ITER completes development of main magnet system

• In a landmark achievement for fusion energy, ITER has completed all components for the world''s largest, most powerful pulsed superconducting electromagnet system.
• ITER is an international collaboration of more than 30 countries to demonstrate the viability of fusion—the power of the sun and stars—as an abundant, safe, carbon-free energy source for the planet.
• The final component was the sixth module of the Central Solenoid, built and tested in the United States. When it is assembled at the ITER site in Southern France, the Central Solenoid will be the system''s most powerful magnet, strong enough to lift an aircraft carrier.
• The Central Solenoid will work in tandem with six ring-shaped Poloidal Field (PF) magnets, built and delivered by Russia, Europe, and China.
• The fully assembled pulsed magnet system will weigh nearly 3,000 tons. It will function as the electromagnetic heart of ITER''s donut-shaped reactor, called a Tokamak.

How does this pulsed superconducting electromagnet system work?

• Step 1. A few grams of hydrogen fuel—deuterium and tritium gas—are injected into ITER''s gigantic Tokamak chamber.
• Step 2. The pulsed magnet system sends an electrical current to ionize the hydrogen gas, creating a plasma, a cloud of charged particles.
• Step 3. The magnets create an "invisible cage" that confines and shapes the ionized plasma.
• Step 4. External heating systems raise the plasma temperature to 150 million degrees Celsius, ten times hotter than the core of the sun.
• Step 5. At this temperature, the atomic nuclei of plasma particles combine and fuse, releasing massive heat energy.

10-fold energy gain

• At full operation, ITER is expected to produce 500 megawatts of fusion power from only 50 megawatts of input heating power, a tenfold gain. At this level of efficiency, the fusion reaction largely self-heats, becoming a "burning plasma."
• By integrating all the systems needed for fusion at an industrial scale, ITER is serving as a massive, complex research laboratory for its 30-plus member countries, providing the knowledge and data needed to optimize commercial fusion power.

A global model

• ITER''s geopolitical achievement is also remarkable: the sustained collaboration of ITER''s seven members—China, Europe, India, Japan, Korea, Russia, and the United States. Thousands of scientists and engineers have contributed components from hundreds of factories on three continents to build a single machine.
• Pietro Barabaschi, ITER Director-General, says, "What makes ITER unique is not only its technical complexity but the framework of international cooperation that has sustained it through changing political landscapes."
• "This achievement proves that when humanity faces existential challenges like climate change and energy security, we can overcome national differences to advance solutions."
• "The ITER Project is the embodiment of hope. With ITER, we show that a sustainable energy future and a peaceful path forward are possible."
• In 2024, ITER reached 100% of its construction targets. With most of the major components delivered, the ITER Tokamak is now in assembly phase. In April 2025, the first vacuum vessel sector module was inserted into the Tokamak Pit, about 3 weeks ahead of schedule.

Extending collaboration to the private sector

• The past five years have witnessed a surge in private sector investment in fusion energy R&D. In November 2023, the ITER Council recognized the value and opportunity represented by this trend.
• They encouraged the ITER Organization and its Domestic Agencies to actively engage with the private sector, to transfer ITER''s accumulated knowledge to accelerate progress toward making fusion a reality.
• In 2024, ITER launched a private sector fusion engagement project, with multiple channels for sharing knowledge, documentation, data, and expertise, as well as collaboration on R&D. This tech transfer initiative includes sharing information on ITER''s global fusion supply chain, another way to return value to Member governments and their companies.
• In April 2025, ITER hosted a public-private workshop to collaborate on the best technological innovation to solve fusion''s remaining challenges.

How have ITER''s members contributed to this achievement?

