Latest news with #Chandrayaan-3
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Science
- The Hindu
Sona Institutions: A Blend of Legacy, Research Excellence, Placement & Global Visions
While its legacy lays the foundation, it is institutional excellence that builds enduring impact. At the heart of Tamil Nadu's Smart City, Salem, Sona College of Technology — the flagship of the 68-year-old Sona Institutions — is reshaping engineering education driven by innovation, research and global opportunity. Faculty Lead the Nation Sona has topped in India in faculty performance in the prestigious NPTEL exams, beating over 7000 institutions around the country in a landmark achievement. Cutting-edge edtech and lifelong learning supported by the management empower both faculty and students. Where Ideas Lift Off Sona is powering national missions besides preparing engineers. With 36 advanced research centres — inaugurated by A P J Abdul Kalam — including the pioneering SonaSPEED, Sona's innovations have contributed to ISRO's Chandrayaan-3, GSLV-F14, RL and INSAT-3DS missions. Patents Galore Recognised as a Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (SIRO) by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Government of India, Sona College holds 44 patents, 381 new patent applications filed in a single year and 320 patents published, Sona is a scientific hub of innovation. Rankings and Future Focus From Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to Data Science and Cybersecurity, Sona's future-ready specialisations ensure its graduates stay ahead. This futuristic vision has earned the institution a NAAC A++ grade with a high CGPA of 3.65, placing it among just a handful of top Indian institutions. NIRF rankings position it within the top 11–50 in the innovation category and 151–200 in engineering categories. Sona is also ISO 9001:2015 certified, with all eligible undergraduate and MBA programmes NBA accredited — further affirming its commitment to academic excellence. Placements: Minting Student Millionaires Sona has achieved an enviable 95 per cent placement record, but more impressively. With a focus on industry-ready skills, Sona College of Technology has enabled over 100 students to land million-rupees offers. 'It is an outstanding achievement. At Sona, even before they graduate, students are millionaires,' said vice-chairman Chocko Valliappa. 'It is all about positioning our students and not merely placing them in jobs,' said vice-chairman Thyagu Valliappa. Principal S R R Senthilkumar says,' being a millionaire while still a student can be an ambitious goal. Companies are willing to offer premium salaries only when students possess industry-relevant skills, certifications, and problem-solving capabilities. At Sona College of Technology, besides deep engagement with industry partners, they conduct of soft skill training, mock interviews and pre-placement training.' Blueprint of this rare success: The institution's innovative course offerings, with high potential for attracting employers who offer high-salaried jobs to competent fresh engineers. Value-added training and courses like the 3D Experience platform and Xcelerator Programme have helped students from core specialisations get jobs with rupees million as salary. Short-term certificate courses under the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL), which have been taken up by the majority of students with enthusiasm. A major recruiter this year selected over 50 per cent of the student millionaires. Notably, most of these students were from core specialisations. A student with a mechanical engineering background received an annual salary package of Rs.17 lakh at a leading multinational firm this year. Soaring Global Placements through Foreign Language Training Through its Foreign Language Training Centre offering Japanese, Korean, German and French, Sona facilitates international placements. As many as 34 students secured jobs in Japan after completing training in N5 and N3 levels at the in-house Japanese Language Training Centre. Sona graduates employed in Japan on international salary packages now stands just two short of the 100 mark. So far, a total of 97 Sona students have been selected by top-tier organisations and are currently working in Japan with packages of 33.6 LPA (JPY). While the current year's placement season is on-going, around 80 per cent of the students have been placed with an average LPA of Rs.6 lakh. This exceptional placement record, achieved amid a challenging job market conditions, testifies to Sona College of Technology's capability in creating job-ready and industry-ready graduates. Awarded Consistently for Best Industry Linkage The AICTE-CII Best Industry Linked Institution award for Sona College for seven consecutive years reflects the seamless integration between classroom learning and corporate needs. Built for Tomorrow Spread across 35 smart acres, featuring Salem's tallest academic structure and equipped with a modern central library housing over one lakh books and digital resources, Sona is a future-facing institution grounded in strong values, with aspirations to attain deemed university status in the near future. For students who dream big and aim high, Sona Institutions offer not just an education, but a launchpad to lead the future. 'This article is part of sponsored content programme.'
