India’s space sector has officially entered a new epoch. Today, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace successfully executed “Mission Aagaman,” marking the maiden flight of Vikram-1 the nation’s first privately developed orbital-class rocket.

This isn’t just another launch; it represents a tectonic shift in India’s space narrative. Historically the domain of government-led programs, orbital access is now open for private enterprise.

The 24-metre, carbon-composite rocket stands as a testament to indigenous engineering, powered by a sophisticated configuration of three solid-fuel stages and a liquid orbital adjustment module.

The mission, designed to deploy payloads up to 350 kg into a 450-km Low Earth Orbit (LEO), signals a future of rapid, on-demand launch services. Among the maiden cargo is the “Diamond Lotus,” a lab-grown diamond from Bengaluru-based Cosmos Diamonds, proving that this new infrastructure is ready for high-value commercial application.

Among the payloads on Vikram-1 Test Flight-1 is something truly special a handwritten postcard from Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the words, “Vande Mataram.” It travels to space alongside handwritten messages from the Skyroot team, investors, policymakers, and well-wishers across the globe, making Mission Aagaman a celebration carried by many hands and shared by millions.

Prime accused in the alleged Ram temple donation embezzlement case Ramashankar Yadav alias Tinnu and his nephew Manish Yadav were taken into police custody and moved to the Police Lines for medical examination on Saturday, sources said.

A special anti-corruption court on Friday granted a 39-hour police remand of the two key accused, though the police had sought seven days, officials said.

According to police sources, investigators questioned the duo in jail on Thursday before moving the remand application, after obtaining fresh leads during the probe.

Tinnu, who was considered close to former Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai, allegedly supervised the temple’s donation boxes, while Manish was involved in counting the offerings, officials said.

Police had earlier recovered Rs 1 lakh from Tinnu’s residence and Rs 2 lakh from Manish’s house.

Officials said that during the remand, investigators are expected to take the two accused to various locations to question them about the alleged theft, trace more stolen cash and valuables, and verify properties allegedly purchased using the siphoned-off money.

Before seeking the custody of Tinnu and Manish, police had interrogated six other accused on custodial remand.

Investigators also submitted in the court cash, jewellery and documents related to properties recovered earlier this week at the instance of former bank employees Subhash Srivastava and Ramashankar Mishra, who were questioned earlier.

The alleged theft of donations offered at the Ram temple surfaced in the first week of June and has so far led to the arrest of eight persons and the resignation of two senior functionaries from the Trust.

Opposition parties have said that they will raise the donation theft issue during the Monsoon session of Parliament, which is scheduled to begin on July 20.

Punjabi singer Mankirt Aulakh has weighed in on the controversy surrounding Diljit Dosanjh’s film ‘Satluj’, expressing support for the film and its portrayal of events.

Speaking to the media on the issue, Aulakh said, “Satluj film is in our hearts. Diljit Dosanjh has shown the truth regarding what happened.”

His remarks come as the debate over ‘Satluj’ continues after the film was taken down from OTT platform ZEE5 within 48 hours of its release by the makers following government orders.

NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Saturday slammed the Centre for its “irresponsible” handling of activist Sonam Wangchuk’s agitation, claiming the government remained a bystander rather than addressing the genuine demands of students.

Speaking to reporters in Baramati, Pawar asserted that while the government moved to hospitalise Wangchuk as the situation became “uncontrollable”, the protest would continue regardless of the action against the activist.

Wangchuk was shifted to the Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi earlier in the day after his health deteriorated on the 21st day of his indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar here, with the police citing medical advice and directions of the Delhi High Court.

Wangchuk and three activists from All India Students’ Association (AISA) have been on an indefinite hunger strike since June 28 in support of the Cockroach Janta Party-led protest at Jantar Mantar over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and the reported deaths of students linked to the controversy.

“The Centre didn’t handle the situation carefully, and it impacted the future of several students. The government remained a bystander as other political parties came to support him (Wangchuk). Leaders from Congress, NCP (SP), including Supriya Sule and many others, paid a visit there (Jantar Mantar) and raised a common demand,” Pawar said.

He said the demand was genuine and was for the betterment of the students, but none of the leaders from the government, despite being in Delhi, visited the protest site.

“It means that the government is irresponsible. This issue will not end here, as the Parliament session is scheduled to begin, it will be discussed there too,” he said, adding that the protest will continue despite action against Wangchuk.

The Delhi High Court, which has been monitoring the developments, had directed that Wangchuk’s health be regularly assessed and that appropriate medical intervention be provided if required.

On Friday, doctors said Wangchuk had lost nearly 9.5 kg since the beginning of the hunger strike. The activist, however, had said that he was determined to continue the fast despite his worsening condition.

Authorities on Friday suspended internet services across the entire Doda district, including Doda town, Bhaderwah, Bhalesa and Thatri, as a precautionary measure to maintain security, officials said.

“Internet services have been completely suspended across the entire Doda district, including Doda town, Bhaderwah, Bhalesa and Thatri, as a precautionary security measure,” officials said.

The suspension comes a day after a man was killed and three Special Operations Group (SOG) personnel were injured in a firing incident late Thursday night. According to officials, the man allegedly attempted to snatch a service rifle from security personnel during an encounter on the Jaie-Gandoh road.

The deceased was identified as Aarif Hussain (30), a resident of Cheeka village. He sustained bullet injuries during the scuffle and later succumbed to his injuries. The three injured SOG personnel are undergoing treatment.

Police have also detained a religious preacher in connection with the incident. However, officials said the individual’s exact role in the case is yet to be established.

Security has been strengthened across the district, with additional deployments of police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, while search operations are continuing in the Jaie area.

The Ayodhya Police have moved a local court seeking a seven-day police remand for two accused, Tinnu Yadav and Manish Yadav, in connection with the alleged theft of donations from the Ram Temple.

The police, while submitting their plea, emphasised that custodial interrogation of the duo is essential to delve deeper into the matter.

“The police told the court that custodial interrogation is crucial to uncover the conspiracy, trace the money trail, and recover further evidence,” stated the Ayodhya Police.

On Wednesday, two more accused arrested in connection with the alleged embezzlement of donations meant for the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple were taken from the District Jail in Ayodhya after a court granted the police a 14-hour remand for custodial interrogation.

The accused have been identified as Subhash Chandra Srivastava, a retired bank employee who supervised the temple’s cash-counting operations, and Ramashankar Mishra.

Police officials escorted the duo from the jail to conduct day-long questioning as part of the investigation into the alleged misappropriation of temple donations.

So far, the police have interrogated four other accused, Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra and Karunesh Pandey, during their police custody remand.

Ayodhya court had extended the judicial custody of all eight accused in the Ram Mandir donation embezzlement case by 14 days on Monday. The accused appeared before the court through video conferencing and are scheduled to appear again on July 27.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to probe the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ayodhya Ram Temple may submit its final report to the Uttar Pradesh government within the next 24 to 48 hours (on Thursday or Friday), sources said on Wednesday.

Sources also indicate that the SIT’s investigation timeline will not be extended any further. The SIT was granted an extension of 15 days on July 1 by the Uttar Pradesh government.

The extension was given to enable the SIT to widen the scope of its probe and conduct a comprehensive inquiry into all aspects of the case.

The preliminary report of the SIT into the Ram Mandir donation row has stated that prima facie, around 70 suspicious incidents were captured on CCTV between April 27 and June 5, 2026 and in CCTV footage, counting staff were seen concealing wads of cash.

The preliminary report points to lapses and says there was no frisking at entry and exit, poor control over personal belongings, and cash from multiple donation boxes counted together were among the reasons that made the crime possible.

The report mentions recovery of around Rs 78.94 lakh from some employees before the investigation. An additional Rs 2.25 lakh was allegedly recovered from the bathroom attached to the counting room on June 4, 2026.