• Under the ITER Agreement, members contribute most of the cost of building ITER in the form of building and supplying components. This arrangement means that financing from each member goes primarily to their own companies, to manufacture ITER''s challenging technology. In doing so, these companies also drive innovation and gain expertise, creating a global fusion supply chain.
• Europe, as the Host Member, contributes 45% of the cost of the ITER Tokamak and its support systems. China, India, Japan, Korea, Russia, and the United States each contribute 9%, but all members get access to 100% of the intellectual property.
• The United States has built the Central Solenoid, made of six modules, plus a spare.
• The U.S. has also delivered to ITER the "exoskeleton" support structure that will enable the Central Solenoid to withstand the extreme forces it will generate. The exoskeleton is comprised of more than 9,000 individual parts, manufactured by eight U.S. suppliers.
• Additionally, the U.S. has fabricated about 8% of the Niobium-Tin (Nb₃Sn) superconductors used in ITER''s Toroidal Field magnets.
• Russia has delivered the 9-meter-diameter ring-shaped Poloidal Field magnet that will crown the top of the ITER Tokamak.
• Working closely with Europe, Russia has also produced approximately 120 tons of Niobium-Titanium (NbTi) superconductors, comprising about 40% of the total required for ITER''s Poloidal Field magnets.
• Additionally, Russia has produced about 20% of the Niobium-Tin (Nb₃Sn) superconductors for ITER''s Toroidal Field magnets.
• And Russia has manufactured the giant busbars that will deliver power to the magnets at the required voltage and amperage, as well as the upper port plugs for ITER''s vacuum vessel sectors.
• Europe has manufactured four of the ring-shaped Poloidal Field magnets onsite in France, ranging from 17 to 24 meters in diameter.
• Europe has worked closely with Russia to manufacture the Niobium-Titanium (NbTi) superconductors used in PF magnets 1 and 6.
• Europe has also delivered 10 of ITER''s Toroidal Field magnets and has produced a substantial portion of the Niobium-Tin (Nb₃Sn) superconductors used in these TF magnets.
• And Europe is creating five of the nine sectors of the Tokamak vacuum vessel, the donut-shaped chamber where fusion will take place.
• China, under an arrangement with Europe, has manufactured a 10-meter Poloidal Field magnet. It has already been installed at the bottom of the partially assembled ITER Tokamak.
• China has also contributed the Niobium-Titanium (NbTi) superconductors for PF magnets 2, 3, 4, and 5, about 65% of the PF magnet total—plus about 8% of the Toroidal Field magnet superconductors.
• Additionally, China is contributing 18 superconducting Correction Coil magnets, positioned around the Tokamak to fine-tune the plasma reactions.
• China has delivered the 31 magnet feeders, the multi-lane thruways that will deliver the electricity to power ITER''s electromagnets as well as the liquid helium to cool the magnets to -269°C, the temperature needed for superconductivity.
• Japan has produced and sent to the United States the 43 kilometers of Niobium-Tin (Nb₃Sn) superconductor strand that was used to create the Central Solenoid modules.
• Japan has also produced 8 of the 18 Toroidal Field (TF) magnets, plus a spare—as well as all the casing structures for the TF magnets.
• Japan also produced 25% of the Niobium-Tin (Nb₃Sn) superconductors that went into the Toroidal Field magnets.
• Korea has produced the tooling used to pre-assemble ITER''s largest components, enabling ITER to fit the Toroidal Field coils and thermal shields to the vacuum vessel sectors with millimetric precision.
• Korea has also manufactured 20% of the Niobium-Tin (Nb₃Sn) superconductors for the Toroidal Field magnets.
• Additionally, Korea has manufactured the thermal shields that provide a physical barrier between the ultra-hot fusion plasma and the ultra-cold magnets.
• And Korea has delivered four of the nine sectors of the Tokamak vacuum vessel.
• India has fabricated the ITER Cryostat, the 30-meter-high, 30-meter-diameter thermos that houses the entire ITER Tokamak.
• India has also provided the cryolines that distribute the liquid helium to cool ITER''s magnets.
• Additionally, India has been responsible for delivering ITER''s cooling water system, the in-wall shielding of the Tokamak, and multiple parts of the external plasma heating systems.
• In total, ITER''s magnet systems will comprise 10,000 tons of superconducting magnets, with a combined stored magnetic energy of 51 gigajoules. The raw material to fabricate these magnets consisted of more than 100,000 kilometers of superconducting strand, fabricated in nine factories in six countries

