News for 'Task Force Pioneer'

Technocrat-politician Ashok Lahiri to steer NITI Aayog with reform mandate

Technocrat-politician Ashok Lahiri to steer NITI Aayog with reform mandate

Rediff.com27 Apr 2026

Ashok Lahiri, a distinguished economist with experience in government, the private sector, and electoral politics, has been appointed as the new Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog, tasked with strengthening India's reform trajectory and policy-making.

India's 'Tiger Man' Valmik Thapar dies at 73

India's 'Tiger Man' Valmik Thapar dies at 73

Rediff.com31 May 2025

Thapar had strong reservations about Project Cheetah, India's initiative to reintroduce African cheetahs into the wild. He argued that India does not have the necessary habitat or prey base to support free-ranging cheetahs and that the authorities lacked experience in managing spotted felines in the wild.

A Nuclear Scientist Who Advocated Disarmament

A Nuclear Scientist Who Advocated Disarmament

Rediff.com4 Jun 2025

M R Srinivasan focused on the peaceful use of nuclear power at a time when the popular view among the 'hawks' was that India should build a nuclear arsenal as a deterrent.

Gaganyaan To Head To Space In Early 2027

Gaganyaan To Head To Space In Early 2027

Rediff.com25 Aug 2025

The Human-rated LVM3 vehicle, the Crew Escape System and the Crew Module and Service Module are all in final stages of testing and integration.

It's Time to Update Army Regiment Names

It's Time to Update Army Regiment Names

Rediff.com2 Jul 2025

>The Indian Army still uses old British-era names and recruits soldiers based on caste or region, which hurts national unity, argues Colonel K Thammayya Udupa (retd).

He Wants To Set Up Fuel Stations In Space!

He Wants To Set Up Fuel Stations In Space!

Rediff.com20 Feb 2025

'It is our duty to keep space sustainable and free of debris.'

Hasina's dictatorship destroyed every Bangladeshi institution: Yunus

Hasina's dictatorship destroyed every Bangladeshi institution: Yunus

Rediff.com18 Aug 2024

The chief adviser alleged elections held under Hasina's regime were "rigged blatantly and generations of young people grew up without exercising their voting rights."

Sydney gunman demands Islamic State flag, wants talks with Aus PM

Sydney gunman demands Islamic State flag, wants talks with Aus PM

Rediff.com15 Dec 2014

A gunman holding hostages at a popular cafe in Sydney has demanded delivery of an Islamic State flag and a conversation with Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, a media report said on Monday.

How the Bangladesh Air Force was born

How the Bangladesh Air Force was born

Rediff.com10 Dec 2021

'Overnight, the Chetak had new markings and thereafter flew on the call sign, Echo-Bravo-Romeo.' 'By all accounts, this was the first aircraft of the Bangladesh Air Force.'

Pioneering paws: Army using dogs to detect COVID to cut time delay

Pioneering paws: Army using dogs to detect COVID to cut time delay

Rediff.com9 Feb 2021

Two dogs -- two-year-old cocker spaniel Casper and one-year-old Jaya, a 'chippiparai', which is an indigenous breed from Tamil Nadu -- have been trained to detect COVID-19 by sniffing samples of sweat and urine, senior Army officials said.

Sydney siege gunman identified as Iranian

Sydney siege gunman identified as Iranian

Rediff.com15 Dec 2014

The Australian media has identified the gunman as Haron Monis, who was granted political asylum in Australia.

Indian cricketers' security tightened in Brisbane after hostage crisis

Indian cricketers' security tightened in Brisbane after hostage crisis

Rediff.com15 Dec 2014

No decision yet on the fate of the Sydney Test, which starts December 26, but for us the tour is still on, says the Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary, Sanjay Patel.

Infosys employee among Sydney siege hostages

Infosys employee among Sydney siege hostages

Rediff.com15 Dec 2014

An Infosys employee is among those being held hostage by an unidentified armed man who stormed a downtown cafe in Sydney, the IT major said on Monday.

Is India's 5G dream in trouble?

Is India's 5G dream in trouble?

Rediff.com21 Dec 2020

Nivedita Mookerji explains why a timely rollout of 5G may not be easy in India.

