Axiom-04 launch likely on June 22: Dr Jitendra Singh
New Delhi, June 18 (UNI) The Axiom Mission 04, a private crewed spaceflight to the International Space Station (ISS), is now scheduled for launch on June 22, subject to final clearances on module fitness, crew health, and weather conditions.
The mission includes Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla among its international crew, marking a significant milestone in India's foray into commercial human spaceflight.
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh, confirmed the development on Wednesday.
"After reviewing all key parameters, Axiom Space has indicated June 22 as the likely launch date for the Axiom-04 mission carrying Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to the ISS," Dr Singh said in a post on X.
He further added that this mission reflects Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of India's rising global stature in space innovation and international collaborations.
Axiom Space, which is organising the mission in coordination with NASA and SpaceX, said further updates would be shared as they become available.
This will be one of the first instances of an Indian citizen travelling to space on a privately operated orbital mission, paving the way for future global partnerships in space exploration.
UNI BDN PRS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
20 minutes ago
- Indian Express
QS rankings: IIT Delhi jumps 27 ranks, tops India list, is 123 globally
For the first time in eight years, IIT Delhi emerged as the highest-ranked Indian institution in the QS World University Rankings 2026, trumping IIT Bombay, which had reigned supreme among the country's institutions in six editions of these rankings over the past decade. Standing at 123 this year, IIT Delhi jumped 27 ranks compared to 150 last year. In contrast, IIT Bombay dropped 11 ranks to 129. With no Indian institution having made it to the global top 100 in these rankings so far, IIT Bombay's 118 last year is the closest the country's institutions have been to that mark. Globally, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) topped the list for the 14th year, followed by Imperial College London, Stanford University, University of Oxford and Harvard University. For the number of institutions on the list overall, India ranked fourth (54) after the USA (192), the UK (90) and China (72). Over the past decade, IITs Bombay and Delhi, and Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore, have stood in the top three positions among Indian institutions. The last time IIT Delhi was the highest ranked was in QS 2018 (172), while IISc was top-ranked in 2023 (155), and in 2016 and 2017. In all other years over the past decade, IIT Bombay topped its Indian peers. This year, IIT Delhi's performance has been buoyed by an improvement across certain metrics. In response to questions, QS said that IIT Delhi made 'notable progress in Employer Reputation (+23 places), Citations per Faculty (+40), Employer Outcomes (+21), and especially in Sustainability, where the institution rose by an impressive 252 places.' It said: 'The substantial gain in Sustainability reflects both genuine improvements and more accurate data reporting.' IIT Delhi scored better than IIT Bombay on metrics like citations per faculty (93.1 Delhi vs 82.9 Bombay), international student diversity (6.3 Delhi vs 1.5 Bombay), international research network (66.9 Delhi vs 46.6 Bombay) and sustainability (79.9 Delhi vs 75.2 Bombay). QS described sustainability as 'our newest metric', which is 'still evolving'. 'It comprises over 50 indicators, with data coming from a mix of university submissions (which are subsequently validated by QS), public sources, bibliometric databases, and survey results. Many universities are still in the process of adapting to this complex framework and refining their reporting practices,' it said. IIT Bombay scored better than IIT Delhi on metrics like academic reputation, employer reputation and employment outcomes – 72.6 vs 50.5, for instance, on employment outcomes. Prof Vivek Buwa, Dean (Planning) and head of the rankings cell at IIT Delhi, highlighted the institute's performance on the key parameters listed. On citations, he said: 'Some of the importance or success of publications of our colleagues and students is how many people are using it or citing it in their work. That is determined by citations per faculty… Over the years, IIT has advanced significantly in the research ecosystem — IIT is an Institution of Eminence. That status and the funding it received helped. With that grant, we set up equipment worth Rs 200-300 crore. The research facilities have helped with publications in good journals.' Buwa said, 'The institute has started bilateral research collaborations with universities in different parts of the world. That has led to international visibility, and joint publications with international universities. That has also helped the institute.' In the global rankings, the IITs dominate the top 10 Indian institutions. In addition to IIT Delhi and Bombay, IIT Madras (ranked 180, up from 227 last year) is the only other Indian institution to feature in the top 200 ranks globally. It has made it to the top 200 for the first time. The others in the top 10 nationally are IIT Kharagpur (215), IIT Kanpur (222), IIT Guwahati (334) and IIT Roorkee (339). Apart from the seven IITs, the