Renowned Russian Scientist Hospitalized Following Luna-25 Lunar Mission Mishap

In a disheartening turn of events, Russia's ambitious lunar endeavor was met with disappointment when the Luna-25 probe, the nation's first lunar mission in nearly 50 years, encountered a crash on the lunar surface during its pre-landing maneuvers. In the wake of this setback, a prominent physicist and astronomer, who had played a pivotal role in the mission, was swiftly rushed to a medical facility in Moscow.

Mikhail Marov, a 90-year-old luminary in the field, was admitted to the hospital over the weekend due to a rapid deterioration in his health, seemingly triggered by the mission's failure. Mr. Marov shared his thoughts with news outlets, disclosing that the profound disappointment took a significant toll on his overall well-being.

''I am currently under medical supervision. It's hard not to feel concerned, given the circumstances. This issue is closely tied to life itself. The emotional burden is substantial,'' he conveyed to journalists from the Central Clinical Hospital, situated in proximity to Moscow's Kremlin.

Having previously lent his expertise to past space missions under the Soviet Union, Mr. Marov regarded the Luna-25 mission as the pinnacle of his lifelong dedication. He expressed his somber sentiments over the mission's outcome.

"It's indeed regrettable that the spacecraft couldn't achieve a successful landing. For me, this venture represented a final ray of hope for witnessing the resurgence of our lunar program,'' Mr. Marov lamented.

In an interview with the Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper, he expressed his aspiration for a meticulous examination and comprehensive discussion on the factors behind the mission's crash.

Luna-25 was Russia's opportunity to build upon the legacy of its historic Luna program, signifying a renewed engagement in autonomous lunar exploration amidst increasing divergence from Western counterparts. Regrettably, Russian space agency Roscosmos confirmed on Sunday the abrupt loss of communication with Luna-25, leaving an air of uncertainty in its wake.

Roscosmos issued a statement, revealing, "The spacecraft veered into an unforeseen orbit and ceased to function upon impact with the lunar surface."

The agency disclosed its intention to initiate an official inquiry into the incident's underlying causes. However, it refrained from divulging specific technical glitches that may have contributed to this lamentable outcome.

Chandrayaan-3: Exploring India's Lunar Aspirations

India's space agency is on the verge of a groundbreaking lunar landing attempt, targeting the moon's southern pole—a mission that carries profound implications for the nation's status in space exploration and the trajectory of lunar investigations.

Launched from India's primary spaceport in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh on July 14, the Chandrayaan-3 mission has navigated a series of progressively wider Earth orbits before transitioning into lunar orbit. It has since become a focal point of national pride and international curiosity, particularly following Russia's unsuccessful endeavor to beat India in landing on the moon's southern pole. Here's an overview of the Indian Space Research Agency's (ISRO) Chandrayaan-3 mission.

THE OBJECTIVE 

Chandrayaan-3 is meticulously aimed at the moon's south pole, an area known to harbor water ice, a potential resource for future lunar missions, sustained lunar habitation, and beyond.

In the event of a successful landing, Chandrayaan-3 is anticipated to remain operational for approximately two weeks, executing an array of experiments including a spectrometer analysis of the moon's surface mineral composition. Standing at a height of around 2 meters and weighing just over 1,700 kg (3,747.86 lb)—comparable to an average SUV—Chandrayaan-3's lander is engineered to deploy a smaller, 26-kg lunar rover.

Bill Nelson, Administrator of NASA, expressed eagerness for the insights that could be gleaned from the Indian mission in a statement to Reuters.

PREVIOUS TRIALS AND HURDLES 

India's prior attempt at landing on the moon's south pole, in 2019, ended in failure. Chandrayaan-2 successfully placed an orbiter in lunar orbit, yet the lander and rover met a tragic fate in a crash near the intended touchdown site for Chandrayaan-3.

Navigating challenging terrain poses a formidable challenge for a southern pole landing. ISRO scientists have fine-tuned their approach, enhancing the probability of a successful landing in the current endeavor. Notable adjustments encompass a system to widen the potential landing area, while the lander's fuel capacity and landing legs have been reinforced to withstand impact.

Russia's recent lunar mission concluded in failure, with its Luna-25 spacecraft colliding with the moon. Similarly, a private Japanese space venture, ispace (9348.T), encountered a mishap during an attempted lunar landing in April.

