Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has entered in the global small satellite launch market with the successful launch of the third and final developmental flight of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV-D3) from Sriharikota on Friday (16 August 2024) morning. This completes the SSLV development project and enables operational missions of the rocket by Indian industry and NewSpace India Limited (NSIL).

SSLV-D3 carrying earth observation satellite EOS-08 and SR-0 Demosat passenger satellite lifted off from the first launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 9.17am on Friday.

After successfully satellite injection, the space agency chief S Somanath declared the development of SSLV complete.

With the successful launch, the development of the SSLV, ISRO’s small-lift launch vehicle, is complete.

This rocket can carry satellites weighing up to 500 kg and place them in Low Earth Orbit (up to 500 km above Earth).

India and Israel have joined hands for the establishment of a new water technology centre at IIT Madras, which is expected to serve as a "key contributor" to India's efforts to achieve sustainable water supply for all.

The Embassy of Israel in India in its statement termed the deal a "significant milestone" in the ongoing collaboration between the two countries in the field of integrated water resource management.

A Joint Statement of Intent was signed to establish a Center of Water Technology at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.

The Center of Water Technology aims to become a hub for innovation, research, and capacity-building in water technologies, particularly focusing on sustainable solutions for urban water supply.

To kickstart this initiative, a capacity-building on '24/7 Water Supply in Urban Areas' was organised at IIT-Madras from August 5 to August 8, it added.

The Thai parliament elected its youngest-ever prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, just days after the dismissal of former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.

Paetongtarn, 37, is the youngest child of billionaire Thaksin, 75, founder of the Pheu Thai party, with which Srettha was also affiliated.

Paetongtarn was elected easily on Friday, as her party and its allies hold 314 out of 493 seats in parliament, and she required the vote of at least half of the current legislators to become prime minister.

She studied at the elite conservative institute, Chulalongkorn University, in Bangkok.

Rishab Shetty won the Best Actor National Film Award 2024. The announcement was made on Friday, August 16. Besides this, Hombale Films’ Kantara also won the ‘Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment’ award.

• Kantara starring Rishab Shetty in the lead reased in 2022.
• The film is narrated around a human and nature conflict where Shiva is the rebel who works against nature.
• The film is set and shot in Keradi in coastal Karnataka which involves the cultures of Kambla and Bhootha Kola.
• Rishab Shetty not only played the lead in the movie but also wrote and directed it.
• The film gained love from all, including celebrities, political dignitaries, cricketers and the audience. It had earned over Rs 450 crore at the box office.

Renowned missile scientist and Padma Bhushan awardee Dr Ramnarayan Agarwal (Agniman), aged 84, passed away in Hyderabad on Friday, August 15. He was sick and breathed his last at his residence in Rakshapuram, near the Kanchanbagh DRDO township, on Thursday ( 15 August 2024). His family had taken him to the Apollo Hospital but doctors declared him 'brought dead'.

• Dr Agarwal was significant in catalysing India's long-range ballistic missile programme, spearheaded by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO).
• He served as the first Project Director of the Agni Missile Program and is widely recognised as the "Father of Missiles" and affectionately known as "Agniman."
• He retired as the Director of the Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL) in 2005.

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) announces that India’s Tokyo 2020 Paralympic gold medalist, Pramod Bhagat, has been suspended for 18 months due to anti-doping regulation violations.

• The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) found Bhagat guilty of three whereabouts failures within 12 months.
• Despite appealing, the CAS Appeals Division upheld the decision, confirming the suspension. Bhagat, an SL3 athlete, will miss the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
• Earlier his year Bhagat had defended his men’s singles SL3 title as he defeated England’s Daniel Bethell in a hard-fought final at the 2024 Para Badminton World Championships in Pattaya, Thailand.

Panacea Biotec and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) are initiating a Phase III trial of a dengue fever vaccine.

This landmark trial (CTRI/2024/03/064910) will evaluate the efficacy of India’s indigenous tetravalent dengue vaccine, DengiAll.

The virus has become a major public health concern in India, ranking it among the top 30 countries with the highest incidence of the disease.

DengiAll is based on the tetravalent dengue vaccine strain (TV003/TV005), originally developed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) which has shown promise in previous studies.

Indore-based Wings EV is set to introduce a new category to the Indian automobile market with the launch of its ‘electric microcar’ named Robin, a two-seater electric vehicle designed to be as agile as a motorbike.

The company, founded by a father-son duo, will unveil Robin in Bengaluru in April 2025, aiming to promote “personal commuting with zero pollution, reduced congestion, and minimal road space usage,” according to Pranav Dandekar, CEO, and co-founder.

Pranav Dandekar, who holds a PhD in computer science and is a Stanford University graduate, stated that Robin has successfully passed all safety tests conducted by ARAI Pune, making it safer than any existing two or three-wheeler on the market.