Pakistan gives cold response to SAARC satellite project

[kaku1]

Sir ji tell that to the indian troll..


Source of fund


The budget of SMRC has three components:

a) Capital Cost Budget : 100% borne by the host country.
b) Institutional Cost : This cost is borne by the SAARC Member countries in the following ratio:

Sl. # Country Share of Contribution
1. Afghanistan 3.00%
2. Bangladesh 46.43%
3. Bhutan 3.00%
4. India 18.19%
5. Maldives 3.00%
6. Nepal 6.43%
7. Pakistan 13.52%
8. Sri Lanka 6.43%
Total 100%
c) Programme Cost Budget : The Programme cost is shared by the SAARC Member countries as per following ratio:

Sl.# Country Share of Contribution
1. Afghanistan 5.00%
2. Bangladesh 10.72%
3. Bhutan 5.00%
4. India 30.32%
5. Maldives 5.00%
6. Nepal 10.72%
7. Pakistan 22.52%
8. Sri Lanka 10.72%
Total


How is it been relevant to your Chutiyapa ! You jump from one point to another dumb troll!








Ask the above idiot .. Who quoted CPEC and now comes up with a "phuture plaaaan" to feel good..




WTF are you smoking kid? Eve heard of things like minimum wage or above poverty like etc? Your "21.9%" poverty ratio banked upon 23 RS per day as its basis !... Earn 23 RS and you are above the poverty line.




The same WB gives 12.7% poverty level of Pak .. You fail again !

no Middle class either.... Meanwhile accordin to new estimates over 410 million Indians are living below the poverty line..



welcome to the 21sy century .






Vedic fart powered inter galactic shape ships (that could travel in reverse heavy high speed)... Ancient genetic research,ancient plastic surgery,indians builts the worlds first plane... India became a super power in 2012..




Stuff it and visit your own forum team BHP you find out...


what sarkari jihad babwa?




Wha did they say ? And suppose if we did that why didn't the worlds sole super power sanction us or do something about it ? It's like saying that I'm the King of the world but dude stop screwing me ..




Didn't you do that ?


When the defence minister of a country admits about using terrorism against anothe country there isn't much left to talk about..




What is a "biradar" bc you indians think we speak like your Hyderabadi "mians" and "hoorays"...?

Even in persian it Baradar not "biradar"...


As for KSA Ar tht supporting terrorism in Yemen ? Does tht effec Pak ? And is USA supportin them? You need to keep shut... And worry about yourself.





Yes india is the last hope for humanity .. (Man world must be in deep sht if that were to happen)... A war ravaged country has lesser poverty and bigger Middle class than a superior "Vedic" s...le!

You ever used brain, besides writing shit?

Its a waste , again.

 

[Hindustani78]

Prime Minister's Office
15-June, 2015 17:39 IST
PM's remarks at the Release of the Book – "Education of Muslims"

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today described "knowledge" ("ilm") as the focal point of all religions. Addressing an eminent gathering of scholars, historians and diplomatic representatives at the release function of the book, "Education of Muslims: An Islamic Perspective of Knowledge and Education – Indian Context", the Prime Minister said education can become the strength of the entire SAARC region. He said if the region does not embrace modernity, it will get left behind, as the rest of the world progresses.

The Prime Minister said it is the good fortune of people living in India, that we have the opportunity to follow, understand and learn so many different religions, and strands of thought, at one place.

He said today, India is free of the disease of polio, and India is ready to assume responsibility for eradicating it from the entire SAARC region. In this context, the Prime Minister also spoke about India's SAARC satellite, which will work for the benefit of the entire SAARC region.

The Prime Minister said the book can help us in our efforts towards "understanding each other" – understanding different points of view. He complimented the book's editor, Shri J.S. Rajput. The Prime Minister also complimented Shri Sirajuddin Qureshi, who has written the foreword for the book.

***

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi releasing the book "Education of Muslims: An Islamic Perspective of Knowledge and Education – Indian Context", in New Delhi on June 15, 2015.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressing an eminent gathering of scholars, historians and diplomatic representatives at the release function of the book "Education of Muslims: An Islamic Perspective of Knowledge and Education – Indian Context", in New Delhi on June 15, 2015.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressing an eminent gathering of scholars, historians and diplomatic representatives at the release function of the book "Education of Muslims: An Islamic Perspective of Knowledge and Education – Indian Context", in New Delhi on June 15, 2015.

 

[Hindustani78]

By PTI | 22 Jun, 2015, 11.18PM IST
SAARC satellite: India, member countries hold talks - The Economic Times

NEW DELHI: India today held deliberations with experts from other SAARC countries to finalise modalities for developing a satellite exclusively for the regional grouping, nearly a year after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an announcement about it.

Top officials from Ministry of External Affairs and Indian Space Research Organisations were part of deliberations with representatives of the SAARC countries including from Pakistan.