GEOPOLITICAL AND ECONOMIC INTERESTS 

A triumphant outcome for the Chandrayaan-3 mission would secure India's position as the fourth nation to successfully achieve a moon landing—following the former USSR, the United States, and China. This achievement would signal India's ascendance as a formidable player in space exploration, coinciding with upcoming national elections.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration is actively fostering investment in private space launches and satellite-oriented enterprises. India aims to quintuple the market share of its private space companies in the global launch sector within the next decade.

Upon the launch of the moon mission, Prime Minister Modi affirmed that ISRO is scripting "a new chapter in India's space odyssey," lifting "the aspirations and dreams of every Indian."

ISRO has planned to broadcast the anticipated landing event, scheduled for Wednesday at 1720 IST (1150 GMT)."

Korean woman flies to India to marry boyfriend from UP

 A young woman from South Korea has traveled to India to marry her boyfriend from Uttar Pradesh's Shahjahanpur. The couple's love story began when Sukhjeet Singh, who had gone to work at a café in Busan, South Korea, met Kim Boh Ni, who was also working there. Their relationship blossomed over time, and after Sukhjeet returned to India for a six-month visit, Kim couldn't bear the separation.

Filled with happiness upon reuniting with Sukhjeet in Delhi, Kim made her way to his home in Shahjahanpur. Just recently, they got married in a gurdwara, and Sukhjeet expressed his desire to eventually settle with his wife in Korea.

Currently in India on a tourist visa, Kim plans to return to South Korea after a month. Sukhjeet, on the other hand, will make the journey to South Korea after three months. Despite Sukhjeet's family's joy over the marriage, his mother hopes that Kim will stay in India, though she ultimately prioritizes her son's happiness.

Embracing Indian culture and traditions, Kim has shown her affection for both Sukhjeet and India, expressing her love through phrases like "I Love Sukhjeet" and "I Love India."

Chandrayaan-3's Moon Touchdown Set for August 23, 2023

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has disclosed that Chandrayaan-3 is set to achieve a controlled landing on the lunar surface on August 23, 2023.

Scheduled for August 23, 2023, Chandrayaan-3's Lunar Landing

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has officially revealed that the planned touchdown of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon is on track for August 23, 2023. The spacecraft was successfully launched on July 14, 2023, and has since been in lunar orbit as of August 5, 2023. Marking India's third lunar expedition, the Chandrayaan-3 mission aims to softly land a designated lander and rover on the Moon's southern polar region. The lander, named Vikram, will be transporting the rover known as Pragyan.

Exploration of the Moon's Southern Pole 

The southern pole of the Moon represents an intriguing area that prior missions have only marginally explored. Researchers believe this region holds substantial reserves of water ice, which could prove invaluable for upcoming human ventures to the Moon. However, the Chandrayaan-3 landing poses a considerable challenge due to the rugged topography and numerous craters characteristic of the Moon's southern highlands. Notwithstanding these complexities, ISRO is confident in the mission's success.

Adding to the Catalog of Lunar Endeavors 

Chandrayaan-3's imminent touchdown is part of a series of recent lunar exploration initiatives. Notable instances include China's successful landing of the Chang'e 4 probe on the Moon's far side in 2019, and the United States' Perseverance rover's arrival on Mars in 2021 for exploration within the Jezero crater. Moreover, Chandrayaan-3's landing date coincides with Russia's Luna-25 mission, projected to touch down on the Moon's southern pole in August 2023.

Elevating India's Status as a Spacefaring Nation 

The forthcoming Chandrayaan-3 landing holds monumental significance for India's space program, symbolizing its emergence as a prominent spacefaring nation. This mission marks India's third lunar endeavor and its inaugural soft landing on the Moon. The successful execution of Chandrayaan-3 will be pivotal in advancing India's prowess in space technology and science. The mission stands as a testament to the unwavering dedication and hard work of the ISRO team, serving as a momentous occasion for India and heralding a promising future ahead.

A father's journey to Kota to meet his son ended in tragedy, as he learned of the boy's suicide on his way back home.

Kota, the coaching hub in Rajasthan, has seen another student suicide, with a 17-year-old preparing for IIT JEE found hanging from a fan in his hostel room.

This is the 19th student suicide in Kota this year. Lakhs of students from all over the country flock to Kota every year to prepare for competitive exams and gain entry into India's top engineering and medical colleges.

