At exactly 3:04 am on November 11, at the Kourou spaceport in distant French Guyana in South America, the Indian Space Research organisation (ISRO) gave India it’s Diwali gift. It successfully launched an indigeneously made communications satellite GSAT-15, using one of the world’s largest rockets – the Ariane-5.
Then, after a flight of 43 minutes and 24 seconds, GSAT-15 separated from the Ariane 5 upper stage in an elliptical geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO). The ISRO Master Control Facility at Hassan, Karnataka, took over the command and control of GSAT-15 after its separation from the launch vehicle.
An Arabsat communications satellite also accompanied the GSAT-15 on the same launch.
Made at a cost of Rs. 278 crores, the GSAT-15 satellite weighs 3164 kg. With 24 transponders in the ku band, GSAT-15’s primary role will be to boost direct-to-home (DTH) broadcasting.
It will also enhance the GPS-aided augmented navigation (GAGAN) payload operating in L1 and L5 bands, which will help in aircraft navigation. GSAT-15 also provides a replacement for the Ku-band capacity of INSAT-3A and INSAT-4B satellites, which are getting ready to retire. GSAT-15 has a life of 12 years.
Currently, India has a shortage of transponders in space. The Indian satellite system is only able to handle a third of the required capacity, with the rest being leased from foreign satellite companies.
“The launch of GSAT-15 will be one more step towards further strengthening the satellite navigation infrastructure and sustaining the communication infrastructure in the country,” said ISRO Chairman A S Kiran Kumar.
We all have the luxury to go to a shop and buy the clothes we like; we have the privilege of choice. But not everyone is as lucky as we are. Organizing a street store is an endeavor to give the people who don’t have the privilege of choice, a unique shopping experience. Bhubaneswar recently hosted a Street store where you can come, pick whatever you want and leave.
The third edition of the event organized in Bhubaneswar on 1st November, 2015 saw an overwhelming number of people drop into what is known as the “world’s first rent-free, premises-free” pop-up clothing store. Started in 2014, the Street Store has previously hosted editions in 33 other cities across the world.
The concept here is that homeless and needy citizens are allowed to browse a selection of clothing and other items donated by people in the city, and pick whatever they need.
The beneficiaries were given a token, which they could exchange for a product of their choice.
“It is in giving that we receive the ultimate joy.”
Building upon this thought, the Social Responsibility Cell at XIMB-XUB decided to organize a street store to give a unique shopping experience to the needy and underprivileged.
To get the full value of joy you must have someone to share it with and the XIMB community donated with open hearts during the Joy of Giving week, organized in the first week of October.
A strong team of 150 members from the Social Responsibility Cell (SRC) of Xavier Institute of Management Bhubaneswar (XIMB-XUB) collected clothes from students and locals and displayed them at the street store.
From apparels to footwear, the store has many products.
The interesting store was set up in front of XIMB campus from 10 am to 2:30 pm and saw a regular footfall the entire day.
“The concept of the street store is that anyone who cannot afford much can come to the store, choose any attire that he/she likes and take it home for free. Usually the underprivileged don’t have any choice when they receive donations or charity. Here they can choose and take whatever they like,” says the XIMB SRC team.
About 500 less privileged people lined up that day to pick clothing, footwear and other donated items for themselves.
It was the third time that such a street store was organized in Bhubaneswar. Stalls were set up and divided into different sections where various types of apparel were displayed. People were given a token at the counter and could exchange it for the garment of their choice. In addition, there were hangers and paper bags designed using eco-friendly products by the team.
The event also received a heart-warming response across media circles, with a call for similar initiatives to be held in other Indian cities. Through this event, people could truly experience the ‘Joy of Giving’ by bringing smiles on the faces of hundreds of underprivileged people. It is not how much we give but how much love we put into giving that matters.
From cremating unclaimed cadavers found floating in the Ganges to helping activate dysfunctional sewage treatment plants along its course, Vikas Chandra a.k.a. Guddu Baba has dedicated himself to to cleaning up the holy river. This is his awe-inspiring story.
“Millions of people revere her as Ganga Maa (Mother Ganga), we need to make her sacred again,” he stressed.
