Congress leader Shashi Tharoor congratulated the renowned Urdu poet Gulzar as he was being honoured with the Jnanpith Award.  

Taking to X, Tharoor extended his wishes to Gulzar on winning India’s highest literary award for lifetime achievement. Tharoor hailed Gulzar for his extraordinary services to Urdu poetry, adding that he said the award was richly deserved.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Saturday launched the INSAT-3DS mission from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 5:35 pm to monitor the Earth’s surface, observe the ocean and analyse the environment through various essential meteorological perspectives.

In its mission, the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) aimed to deploy the INSAT-3DS meteorological satellite into the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). Subsequent orbit-raising maneuvers will ensure that the satellite is positioned in a Geo-stationary Orbit.

After being positioned in GSO, it will provide information on diverse atmospheric conditions via vertical profiles. INSAT-3DS will manage data collection and dissemination from Data Collection Platforms (DCPs). The satellite will help in search and rescue services.

Congratulating the team, ISRO Chairman S Somanath expressed his happiness over the successful accomplishment of the mission GSLV-F14 INSAT-3DS. He further said that the spacecraft has been injected into a very good orbit. The space agency has also noted that the vehicle has performed very well.

The INSAT-3DS Mission Director, Tomy Joseph sarcastically remarked, saying the Naughty Boy has now become a mature, obedient and disciplined boy like PSLV, and GSLV as they have become a very robust vehicle for ISRO.

The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) is a launch vehicle with a length of 51.7 meters and a liftoff mass of 420 tonnes. It consists of three stages, the first stage (GS1) is made up of a solid propellant motor with 139-ton propellant and four earth-storable propellant stages (L40) strapons. Each strapon carries 40 tons of liquid propellant.

The second stage (GS2) is also an earth-storable propellant stage that carries 40-ton propellant, and the third stage (GS3) is a cryogenic stage with a 15-ton propellant loading of liquid oxygen (LOX) and liquid hydrogen (LH2).

To protect the satellite during the atmospheric regime, it is covered by an Ogive payload fairing. The GSLV is versatile and can be used to launch various spacecraft capable of performing communications, navigation, earth resource surveys, and other proprietary missions.

The launch of INSAT-3DS was a follow-on mission of Third Generation Meteorological Satellite from Geostationary Orbit. According to ISRO, the GSLV-F14/INSAT-3DS mission has been fully funded by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) and designed for enhanced meteorological observations and monitoring of land and ocean surfaces for weather forecasting and disaster warning.

The satellite will augment the Meteorological services along with the presently operational INSAT-3D and INSAT-3DR satellites.

Notably, the services will be used by various departments of the MoES such as the India Meteorology Department (IMD), National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Indian National Center for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) and various other agencies.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday, while presenting the state budget, announced to hike in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of cow and buffalo milk. The Chief Minister also increased the daily wages of MGNREGA workers from Rs 240 to 300 per day.

CM Sukhu, who also holds the finance portfolio in the state, presented his second state Budget.

Presenting the Budget, Sukhu said that his government will provide training to 36,000 farmers, 10 each from every panchayat, for natural farming techniques under the Rajiv Gandhi Prakriyat Kheti Yojna.

He emphasised the universal cartons for apple packaging and encouraged horticulture tourism. Asserting that, he said that his government has taken a resolution to make Himachal Pradesh a green state by 2026. CM Sukhu allocated Rs 582 crore for the agriculture sector and Rs 300 crore for the horticulture sector.

He further said that his government had announced a special package of Rs 4,500 crore for the people affected by last year’s monsoon. He also alleged that the Centre failed to provide any special package.

As many as 327 old diesel buses will be replaced by electrical vehicles in 2024-25 in the state, Sukhu added.

Himachal will construct 860 km of new roads in 2024-25, new startup policy to come up, the Chief Minister announced.

Furthermore, he announced to increase in the honorarium of the Panchayat Raj and urban local bodies. Zilap Parishad chairman will get Rs 24000 per month while the vice-chairman will get Rs 18000 and Zila Parishad member will get Rs 7800. Panchayat Samiti chairman will get Rs 11500, vice-chairman Rs 8400 and member Rs 7200.

Panchayat Pradhan will get Rs 7200, up-pradhan Rs 4800 and member Rs 750. Municipal Corporation Mayor Rs 24000, Deputy Mayor Rs 18000 and Councillor Rs 8300.

Additionally, the Municipal Council president Rs 10000, the vice-president Rs 8400 and Councillor Rs 4200. Pradhan Municipal Committee Rs 8400, up-pradhan Rs 6600 and member Rs 4200.