For India, Hungary and Poland, this mission has realised the return to human spaceflight, with astronauts from these countries travelling to space for the first time in more than 40 years.

Shubhanshu Shukla returned to Earth on Tuesday after an 18-day stay on the International Space Station, a feat that holds the promise to herald India’s own human spaceflight ambitions.

The Lucknow-born Shukla and three other astronauts of the private Axiom-4 mission splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the San Diego coast in California at 2:31 am Pacific Time (3:01 pm IST).

Shukla, a Group Captain in the Indian Air Force, became the second Indian to travel to space after Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 sojourn as part of a Soviet Russian mission.

He also scripted history by becoming the first Indian to travel to the International Space Station with the longest stint — 20 days — in orbit around the Earth.

The Dragon Grace spacecraft lifted off from Florida on June 25 and docked at the International Space Station on June 26 after a 28-hour journey.

The Axiom-4 mission crew comprising Shukla, commander Peggy Whitson, and mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary spent the next 18 days conducting 60 experiments and 20 outreach sessions.

Travelling at a speed of over 28,000 km per hour, the Dragon spacecraft, carrying the Axiom-4 crew members, executed a series of manoeuvres to gradually slow down and enter the Earth’s atmosphere, braving intense heat before a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

Minutes later, the Dragon spacecraft was hauled up over SpaceX’s recovery ship ‘Shannon’, where Shukla and the other astronauts emerged from the spacecraft.

The astronauts were helped by the ground staff to get on their feet as they adapted to gravity on Earth after experiencing weightless conditions during their 20-day trip.

The astronaut’s parents, who watched the splashdown in Lucknow, heaved a sigh of relief as their son returned to Earth.

While Shukla’s father, Shambhu Dayal Shukla, and mother Asha Devi wiped their tears, his sister, Suchi Misra, welcomed her brother’s landing with moist eyes and folded hands.

“He has been to space and back, and we are all over the moon because this mission has its own importance for the country’s Gaganyaan programme,” Shambhu Dayal Shukla said.

“It is a matter of great fortune for us that his mission complete… We never thought that our son would reach such heights…. This is a matter of pride for our country and the people of the country. I thank everyone who prayed for our son…” Shukla’s father added.

Asha Shukla, his mother, said. “It feels good; we are all very happy. We prayed that they will come back safely. We are very excited to meet our son after 18 to 20 days…. We are very proud of our son,” she said.

Shukla’s sister Suchi Mishra said, “Today again we are feeling the same emotions that we had on the day he went for the mission. We will celebrate a lot when he comes back.”

“Every day we prayed and thanked God. When we talked, to him he seemed very happy… Being a pilot and now an astronaut, he might have seen the different beauty of our nation, and there is no doubt that ‘Saare Jahan se acha Hindustan humara,” she added.

ISRO had invested Rs 550 crore for the spaceflight, and the learnings from the mission are expected to help India fulfil its own human spaceflight ambitions – the Gaganyaan project, which is eyeing a 2027 lift-off.

The prime minister said that as India’s first astronaut to have visited the International Space Station, Shukla has inspired a billion dreams through his dedication, courage and pioneering spirit.

“It marks another milestone towards our own Human Space Flight Mission – Gaganyaan,” Modi said in a post on X.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath led the tributes, describing Shukla’s feat as “a glorious symbol of courage, dedication and commitment to science.”

“Welcome back to Earth! Heartfelt congratulations to Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and his team on the successful completion of the historic #AxiomMission4,” Adityanath wrote on X.

“Every Indian, especially the people of Uttar Pradesh, is proud today. India awaits your return with great excitement,” he added.

“Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s successful return from the historic Axiom-4 mission is a proud moment for every Indian. He has not just touched space, he has lifted India’s aspirations to new heights. His journey to the International Space Station and back is not just a personal milestone; it is a proud stride for India’s growing space ambitions. Wishing him great success in his future endeavours,” defence minister Rajnath Singh posted on X.

The IAF also posted a congratulatory message on X, welcoming Shukla.