Chandra’s mission began in 1998. “A middle-aged man was bathing in the sewage-filled waters of river Ganga in Patna, when Chandra, an environmental activist, chanced upon him. “He told me that he was there to perform his wife’s last rites. But he did not have the money for a boat ride to the main stream of the river, which was cleaner,” Chandra recalled.
The incident shocked Chandra and built up his resolve to fight for a cleaner Ganga.
“I lost my mother when I was just four. Since then, I have considered the earth as my mother and I have been a dutiful son of Ganga Maa too. I could not bear to see the river in such a filthy and unholy state and hence decided to dedicate my life to cleaning up the holy river, ” said Chandra.
His crusade for a cleaner Ganga started with the Ganga Bachao Andolan in 2000. The aim was to draw the attention of the authorities towards the appalling condition of the holy river — the sewage, the filth, the floating dead bodies on the river banks.
Vikas Chandra started his mission to save Ganga in 1998.
Photo: Facebook
He went on a 48-hour fast in Patna. Later, he organised various campaigns and rallies in order to drum up public support for his cause. His efforts were not in vain and he went on to file his first Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Patna High Court in July 2000, holding the State and the Centre (and other departments) responsible for the horrifying condition of the river.
His efforts took a more aggressive turn when he found hundreds of dead bodies lying on the banks of the river near the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH).
“The sight was disgusting. The bodies emitted a foul smell, some had even been ravaged by dogs and other scavengers. I wrote to the state government to arrange for the respectful cremation of those dead bodies as I believe everybody deserves that much,” he said.
Vikas is also requesting the government to not leave sewage drains in the river.
PMCH denied dumping the bodies in the river and and claimed that the dead bodies were flowing from Danapur (a place that lay upstream) “However, the dead bodies showed clear marks of post mortem having been performed on them. So we continued our fight for a proper cremation for those unclaimed dead bodies,” recalls Chandra.
He clicked pictures of three bodies and organised a human chain of about 100 people who in turn, carried those photographs across the streets of Patna asking the government to cremate the dead respectfully.
His efforts paid off when the High Court finally took notice of the issue after a long fight and passed an order in March 2001 that the unclaimed bodies were the responsibility of the state government. PMCH decided to pay Rs. 300 for the cremation ceremony of each dead body and increased the amount to Rs. 1,000 in 2007.
Later, Rogi Kalyan Samiti, a state-administered organisation, also decided to provide money for the cremation of unclaimed bodies.
So far, Chandra has filed over 38 PILs in the High Court and other courts in connection with this issue. Today, he claims that there are no dead bodies found in the holy river in Patna. –
Chandra organizes rallies and awareness campaigns to save the holy river.
He also focused attention on the dumping of medical waste into the river. Now, an incinerator has been installed for the treatment of waste near PMCH.
That is not all. Chandra has also played a pivotal role in reviving three dysfunctional sewage treatment plants set up in 1986 under the Late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s Ganga Action plan. Today, the STPs at Beur, Saidpur and Pahari are functional again, thanks to Chandra.
“These three plants treat 105 mld sewage water every day. Since these plants are very old, their capacity has decreased over time, but it is still better than having them lying dysfunctional,” pointed out Chandra.
Today, he is not alone in his cause. There is an army of equally dedicated volunteers who work with him on a regular basis to keep the holy river clean.
He has a dedicated team of volunteers who support his cause whole-heartedly.
Photo: Facebook
Together, they ensure that people do not defecate near the river. These volunteers also pick up plastic and other waste from the river banks and support Chandra in all his endeavours.
The activist admits his journey has often, been a challenging one. “I have received several threats and been pressured to stop, but I am determined to make a difference and nothing can stop me from doing that,” he stressed. Chandra, in fact, has been so committed to his cause that he only got married this year in July, at the age of 52. But he continues to give his all to this mission.
He once received a prize money of Rs. 5 lakhs from a renowned media group in 2009. The entire prize amount was used to scale up his project.
Vikas performs last rites of the unclaimed dead bodies found in the river.