In June last year, Modi had asked ISRO to develop a SAARC satellite which can be dedicated as a "gift" to the neighbouring countries to help them in areas such as tele-medicine, weather forecasting and communication.

Modi had made the announcement about India's decision to develop the satellite in SAARC summit in Kathmandu last November.

Ajay Gondane, Joint-Secretary (SAARC) in External Affairs Ministry, said all member countries participated in the deliberations which included an eight-member delegation from Pakistan.

"From Maldives, a minister attended the conference. Experts from other SAARC countries were also present. There was 100 per cent participation," he said.

Top ISRO officials called the meeting "fruitful".

"It was quite a fruitful meeting and there was interaction on various aspects. We tried to convey to SAARC representatives about what we can offer. A lot of doubts were addressed.

"For example, Afghanistan said it has a satellite, but it is weak in some areas and how can the new satellite help in bolstering its system. Nepal's main focus was on disaster- management while Pakistan explained about the satellites they have launched until now," said an ISRO official.

The official said the participants also decided to apply for ITU registration, an important step before launching a satellite.

The United Nations Outer Space Treaty's Article 6 includes a Registration Convention mandating that every nation putting something into space register it with the UN Office of Outer Space Affairs (OOSA).

"The ITU format will be sent to the member countries through our missions. The countries can respond if they have any query. The diagram for the satellite is more or less ready. If all goes well, the satellite could be launched by December 2016 on the SAARC charter day," said Gondane.

 

[Mo12]

Sometimes one must be friends with the enemies to take advantage of them.

Pakistan will never understand that though.

 

[Hindustani78]

Sometimes one must be friends with the enemies to take advantage of them.

Pakistan will never understand that though.

Pakistan explained about the satellites they have launched until now," said an ISRO official.

Any more Info about this ?

 

[Hindustani78]

Department of Space
23-July, 2015 14:40 IST
Total cost of launching the SAARC satellite is estimated to be about Rs 235 crore

The proposed satellite enables full range of applications and services to our neighbors in the areas of telecommunication and broadcasting applications

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning to provide space based systems for South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation member nations. It is proposed to build a satellite for SAARC region with 12 Ku-band transponders and launch using Indian Geostationary Launch Vehicle GSLV Mk-II.

A one-day conference on “Satellite for SAARC Region and Space Technology Applications” was organized by India in New Delhi on June 22, 2015 to appraise and discuss the proposal. Delegations from all the SAARC member nations have participated in the conference. The response of all the SAARC nations to the proposal has been encouraging. Pakistan while welcoming the initiative raised some queries on technical and operational aspects. Pakistan desired further discussions before giving its consent.

The total cost of launching the satellite is estimated to be about Rs 235 crore. The cost associated with the launch will be met by Government of India.

The proposed satellite enables full range of applications and services to our neighbors in the areas of telecommunication and broadcasting applications viz. Television, Direct-to-Home (DTH), Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSATs), Tele-education, Telemedicine and Disaster Management Support.

This information was given by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh in reply to unstarred question in Rajya Sabha today.

*****

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.thehindu.com/news/intern...-to-miss-december-deadline/article9258356.ece

Updated: October 23, 2016 13:24 IST
The delay in the South Asian satellite also comes at a time when the regional grouping’s annual summit in Islamabad has been called off following escalation of tension between India and Pakistan, in the wake of the Uri terror attack.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious South Asian satellite project, announced two years ago, is likely to miss the December deadline as the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch GSLV Mark III that month.

“ISRO has been launching at least one satellite every month, so our calender is perennially packed and at this point of time it looks difficult to launch the South Asian satellite in December. It could get delayed by a month,” a senior official said.

Launching of GSLV Mark III will be a crucial development in the country’s space history. The Launch Vehicle is likely to be sent in the space by December end.

“Work on GSLV Mark III is in progress, but the date for the launch is yet to be arrived at. The project will help ISRO launch satellites weighing around four tonnes,” ISRO chairman and Department of Space Secretary A S Kirankumar told PTI.

ISRO currently has the capability of launching satellites weighing up to 2.2 tonnes.

It has launched two satellites in September, and it is expected that October will also see launch of two more satellites. On August 28, it conducted the first experimental mission of Scramjet Engine.

The delay in the South Asian satellite also comes at a time when the regional grouping’s annual summit in Islamabad has been called off following escalation of tension between India and Pakistan, in the wake of the Uri terror attack.

“We are working on the South Asian satellite project, but no date for launch has been finalised,” Mr. Kirankumar said.

Mr. Modi, during the regional bloc’s 2014 Summit in Kathmandu, had announced launching of a SAARC Satellite as a ‘gift’ to its neighbours in order to expand information sharing and connectivity within the region.

SAARC had come into being on December 8, 1985 and the initial plan was to operationalise the satellite in December this year.