Full text: President's address to the nation on the eve of Republic Day 2023

Full text: President's address to the nation on the eve of Republic Day 2023

Rediff.com25 Jan 2023

Here's the full text of address to the nation by President Droupadi Murmu on the eve of the Republic Day 2023.

In Photos: The Man Who Will Be Crowned King

In Photos: The Man Who Will Be Crowned King

Rediff.com5 May 2023

A look back at many memorable moments in his life as Prince Charles.

When the IAF trained Pakistani pilots!

When the IAF trained Pakistani pilots!

Rediff.com17 Feb 2021

Air Commodore Nitin Sathe discovers how the IAF trained Pakistani air force pilots, during the 1971 War, which led to the birth of the Bangladesh air force.

Elite dogs to guard Delhi when Obamas come visiting

Elite dogs to guard Delhi when Obamas come visiting

Rediff.com12 Jan 2015

A special sniffer dog squad of Indo-Tibetan Border Patrol has been brought in to the national capital to sanitise the locations which are on the itinerary of US President Barack Obama for his visit later this month to take part in the Republic Day celebrations.

Sydney hostage crisis continues, 5 flee cafe

Sydney hostage crisis continues, 5 flee cafe

Rediff.com15 Dec 2014

Several people, including an Indian techie, were taken hostage by an armed man at a popular caf in Sydney and forced to display an Islamic flag, triggering a security alert in Australia and leading to evacuation of key buildings, including the Indian Consulate.

When Vishal Dadlani got it horribly wrong

When Vishal Dadlani got it horribly wrong

Rediff.com6 Sep 2016

'Politics and religion is a dangerous mix in India and anybody even remotely seen crossing the line is taken to task.'

The visionary who made Indian IT industry global

The visionary who made Indian IT industry global

Rediff.com7 Dec 2020

One should appreciate the sagacity and audacity of JRD and Nani Palkhivala in founding TCS on April 1, 1968. At that time there was no Microsoft or Intel, SAP or Accenture, much less Google.
They needed a person who could build and execute their vision: A frontiersman; a problem solver and an institution builder. It was their and India's good fortune that Faqir Chand Kohli more than measured up to their requirements and indeed laid the foundation to take TCS to unimaginable heights and to the giant success that it is today. Shivanand Kanavi salutes the incomparable F C Kohli, who passed into the ages last week.

When robots turn into surgeons

When robots turn into surgeons

Rediff.com28 Jul 2016

Doctors say robots reduce fatigue and give them greater precision.

India is ready for problem-solving politicians: Nandan Nilekani

India is ready for problem-solving politicians: Nandan Nilekani

Rediff.com15 Mar 2014

After a five-year stint as chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India, Nandan Nilekani is set to contest the Lok Sabha elections from the Bangalore South constituency on a Congress ticket.

How a pizza pole helped Bindra win gold at Beijing Olympics

How a pizza pole helped Bindra win gold at Beijing Olympics

Rediff.com27 Jun 2016

Abhinav Bindra's insane search for perfection had pushed him to climb, as a simulation of sorts, a 40-feet high 'pizza pole' that saw him conquer his 'fear' and go on to win a historic gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

'We don't have a strategy to fight the war'

'We don't have a strategy to fight the war'

Rediff.com24 Mar 2020

'On a daily basis you are saying, you do this, you do that, but where is the blueprint of the war?' 'How many isolations actually we need per hundred thousand people?' 'How many ventilators will we need for 100,000 people?'

Can Dharamsala stop PLA's Tibetan gambit?

Can Dharamsala stop PLA's Tibetan gambit?

Rediff.com8 May 2021

The first priority for the new Tibetan administration in Dharamsala should be to look at Tibetan recruitment in the PLA, suggests Claude Arpi.

'BJP's dream of Ram Rajya will fail in Bengal'

'BJP's dream of Ram Rajya will fail in Bengal'

Rediff.com22 Feb 2021

'If the BJP thinks it is going to overnight transform Bengal into Madhya Pradesh, sorry, that's not going to happen because I have faith in our ethos and culture.'

'Make in India' needs ex-servicemen

'Make in India' needs ex-servicemen

Rediff.com18 Mar 2016

'Ex-servicemen engineers and technicians are true professionals worthy of being 'Make in India' agents. They can be trusted to bring long term dividends -- it is in their character to be long term loyalists!' says Air Marshal P V Athawale (Retd).