Photo: YouTube
Chandra, who hails from Allahabad, is a double post graduate in public administration and political science. He has also worked as a priest. “I haven’t received any other help, monetary or otherwise. I put in whatever I earn as a teacher and priest. Lack of funds has never come as an impediment to my work. I am strictly against the NGO culture and do not believe in charity. This is purely voluntary work and I don’t ask for donations,” he said.
His supporters help him pay for the court fees and other basic costs attached to his mission.
Today, the Ganga is slowly but surely regaining the status of a clean river. But Chandra is not willing to rest. He still has miles to go with his mission, he added.
Did you know that practicing Surya Namaskar daily can make you look younger?
Fitness is not only about refining the body, but also reviving the soul.
A healthy body and mind is the best fashion statement… and to achieve this, you should indulge in Sun salutation, popularly known as ‘Surya Namaskar’ every morning.
It is a versatile Yoga posture that has, in recent times, gained popularity among fitness enthusiasts.
Surya Namaskar is considered as a highly beneficial exercise for the body and the mind and most celebrities swear by it.
We take a look at 10 awesome benefits of practicing this popular exercise every morning.
1. Shed those extra kilos
First and foremost Surya Namaskar helps you keep your weight in check.
It sheds the extra kilos to keep your body toned and fit.
With just one round of Surya Namaskar, you lose close to 13.9 calories!
2. Improves digestion
Due to stretching and compressing, your digestive system is strengthened and you can bid goodbye to indigestion and dyspepsia forever.
Think of that!
3. Cleanses your breathing organs
One of the biggest benefits is that, due to the rhythmic breathing the exercise involves, it cleanses your breathing tract and lungs.
It also detoxifies your body, helping you to get rid of harmful gases that might have entered your system.
4. Strengthens your back
Recurring backache is often caused by lack of movement of the muscles and joints.
By making you stretch and bend, Surya Namaskar keeps your joints and spine in good condition.
It also strengthens the overall skeletal system.
5. Makes you look younger
As cliched as that sounds Surya Namaskar actually does this… how?
By increasing and maintaining healthy blood flow in the body.
It brings glow to your skin and also helps prevent wrinkles for a long time.
6. Childbirth goes easy on you
Girls, irrespective of the faith you belong to, this exercise will help you strengthen your immune system and regularize periods.
It also has a positive effect on childbirth and keeps complications at bay.
7. Gives you a ‘Goodnight’
Surya Namaskar helps you get your proper quota of sleep everyday and keeps anxiety at a distance.
When your body stays strong, you tend to keep away from bodily and mental dysfunctions.
8. Tones your look
Surya Namaskar broadens your chest and makes your waist flexible on the whole, making you an easy mover and also helps you look fit!
9. Easy to remember stuff
You can also improve your neural system by practising Surya Namaskar… and it also helps in improving your memory.
That means you will not forget that easily and retrieval of memories will also be bettered.
10. Suits your pace
Now-a-days, it’s difficult for most working people to follow an exhaustive exercise routine.
Surya Namaskar fits the demand and helps you fit the regime within the restricted time frame by choosing the number of namaskars you want to or can do.
It’s a slick routine that is fast, yet effective.
Lead image used for representational purposes only. Image: Mikaku/Creative Commons
சூரபத்மன் தவமிருந்து, சிவனின் ஆற்றலைத் தவிர வேறு யாராலும் தன்னைக் கொல்ல முடியாது என்று வரம் பெற்றான். வரத்தின் பலத்தால், தேவர்களைத்துன்புறுத்தினான். தேவர்கள் தங்களைக் காப்பாற்றும்படி சிவனைச் சரணடைந்தனர். சிவன் தன் நெற்றிக்கண்ணில் இருந்து ஆறு தீப்பொறிகளை உண்டாக்க, அவை சரவணப் பொய்கையில் விழுந்து குழந்தைகளாக மாறின. அந்தக் குழந்தைகளை கார்த்திகைப் பெண்கள் வளர்த்தனர். பார்வதி ஆறு குழந்தைகளையும் சேர்த்து அணைக்க, ஆறுமுகமும், பன்னிரு கைகளுமாக ஒரே உருவமாக மாற்றினாள். “கந்தன்’ என பெயர் பெற்ற அந்தக்குழந்தைக்கு, தன் சக்தியை ஒன்று திரட்டி வேலாக கொடுத்தாள்.சக்தி வேலுடன் புறப்பட்ட கந்தன், சூரபத்மனை சம்ஹாரம் செய்து தேவர்களைக் காப்பாற்றினார். இதன் அடிப்படையில், ஐப்பசி மாதம் அமாவாசைக்கு மறுநாளான வளர்பிறை பிரதமை முதல் சஷ்டி வரை ஆறுநாள் கந்தசஷ்டி விரதம் இருப்பர். ஆறாவது நாளான சஷ்டியன்று, முருகன் கோவில்களில் சூரசம்ஹாரம் நடத்தப்படும்.