The deceased student, Manish Prajapati, was from Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh. He had come to Kota four months ago to prepare for the IIT JEE. His father had arrived to meet him on Thursday, but Manish was not doing well in his studies. He was found dead in his hostel room on Friday evening.

The police said that Manish had hanged himself using a bedsheet. They have not found any suicide note. Manish's father has been informed of his death.

This is the third student suicide in Kota in a week. On August 4, another 17-year-old preparing for the engineering exams was found hanging from the ceiling fan of his paying guest accommodation. A day before that, a 17-year-old preparing for medical exams was found dead with a plastic bag on his face.

The high number of student suicides in Kota has raised concerns about the mental health of students who are preparing for competitive exams. Experts have said that the pressure to succeed in these exams, coupled with the long hours of study and the high cost of coaching, can lead to stress and anxiety.

The government has taken some steps to address the issue of student suicides, such as setting up counseling centers and providing financial assistance to students. However, more needs to be done to help students cope with the stress of competitive exams and to prevent suicides.

Here are some things that can be done to help prevent student suicides:

• Provide more counseling and mental health support to students.
• Reduce the pressure on students to succeed in competitive exams.
• Make coaching more affordable for students.
• Help students develop a healthy balance between studying and other activities.
• Encourage students to talk to their parents, teachers, or other trusted adults if they are feeling stressed or overwhelmed.

If you are a student who is feeling stressed or suicidal, please reach out for help. There are people who care about you and want to help. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or visit their website at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/.

Non-profit organization Anything Will Do helps underprivileged during lockdown and beyond

Anything Will Do, a non-profit organization, was formed about 4 years ago with a vision to help the underprivileged suffering during the lockdown. They have since provided dry ration (groceries) to over 17,000 families pan India, more than 600 children were given free milk every day through a prepaid system to the nearest milk booths, over 7,000 stray dogs were fed daily and they took care of their medical needs.

In lockdown two, with the help of over 300 volunteers, they were able to save many lives through oxygen concentrators, refills, plasma, blood, medicines, hospital bills settlements, ICU beds, and ambulances. During and post-COVID-19, they helped many children in their education by paying their fees, providing them laptops/PCs or using mobile phones for their online classes, who couldn't afford.

They ventured into education through their campaign called "PROJECTeducate" post COVID where they are setting up Project Educate Centers all across the country in underprivileged areas where children can connect with the rest of the world through online Masterclasses on counseling, motivation, general knowledge & subjective help to students. There are several training programs for teachers to enhance and upgrade their skills. Currently, they have 36 Project educate Centers running.

How does Anything Will Do help underprivileged children?

Anything Will Do has two types of models for their Project Educate Centers:

• PEC in schools/colleges: They put up these centers anywhere in any underprivileged school/college situated in villages or small towns which doesn't have a computer lab. They install computers and other gadgets that are needed to have a computer lab. Each center has at least 5 computers, 1 projector and furniture, etc. Every Friday they invite mentors/guests/volunteers to conduct online masterclasses to provide motivation, general knowledge, counseling, or subject-related help. These classes are very interactive and help students find their way ahead.
• PEC COCO (Company owned, company operated): They take care of the center completely and run free basic computer courses in at least 3 batches

More than 2000 children are taking the benefit of these centers and over 100 students have done their basic computer course so far

How can you help Anything Will Do?

You can help Anything Will Do in the following ways:

• Donate money to support their work.
• Volunteer your time to help at one of their Project Educate Centers.
• Spread the word about their organization and encourage others to donate or volunteer.

Anything Will Do is making a real difference in the lives of underprivileged children across India. With your help, they can continue to provide much-needed support to those in need.

For 32 years, this organization has been a messiah for the needy, feeding thousands of people every day.

This is the story of the Veerji Da Dera organization, where every day, poor people are fed free food and the injured are treated.

The organization was founded in 1989 by the late Trilochan Singh. His sons, Brigadier Premjit Singh and Kamaljit Singh, are now carrying on his legacy. Kamaljit Singh runs a business, while Premjit is retired from the Indian Army.

Trilochan Singh was born in Myanmar and later settled in Delhi. He believed that service to the needy is the highest form of service. After his retirement, he dedicated his life to helping others.

