Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has started the country’s first analog space mission at Leh in Ladakh, where space agency will simulate life in an interplanetary habitat. The move assumes significance as India is planning to send a human to the Moon in the near future.

Analog space missions are field tests in locations on Earth that have physical similarities to the extreme space environments and play a significant role in problem solving for spaceflight research.

Ladakh has been chosen for such a mission as the geographical features of the area – dry and cold climate, barren land, high-altitude terrain and extreme isolation – are considered to closely resemble Martian and lunar landscapes.

Khalid Jamil was named as the new head coach of the Senior India Men’s National Team by the AIFF on Friday, brining an end to the search for the Blue Tigers’ gaffer following the departure of Manolo Marquez.

The decision to appoint the 48-year-old to helm the Blue Tigers was made by the AIFF Executive Committee, in the presence of the Technical Committee.

In the latest development in the pursuit, United could sweeten the pot by adding current striker Rasmus Hojlund as part of the deal to make the passage for Sesko’s switch much more convenient.

The Uttar Pradesh government on Friday announced that it has launched a new initiative to turn cow dung from stray cattle -- 54 lakh kg generated daily -- into sustainable products like bioplastics, bio-polymers, bio-textiles, eco-friendly, clothing, paper, biogas, compost, and nanocellulose.

The government said in a statement that the initiative aims to tackle plastic pollution while promoting rural employment, organic farming, and energy self-reliance under the "Har Gaon Urja Kendra" model.

Chairman of the Gau Seva Commission, Shyam Bihari Gupta, emphasised that the scheme aligns with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's vision for rural energy and economic empowerment.

In Uttarakhand, Agniveers soldiers will be directly inducted into the Tiger Protection Force being set up at Corbett Tiger Reserve. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami made this announcement yesterday on the occasion of International Tiger Day.

The special force will recruit over 80 young personnel, aiming to safeguard tigers and their habitats, curb poaching, and combat wildlife crimes. These trained individuals will patrol forest areas, gather intelligence, and take action against poachers.

The force will also address issues like timber smuggling, illegal mining, encroachment, and human-wildlife conflict. Equipped with advanced technologies such as drones, thermal imaging, and GPS tracking, it will significantly enhance forest protection. The Chief Minister emphasized that Agniveers, with their military training and discipline, will be highly effective in this role. He called the initiative a major step toward strengthening tiger conservation.

Maharashtra government has announced August 7 will be celebrated annually as “Sustainable Agriculture Day” to mark the birth centenary of Bharat Ratna Dr. M. S. Swaminathan, the architect of India’s Green Revolution. State Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate shared this decision, stating it is a tribute to Dr. Swaminathan’s invaluable contributions to agriculture.

Dr. Swaminathan’s pioneering research in enhancing wheat and rice productivity helped India achieve food self-sufficiency and economic stability. In recognition of his contributions, the Government of India awarded him the Bharat Ratna in 2024. The United Nations also acknowledged him as the father of the economic environment. Minister Kokate stated that Dr. M.S. Swaminathan Bio-Happiness Centres will be set up in all agricultural universities across the state to commemorate his legacy.

In Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has announced an increase in the honorarium and incentives for ASHA ( Accredited Social Health Activist) and Mamta workers who are working for health services, immunization and the safety of newborns and mothers.

These two groups are considered important players in improving health services in rural areas. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar stated that ASHA workers will now receive an incentive amount of 3,000 rupees instead of 1,000 rupees. Similarly, Mamta workers, who work to raise awareness about safe childbirth and maternal and child health, will now receive an incentive of 600 rupees per delivery instead of 300 rupees. The Chief Minister made this announcement this morning through social media.

He expressed hope that this decision will boost the morale of ASHA and Mamta workers and further strengthen health services in rural areas. The Chief Minister also lauded the role of these workers saying that ASHA and Mamta workers have played an important role in improving healthcare services in rural regions.

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and the United Arab Emirates National Guard Command today signed an agreement on Maritime Security and Safety Cooperation in New Delhi today. It is aimed at enhancing bilateral maritime cooperation and contributing to a safe, secure, and sustainable maritime environment in the region. This is the 10th such agreement with Coast Guard agencies of Friendly Foreign Countries (FFCs), prepared to strengthen professional linkages between the two Coast Guards across core functions, including Maritime Search and Rescue (M-SAR), combating transnational maritime crimes, Maritime Law Enforcement (MLE), Marine Pollution Response (MPR) and Joint capacity building. In a statement, the ICG said that these efforts reflect the shared commitment of both nations to strengthen institutional linkages and promote collaborative engagements for maritime safety and security.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed during the 13th Joint Defence Cooperation Committee (JDCC) meeting between India and the UAE by Director General of Indian Coast Guard Paramesh Sivamani and UAE Commander of the Coast Guard Group Brigadier Staff Khalid Obaid Shamsi.

India and the US today marked their maiden space collaboration with the successful flight of a GSLV rocket that placed an earth observation satellite, NISAR, in a precise orbit. NISAR, was jointly developed by ISRO and NASA. According to ISRO, the GSLV has successfully injected NISAR in designated orbit.

ISRO’s GSLV F-16 injected the Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite, into the intended Sun Synchronous Polar Orbit (SSPO), after a flight of about 19 minutes and around 745 km.

The successful launch of the satellite will mark a significant milestone in the history of Earth’s observation missions, due to its dual radar capability, the L-band and S-band systems, which will provide precise data about the cryosphere, ecosystem, and solid Earth.

For nearly two decades, no one had spotted the world’s smallest-known snake.

Some scientists worried that maybe the Barbados threadsnake had become extinct, but one sunny morning, Connor Blades lifted a rock in a tiny forest in the eastern Caribbean island and held his breath.

“After a year of searching, you begin to get a little pessimistic,” said Blades, project officer with the Ministry of Environment in Barbados.

The snake can fit comfortably on a coin, so it was able to elude scientists for almost 20 years. Too tiny to identify with the naked eye, Blades placed it in a small glass jar and added soil, substrate and leaf litter.

A new blood group, previously unidentified anywhere in the world, has been discovered in a South Indian woman from Kolar district in Karnataka. This remarkable case came to light when a 38-year-old woman was admitted for cardiac surgery at a hospital in Kolar.

Her blood group was O Rh+, the most common blood group; however, none of the available O-positive blood units were compatible with her. The hospital escalated the case to the Advanced Immunohematology Reference Laboratory at the Rotary Bangalore TTK Blood Centre for further investigation.

“Using advanced serological techniques, our team found that her blood was ‘panreactive’, incompatible with all test samples. Recognising this as a possible case of a rare or unknown blood type, the team collected blood samples from 20 of her family members to search for a compatible match, but none of them were a match. The case was managed with utmost care, and with collaborative effort from her physicians and family, her surgery was successfully completed without the need for transfusion,” said Dr Ankit Mathur from the Rotary Bangalore TTK Blood Centre. Meanwhile, her and her family’s blood samples were sent to the International Blood Group Reference Laboratory (IBGRL), Bristol, UK. Dr Mathur said that ten months of extensive research and molecular testing resulted in the discovery of a previously unknown blood group antigen.