Most of debris generated from India's anti-satellite test has decayed: DRDO Chairman
New Delhi: DRDO Chairman G Satheesh Reddy has said that most of the debris generated from from the anti-satellite test conducted by India in March have decayed and rest of it will dissipate in a "short period of time".
He said this in response to a question after delivering a talk on 'Technology for National Security' on Friday at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), a city-based think tank.
"As I had mentioned on April 6, the debris were to decay in a few weeks time. As per the information that we have already got, most of the debris have decayed. And, whatever, couple of pieces are there, they will be decaying in a short period of time," Reddy said.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation chief said the continuous information being received is monitored and "I don't think there are any issues".
"It is extremely difficult to predict as to how many days it would take...But, as I had said that day, that they would decay in a few weeks, and majority of them have decayed," he added.
On April 6 at a press conference at DRDO Bhawan here, Reddy had said India chose a much lower orbit of less than 300 km during 'Mission Shakti' for "capability demonstration" and to avoid threat of debris to global space assets.
His remark had come days after the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) raised concerns about the spread of debris from India's anti-satellite test conducted on March 27.
India's Ministry of External Affairs, too, has said the test was done in the lower atmosphere to ensure that there is no space debris.
On another question on leakage of defence know how-related data, he said, "We haven't seen cases as such, but we are careful".
"There are no serious issues as such, but of late, because of the apprehensions of cyber attacks and cyber-related issues, we are sensitising people in the industry and also in our own laboratories on it," he said.
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TN Assembly elections: Eight-month pregnant homemaker wins Thiru Vi Ka Nagar seat for TVK
Chennai (PTI): Before giving birth, she had already delivered a mandate—a symbol of hope for Thiru Vi Ka Nagar.
Echoing Delhi’s 2013 “common citizen” political churn associated with the rise of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), an eight-month-pregnant homemaker, M R Pallavi, has been elected as an MLA from Chennai’s Thiru Vi Ka Nagar constituency, emerging as one of the notable first-time faces of the Vijay-led TVK in the recently held Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
In the narrow lanes of Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, a steady stream of media personnel has been making their way to Pallavi’s residence—a scene reminiscent of the result day in Delhi when journalists thronged the modest home of Rakhi Birla, who had won from Mangolpuri on an AAP ticket.
Pallavi, 36, a homemaker educated up to class XII, defeated the DMK candidate K S Ravichandran by a margin of 22,333 votes in the reserved Thiru Vi Ka Nagar Assembly constituency.
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam emerged as the single largest party by winning 108 seats, while DMK and AIADMK got 59 and 47, respectively.
Pallavi’s victory has drawn attention due to her personal circumstances. She campaigned extensively while eight months pregnant, going door-to-door to reach voters.
According to local accounts, she even fainted once during the campaign but continued her outreach.
She has not spoken to the media following her victory, as doctors have advised her to rest. Her husband, Rajesh, briefly recounted her campaign efforts.
A self-professed admirer of actor-turned-politician Vijay, Pallavi joined TVK soon after its formation and is now among its first-time legislators.
Doctors have advised her to be hospitalised around May 20, as she is expecting her second child. Ahead of that, voters in Thiru Vi Ka Nagar have entrusted her with representing them in the state Assembly.
Political observers say the rise of candidates like Pallavi signals a possible shift in Tamil Nadu’s political landscape, with voters backing a new party and candidates from non-traditional backgrounds.