However, Pakistan opposed the move and demanded that the satellite be brought under the ambit of the grouping. This was unacceptable to India. The name was later changed to South Asian Satellite.

Barring Afghanistan and Pakistan, all other SAARC countries have given their go-ahead to the project.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/609051/space-diplomacy-puts-india-orbit.html

India embarks on space diplomacy like never before. For the first time, New Delhi is flexing its prowess of space technology by embarking on an unprecedented and un- chartered 'stratospheric diplomacy' through a special Rs 450 crore gift for south Asians. India is carving a very unique place in the universe, this week New Delhi will 'gift' a heavyweight bird in the sky to its neighbours through the 'South Asia Satellite'.

India is opening its heart out to its neighbours, explains External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay, adding "neighbourhood first is now being extended beyond the stratosphere". It seems this 'gift' of a communications satellite for use by neighbours at no cost has no parallels in the space- faring world, all other current regional consortia are commercial for-profit enterprises.

So it seems Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is a known visionary space buff, is placing the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in a new orbit by providing this space- based platform that would cost the participating nations almost USD 1,500 million over the 12-year life of the satellite.

Prashant Agarwal, an IIT Kanpur-trained engineer and the point-person in the Ministry of External Affairs piloting the project, says, "Prime Minister Modi has actually extended his slogan 'Sab Ka Saath Sab Ka Vikas' to India's neighbourhood essentially to service the needs of the poor in South Asia."

On May 5, the skies above the island of Sriharikota on the coast of the Bay of Bengal will be lit up as the Geo- synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) also called the 'naughty boy of ISRO' on its 11th mission will carry a message of peace like never before.

The nearly 50-m-tall rocket that weighs about 412 tons will carry what is now dubbed as the 'South Asia Satellite' or what the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) still prefers to call GSAT-9. The 2230-kg satellite has been fabricated in three years and is purely a communications satellite costing Rs 235 crore.

The uniqueness of this satellite is that it will have a footprint that extends all over South Asia and India is gifting this heavenly messenger to its neighbours who according to India's assessment could be helped in better utilising these space based technologies. The South Asia Satellite has 12 Ku band transponders which India's neighbours can utilise to increase communications. Each country will get access to at least one transponder through which they could beam their own programming and there could be common 'south Asian programing' as well.

Each country has to develop its own ground infrastructure though India is willing to extend assistance and know-how. According to the government. the satellite will "enable a full range of applications and services to our neighbours in the areas of telecommunication and broadcasting applications viz. television, direct-to-home (DTH), very small aperture terminals (VSATs), tele-education, telemedicine and disaster management support".

The satellite also has the capability to provide secure hot lines among the participating nations in addition since the region is highly prone to earthquakes, cyclones, floods, tsunamis, it may help in providing critical communication links in times of disasters. In this unusual message of peace, India's most hostile neighbour Pakistan has fully opted out. Rest of the seven nations part of the South Asian Association for Regional Co- operation (SAARC) are already on-board with Afghanistan still to ink the deal with some minor technical details still to be fixed in Kabul.

Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have agreed to be part of this mission, confirms Baglay. When Prime Minister Modi was just a fresher and just four weeks into his new position on June 30, 2014, he surprised the world while speaking to the scientists at ISRO in Sriharikota as he asked "the space community to take up the challenge of developing a SAARC satellite that we can dedicate to our neighbourhood as a gift from India".

The proposal emerged directly from Modi and the leadership at ISRO was stunned into silence not knowing what this space animal will look like. A highly-impassioned Modi, who had just witnessed a successful launch, said "I believe that the fight against the poverty of the countries of SAARC is the fight against illiteracy, the fight against superstitions, the challenge of moving forward in the scientific field is the possibility of providing opportunities to young people of SAARC countries.

"Our dream of this SAARC Satellite will work in the welfare of all our neighbouring countries. And that's why I have proposed in front of you today that we offer a valuable gift to our SAARC countries through a SAARC Satellite launch so that we also become partners in their welfare." Modi reinforced this idea five months later when speaking in Kathmandu at the SAARC Summit on November 26, 2014. He said, "India's gift of a satellite for the SAARC region will benefit us all in areas like education, telemedicine, disaster response, resource management, weather forecasting and communication.

"We will also host a conference in India for all South Asian partners next year, to strengthen our collective ability to apply space technology in economic development and governance. And, we plan to launch our satellite by the SAARC Day in 2016." Modi's sincere efforts got a jolt when even after participating in the planning meeting on June 22, 2015, Pakistan decided to 'opt out' from the proposed SAARC satellite suggesting that 'Pakistan has its own space program'.