Researchers develop new method for tracking ocean carbon from space

• The ocean plays a large role in cycling carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Determining how much carbon is locked away in the ocean is critical to understanding Earth''s changing climate. However, measuring and monitoring oceanographic processes on a massive scale poses a challenge to scientists.
• "We urgently need tools to monitor the ocean-carbon connection on a global scale. By leveraging diverse sets of data, we''ve identified a new path forward to improve carbon export estimates from space,".
• The ocean and its inhabitants are critical parts of Earth''s carbon cycle. Carbon dioxide dissolves into the ocean, and marine life converts it into organic material that later sinks into the deep sea.
•  Together, these processes can lock away, or sequester, carbon from the atmosphere in the ocean''s depths, a process known as carbon export.
• Direct measurements of carbon export are scarce, so scientists have to rely on models and satellite data to understand large-scale patterns in the ocean-carbon connection.
• Tiny plant-like phytoplankton in the ocean''s surface waters convert carbon dioxide into organic carbon via photosynthesis. Scientists can use satellite ocean color data to estimate phytoplankton productivity. However, existing satellite-based models often do not capture what happens below the ocean''s surface
• Coastal upwelling in the California Current—a cool, nutrient-rich current running from British Columbia to Baja California—creates a boom of productivity. Ocean currents can carry phytoplankton hundreds of kilometers offshore. Marine life consumes phytoplankton, transporting carbon through the food web as food and waste.
• Dead phytoplankton and carbon-rich waste ultimately sink to the depths below, part of a biological pump that can lock carbon away in the deep sea for thousands of years.
• MBARI''s Data Integration and Interdisciplinary Oceanography Team works to understand ocean processes by leveraging diverse datasets from various disciplines, from physics to ecosystems.
• The team is particularly interested in addressing which processes drive patterns of biological communities throughout the water column over time. These relationships are especially challenging to decipher because they are not always direct. For example, because plankton are displaced by currents, what we observe in one location may be the result of past conditions tens of kilometers away.
• The Data Integration and Interdisciplinary Oceanography Team develops models to untangle these effects and uncover which processes drive biological communities, describe how they occur, and quantify their impact.
• MBARI has deployed a suite of advanced technologies at Station M, a research site offshore of Central California, to monitor the abyssal seafloor. The trove of data from this long-term observatory has helped researchers understand how carbon is cycled from the surface to the deep sea.
• The team developed a Lagrangian growth-advection satellite-derived model that maps plankton succession and export onto surface oceanic circulation following coastal upwelling. The model was initially designed to track biological hotspots where marine life congregates.
• Instead of relying on ocean color data to estimate carbon export, this new approach incorporates the offsets between production and export, the role of zooplankton, and advection of plankton blooms by ocean currents.
• This method performed as well as models that rely on ocean color or long-term monitoring of carbon raining down on the abyssal seafloor.
• The team''s success demonstrates that export can be well represented from space without ocean color, using a plankton model and satellite-derived tracks of oceanic currents. These results provide new insights into what controls carbon export, how to represent it from space, and its spatiotemporal patterns in a productive oceanic region.
• "A complex web of physical and biological factors influence the oceanic carbon cycle. Using satellite data about winds and currents shows promise for estimating ocean carbon export, offering a complementary perspective to models that use ocean color visible from space. We hope the marine research community can build upon our work to better represent complex oceanographic processes from satellite data.

Quantum computer outperforms supercomputers in approximate optimization tasks

• A quantum computer can solve optimization problems faster than classical supercomputers, a process known as "quantum advantage" 
• The study shows how quantum annealing, a specialized form of quantum computing, outperforms the best current classical algorithms when searching for near-optimal solutions to complex problems.
• "The way quantum annealing works is by finding low-energy states in quantum systems, which correspond to optimal or near-optimal solutions to the problems being solved,"

Approximate optimization

• Scientists have been struggling to demonstrate quantum scaling advantage (where the quantum advantage grows as the problem size increases) through the use of a quantum annealer for years.
• Quantum annealing has long been theorized to offer computational advantages for optimization, but definitive evidence of scaling improvements over classical methods has been elusive. This study shifts the focus from exact optimization (where quantum advantage remains unproven) to approximate optimization, an area with broad applicability in industry and science.
• Quantum annealing is a specific type of quantum computing that can use quantum physics principles to find high-quality solutions to difficult optimization problems. Rather than requiring exact optimal solutions, the study focused on finding solutions within a certain percentage (≥1%) of the optimal value.
• Many real-world problems don''t require exact solutions, making this approach practically relevant. For example, in determining which stocks to put into a mutual fund, it is often good enough to just beat a leading market index rather than beating every other stock portfolio.
• To demonstrate algorithmic quantum scaling advantage, the researchers used a D-Wave Advantage quantum annealing processor, a specialized type of quantum computing device installed at USC''s Information Sciences Institute. Like with all current quantum computers, noise plays a major role in spoiling quantum advantage in quantum annealing.
• To overcome this problem, the team implemented a technique called quantum annealing correction (QAC) on the D-Wave''s processor, creating over 1,300 error-suppressed logical qubits. This error suppression was key to achieving the advantage over parallel tempering with isoenergetic cluster moves (PT-ICM), the most efficient current classical algorithm for comparable problems.

''Time-to-epsilon'' performance

• The study demonstrated quantum advantage by utilizing several research methods and focused on a family of two-dimensional spin-glass problems with high-precision interactions.
• "Spin-glass problems are a class of complex optimization challenges that originate from statistical physics models of disordered magnetic systems," Lidar said.
• Instead of seeking exact solutions, the researchers benchmarked "time-to-epsilon" performance, measuring how quickly each approach could find solutions within a specified percentage of the optimal answer.
• The researchers aim to extend their findings to denser, higher-dimensional problems and explore applications in real-world optimization. Lidar said further improvements in quantum hardware and error suppression could amplify the observed advantage.
• "This opens new avenues for quantum algorithms in optimization tasks where near-optimal solutions are sufficient."