The report also states that no prima facie evidence was found to support social media claims about missing silver bricks or other valuable offerings

Amid continuing attacks on merchant vessels and the heightened security situation in the Gulf, India’s Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA) has advised ship owners, ship managers and Recruitment and Placement Service Licence (RPSL) companies to avoid deploying Indian seafarers on vessels undertaking voyages through the Strait of Hormuz until further orders, saying the “safety, security and welfare of Indian seafarers” remain “central” to its mandate.

In a circular published on Wednesday, titled “DGMA Advisory on Precautionary Measures for the Safety and Security of Indian Seafarers in view of the Heightened Security Situation in the Gulf Region”, the Directorate said, “The safety, security and welfare of Indian seafarers, and the security of Indian ships, remain central to the mandate of the Directorate General of Maritime Administration.”
The advisory cited recent attacks on merchant vessels, including Mombasa B, Al Bahyah, GFS Galaxy, MT WEDYAN, and AL REKAYYAT, saying the incidents over the past few days had “increased the risks faced by seafarers and commercial ships operating in the conflict-affected area significantly.”

“In view of the heightened security situation in the Persian Gulf region, including incidents resulting in casualties among Indian seafarers and continuing attacks on merchant vessels during the ongoing conflict, the Directorate considers it necessary to adopt enhanced precautionary measures to safeguard the interests of Indian seafarers serving on board ships operating in the region,” the advisory said.

The DGMA directed masters of vessels operating in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and adjoining waters to maintain a heightened level of security vigilance, continuously monitor navigational warnings, security advisories and updates issued by competent authorities, and implement all applicable Ship Security Measures, Ship Security Plans (SSP) and Company Security Procedures in accordance with the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code.

It said, “Masters of vessels operating in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and adjoining waters shall maintain a heightened level of security vigilance, continuously monitor navigational warnings, security advisories and updates issued by the competent authorities, and implement all applicable Ship Security Measures, Ship Security Plans (SSP) and Company Security Procedures in accordance with the ISPS Code.”

“Ship Owners, Ship Managers and RPSL Companies are directed to avoid deploying Indian seafarers on vessels undertaking voyages involving passage through the Strait of Hormuz until further orders,” it added.

The advisory also asked seafarers and vessels to immediately contact the DG Communication Centre (MMDAC) or the Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) for emergency assistance if required.

The advisory comes amid escalating military tensions between the United States and Iran following continued exchanges of strikes in recent days.

Actor Aamir Khan has expressed concern over educator and activist Sonam Wangchuk’s health amid his indefinite hunger strike, while clarifying that Wangchuk did not inspire his character Rancho in the blockbuster film 3 Idiots.

Aamir made the remarks during a special appearance at the closing ceremony of the London Indian Film Festival (LIFF), where Lagaan was screened to mark its 25th anniversary. During a post-screening interaction, the actor responded to audience questions about 3 Idiots and Sonam Wangchuk.

Addressing the long-held belief that Rancho was based on Wangchuk, Aamir said it was a misconception.

    “No, that is not true actually. That is a misconception. I didn’t know about Mr Sonam at that time when we were doing the film 3 Idiots. I saw a video of Chatur just recently, and he said that. But he is wrong. Maybe that is what Chatur was thinking, but I want to tell you that neither Raju nor Abhijat, who are the two writers, knew about Mr Sonam. However, what Mr Sonam is doing is good work in any case. He doesn’t have to be based on a character of 3 Idiots for us to respect him and the work that he does. I wanted to share this from a factual point of view,” Aamir said.

Responding to a question about Wangchuk’s ongoing hunger strike at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, the actor voiced concern over his health.

“All of us are very concerned for his health and his life. We hope it ends well. All of us are hoping that he ends his fast,” he said.\\

Earlier this week, actor Omi Vaidya, who portrayed Chatur Ramalingam in 3 Idiots, had extended his support to Wangchuk through a video on social media. In the video, Omi stated that Aamir Khan’s character Funsukh Wangdu was inspired by Sonam Wangchuk and urged people to pay attention to the activist’s deteriorating health and the cause he is advocating.

Aamir’s remarks, however, have clarified that the makers of 3 Idiots were unaware of Sonam Wangchuk while developing the film and that the perceived connection between Wangchuk and Rancho is factually incorrect.