So the project was renamed to 'South Asia Satellite' but sources say Pakistan was not allowed to veto the development project. Meanwhile frequency co-ordination activities took longer than expected and the launch got postponed by almost six months. Among India's neighbours, three nations already possess full-fledged communication satellites with Pakistan and Sri Lanka having been helped by China; Afghanistan also has a communication satellite actually an old India-made satellite acquired from Europe.

Bangladesh is likely to have its first bird in the sky later this year made with help from Thales. Essentially, it is the tiny nations of Bhutan and Maldives that may benefit in the long run. Incidentally, Nepal has already floated a tender to acquire two communications satellites. Experts say "Pakistan has missed an opportunity" since its own space program is currently in a primitive stage as compared to India's. This is despite the fact that Pakistan actually launched its first rocket five years ahead of India and its space agency Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) is older than ISRO.

Pakistan has had five satellites in space but today lacks heavy duty launchers and satellite fabrication facilities. But will India's strident regional space diplomacy yield results? There is no doubt that through the South Asia Satellite India is actively trying to counter China's growing influence on its neighbours. But in the 21st-century Asian space race, China already has the first mover advantage.

Better late than never is prevailing mood and for this unique space diplomacy it is almost certain that India is likely to get applauded by the world's powers for this one of a kind friendly confidence building measure. Hopefully friendly skies can result in reduced hostilities on Earth.

 

[Awan68]

No...I have met many Pakistanis in US and UK where I spent significant amount of my life. Majority of Pakistanis have showed Inferiority complex when I meet them. I went out of my way to befriend them but to no avail.

They werent showing inferiority complex idiot, they were probably sickened by the sight of the ugly little indian n didnt want anything to do with him, n why would we feel inferior when we have ruled u for a thousand yrs lol...

Oh ya i'm sure you also met little green man who showed Inferiority complex because of your assholiness and because of your vedic knowledge

Bc angoor khaty wali bat hi, this gay was running after tall pakistanis, they shooed him away, now he says that is because we feel inferiority complex....

Sometimes one must be friends with the enemies to take advantage of them.

Pakistan will never understand that though.

We dont???,really?????maybe u should ask the americans...

 

[Hindustani78]

President's Secretariat
05-May, 2017 17:50 IST
President of India congratulates ISRO on the successful launch of the South Asia Satellite-GSAT-09

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee has congratulated the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on the successful launch of the South Asia satellite-GSAT-09.

In a message to Shri A.S. Kiran Kumar, Secretary, Department of Space and Chairman of ISRO, the President has said, “My heartiest congratulations to you and the entire team at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), on the successful launch of the South Asia satellite-GSAT-09.

The launch of the South Asia satellite which enables a range of services in the areas of telecommunication and broadcasting will go a long way in meeting the developmental needs of countries of South Asia. I am confident that the project will promote friendship and cooperation and help further cement ties between India and her neighbours.

Kindly convey my greetings to the members of your team of scientists, engineers, technologists and all others associated with this mission. I wish the ISRO continued success in the coming years.”

***

Vice President's Secretariat
05-May, 2017 18:12 IST
Vice President congratulates ISRO team for launching GSAT-9

The Vice President, Shri M. Hamid Ansari has congratulated the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on successful launch of GSLV-F09 carrying South Asia Geostationary Communication Satellite (GSAT-9). In a message, he said that the satellite will boost connectivity and cooperation among all participating SAARC countries.

Following is the text of Vice President’s message:

“I offer my congratulations to the Scientists, Engineers and Technicians of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) for the successful launch of GSLV-F09 carrying South Asia Geostationary Communication Satellite (GSAT-9), which will boost connectivity and cooperation among all participating SAARC countries.

The flawless launch demonstrates India’s capabilities in Geosynchronous Satellite launching. I wish ISRO all the very best for the future.”

***
Prime Minister's Office
05-May, 2017 18:26 IST
Text of PM's Opening Remarks at the Video Conference with Heads of Government from South Asian Nations, to mark the launch of the South Asia Satellite


His Excellency President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan,
Her Excellency Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh,
His Excellency Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay of Bhutan,
His Excellency President Abdulla Yameen of Maldives,
His Excellency Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal of Nepal,
His Excellency President Maithripala Sirisena

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Namaskar!

Excellencies,

Today is a historic day for South Asia. A day without precedence. Two years ago, India made a promise.

A promise to extend the advanced space technology for the cause of growth and prosperity of our brothers and sisters in South Asia.

The successful launch of the South Asia Satellite marks the fulfilment of that. With this launch we have started a journey to build the most advanced frontier of our partnership.

With its position high in the sky, this symbol of South Asian cooperation would meet the aspirations of economic progress of more than one-and-a-half billion people in our region. And, extend our close links into Outer Space.

Excellencies

I am immensely grateful to my fellow leaders from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives and Sri Lanka for joining me today to celebrate this launch.

I also deeply appreciate the strong and valuable support extended by your governments, without which this project would not have been possible. Our coming together is a sign of our unshakeable resolve to place the needs of our peoples in the forefront.