Time of India
2 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Landing on Mars just got real: Researchers reveal perfect site for astronauts
Source: Universe Today As space exploration accelerates, a new study brings Mars closer to human footsteps. This study is published in the Journal of Geophysical Research. Researchers have found an ideal landing site on Mars, one that offers both safety for landing and crucial access to buried water ice. Led by the University of Mississippi, the study highlights three regions in Amazonis Planitia, with AP-8 emerging as the top contender. This recent discovery supports safer landings but also enables in-situ resource utilization , meaning extracting ice for drinking water, food production, and fuel. It spots a major step forward in turning Mars colonization from concept to concrete planning. In recent years, the pace of space innovation has accelerated dramatically, such as Artemis program by NASA (preparing to return humans to the Moon), China's Chang'e missions bringing lunar samples back to Earth, and India's Chandrayaan-3 successfully landing near the Moon's south pole. In a similar vein, SpaceX has revolutionized access to space with reusable rockets, commercial crew flights, and bold ambitions for Mars colonization. Simultaneously, these milestones trace a new age of exploration, where interplanetary travel is not a dream but a developing reality. In this spirit of progress, researchers have now found the most promising landing site for humans on Mars. The study, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research , examines a major step toward sending humans to Mars: researchers have identified potential landing sites that offer both safety and access to one of the Red Planet called Mars's—most valuable resources, ice. Researchers at the University of Mississippi map out regions where underground water ice is likely to be present just below the surface, making future missions more self-sustaining and scientifically rich. Why ice matters on Mars by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Many Are Watching Tariffs - Few Are Watching What Nvidia Just Launched Seeking Alpha Read More Undo For humans to survive on Mars, water is critical—for drinking, growing food, and even making fuel. Since sending enough water from Earth is impractical, scientists have been on the hunt for places where astronauts could extract ice directly from the Martian soil. This study helps zero in on such promising regions. 'If we're going to send humans to Mars, you need H2O and not just for drinking, but for propellant and all manner of applications. And finding it close to the surface is helpful because we can easily extract it and use it. This is called in situ resource utilization, and it's an important practice for any space exploration,' said Erica Luzzi, a planetary geologist and postdoctoral researcher. Where could humans land? The research team examined three areas on Mars in Amazonis Planitia known as AP-1, AP-8, and AP-9, using high-resolution imagery and topographic maps. These areas were selected because they show signs of subsurface ice and relatively flat terrain, attributes important for landing spacecraft safely. Among the three, AP-8 stood out as a top candidate. It featured a wide variety of landforms that suggest water ice activity in the past or present, such as certain types of terrain patterns and craters. Terrain that hints at ice Scientists focused on identifying specific surface features that signal the presence of buried ice: Polygonal terrain: These crack-like patterns in the ground are common in cold regions on Earth and Mars and often mean ice is just beneath the surface. Two types were found—Knobby Polygon Terrain (KPT) and Smooth Polygon Terrain (SPT)—each indicating slightly different ice-related processes. Brain Coral Terrain: With twisty ridges resembling brain tissue, this terrain type is linked to repeated freezing and thawing cycles. It's located at slightly lower elevations, which may make it easier to reach potential ice deposits. Expanded Craters: These odd-looking craters seem to have grown larger over time, likely because of the melting and shifting of subsurface ice. The shapes and structures of these craters offer strong evidence of past water activity. Inverted Craters: Even more unusual, some craters appear raised instead of sunken, a sign of erosion and protective layering that could preserve ancient ice beneath them. A Landing site at Mars that ticks all boxes Qualities that make these sites particularly exciting are that they are Scientifically interesting (lots of variety in surface features) Likely to contain water ice Flat and safe enough for landing spacecraft The combination of all three makes these spots ideal not just for landing, but for setting up a base and supporting long-term human exploration. Also Read: First time astronomers capture earliest signs of planet formation around a young star | Watch video
India Today
3 days ago
- Business
- India Today
Indian students lose Rs 1,700 crore to hidden bank fees in 2024: Report
When an Indian student boards a flight for New York, London, or Melbourne, they aren't travelling alone, not in spirit, and certainly not in sacrifice. Behind every young scholar is a family that has chosen to stretch its limits. They sell land, dip into retirement savings, take education loans, and pool family incomes. It's a quiet revolution carried out in living rooms, not while their story is familiar, a new cost has entered the picture, one not found in any college brochure or visa 2024, Indian families collectively lost Rs 1,700 crore, around USD 200 million, not to tuition fees or housing, but to hidden charges from banks. This figure, drawn from a report by Wise and Redseer Strategy Consultants, represents what was paid in exchange rate markups and banking fees alone. It is a cost invisible to most, but immense in its grasp the scale, consider this: the amount lost is nearly three times the budget of India's Chandrayaan-3 moon THE NUMBERS ADD UPOver 760,000 Indian students are currently studying abroad. Most rely on their families to send regular remittances to cover living expenses, tuition, and unforeseen report estimates that Indian households remitted between Rs 