After rover, lander set into sleep mode, hoping for their 'awakening' by Sep 22: ISRO
Chennai (PTI): ISRO on Monday announced that Chandryaan-3 mission's Vikram lander has been put into sleep mode.
The rover, Pragyan was set on the sleep mode on Saturday.
"Vikram Lander is set into sleep mode around 08:00 Hrs. IST (8 am) today. Prior to that, in-situ experiments by ChaSTE, RAMBHA-LP and ILSA payloads are performed at the new location. The data collected is received at the Earth," ISRO said in an update on micro-blogging site X.
The payloads were switched off and the "lander receivers are kept on."
"Vikram will fall asleep next to Pragyan once the solar power is depleted and the battery is drained. Hoping for their awakening, around September 22, 2023," the space agency said.
ISRO chief S Somanath had earlier said the lunar mission's rover and lander would be put to "sleep" to withstand the night on the Moon.
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MK Stalin urges PM Modi to intervene after Saudi cancels 52,000 private Hajj seats
New Delhi: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to intervene after Saudi Arabia abruptly cancelled approximately 52,000 Hajj seats allocated to private tour operators. The move has triggered widespread anxiety among Indian Muslim pilgrims preparing for the upcoming pilgrimage.
In his letter, Stalin expressed deep concern over the “sudden reduction” in India’s Hajj quota for private operators, describing the development as a matter of urgent concern. He emphasized that many pilgrims, including those from Tamil Nadu, had already made full payments and were left in distress due to the uncertainty caused by the cancellation.
"I request that the matter may be taken up with the authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia urgently and seek an expeditious remedy,” Stalin wrote, expressing hope that PM Modi’s intervention would help restore the cancelled quota and provide reassurance to affected families.
India had signed a bilateral agreement with Saudi Arabia in January 2025, finalising a quota of 1,75,025 pilgrims for Hajj 2025. This was split in a 70:30 ratio between State Hajj Committees and private operators—allocating 1,22,517 seats to the former and 52,507 to the latter.
However, Saudi Arabia has now reduced the private Hajj quota by nearly 80 per cent, affecting close to 52,000 Indian pilgrims. The decision reportedly stems from revised policies and stricter timelines for private tour operators, which several failed to meet despite repeated reminders.
In a partial relief, the Saudi government has agreed to India's request to reopen the Hajj Portal for Combined Hajj Group Operators (CHGOs), allowing an additional 10,000 pilgrims to register under the private category.
