The celebrations began after the successful splashdown of the Dragon spacecraft, which brought Sunita Williams back to Earth along with Crew-9 members Butch Wilmore, Nick Hague, and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.

Residents of NASA astronaut Sunita Willaims’ ancestral village in Gujarat’s Mehsana district burst into celebrations on Wednesday (March 19, 2025) morning as a SpaceX capsule carrying her and her colleague Butch Wilmore splashed down off the Florida coast.

All eyes were on Ms. Willaims’s safe return as those in Jhulasan gathered at a village temple to view the event live on a television screen. As soon as she landed, residents celebrated the moment by bursting firecrackers, dancing and chanting ‘Har Har Mahadev’.

SpaceX crew Dragon splashdown updates: March 19, 2025

Ms. Williams has been in the thoughts and prayers of the villagers, who were eagerly awaiting her safe return.

Even as Ms. Willaims was on her way back, the villagers gathered at the temple performed ‘yagna’ and offered prayers. They said they have been performing yagna and have lit up ‘Akhand Jyot’ (eternal flame) on the premises for her safe return.

Jhulasan, known as the ancestral home of Ms. Williams’ father Deepak Pandya, was alive with excitement ever since the news of her proposed return, after a delayed stay at the International Space Station (ISS) around nine months ago, trickled in.

Navin Pandya, her cousin, said that the villagers have been praying for her safety, taking care of the ‘Akhand Jyot,’ the eternal flame that was lit up for her safe return soon after she went to space over nine months ago.

He said the villagers have planned a grand procession in her honour, accompanied by prayer chanting and fireworks to create a festive atmosphere similar to Diwali and Holi.

A procession will be taken out from the village school to the temple where the ‘Akhand Jyot’ has been kept, with students joining the celebrations, he said. The ‘Akhand Jyot’ will be immersed after the procession reaches the temple, he said.

“We have organised a procession with Sunita Williams’ photograph and will perform a dhun (prayer chanting) at the temple,” said Mr. Navin Pandya Pandya.

He said the villagers are looking forward to inviting Williams to visit Jhulasan.

Ms. Williams has visited India at least thrice, including in 2007 and 2013, soon after her space missions and was honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2008.

Her father, originally from Jhulasan, migrated to the United States in 1957.

Vishal Panchal, principal of Jhulasan primary school, said elaborate arrangements have been made for Wednesday’s (March 19, 2025) celebrations.

Ms. Williams’ space mission was initially scheduled to last seven days but got extended due to a technical glitch. Her SpaceX capsule parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico, just hours after departing the ISS.

Ms. Williams, who has completed 62 hours over nine spacewalks, holds the record for the most time spent spacewalking by a female astronaut.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Panchanan Karmakar’s creation led to the printing of the first Bengali language book, and his legacy will soon be showcased to Kolkata.

Hidden inside the labyrinthine lanes of Serampore is a 200-year-old legacy associated with the creation of the first Bengali type face, which led to the printing of the first Bengali language book, A Grammar of the Bengal Language in 1778.

The Vidyasagar, Panchanan and Carey Bhavans are located on a narrow lane diverting from GT Road in Serampore’s Battala area. Neither of them are historical buildings but rather modern day apartments, named such on the insistence of the landowners, who were related to Panchanan Karmakar. While the name Vidyasagar needs no introduction, Carey refers to William Carey, the Christian missionary who lived in Serampore and translated the Bible into Bengali. Panchannan is perhaps the least known of the three names and refers to Panchanan Karmakar, who is considered as the father of Bengali typography.

The creation of the Bengali typeface

The story begins in the late 18th century with the East India Company and a family of blacksmiths — the Karmakars — based in Tribeni in Hooghly. The Karmakars specialised in calligraphy and were known for inscribing names and decorations on copper plates, weapons, metal pots, etc. One of Panchanan Karmakar’s ancestors was known for carving designs on swords, shields and armours for one of the nawabs of Bengal, Alivardi Khan, who awarded him the title Mullick.