“Welcome back to Earth, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla. All Air Warriors of the Indian Air Force extend heartfelt congratulations on the successful completion of the Axiom-4 mission,” it posted.

The IAF also shared a digital poster carrying a profile photo of the Indian astronaut and a caption — ‘An odyssey of courage, strength and inspiration’. The slogan ‘Sare Jehan Se Acha Hindustan Hamara’ was also written on it in a tri-colour theme.

“Welcome home, Shubhanshu Shukla! We are really happy to see that you are back. It is a matter of pride for us to see what you have done. Congratulations to you and your team members, and best wishes to your family,” Bengal chief minister Banerjee posted on X.

The Axiom-4 crew underwent a series of medical checks on board the ship before boarding a helicopter for a ride back to the shore.

The four astronauts are expected to spend seven days in rehabilitation as they adjust back to life on Earth under the influence of gravity, unlike the weightlessness experienced in orbit.

ISRO said Shukla has successfully completed all seven microgravity experiments and other planned activities, achieving a significant milestone in the Axiom-4 mission.

It said that experiments on the Indian strain of Tardigrades, Myogenesis, sprouting of methi and moong seeds, cyanobacteria, microalgae, crop seeds and Voyager Display have been completed as planned. 

Shukla conducted seven microgravity experiments assigned by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), ranging from muscle regeneration and radiation effects to studies on algae, crop resilience and human physiology, all considered vital research for India’s upcoming Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

The faculty of Department of Studies in Microbiology in the Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) in Mysuru has played a key role in the development of an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven device for detection of early signs of cardiovascular stress.

The MyoBioScan device, developed by Ravichandra Mulpuri, an Indian-origin researcher based in the US, is a non-invasive and diagnostic tool aimed at enabling real-time monitoring of cardiovascular health. By capturing and analysing subtle physiological changes, the device, described as a “wearable patch”, seeks to alert users to potential heart-related issues before they become life threatening.

The MyoBioScan, whichhas been featured in the April-June 2025 issue of the International Journal on Science and Technology (IJSAT), is in its prototype and validation stage. “The device integrates multi-channel ECG acquisition with sweat-based biochemical sensing for key cardiac biomarkers”.

The developer, Mr. Mulpuri, was guided virtually by experts from the KSOU, viz. Niranjan Raj and Syed Baker, who selected and validated the appropriate biomarkers for cardiovascular health monitoring.

The device, ideally worn during exercises like running or training in the gym, will analyse the person’s sweat for various hormones and protein complexes that serve as cardiovascular biomarkers, said Mr. Baker.

“The sweat-based biomarkers like troponin-I, NT-proBNP, lactate, cortisol, and pH, provide an insight into cardiovascular health,” he said. The KSOU faculty’s academic mentorship was instrumental in shaping the scientific backbone of MyoBioScan, enhancing both its clinical relevance and technical design.

The device has been designed to give three signals based on its analysis. “Normal — keep monitoring, consult a medical professional, and emergency,” he said.

Quoting Mr. Mulpuri, Mr. Baker said that the device had the potential to become a low-cost, accessible diagnostic tool that can transform how early cardiovascular risks can be detected and managed.

The abstract of MyoBioScan in IJSAT said a pilot study evaluated the device for its performance in 80 participants, including healthy individuals and those with diagnosed conditions such as atrial fibrillation, myocardial ischemia, and early-stage heart failure.

“Subclinical abnormalities were detected in 4 asymptomatic individuals and confirmed through clinical follow-up. Sweat biomarker levels significantly differed between healthy and stressed participants, showing strong correlation with laboratory standards. User feedback revealed high satisfaction in terms of comfort, clarity of app feedback and trust in results, with over 90% expressing interest in long-term use,” the abstract said.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

The move will improve targeting, service delivery, says WCD Minister.

Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annpurna Devi on Saturday (July 12, 2025) announced that beneficiary registration under the Centre’s Poshan 2.0 scheme will be carried out through biometric authentication, starting August 1. The move aims to enhance targeting and improve service delivery under the scheme.

