BANGALORE (PTI): First Indian in space, Wing Commander (Retd) Rakesh Sharma, has expressed apprehensions that space missions in future will focus more on exploitation of resources than onresearch.
"Hitherto, space activity was all about research and exploitation. Henceforth, space programmes will be focused on exploitation of resources that may be available on the moon and beyond," Sharma said delivering the "Subroto Mukherjee Memorial Oration" titled "Space Travel- Where do we go from here?"
In the event of long duration hauls becoming a regular, in future, there would be new challenges that would crop up and would be required to be addressed, said, India's space man who invoked unforgettable memories of the country's first manned space venture of April 1984.
Speaking at the Golden Jubilee Conference of Indian Society of Aerospace Medicine (ISAM) on Friday, Sharma raised questions over the earth's ability to sustain human life in future going by its shrinking resources.
"We need to have a redundancy plan, have a backup for human race," he said.
He opined that there could be a need to parallely commence programmes aimed at colonisation of moon and deep space exploration with long duration flights to Mars and beyond.
"For this we should set up a lunar outpost," he added.
Nov 23, 2010
6,749 Indian women officers in armed forces
NEW DELHI (PTI): A total of 6,749 women officers were working in the armed forces, with over one-third of them inducted during the last three years, Lok Sabha was informed Monday.
"2,591 women officers have been inducted into the armed forces in the last three years and a total of 6,749 of them are working in the Services," Defence Minister A K Antony said in written reply to a Lok Sabha query.
He said the highest numbers of officers were with the Army followed by the Army Medical Corps and the Indian Air Force.
The Minister said a "zero tolerance" policy was adopted by the government on harassment of women.
Antony added that though some cases of sexual harassment have taken place, but no incident has been reported where a woman candidate has been declined a job due to discrimination or harassment.
He added that the government was considering a proposal to grant Permanent Commission to women officers in branches such as Judge Advocate General (JAG) and Army Education Corps (AEC) and their corresponding branches in the other two services.
To a question whether the government has taken cognisance of the infrastructure development by China in Tibet and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Antony said the government keeps track of infrastructure development and military activities in both the regions.
"2,591 women officers have been inducted into the armed forces in the last three years and a total of 6,749 of them are working in the Services," Defence Minister A K Antony said in written reply to a Lok Sabha query.
He said the highest numbers of officers were with the Army followed by the Army Medical Corps and the Indian Air Force.
The Minister said a "zero tolerance" policy was adopted by the government on harassment of women.
Antony added that though some cases of sexual harassment have taken place, but no incident has been reported where a woman candidate has been declined a job due to discrimination or harassment.
He added that the government was considering a proposal to grant Permanent Commission to women officers in branches such as Judge Advocate General (JAG) and Army Education Corps (AEC) and their corresponding branches in the other two services.
To a question whether the government has taken cognisance of the infrastructure development by China in Tibet and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Antony said the government keeps track of infrastructure development and military activities in both the regions.
Will Chinese AWACS revolutionise air defence?
ISLAMABAD (PTI): The induction of Chinese-made airborne warning and control system aircraft in the Pakistan Air Force beginning next year will bring about a "revolution" in air defence operations, the airforce chief said Sunday.
Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman, currently on a visit to China, told state-run APP news agency that his force has plans to induct four Shaanxi ZDK-03 AWACS aircraft in its inventory.
Suleman recently attended the roll out ceremony in Hanzhong for the first ZDK-03 aircraft designed specifically for PAF.
He said countries without AWACS aircraft mostly rely on ground-based radar systems that have "very serious limitations in terms of their surveillance and detection".
Highlighting the importance of the AWACS, Suleman said they can detect "any object flying from the enemy side and you can take action to counter the threat".
There will be a revolution in PAF's air defence operations after the induction of surveillance aircraft, he said.
"There are very few countries in the world having AWACS technology in their air forces," he said.
Suleman further said that the delivery of AWACS aircraft from Sweden to Pakistan has also begun and the Chinese-made surveillance planes will begin joining the PAF from the first quarter of next year, he said.
Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman, currently on a visit to China, told state-run APP news agency that his force has plans to induct four Shaanxi ZDK-03 AWACS aircraft in its inventory.
Suleman recently attended the roll out ceremony in Hanzhong for the first ZDK-03 aircraft designed specifically for PAF.
He said countries without AWACS aircraft mostly rely on ground-based radar systems that have "very serious limitations in terms of their surveillance and detection".
Highlighting the importance of the AWACS, Suleman said they can detect "any object flying from the enemy side and you can take action to counter the threat".
There will be a revolution in PAF's air defence operations after the induction of surveillance aircraft, he said.
"There are very few countries in the world having AWACS technology in their air forces," he said.
Suleman further said that the delivery of AWACS aircraft from Sweden to Pakistan has also begun and the Chinese-made surveillance planes will begin joining the PAF from the first quarter of next year, he said.
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