A national effort is needed to develop and produce advanced and exotic materials to drive the future space programme, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman K. Sivan has said. Along with high propulsion systems for its launch vehicles, the ISRO is pursuing materials that have extraordinary properties, such as aluminium …

The appointment of Satyapal Malik as J&K Governor on Tuesday, the first politician to hold that post since militancy hit the State in the 1980s, is a clear pointer to the government’s thinking. According to senior sources in the Union government, the choice of Mr. Malik, a seasoned politician who …

State’s longest-serving Chief Minister says the government does not give attention to States that are doing well Sikkim is the most peaceful State and the Centre should consider it for a peace bonus, Pawan Chamling , the State’s longest serving Chief Minister, who has been elected CM five times consecutively …

China on Wednesday offered to play a “constructive role” to ease tensions between India and Pakistan. “We welcome the positive remarks made by the Indian and Pakistani leaders on improving their bilateral relations,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said at his regular media briefing. Mr. Lu was referring to …

Wonderla, a leading amusement park operator, has threatened to scrap its investment plans in Tamil Nadu if the government does not withdraw the 10% local body tax (LBT). Amusement parks in the State pay a 10% LBT levied by the Tamil Nadu government over and above the 18% Goods and …

The Kerala government has asked the Centre to go by the 2016 National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP) while taking a call on the UAE government’s offer of Rs. 700 crore in assistance or compensate the State for the loss of such a hefty sum. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi had welcomed …

The Malayalam State of Cochin, small as it is, has achieved a reputation for being in the ranks of the most advanced and progressive Native States in India. In one respect at least Cochin is distinctly in the leading position and that is in the education of its women, and …

On two films, past and present, and the Indian Muslims’ loyalty Reviews of the recently released film, Mulk , remind me of the 1974 classic,Garam Hava , in which the late Balraj Sahni excelled himself in the role of Salim Mirza. Both films deal with the question of the loyalty …

How the controversy has affected India-U.K. ties What is the issue? Britain has long insisted that too many Indians have been overstaying their visas. It has cited this as a reason for not relaxing visa rules for Indians. In 2016, British Prime Minister Theresa May had said that Britain would …

As Greece celebrates its exit from bailout plans, its creditors must chip in On Tuesday, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras chose Ithaca, home to Odysseus, the protagonist of Homer’s epic, and the place to which he returns after a decade of being lost at sea, to announce the end of …

Punjab’s proposal to provide for a life termfor sacrilege is excessive and undesirable The Punjab Cabinet’s decision to amend the law to make acts of sacrilege against the holy books of major religions punishable with life imprisonment is retrograde and fraught with undesirable consequences. It may also set off a …

The Indonesian President’s choice for running mateis disappointing, though not surprising Indonesian elections have a history of generating strange bedfellows. Yet, even by Indonesia’s flexible standards, President Joko Widodo’s recent announcement of his running mate for the 2019 general elections is disappointing, if not altogether surprising. His pick, Ma’ruf Amin, …

Extraordinary changes are required to prevent a ‘hothouse earth’ pathway Just when we thought the news on climate change could not get worse, a group of scientists have published a paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences deliberating on how the planet might move into a high …

Scientific achievement will only happen in a culture which celebrates great art, philosophy, sports The Fields Medal, popularly seen as the equivalent of a Nobel Prize, is awarded once in four years to two-four mathematicians below the age of 40. In its long history, no woman had won this medal …

Donald Trump’s trade war ignores the complexity of world supply chains and glosses over issues within U.S. industry In U.S. President Donald Trump’s simplistic world-view, slapping tariffs on the U.S.’s main trading partners — Canada, China, the European Union, and Mexico — will reduce U.S. trade deficits, bring back well-paying …

Singapore has laws against homosexuality Paris Jackson has apologised for appearing on the front cover ofHarper’s Bazaarmagazine in Singapore, which has laws against homosexuality, after the bisexual actress came under fire for ‘hypocrisy’. She sparked a storm of criticism after posting an Instagram picture of the cover of the September …

The deposits are patchily distributed and could possibly be ancient Scientists have confirmed the presence of frozen water deposits in the darkest and coldest parts of the moon’s polar regions using data from the Chandrayaan-I spacecraft, that was launched by India 10 years ago, NASA said on Tuesday. With enough …

Company developing more than 11 electric vehicle projects globally: Bhade Tata Technologies Ltd. has emerged as a leading end-to-end developer of electric vehicles (EVs) for global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and start-ups, a top executive said.“We reinvented the company to be ready for the EV play,” said Anand Bhade, president, …

Fund inflows into segment plunge to Rs. 22 cr. from Rs. 5,650 cr. The capital markets regulator’s decision last year to reclassify mutual fund schemes to help bring uniformity in investment strategy and asset allocation seems to have made the small cap universe a big casualty, with a bulk of …

Average realisation is more than 50%, says IBBI chairperson M.S. Sahoo , chairperson of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) talks about the success of the IBC process, challenges and the way forward. Edited excerpts: What’s the status of resolution of cases under the IBC in terms of resolution? …