85,000 to Rs 93,500 crore (USD 10–11 billion) in 2024 for educational 95% of these funds are sent via traditional banks. The banks, in turn, apply an average 3-3.5% markup on currency processing fees and delays of 2–5 working days, and the impact is hard to a family sending Rs 30 lakh a year, this means Rs 60,000-75,000 lost to hidden charges, an amount that could cover several months of living expenses or a semester of STUDENTS ARE SAYINGPriyanka Agarwal, an Indian student in the United States, explains it plainly: 'The loan helped. But the forex service I used made all the difference. I didn't know how much we had been losing in earlier transfers until we switched.'Harusha, also in the US, points to the urgency of everyday life: 'My parents used to transfer money through the bank. It would take two to three days. But sometimes, I needed the funds immediately, for rent or emergencies.I switched to instant platforms, and it felt like a burden lifted.'Their stories echo a larger shift. Education-related payments now account for 75% of Wise's volume in India, just three years after the company entered the promise: mid-market exchange rates with no hidden fees, 12-hour average delivery time, and transparency in ISSUE OF TRUST AND TRANSPARENCYTaneia Bhardwaj, South Asia Expansion Lead at Wise, put it bluntly: 'Students today move fast. Their payments should, too. Five-day waits and surprise charges aren't just an inconvenience -- they're disruptions to education.'She adds: 'It's not just about efficiency. It's about fairness. When a parent makes sacrifices for a child's education, that money should reach where it's needed -- not disappear in invisible margins.'To address regulatory barriers, Wise also announced its plan to support education-related transactions made through loans, which may qualify for tax exemptions under India's updated TCS (Tax Collected at Source) rules.A BROADER ECONOMIC UNDERTONEIndia's outbound education economy is growing rapidly. In 2024, for the first time, India overtook China as the leading source of international students in the now account for over 30-35% of student enrolments in major study destinations. Just ten years ago, this figure stood at 11%.As education transforms into a key pillar of the Indian middle-class aspiration, remittance channels must story is no longer just about reaching top universities, it's about reaching there without bleeding dry on the the end, this is not just about banking or transfers. It's about trust. It's about making sure that every rupee sent carries the full weight of a family's hope -- not the burden of opaque families prepare to double their spending on education by 2030, the cost of financial inefficiency becomes a national that requires better systems, clearer regulations, and a renewed respect for what these families are trying to build, one tuition payment at a question isn't whether Indian students will continue to pursue global dreams. They will. The question is whether the system will let them do it without losing more than they already give.- EndsMust Watch
News18
5 days ago
- Science
- News18
Opinion: India's Space Odyssey Under PM Narendra Modi
Last Updated: India's space missions symbolise our determination to push boundaries and be at the forefront of space exploration India's space programme achieved a historic milestone with Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's participation in Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), marking a significant step in the nation's human spaceflight journey. Shukla, a 39-year-old Indian Air Force (IAF) test pilot, became the first Indian astronaut to visit the International Space Station (ISS) and the second Indian in space after Rakesh Sharma. This achievement, 41 years after Sharma's flight, underscores India's growing prowess in space exploration and its strategic use of international partnerships to advance its ambitions, under the aegis of the Modi government. Selected as one of the four astronauts for ISRO's Gaganyaan mission, India's first indigenous human spaceflight programme, Shukla underwent rigorous training at Russia's Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center. During his 18-day stay on the ISS, Shukla conducted over 60 scientific experiments, including seven designated by ISRO. A key experiment, Myogenesis, conducted at the Life Sciences Glovebox, explored skeletal muscle degradation in microgravity, aiming to develop therapies for astronauts and patients with muscle-degenerative diseases on Earth. These experiments will bolster India's microgravity research ecosystem, enhancing its scientific capabilities. Shukla also engaged in public outreach, including a live videoconference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and ham radio sessions with students, inspiring the next generation to pursue STEM fields. For India, Ax-4 was a strategic step toward the Gaganyaan mission, scheduled for 2027, which aims to send Indian astronauts into low Earth orbit using indigenous technology. The Ax-4 mission, costing approximately Rs 548 crore, solidified India's position as an emerging space power, inspiring millions and paving the way for future endeavors, including a planned space station by 2035 and a lunar mission by 2040. Remember, even before the Axiom mission, India witnessed history being created on August 23, 2023, as part of the Chandrayaan-3 mission. With the soft landing on the lunar south pole, on the dark side of the moon, India became the 1st country to land on the lunar south pole and only the 4th country in the world, after the United States, Russia, and China, to have achieved the magnificent feat of landing on the moon. India's Space economy is expected to be worth over $13 billion by 2025, endorsing PM Modi's ambitious Space-oriented plans. The Chandrayaan-2 mission cost India Rs 978 crore. But the Chandrayaan-3 project cost was much lower at Rs 615 crore. Again, India's first solar mission, Aditya-L1, came at a cost of merely Rs 378 crore, to study the photosphere, chromosphere, and the outermost layers of the Sun (the corona). In 2017, ISRO launched a record 104 satellites aboard PSLV-C37 from Sriharikota, of which 101 belonged to international customers, signifying India's increasing presence in the global