New Delhi, Jan 29: India’s space agency, ISRO, marked a significant milestone on Wednesday morning with the successful launch of its 100th GSLV rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

The GSLV-F15 rocket lifted off at 6:23 a.m., carrying the NVS-02 navigation satellite into space, adding another triumph to the nation’s space exploration achievements.

ISRO took to social media to announce the historic event, posting:

“LIFTOFF! The GSLV-F15 has successfully taken flight, carrying NVS-02 into its planned orbit. Stay tuned for more mission updates!”

The GSLV-F15 flight was particularly noteworthy as it is the 17th mission of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) and the 11th successful mission utilising an indigenous cryogenic stage.

It also marks the 8th operational flight of GSLV featuring the indigenous Cryogenic stage, and the milestone 100th launch from India’s renowned spaceport in Sriharikota.

GSLV-F15 payload fairing is a metallic version with a diameter of 3.4 meters and it will place NVS-02 satellite in a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit.

The NVS-02 is part of the second-generation satellites for the Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) system — India’s own navigation system.

The navigation satellite system is designed to provide accurate Position, Velocity, and Timing (PVT) service to users in India as well as to regions extending about 1500 km beyond Indian land mass.

The new NVS-02 satellite comes with new features such as supporting the L1 frequency band, which will improve its services and reliability.

“The NVS-02 satellite is the second generation of NavIC satellites, featuring a standard I-2K bus platform. It will have a lift-off mass of 2,250 kg, power handling capability of around 3 kW, navigation payload in L1, L5, and S bands, ranging payload in C-band and will be positioned at 111.75 degrees E, replacing IRNSS-1E,” ISRO said.

NavIC will provide two types of services, namely, Standard Positioning Service (SPS) and Restricted Service (RS). NavIC’s SPS provides a position accuracy of better than 20 metres and a timing accuracy of better than 40 nanoseconds over the service area.

This launch marks a significant leap in the country’s technological and scientific advancements in space exploration.

New Delhi, Jan 29: The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) scrutinising the contentious Waqf Amendment Bill will meet on Wednesday to adopt final amendments to the clauses that were discussed on Monday. The final draft report of the JPC is expected to be released today.

The JPC had on Monday approved the Waqf Amendment Bill with 14 amendments proposed by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) members.

Opposition MPs had submitted 44 changes which were rejected, which led to a furore by political parties.

Voting on the proposed changes will be held today.

On Monday, the Waqf Amendment Bill that is seeking to bring reforms in the way Waqf Boards are administered across the country got cleared by the JPC with a margin of 16:10 members (16 from NDA and 10 from Opposition parties).

According to reports, a total of 66 amendments were proposed in the Waqf Bill including 23 by the ruling BJP MPs and 44 from Opposition members.

JPC chairman and BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, speaking to reporters said on Monday that it was the final meeting of the Parliamentary panel and a total of 14 amendments had been cleared on the basis of a majority.

“In the past six months of deliberations, we discussed many amendments. All amendments were put to vote today and members gave out their verdict with 16 voting in its favour while 14 opposed the amendments,” he told newsmen.

The JPC meets have witnessed chaotic scenes with the Opposition accusing the committee chairman of bias and inclination towards the ruling party.

The Opposition also claimed that the procedure was being hastened to start a narrative ahead of Assembly elections in the national Capital.

As many as 11 Opposition MPs in the JPC on Monday hit out at the ‘autocratic’ behaviour of Chairman Jagdambika Pal and his haste in accepting the 14 amendments proposed by the NDA members.

In a joint statement, the Opposition MPs said, “As the committee has arrived at its closure part of the deliberation, we the members of the Opposition registered our protest then and there both in conducting the proceedings of the JPC by the chairman as well the gross and serious deviations from the rules and procedures contemplated thereon.”

Citing several instances of being denied the time to study documents, the MPs said they want to highlight a few wilful and wanton “disregard by the Chairman in sharing the details of deliberations of the Committee.”

The allegations were however brushed aside by the BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi, who said that every member was given “ample time and was heard out by the JPC chief.”

The JPC committee on the Waqf Bill had to submit its recommendations by November 29, however, the deadline was extended till February 13.

New Delhi, Jan 28: Seven political personalities, hailing from Bihar, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, joined the Congress on Tuesday. The most prominent among them is Bhagirath Manjhi, son of the legendary ‘Mountain man’ Dashrath Manjhi.

The leaders joined the grand old party in the presence of Pawan Khera, Chairman, Media and Publicity wing of AICC, and Akhilesh Prasad Singh, Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee President.

The leaders were inducted at an event at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in the national capital.

Others, who joined the Congress, included former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) spokesperson Nishant Anand, former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nighat Abbas, former DGHS Jagdish Prasad, writer and journalist Frank Huzur and All India Prajapati Kumbhar Sangh Bihar President Manoj Prajapati.

Bhagirath Manjhi hails from Gehlour village in Mohra block of Gaya district, Bihar. His induction into the party comes days after he participated in the ‘Samvidhaan Suraksha Sammelan’ held in Patna, where he shared the stage with Rahul Gandhi.

Manjhi said that he decided to join the Congress to take forward his resolve to carry forward his father’s legacy of empowering the underprivileged.

Manoj Prajapati has been an ardent advocate for the empowerment of the Prajapati community and other extremely backward classes in Bihar and has worked tirelessly for their empowerment over the years. He also participated in the “Samvidhaan Suraksha Sammelan” and shared the stage with Rahul Gandhi, where he expressed his admiration for the Congress MP’s respect and vision for the marginalised communities.

Nishant Anand, former AAP spokesperson, who joined the Congress boasts of a distinguished academic and professional record.

Padma Shri Jagdish Prasad is a celebrated cardiac surgeon and former Director General of Health Services. At just 34, Prasad was selected as a professor by the Union Public Service Commission. He started his illustrious career as a heart surgeon at Safdarjung Hospital in 1985.

Ali Anwar Ansari is a former Rajya Sabha Member and a social activist. He is a prominent political leader, social activist, senior journalist, and writer and has also been a staunch advocate for social justice and secularism throughout his career.