Kamaljit Singh says that his father used to help the destitute and helpless people who would gather near the Shishganj Gurudwara in Delhi. He would clean their wounds and bandage them, and he would also give them free food. People began to call him "Veerji" out of respect for his service.

As Trilochan Singh's work grew, more and more people began to join him. Eventually, an organization was formed, and it is now known as Veerji Da Dera.

After Trilochan Singh's death in 2010, his sons took over the organization. Kamaljit Singh says that today, hundreds of people are involved in the organization, and they all contribute in different ways.

Every day, the organization distributes langar (free food) to the destitute and poor people of Delhi. The langar consists of dal, roti, and rice. The entire langar is prepared at one central location, and then workers deliver it to 25 different locations throughout the city.

The organization also provides medical care to the injured. Workers carry fever medicine, vitamin capsules, and ointments with them, so that they can provide immediate assistance when needed.

Kamaljit Singh says that the organization helps about 100 sick people every day. These people include homeless people, the destitute, and daily wage laborers who cannot afford the cost of treatment and medicine. These people come to the organization for help, and the workers do their best to provide it.

Today, more than 250 families are associated with Veerji Da Dera. They help in every way, from providing ration to providing service. The organization never asks for money from anyone; instead, people donate things like pulses, rice, flour, and medicine.

Kamaljit Singh says that this work is only possible because of the help of so many people. He is grateful for the selfless contributions of those who have helped the organization to grow and thrive. He says that he is never short of resources or helping hands.

11 Female Sanitation Workers in Kerala Win Rs 10 Crore Monsoon Lottery

In June, a group of 11 women who work as sanitation workers in the state of Kerala, India, decided to pool their money to buy a lottery ticket. To their immense joy, they discovered last week that they had won the jackpot of 100 million rupees ($1.2 million; £946,685).

These women are part of a team responsible for collecting non-biodegradable waste from households in Parappanangadi town, located in Kerala's Malappuram district. Typically, they earn around 250 rupees a day from monthly payments made by households and occasionally receive a share of the revenue generated by the local corporation from selling the segregated waste they collect.

Despite their hard work, the women admitted that the income they earned was not enough to meet their needs. Many of them had resorted to borrowing money and taking loans to support their children's education and other essential expenses. To improve their financial situation, they would occasionally join forces to purchase lottery tickets.

The lottery system is mostly illegal in many Indian states, but Kerala's government runs a legal and highly popular lottery program. Private lotteries, however, are banned in the state.

One member of the group, MP Radha, was usually responsible for buying the tickets. Last month, they decided to invest in a 250-rupee ticket for a monsoon bumper prize lottery, which is issued for special occasions like festivals.

Kuttimalu, aged 72, initially felt sad as she didn't have enough money to contribute. However, another member, Cherumannil Baby, offered to lend her half of the required amount, and the two women put in 12.5 rupees each, while the remaining nine women paid 25 rupees each.

To their surprise, the group won the jackpot, but they only learned about their victory a day after the draw when one of them asked her husband to check the results.

The lottery win has brought immense relief and hope to these hardworking women, each of whom has their own compelling story. For instance, Cherumannil Baby, aged 62, had lost her house during the devastating floods in Kerala in 2018. Now, she plans to use the money to rebuild her home and pay off debts.

K Bindu, aged 50, tragically lost her husband to kidney failure last year, and the family struggled to afford his transplant. She now hopes to use the winnings to educate her 15-year-old daughter for a better future.

Lakshmi, aged 49, had been anxious about her family's future due to her husband's struggles to find work as a construction worker, particularly during heavy rains in the state. With the lottery win, she can now focus on her daughter's education.

Leela, aged 56, was facing financial worries related to her daughter's surgery and had already borrowed money for her wedding by taking a loan against her house. The lottery prize will now help ease her burdens.

After deducting government taxes, the group will receive 63 million rupees. Cherumannil Baby and Kuttimalu will equally divide their share of 6.3 million rupees, while the others will each receive 6.3 million rupees.

Despite their newfound wealth, these remarkable women remain dedicated to their community work. Alongside collecting waste, they also contribute to constructing public toilets and installing waste disposal facilities, as coordinated by the Suchitwa Mission, an agency overseeing these efforts across the state.

Even after their life-changing win, the 11 women have committed to continue their sanitation work, acknowledging that it was their collective effort that brought them prosperity.