon! The Ch-3 Rover ramped down from the lander and India took a walk on the moon!,” it said.

President Droupadi Murmu congratulated the ISRO team for the successful deployment of Pragyan. “Its rolling out a few hours after the landing of Vikram marked the success of yet another stage of Chandrayaan 3. I look forward with excitement, alongside my fellow citizens and scientists, to the information and analyses that Pragyan will acquire and enrich our understanding of the moon”, she said.

In a precision landing, Chandrayaan 3’s LM Vikram touched down on the lunar surface at 6.04 pm on Wednesday, sending the nation into wild celebrations.

The ISRO had earlier said the 26 kg six-wheeled rover was scheduled to descend from the lander’s belly, onto the Moon’s surface, using one of its side panels as a ramp. The lander (Vikram) and rover (Pragyan) — with a total mass of 1,752 kg — are designed to operate for one lunar daylight period (about 14 Earth days) to study the surroundings there.

However, ISRO officials do not rule out the possibility of them coming to life for another lunar day.

The rover will carry out in-situ chemical analysis of the lunar surface during the course of its mobility. Both the lander and the rover have scientific payloads to carry out experiments on the lunar surface.

The rover would study the surface of the moon through its payload APXS – Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer – to derive the chemical composition and infer mineralogical composition to further enhance understanding of the lunar surface.

Pragyan also has another payload–Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) to determine the elemental composition of lunar soil and rocks around the lunar landing site.

ISRO Chairman S Somnath had earlier said, “After powered descent (of lander) onto the landing site, there will be deployment of ramp and rover coming out. After this, all the experiments will take place one after the other — all of which have to be completed in just one day on the moon, which is 14 days.”

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL: INDIA FIRST COUNTRY TO REACH THE LUNAR SOUTH POLE: Chandrayaan-3: India over the moon

First country to reach the lunar south pole l Fourth nation after Russia, the US and China to successfully land on moon l flawless touchdown at 6.04 pm l landing process lasted 17 minutes.

India on Wednesday scripted history in golden letters after recording the first-ever soft landing at the Moon’s south pole. With this landing, exactly at 6.04 pm, India also became only the fourth country to have soft-landed on the lunar surface after the US, the erstwhile Soviet Union, and China. Chandrayaan-3’s record-setting success comes four days after Russia’s lunar mission Luna-25 crashed on August 19, just two days before its scheduled touchdown near the lunar south pole attempting to be the first to do so. That record now lies with Chandrayaan-3 of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). 

The Chandrayaan-3’s lander Vikram began its powered descent at 5.47 pm from an altitude of 30 km. It completed all four landing phases of rough braking, altitude hold, fine braking and terminal descent in an error-free manner, as planned and sticking to their respective deadlines.

The powered descent of Vikram Lander lasted 17 minutes filled with tension as it was during this phase that Chandrayaan-2 had lost its lander in September 2019. “Chandrayaan-3 chose a relatively flat region on the lunar surface,” ISRO wrote on micro-blogging site X (formerly Twitter).

It touched down between Manzinus C and Simpelius N craters near the lunar south pole .

Agony and ecstasy

The entire community of ISRO scientists, including some former ISRO heads who had gathered at the Mission Operations Complex (MOX) at ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru, exulted in jubilation as Vikram landed.

“Sir, we have achieved a soft landing on the Moon. India is on the Moon,” said an overwhelmed ISRO chairman S Somanath, seconds after lander Vikram touched down on the Moon while addressing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who virtually joined to witness the historic moment from South Africa where he is attending the BRICS Summit. 

The thunderous applause echoed from inside the MOX and merged with the resounding applause at the press enclave at ISTRAC premises amid loud cheers of Bharat Mata ki Jai and Vande Mataram. 
The scientists inside MOX, who had watched the tense moments of ‘terror’ of the lander’s power descent after the last command from the Earth station at 5.47 pm, broke out into thunderous applause. It was a complete meltdown of emotions, perseverance, a lot of hard work and celebrations. 

“It was a flawless mission,” said Somnath while describing the mission so far until the soft landing was achieved. He described it as “an incremental progress” while crediting the preceding mission, Chandrayaan-2, which failed to achieve a successful soft-landing due to an anomaly in the thrusters while attempting to land on September 7, 2019, leading to its crash.

Chandrayaan-3 is an improvement on Chandrayaan-2 while its objectives remain the same. “It was not an easy task in the last four years. There was a lot of agony and learning from Chandrayaan-2, which helped us in perfecting the methodology for soft-landing. It was a flawless landing. The velocity (of the lander) was reduced to less than two metres per second (during the powered descent),” he said.

Somanath named and invited the scientists behind Chandrayaan-3 — project director  P Veeramuthuvel, mission operation director M Srikanth, associate project director K Kalpana, and U R Rao Satellite Centre director M Sankaran — to address the media.

Why south pole

Several missions from various countries, including India, Russia, Japan, and Israel have attempted landing near the lunar south pole but failed.