Hidden inside the labyrinthine lanes of Serampore is a 200-year-old legacy associated with the creation of the first Bengali type face, which led to the printing of the first Bengali language book, A Grammar of the Bengal Language in 1778.

The creation of the Bengali typeface

The story begins in the late 18th century with the East India Company and a family of blacksmiths — the Karmakars — based in Tribeni in Hooghly. The Karmakars specialised in calligraphy and were known for inscribing names and decorations on copper plates, weapons, metal pots, etc. One of Panchanan Karmakar’s ancestors was known for carving designs on swords, shields and armours for one of the nawabs of Bengal, Alivardi Khan, who awarded him the title Mullick.

In the late 18th century when the British were making inroads in India, they felt the need to master local languages including Bengali. Few East India Company officials like English Orientalist and philologist Nathaniel Brassey Halhedhad already mastered the language, but there was a need for books to teach Bengali grammar to the masses. Halhed came up with a book on Bengali grammar, but it could not be printed since the Bengali typeface was not available.

Enter Charles Wilkins, English typographer, Orientalist, and a founding member of the Asiatic Society. He initially took the initiative of making the Bengali typeface in England, but the endeavour proved too expensive and the end result was not up to the mark.

After a long search he got in touch with Panchanan Karmakar, the blacksmith who has already mastered the art of Bengali calligraphy on metal. Panchanan created the Bengali typeface for the presses, which finally resulted in the printing of Halhead’s book A Grammar of the Bengal Language.

Later, Panchanan also helped William Carey with printing the Bengali translation of the Bible from Serampore. He also went on to develop the typeface for several other Indian and foreign languages.

The continuing legacy of the Karmakars

Panchanan was assisted in his work by his brother Gadadhar Karmakar. After Panchanan’s death in 1804, his son-in-law Monohar Karmakar (Mullick) and Gadadhar’s son Adhar Chandra Karmakar (Mullick) continued their legacy. Adhar later joined Vidyasagar in developing a simplified typeface of Bengali alphabets.

According to Gadadhar’s descendent Priyanka Mullick, the family press remained operational till the early 1990s and followed a traditional method of printing. “My father Biman Mullick was forced to discontinue due to the advent of new technology,” she said, adding, “Today, only the mansion constructed by Adhar Chandra Mullick survives. The adjoining land was sold on the condition that the apartments coming up in the plot will be named after Vidyasagar, Carey and Panchanan.”

Priyanka’s family inherited the printing machines along with a large collection of typefaces, which after her father’s passing in 2022 were passed on to her.

Gutenberg and the Bengali typeface

German blacksmith, goldsmith, printer and publisher Johannes Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press and mechanical movable type printing in 1439 played an important role in the European Renaissance.

The Gutenberg process involved creating the typeface for a language by making a hard metal punch known as a mother type. The alphabets created on the mother type, which were mirror images of the original lettering, were then hammered into a soft copper bar creating an imprint of the actual alphabet. This is known as a matrix, which operates as a mould for the final typeface, known as movable type, which is made with a lighter alloy.

A single matrix can be used to make thousands of movable types, which in turn are arranged in the required sequence, inked, and printed on paper.

The English language follows a fixed set of 26 alphabets, but on the other hand, Indian languages like Bengali have a combination of alphabets that can run into thousands making the job of creating a matrix extremely difficult. Moreover, Bengali alphabets have more intricacies and carving them out of hard metal is a challenge. This is where the skill and artistry of Panchanan Karmakar came in. More than 200 years ago he accomplished an almost impossible task.

Showcasing a legacy to Kolkata

Today, Priyanka Mullick shuttles between Mumbai and Serampore to maintain her professional commitments, and while the family is no longer in the printing business, a part of the two-century history lives with Priyanka through the large collection of Bengali and other language typeface and several typing machines. She wants to showcase this legacy to Kolkata now.