It shows that our collective choices for our citizens will bring us together for: cooperation, not conflict; development, not destruction; and prosperity not poverty.

Excellencies

This is first of its kind project in South Asia. And, through this, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and India will together achieve:

effective communication;
better governance
better banking and
better education in remote areas;
more predictable weather forecasting and efficient resource mapping;
linking people with top end medical services through tele-medicine and
a quick response to natural disasters.

Space technology will touch the lives of our people in the region.

The satellite would provide services specific to individual countries as per their own needs and priorities, as also common services.

In achieving this goal, I congratulate the space science fraternity of India, and in particular the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).

The ISRO team has led from the front in developing the South Asia Satellite as per the regions' requirements, and flawlessly launching it.

Excellencies

As Goverments, our most important task is to secure growth, development and peace for our people and communities.

And, I am convinced that when we join hands and mutually share the fruits of knowledge, technology and growth, we can speed up our development and prosperity.
I thank you all for your presence. And, congratulate you once again in our shared success!

Thank you; Thank you very much.

***
Prime Minister's Office
05-May, 2017 18:31 IST
Text of PM's Closing Remarks at the Video Conference with Heads of Government from South Asian Nations, to mark the launch of the South Asia Satellite


Excellencies,

I would like to thank each one of you for your words.

Your thoughts echo the sentiment that is captured by today’s launch.

The South Asia Satellite tells us that even the sky is not the limit when it comes to regional cooperation among like-minded countries.

"सबका साथ सबका विकास" can be the guiding light for action and cooperation in South Asia.

And, a befitting way for us to achieve our shared priorities of economic prosperity for our people.

And in this, you will find a strong and committed partner in India that truly believes in the strength of this choice and principle.

Let me once again thank you all for joining me today to celebrate the launch of South Asia Satellite.

And, also your strong and continuous support in making this vision a reality.

In the end, I also wish all of us more such celebrations where we can rejoice in success of our common and collective efforts for regional growth and prosperity.

Thank you. Thank you very much.

***

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi at the Video Conference with Heads of Government from South Asian Nations, to mark the launch of the South Asia Satellite, in New Delhi on May 05, 2017.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi at the Video Conference with Heads of Government from South Asian Nations, to mark the launch of the South Asia Satellite, in New Delhi on May 05, 2017.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi at the Video Conference with Heads of Government from South Asian Nations, to mark the launch of the South Asia Satellite, in New Delhi on May 05, 2017.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi at the Video Conference with Heads of Government from South Asian Nations, to mark the launch of the South Asia Satellite, in New Delhi on May 05, 2017.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi at the Video Conference with Heads of Government from South Asian Nations, to mark the launch of the South Asia Satellite, in New Delhi on May 05, 2017.

Prime Minister's Office
05-May, 2017 19:45 IST
The South Asian Satellite – Some highlights

• Space diplomacy has touched new heights with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s unique gift in the sky to South Asian neighbours.

• The gift of a communications satellite for use by neighbours at no cost has perhaps no precedent worldwide.

• The satellite, which weighs over 2 tonnes, has been fabricated in three years at a cost of over Rs. 230 crore.

• Its footprint that extends all over South Asia.

• The South Asia Satellite has 12 Ku band transponders which India's neighbours can utilise to increase communications.

• Each country will get access to at least one transponder through which they could beam their own programming.

• The satellite will facilitate DTH television, VSAT links, tele-education, telemedicine and disaster management support. It will provide critical communication links in times of disasters such as earthquakes, cyclones, floods, and tsunamis.

• Heads of Government from all the seven South Asian nations who are benefiting from the satellite, connected via video conference, in a unique celebration of the successful launch.

****

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/610293/space-diplomacy-triumphs-south-asia.html


Unparallelled space bonding was witnessed on Friday when seven heads of states from South Asia unanimously applauded India's Rs 450 crore gift to its neighbours by way of a communications satellite. There is no precedent in the space-faring world of a free regional communications satellite being gifted like this, and it shows India has a large heart. Touted as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet project, the South Asia Satellite is now in orbit, so the riskiest, but easy, part is really over and undoubtedly the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has delivered.

The tricky bit starts now when the seven member-states have to start putting in their own hard earned resources to get the ground infrastructure in place and to get the software ready for the content that will be beamed by the satellite. Easier said than done. Speaking at the live video conference after the successful launch, Modi said "Today is a historic day for South Asia. A day without precedence. Two years ago, India made a promise. A promise to extend the advanced space technology for the cause of growth and prosperity of our brothers and sisters in South Asia.

"The successful launch of the South Asia Satellite marks the fulfilment of that. With this launch we have started a journey to build the most advanced frontier of our partnership," Modi said. What was actually left unsaid was that with this single out-of-the-box foreign policy initiative, New Delhi was essentially trying to contain China's growing influence in the region. In its cussedness, Pakistan opted out of the project citing its existing space programme which everyone knows is rather primitive in comparison to India's advanced space- faring capabilities.

While there is no doubt India has end-to-end capabilities in space technology but many of the country's space assets often turn into so-called "white elephants in space". In the past, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has come down heavily on ISRO for the non-utilisation of space imageries that the country's vast remote sensing satellites collected but which remained locked up and were not available to the civilian planners.

Some of that has changed but still high-quality satellite images of less than one meter resolution remain out of bounds for civilians. Similarly, India's Rs 450 crore Edusat--a communications satellite launched in 2004 to "reach the unreached" through interactive teaching--did not live up to its objectives. The National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru evaluated the EduSat and concluded that it remained "under- utilised' as it was a top-driven technology initiative where enough thought was not given to generation of appropriate content.

More recently in 2014, ISRO launched the highly controversial GAST-6, a satellite that provides unprecedented satellite-based multimedia capabilities for India's armed forces but till date reports suggest that the handsets that would enable satellite telephony and handheld capability are still being developed. Between 2013 and 2016, India placed in orbit a constellation of seven navigation satellites in space costing about Rs 1,500 crore but while the space-based system is constantly beaming down signals yet it seems chipsets that can effectively tap these GPS-like signals are still under development.

It seems the 16,000 dedicated workforce of ISRO delivers what it is mandated for but on the downstream side the line ministries seem to fail to capitalise on the gains. It is too early to assess the outcome of South Asia Satellite for that we may need to wait another 12 years which is the nominal mission life of the satellite. But in daily life when one receives expensive gifts that also need to be serviced with lots of money on a continuous basis, they often turn dust collectors.

Let us hope Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India and the Maldives will collectively and individually put in the several million dollars a year that may be necessary to effectively tap the benefits of the friendly bird in the sky. There could be many other reasons why the countries that got the "invaluable gift" may not fully utilise it since several of India's neighbours already have advanced communication satellites in orbit or are in the process of acquiring them.

The war-torn country of Afghanistan, whose President Ashraf Ghani said "If we can't cooperate on land, we can at least cooperate in the sky", participated at the highest level in the unprecedented video conference but sources have said it is yet to ink the deal and cites technical reasons. Hopefully that will happen soon. But if one analyses its satellite communications capabilities one finds that Afghanistan already possesses a satellite called AfghanSAT. This is a communications satellite it has leased from a European country.

Interestingly, the AfghanSAT which was formerly called W2M is an Indian-made satellite. This satellite was made in the same facility where the South Asia Satellite has been fabricated in the ISRO Satellite Centre in Bengaluru. In 2014, when Kabul acquired the satellite the then Communication and Information Technology Minister Amirzai Sangin said the satellite "is a new milestone in the development of the ICT [Information and Communications Technologies] in Afghanistan, which in the last 12 years has already seen mobile telephony coverage of 88 per cent and penetration grow from zero to 75 per cent through the licensing of six operators".

One will have to wait and watch how the Afghans finally decide to utilise the services of the South Asia Satellite. Nepal is a country that felt the need to have a communications satellite in place soon after the devastating 2015 Kathmandu earthquake. Towards that as recently as December 2016, the Himalayan country has floated a global tender to acquire not one but two of its own communications satellites. May be the Nepali government will dirty its hands by testing Satcom technology on India's gift but whether it will set up a duplicate infrastructure in the long run is something one will have to wait and watch.

Today Nepal already utilises telemedicine facilities using India's INSAT satellites and hospitals in Kathmandu are often hooked up to hospitals in New Delhi and Chandigarh for medical consultations. Bangladesh is one country because of its deltaic geography it can benefit greatly by having well established capabilities of Satcom. Speaking at the video conference, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said "this is an extremely important step to know nature and nature's patterns. On today's auspicious occasion betterment of our people can happen through fruitful engagement".

But at the same time without waiting for the South Asia Satellite to kick in, Bangladesh initiated expanding its capabilities in space and hopes that by the end of this year its very own Bangabandhu-1 satellite will be in orbit as reports suggest that it is being made by the French company Thales Alenia Space. The total cost of the satellite is USD 248 million. Bangabandhu-1 carries a total of 40 Ku and C-band transponders. In contrast, India is offering capacity of about one transponder. Sri Lanka already owns a communication satellite called SupremeSat which it acquired in 2012 and is operated by SupremeSAT (Pvt) Limited, a Sri Lankan satellite operator.

Interestingly, it has partnership with China's state- owned satellite manufacturing institution China Great Wall Industry Corporation. This satellite has a capacity of 56 transponders. A less than effervescent Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, joining in from Colombo for the video conference, said "May this initiative support people in all regions, enhance economic conditions and help to eliminate poverty".

But with China already having the first mover advantage will it let India get a toehold on the island nation? The Maldives and Bhutan are the two countries that have minimal space-faring capabilities and hopefully will be the biggest beneficiaries of the fruits of the South Asia satellite. No wonder then that Maldives President Abdulla Yameen actually echoed Modi's words by saying "this launch is an example of India's 'neighbour first policy'. We must work for common good, better economic opportunities. Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas".

India on the other hand is the biggest donor and possibly the biggest beneficiary from the project. Over the 12 year nominal life of the satellite India is extending aid which would be worth at least USD 1,500 million, if one extrapolates the total cost of the project over 12 years.

A highly optimistic and visionary space buff that Modi is, he said "The South Asia Satellite tells us that even the sky is not the limit when it comes to regional cooperation among like-minded countries". Hopefully, the 2,230 kg South Asia Satellite will remain a friendly bird in the sky and not morph into a "white elephant in space".

 

[Hindustani78]

Vice President's Secretariat
04-September, 2017 10:36 IST
India is keen to suppress international terrorism: Vice President

Inaugurates the 78th Session of International Institute of Law

The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that India is keen to see the conclusion of convention on the suppression of international terrorism, which is threatening world peace. He was addressing the 78th Session of International Institute of Law at NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad, yesterday. The Governor of Telangana, Shri E S L Narasimhan, the Acting Chief Justice of High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad, Justice Ramesh Ranganathan, the Deputy Chief Minister of Telangana, Shri Mohammad Mahmood Ali, the Minister for Law, Government of Telangana, Shri A. Indrakaran Reddy and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

The Vice President said that several conventions resulted from the efforts exerted under the auspices of the United Nations. SAARC convention on the suppression of international terrorism as well as the Indian proposal to conclude a comprehensive convention on suppression of international terrorism is now under consideration of the UN, he added.

The Vice President said that India has put considerable effort in fighting international terrorism and terrorism is the biggest danger the world is facing today, for which there is no justification. He further said that India today is the one of the largest economies and has a young and educated work force. It represents a mature Parliamentary democracy with a highly independent judiciary and fourth estate, he added.

The Vice President said that holding the 78th Session of International Institute of Law in India will not only create greater awareness on the importance of international law but will also inspire young lawyers and students to specialize in this subject. The concept of the rule of law has been practiced in India from times immemorial, he pointed. He further said that the Sanskrit word Dharma broadly deals with righteousness, duty and law and it is derived from the root word denoting uphold, sustain, nourish and support. He also stated that the two great epics Ramayana and Mahabharatha epitomize how Dharma, embodied through righteousness and justice, forms the basis for triumph of good over evil and for protecting mankind. “Dharmo Rakshati Rakshitah”, the Sanskrit sloka in Manu Smriti aptly sums up the basic Indian philosophy - the law will protect and defend those who protect and defend it, he added.

The Vice President said that India attaches huge importance to the implementation of international statutes and the rule of law and is a firm believer in promotion of peace and justice globally. He further said that India was among the countries which played a key role in the development of some of the important global conventions and also those formulated by the United Nations like the Law of Sea Convention. India has also made a significant contribution to the formation of the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization to promote international law, he added.

The Vice President said that India is a signatory to many important international treaties, protocols and agreements include Convention on Biological Weapons, Convention on Chemical Weapons, Chicago Convention on International Aviation, Convention on Rights of Child, International Convention on Doping in Sport, Genocide Convention, the Statute of Hague Conference on Private International Law, Kyoto Protocol, Montreal Protocol, Nuclear Terrorism Convention and International Convention on Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination.

The Vice President said that India played an active role in the UN and in the codification and progressive development of international law during the 60s. He further said that India’s foreign policy is based on sovereign equality of States, non-intervention in the internal affairs of other States and peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with principles articulated in Article 33 of the United Nations. Our country attaches high importance to bilateral negotiations in settling its differences and disputes with other nations on the basis of international law, justice and equity, he added.



*****

 

[Hindustani78]

Saran Aadhar, left, and Vimal Mishra at Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Chennai, October 05, 2017 22:18 IST
Updated: October 05, 2017 22:18 IST
http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/sc...-south-asia/article19803285.ece?homepage=true

Precipitation and temperature data provided at resolution of 5 km
Near real-time monitoring of drought at a 5-km scale that will help policy makers in water management at a district level is now possible, thanks to tools developed and made available online by researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Gandhinagar.

The researchers offer precipitation and temperature datasets and drought indicators available from 1980 to April 2017 covering the entire South Asian region. The data will be updated weekly. Besides drought, the datasets can also be used for monitoring heat and cold waves in South Asia.

“We don’t know whether a particular region is in drought as we don’t have real-time rainfall and temperature data at appropriate scale. IMD [Indian Meteorology Department] provides daily rainfall data mainly during the monsoon season. There’s no real-time information at high-resolution about drought after the monsoon season,” says Prof. Vimal Mishra from the Civil Engineering department at IIT Gandhinagar and one of the two researchers who developed the dataset.

Also, IMD’s drought information is based only on rainfall data and does not incorporate the role of air temperature. But higher temperature after the monsoon season can cause drought-like situation due to increased evaporation and transpiration losses.

At the district level

The team wanted to provide information in near real-time on whether a region of interest is under drought and what part of a district or sub-basin is under drought.

The emphasis was to develop a dataset at a finer resolution (5 km) as the data provided by IMD and other agencies is coarse (resolution of 25 km). The researchers used CHIRPS global rainfall data which are available at 5 km resolution and corrected the data for bias and errors. CHIRPS stands for Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station. “The corrected data compares well with the IMD data once we aggregate our data to the IMD scale,” says Prof. Mishra.

The precipitation dataset at a finer resolution of 5 km over the entire South Asian region was evaluated against a standard rainfall database (APHRODITE) that is available for South Asia and satellite-based information. Earlier studies have shown that the Aphrodite database matches the IMD rainfall data quite well. The results were published in the journal Scientific Data.

“The drought indices — standardised precipitation index and standardised precipitation evapotranspiration index — were estimated using the bias-corrected, high-resolution data and evaluated against satellite-based drought products. The validation gives us the confidence that our dataset can indicate the severity and extent of drought at a district and sub-basin level in south Asia,” says Saran Aadhar from the Civil Engineering department at IIT Gandhinagar and the first author.

The researchers used the drought indices to assess severity and extent of drought in 2015 for a four-month period from June to September. “The developed dataset and drought indicators performed well over the South Asian region. Apart from IMD, this is an additional effort to provide more real-time information on drought that can be used for decision-making,” says Prof. Mishra.

 

[Hindustani78]

The Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Dr. Harsh Vardhan lighting the lamp to mark the inauguration of the India International Science Festival 2017, at Anna University, in Chennai on October 13, 2017. The Minister of State for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Shri Y.S. Chowdary, the Minister of Science and Technology, Bangladesh, Mr. Yeafesh Osman, the Minister of Higher Education, Afghanistan, Mr. Abdul Latif Roshan and the Minister of Higher Education, Tamil Nadu, Shri K.P. Anbalagan are also seen.

The Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Dr. Harsh Vardhan with the Minister of Science and Technology, Bangladesh, Mr. Yeafesh Osman and the Minister of Higher Education, Afghanistan, Mr. Abdul Latif Roshan at the inauguration of the India International Science Festival 2017, at Anna University, in Chennai on October 13, 2017.

The Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, the Minister of State for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Shri Y.S. Chowdary, the Minister of Science and Technology, Bangladesh, Mr. Yeafesh Osman, the Minister of Higher Education, Afghanistan, Mr. Abdul Latif Roshan and the Minister of Higher Education, Tamil Nadu, Shri K.P. Anbalagan at the inauguration of the India International Science Festival 2017, at Anna University, in Chennai on October 13, 2017.

The Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Dr. Harsh Vardhan releasing a book on Science and Heritage Research Initiative, at the inauguration of the India International Science Festival 2017, at Anna University, in Chennai on October 13, 2017. The Minister of State for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Shri Y.S. Chowdary, the Minister of Science and Technology, Bangladesh, Mr. Yeafesh Osman, the Minister of Higher Education, Afghanistan, Mr. Abdul Latif Roshan, the Minister of Higher Education, Tamil Nadu, Shri K.P. Anbalagan and the Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Prof. Ashutosh Sharma are also seen.

The Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Dr. Harsh Vardhan releasing a souvenir on Science Diplomacy, at the inauguration of the India International Science Festival 2017, at Anna University, in Chennai on October 13, 2017. The Minister of Science and Technology, Bangladesh, Mr. Yeafesh Osman and the Minister of Higher Education, Afghanistan, Mr. Abdul Latif Roshan are also seen.

The Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Dr. Harsh Vardhan addressing at the inauguration of the India International Science Festival 2017, at Anna University, in Chennai on October 13, 2017.

The Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Dr. Harsh Vardhan addressing at the inauguration of the India International Science Festival 2017, at Anna University, in Chennai on October 13, 2017.

The Minister of State for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Shri Y.S. Chowdary addressing at the inauguration of the India International Science Festival 2017, at Anna University, in Chennai on October 13, 2017.

 

[xyxmt]

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today described "knowledge" ("ilm") as the focal point of all religions. Addressing an eminent gathering of scholars, historians and diplomatic representatives at the release function of the book, "Education of Muslims: An Islamic Perspective of Knowledge and Education – Indian Context", the Prime Minister said education can become the strength of the entire SAARC region. He said if the region does not embrace modernity, it will get left behind, as the rest of the world progresses.

funny coming from a 10th grader