Qatar Museums, NMACC sign five-year pact to promote cultural education for children
Mumbai: Qatar Museums and the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) have entered into a five-year strategic agreement aimed at developing Museum-in-Residence educational initiatives in India and Qatar, with a focus on children’s cultural learning.
According to a report published by Hindustan Times on Tuesday, the partnership seeks to introduce Qatar Museums’ innovative museum-based learning models into schools and cultural institutions in India through the NMACC, while also fostering cross-cultural educational exchange between the two countries.
The agreement was signed by Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums, and Isha Ambani, Director at Reliance Industries and a key leader at NMACC.
“Qatar Museums and NMACC, share the belief that creativity and cultural exchange are key to shaping a new generation of confident, empathetic young learners. Through this collaboration, led by Ms. Isha Ambani, a legacy of our Year of Culture with India, Qatar Museums will contribute its skills and experiences to the outstanding educational programmes of NMACC’s already robust history and ever-expanding roster providing educational tools and insights, helping them extend their reach in classrooms throughout India.” HT quoted the chairperson of Qatar Museums as saying.
In India, NMACC will work alongside Reliance Foundation to roll out the programmes across multiple regions. The initiative will be guided by QM specialists including experts from the Dadu, Children’s Museum of Qatar who will deliver masterclasses and hands-on mentoring.
Isha Ambani reportedly said, the partnership reflects NMACC’s commitment to bringing global ideas to India while sharing the country’s rich cultural heritage internationally. Emphasising the shared philosophy of both institutions, she said the collaboration aims to create world-class educational experiences that empower children to learn confidently and dream boldly.
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ISRO successfully conducts second integrated air drop test for Gaganyaan mission
New Delhi (PTI): Space agency ISRO has successfully conducted the second integrated air drop test (IADT-02) for the upcoming Gaganyaan mission at the space station in Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota.
The system is essential to ensure a safe recovery of the crew module -- the capsule in which astronauts sit during a human flight -- during re-entry and landing.
Union minister Jitendra Singh congratulated the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for successfully conducting the test.
"Congratulations #ISRO for the successful accomplishment of Second Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-02) for #Gaganyaan, India's first Human Space flight scheduled next year. The second Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-02) was successfully conducted at Satish Dhawan Space Station Sriharikota," Singh said in a post on X.
The IADT-02 follows the successful completion of the first IADT, which took place on August 24, 2025, at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
Air drop tests recreate the last leg of a spacecraft's return to Earth. An aircraft or helicopter drops the spacecraft from a height to test various systems under different scenarios.
These are the deployment of the parachute system in case the mission is aborted mid-flight, system performance when one parachute fails to open and the spacecraft's orientation and safety during splashdown etc.
In the IADT-02 test, a simulated crew module, weighing about 5.7 tonnes, was lifted by an Indian Air Force Chinook helicopter to an altitude of about three kilometres and released over a designated drop zone in the sea, near the Sriharikota coast.
In a statement, the ISRO said, "Ten parachutes of four types were deployed in a precise sequence during the descent of the crew module, gradually reducing the velocity for safe touchdown. Subsequently, the simulated crew module was successfully recovered in coordination with the Indian Navy."
