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Dassault Aviation partners with Tata Advanced Systems for Rafale fighter fuselage production in India

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Describing it as a significant step forward in strengthening the country’s aerospace manufacturing capabilities and supporting global supply chains, Dassault Aviation said the facility represented a vital investment in India’s aerospace infrastructure.

Dassault Aviation and Tata Advanced Systems Limited have signed four Production Transfer Agreements to manufacture the Rafale fighter aircraft fuselage for India and other global markets.

Describing it as a significant step forward in strengthening the country’s aerospace manufacturing capabilities and supporting global supply chains, Dassault Aviation said the facility represented a vital investment in India’s aerospace infrastructure and would serve as a critical hub for high-precision manufacturing.

Under the agreement, Tata Advanced Systems will set up a production facility in Hyderabad for the manufacture of key structural sections of Rafale, including the lateral shells of the rear fuselage, the complete rear section, the central fuselage, and the front section.

The first fuselage sections are likely to roll off the assembly line in 2028, with the facility expected to deliver up to two complete fuselages per month.

“For the first time, Rafale fuselages will be produced outside France. This is a decisive step in strengthening our supply chain in India. Thanks to the expansion of our local partners, including TASL, one of the major players in the Indian aerospace industry, this supply chain will contribute to the successful ramp-up of the Rafale and, with our support, will meet our quality and competitiveness requirements,” said Eric Trappier, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Dassault Aviation.

Sukaran Singh, CEO and managing director, Tata Advanced Systems Limited, said: “This partnership marks a significant step in India’s aerospace journey. The production of the complete Rafale fuselage in India underscores the deepening trust in Tata Advanced Systems’ capabilities and the strength of our collaboration with Dassault Aviation.”

“It also reflects the remarkable progress India has made in establishing a modern, robust aerospace manufacturing ecosystem that can support global platforms,” he said.

“The signing of these contracts reflects Dassault Aviation’s strong commitment to India’s ‘Make in India’ and AtmaNirbhar initiatives. This partnership aims to strengthen India’s position as a key player in the global aerospace supply chain while supporting its goal of greater economic self-reliance,” said Dassault Aviation.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Bound for space: Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla set for SpaceX mission with halwa

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Shukla will be the pilot on the Dragon spacecraft commanded by US astronaut Peggy Whitson with Poland’s Slawosz Uznanski-Wisiniewski and Hungary’s Tibor Kapu as mission specialists on the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) during their 14-day stay on the orbiting laboratory.

Indian Air Force combat pilot Shubhanshu Shukla is set to fly to the International Space Station next week from a US spaceport aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and become India’s second astronaut since Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 Soyuz mission.

Shukla will be the pilot on the Dragon spacecraft commanded by US astronaut Peggy Whitson with Poland’s Slawosz Uznanski-Wisiniewski and Hungary’s Tibor Kapu as mission specialists on the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) during their 14-day stay on the orbiting laboratory.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Ax-4 crew aboard the Dragon from Nasa’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on June 10. While aboard the ISS, the Ax-4 astronauts plan to conduct over 60 science experiments, public outreach and technology demonstrations. The launch was earlier set for June 8.

Shukla is a group captain with over 2,000 hours of experience flying multiple combat aircraft.

Shukla is one of four candidate astronauts selected for the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (Isro) Gaganyaan human space flight mission expected to take place in 2027.

“It’s been an amazing journey until now — the best is yet to come,” Shukla said on Tuesday at a countdown-to-launch media conference organised by Axiom Space, a US-based private aerospace company engaged in commercial missions to the ISS and working towards building the first commercial space station.

Shukla and fellow IAF group captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, who’s serving as his designated backup, have been under training for the AX-4 mission since August 2024. All the AX-4 crew have undergone training at Axiom Space, Nasa’s Johnson Space Centre and SpaceX. The training has involved simulations of the launch and docking practice, emergency response drills, space station systems training and scientific payload operations.

“We’re ready to go, we’ve trained for all scenarios, bonded as a team,” said Whitson, who will be commanding her second commercial human spaceflight mission and add to her standing record of 675 days for the longest cumulative time in space by an American astronaut.

