ISRO unveils bust of space pioneer Sarabhai in Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Aug 12 : Marking the 99th birth anniversary of India's space pioneer Vikram Sarabhai, the state-run Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Sunday unveiled his bust at its headquarters here.
The space agency's former chairmen K. Kasturirangan and A.S. Kiran Kumar and incumbent Chairman K. Sivan were present on the occasion at the Antriksh Bhavan.
Sarabhai was born on August 12, 1919, in Ahmedabad. Gujarat. He died on December 30, 1971, at the age of 52 at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
As the founding father of the Indian space programme, Sarabhai set up the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad in 1947 as a precursor to the ISRO.
"Sarabhai chose space technology to reduce inequality. Under his guidance and leadership, India has been able to achieve what he had envisioned," Sivan said.
The space agency will mark Sarabhai's birth centenary in 2019 and celebrate the event through the year with space-related activities.
"To mark the centenary, knowledge centres will be set up across the country and scholarships, fellowships and the Sarabhai international award for innovation in space technology will be presented," said Sivan.
The unveiling of his statue (bust) is a curtain raiser to his birth centenary. The proposal to name Chandrayaan-2 lander as "Vikram" was approved by the Department of Space.
"As the true tribute we can offer Sarabhai is through our space missions, we will launch nine missions over the next five months, with at least two a month," asserted Sivan.
Sarabahi was awarded (posthumously) the Padma Vibhushan in 1972, Padma Bhushan in 1966 and Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar medal in 1962.
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Andhra Pradesh Police search for director Ram Gopal Varma over offensive posts against Andhra CM
Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh Police are actively searching for film director Ram Gopal Varma after he failed to appear for questioning in connection with a case filed against him for allegedly posting offensive and morphed images of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, and their family members on social media.
The case was registered at Maddipadu Police Station in Prakasam district on November 11, with the complainant Ramalingam alleging that Varma's posts undermined the reputation of the leaders and caused personal harm.
Three police teams—two in Hyderabad and one in Tamil Nadu—have been deployed to locate Varma. One team is currently in Chennai, another is at his residence in Hyderabad, and the third is searching in Film Nagar. Police officials reported that Varma’s phone is switched off, complicating their efforts.
According to Prakasam District Superintendent of Police (SP) A.R. Damodar, Varma had been issued two notices and was given until November 24 to cooperate with the investigation. However, he failed to appear, leading to intensified search efforts.
Varma’s lawyer has argued that physical presence is not required and has requested that the investigation proceed in a virtual format under provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). The lawyer stated that Varma had communicated his willingness to cooperate digitally but alleged that police had not responded to his requests.
SP Damodar criticised the director's approach, stating, "Without appearing for the investigation, how can Varma suggest a virtual probe?" He confirmed that police are pursuing all legal avenues to ensure compliance.
Varma, who had earlier requested additional time due to prior commitments, was summoned for investigation on November 25 but failed to attend. Police have stated that further legal action will follow if he continues to remain uncooperative.
