N Valarmathi, the renowned scientist from the Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO) known for her distinctive voice during rocket countdown launches, tragically passed away at the age of 64 on Saturday evening in Chennai due to a heart attack. Her final countdown announcement was for the successful Chandrayaan-3 launch on July 14. Tributes are pouring in on social media to honor her memory.
In other ISRO news, the Aditya-L1 mission achieved its first earth-bound maneuver successfully. Additionally, the Indian army is encouraging its soldiers to engage in social service during their leave, contributing to the nation-building efforts, including activities like educating local communities about initiatives such as Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.
Tragedy struck in Uttar Pradesh’s Barabanki, where a double-storey building collapsed early Monday morning, resulting in two fatalities and 10 injuries. In Telangana, a failed robbery attempt led a thief to praise the security system as a “good bank.” In Bihar’s Nalanda, a relative of former Union minister RCP Singh was shot at and blamed Nitish Kumar’s JDU for the incident.
Near the Karnataka border, villagers held protests against a Maharashtra irrigation project. Prime Minister Modi emphasized India’s year-long presidency of a global grouping, stressing the importance of technology democratization and the need for global cooperation to combat cybercrimes.
Despite the driest August on record, weather experts predict a brief revival of the southwest monsoon for 2-3 days this week, followed by weakening.
In global matters, a Republican presidential aspirant, Vivek Ramaswamy, stated he would pardon Donald Trump if he becomes president. U.S. President Joe Biden expressed disappointment over reports of China’s Xi Jinping skipping the G20 Summit in India. Ukraine President Zelensky removed Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov from his position.
In one good read, the central government, led by Narendra Modi, formed a committee under former President Ram Nath Kovind to assess the feasibility of “one nation, one election.” This decision has drawn criticism from opposition parties, considering it a unilateral move without proper consultation, especially with upcoming assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
In sports news, cricketer Gautam Gambhir criticized the “hero worship” in Indian cricket, urging fans and media to focus on other team performers rather than solely on top stars like MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli.
In entertainment, Gadar 2 crossed the ₹500 crore mark at the Indian box office, earning over ₹8 crore on its 24th day. The film stars Sunny Deol, Ameesha Patel, and Utkarsh Sharma in lead roles.
Finally, in lifestyle and health, Bollywood actor Sonam Kapoor continues to impress as a fashion icon with her latest photoshoot, showcasing a stylish denim-on-denim ensemble that delighted her fans, including her husband, Anand Ahuja.