விரத முறை:
* அதிகாலை 4.30-6 மணிக்குள் நீராட வேண்டும். நாள்முழுவதும் விரதம் இருக்க முடிந்தவர்கள், பால்,பழம் மட்டும் சாப்பிடலாம். ஓரளவு தாக்கு பிடிப்பவர்கள் ஒருவேளை உணவும், மற்ற நேரங்களில் பால், பழமும் சாப்பிடலாம். உடல்நிலை காரணமாக சாப்பிட வேண்டிய
கட்டாயத்தில் இருப்பவர்கள் எளிய உணவு எடுத்துக் கொள்ளலாம். ஒரு காலத்தில் வெறும் தண்ணீருடன் விரதம் இருந்தவர்கள் உண்டு.
* முருகனுக்குரிய மந்திரங்களான “ஓம் சரவணபவ’ “ஓம் சரவணபவாயநம’ “ஓம் முருகா’ ஆகிய மந்திரங்களில் ஏதாவது ஒன்றை நாள் முழுதும் ஜெபித்து வர வேண்டும்.
* திருப்புகழ், கந்தசஷ்டிகவசம், ஸ்கந்தகுருகவசம், சண்முககவசம் பாடல்களில் ஏதேனும் ஒன்றை காலையிலும், மாலையிலும் பாராயணம் செய்ய வேண்டும்.
வழித்துணையாய் வா முருகா!
*முழுநிலவு போல குளிர்ச்சியான முகத்துடன் விளங்கும் முருகப்பெருமானே! வெற்றி தரும் வேலாயுதத்தை தாங்கியவனே! உன்
அன்பைப் பெற என் மனம் ஏங்கித் தவிக்கிறது. என்னை உன் அடிமையாக ஆட்கொள்ள வந்தருள வேண்டும்.
*முருகா! என் கண்கள் காண்பதாக இருந்தால் உன் திருவடித் தாமரைகளையே காணட்டும். என் உதடுகள் உந்தன் திருப்புகழை மட்டுமே பேசட்டும். இரவும் பகலும் என் மனம், உன் பெருமையை மட்டும் சிந்தித்திருக்கட்டும். இந்த அரிய வரத்தை நீ தந்தருள வேண்டும்.
*மாமரமாய் நின்ற சூரனை இருகூறாகப் பிளந்த வெற்றி வீரனே! கற்றவர்கள் புகழ்ந்து போற்றும் ஞானபண்டிதனே! செவ்வானம் போல சிவந்த மேனியனே! கடம்பம், முல்லை மலர்களை விரும்பி அணிபவனே! அறிவுக்கண்களைத் திறந்து ஞானத்தைத் கொடுத்தருள்வாயாக.
முத்துப்போல பிரகாசிக்கும் புன்னகையுடன் காட்சி தருபவனே! உமையம்மையை மகிழ்விக்க வந்த சிவ பாலனே! அழகெல்லாம் ஒன்று திரண்டு வந்தது போல, கோடி சூரிய பிரகாசத்துடன் விளங்குபவனே! அருட்கண்களால் என்னைக் காத்தருள்வாயாக.
*எங்கள் எண்ணம், சொல், செயலுக்கு எட்டாத பரம்பொருளே! ஆறுமுகப்பெருமானே! எனக்கு வேண்டிய வரங்களை வாரி வழங்க
பன்னிரு கரங்களுடன் வந்தருள்வாயாக.
