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Isro volunteers services for tsunami relief
BANGALORE: The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), in its efforts to help the tsunami relief measures, has provided telecommunications and telemedicine facilities in the Andaman and Nicobar islands.
Isro has sent a fly-away mini aperture terminal, 10 Inmarsat telephones and four mobile satellite service phones to Portblair for augmentation of telecommunication links in the affected areas. Inasat-3E satellite has been earmarked for supporting large capacity telephone links from Andaman & Nicobar Islands to Kolkata which is connected to Delhi. Telephone links from one place in Andaman & Nicobar Islands to any other place through transportable VSATs are also being arranged.
The administration is using the Vsat facilities at Diglipur, Mayabanda, Rangat, Port Blair, Hut Bay, Car Nicobar, Camorta and Cambel Bay where Video conferencing links, satellite based telephone connectivity as well as ISDN telephone connectivity have been established and enabled between the mainland and the islands for carrying out relief and rehabilitation work.
Also, Isro’s telemedicine network has been connected to two hospitals – one at Port Blair (GB Pant Hospital) and the other at Car Nicobar Islands (Indira Gandhi Hospital) to enable communication and consultation with specialists at Apollo Hospital (Chennai) and Amruta Institute of Medical Sciences (Cochin), informs an Isro release.
Data from Indian Remote Sensing satellites (IRS-1C, 1D, OCEANSAT-1 and RESOURCESAT) over affected areas are being used for analysis and damage assessment. Information is also being provided to Crisis Management Group of the Ministry of Home Affairs and State agencies. Satellite data for Car Nicobar, Chennai and Kakinada, Tamil Nadu coast (especially Nagapattinam), Andhra Pradesh and Kerala have been acquired.
For damage assessment, Isro has been using its Aerial Photography Survey system. Chennai-Nagapattinam, Andhra Pradesh coast and Port Blair have already been covered and other islands are also being covered. The satellite imageries clearly indicate large-scale damage to the southern tip of Great Nicobar Island and the Indira Point. The Trinkat Island of the Nancowri Group has been separated into two parts due to the water impoundment in the central part, adds the release.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
