Applications
Need to use satellite technology for progress of nation: President Patil
NEW DELHI: Noting that Satellite platforms ‘will greatly help our economic growth’, President Pratibha Devisingh Patil said tele-education and tele-medicine are among the readily identifiable areas for this.
Patil said space-based applications had revolutionised the way Government machinery reaches out to its citizens, even in the far flung remote areas of the country. Utilising the application of its research and work for the benefit of society should be one of the overriding objectives of any discipline of science and technology.
The President was speaking at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, where she interacted through videoconferencing with the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) members. Patil inaugurated the new Mission Control Centre and Launch Control Centre. She dedicated the new control centre to the nation.
Isro chairman K Radhakrishnan made a brief presentation on the Indian space programme and explained the exhibits displayed at the control centre.
The President also lauded the way Isro had reached out to other countries, and noted that during her last visit to Austria, she had been informed that two mini-satellites built by researchers from the technical universities of Vienna and Graz are being launched by Isro. There are many other instances of Isro launching satellites of other countries. India does enjoy a niche amongst the space faring nations of the world, she said.
During her visit, she experienced what she described as ‘a fascinating simulation of the launch of a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle from our new Mission Control Center’. She also saw the integration of the soon to be launched PSLV – C19 being assembled in full swing at the launch pad.
Noting that satellite navigation was coming up as a whole new vista in the Indian space programme, she said she was happy that a constellation of seven navigation satellites would provide navigational services for civilian and strategic applications in the coming days.
The President was accompanied by Andhra Pradesh Governor E S L Narasimhan; Minister of State (PMO) V Narayanasamy; Minister in waiting Sunitha Lakshma Reddy; Members of Parliament and a Member of the Legislative Assembly from Andhra Pradesh.
Applications
With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