The significance of the lunar south pole is that it holds promise for setting up future human bases. While the region has been screened from orbit by various orbiting missions, including Chandrayaan-2, which continues to be in a lunar orbit, none has been able to land to conduct on-site experiments and studies of the lunar environment at and around the Moon’s south pole. The region is understood to hold abundant water ice and mineral resources that can sustain human bases in the future.

Vikram will deploy its rover Pragyaan to conduct on-site studies. Somanath said Pragyaan will be deployed from the lander in the “next few hours or even a day, looking at the surface conditions. It will operate on the lunar surface for 14 Earth days and gather valuable scientific data”, which would be relayed back to the Deep Space Network centre at Byalalu near Bengaluru for analysis.

The lander’s mission is planned to be over 14 days (one lunar day), during which the lander’s three payloads and the rover’s two payloads will be active to conduct the studies of the lunar environment. Explaining the various components used in the Moon mission, he said all of them were developed in the country. He added that the lander does have some instruments provided by some countries to conduct tests on the Moon’s surface. 

Beginning of multiple space explorations

ISRO chief Somanath said Chandrayaan-3’s success means a lot to ISRO and marks the beginning of multiple space explorations starting with ‘Aditya L1’ to study the corona of the Sun early next month. ISRO aims to explore Mars, Venus and other planets and asteroids, he added

5-watt signal amplifier

Chandrayaan-3 is the product of teamwork with several scientists, technicians, and entrepreneurs among others joining hands to make it a success. ISRO’s associate director Dr B H M Darukesha and his team had developed a 5-watt signal amplifier for communication — an important part of Chandrayaan-3’s lander and rover — when no other country came forward to provide it to India since amplifiers are mostly used by the military. Click here to read more…

Rover’s desi cameras

The Pragyaan rover has two cameras which would be its eyes compared to foreign space agencies that use expensive cameras. The software in the rover has been developed by a Noida-based start-up, Omnipresent Robot Technologies. The images captured by the rover would generate a 3-D map of the lunar landscape. It also has a spectrometer to determine the chemical composition of the surface.

Nationwide contributions to Chandrayaan-3

On the day India celebrated the successful mission of Chandrayaan 3, Hyderabad-based Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI), took a quiet bow for its contribution in the form of top-tier strategic materials that bolster India’s defence, space, energy, and allied industries. The company’s contribution to the Chandrayaan 3 mission is one of many key roles it has played in India’s scientific and technological advancements. Click here to read more…

Telangana’s Gadwal, once considered among the most underdeveloped regions in the country, has emerged as a source of pride with the remarkable achievement of Kummari Krishna, who played a pivotal role in the successful execution of the Chandrayaan-3 mission. Click here to read more om Krishna’s contribution to the moon mission.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: INDIA’s INDEPENDENCE DAY / AUGUST 15th, 1947 : 77th Independence Day 2023: Theme, History, Significance, celebrations and all you need to know about I-Day

India celebrates its 77th Independence Day on Tuesday, August 15, 2023. Know the theme, history, significance and celebration of this day.

India is gearing up to celebrate its 77th Independence Day on August 15. In 2023, India will mark 76 years of freedom from British colonial rule – a significant milestone for the country. Independence Day is celebrated with pomp across the nation and Indians around the globe. It is a reminder of the struggles that won us our liberation from the British Raj after nearly two centuries, the sacrifices made by the leaders, the freedom fighters who laid their lives to win Independence, and more. As we near the date, here’s all you need to know about this year’s theme, history, significance, and celebrations.

Independence Day 2023 Theme:

This year, the theme for Independence Day is “Nation First, Always First”. All Independence Day programmes and events will be based on this theme.

Independence Day 2023 History and Significance:

Led by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the Independence movement began with World War I. On July 4, 1947, the Indian Independence Bill was introduced in the British House of Commons and was passed within a fortnight. On August 15, 1947, India marked its Independence as the 200-year-old British rule came to an end. Many leaders played a prominent role in the Indian freedom struggle, including Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Bhagat Singh, Chandra Shekhar Azad, Subhas Chandra Bose, and many more.

Independence Day is a reminder of the many sacrifices and struggles made by the Indian freedom fighters to help the country achieve its freedom from the British Raj and why we should honour this Independence. The day also invokes feelings of patriotism for the nation and the willingness to serve the country and lead it to prosperity. It also creates a sense of unity and duty among citizens.

Independence Day 2023 Celebrations:

Independence Day is marked as a national holiday in India. Every year, the Prime Minister hoists the National Flag at Delhi’s Red Fort and addresses the nation, followed by a military parade. On August 15, 1947, the first prime minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, raised the Indian national flag above the Lahori Gate of Red Fort in Delhi. Every Prime Minister has followed that tradition ever since.

People celebrate Independence Day by organising cultural activities in school, colleges and their workplaces, adorning these places in tricolour-ornaments and decorations, wearing triclolur-themed clothes , watching patriotic movies, listening to songs related to India’s history and freedom struggle, and more.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: PHARMACEUTICALS: RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT: India has started Manufacturing 38 Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) in past 18 months that were previously being Import Reliant: Mandaviya

Mansukh Mandaviya said that the impetus for a self-reliant strategy came in the aftermath of the 2017 border conflict with China in Doklam.