Speaking at a Ministry zonal meeting at Kevadia in the Narmada district, Ms. Devi said the adoption of digital tools, such as the face recognition system used under Saksham Anganwadi, would bring greater transparency, accountability, and governance to the programme.

Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 is an integrated nutrition support initiative catering to children, adolescent girls, pregnant women, and lactating mothers.

The Union Budget for 2025-26 has allocated ₹4.49 lakh crore for this initiative, covering 273 schemes by 49 Ministries in a push towards gender-inclusive governance, the Minister said.

Digital tools for better governance

To enhance capacity-building, dedicated learning modules for Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 will be hosted on the iGOT Karmayogi platform for use by field functionaries nationwide, she added.

Ms. Devi urged States and Union Territories to strengthen their grievance redressal mechanisms, improve digital literacy among adolescent girls and young mothers, and ensure timely delivery of services through Anganwadis. She also proposed transforming the Poshan Helpline into an interactive platform for citizen engagement and service quality feedback.

Ms. Devi highlighted the Aadhaar-enabled Direct Benefit Transfers under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana as a key transparency measure and encouraged all States and UTs to adopt the Mission Vatsalya portal for real-time data monitoring.

Participants at the zonal meeting included Minister of State Savitri Thakur, Ministers from the Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan governments, and senior officials from five western States. Discussions focused on convergence under Mission Shakti, Mission Vatsalya, and Poshan 2.0, with States showcasing best practices and innovations.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

The study found that 14.7 per cent of 686 hospitalised mucormycosis patients died within a year.

People who suffered from mucormycosis and recovered continue to battle long-term health effects of the fungal infection, such as facial disfigurement and speech difficulty, found an ICMR study.

There was an uptick in cases of mucormycosis, a rare infection also known as ‘Black Fungus’, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Published last month in Clinical Microbiology and Infection, a leading microbiology journal, the study found that 14.7 per cent of 686 hospitalised mucormycosis patients died within a year, with most deaths occurring during initial hospitalisation.

Critical predictors of poor survival included involvement of the brain or eyes, intensive care admission, poor glycaemic control, and comorbid conditions.

Conversely, patients who received both surgical treatment and combination antifungal therapy (particularly Amphotericin-B formulations with Posaconazole) had significantly higher survival rates, said Dr Rizwan Suliankatchi Abdulkader, from ICMR’s National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE), the lead author of the study.

“But survivors often faced disfigurement and psychological distress, with more than 70 per cent reporting at least one clinical sequela (complication or disability) and a substantial proportion experiencing loss of employment,” Rizwan said.

“These are not abstract complications. Facial disfigurement, impaired speech, anxiety, and loss of livelihood are lived realities for many survivors. It is time for India to move beyond life-saving interventions and focus on life-restoring systems of care, including mental health support and rehabilitation,” he said.

Led by Rizwan and the All-India Mucormycosis Consortium, the study assessed survival, treatment outcomes, and post-recovery quality of life among hospitalised patients in India.

This large-scale study, covering 686 patients from 26 tertiary hospitals across the country, is the first of its kind to offer long-term, prospective data on this critical public health concern.

As a part of the study, 686 patients who had contracted mucormycosis between March and July 2021 were followed up for one year. Of the 686, 80 per cent (549) also had COVID-19.

The prevalence of mucormycosis varies significantly, from 0.01 to 2 cases per million in developed countries to 140 cases per million in India and similar nations, with incidence approximately 80 times higher in India. Despite advances in medical care, mucormycosis remains a highly lethal and debilitating condition.

“This study reinforces the pressing need to ensure access to timely diagnosis, surgical interventions, and combination antifungal therapy in all parts of India,” said Dr Manoj Murhekar, Director of Chennai-based ICMR-NIE.

“We cannot overstate how essential high-quality, multidisciplinary care is for patients battling mucormycosis, especially given the irreversible complications they face if treatment is delayed,” said Murhekar, a senior author of the study.

Spanning the length and breadth of India, the study involved institutions from nearly every region, capturing a diverse and realistic picture of mucormycosis management in both urban and rural populations.

