NATIONAL: DEFENCE / SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY : India’s DRDO Tests for First Time its Phase Two BMD Interceptor AD-1,Long-Range Interceptor Missile

India on Wednesday conducted a critical test to validate and showcase its ballistic missile defence (BMD) capabilities to intercept long-range missiles, the defence ministry said.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully tested for the first time a long-range interceptor missile, called AD-1, designed for both low exo-atmospheric and endo-atmospheric interception of ballistic missiles and fighter planes, officials familiar with the matter said.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh described the missile as a “unique type of interceptor” equipped with advanced technologies available only with a few countries.

India has made significant advances in developing endo-atmospheric and exo-atmospheric intercept systems to destroy incoming hostile missiles within and outside the atmospheric limits, respectively. The two systems have been integrated for a multi-layered defence against ballistic missiles, the officials said.

The phase-II BMD interceptor AD-1 missile with a “large kill altitude bracket” was tested from the APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast. “The flight test was carried out with participation of all BMD weapon system elements located at different geographical locations,” the ministry said in a statement.

India is pursuing its BMD programme in two phases – the first phase has been completed while the second is underway, the officials said. The second phase is for validating intercept systems in a new range category, they said.

The AD-1 missile is propelled by a two-stage solid motor and equipped with an indigenously-developed advanced control system, and navigation and guidance algorithm to precisely guide the vehicle to the target, the ministry said.

“During the flight test, all the sub-systems performed as per expectations and were validated by the data captured by a number of range sensors including radar, telemetry and electro-optical tracking stations deployed to capture the flight data.”

The defence minister said the new missile will further strengthen the country’s BMD capability to the next level, even as DRDO chief Samir V Kamat said the interceptor will provide immense operational flexibility to the users to engage different types of targets.

The integrated exo and endo-atmospheric systems offer a hit-to-kill probability of 99.8 per cent, as previously reported.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: PARTICIPATION IN WW1: October 29th, 1918 – On ‘Sharqat Day’, Homage paid to the ‘114th Marathas’ Maratha Light Infantry Regimental Centre (MLIRC), for their Supreme Sacrifice in World War I

The Maratha Light Infantry Regimental Centre (MLIRC) in Belagavi district of Karnataka observed the 114th ‘Sharqat Day’ to pay homage to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives on this day in 1918 during the First World War in erstwhile Mesopotamia, now in present day Iraq.

Officers paid their homage by laying wreaths at the Sharqat War Memorial to the brave hearts of the infantry regiment who made the supreme sacrifice.

“The 114 Marathas wrote an immortal saga with their blood, courage and endurance. In recognition of their gallant act and valour, the Battalion was awarded the Battle Honour ‘Sharqat’,” a defence public relation officer said in a statement.

In this particular action, the unit won two Distinguished Service Orders, four Military Cross, six Indian Order of Merit, 16 Indian Distinguished Service Medals and eight Mention in Dispatches, with a combined total of 36 gallantry awards which till today have not been surpassed by any unit of the Indian Army in a single operation, the statement said. PTI GMS

source/content: theprint.in (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: SPORTS / BADMINTON: 18-year Shuttler Sankar Muthusamy Bags Silver in BWF World Junior Championships, Santander, Spain

It’s been a week to remember for budding shuttler Sankar Muthusamy. Up against some of the finest talents around the world, the 18-year-old showed his prowess with the racquet to stand apart. Entering the court for his final match in the BWF World Junior Championship in Santander, Spain on Sunday, Sankar had a chance to claim the top prize and enter the history books. However, things didn’t go according to Sankar’s script as his opponent, clearly superior on the day, outwitted him to take the gold instead.

Facing Kuo Kuan Lin of Chinese Taipei, Sankar was always playing the chasing game with his much taller and stronger opponent unleashing some big cross-court smashes in the opening game. Kuo was attacking Sankar’s, who’s left-handed, backhand. Sankar also showed grit, especially in the second game but that was too little, too late. Towards the end, he saved six game points to bring the contest to life. However, Kuo maintained his composure to win 21-14, 22-20.

Despite the loss, it goes without saying the silver medal effort is a massive boost for Sankar, who had won five matches to reach final.

Unlike some big performers in the country, the youngster is not from the well-known Gopichand Academy in Hyderabad or the Prakash Padukune Badminton Academy, institutes who have a reputation of  producing champions at will. Coming from Fireball Academy in Chennai, Sankar had been ticking the right boxes in recent years to help him come so far.

