Space Power Statement

THE LAUNCH OF the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F15) rocket from Sriharikota in the early hours of January 29 was a landmark achievement as the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO’s) 100th launch. It was fitting that its payload was the NVS-02 satellite that will be part of India’s independent regional navigation satellite system. The NavIC system will provide users with a positioning service better than 20 metres and a timing accuracy within 40 nanoseconds. The navigation system will improve India’s capacities in developing its own positioning and timing system, which over time should be useful to individual and commercial users. The rocket was launched on the second pad at Sriharikota where a third platform is also coming up. In the future, both the pads are expected to be capable of launching human space missions, a goal that does not seem too far now.

The milestone came soon after ISRO succeeded in the technologically intricate SpaDeX mission that makes India only the fourth country to achieve docking of two satellites in space, a crucial capability to achieve planned missions to the Moon and beyond. Two indigenous satellites were brought within 15 metres of one another and then the gap narrowed to three metres to complete the docking. Mastery of the process will enable future transfer of crew and material between satellites or space stations. The achievements set ISRO on the path to increasing complex missions that include sending a female robot into space to simulate human flight. The mission involves bringing the capsule with the robot back to Earth.

ISRO’s big breakthrough came on August 23, 2023, when Chandrayaan-3 erased the disappointment of its predecessor’s crashlanding on the Moon and successfully touched down on the lunar south pole. Just as in the case of docking expertise, India became only the fourth nation to do so—the safe touchdown in an area where no other module has landed. The mission objectives of demonstrating safe and soft-landing prowess, rover movement on surface and in-situ scientific experiments have been achieved. The event led to widespread recognition of India’s space technology achieving new levels of sophistication and a genuine interest in the results of the observations and studies conducted by the lander and the rover. It injected new confidence in joint efforts between ISRO and other agencies like the National Aeronautics Space Agency (NASA). Apart from a programme to put an Indian astronaut in space, India and the US intend to increase participation in the effort to protect Earth and space
assets from asteroids and near-Earth objects.

As ISRO undertook complex missions, it opened its doors to private participation which has seen a mushrooming of successful startups. Interestingly, the launches at Sriharikota are attracting a large audience that includes schoolchildren and even celebrities. The live streaming of launches with video of the master command centre conveys the tension and excitement of the events. The commentary accompanying the launch has become less staid as encouraged by the audience response, ISRO officials provide insights into the launch process and mission objectives.

Commentators who have followed ISRO’s journey closely say that the organisation has been encouraged to be more transparent in its operations and take decisions that might involve a degree of risk but are necessary for its development. This flows from the backing successive ISRO chiefs have received from Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has supported the agency through successes and setbacks.

It was only fitting that ISRO chief V Narayanan recalled the crucial contributions of scientists like Vikram Sarabhai, Satish Dhawan and APJ Abdul Kalam as the agency recorded its 100th flight. Along with these stalwarts are thousands of engineers and technicians who worked anonymously to make India a global space power in the face of technology denial and scepticism at home and abroad. ISRO can raise a toast to its signal success.

Taming Social Media

AT A TIME when social media is thought to be beyond regulation, Nepal is showing the way to curb its worst excesses. A Bill was introduced in the country’s parliament on January 28 that provides for stringent punishments and fines in case of abuses such as impersonation and use of fake profiles to spread fake news and false information.
It is no secret that new technology companies—mostly located in Western countries—have huge financial and media muscle and resist attempts to regulate them. In India, efforts to regulate social media have often been stymied by approaching courts against government rules in the name of freedom of the press.

It is another matter that unlike mainstream press, social media has no in-house controls. The ‘content moderation’ filters in social media often degenerate into politicised control.

The Bill in Nepal’s parliament provides for fines up to Nepalese Rupees 1.5 million and imprisonment up to five years in case such accounts are used to disrupt national sovereignty, territorial integrity or national interests. The Bill is comprehensive and prescribes fines and punishments in case of different types of abuses of social media.
Unlike ‘classical’ physical offences that involve incitement and violence that are difficult to undertake in case of well-oiled law and order machinery, the barriers and costs for committing such offences have come down since the advent of social media. All it takes are anonymous handles to whip up passions while sitting in locations beyond the jurisdictional control of countries and governments affected by such behaviour.

Internal regulation by social media companies has been found wanting in such cases. Very often, complaints by individuals who are affected by fake accounts and dissemination of misleading information are left to the mercy of faceless ‘complaint boxes’ that do not address their complaints or simply ignore them. In case the Bill in Nepal passes legislative scrutiny, it may show the way to check this new menace. (By Siddharth Singh)

The Big Picture

Gaza January 27, 2025

Displaced Palestinians walk back home with their belongings in plastic bags and flour sacks after Israel reopened the roads to northern Gaza following the ceasefire agreement with Hamas.

Newsmaker: Mamta Kulkarni

New Monk

A spirited star gets a spiritual makeover

IN THE 1990S, Mamta Kulkarni, 52 now, could set the screen ablaze in the blink of an eye. Every schoolboy’s fantasy, the actor debuted with Tirangaa (1992), and had a string of successes in 1995—Karan Arjun, Sabse Bada Khiladi, Baazi, with her last film being Kabhie Tum Kabhie Hum (2002).

A rather short-lived career, but an intense one at that, for in the span of a decade, Kulkarni packed in 50 films, mostly hits, across North and South Indian cinema. She quit acting in 2002 and even got embroiled in a major drug case worth `2,000 crore, which surfaced in 2016. The Bombay High Court quashed the case against her only last year, observing that the “proceedings are manifestly frivolous and vexatious”.