Rizwan stressed, “This is not just a story of numbers. Behind every data point is a person who struggled with pain, disfigurement, and long-term disability. Our duty as clinicians and public health professionals is to reduce not just mortality but also the suffering that comes with survival.

“India has a disproportionately high burden of this disease. Our health systems must be better prepared.” The research comes at a time when India is still grappling with the long-term fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, during which mucormycosis surged dramatically.

As the global community turns its attention to pandemic preparedness and health system resilience, the study serves as a sobering reminder of the challenges posed by neglected fungal diseases.

“We hope our findings will serve as a call to action for policymakers, hospital administrators, and clinicians. Mucormycosis is not just a complication of COVID-19. It is a disease that demands long-term clinical attention, public health surveillance, and above all, compassion in care,” Rizwan said.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

During tests, Astra missiles hit high-speed unmanned targets with pinpoint accuracy under varying ranges and conditions, the Defence Ministry said, confirming two successful launches.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Friday successfully test-fired the indigenous Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) ‘Astra’, equipped with an indigenous Radio Frequency (RF) seeker, from a Su-30 MKI platform off the coast of Odisha.

Astra has a range exceeding 100 km and is equipped with a state-of-the-art guidance and navigation system. The term beyond visual range refers to the capability to engage targets beyond the direct line of sight.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD), in its statement, said, “During the tests, two launches were carried out against high-speed unmanned aerial targets at different ranges, target aspects and launch platform conditions. In both the cases, the missiles destroyed the targets with pin-point accuracy.”

During the tests, all subsystems performed as expected, including the RF seeker, which has been indigenously designed and developed by the DRDO. The flawless performance of the Astra weapon system was validated through flight data captured by range tracking instruments deployed by the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur.

According to the MoD, the successful flight tests reaffirmed the accuracy and reliability of the Astra weapon system with the indigenous seeker. In addition to various DRDO laboratories, more than 50 public and private sector industries — including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited — contributed to the successful realisation of the weapon system.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh complimented the DRDO, IAF and industry partners involved in the design and development of the RF seeker, and stated that the successful testing of the missile with an indigenous seeker is a major milestone in critical defence technology.

Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman, DRDO, Dr Samir V Kamat, congratulated all the teams involved in the successful flight-test.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

It is the last warship to be inducted from a foreign source in the backdrop of India’s push to achieve self-reliance in defence.

The Navy commissioned INS Tamal, a Russian-manufactured guided missile frigate that also features dual role BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, into the force Tuesday. It is the last warship to be inducted from a foreign source in the backdrop of India’s push to achieve self-reliance in defence.

Additionally, Yard 12652 (Udaygiri), the second ship of Project 17A stealth frigate built at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDSL) in Mumbai, was delivered, the Navy said in a statement.

INS Tamal’s commissioning ceremony was held at Yantar shipyard in Russia’s Kaliningrad, where it was built. The ship will soon embark for her homeport of Karwar in Karnataka, the Navy said.

“INS Tamal is a formidable moving fortress at sea and is designed for blue water operations across the spectrum of naval warfare in all four dimensions — air, surface, underwater and electromagnetic,” the Navy said.

INS Tamal is the eighth multi-role stealth frigate in Project 1135.6 — a series of frigates built by Russia for the Indian Navy — and the second of the additional follow-on Tushil class of ships. The first ship of Tushil class (INS Tushil) was commissioned in December last year.

The seven Project 1135.6 ships inducted thus far are part of the Western Fleet, ‘The Sword Arm’ of the Navy under the Western Naval Command.

INS Tamal has a crew of about 250 sailors and 26 officers and is commanded by Captain Sridhar Tata, a gunnery and missile warfare specialist. The ship is equipped with dual role BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, vertically launched surface-to-air missiles with extended ranges, the standard 30 mm Close in Weapon System, the 100 MM Main gun and very potent ASW rockets and heavyweight torpedoes.

It has also been equipped with complex automated systems for nuclear, biological and chemical defence, including damage control and fire-fighting that can be operated centrally from sheltered posts, the Navy said.