Shukla revealed during the media briefing that an air show during his school years and a fascination for fighter jets had drawn him into his career as a combat pilot. “When the opportunity (for an Indian human spaceflight mission) arose in 2018, I instinctively applied,” he said.

Among the seven science experiments Shukla will carry for India, one will examine the impact of microgravity on edible microalgae — a nutrient-rich food source. Another experiment will probe the growth of the organisms called Spirulina, a blue-green algae often described as a “superfood” in space.

Shukla will carry mango nectar, carrot halwa and moong dal halwa to share with his fellow astronauts on the ISS.

The experiments, developed under a tie-up between Isro and India’s department of biotechnology with support from Nasa, are intended to generate data for self-sustaining life support systems for future long-duration space travel.

“From orbit, I hope to speak to students, educators, and members of India’s space industry,” Shukla said, outlining some of the crew’s planned outreach activities from the ISS. Uznanski-Wisiniewsky plans to demonstrate physics experiments to students across Poland.

India’s space agency views the Ax-4 mission as yet another step towards its human spaceflight ambitions.

“The experience and the knowhow from the AX-4 mission is significant to us and will feed into our Gaganyaan programme,” Sudeesh Balan, project director at Isro, had said at a mission overview media briefing earlier this month.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

IISc researchers develop novel nanozyme which prevents excess clotting

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When a blood vessel is injured, specialised blood cells called platelets get activated, and cluster together around the vessel to form protective blood clots. However, when these signals go haywire, oxidative stress and levels of toxic Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) increase, leading to over-activation of platelets.

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc.) have developed an artificial metal-based nanozyme that can potentially be used to clamp down on abnormal blood clotting caused by conditions like pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE).

According to IISc., under normal circumstances, when a blood vessel is injured, specialised blood cells called platelets get activated, and cluster together around the vessel to form protective blood clots.

This process, known as the blood clotting cascade (haemostasis), involves a complex series of protein interactions triggered by signals from physiological agonists (chemicals), such as collagen and thrombin.

However, when these signals go haywire in conditions like PTE or diseases like COVID-19, oxidative stress and levels of toxic Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) increase, leading to over-activation of platelets. This triggers the formation of excess clots in the blood vessel, contributing to thrombosis, a major cause of morbidity and mortality.

To tackle this challenge, researchers led by G. Mugesh, professor in the Department of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry, have developed nanomaterials that mimic the activity of natural antioxidant enzymes, which scavenge reactive oxidative molecules.

These nanozymes work by controlling ROS levels, thereby preventing the over-activation of platelets that leads to excess clot formation or thrombosis.

The team synthesised redox active nanomaterials of different sizes, shapes, and morphologies via a series of controlled chemical reactions starting from small building blocks. They then isolated platelets from human blood, activated them using physiological agonists, and tested how effectively the different nanozymes could prevent excess platelet aggregation.

The team found that spherical-shaped vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) nanozymes were the most efficient. These materials mimic a natural antioxidant enzyme called glutathione peroxidase to reduce oxidative stress.

“The unique chemistry of the vanadium metal is crucial because the redox reactions that reduce ROS levels are happening on the surface of the vanadium nanomaterial,” said Prof. Mugesh.

The team injected the nanozyme in a mouse model of PTE. They found that it significantly reduced thrombosis and increased the animals’ survival rates. They also observed the weight, behaviour, and blood parameters of the animal for up to five days after injecting the nanozyme, and did not find any toxic effects.

The team now plans to explore the efficacy of the nanozyme in preventing ischemic stroke, which is also caused by clogging of blood vessels.

“We are hopeful about clinical studies in humans because we have done our experiments with human platelets, and they worked,” said Prof. Mugesh.

source/content: thehindu (headline edited)

68 Indian Institutions feature in CWUR global 2000 rankings; IIM Ahmedabad leads national list

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IIM Ahmedabad tops Indian chart at 428th despite drop; Harvard retains global No.1 spot.

 A total of 68 Indian universities and institutes have secured places in the 2025 edition of the Global 2000 list released by the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR) on Monday. Leading the Indian contingent is the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad, ranked 428th globally, despite slipping 18 places from last year.

CWUR is a prominent consulting organisation offering strategic insights to governments and academic institutions to enhance educational and research outcomes.