Indian Institute of Science (219, down from 211 last year), Delhi University (328, same as last year), and Anna University (465, a sharp drop from 383 last year) are among the institutions in the list. Of the ten, all of which are public institutions, five have seen an improvement in rank compared to last year, four saw a drop. According to global higher education analysts QS Quacquarelli Symonds, the number of Indian institutions in the rankings has seen a 390% increase over the past decade — from 11 in 2015 to 54 this year, up from 46 last year. With eight new institutions from India appearing in the rankings, this is the most that any country has added to the list this year, according to QS. Globally, over 1,500 institutions made it to the rankings this year. Of the eight new Indian institutions on the list this year, seven are private, with IIT Gandhinagar (rank 801-850) being the exception. Ashoka University and Shiv Nadar University — both with a rank of 1201-1400 — Christ (Deemed to be University) in Bengaluru (1401+), Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (1001-1200), and Lovely Professional University (901-950) are among the other institutions on the list. Asked about the new Indian institutions this year, QS said: 'This increase is the result of a combination of factors. Some of these institutions submitted data to QS for the first time, while others may have participated previously but only met the full eligibility and inclusion criteria this year.' Some Indian institutions made it to the top 100 only for certain metrics. In terms of faculty citations, the metric with the second highest weightage (20%), eight institutions made the cut, with the Indian Institute of Science ranking 15 globally, a drop of four ranks from last year. Anna University followed with a global rank of 23. Among the IITs, IIT BHU (Varanasi) performed best on this indicator, ranking 47 globally. On employment reputation, which carries a 15% weightage in the overall score, IIT Bombay fared best among Indian institutions, with a global rank of 39. While five Indian institutions were in the global top 100 for this metric, only two made it to the top 100 in employment outcomes (weightage of 5%) — University of Delhi and University of Mumbai. However, on academic reputation, which carries the highest weightage (30%), no Indian institution made it to the global top 100. Of the 46 Indian institutions that featured in last year's rankings, only five saw an improvement in their global ranking on this metric — IITs Delhi, Bombay, Madras and Kanpur, and Chandigarh University. Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) performed the same, while the rest saw a decline.
Time of India
38 minutes ago
- Time of India
India hits new high in QS rankings with 54 entrants
India is the fastest-growing higher education system among the G20 NEW DELHI: India has recorded its strongest presence yet in the QS World University Rankings 2026, with 54 institutions making it to the list - a significant jump from 46 in 2025 and 45 in 2024. This 390% increase from just 11 ranked universities in 2014 makes India the fastest-growing higher education system among G20 countries and the fourth most represented nation in the rankings, behind only the US, UK, and China. At the top of the Indian pack is Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, which climbed to a joint 123rd position (alongside Georgia Institute of Technology, US) - its best-ever showing. In 2025 and 2024, the institute stood at 150 and 197, respectively. This steady rise is backed by strong scores in Employer Reputation (50th globally), Citations per Faculty (86th), and Academic Reputation (142nd), highlighting its growing stature. While IIT Bombay slipped to 129th this year from its all-time best rank of 118 in 2025, it remains in the global top 130 and continues to score highly on Employer Reputation, ranking 39th in that indicator. IIT Madras recorded one of the most dramatic improvements in 2026 - leaping 47 places to reach the 180th spot. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo This is the first time it has entered the global top 200. Other top-performing Indian institutions include IIT Kharagpur (215), IISc Bangalore (219), and IIT Kanpur (222). Among non-IITs, Delhi University (328) and Anna University (465) featured in the top 500. The inclusion of eight new Indian universities in the 2026 edition - more than any other country - signals a broader institutional momentum. However, India's rise has been uneven. Despite improvements in research strength and academic reputation, challenges remain in areas critical to internationalisation. The International Students Ratio remains a key concern, with 78% of Indian universities seeing a decline in this indicator. No Indian institution ranks in the top 500 for attracting international students, which affects diversity and global exposure on campuses. Similarly, the Faculty-Student Ratio presents a structural bottleneck. OP Jindal Global University is the only Indian university in the global top 350 for this metric. Moreover, as against 12 Indian universities in top 500 in 2025, there's one less in the latest rankings. Globally, Massachusetts Institute of Technology topped the rankings for the 14th straight year, followed by Imperial College London (2nd), Stanford University (3rd), University of Oxford (4th), & Harvard University (5th).