The ship has successfully carried out trial firing of all her Russian weapon systems, including the vertical launched surface to air missile Shtil-1, artillery weapons and torpedoes, the Navy added.

Udaygiri, meanwhile, is the second among the seven Project 17A frigates under construction at MDSL, Mumbai and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd, Kolkata. Project 17A is a follow-on to the Shivalik class (Project 17) frigates active in service.

According to the Navy, P-17A ships have enhanced stealth features and fitted with ‘State of the Art’ weapons and sensors, including supersonic surface-to-surface, and medium-range surface-to-air missile systems, and represent a quantum leap in Navy’s in-house design capabilities at the Warship Design Bureau.

Udaygiri may undergo some more trials before being commissioned.

source/content: indianexpress.com (headline edited)

Roshni has to her credit catching and relocating 800-odd snakes, most of them venomous, from human settlements in the state capital district of Thiruvananthapuram.

For almost six minutes, as she prodded a 16-foot-long king cobra to slide into a black bag, a crowd of onlookers waited anxiously, not sure if the snake would give in or attack the catcher. After all, it’s not common to see a woman forest officer tackle a venomous serpent and relocate it safely back to the forest.

On Sunday, forest beat officer G S Roshni accomplished the feat when she caught the king cobra from Anchumaruthumoodi residential area in Peppara, Thiruvananthapuram. The video of the rescue has since gone viral, garnering praise for the brave and confident woman officer.

Roshni has to her credit catching and relocating 800-odd snakes, most of them venomous, from human settlements in the state capital district of Thiruvananthapuram. A beat forest officer for the last eight years, Roshni is the only woman snake catcher in Kerala forest department. She is among the first batch of women forest officers in the state.

“This is the first time I caught a king cobra. It had been my dream since I started as a certified snake rescuer in the department in 2019. King cobra, a shy snake, is rarely seen outside the forest. While many snake catchers elsewhere in Kerala have rescued king cobras, I did not get such a chance in Thiruvananthapuram, where this species is rarely spotted,’’ said the Botany graduate.

Roshni, who heads the rapid response team (RRT) at Paruthippally forest range, was alerted about the king cobra in Anchumaruthumoodi near Peppara wildlife sanctuary. When she and her team reached the spot, the serpent was seen resting near a stream where local people often come for bathing. With a black bag and hook, Roshni stepped into the water and in the next six minutes the snake was safely in the bag, secured with a knot, as the crowd heaved a sigh of relief.

“I never use gumboots and hand gloves while rescuing snakes. It is risky to catch a king cobra mainly because of its length. When you catch the tail of a king cobra, its length enables it to swiftly turn against you and attack. To save itself, a king cobra can coil with its head and tail on a single point,’’ she said.

Roshni said her office usually gets around two dozen calls a day regarding snake spotting in residential areas.

On snake catching, she said, “You need courage and presence of mind. Concentration is very important. We have to weigh our safety, the snake’s safety and that of the onlookers. I enjoy catching snakes and have the support of my family. Many others have got trained over the years, but they might not have ventured into snake catching for want of support from family or courage,’’ she said.

Releasing the snakes into the forest is riskier than catching them, she said. “Tied in a bag after being caught, the snake gets provoked while being released,’’ she said.

On days when she is away from office, Roshini leaves to rescue a snake in her car or scooter. “On most such occasions, there would be a snake in the trunk of the car or the storage of the scooter. I will be riding a scooter with a snake in the storage under the seat,’’ said Roshni.

source/content: indianexpress.com (headline edited)

The inscription records a grant made by the Vijayanagar ruler Mallikarjuna to a Vedic scholar on Śaka 1378, Dhātru Āshāḍha ba. 11, corresponding to Monday, June 28, 1456 CE.

The first Indian epigraphical reference to Halley’s Comet has been discovered in a copper plate inscription dated 1456 CE belonging to the Vijayanagar period and preserved at the Srisailam Mallikarjunaswamy temple in Andhra Pradesh.

Dr. K. Munirathnam Reddy, Director, Epigraphy Branch of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), who announced the discovery, told The Hindu that the inscription was written in Sanskrit, using the Nagari script, and refers to the appearance of a comet and a subsequent meteor shower — events that historically coincide with the 1456 appearance of Halley’s Comet.