“These have been out of reach of the general public and we are planning an exhibition at Khelat Ghosh house in north Kolkata in mid-April,” she said, adding that these kinds of exhibitions help create awareness about forgotten legacies in Bengal’s history.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

One of the last uses of Indian yellow, reportedly, was by Van Gogh in The Starry Night (1889). The famous yellow moon held within a cluster of radiant orbs was a blend of zinc yellow and Indian yellow.

Indian yellow subsequently travelled to studios across Europe, becoming a preferred pigment on many palettes.“The pure pigment has an incomparably beautiful, deep and luminescent gold yellow in shade which is achieved with no other pigment,” write Rebecca Ploeger and Aaron Shugar of the art conservation department of SUNY, Buffalo State, US, in a 2016 article titled The story of Indian yellow — excreting a solution. Elsewhere, the colour has been described as “a luminous, deep-mustard pigment widely admired for its depth, body and radiance”. Yet others say it resisted fading, even acquiring a stronger presence when exposed to sunlight.

In Pahari paintings, this yellow was used to drape gods as well as all royalty, to depict spring and summer, and to convey a bright mood in general.

The most important of all the yellow pigments used in Indian paintings — according to the Government of India’s Geographical Indications Journal No. 55 — is gaugoli. Gaugoli or gogili is an Indian version of the Persian term gaugil, meaning “cow-earth”. This pigment is also known as peori, piuti, peoli or the hardwari peori. The article further states: “This pigment is prepared from the urine of cows who had been fed exclusively on mango leaves and water. After heating and drying in the sun, the residue is rolled with hands into lumps.”

Artist Partha Dasgupta recalls Lalu Prasad Shaw, his teacher at Visva-Bharati’s Kala Bhavana, talking about the pigment — prepared from the urine of goats fed on mango leaves. Perhaps goat urine was a source too, who can tell. “Basically, it was the bilirubin that was extracted,” says the Calcutta-based artist. An artist’s job is to create, out of whatever is available around — plants, the earth and even animals. Sculptor Ramkinkar Baij worked with laterite gravel found around the Kopai river in Birbhum district mixed with cement, thus rejecting plaster which was rather expensive. And that sthaniyakaran or the property of being regional, Dasgupta explains, is a function of names such as Indian yellow and Indian red. The latter being a rich, opaque colour derived from red laterite soil.

The colour yellow has a long history. “In the Ajanta caves, for example, there was a great deal of use of yellow. This yellow was derived from ochre, which is a mineral,” says Benoy Behl, who is a Delhi-based art historian, documentary filmmaker and photographer. Most of the pigments used at the time were minerals available locally: red ochre, vivid red, yellow ochre, indigo blue, chalk white and so on. Behl agrees that some of the most brilliant uses of yellow are in miniature paintings, particularly the Pahari paintings. The fascination of the Europeans, he says, “is more like an outsider’s response to the vibrant colours in Indian paintings, since they were used to their own more subdued colours”.

Large quantities of this beautiful but “strange-smelling” pigment began to be shipped to London from Calcutta in the 1780s. By some accounts though, the Dutch painters were the first in Europe to get their hands on it in the 17th century. The Dutch East India Company was founded in 1602 and flourished till about the early 18th century.

Winsor & Newton, a London-based manufacturer of fine art products, had been getting sealed packages of the pigment. The company website reads thus: “The dirty yellow balls would be washed and purified, and the greenish and yellow phases separated. The precise ingredients of these pieces of pigment were unidentified, but they gave off a strong odour of ammonia and were suspected of containing snake urine, ox bile or, according to a more popular theory, camel urine.” The Winsor & Newton archive is one of the few places in the world wherein pieces of the original Indian yellow pigment are preserved.