India Gazette
2 hours ago
- India Gazette
"India is ahead of world in digital payments," says FM Sitharaman
New Delhi [India], June 18 (ANI): At the Digital Payment Award distribution ceremony held in the national capital, Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman hailed India's extraordinary achievements in digital payments and financial technology, noting that the country is now leading the world in real-time digital transactions. 'In terms of digital payments, India is not just catching up -- it is ahead of the world,' she declared, as the audience of innovators, policymakers, and industry leaders applauded. 'The pace of innovation we are witnessing in India is a dream for many developed nations.' Minister Sitharaman emphasised that India's fintech sector is not only progressing rapidly within its own ecosystem but is also redefining global paradigms. 'Several advanced countries are nowhere close to the kind of momentum our fintech companies have achieved. What is happening in India is unique -- a bold reimagination of financial infrastructure,' she noted. Quoting a World Bank study, the Minister highlighted that India's focus on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) has helped the nation reach 80 per cent financial inclusion in just six years -- a feat experts estimate would have otherwise taken five decades. 'With 48.5 per cent of all real-time digital payment transactions in the world now originating from India, the impact is global. The UPI ecosystem alone now connects over 35 crore users, becoming the backbone of digital payments in the country. 'During the COVID-19 pandemic, payment apps became lifelines, enabling contactless transactions and doorstep banking -- keeping the economy moving while mobility was restricted,' Sitharaman reflected. According to the Reserve Bank of India, the Digital Payments Index, a benchmark for the adoption of digital transactions, has quadrupled from 100 in 2018 to 465 in 2024. 'Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has always emphasised that we must not only 'Make in India', but also 'Make for the world',' the Minister said. 'In this context, India's fintech innovations are now poised to become global public goods, bringing benefits to both emerging and developed economies.' Already, international UPI merchant payments are being accepted in 7 countries Bhutan, France, Mauritius, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and the UAE. Sitharaman called on Indian fintech firms to export their successful models, saying, 'We have the talent, the market scale, and the proven solutions to lead globally.' Looking ahead, the Finance Minister shared a bold vision for the sector: India's fintech market is projected to grow to over $400 billion by 2028-29, with an annual growth rate of over 30 per cent. 'The best chapters of India's fintech story are yet to be written. The opportunity is immense.' She urged the industry to rally behind a collective mission: 'Let us Innovate, Include, and Inspire. Innovate new solutions fearlessly, include every citizen in your vision, and inspire the world with what India can achieve.' The event also spotlighted India's achievement in Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT). Since 2014, Rs 44 lakh crore have been transferred transparently through DBT, saving Rs 3.48 lakh crore by eliminating leakages. 'This is the power of technology that drives policy and banking,' Sitharaman said. Another milestone has been the rise of the Account Aggregator (AA) framework. From just 24 entities in FY22, over 700 entities across banking, insurance, pensions, and securities have joined the AA ecosystem as of FY25. The number of accounts linked has surged from 1.5 lakh to over 15 crore, facilitating loans of over Rs 88,700 crore, while empowering nearly 1 crore individuals with better personal finance management. Concluding her address, Sitharaman encouraged fintech firms to look beyond urban markets. 'Rural India is not just a social responsibility. It is a fertile ground for innovation, inclusion, and opportunity. The next big wave of growth lies in the Bharat beyond the metros.' (ANI)