He is also repaying the faith put on him by his parents. His father had taken voluntary retirement to give more attention to him. And it goes without saying, they have spent a lot on his travels, something that has helped him attain match practice and learn about the sport. That had also helped him No 1 status (August 2022) in BWF junior rankings, an important stat that showed that he’s someone to be watched closely.  His coach Aravind Swamiappan has been with him for over a decade, helping him learn the nuances of the game.

Just a week or so back, Sankar and his coach had encountered off-the-field issues, something that forced him to sit out of the mixed team event of the championship at the eleventh hour. That had also meant that his participation for the individual event was in doubt. 

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: NATION BUILDING / COMMEMORATION: October 31st ‘National Unity Day ‘: HM leads Birth Anniversary Celebrations of Sardar Vallabhai Patel in Delhi

The celebration will also include the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas pledge ceremony near the Mahatma Gandhi statue in New Delhi.

Union home minister Amit Shah will on Monday participate in the ‘Tribute to Sardar Vallabhai Patel’ programme to mark the 147th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in New Delhi, also observed as the National Unity Day or Rashtriya Ekta Diwas.

Shah will flag off the ‘Run for Unity’ marathon from the national stadium where around 8,000 people are expected to participate. The Delhi Traffic Police has issued an advisory citing alternate routes and diversions from 6:45 am to 9 am to ensure safety for the participants of the marathon.

Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan will lead the ‘Run for Unity’ from Delhi University. DU vice-chancellor professor Yogesh Singh, along with principals, teachers, senior officials, administrative staff and students of CBSE schools, Kendriya Vidyalaya will also participate.

The celebration will also include the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas pledge ceremony near the Mahatma Gandhi statue and an address by Pradhan. Special exhibits on the life of Sardar Patel will be displayed at Jawahar Park.

Shah has written to all states asking them to organise 75,000 unity runs – 100 in each of the country’s 750 districts.

As part of the celebrations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Kevadia in Gujarat to pay homage to Sardar Patel at the Statue of Unity, participate in the Ekta Diwas parade and later address civil service trainees of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: ARTS & CULTURE / SPIRITUALITY: Golden Jubilee of the Buddhist ‘Dhauligiri Shanti Stupa Pagoda Monument’, Dhauli, Odisha

The stupa was built jointly in 1972 by the Japan Buddha Sangh and the Kalinga Nippon Buddha Sangh

Hundreds of monks from across the globe thronged the famous Dhauligiri Shanti Stupa Pagoda, a symbol of peace associated with the Buddhist culture, on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar to mark the golden jubilee celebration of the monument on Friday.

The dome-shaped stupa atop the Dhauli hill on the banks of river Daya, about 10km from here, recalls the famous Kalinga war and the transformation of king Ashoka from a tyrant into a benevolent monarch. However, the monument remained neglected by the authorities for a long time.

The stupa was built jointly in 1972 by the Japan Buddha Sangh and the Kalinga Nippon Buddha Sangh.

It was constructed under the supervision of the chief priest of Nipponzan Myohoji, Nichidatsu Fuji Guruji of Japan, who came to India in the early part of 1930s from Mt. Minobu in Japan, the original holy place of the Nichiren Sect. In late 1960s, he was requested by the Buddhist monks to set up a stupa here. Following a request from Buddhist monks, the Odisha government also agreed to provide land for the monument. He stayed at the Dhauli hill, which was revered by Buddhists because of the legend that king Ashoka had converted to Buddhism in the wake of Kalinga war here.

Here Emperor Ashoka is believed to have renounced violence after watching the bloodshed in the battle of Kalinga fought in the foothills of Dhauli and adopted non-violence after converting into the Buddhist faith.

The famous Ashokan edicts enshrining his decrees for the welfare of people and even animals within his empire are still treasured at a site close to the base of Dhauli hill. The pagoda on the hilltop is adorned by the statues of the reclining Buddha, an elephant procession, the Bodhi tree, and footprints of Buddha bearing the chakra (wheel).

Taking part in the celebrations, Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik said: “Let us work together to spread the message of peace and create a safer world for our future generation.”