Space industry. There was a time when India was denied cryogenic rocket technology. But the scientists of India not only developed indigenous technology but today with its help, dozens of satellites are being sent to Space simultaneously. Space, the final frontier, has captivated our imagination since time immemorial. The call of the cosmos and the curiosity to know more about our origin, is the driving force for Space explorations. But venturing into Space is costly and dangerous. India's Chandrayaan-2 mission encountered a setback in 2019 when the lander Vikram failed to achieve a soft landing on the moon's surface. However, from this failure, India learned valuable lessons. PM Modi did not flinch even for a moment and like a true leader, he stood in solidarity with India's scientific community. The Chandrayaan-2 mission served as a catalyst for innovation, prompting the scientific community to analyse and rectify the challenges faced. In fact, it is the orbiter of Chandrayaan-2 which has been providing key inputs in real-time, to help its successor Chandrayaan-3 which eventually made a flawless landing on the moon on August 23, 2023. Indian Space forays under the Modi government are helping in sectors such as agriculture, railways, smart cities, water-mapping, robotic surgery and defence. PM Modi's unwavering support for ISRO and his endorsement of cost-effective Space missions aligns with the nation's ethos of frugality, allowing India to achieve remarkable feats without burdening its economy. Moreover, Modi's emphasis on the practical applications of Space technology in agriculture, disaster management and national security underscore his commitment to harnessing Space capabilities for the betterment of Indian society. India's space missions symbolise our determination to push boundaries and be at the forefront of space exploration. ISRO operates on a modest budget; the Mars orbiter, Mangalyaan, for example, had a price tag of just $75 million, less than the cost of an average Hollywood blockbuster like say Interstellar which had a far higher budget of $165 million. As India continues its journey into the unknown, exploring the moon and beyond, it inspires and instills hope for a brighter future. Well, India's tryst with the dark side of the moon showcases how a leap of faith is sometimes, all that it takes to leapfrog a million years ahead. India has launched about 557 satellites, including 431 foreign satellites for 34 countries as of July 30, 2023, primarily through ISRO's commercial arm, NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), formerly Antrix. This includes a record-breaking launch of 104 satellites in a single mission in 2017, with 101 being foreign satellites. Total satellites launched under the aegis of PM Modi are 450, both Indian and foreign. Out of the 431 foreign satellites launched by India until 2023, over 389 were launched between 2014 and 2023 itself, endorsing that a significant portion of foreign launches occurred under Modi's leadership. ISRO, for instance, conducted 58 launch vehicle missions between 2014 and 2025, a 38% increase from the 42 missions before 2014. Clearly, India's Space Odyssey under the Modi government is set to conquer many milestones, with the just concluded Axiom Mission 4, being just the tip of the iceberg. Sanju Verma is an Economist, National Spokesperson for BJP, and Bestselling Author of 'The Modi Gambit'. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views. First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Star
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Indian Cabinet welcomes Group Captain Shukla's return from space, lauds PM Modi's visionary leadership
NEW DELHI: The Cabinet on Wednesday (July 16) accorded a heartfelt welcome to Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla on his safe return from the International Space Station on Tuesday (July 15). 'This is a moment of pride, glory and joy for the entire nation. The Cabinet joins the nation in celebrating the return of Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla to Earth, following the successful completion of his historic 18-day mission aboard the International Space Station,' said the resolution adopted at the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday. This marks a significant milestone in India's space exploration journey as Shukla became the first Indian astronaut to visit the ISS. The Cabinet applauds the visionary and decisive leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, whose strategic foresight, unwavering belief in India's space potential, and consistent guidance have enabled the country to chart new frontiers and emerge as a leader among space faring nations. 'The Cabinet also recalls with pride India's recent landmark achievements, including the historic landing of Chandrayaan-3 near the South Pole of the Moon on 23rd August 2023, a day etched in history as India's National Space Day. Likewise, India's Aditya-L1 Mission launched in 2023 has significantly enhanced humanity's understanding of solar activity. These feats reflect the spirit of scientific excellence and national self-reliance,' said the resolution. Earlier, welcoming Shukla on his return, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Tuesday said, 'I join the nation in welcoming Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as he returns to Earth from his historic mission to Space. As India's first astronaut to have visited the International Space Station, he has inspired a billion dreams through his dedication, courage and pioneering spirit.' Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's 18-day mission aboard the ISS was part of the Axiom-4 crew. He conducted pioneering experiments in microgravity on subjects like muscle regeneration, algal growth, and crop viability. The mission elevates India's global standing in space exploration and is a stepping stone towards India's human spaceflight ambitions like Gaganyaan. The Cabinet commends the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and scientists for their efforts. The mission reflects India's growing leadership in international space cooperation. It inspires a new generation of Indians to pursue careers in science and innovation. - The Statesman/ANN