Rupee sinks to new low of 68.85, logs biggest single-day loss

Rupee sinks to new low of 68.85, logs biggest single-day loss

Rediff.com28 Aug 2013

The Indian rupee slumped to a record low near 69 to the dollar on Wednesday on growing worries that foreign investors will continue to sell out of a country facing stiff economic challenges and volatile global markets.

12 things you may not know about Apollo 11 mission

12 things you may not know about Apollo 11 mission

Rediff.com16 Jul 2019

It has been a half-century since Neil Armstrong stepped out of a lunar module and onto the surface of the moon on July 20, 1969 and declared, "That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind." The moment heralded a golden age of space exploration that was set in motion just eight years earlier in 1961, when United States President John F Kennedy promised before Congress to put a man on the moon before the decade was out. Here are some lesser-known facts about the historic first mission:

How F C Kohli and TCS conquered the world

How F C Kohli and TCS conquered the world

Rediff.com7 Dec 2020

Combining affordable IT with native Indian ingenuity and entrepreneurship F C Kohli believed would enable Indian small businesses match anyone and thrive.

Why India should be worried even though tiger numbers are up

Why India should be worried even though tiger numbers are up

Rediff.com22 Jan 2015

'We are rushing to 'develop' without carefully valuing natural areas.' 'With careful land use planning and scientific zonation at least 5 to 10 per cent of the country's land can be secured for tigers and other such species, and another 5 to 15 per cent kept under low-impact uses to support biodiversity that can coexist with human uses.'

Shivraj Singh Chouhan: A chief minister cornered

Shivraj Singh Chouhan: A chief minister cornered

Rediff.com12 Jul 2015

Is Shivraj Singh Chouhan paying the price of being in the wrong camp? Aditi Phadnis and Shashikant Trivedi find out.

How diplomacy works in the digital era

How diplomacy works in the digital era

Rediff.com22 Sep 2017

'The digital age has forced diplomats to be less formal and more accessible, reaching out to ordinary people both within and outside their countries, combining statecraft with streetcraft,' says former foreign secretary Ambassador Shyam Saran.

'Even if the world disbelieves you, hold on to your dreams'

'Even if the world disbelieves you, hold on to your dreams'

Rediff.com4 Jun 2015

Remadevi Thottathil, Indian Navy's first ever lady Air Traffic Controller takes us through her inspiring career journey.

A wake up call for Indian carmakers

A wake up call for Indian carmakers

Rediff.com26 Dec 2014

If carmakers don't explore innovations to improve safety, they could be relegated to the garbage heap by new players, says Indrajit Gupta

India, Japan and the China threat

India, Japan and the China threat

Rediff.com20 Nov 2018

'Relations between India and Japan are robust and devoid of either shadow of history or any irritant.' 'In fact, there is plenty of warmth and goodwill earned over history. There are no negatives but only opportunities,' notes Dr Rajaram Panda.

What The World Needs: A Fellowship of Minds

What The World Needs: A Fellowship of Minds

Rediff.com11 Nov 2015

'They don't always agree with our governments, their teachers or their parents, but it is the conviction of their ideas, and their determination to share them with the world that, I believe, is one of the greatest sources of hope for our planet.' 'The colonisation of space, understanding the very building blocks of matter and the universe, utilising our understanding of the human genome to conquer disease -- these are the tasks waiting for a fellowship of minds to realise new triumphs in our collective destiny.'

Want to be your own boss? Think BIG. Do BIG.

Want to be your own boss? Think BIG. Do BIG.

Rediff.com30 Apr 2018

Give more than 100 per cent to your job, advises author Bikram Dasgupta.

What got the world talking in 2014

What got the world talking in 2014

Rediff.com22 Dec 2014

The year 2014 is coming to an end. It was the year of conflict, the year of strife. Year 2014 will be remembered for several reasons -- the rise and threat of the Islamic State, the downing of two Malayasia Airlines aircraft and the sudden and effective way of using hastags on social media to generate a buzz about the event. After all, who can forget #theicebucket challenge and the phenomenon it grew into. Read on as we bring you an overview of international news and events of 2014.