The curiosity among chemists and pigment makers continued. Some contended the colour came from plant sap, but none was able to establish anything with certainty. While all this was happening, the colour spread in the hands of luminous patrons such as the Dutch masters Johannes Vermeer and Vincent Van Gogh, and English painter J.M.W. Turner. Think Van Gogh’s wheat fields or sunflowers — the whole range of interactions, between strokes and tones, time and temperament, amidst the greens, blues and whites…

Mandar (who goes by one name), a Delhi-based artist who nurtures a fondness for yellow, believes “you have to have faith in your colour and intention”. His preferred shade is Naples yellow, which is perhaps the earliest known synthetically produced yellow pigment. “At times after application, I just let it be for a few days, to see if it turns out the way I want it to, to get the right feel,” says Mandar.

Although most indigenous pigments now have synthetic versions, it’s not quite the same, as artist Arpana Caur will say. Caur — along with her mother — is also an art collector with over 200 Pahari paintings among others. They are 150-200 years old and are displayed in two museums. Caur tells The Telegraph, “There was a flood a few years ago, and unfortunately water seeped in and the Indian yellow was washed out. I got a lot of them restored, but it is not the same.”

Caur began to paint when she was nine, now she is 70. She says, “I find
Indian yellow very transparent. I used to buy it earlier but by temperament, I like opaque colours. Now I use Indian yellow only when I have an opaque colour under it, perhaps the solid cadmium yellow.”

In 1883, the story of Indian yellow took a definite turn. Joseph Hooker, director of the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, London, drew the attention of officials in India, leading to an investigation into the origins of the pigment. A few months later, Hooker received a reply from T.N. Mukharji, who was a government employee. Mukharji had found a group of gwalas or cowherds in Munger, now in Bihar, feeding their cattle a restricted diet of mango leaves and water. These cowherds, he said, produced the “mysterious” yellow pigment. He also commented that the cows “looked very unhealthy”.

Mukharji’s report was published in the Journal of the Society of Arts and in the early 20th century, Indian yellow was outlawed. And it disappeared from the market.

One of the last uses of Indian yellow, reportedly, was by Van Gogh in The Starry Night (1889). The famous yellow moon held within a cluster of radiant orbs was a blend of zinc yellow and Indian yellow.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

Experts carried out an in-depth study about its biodiversity, archaeological ancestry and unique ecosystem and later, a proposal was sent to include its name in the UNESCO tentative list.

In a significant achievement for Chhattisgarh’s tourism, the state’s Kanger Valley National Park is India’s new UNESCO heritage claimant with its unique biodiversity.

The park has been included in the tentative list of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites, marking the first site in Chhattisgarh to achieve this prestigious recognition.

It was an arduous journey to get the exceptional beauty and historical importance of Kanger Valley recognised to this stage. In December 2023, the Chhattisgarh government and the Archaeological Survey of India planned to facilitate global awareness of this amazing site.

Experts carried out an in-depth study about its biodiversity, archaeological ancestry and unique ecosystem and later, a proposal was sent to include its name in the UNESCO tentative list. Chhattisgarh achieved the first vital step to get entry into the special list carrying names of places that can be declared as World Heritage in future. The state keeps its hopes alive that Kanger Valley will get the status of permanent World Heritage in the coming years.

“It is a matter of pride for the state that Kanger Valley has been included in the UNESCO Tentative List, which will open up new possibilities in tourism and employment. We will continue to work together to preserve our heritage in the future”, said Vishnu Deo Sai, Chhattisgarh chief minister.

A government spokesperson said that Kanger Valley is not just a forest, it is an incredible realm that for many, appears like a fairy tale world.

The region, with more than 15 mysterious caves such as Kotamsar, Kailash and Dandak caves, looks no less than a mystical world. The 15 limestone caves in the Valley are not only geological wonders but also narrate archaeological stories.

Various rare animals—otters, mouse deer, giant squirrels, Lethis softshell turtles, and wild wolves, among others thrive in this park. More than 200 bird species wing their way above in the sky with a colorful carpet of over 900 plants on the ground. Across this bio-geography landscape, over 140 different butterflies fill the air with colour.

In the surrounding villages inhabited by Dhruva and Gond tribes, the Kanger Valley forest is not just a jungle but a part of their culture and life. With the increase in tourism, new employment opportunities will also open up for the locals.