Delving into the glorious history of Odisha, he said that the state’s history starts with Dhauli and the Kalinga war. Although the war ended with massive bloodshed, Dhauli continues to sing about the moral victory of the entire humanity. “It is this place where Ashoka realised the futility of war and bloodshed and embraced Buddhism. In fact, Dhauli changed the course of world history by spreading the message of global peace and harmony,” Naveen said.

Stating that Dhauli Peace Pagoda is a great creation of modern architecture, Naveen said: “It bears testimony of Indo-Japanese friendship that stands for global peace and mutual cooperation. The place will continue to spread the message of peace for all the time to come.”

Offering tributes to Fuji Guruji, he said: “On the eve of this momentous occasion, I offer my sincere tributes to most revered Nichidatsu Fuji Guruji of Japan, Founder and Preceptor of Nipponzan Myohoji, for his invaluable contribution in building this “Biswa Shanti Stupa” at Dhauli. Further, the steps taken by Kalinga-Nippon Buddha Sangha to make it happen is also appreciated.”

Naveen also announced the construction of instream storage on the Daya. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 95 crore.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

WORLD EVENT IN INDIA: The United Nations Security Council’s (UNSC) ‘Counter Terrorism Committee’ To Meet in India For The First Time. The 2-Day Event is both in Mumbai and Delhi.

The high profile two-day event will take place in Mumbai and Delhi. Symbolically the meeting will begin with UN members paying homage to the victims of  the deadly 2008 terror attacks in  Mumbai’s Taj Mahal hotel.

The United Nations Security Council’s Counter Terrorism Committee  will  meet in India this weekend.  At a time when the world is distracted by Russia’s Ukraine war, the two-day anti-terror meeting will help remind the international community that terror groups continue to threaten world peace and  though many  major groups like the Al Qaeda and ISIS may be lying low at the moment, they can resurface any time. It is important for countries to stay one step ahead and put in place a system to counter the use of new technology by terror outfits. Since 9/11 the UN has been actively engaged in encouraging countries to work together to fight this scourge.

A host of dignitaries, including British foreign secretary James Cleverly, foreign secretary of Gabon who is also president of the United Nations Security Council Michael Moussa ADAMO, Ghana’s foreign minister  Shirley Ayorkar Botchwey, UAE’s minister of state for international cooperation Reem Ebrahim Al Hashimy, Albania’s deputy foreign minister of Albani Megi Fino is expected to attend. The UN counter terror delegation headed by under-secretary general Vladimir Voronkov, will also be present. This is the first time that the Special Meeting of the UN Counter Terrorism Committee is meeting in India.

The high profile two-day event will take place in Mumbai and Delhi. Symbolically the meeting will begin with UN members paying homage to the victims of  the deadly 2008 terror attacks in  Mumbai’s Taj Mahal hotel. India’s foreign minister Subramanyam Jaishankar will attend along with representatives of the UN Security Council. A wreath will be laid in memory of the victims.

Some family members of the victims of the 26/11 attack will speak at the ceremony. “We will be honoured to hear the voices of the victims of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks as well as the 2016 Brussels bombings. The meeting will be followed by an informal session on combating terror financing in the local and regional context,”  Ruchira Kamboj, India’s permanent representative to the UN said. She was addressing a news conference in Delhi. She is the chair of the UN Counter Terrorism Committee.

Kamboj also made the point that there can be nor “good or bad terrorists” and pointedly added: “Those who propagate this distinction have an agenda and those who cover up for them are just as culpable.” This was an obvious reference to the China-Pakistan axis, and the fact that China had blocked India’s recent move to sanction some Pakistan based terrorists.

“We cannot think of a better place to hold this meeting than right here in India. Not just because it is the world’s largest democracy, but also because India is a society where a host of cultures and religions coexist and because India is an innovation and technology powerhouse,” ANI quoted  David Scharia, the head of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (UN-CTED), as saying : “Sadly, India is also the right place to hold this meeting because of its own long and tragic experience with terrorism,” he added.

On Saturday the members will travel to Delhi  for a high level ministerial plenary session, where Jaishankar and the visiting dignitaries will get down to take stock of the situation. The focus will be on  terror financing online ,  possible use of  drones  and social media by terror groups.    