The inscription records a grant made by the Vijayanagar ruler Mallikarjuna to a Vedic scholar on Śaka 1378, Dhātru Āshāḍha ba. 11, corresponding to Monday, June 28, 1456 CE.

The grant was issued “in order to mitigate the great calamity believed to arise due to the appearance of a comet (dhūmakētu mahōtpāta śāntyartham), and the associated meteor shower (Prakāśyāya mahōtpāta śāntyartham)”, said Dr. Reddy.

The king donated a village named Simgapura, located in Kelajhasima of Hastinavati Vemṭhe, as an agrahāra to a Brahmin named Limgaṇarya, a Vedic scholar from Kaḍiyalapura. 

Dr. Reddy said this place was probably present-day Kaḍiyapulanka in Galividu mandalam, Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh, and noted that the scholar was probably well versed in astronomy.

Dr. Reddy noted that while references to ‘dhumaketus’ (comets) were found in ancient and medieval Indian texts, this was the first inscriptional record that had been discovered.

“What makes this particularly significant,” he said, “is that the year mentioned in the inscription and the reference to the comet’s appearance matches the year in which Halley’s Comet was later established to have appeared,” said Dr. Reddy.

He explained that in traditional belief systems and from the available historical records, the appearance of a comet and meteor shower was considered inauspicious, and associated with misfortune and calamities in many parts of the world.

Dr. Reddy said the appearance of the comet and the beliefs surrounding it were vividly expressed in the inscription in the phrase: Prakāśyāya mahōtpāta śāntyartham dattavān vibhuḥ — meaning: this grant was made in order to pacify the calamities that may arise due to the illuminating comets and meteor shower upon the king and his kingdom.

The discovery of reference to comets in the inscription was made during the critical “line by line” editing of a set of 21 unpublished copper plate charters held by the Srisailam temple authorities. The collection, comprising 78 copper leaves, would soon be published in book form, he added.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Very stringent data security measures would be kept in place to ensure data security at the time of collection, transmission and storage.

A special dedicated web portal will be launched for self-enumeration during the upcoming Census, which will be available for both phases of the national enumeration exercise, officials said Monday.

In the country’s first digital census, enumerators will collect the data of citizens using mobile applications on their Android and Apple phones, they said.

A special dedicated web portal will be launched for self-enumeration during the upcoming Census, which will be available for both phases of the national enumeration exercise, officials said Monday.

In the country’s first digital census, enumerators will collect the data of citizens using mobile applications on their Android and Apple phones, they said.

It will also be the first time in the country that citizens will get a chance to self-enumerate through a dedicated web portal which will be available for both the phases of Census – Houselisting and Housing Census (HLO) and Population Enumeration.

“Digital Census initiative is a transformational step towards modernising the Census process. For the first time, technology will be used to collect data and send it electronically to the central server. This will result in early availability of Census data,” an official said.

Very stringent data security measures would be kept in place to ensure data security at the time of collection, transmission and storage.

HLO will start from April 1, 2026 followed by phase 2 starting on February 1, 2027 in which Population Enumeration (PE) will be conducted. Castes of household members will be enumerated in the ensuing Census.

Reference date for the Census 2027 will be 00:00 hrs of March 1, 2027 and 00:00 hrs of October 1, 2026 for Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir and snowbound non-synchronous areas of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

It will be the 16th Census since start of the exercise in the country and 8th after Independence, for which a gazette notification was issued on June 16.

The Registrar General of India has put in place a three-tier focused and need-based training for each phase–national trainer, master trainer and field trainer.

The field trainers will train around 34 lakh enumerators and supervisors for the massive exercise.

The RGI has told states and Union Territories to make any proposed changes in the boundaries of administrative units before December 31, when they will be considered final for the Census exercise.

In a letter to all states and Union Territories, Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India Mritunjay Kumar Narayan had said that for the Census, all villages and towns are divided into uniform enumeration blocks and for each block, an enumerator is assigned to avoid any miss or repetition during the population count.