A few months ago, Dhudmaras village of Bastar gained the attention of the world with its simplicity and has been included in the top 20 villages of the world by joining the UNWTO’s “Best Tourist Village” promotion programme. Now Kanger Valley has taken the regional glory to another height.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

This performance marked a major milestone in the composer’s illustrious career.

Ilaiyaraaja presented his “first ever western classical symphony,” titled Valiant, at London’s Eventim Apollo Theatre at midnight on March 9, Sunday. Joining Ilaiyaraaja in the historic event was London’s famous Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, in what he described as a “special surprise performance.”

This performance marked a major milestone in the composer’s illustrious career. With it, he has become the first musician from the field of cinema in India to achieve this feat in London. He is also among first composers from India to utilise elements of Western classical music for film music, as well as the first to compose a full-length symphony. The event in London served as the world premiere or debut of Valiant.

Ilaiyaraaja recorded Valiant alongside the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. He recently shared a video showing what went behind the scenes during its making. At the time of its creation, Ilaiyaraaja even introduced himself to the Scottish orchestra and told its members that he “used to record a song or a film score” daily. He also told the team that it was a sudden decision to write a symphony in this genre. “When I started writing, I never thought I would record with you all,” said the composer.

He has been showered with words of effusive praise since the announcement of the event earlier this year. Recently, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin described it as the “crown jewel among the countless achievements of Ilayaraja, a musical soul deeply intertwined with the lives of Tamils ​​around the world.”

He also presented an orchestra iteration of some of the most popular compositions from his career at the London theatre in March. The Western symphony adds to the musical maestro’s growing body of work, which also includes albums such as How To Name It and Nothing But Wind.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

Professor Suman Chakraborty’s body of work boasts a plethora of affordable, simple-to-execute, and innovative diagnostic solutions covering various medical challenges, such as anaemia, cancer, COVID-19, and tuberculosis.

Suman Chakraborty, institute chair professor in the Mechanical Engineering department of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (IIT-KGP), has been awarded the 2026 TWAS Award in Engineering and Computer Sciences by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

According to The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) website, this biennial award is given to “individual scientists from developing countries in recognition of an outstanding contribution to scientific knowledge in nine fields of sciences and/or to the application of science and technology to sustainable development.”

Professor Chakraborty is an alumnus of Jadavpur University in Kolkata and the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru and has been a visiting professor at Stanford University in the United States with an Indo-US Fellowship. He has also been an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow in Germany, as well as a Fellow of the American Physical Society, American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Professor Chakraborty is currently a J.C. Bose National Fellow.

His body of work boasts a plethora of affordable, simple-to-execute, and innovative diagnostic solutions covering various medical challenges such as anaemia, cancer, COVID-19, tuberculosis etc.

His notable innovations include Oroscreen, a torch-like imaging device for the early detection of oral cancer, and Covirap, a rapid COVID-19 detection test kit. The latter has been granted a U.S. patent for its rapid nucleic acid testing technology using DNA RNA samples. 

He has also developed PrepapQR, a home test for women to accurately test vaginal Ph with the help of a strip, and HemoQR, a simplified anaemia screening technology. Both these tests are currently available commercially.

“We are also currently developing a flagship technology for rapid detection of tuberculosis. I have always focussed on developing diagnostic technology and interventions that will be affordable and accessible for the Indian masses without the requirement for expensive laboratory resources,” Professor Chakraborty told The Hindu.

“I am elated to win this award from India because it’s a recognition of humanitarian work through science and technology. This achievement also recognises government-funded science innovation in India given most diagnostic solutions in my body of work were developed in IIT-KGP. This award, I am sure, is a matter of pride for the Government of India as well,” he added.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

International Women’s Day 2025:

The Ipsos IWD 2025 Global Survey found that 78 per cent of Indian citizens believe in the importance of achieving gender equality, with both genders supporting the cause.