*கருணைக்கடலே! கந்தப்பெருமானே! நமசிவாயத்தின் நெற்றிக்கண்ணில் உதித்த அருட்சுடரே! வண்ண மயில் மீது வலம் வரும் சுப்பிரமணியனே! வள்ளி மணாளனே! இதயமாகிய குகையில் வீற்றிருக்கும் குகப்பெருமானே! உனது திருவடிகளை சிந்திக்கும் பாக்கியத்தைத் தந்தருள்வாயாக.
* ஆனைமுகப் பெருமானின் தம்பியே! ஆதிபராசக்தியின் புதல்வனே! வள்ளிக்கு வாய்த்தவனே! குன்றெல்லாம் குடிகொண்டிருக்கும் குமரப்பெருமானே! சஷ்டி நாதனே! சூரபத்மனுக்கும் பெருவாழ்வளித்த புண்ணியமூர்த்தியே! எங்கள் தவறையும் மன்னித்து அருள்வாயாக.
*திருமாலின் மருமகனே! தெய்வானையை மணந்த வடிவேலனே! மலர்ந்த தாமரை போல எப்போதும் மகிழ்ச்சியுடன் இருப்பவனே! சேவல் கொடியோனே! மலைமகள் பார்வதி பெற்ற பாலகனே! மயில் வாகனனே! கிரகதோஷம் எதுவும் என்னைத் தாக்காமல் காத்தருள வேண்டும்.
Driving down a road, a motorist saw a baby horse running around aimlessly on the pavement. The little guy was either abandoned or lost, but the man couldn’t tell what had happened. Where was his mother? How did he get here? As he pulled up to the baby, though, the poor horse was belting out fearful sounds. This kind man had to stop and do something.
He discovered that the horse had somehow become separated from his mom and was too young to leap over the guardrail to meet the anxious mare. If he stayed stuck on the highway, the helpless creature would surely be hit by a passing car. That’s when this man did something so thanklessly awesome, you can’t help but smile.
Running back to his family, you can almost hear mom breathe a sigh of relief. That’s what we call a real hero — helping someone in need without a moment’s thought!
Utilize your authority over this body to foster the welfare of the world. This body is but an instrument, an implement given by God. Let it serve its intended purpose. Until the realisation of the purpose for which the implement is given, it is your duty to watch over it vigilantly and protect it from injury and disablement. During winter, woollen clothes are worn to withstand the rigour of the cold gales, but when the cold subsides, they are discarded. So too when the cold gales of material life don’t affect us in the least, the material body will no longer become essential. “Thou-art-That” – this is the highest and holiest spiritual maxim! You are the indestructible Atmic principle (Divine Soul). It is to realise and experience this Atmic principle, you have this body! In the process to realise the Supreme Lord here and now, you must take good care of yourself.
The ad for plastic surgery featured Heidi Yeh with three children whose images were altered
A Taiwanese model who featured in an advert for plastic surgery is threatening to sue the clinic and advertising agency, after the ad became a popular internet meme. She told the BBC’s Cindy Sui in Taipei how she believes losing control of her own image ruined her life.
“I’ve broken down many times crying and I haven’t been able to sleep,” says Heidi Yeh, as she struggles to fight back tears.
“The biggest loss for me is I don’t want to be a model anymore.
“Just because I’m a model, people can hurt me like this and I can’t fight back. I just want to hide.”
‘You can’t hide it forever’
Her “nightmare” began in 2012 with a photo shoot for an advertisement aimed at convincing people to get plastic surgery at a Taiwanese cosmetic clinic. The photo showed very attractive “parents” with sought-after big eyes and long, well-defined noses, and their three “children”, their images altered to make their eyes look exceptionally small and their noses flat.
The caption read: “The only thing you’ll ever have to worry about is how to explain it to the kids.”
Ms Yeh says her contract, signed by her agency and the Taipei office of US-based international advertising agency J Walter Thompson (JWT), stated the ad would be used in newspapers and magazines, by that clinic only.
But JWT later allowed another plastic surgery clinic, Simple Beauty, to use it on its website; it also put the image on JWT’s Facebook page.