“The special meeting will serve to reflect on recent developments and the latest evidence-based research regarding the threats posed by the use of these technologies for terrorist purposes as well as global efforts to counter these threats while respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms,”  Ruchira Kamboj said. 

source/content: outlookindia.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: SPORTS/CRICKET: 19-yr-old Vikramjit Singh to Don Netherlands Jersey at T20 World Cup, playing for Netherlands

Family fled Punjab in the 80’s, 19-yr-old at T20 World Cup for Netherlands

Vikramjit Singh, tipped to be one of the brightest cricketing talents in the Netherlands, will take guard against India, the country of his forefathers, on Thursday, which he calls “the biggest match of my international career”.

On a cold December night in 1984, Khushi Cheema returned home and asked his wife to pack their belongings. The following day, the Sikh family from village Cheema Khurd near Jalandhar boarded a train for Delhi. During the 52-km ride, 5-year-old Harpreet kept asking his father where they were going. He only got a smile as an answer.

“I can never forget that night and the next morning. It still feels like it happened yesterday. My father took that decision to keep his family safe after the rise of insurgency in Punjab during the mid-1980s,” Harpreet tells The Indian Express over phone from Amstelveen in the Netherlands.

Cut to the present, Khushi Cheema is back on his farm in Jalandhar, and Harpreet is running a transportation company in Amstelveen.

His 19-year-old grandson, Vikramjit Singh, tipped to be one of the brightest cricketing talents in the Netherlands, will take guard against India, the country of his forefathers, on Thursday, which he calls “the biggest match of my international career”

After the win against Pakistan in the opening game, India will start as favourites against a nation where cricket isn’t a mass sport.

“I was five when I came to the Netherlands. It was very hard; you didn’t know the language, it was a completely different culture. It took me a few years to settle down,” says Harpreet.

He goes down memory lane, recollecting his family’s hardships and the discrimination he faced growing up.

“Back then, there was racism. I faced a lot because of my skin colour, turban and beard,” says Harpreet.

But with time, things eased. Khushi Cheema, who started driving a taxi in his new country, handed over his transportation company to his son before moving back to India in 2000.

“My father handed over the business to me and moved back to India. He said his duty as a father was done, we are well settled here now, and he wanted to go back to his pind (village), to his people,” Harpreet says.

The family’s bond with India was too strong to cut off. Vikramjit was born in Cheema Khurd and he moved to the Netherlands only after he turned seven. He never had to face problems like his father.

At 11, he was spotted at an U-12 tournament by then Dutch skipper Peter Borren, who spent hours and hours in the nets to groom the youngster. He also got a sponsorship from Beat All Sports (BAS), a sports goods manufacturers company that made bats for Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh.

At 15, he was already in the Netherlands ‘A’ side and two years later, made his senior team debut.

“For me, cricket started in Cheema Khurd. When I moved to the Netherlands, I used to go with my father as he used to play in the local leagues. At 12, I played alongside him when he was captain,” Vikramjit says from Sydney.

Borren got Vikramjit enrolled at his club VRA, Amsterdam, where he was captain.

“Not sure what he saw in me but I feel lucky that someone like Peter, with so much international experience, is my mentor. He has guided me throughout my cricketing career so far,” says Vikramjit.

It is not easy to be a professional cricketer in a country obsessed with football with a cricket season ending in September before resuming in March.

Here, Harpreet came to his son’s rescue. During his playing days, he had become friends with Amit Uniyal, a former Punjab and Rajasthan Royals bowler, who used to play league cricket with him in the Netherlands. From 2015-16 to 2019-20, the youngster spent six months at Uniyal’s Gurusagar Cricket Academy in Chandigarh.

“I had my doubts first. NRI kid, will he be able to train twice a day? Will he be able to get along with the local lads? But he surprised me with his temperament, his immense self-belief and hard work. He never complained and I am not surprised to see his rise in International cricket,” says Uniyal.

In 2021, Vikramjit shifted his base to Jalandhar and started training with former India U-19 player Taruwar Kohli, who also used to play for a club in Amsterdam.

“One of the reason was that Taruwar Kohli’s Powerplay Cricket Academy was near my village (Khurd Cheema), and now my mother doesn’t have to worry about me anymore. It was kind of exhausting for her too. Above all, I got to spend more time with my Dadu (grandfather),” says Vikramjit, who has gifted his Netherlands jersey to his grandfather, a die-hard cricket fan.

source/content: indianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: HEALTH & MEDICAL SERVICES / RESEARCH / ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE(AI) : IIT Guwahati develops AI model to Predict Bone Repair Outcomes after Surgery

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati have developed an Artificial Intelligence (AI) model to predict the healing of thigh bone fractures after surgery.