International Women’s Day 2025: A 30-country survey conducted by research firm Ipsos for International Women’s Day reveals that Indians are among the most progressive when it comes to views on gender equality and challenging traditional gender stereotypes.

The Ipsos IWD 2025 Global Survey found that 78 per cent of Indian citizens believe in the importance of achieving gender equality, with both genders supporting the cause. In comparison, other countries showed more polarised views on gender parity, with South Korea (52%) and the Netherlands (54%) exhibiting significantly lower levels of agreement.

The firm conducted online interviews with 24,269 people across 30 countries between December 20, 2024, and January 3, 2025.

Regarding gender stereotypes, 48 per cent of Indians view domestic chores, like housekeeping and cooking, as shared responsibilities between genders. In contrast, 28 per cent believe the responsibility lies with women, and 18 per cent attribute it to men.

Further, 69 per cent of Indians which is at least two in three people feel that women holding positions of responsibility in business and government is a key step in advancing gender equality.

About 53 per cent believe that the responsibility of unpaid care for family members, such as caring for children and elderly relatives, should be shared equally between both genders.

“It is heartening to see that both men and women in India are aligned in their views on equal treatment and opportunity for women,” CEO of Ipsos India Amit Adarkar said, highlighting the progress India is making, especially in light of a World Economic Forum report which found that it could take five generations to achieve full gender parity.

Adarkar pointed out that India is witnessing shifts in rural areas, with initiatives like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao and Lakhpati Didi, alongside government policies designed to foster systemic change. He also said that families are smaller now and some families have a girl child.

Despite growing acceptance of gender parity, the report said that many Indians still believe men should be the primary breadwinners of the family, with the idea of stay-at-home dads remaining largely unacceptable.

“Gender equality is the theme and the buzzword for 2025 and beyond, but the other extreme of a man staying at home to look after his children is also not acceptable to Indians – he is seen as less of a man – this view was held by at least 6 in 10 Indians,” the report read. A significant 60 per cent of Indians hold this view, a notable increase from 39 per cent in 2019. The global average stands at 19 per cent, while South Korea leads with 69 per cent.

Notably, the survey also found that 64 per cent of Indians believe that men are being unfairly pressured to support gender equality through what they see as “overambitious” policies.

source/content: indianexpress.com (headline edited)

The trial phase will span up to 24 months and involves deployment of 16 such vehicles with varying configurations and payload capacities.

Tata Motors, country’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, on Tuesday commenced the first-ever trials of hydrogen-powered heavy-duty trucks to assess their viability for long-haul transportation solutions. The trial phase will span up to 24 months and involves deployment of 16 such vehicles with varying configurations and payload capacities.

These trucks, equipped with new age Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engines (H2-ICE) and Fuel Cell (H2-FCEV) technologies, will be tested on India’s most prominent freight routes, including those around Mumbai, Pune, Delhi-NCR, Surat, Vadodara, Jamshedpur and Kalinganagar.

Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways said that hydrogen is the fuel of the future with immense potential to transform India’s transportation sector by reducing emissions and enhancing energy self-reliance.

Tata Motors Executive Director Girish Wagh said that during the trial run, feedback would be collected in terms of performance of this technology in real life operating conditions, infrastructure and commercial viability.

As hydrogen fuel cells or hydrogen internal combustion engines can probably be a viable technology for heavy duty, longer duration transportation, the auto major is investing in the technology, Wagh said.

Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi said the beginning of the trial is a significant step forward in showcasing the potential of green hydrogen in decarbonising India’s transportation sector. Tata Motor was awarded the tender for this trial, which is funded by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy under the National Green Hydrogen Mission. With an operational range of 300-500 km, these vehicles are engineered for sustainable, cost-efficient, and high-performance transportation.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

Conducted between 2021 and 2023, the survey covered 8,406 km long stretches of Ganga and Brahmaputra river basins, inclusive of its tributaries, and a 101 km long stretch of the Beas river.

India has 6,324 Gangetic dolphins across the Ganga and Brahmaputra river basins and three Indus river dolphins in the Beas river basin in Punjab, the country’s first-ever detailed dolphin population survey has found.

