The launch of Chandrayaan-3 has been scheduled for July 13 at 2.30 p.m., officials said on June 28.
This is a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2 to demonstrate end-to-end capability in safe landing and roving on the lunar surface. It has a lander and rover configuration. Chandrayaan-3 will be launched by the Launch Vehicle Mark-III from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, according to the officials.
The propulsion module will carry the lander and rover configuration till 100 km lunar orbit.
The lander, rover and the propulsion module will have payloads for performing experiments designed to give scientists new insights into the characteristics of earth’s lone natural satellite.
The lander will have four payloads and the six-wheeled rover will have two payloads. In addition to these, there will be one payload on the propulsion module, the Spectro-polarimetry of Habitable Planet Earth.
Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar Azad shot at in Uttar Pradesh
Dalit leader and Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar Azad was injured when unidentified assailants opened fire on his car in Deoband on June 28, police said.
Azad (36) had gone to attend a ‘terhavin’ ritual at a supporter’s home Saharanpur district’s Deoband, they said, adding the assailants fired multiple shots at his SUV when he was leaving.
“The assailants were in a car and opened fire on Mr. Azad’s SUV from the right side. A bullet grazed his abdomen. He has been admitted to a hospital and his condition is stable,” Superintendent of Police (City) Abimanyu Manglik said. According to police, the vehicle used by the assailants carried a Haryana registration number.
The officer added the Saharanpur police has also reached out to its counterpart in adjoining districts to seek their support in the effort to nab the attackers.
The Samajwadi Party hit out at the State Government over the incident, questioning the law and order situation under the BJP rule.
Anna Bhagya scheme | Karnataka decides to pay ₹34 per kg rice to beneficiaries
Unable to procure the required quantity of rice to implement the Anna Bhagya scheme, Karnataka government has decided to pay ₹34 per kg to the beneficiaries. This will apply to five kg per person in the BPL and Antyodaya card holding families.
The cash will be transferred through DBT, starting from July 1. This is being seen as a temporary alternative till enough rice stock is raised through a tender to be floated shortly.
The decision was taken at the State Cabinet meeting on June 28. The meeting was convened to take a call on rescheduling the launch date of the Anna Bhagya scheme as the State government is yet to finalise the price of rice to be bought for the scheme and the supplier.
Karnataka is looking at procuring 2.29 lakh metric tonnes a month to implement the scheme that entails providing 5 kg rice over the 5 kg already being given under the National Food Security Act per person.
With the Union government’s Food Corporation of India (FCI) refusing to sell rice to Karnataka, the government is yet to find an alternative supplier.
Cabinet approves PM-PRANAM to incentivise States to promote alternative fertilizers
The Centre on June 28 approved a new scheme PM-PRANAM to incentivise states to promote alternative fertilisers and reduce the use of chemical fertilisers and also decided to continue the current urea subsidy scheme for three years ending March 2025, with an outlay of ₹3.68 lakh crore.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved an outlay of ₹1,451 crore subsidy to promote organic manure, taking the total package to over ₹3.70 lakh crore.
The CCEA also decided to introduce sulphur-coated urea (Urea Gold) in the country for the first time to address sulphur deficiency in the soil.
Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said the CCEA has approved a scheme PM-PRANAM (PM Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Generation, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth) and under the scheme, the States adopting alternative fertilisers will be incentivised with the subsidy that is saved by reducing the use of chemical fertilisers.
The scheme was announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget speech in February.
The CCEA approved a “unique package” of innovative schemes for farmers with a total outlay of ₹3,70,128.7 crore.
The CCEA approved the continuation of the urea subsidy Scheme to ensure constant availability of fertiliser to the farmers at the same price of ₹242/45 kg bag, excluding taxes and neem coating charges.
Out of the total package, ₹3,68,676.7 crore has been committed for urea subsidy for three years (2022-23 to 2024-25). This is apart from the recently approved nutrient-based subsidy of ₹38,000 crore for phosphatic and potassic fertilisers during the Kharif season of 2023-24.
In brief
The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights moved the Supreme Court, saying increasing stray dog attacks on children, often with fatal results, and inaction on the part of State authorities is a violation of child rights. The Commission, represented by advocate Jaimon Andrews, filed an intervention application and sought a direction from the apex court for euthanising “suspected rabid dogs and extremely dangerous dogs”.
Evening Wrap will return tomorrow.