For the fourteenth consecutive year, Harvard University has retained its position as the top-ranked university in the world. It is followed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Stanford University. The University of Cambridge and University of Oxford complete the top five, making them the highest-ranked public universities globally.

The remainder of the global top 10 includes Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia, Yale, and the University of Chicago all private US institutions. China, meanwhile, has overtaken the US in terms of the number of institutions featured in the rankings, with 346 universities included, up from 324 last year.

An official statement from CWUR noted, “India is enhancing its global standing in higher education. Thirty-nine universities from India have improved their rankings from last year, while 29 have seen a drop.” The main driver of this upward trend is improved research performance — with 37 Indian institutions showing gains in this area.

IIM Ahmedabad, while still the top-ranked Indian institute, fell 18 spots to 428th place. It retains an impressive 11th position globally for employability but declined in the quality of education indicator. The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) is ranked 521st, down 20 places, while IIT Madras jumped 21 places to 561st, just ahead of IIT Bombay (562nd) and IIT Delhi (582nd).

India’s top ten institutions also include Delhi University (636), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (644), IIT Kharagpur (689), Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research (736), and Homi Bhabha National Institute (820).

CWUR President Nadim Mahassen commented, “With sixty-eight Indian institutions in the rankings, India is well represented among the world’s top universities. Increased financial support from the government and prioritising education and science will make India even more competitive globally.”

Globally, Mahassen warned of a concerning trend in the US, noting that while top institutions remain dominant, many others are falling in the rankings. “The decline of the vast majority of US institutions should concern the education authorities, particularly as Chinese universities benefit from years of consistent government support,” he said.

Asia rankings:
The University of Tokyo remains Asia’s highest-ranked institution at 13th globally. Other Asian leaders include Kyoto University (24th), Seoul National University (31st), Tsinghua (37th), Peking (44th), University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (46th), Shanghai Jiao Tong (61st), Hebrew University (65th), Zhejiang University (68th), and Weizmann Institute (70th).

Ranking methodology:
CWUR assessed 74 million data points to rank 21,462 universities globally based on four key metrics:

  • Quality of education (25%)
  • Employability (25%)
  • Quality of faculty (10%)
  • Research performance (40%)

Only the top 2,000 universities made it to the published list, representing 94 countries. Full results are available at cwur.org/2025.php.

India’s Top 10 in CWUR 2025 Rankings:
(Global rank | 2024 rank | Score)

  1. IIM Ahmedabad – 428 ▼ (410) – 75.2
  2. Indian Institute of Science – 521 ▼ (501) – 74.2
  3. IIT Madras – 561 ▲ (582) – 73.8
  4. IIT Bombay – 562 ▲ (568) – 73.8
  5. IIT Delhi – 582 ▲ (616) – 73.6
  6. Delhi University – 636 ▼ (622) – 73.2
  7. Tata Institute of Fundamental Research – 644 ▼ (606) – 73.1
  8. IIT Kharagpur – 689 ▲ (704) – 72.7
  9. Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research – 736 ▲ (798) – 72.4
  10. Homi Bhabha National Institute – 820 ▲ (903) – 71.8

(The full list includes 68 Indian institutions.)

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

Valmik Thapar, tiger conservation trailblazer, passes away at 73

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Thapar worked mainly with tigers in the Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan where he championed community-based conservation efforts, while simultaneously advocating for stronger nationwide government initiatives to protect tigers and their ecosystem.

Valmik Thapar, an anthropology graduate who became one of India’s leading wildlife conservationists, shaping government policies on tiger conservation efforts and drawing global attention to the big cats through books and films, died on Saturday. He was 73.

Thapar worked mainly with tigers in the Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan where he championed community-based conservation efforts, while simultaneously advocating for stronger nationwide government initiatives to protect tigers and their ecosystem.

Former Union environment minister Jairam Ramesh described Thapar as “a legendary figure” in the conservation domain. “Today’s Ranthambore, particularly, is a testimony to his deep commitment and indefatigable zeal,” Ramesh posted on X on Saturday. He was uncommonly knowledgeable on a variety of issues relating to biodiversity and not a day passed during my ministerial tenure without our talking to each other —with me almost always at the receiving end.”