According to the team, the model can be used to assess the healing outcomes of different fracture fixation strategies so that an optimum strategy can be chosen for the patient depending on their personal physiologies and fracture type.

Using such precision models can reduce the healing time, and lighten the economic burden and pain for patients who need thigh fracture treatment, they said.

The results of the research have recently been published in open-source journal, “PLoS One”.

“AI has tremendous potential when it comes to understanding and predicting complex biological phenomena and hence, can play a big role in health sciences applications,” said Souptick Chanda, Assistant Professor, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Guwahati.

The research team has used a combination of Finite Element Analysis and the AI tool “Fuzzy Logic” to understand the healing process of fracture after various treatment methods.

Various bone growth parameters were used along with a rule-based simulation scheme for this purpose.

The study further examined the influence of different screw fixation mechanisms to compare the fracture healing efficacies of each process.

The predictions of healing made by the model agreed well with experimental observations, pointing to its reliability.

“Our simulation model can potentially help a surgeon choose the right implant or technique before a fracture treatment surgery. In addition to various biological and patient-specific parameters, the model can also account for different clinical phenomena, such as smoking, diabetes, etc. The model can also be adapted for veterinary fractures which are, physiologically and in various aspects, similar to those occurring in humans,” Chanda added.

The researchers plan to develop a software or app based on the algorithm that can be used in hospitals and other healthcare institutions as part of their fracture treatment protocols.

The team is presently collaborating with Dr Bhaskar Borgohain and his team of orthopaedists from the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences Hospital, Shillong, for animal studies to validate and fine-tune certain parameters.

“The research is useful because incidences of thigh bone and hip fractures have increased significantly due to the increasing geriatric population in the world. An estimated 2 lakh hip fractures occur every year in India alone, most of which require hospitalisation and trauma care. Treatment for hip fractures traditionally includes bone plates and rods to bridge the fracture site and promote bone healing,” said Pratik Nag, research scholar at IIT Guwahati.

“Fracture treatment methods are intuitively chosen by surgeons based on their experience, and there is no way of predicting the efficacy and success of the treatment method chosen. Our research will help increase the accuracy rate in decision-making in orthopaedics, thereby reducing the cost and disease burden associated with fracture recovery,” he added.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: DEFENCE/SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY/ ENGINEERING: Indian Navy & Drone Federation of India Collaborate to Promote Indigenous Development of Drones

The Technology Development and Acceleration Cell of the Naval Innovation Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) under the Indian Navy and Drone Federation of India (DFI) have come together to collaborate towards promoting indigenous development, manufacturing and testing of drone, counter-drone, and associated technologies for the Indian Navy.

As a part of this collaboration, TDAC and DFI will increase the Navy-Industry-Academia synergy, source technology development challenges towards component indigenisation. A special maritime drone testing site shall also be earmarked for the Indian drone industry to facilitate faster development and testing of drones especially in maritime environments, thus enabling development for a host of applications.

Additionally, programmes on sensitisation and skill development shall also be undertaken as a part of this collaboration. “TDAC has been working towards accelerating the development of indigenous technologies to be utilised by the Indian Navy. Our collaboration with the Drone Federation of India will help us in developing a deeper industry connection as well as create a stronger roadmap for induction of drone platforms in the Indian Navy in a time-bound manner.” said Cmde A. P. Golaya, VSM, OiC TDAC, Indian Navy.

“It is a proud moment for the Indian drone industry to have established a partnership with the Indian Navy to build and test superior drone platforms. The maritime testing site being developed under this initiative will accelerate the development of versatile and reliable drone platforms for advanced maritime use cases like maritime patrol, drone landings on moving ships, ship to ship deliveries, ship to shore deliveries, etc.” said Smit Shah, President, Drone Federation of India

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: LEADER/U.K PRIME MINISTER: “Greatest Privilege”: Rishi Sunak, First Indian-Origin UK Prime Minister.

UK is facing an economically toxic combination of recession and rising interest rates. Critics blame the economic downturn on the Conservative Party and what they call its “series of miscalculations”.

Rishi Sunak is the next Prime Minister of UK, tasked to steer the economically floundering nation days after his predecessor Liz Truss stepped down, conceding defeat.

At age 42, he is the youngest and the first person of colour to hold the post.

source/content: ndtv.com (headline edited)