According to norms, the Census can be conducted only three months after the freezing of boundary limits of administrative units such as districts, sub-districts, tehsils, talukas and police stations.

Narayan had said that from April 1, 2026, the Houselisting Operation, the appointment of supervisors and enumerators and the work division among them will be done, and on February 1, 2027, the Census of the population will begin.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

The genetic ancestries and their proportions in the Adivasi and Sinhalese are most similar to Dravidian speaking populations who live in southern India today.

Analyses of whole-genome sequence data of urban Sinhalese and two indigenous Adivasi clans in Sri Lanka, which live in geographically separated regions in the country, have shed light on the migratory history of these populations and their genetic relationship to each other and to many Indian populations.

The study, published recently in the journal Current Biology, found that Sinhalese and Adivasi are genetically closest to each other and to South Indians, but at a regional and fine-scale level, the two Adivasi clans are genetically distinct.

For the study, whole genomes of 35 urban Sinhalese individuals and 19 individuals from two indigenous Adivasi clans were sequenced. Of the 19 genomes of Adivasi clans that were sequenced, five were from among Interior Adivasi and 14 were from among Coastal Adivasi.

A genetic perspective

The sampling and data generation were possible due to the outreach efforts of Sri Lankan collaborator Ruwandi Ranasinghe, from the University of Colombo. In addition, the whole genome data of 35 Sri Lankan Tamils sampled in the U.K., which were already sequenced as part of the 1,000 Genomes Project, were included in the analyses.

Sinhalese chronicles and previous genetic studies had proposed that the Sinhalese people had migrated from northern or northwest India around 500 BCE, though their exact origins and migratory history are still debated. That the Sinhalese speak an Indo-European language, Sinhala, whose present-day distribution lies primarily in northern India, further supported the idea of their migration from northern India. But the current study contradicted the findings of the previous studies from a genetic perspective.

“The genetic ancestries and their proportions in the Adivasi and Sinhalese are most similar to Dravidian speaking populations, which live in Southern India today,” Niraj Rai of the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP), Lucknow, and one of the corresponding authors of the paper, told The Hindu.

“Even among South Indian populations, we find that the Sinhalese are genetically closest to those communities that have higher proportions of the so-called ASI or Ancestral South Indian ancestry,” Maanasa Raghavan, assistant professor at the University of Chicago and a corresponding author of the study, said.

“In contrast to many North Indians, these populations generally have lower levels of a genetic ancestry related to ancient groups from the Eurasian Steppe, proposed to have carried Indo-European languages into South Asia and that are today spoken widely in northern regions of India.”

Genes and linguistic affinities

But how does one reconcile the fact that the Sinhalese people speak a language that is classified as Indo-European, which today is spoken mostly in North India?

The authors explained that genes do not reflect linguistic affinities and that biological and cultural evolution can have different trajectories. They have speculated that this genetic-linguistic discordance may have been caused by the Sinhalese population having migrated from somewhere in North India geographically, but genetically speaking, the migration may have come from a group that resembles more South Indian Dravidian speakers today.

An alternative explanation is that a small group of Sinhalese people, perhaps representing the elite, might have migrated to Sri Lanka and transmitted the language but not the genes.

“If the Sinhalese were derived from a North Indian genetic cluster with higher Steppe-related ancestry, mixing had to have happened with ASI populations to dilute their genetic ancestries and pull them genetically closer to South Indian populations in our analyses. More anthropological studies are needed to fully understand these differing genetic and cultural affinities of the Sinhalese,” Raghavan said.

Support from anthropological studies

The time of formation of the Sinhalese genetic pool was dated in the study to about 3,000 years ago, falling within the range of dates displayed broadly by Indian and other Sri Lankan populations and around the time of the proposed migration date of the Sinhalese in the chronicles (500 BCE).

“The date our analysis reveals is interesting. It implies that the Sinhalese ancestors migrated to Sri Lanka fairly close in time to the dynamic genetic mixing events that were occurring about 2,000-4,000 years ago in India that created the ANI-ASI genetic spectrum we see in today’s populations,” Rai explained. (ANI stands for ‘ancestral north India’ and ASI for ‘ancestral south Indian’.)