Thapar was among a generation of conservationists who had the opportunity to witness the evolution of India’s Project Tiger — launched in 1972-73 — which is widely regarded as among the world’s most successful conservation programmes.

“His passion arose purely from his heart, inspired by the charisma of the big cat,” said Ullas Karanth, emeritus director of the Centre for Wildlife Studies in Bangalore, who has himself focused on tiger ecology and the fate of tiger populations since the 1970s.

Thapar was only 23 when he went to Ranthambore in 1976. Over the next four decades, he studied nearly 200 tigers, spending hours in the forests in close proximity to the animals, observing their behaviour, even naming some of them — Broken Tooth, Genghis, Laxmi, Machli, Padmini.

Thapar had played a key role in “pushing for” regulatory initiatives such as the establishment of a Wildlife Crime Control Bureau to curb poaching and amendments to wildlife regulations. “I was amazed by Valmik’s incredible drive and a shrewd understanding of how political systems worked,” Karanth said.

Ravi Chellam, a wildlife biologist and a specialist on India’s lions, said Thapar had some “very strong views on what needed to be done”, which he would not be shy of expressing.

“He was also a prolific author, lucid presenter and narrator of films and documentaries who built a global reputation as one of the foremost spokespersons for India’s wilderness,” Chellam said.

Among his earliest books was With Tigers in the Wild, published in 1983 and co-authored with Fateh Singh Rathore, a Ranthambore forest officer, and tiger conservation advocate Tejbir Singh. “This was among the first books with outstanding photographs of tigers in the wild from India,” Karanth said.

Thapar, while seeking to influence government policy through memberships in over 150 panels or task forces, also wrote or edited more than 30 books, including The Secret Life of Tigers in 2016, which documents the lives of three tigresses and their cubs from birth to adulthood. He also helped produce multiple films and documentaries on tigers.

Thapar was married to theatre artist Sanjana Kapoor, daughter of actor Shashi Kapoor, and they have a son.

Thapar, appointed a member of the country’s tiger task force in 2005, had written a dissent note, expressing concern that the task force’s report was overly optimistic about the coexistence of tigers and humans, a PTI report said on Saturday. Thapar argued that for tigers to survive in the long run, certain areas needed to be kept entirely free from human interference.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

Army chief awards felicitates woman BSF officer Assistant Commandant Neha Bhandari for exceptional courage during Operation Sindoor

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Commanding a border outpost within eyeball-to-eyeball contact of a Pakistani post along the International Border, the assistant commandant led her troops to silence three forward hostile posts across the zero line (the area closest to enemy territory) by giving a befitting reply.

Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Upendra Dwivedi, on Friday (May 30, 2025) awarded Border Security Force (BSF) Assistant Commandant Neha Bhandari with the Commendation Disc for her exceptional courage and operational proficiency during Operation Sindoor in the Jammu frontier.

Commanding a border outpost within eyeball-to-eyeball contact of a Pakistani post along the International Border, the assistant commandant led her troops to silence three forward hostile posts across the zero line (the area closest to enemy territory) by giving a befitting reply.

“On 30 May 2025, COAS General Upendra Dwivedi, PVSM, AVSM, felicitated Assistant Commandant Neha Bhandari of BSF Jammu with the Commendation Disc for her exceptional courage and operational proficiency during Operation Sindoor,” BSF Jammu said on X.

She gallantly commanded a forward-deployed BSF company under challenging conditions, it said.

Apart from Neha, six women constables held gun positions at a forward border post, with their “josh” rising with every bullet they fired at the enemy positions across the IB in the Samba, R S Pura and Akhnoor sectors.

Neha, a third-generation officer from her family in Uttarakhand, takes pride in being a part of the BSF and commanding a border outpost in the Pargwal forward area of Akhnoor sector in Jammu district during Operation Sindoor.

“I feel proud to be manning a post along the International Border with my troops. It is approximately 150 meters away from the Pakistani post in the Akhnoor–Pargwal area,” she told PTI here on Wednesday.

Neha’s grandfather served in the Indian Army and her parents are from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), making her a third-generation officer in the family.

“My grandfather served in the Army. My father was in the CRPF. My mother is in the CRPF. I am a third-generation officer in the force,” she said.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)