Alongside the overall housing milestone, the programme has also emerged as a major instrument of women’s asset ownership. Of the approximately 1.25 crore houses sanctioned under PMAY-U and PMAY-U 2.0, around 1 crore houses have been allotted either in the name of the female head of the household or under joint ownership involving women.
The milestone means India has already created more than 60% of the 500 GW non-fossil fuel capacity it has targeted for 2030, underlining the rapid transformation taking place in the country’s electricity sector.
Indigenous UAV-to-UAV deployment could allow Indian forces to push reconnaissance, electronic warfare and autonomous systems deeper into contested battlespaces
Their weapons no longer blazed with their former brilliance. Their strength weakened, their victories grew uncertain and the celestial gardens seemed dim beneath the gathering power of the Asuras. The immortals who had once ruled the heavens now feared that their enemies would soon seize every realm.
The species was first noticed in Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary in January 1995, but its identity remained uncertain for more than a decade. It was formally described as a new species in 2006 by astronomer and naturalist Ramana Athreya, after detailed observations showed that its plumage, size and vocalisations differed from other known liocichlas.
The Mahabharata-era ruler most clearly associated with Kosala is King Brihadbala — Vrihadvala in some translations. He was defeated by Bhima during the Pandavas’ campaigns before the Rajasuya, but later fought on the side of Duryodhana in the Kurukshetra War.
The Kurma connection is particularly significant. In Vedic ritual literature, the tortoise represents the worlds and the supporting principle of creation. In the Puranas, Vishnu becomes Kurma to bear Mount Mandara during the churning of the Ocean of Milk. In the Bhagavad Gita, the tortoise becomes the model for withdrawing the senses and establishing inner steadiness. Most strikingly, traditional puja manuals explicitly identify Kurma as the devata associated with the worshipper’s asana.
The proposed agreement brings together India’s state-owned Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and German submarine specialist ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS). The six submarines are planned to be constructed in India, substantially expanding domestic expertise in designing, integrating and manufacturing advanced underwater platforms.
India and Japan are nevertheless far from strangers when it comes to fighter operations. Their first dedicated bilateral fighter exercise, Veer Guardian 2023, was conducted in Japan from January 16 to 26, 2023. The Indian Air Force sent four Su-30MKI fighters, supported by C-17 transport aircraft and an IL-78 aerial refueller, while Japan fielded four F-2s and four F-15 fighters. The exercise included complex air-combat missions and gave both air forces an opportunity to train against aircraft and tactical philosophies very different from their own.
Its flagship F77 platform combines a large structural battery pack, high-output electric drivetrain, connected-vehicle systems and aviation-inspired industrial design. At the experimental end of its development programme, the F99 Factory Racing Platform explores 400-volt architecture, carbon-fibre construction, active aerodynamics and electric-superbike levels of performance.