Over the past eighteen months, India has commenced the production of 38 active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) that were previously reliant on imports, Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Saturday.

Speaking at the inaugural Healthcare Summit hosted by the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A), Mandaviya said this stride towards self-sufficiency was made possible through the implementation of the production-linked incentive (PLI) initiative within the pharmaceutical sector.

Mandaviya said that the impetus for a self-reliant strategy came in the aftermath of the 2017 border conflict with China in Doklam. This in turn prompted India to reassess its dependence on a single source for 95% of APIs used in the formulation industry, he added.

“In our efforts through the PLI scheme, we tried to eliminate the need for importing 54 APIs from foreign sources and instead promote domestic production for our formulation industry. Today, I’m pleased to announce that within just a year and a half, India has successfully initiated the manufacturing of 38 APIs, illustrating a prime instance of Atmanirbhar Bharat,” the Union health minister said.

The government’s commitment to fostering self-reliance is evident in its allocation of a substantial ₹15,000 crore budget for the pharmaceutical sector under the PLI scheme, according to Mandaviya.

Mandaviya further underscored the Centre’s core objective of enhancing healthcare accessibility and affordability in rural areas.

An essential stride in this direction has been the significant expansion of medical education, with the number of MBBS seats surging from 52,000 to 1,07,000 over the past nine years, he said. Additionally, the government has approved the establishment of 54 new medical colleges, reflecting a dedicated effort to address the shortage of medical professionals, added Mandaviya.

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic instigated a comprehensive reevaluation of healthcare strategies, inspiring a fresh approach to planning, redevelopment, and innovation in the sector, said the Union health minister.

He emphasized that India is brimming with intellectual and human resources, and the key lies in recognising the aspirations of its youth and creating avenues for their fulfilment.

The Healthcare Summit, organised by the Centre of Management of Health Services (CMHS) and IIMA Healthcare Alumni Special Interest Group (SIG), showcased two tracks dedicated to pivotal aspects of healthcare innovation.

The summit featured two tracks, each focused on a crucial aspect of healthcare innovation, with panel discussions and competition for healthcare start-ups.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: LEADERS: Former Indian-Origin Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam in Singapore Officially launches Presidential Bid

The 2023 presidential election is due in September, as President Halimah Yacob’s six-year term ends on September 13.

Singapore’s former Indian-origin minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam formally launched his presidential campaign on Wednesday and pledged to evolve the country’s culture to keep it a “shining spot” in the world.

The official launch comes more than a month after Mr. Tharman first announced his intention that he will run for president.

Mr. Tharman, 66, stepped down from active politics after 22 years last month.

“I stepped into this race because I feel very strongly in the need to evolve Singapore’s culture, some of our norms and the way we go about working with each other so that we remain a shining spot in the world,” he said at a press conference.

He said he intended to be “a President for a new era” as he officially launched his campaign for the office.

The 2023 presidential election is due in September, as President Halimah Yacob’s six-year term ends on September 13.

Accompanied by his wife Jane Yumiko Ittogi, Mr. Tharman outlined challenges facing Singapore both globally and domestically and emphasised that the nation’s real challenge was to avoid becoming a divided society.

“If I’m fortunate enough to be elected as President, I pledge to bring my full experience and capabilities on the ground nationally and internationally, to serve as your President for this new and more challenging era,” Channel News Asia quoted him as saying.

The senior politician said his 22 years in politics had given him ample experience in unifying people, an important role for the president.

“When we talk about being a unifying figure, I do not say this rhetorically or just as an aspiration but I speak from a real track record,” he said.

“That includes the track record of respecting different views, including different political leanings and constantly trying to find common ground,” he said.

Mr. Tharman said he would also fulfil other responsibilities of the presidency such as safeguarding the reserves, citing his experience in government and politics over the years.

He said he would bring a “more basic orientation” of integrity and independence of mind, which he has been known for.

“I don’t have to change my colours like a chameleon. I’m the same person with the same integrity and same independence of mind, and that remains critical for the role of the president,” he said.

Mr. Tharman was an economist and a civil servant, mainly at the Monetary Authority of Singapore, before joining politics in 2001.

He has served as the Minister for Education and Finance and was the Deputy Prime Minister from 2011 to 2019. He has also held prominent posts at international organisations including the International Monetary Fund, the World Economic Forum and the United Nations.

There are three prospective candidates who have publicly announced their intention to contest the polls.

The other two prospective candidates who have announced their intention to contest the election are businessman George Goh and investment manager Ng Kok Song.

Under requirements laid out in Singapore’s Constitution, public sector presidential candidates must have held office for at least three years as a minister, chief justice, attorney-general or other high-level posts.

Private sector candidates must have served for at least three years as chief executives of a company with an average of Singapore dollars 500 million in shareholders’ equity.

Singapore will hold its first presidential election since 2011, after President Halimah announced on May 29 that she will not seek a second term.

She is the country’s eighth and first female president. Her six-year term ends on September 13 this year.

The 2017 presidential poll was a reserved election, in which only members of the Malay community were allowed to contest. Halimah was named president then as there were no other candidates.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)