Latest news with #PurviMehta
Indian Express
01-07-2025
- Science
- Indian Express
Space to soil: How Axiom-4 holds potential to shape food production
Written by Purvi Mehta SpaceX's Crew Dragon named Grace, carrying the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) crew, docked at the International Space Station (ISS) last week. It is a historic mission in many ways, including for India, with Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla marking a milestone for the country's human spaceflight aspirations. The mission will also carry out 14 days of microgravity research and technology demonstrations. Dragon resupply missions routinely deliver instruments to the ISS for Earth science. For instance, the NASA-supported CRS-30 delivered Signals of Opportunity P-band Investigation (SNOOPI), a CubeSat that uses P-band GNSS reflectometry to measure soil moisture and snow content — critical within hydrologic cycles and agriculture. Soil moisture data is indispensable: It supports drought forecasting, irrigation planning, and resilient cropping strategies in rural communities. The mission has also carried seeds that they will try to sprout in a petri dish aboard the station. These experiments help scientists understand how microgravity affects water-use efficiency, root development, and crop resilience. Insights from space-grown plants inform Earth-bound optimisations — especially in drought-prone or saline soils. Why is this important? Shifts in climate are driving water scarcity, higher temperatures, crop failures, and economic insecurity across the world. According to a 2023 Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) report, climate extremes have cost global agriculture and its farmers over $3.8 trillion in the past three decades — roughly 5 per cent of the annual global agri-GDP. Technology plays a pivotal role in tackling climate change by enabling both adaptation and mitigation strategies. Innovations such as climate-smart agriculture, early warning systems, resilient infrastructure design, and satellite-based weather forecasting help vulnerable communities better prepare for and respond to climate shocks. Technologies emerging from space research — like soil-moisture monitoring, resilient seed strains, and controlled-environment agriculture — help our understanding on how best to predict, prevent and adapt to climate shocks. Space-based data enhances forecasting and early warning systems that empower rural communities to decide what crop to grow, when and how. The Dragon Grace mission isn't just a space milestone — it's an agricultural and climate-change catalyst. It will enable enhanced Earth observation that allows farmers to monitor crop health, moisture levels, and pest infestations with a high degree of accuracy, enabling targeted interventions (like irrigation or fertilisation), which increases yields and reduces input costs. Stronger forecasting tools and early warnings help predict droughts, floods and other climate-related risks, giving farmers and governments time to prepare and respond, reducing crop loss and food insecurity. Advanced plant physiology insights that augment our understanding of how plants cope with heat, salinity, or erratic rainfall, help farmers choose and manage crops better suited to changing conditions. It leads to the development of crops that are more drought-tolerant, pest-resistant, or nutrient-efficient. Space missions like Ax-4 lay the groundwork for climate-smart farming worldwide, particularly for rural and smallholder communities. As climate shocks intensify, bridging space technology with field-level needs is essential. So, for a smallholder farmer, who constitute over 80 per cent of our farmers, say in the state of Uttar Pradesh, the Ax-4 mission is not just a matter of pride. It can also lead to direct benefits. The Ax-4 mission unlocks new frontiers in climate monitoring and Earth observation and signals a transformative moment for agriculture. For the smallholder farmer, this isn't just a leap in space technology — this can be a lifeline. With better climate prediction, early warning systems, and precision data, farmers can make smarter decisions, reduce risk, and build resilience against an increasingly unpredictable environment. In a world where food security hinges on climate intelligence, this mission has a lot farmers can look forward to. The writer is senior global advisor, Global Climate and adjunct professor, Cornell University
India Today
11-06-2025
- Politics
- India Today
CBI seeks high court nod to chargesheet Nirav Modi's brother-in-law Maiank Mehta
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday sought permission from the Bombay High Court to file a chargesheet against fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi's brother-in-law, Maiank Mehta, stating that its investigation is complete and the chargesheet is ready. Advocates Kuldeep Patil and Saili Dhuru, representing the agency, submitted the request before a bench of Justices AS Gadkari and Rajesh S advocate Amit Desai, appearing for Maiank Mehta, opposed the CBI's request and sought interim protection from coercive action not just for Maiank but also for his wife, Purvi the court declined to extend the protection to her. "Today there is no apprehension of her arrest as she is not here in India. There is no question of protecting her," the bench said. Purvi Mehta, a Belgian national and Nirav Modi's sister, was chargesheeted by the CBI in March this year in connection with the multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case. Both she and Maiank Mehta were previously listed as wanted accused by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).In exchange for full disclosure, the ED accepted Maiank and Purvi Mehta as approvers and granted them a pardon under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The special PMLA court even allowed Maiank, a British national based in Hong Kong, to return home after he promised to cooperate with the proceedings. However, the CBI has consistently opposed his travel and has not accepted him as an CBI has alleged that Purvi Mehta was one of the beneficiaries of the funds acquired through fraudulent Letters of Undertaking (LOUs) issued by PNB at Nirav Modi's behest. While Maiank Mehta was questioned several times by the CBI, he was not named in the chargesheet due to a Bombay High Court order directing the agency not to take coercive action against him. That protection has been in effect since July 25, 2022, and the CBI has been seeking its removal Purvi Mehta has filed a petition in the High Court seeking protection from arrest and prosecution by the CBI, arguing that she has already been pardoned in the ED's case. She has also sought the quashing of the chargesheet filed against her or, at the very least, a stay on proceedings until her petition is court has scheduled the next hearing in the matter for July Watch