Before long, the photo made its way across the internet, with a new caption: “Plastic surgery – you can’t hide it forever.”
‘People thought it was real’
Then in 2012, a Chinese tabloid attached it to a fake story – which first emerged in 2004 – about a husband from Heilongjiang who sued his wife when he found out she had plastic surgery before they met, because their children grew up to look nothing like her.
“When I first heard about this from a friend, I thought it was just a one-off rumour,” said Ms Yeh.
“Then I realised the whole world was spreading it and in different languages. People actually thought it was real. Even my then-boyfriend’s friends would ask about it.”
The picture and accompanying stories came up on Google in several languages, including Arabic, English and Japanese, and have become a global meme.
Ms Yeh, who has shot TV commercials and ads for major companies such as fast-food chain KFC, computer maker Vaio and a Japanese facial products brand, began to get less work.
“People refused to believe that I had never had plastic surgery. Clients would ask me if I was the woman in the picture. After this, I only got small roles in advertisements.”
It also, she says, affected her personal life. She suspects her then-boyfriend broke up with her partly because he was embarrassed by the rumours. She says relatives and her current fiance’s family have also asked about them. Strangers would spot her in public and gossip about her, she adds.
‘No-one controls the internet’
Ms Yeh estimates she has lost $4m new Taiwan dollars (£80,000; $123,000) in potential earnings. She is threatening to sue JWT and the cosmetic clinic for NT$5m. She says her goal is not the money, but to clarify that none of the stories are true, and to get the companies to own up to their role in how her image was used.
Ms Yeh said she had tried many times, through her modelling agency or on her own, to get the clinic and advertising agency to remove the image from their online sites, but they didn’t until shortly before she, with the help of a Taipei city councillor, held a press conference this month where she made her threat to sue.
In a statement to the BBC, JWT said its campaign “was created to promote plastic surgery services in a humorous manner”, adding that it owns the copyright to the photo, and so has rights to edit, modify and use it.
But Ms Yeh’s lawyer, Chang Yu-chi, disagrees: “We gave you the copyright and the right to edit it, but we didn’t give you the right to let another company use it, and to use it online.”
Asked whether JWT tries to ensure its advertisements are not misused, the agency says: “As we all know, no-one controls the internet… We can’t anticipate what degree of an impact it will have, how people will view it, and what they will do with it.”
The clinic says it followed proper procedures to obtain the rights to use the image.
Both companies are threatening to sue Ms Yeh in turn for damaging their images and have demanded she hold another press conference to apologise. Some people, meanwhile, have suggested online that she’s seeking fame to re-launch her career.
But Ms Yeh says she is a victim of cyber-bullying, and that she decided to speak out to give herself courage.
As for the children, Ms Yeh and the little girl’s mother both said their images were edited to make them look less attractive. The mother told reporters her daughter was disappointed with how she looked in the photo.
Ms Yeh says she hopes the image stops appearing. “I can’t bear to look at it… The children may not use social media now, but it will hurt them when they grow up.”
Crescent Pluto, acquired as New Horizons sped past in July on its way deeper into the Kuiper Belt
View larger. | Crescent Pluto. This world is 1,473 miles (2,370 km) wide. Image via NASA / JHU-APL / SWRI/ New Horizons spacecraft.
The New Horizons spacecraft looked back to a crescent Pluto, after sweeping past this world in July, 2015. The sun is behind Pluto in this image. New Horizons acquired the view using the Multispectral Visible Imaging Camera (MVIC) onboard.
Here, Pluto’s ice mountains Norgay Montes and Hillary Montes can be seen rising as high as approximately 11,000 feet (3,500 meters) above Pluto’s surface. The so-called Sputnik Planum within the Tombaugh Regio stretches to the horizon on the right.
The frigid, very thin, cold atmosphere is seen with layers of haze. The average surface temperature of Pluto is minus 367 Fahrenheit (minus 232 Celsius). If our own Earth cooled to the same temperatures, our oceans would freeze almost all the way down and our atmosphere would collapse and freeze into a layer of frozen gasses 35 feet (11 meters) thick.
Bottom line: As New Horizons sped past in July, it looked back to a crescent Pluto.
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