While about 8,000 people are in the long list of invitees, the select list features 506 A-listers, including prominent politicians, leading industrialists, top film stars, sportspersons, diplomats, judges and high priests.
Karnataka, Telangana and Haryana have been ranked as the top three states among major states in Niti Aayog's third innovation index. Niti Aayog's India Innovation index 2021 examines innovation capacities and ecosystems at the sub-national level. The index, released by Niti Aayog's Vice Chairman Suman Bery in the presence of chief executive officer Parameswaran Iyer on Thursday, has been developed on the lines of the Global Innovation Index. States and Union Territories were divided into '17 Major States', '10 North-East and Hill States', and '9 Union Territories and City States', for effectively comparing their performance.
Former oil secretary Tarun Kapoor, present and former chairmen of ONGC and a former director of IOC, are among over a dozen people who have applied for the top job at the oil and gas regulator, PNGRB, sources said. Kapoor, who superannuated as Secretary to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas last month, is the most prominent name in the list of 13 persons who have applied to become the chairman of Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB). Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) chairman and managing director Subhash Kumar and his predecessor Shashi Shanker are also in the race and so is G K Satish, who superannuated as Director for Planning and Business Development from Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) a couple of months back.
Rajiv Kumar will continue as vice-chairman of the body, along with other full-time members V K Saraswat, Ramesh Chand and V K Paul.
'Russia has got inherent military strength, they have a very good military equipment manufacturing infrastructure and by and large they are self-sufficient in their production capabilities'
Like the Shourya and Prahar missiles, the Pralay is powered by conventional solid fuel, and its payload is designed to carry only a conventional warhead.
Facing flak for time slippages in Light Combat Aircraft Tejas programme, DRDO chief V K Saraswat on Friday attributed the delay to "setbacks" caused by international sanctions and inadequate development of aerospace industry in the country.
Moving towards completing its nuclear triad, India will activate the atomic reactor on-board the indigenous nuclear submarine INS Arihant in the "next two to three weeks" paving way for its operational deployment by the Navy soon.
India on Friday said it is developing a long-range nuclear-capable Agni-VI ballistic missile that would carry multiple warheads, allowing one weapon system to take out several targets at a time. "Agni-V is major strategic defence weapon. Now we want to make Agni-VI which would be a force multiplier," said Defence Research and Development Organisation chief V K Saraswat.
Indigenously developed Light Combat Aircraft 'Tejas' will be inducted into the Indian Air Force this year, Defence Research and Development Organisation chief V K Saraswat has said.
Moving a step closer to completing its nuclear triad, India today successfully test fired a ballistic missile, with a strike range of around 1,500 km, from an underwater platform in Bay of Bengal. "The medium range K-5 ballistic missile was test fired successfully today from an underwater pontoon and all parameters of the test firing were met," said Defence Research and Development Organisation chief V K Saraswat from the undisclosed test area.
Defence Minister A K Antony on Thursday described the maiden test flight of the Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile Agni 5 as an "immaculate success" and a "major milestone". "The nation stands tall today. We have joined the elite club of nations (to possess the ICBM capability)," Antony told Defence Research and Development Organisation chief Dr V K Saraswat on the phone after the test flight of the missile was declared successful today.
Contradicting Army Chief General V K Singh, Defence Research and Development Organisation chief V K Saraswat on Saturday said Tatra trucks were "outstanding" and there was nothing substandard about the vehicles used as base for launching all important missiles like Prithvi and Agni.
Surface-to-surface Agni V missile is launched from the Wheeler Island off Odisha coast on Thursday
An internal audit report ordered by the defence ministry has raised questions over the functioning of the DRDO and the grant of Rs 2.8 crore by its chief V K Saraswat to a society under him.
Against the backdrop of the killing of Al Qeada leader Osama bin Laden and the situation in Pakistan, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Monday took stock of the country's overall security scenario with the military top brass.
India will join the elite club of nations having ICBM with the Defence Research and Development Organisation planning to carry out the launch of over 5,000 km-range Agni-5 missile in April.
The indigenously developed ballistic missile defence system will be test fired in August this year, a top defence official said on Thursday.
"We will be embarking on UCAV, which will be an unmanned aerial vehicle with weapons. This will not only do surveillance but fire on identified targets," Dr V K Saraswat, Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister and DRDO Director General, told media-persons in Bengaluru.
The country's top rocket scientist V K Saraswat and Dipankar Banerjee, credited with developing critical materials for aircraft carriers, were among scientists decorated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Technology Day on Monday. Both received the 2007 Technology Leadership Award. The top-most defence research award was bagged by the Aeronautical Defence Agency, Bangalore for carrying out test firing of close combat air-to-air missiles in LCAs.
Once Agni-3 and Agni-5 are inducted into the forces, all the cities in China and Pakistan will be in India's range, Defence Research and Development Organisation Chief V K Saraswat said.
'We have to take all preparations because the third wave is likely to start from September-October onward'
Plans are afoot to test India's missile defence shield in November, V K Saraswat, leading scientist at Defence Research and Development Organisation, said on Friday.
While it was not directly suggested that the COVID-19 pandemic was related to biological warfare, it is significant that the government is exhorting military laboratories to work concertedly on biological defence.
"If you have a laser based system on an airborne or seaborne platform, it can travel at the speed of light and in a few seconds, we can kill a ballistic missile coming towards us," DRDO's Air Defence Programme Director V K Saraswat told PTI in New Delhi.
India is planning three more tests of the nuclear capable Agni-III missile with a range of 3000 km.
Debroy worked as a consultant in the Department of Economic Affairs in Finance Ministry.
Erstwhile Planning Commission Secretary Sindhushree Khullar is believed to have been appointed as CEO of the newly formed NITI Aayog.
Saraswat played a key role in developing a series of missiles at a time when India faced tight international technology sanctions.
NITI Aayog member V K Saraswat said the shutdown of internet services did not have any significant impact on the economy in J-K.
The estimated cost of the metrino is Rs 50 crore per km and each pod can accommodate three to four persons, Megha Manchanda/Business Standard reports from New Delhi.
At the first meeting of Governing Council of NITI Aayog on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will seek views of Chief Ministers.
In the first meeting of NITI Aayog on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with eminent economists and experts across sectors along with the existing members of the newly constituted body.
Hectic preparations are on at the newly-formed Niti Aayog to welcome the first Vice-Chairman Arvind Panagariya and other members whose appointments were approved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday.
The perspective planning division might get a new lease of life.
Experts will give their inputs for Budget.
Some parties complained to the Election Commission alleging violation of the model code.
Ahead of his government's first full year budget, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday sought ideas from economists to attract investments, create jobs and finance infrastructure to put India back on high growth path.
Economist Arvind Panagariya is the vice-chairman of NITI Aayog, while economist Bibek Debroy and scientist V K Saraswat are the two full-time members of the Aayog.
Pro-growth economist Arvind Panagariya has been appointed as first vice-chairman of the newly announced NITI Aayog, which has replaced the Planning Commission.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances