Letters to The Editor — June 28, 2025
Setting foot in space
What an historic leap for India in space after decades (Front page, June 27). The cost of the Gaganyaan mission and the budget spent on Shubhanshu Shukla's seat on Ax-4 are not relevant if one considers the success rate of the Indian Space Research Organisation's missions. It must be viewed as an investment in advancing India's scientific progress.
J.P. Reddy,
Nalgonda, Telangana
More importantly, the research work during the space odyssey is sure to rekindle scientific curiosity among schoolchildren.
G. Ramasubramanyam,
Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh
Tharoor versus Congress
It is unfortunate that the Congress party appears to be intolerant of individual opinions within its ranks. There is a contrast between Shashi Tharoor's balanced perspective and the Congress critical stance toward the government at the Centre, which seems to be its primary agenda.
Manicklal Chakraborty,
Chennai
Law and order
I am sure that I am not making a mountain out of a molehill, but there is concern about the law and order problem in Tamil Nadu. The series of incidents that have been reported from across the State show Tamil Nadu in a bad light. The points that are being raised by the Opposition parties cannot be dismissed. The political dispensation needs to act.
Mani Nataraajan,
Chennai
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Gazette
4 minutes ago
- India Gazette
MP: Case filed against Cong chief Jitendra Patwari for allegedly bribing villager to allege being fed human excreta
Ashoknagar (Madhya Pradesh) [India], June 28 (ANI): Madhya Pradesh Police, on Saturday, filed a case against state Congress President Jitendra Patwari for bribing a villager to make false allegations about being fed human excreta, Superintendent of Police (SP) Vineet Kumar Jain said. According to police, Jitendra (Jitu) Patwari asked villager Gajraj Lodhi to make allegations against Mungaoli village Sarpanch. SP Vineet Kumar Jain told ANI, 'Yesterday, Gajraj Lodhi met the collector of Ashoknagar personally and handed him an affidavit stating that some Congress leaders took him to Orchha, where he met Jitu Patwari. Jitu Patwari told him to allege about being fed faeces (by Mungaoli village sarpanch) and bribed him for it.' He added that the police found the allegations to be false and registered a case against the Congress leader. 'Later, he said that the allegations about this were false, and he made this allegation on Jitu Patwari's demand... Based on this, a case has been filed against Jitu Patwari and his aids under various sections of BNS,' SP Kumar said. Earlier on Wednesday, Patwari shared an X post, where he made the above allegations and said that the accused were supporters of BJP leader Brijendra Yadav. Addressing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi he wrote, 'Prime Minister Ji, @BJP4MP The jungle rule of power is crossing the limits of anarchy! A youth from the Lodhi community had 'human excrement' stuffed in his mouth just because he asked for a 'ration slip'! It is alleged that since the accused are supporters of @BJP4India MLA Brijendra Yadav, that's why @DGP_MP and @CMMadhyaPradesh are not allowing any action to be taken?' Referring to a previous incident of a man urinating on a tribal youth, he questioned law and order in Madhya Pradesh. 'In this same Madhya Pradesh, a shameful incident of urinating on the head of a tribal youth has already taken place! Why does #BJP consider Dalits, backward classes, and tribals as its enemies in Madhya Pradesh? The law and order in Madhya Pradesh have completely collapsed, yet @DrMohanYadav51 remains the Home Minister with arrogance! Meanwhile, the people of Madhya Pradesh now want freedom from this jungle rule,' the X post further read. (ANI)
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
23 minutes ago
- First Post
This Week in Explainers: What will Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla do in space?
Indian Air Force (IAF) Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has become the first Indian to reach the International Space Station (ISS) on the Axiom-4 Mission. As he and his three other colleagues adjust to microgravity, what will they do during their 14-day stay in space? All this and more in our weekly roundup read more Visiting crew in dark blue, Axiom Space's Peggy Whitson, left, Hungary's Tibor Kapu, 2nd left, India's Shubhanshu Shukla, center, and Poland's Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, center right, aboard the International Space Station, June 26, 2025. Nasa via AP It was a week of pride for India. Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla has become the first Indian to go to the International Space Station (ISS) on the Axiom-4 Mission (Ax-4). He flew to space on board SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket that blasted off from Nasa's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. The UK Royal Navy's F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter jet continues to be stranded in Kerala, two weeks after it made an emergency landing. The aircraft is parked in an open space at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A blockbuster weight-loss drug, Wegovy, has entered the Indian market. Weight-loss jabs have taken the world by storm. Their popularity has grown as they effectively help people lose weight. Here is all this and more in our weekly wrap from India. 1. Indian Air Force (IAF) Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla , along with three other crew members of the Axiom-4 mission, reached the ISS on the Crew Dragon spacecraft after a 28-hour journey around the Earth. With this, Shukla became only the second Indian to go to space. From Earth to orbit, cultures, crews, and missions unite 250 miles above our world. A heartfelt welcome to the #Ax4 crew as they join Expedition 73 aboard the International @Space_Station. — NASA's Johnson Space Center (@NASA_Johnson) June 26, 2025 In his first message from space, the Indian astronaut described his journey as a 'wonderful ride'. Shukla and his team will spend 14 days on the International Space Station and carry out dozens of experiments. But what are these? We take a look here . STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 2. The British Royal Navy's F-35B Lightning jet is grounded at Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. The aircraft made an emergency landing on the night of June 14 as it was low on fuel and encountered bad weather. The advanced fifth-generation fighter jet is part of the UK Royal Navy's aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales. According to the Indian Air Force (IAF), the British plane was 'undertaking routine flying outside of the Indian Air Defence Identification Zone' when it faced problems and Thiruvananthapuram was 'earmarked as the emergency recovery field'. But even after two weeks, why has the jet not left India yet? Read our story to know more. 3. Indian-origin Zohran Mamdani will script history by becoming New York City's mayor. The 33-year-old has defeated former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in the NYC Democratic primary election. If elected, Mamdani will be New York's first Muslim and Indian-American mayor. His stunning victory over Cuomo has brought one of his old posts about a politician from Kerala — Arya Rajendran — to the limelight. But who is she? Why did Mamdani retweet a post about her? Here's our story . STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 4. Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk has launched its weight-loss drug Wegovy in India. Semaglutide, marketed under the brand name Wegovy, is a prescription drug to tackle obesity and reduce cardiovascular risks. The launch comes just a few months after the US-based pharmaceutical company, Eli Lilly, introduced Mounjaro in India. Chemically known as tirzepatide, it is a diabetes and weight-loss drug. As Wegovy makes its way to the Indian market, we take a look at how it works and compare it with Mounjaro . 5. India's iconic Kolhapuri chappals have made it to the international stage. Prada exhibited its Men's Spring Summer 2026 collection with its models seen walking the runway wearing the 'toe ring sandals'. The visuals drew the ire of netizens, who criticised Prada for not giving credit to India for the footwear choice. From Louis Vuitton's Snakes and Ladders runway to Chanel's nod to sarees, India has always 'inspired' fashion across the world. We take a look here. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 6. The gang rape of a 24-year-old law student in West Bengal has shocked the state. Three people have been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting the student inside the law college premises in South Kolkata on June 25. The case has triggered a political furore in Bengal, with the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) slamming the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) over the law and order situation. The saffron party has also raked up the RG Kar rape-murder case to target the Mamata Banerjee-led government. Here's how the horrific gang rape of the law student came to light. 7. A Chennai techie's obsessive love turned ugly when she committed dark crimes to implicate her love interest. After the man she loved married another woman, Rene Joshilda allegedly used her tech skills to frame him by sending hoax bomb threats across 12 states. Rene Joshilda is accused of sending hoax bomb threats. Image Courtesy: X The 30-year-old used allegedly fake email IDs, virtual private networks (VPNs), and the dark web to stay off the radar. However, a small mistake by the robotics engineer proved to be her undoing, leading to her arrest. What happened? Read our story to find out. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This is all we have for you this week. If you like how we explain news, you can bookmark this page .
Hindustan Times
28 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
BJP, BRS slam Telangana government over renaming of Annapurna Canteen Scheme
The Congress government's decision to rename Annapurna Canteens as Indiramma Canteens has sparked controversy in Telangana. The BJP demanded that the CM Revanth Reddy-led Telangana government roll back the decision.(PTI) The Annapurna Canteen scheme, launched by the previous Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government, provided hot, hygienic, and nutritious meals for just ₹ 5 to the poor, daily wage workers, and labourers in urban regions of Telangana. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National spokesperson NV Subhash criticised the move, calling it a "publicity stunt" aimed at impressing the Gandhi family. He demanded that the state government roll back the decision and suggested it was a "return gift" to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on the 50th anniversary of the Emergency. "The BJP demands that the Congress government in Telangana roll back the names from Indira canteens to Annapurna canteens. What is the reason for the Congress government to rename the canteen, which is being run with funds from the state and GHMC, where people are fed for only ₹ 5? Is it a return gift to Indira Gandhi on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the emergency... This is nothing but a publicity stunt where the CM Revanth Reddy govt chooses to impress the Gandhi family", NV Subhash told ANI. BRS leader Krishank also slammed the government, stating that it should focus on fulfilling promises rather than changing names. He criticised the Congress government under Revanth Reddy for failing to bring in new schemes and pointed out that the name change was purely election-driven. "The Congress government under CM Revanth Reddy's rule has done nothing for Hyderabad. Earlier, the KSR government had a ₹ 5 Annapurna canteen for the poor, but now, as elections are approaching, Revanth Reddy's government has changed its name from Annapurna canteen to Indira Gandhi canteen. Why be a name changer, bring in new policies, and try to fulfil your 420 promises and guarantees that you have given? But the Congress government is all about changing names... This is really shameful... Revanth Reddy should stop pleasing the Gandhi family, stop being a Gulam to the Gandhi family, and instead try to please the voters who have voted for you", BRS leader Krishank said. Meanwhile, Congress leader Hanumantha Rao defended the decision, praising Indira Gandhi's contributions to the poor. He argued that the renaming was a fitting tribute to the former Prime Minister. Speaking to ANI, Congress Senior leader Hanumantha Rao said, 'The BRS government, under Annapurna Canteens, provided ₹ 5 meals. Today, under the leadership of Revanth Reddy, Indiramma Canteens provide meals at ₹ 5. They have taken this name because Indira Gandhi brought a revolution; she implemented land ceiling, nationalised banks, and ensured insurance for land labourers. Revanth Reddy's Indiramma Canteen is a fitting tribute. Every poor person who eats that ₹ 5 meal should remember Indira Gandhi, as the name is suitable. She brought a revolution in the lives of the poor. By adding her name, everyone will know about her work for the poor. The name for the canteens is fitting, and it should be maintained. Every poor person should eat the ₹ 5 meal and remember Indira Gandhi forever. This initiative is good, and I appreciate Revanth Reddy.'