FAO Food Price Index increases in April

• The benchmark measure of world food commodity prices increased in April, driven by higher quotations for major cereals, meat and dairy products, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reported
• The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of a set of globally traded food commodities, averaged 128.3 points in April, up 1.0 percent from March and 7.6 percent from the same month last year.
• The FAO Cereal Price Index increased by 1.2 percent from March.
•  Global wheat prices edged up slightly, supported by tightening exportable supplies in the Russian Federation, while the FAO All Rice Price Index rose on stronger demand for fragrant varieties. International maize prices rose due to seasonally tighter stock levels in the United States of America. Currency fluctuations influenced price movements in world markets, while tariff policy adjustments raised market uncertainty.
• The FAO Meat Price Index was up 3.2 percent in April compared to March, with quotations rising across all meat categories, led by those for pig meat. Bovine meat prices also firmed, particularly in Australia and Brazil, amid steady global import demand and limited export availabilities.
• The FAO Dairy Price Index increased by 2.4 percent in April from the previous month to stand as much as 22.9 percent higher than a year earlier. The rise was led by international butter prices, which hit a new all-time high due to declining inventories in Europe.
• By contrast, the FAO Vegetable Oil Price Index declined by 2.3 percent, though it remained 20.7 percent higher than its year-ago level. Palm oil prices fell markedly due to seasonally higher outputs in major Southeast Asian producing countries, while global soy and rapeseed oil prices rose on the back of strong global import demand. Sunflower oil prices remained largely stable.
• The FAO Sugar Price Index also dropped by 3.5 percent from March, largely due to concerns over the uncertain global economic outlook and its potential impact on the demand from the beverage and food processing sectors, which together account for the bulk of global sugar consumption

Cereal supply and demand in the year ahead

• FAO also released a new Cereal Supply and Demand Brief on Friday, with revised estimates for 2024 and fresh insights on cropping conditions and prospects for 2025.
• FAO’s latest forecast for 2025 wheat production is pegged at 795 million tonnes, on par with the previous year. Prospects point to a record output in Asia, buoyed by India and Pakistan, improved conditions in southern Europe and North Africa, along with stable production in Canada and the Russian Federation. However, rainfall deficits in northern Europe and the Near East and drought concerns in the United States of America are weighing on the overall prospects.
• Harvesting of the 2025 coarse grain crops is beginning in the southern hemisphere, with maize output expected to increase in Brazil and South Africa. In the northern hemisphere, early expectations point to a 5 percent expansion in coarse grain plantings in the United States of America.
• Meanwhile, FAO has slightly revised downward its estimate for global cereal production in 2024 to 2 848 million tonnes, even as global rice output in 2024/25 will likely expand by 1.5 percent to reach record high of 543.6 million tonnes.
• FAO’s new forecast for world cereal utilization in 2024/25 stands at 2 870 million tonnes, a 1.0 percent increase over the 2023/24 level, driven by expectations of higher feed use of maize in China and the Russian Federation, along with increased rice consumption in various African countries.
• World cereal stocks are now predicted to decline by 1.9 percent to 868.2 million tonnes by the close of the 2025 seasons, driving down FAO’s forecast for the world cereal stocks-to-use ratio in 2024/25 to 29.9 percent – still considered to be in a comfortable buffer zone .
• FAO has slightly reduced its forecast for world cereal trade in 2024/25 to 478.6 million tonnes, which would mark a 6.8 percent contraction from 2023/24 and the lowest level since 2019/20.
• Global trade in coarse grains is forecast to contract even faster, due largely to lower demand from China and smaller exportable maize supplies in Brazil. International trade in rice is now seen increasing by 1.2 percent to a new record high of 60.4 million tonnes.
• The Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS), hosted by FAO, also published its monthly Market Monitor on Friday. In addition to the regular market analysis, the new issue includes a feature article examining fertilizer markets and global trade, which have been impacted by a host of geopolitical factors in recent years and are poised to face increased uncertainty due to the evolving trade policy landscape

India carries out test of advanced underwater naval mine

• India has successfully test-fired an advanced underwater naval mine designed to enhance the Navy''s capabilities against modern stealth ships and submarines.
• The development came amid increasing tensions between India and Pakistan over the Pahalgam terror attack.
• India has successfully test-fired an advanced underwater naval mine designed to enhance the Navy''s capabilities against modern stealth ships and submarines.
• The development came amid increasing tensions between India and Pakistan over the Pahalgam terror attack.
• "The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Navy have successfully undertaken combat firing (with reduced explosive) of the indigenously designed and developed Multi-Influence Ground Mine (MIGM),.
• It said the the system is an advanced underwater naval mine developed by the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory, Visakhapatnam in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories.
• The MIGM is designed to enhance the Indian Navy''s capabilities against modern stealth ships and submarines. Bharat Dynamics Limited, Visakhapatnam and Apollo Microsystems Limited, Hyderabad are the production partners for the system.