Conducted between 2021 and 2023, the survey covered 8,406 km long stretches of Ganga and Brahmaputra river basins, inclusive of its tributaries, and a 101 km long stretch of the Beas river.

“The dolphin estimate for Ganga is 5,689 (range: 5,371-6,024), while 635 dolphins were estimated in Brahmaputra, totalling a population estimate of 6,234 (range: 5,977-6,688) in the surveyed rivers,” the report stated.

PM Narendra Modi released the results of the dolphin population survey during the 7th meeting of National Board for Wildlife held Monday at the Gir National Park. He launched Project Dolphin on August 15, 2020.

The survey was done by Wildlife Institute of India, state forest departments of Punjab, UP, Bihar, Assam, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and non-profit organisations including Aaranyak, World Wildlife Fund, Turtle Survival Alliance and Wildlife Trust of India.

Of the 6,324 Gangetic dolphins, 3,275 were found on the river’s main stem, 2,414 were found in Ganga’s tributaries while 584 were found in Brahmaputra’s main stem. A total of 28 rivers were surveyed by boat for the estimation exercise and 30 river stretches were mapped by road.

Among range states, 2,397 dolphins were counted in UP, 2,220 in Bihar, 162 in Jharkhand, 95 in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, 815 in West Bengal, 635 in Assam and three in Punjab.

In Ganga, a total of 7,109 km was actively surveyed, which included the main stem of Ganga as well as its tributaries – Chambal, Yamuna, Rapti, Sharda, Ghaghara, Mahananda, Kosi, Gandak, Geruwa, Rupnarayan, Torsa, Kaljani, Churni, and Haldi, covering UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

In UP, the highest encounter or concentration of dolphins was found in the 47-km stretch of Bhind-Pachnada in Chambal River.

The Kanpur-Vindhyachal stretch of 380 km had an encounter rate of 1.89 dolphins/km. The dolphin population in 366-km long Narora to Kanpur stretch was almost non-existent, the report said.

In Bihar, the survey found dolphin populations thriving in most stretches due to relatively higher water depth owing to tributaries such as Ghaghara, Gandak, Kosi and Son, coupled with ideal river morphology. The stretch from Chausa–Manihari, covering the Ganga’s main stem has 1,297 dolphins in 590 km, making it one of the most densely populated stretches.

source/content: indianexpress.com (headline edited)

Siddhi pursued bachelor’s degree in music from Vishwakarma Institute and completed postgraduate studies at Westminster University in London.

 In a remarkable musical feat, 22-year-old Siddhi Kapshikar has set a world record in harmonium playing, performing continuously for an astounding 10 hours, 23 minutes, and 22 seconds. The achievement was recognized by the Genius World Records, and she accomplished this milestone on Vasant Panchami (February 2, 2025).

She pursued a bachelor’s degree in music from Vishwakarma Institute and later completed her postgraduate studies at Westminster University in London. Currently, she is working as an Audio-Video Engineer at HSBC (Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation) in London.

A Record Honoring India’s Musical Legacy

Siddhi’s record attempt was dedicated to India’s 75th Republic Year (Amrit Mahotsav), where she performed over 75 classical ragas under music therapy.

Her repertoire included:

• Geet Ramayan
• Bhajans and abhangs
• Bollywood songs
• 25 different musical forms

Siddhi Kapshikar said: “As an Indian and a Maharashtrian, I feel immense pride in setting this world record. This achievement is a tribute to my country, my musical journey, and my passion for harmonium playing. Music has been a part of my life since I was in the 5th grade.”

Her parents, Sheetal and Vivek Kapshikar, expressed their happiness and pride, stating: “Siddhi has not only honored our family but also paid tribute to Indian classical music and her beloved instrument—the harmonium. She has proved her dedication through this achievement. While she learned singing from Madhuri Kolpe, she mastered the harmonium on her own.”

source/content: thebridgechronicle.com (headline edited)