But what has taken everyone by surprise is the once-shimmying Kulkarni embracing a spiritual role as the Mahamandaleshwar of the Kinnar Akara at the ongoing Maha Kumbh on January 24. The Kinnar Akhara is a monastic Order of trans ascetics established in 2018.

At the initiation, Kulkarni renamed herself as Mai Mamta Nand Giri and performed the pind daan, honouring ancestors, before being helmed as the Mahamandaleshwar, a title used by monks of the Dasanami Order of ascetics.

Speaking to the media, Kulkarni said she had to give an examination to receive the title. “I was asked what I did in 23 years. When I cleared all the examinations, I got the upaadhi of Mahamandaleshwar,” she said.
(By Moinak Mitra)

Noisemaker: Elizabeth Warren

Lady Persistent

Veteran Democrat Elizabeth Warren has been a popular ‘protest’ figure in US politics, ever willing to take on big business and the rightwing. Though popular in the discussions and debating circles at Harvard, the Massachusetts senator is a more polarising figure outside left-liberal circles. Her attempt to corner President Donald Trump’s nominee for Health Robert F Kennedy Jr during his confirmation hearing did not quite work out the way she thought. Warren asked Kennedy a ‘trick’ question. “You’re not going to take money from drug companies in any way, shape, or form?” she asked and Kennedy replied: “Who, me?” Warren said, “Yes, you.” To which Kennedy said, “Oh, yeah. I’m happy to commit to that”, and added, “I don’t think any of them want to give me money, by the way.” The outrage did not work and then Warren sought to present Kennedy as someone who might misuse his position and sue pharmaceutical companies. But Senator Mike Crapo intervened to point out that Kennedy’s potential conflicts of interest had been thoroughly scrutinised before the hearing. All in all, while Democrats are going hammer and tongs at Trump’s nominees, the Republicans are also turning the televised events to their own cause.

Ideas
Equality

The general secretary of the Indian Union Muslim League in Kerala stoked a controversy when he said in a media interaction that men and women were not equal. According to him, it was stating the obvious. In his defence, he added that he believed in gender justice, just not gender equality. There are a few reasons why people found it objectionable. One is that they find it implicit in the statement that if men and women are not equal then men are superior to women. The example he gave of sport provokes this interpretation. Because in most sports, men clearly have a physical advantage over women. Using the word ‘equal’ where just ‘different’ would have sufficed is how power dynamics are introduced into a self-evident reality. Otherwise, both the orthodoxy and liberals, including feminists, agree on the genders being different. Because if that were not so, why would women need exclusive spaces in society, like seats reserved for them in buses and trains?
The idea that even if men and women are different they have the right to equal treatment did not come overnight. It came through a long process hard-fought across centuries. Just 50 years ago, women were cut off from many mainstream jobs even in progressive developed democracies.

And also societies like Iran have shown, all the equality that women have got can get swung back in an instant.

Money Mantra

Unlocking Value

Smart investing is about choosing quality over speculation

DURING PROLONGED market corrections, investors are often found divided into two groups. The first consists of those who justify holding weak stocks by calling themselves long-term investors, even when fundamentals do not support their choices. The second group, made up of true long-term investors, remains disciplined, focusing on correct businesses with strong financial health and sustainable growth potential.

But what truly defines a ‘correct business’? It is one with a consistent track record of growth, demonstrating stable revenue and earnings expansion. It is also a business that does not rely on frequent capital infusions, indicating operational efficiency and profitability.

For investors fixated on small-cap stocks, it is essential to acknowledge their high volatility. While they offer significant growth potential, their limited liquidity often leads to sharp price swings, rising quickly in bullish phases but crashing under selling pressure. Thus, short-term capital should not be allocated to small caps. Investors with a shorter horizon—around a year—may find large-cap stocks a more suitable option due to their stability. Those still inclined towards small-cap exposure should consider small-cap ETFs, which provide diversification and help mitigate risk.

Another crucial factor in investment decisions is management integrity. The leadership team’s actions must align with the company’s stated goals. Investors should analyse annual reports, evaluating transparency, consistency, and accountability. Companies with frequent leadership changes, erratic strategies, or misleading financial disclosures should raise concerns. A company’s dividend policy also serves as an essential indicator of financial stability. Regular dividends suggest a company is profitable and disciplined, while firms choosing to reinvest profits into expansion often signal long-term growth ambitions.

Ultimately, smart investing is about choosing quality over speculation. A well-researched, disciplined approach ensures long-term success in an unpredictable market. (By Ramesh Singh)

Viral

AIR CRASH

A Black Hawk helicopter of the US military crashed headlong into an American Airlines flight with 64 passengers on board. It happened in Washington near the airport. Being night, it was caught on cameras as silhouettes and a flash of light but with enough resolution for the videos to give a sense of the import of the tragedy. Later, animations of the path of the helicopter which seems to have been responsible for the crash also became widely forwarded online. So also, videos of the search for any survivors in the Potomac river into which the flight fell. US President Donald Trump put up a post saying, “Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane?

This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented.

NOT GOOD!!!”

 

 

American AirlinesElizabeth WarrenGSLV-F15IsroMamta KulkarniNepal's ParliamentNews this weekSmart investingSriharikotaUS Air crash