K Kasturirangan, former chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), passed away at the age of 84 in Bengaluru on Friday. He was suffering from age-related ailments for the past few months. Kasturirangan, who also served as the chairperson of the drafting committee on the New National Education Policy (NEP), was a renowned space scientist and had a distinguished career spanning several decades. He was known for his contributions to ISRO's successful space programs and his role in shaping India's education policy.
Top space scientist and former Indian Space Research Organisation chief K Kasturirangan Tuesday asserted that the country was capable of dealing with International Atomic Energy Agency inspections of its nuclear installations.
Ram Jethmalani, Hema Malini, Dara Singh and four other nominated members of the Rajya Sabha will complete their term on August 26, enabling the United Progressive Alliance government to get own choice of persons of eminence nominated by President Pratibha Patil.
'It was specifically mentioned in the Gadgil Committee report that this particular area where the colossal landside happened now should be in the Environmentally Sensitive Area under Zone 1.' 'Zone 1 is the most important and ecologically sensitive area, and that it has to be protected entirely.' 'At least 90% of the Wayanad disaster is man-made.'
'If the Kasturirangan Committee report is implemented, the mining and quarrying lobbies will flourish... It will be disastrous for the environment... There will be water shortage, there will be pollution. Finally, farmers will have to quit the area.' Dr V S Vijayan, a member of the Gadgil Committee, points out how the Kasturirangan Committee report will hit both people living in the Western Ghats as well as the plains.
'Heavy rains are not the primary reason for landslides in Wayanad.' 'There are all sorts of (human) intervention going on in that area.'
'English must be taught extremely well to all children in all schools, and especially so in those schools where the medium of instruction until Grade 5/8 is in the mother tongue/local language/regional language.'
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee makes momos at a local stall in Darjeeling.
'When a Project Director is appointed, the whole organization -- including the Chairman ISRO -- works for his success. It is a lesson that has been of abiding value all through the other projects I have worked on,' recalls the late President, one of the earliest pioneers at ISRO.
What some of our leaders were up to on Thursday and Thursday.
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh spent the second half of Tuesday with Union Ministers and senior officials to prepare himself for Wednesday's proposed meeting with editors.
On the morning of February 15, ISRO will hurl into space using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle three Indian satellites and 101 small foreign satellites. No other country has ever tried to hit a century in a single mission.
The ISRO spy case is dead. And yet, not dead.
The European space agency would be asked to launch the INSAT-4A and INSAT-4B spacecraft.
'The pandemic ends only when 70 per cent of the world is vaccinated with two doses.'
'It is high time that we act instead of just talking about how and why the climate is changing.'
'One remembers Professor Rao with fondness as the man who gave the space programme a very professional front face, a very different appearance from the raw energy of a Vikram Sarabhai or the polished passion of a Dr Satish Dhawan.'
"The policy draft has been approved. The ministry has been renamed as education ministry," a senior HRD ministry official said. The existing NEP was framed in 1986 and revised in 1992. A new education policy was part of the Bharatiya Janata Party's manifesto ahead of the 2014 general election.
Asked if the lander was 'damaged' during the 'hard landing", Sivan said: "That we do not know".
'India has got a unique opportunity to get more and more business from outside as India is cost-effective and reliable.'
A rebellion by NCP leaders in Sindhudurg may scuttle Congress MP Nilesh Rane's chances of regaining the seat. Neeta Kolhatkar explains the politics behind the turmoil in Maharashtra's Konkan region.
'Water is not an economic resource, but we treat water as an economic resource meant for the benefit of human beings.' 'Water is more of a life source than an economic resource.'
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances