Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy accuses Karnataka govt of spreading lies regarding HMT, KIOCL
Bengaluru, Oct 17: Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Thursday accused the Karnataka government of spreading lies regarding Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT) and Kudremukh Iron and Steel Company Limited (KIOCL).
He said he is ready for discussions with the state government, along with documents, on the two public sector undertakings but did not elaborate.
“The Congress government is spreading falsehoods regarding HMT and KIOCL. I am ready to discuss with the state government. If I am wrong, I will take responsibility," the Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries was quoted as saying in a statement issued by his office.
The Minister said the state government should not politicise the KIOCL issue. If there are problems, it should resolve them.
“I am working to preserve public sector enterprises in the state. I will write to Chief Minister Siddaramaih and Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre to convene a meeting where I will present my documents. If KIOCL is at fault, as the minister, I will take responsibility. Beyond that, it is inappropriate to politicise state interests,” he underlined.
Kumaraswamy flayed the Forest Minister for "constantly issuing misleading statements" to the media about both HMT and KIOCL, urging him to "first read the documents and understand the facts before speaking."
He also alleged that the "obstinacy" of the state government has rendered about 300 to 400 KIOCL workers jobless.
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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."
