Kolkata, Mar 19 (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said astronaut Sunita Williams should be conferred with Bharat Ratna for the challenges she faced while spending nearly nine months in space.
Speaking at the Assembly, Banerjee congratulated the rescue team, praising their commendable efforts in bringing the astronauts back to Earth.
"The West Bengal Assembly would like to thank the team for rescuing Williams and another astronaut who were stranded in space for several months. I congratulate them, as well as Sunita Williams. I think she should be honoured with Bharat Ratna," Banerjee told the House.
The CM said she had been closely monitoring the situation and was deeply concerned.
"I’m interested in space science and have been following the developments through various sources of information. I kept track of the situation daily and took regular updates," she said.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams returned to Earth on Tuesday after a nine-month stay at the space station.
Originally planned as an eight-day mission, their time in space was extended due to a technical glitch in their spacecraft.
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Ahmedabad, May 12 (PTI): The Gujarat High Court on Monday allowed the termination of 33-week pregnancy of a 13-year-old rape victim, nearly a week after a special POCSO court rejected her plea for the same.
Justice Nirzar Desai noted that the medical opinion indicated that termination of pregnancy is possible though the procedure carries high risk of complication as the girl suffers from anemia.
The victim, who hailed from Rajkot, was allegedly repeatedly raped by her neighbour when her mother and step-father were away at work.
A First Information Report was registered on May 3, 2025.
But the special court for the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) cases rejected her plea for permission to terminate the unwanted pregnancy.
Under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, abortion after 20 weeks of gestation period is generally prohibited, but a court can allow it in certain cases such as the foetus suffering from abnormality, health risk to the expecting mother, or she being a victim of sexual assault.
The high court noted that it considered the fact that the victim is only 13 years old and has a long life before her.
As MTP (medical termination of pregnancy) is possible, it should be carried out after obtaining written consent from her parents stating that they understand the risk, the court said.
The court directed the in-charge Medical Officer and Medical Superintendent, PDU General Hospital, Rajkot, to perform the procedure while ensuring that all possible care is taken and arrangements are made for necessary medical facilities such as blood supply, possibly on Monday itself.