Sinhalese chronicles also say that when the Sinhalese people migrated from India to Sri Lanka about 3,000 years ago, the Adivasi were already living in Sri Lanka. This is also supported by anthropological studies that propose that the Adivasi are descended from early hunter-gatherers in the region. The Adivasi are in fact traditionally hunter-gatherers and the Indigenous peoples of Sri Lanka.

“At a broad scale, Adivasi today look genetically very similar to the Sinhalese and Sri Lankan Tamil. This must mean that the Sinhalese, Sri Lankan Tamils, or other groups migrating from South India must have met the Adivasi, mixed with them heavily, and contributed to what is the present-day genetic structure of the Adivasi,” Raghavan said.

The Sinhalese and the Adivasi are close to each other and share broad-level genetic similarities. On a finer-scale demographic resolution, however, the study found that the two Adivasi clans are a bit different from the Sinhalese. The Adivasi have slightly higher levels of ancient hunter-gatherer ancestry than the Sinhalese and the Sri Lankan Tamils, and have maintained smaller population sizes over the course of their history, both of which support their traditional hunting and gathering lifestyle.

The Adivasi genomes also display signatures of endogamy, which appear as long stretches of DNA inherited from a common ancestor. The study further reported that a consequence of the low population size and endogamy is that the genetic diversity among the Adivasi is lower than that in the urban populations, which may have an impact on their health and disease status.

While both Adivasi clans have maintained lower population sizes compared to the Sinhalese and Sri Lankan Tamils, the authors found that the Interior Adivasi clan seemed to have undergone a stronger reduction in their population size compared to the Coastal Adivasi, leading to a greater loss of their genetic diversity.

“We find the two Adivasi clans — the Coastal Adivasi and the Interior Adivasi — also have some differences in their genetic ancestry arising due to distinct geographic separation between them,” Rai said.

This, according to Raghavan, indicated that the Interior Adivasi clan must have undergone stronger pressures, perhaps societal or environmental, to keep the population size lower compared to their Coastal counterparts. Explaining how the two Adivasi clans are more similar to each other, but still have genetic differences at a fine scale, she said that this basically means at some point in time, due to geographic separation, the genetic and lifestyle attributes of the two clans started to drift apart.

Capturing the population history

In fact, the fragmented nature of the Adivasi clans also impacted the study sampling strategy. While 35 individuals representing the two large groups — Sinhalese and Sri Lankan Tamils — have been included in the analyses, the numbers for the two Adivasi populations were small: five from among the interior Adivasi and 14 from among the Coastal Adivasi.

Though it would be ideal to keep matched sample sizes of different populations for genetic analyses, the reason for including only small numbers for the two Adivasi clans was because the Adivasi communities today are very fragmented.

“Historical, anthropological, as well as our genetic results all suggest that these communities live in small sizes and practice endogamy,” Raghavan said. “Because of endogamy, a lot of these individuals tend to be quite related to one another. Having really high relatedness in a group impacts the genetic analyses because then everybody’s going to look like each other. So that’s why our sample sizes were lower for the two Adivasi clans.”

Despite the number of individuals representing the two Adivasi clans being small, the researchers were able to recapture the entire population history of these two groups. The study was able to address the questions that the researchers set out to do despite the Adivasi sample sizes being small, according to Raghavan.

“Since every individual’s genome is a mosaic of their ancestor’s genomes, even a small number of individuals can represent their population’s genetic histories. Moreover, we didn’t find any genetic outliers within the Adivasi clans. So, all the sampled individuals fit into the model that we propose,” Rai clarified.

“This is the first time that high-resolution genome data have been sequenced from multiple populations in Sri Lanka, including the Indigenous Adivasi and urban Sinhalese, to understand the deeply rooted ancestries and their population histories,” Rai added.

Broadly, the study has important implications for how humans moved across South Asia and highlights the high degree of interconnectedness between India and Sri Lanka over millennia.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)