What Is the Multi-Influence Ground Mine (MIGM)?

• The MIGM is a next-generation smart naval mine. Unlike traditional contact mines that explode on physical touch, MIGM uses advanced sensors to detect enemy vessels. These sensors identify unique underwater signatures, such as:
• Acoustic signatures (noise from propellers and engines)
• Magnetic fields (metal hulls of ships and submarines)
• Pressure changes (caused by a vessel passing overhead)
• Electric fields (generated by onboard electrical systems)
• Thanks to these multiple detection methods, MIGM offers high accuracy and reduced false alarms. As a result, it’s much more effective than older generation naval mines.

Who Developed MIGM and How?

• The Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), a DRDO lab based in Visakhapatnam, led the development. It collaborated closely with other DRDO labs and industry partners.
• Notably, Bharat Dynamics Limited and Apollo Microsystems manufactured key components such as electronic systems, pressure-resistant outer casings, and deployment modules. This effort demonstrates the power of public-private collaboration in India’s defense sector.

MIGM Live Trial: A Controlled Underwater Explosion

• The system was recently tested in a real-world environment using a reduced explosive charge. During the trial:
• Engineers closely observed how the sensors reacted to approaching vessels.
• The controlled detonation helped verify the activation mechanisms.
• Test data confirmed the system’s accuracy and combat readiness.
• Moreover, the trial simulated realistic combat conditions, confirming MIGM’s suitability for future operational use.

Key Advantages of MIGM in Naval Defense

• MIGM brings multiple strategic advantages to India’s underwater defense capabilities:
• Silent operation: It passively monitors underwater activity without alerting the enemy.
• Selective activation: It detonates only when specific threat signals are detected.
• Quick deployment: It can be placed rapidly in key coastal or deep-sea areas.
• Minimal maintenance: The system is designed to work independently for extended periods.
• Because of these features, MIGM enhances India’s ability to deter stealth submarines and protect maritime assets.
• Boosting Self-Reliance Through Indigenous Manufacturing
• The project highlights India’s commitment to Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India). The majority of MIGM’s components were designed and built domestically.
• In addition:
• DRDO ensured smooth integration of subsystems from various vendors.
• Local suppliers provided advanced electronics, sensors, and robust mine casings.
• The manufacturing ecosystem now has greater capability to produce high-tech defense solutions.

Importance of MIGM Amid Growing Regional Tensions

• MIGM’s validation comes at a time of rising geopolitical tensions in the Indian Ocean Region. As neighboring countries increase their naval activity, India’s ability to secure key maritime zones becomes more critical.
• Therefore, MIGM provides a timely boost to national security. It also allows India to assert its dominance in underwater defense.

Supporting India’s Naval Modernization Strategy

• MIGM is part of a larger modernization drive by the Indian Navy. Alongside sea-skimming missiles, precision strike weapons, and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), MIGM enhances layered defense.
• Its integration with other systems ensures:
• Continuous monitoring of undersea zones
• Rapid threat detection and response
• Greater coordination between submarines, ships, and maritime patrol aircraft

Seamless Integration in Multi-Domain Naval Operations

• The Indian Navy is working to unify its air, surface, and underwater capabilities. MIGM supports this vision by offering effective underwater area control with minimal resource consumption.
• Furthermore, it adds depth to India’s multi-domain warfare strategy, which aims to secure dominance across all layers of the battlespace

Small modular reactors to fire up nuclear goal

• Armed with ₹20,000 crore and a mission, India’s nuclear establishment seems all set to harness the in-thing — small modular reactors. Going by what the government is telling the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change, the country could come up with five SMRs by 2033, en route to the national goal of achieving 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047.
• While there is no global definition of an SMR, it is generally accepted that anything below 300 MW is ‘small’; there is no lower limit — even kw-scale micro reactors are possible. However, India will be developing SMRs in a range of capacities — 220 MW Bharat small reactors (BSR); 50 MW Bharat small modular reactors (BSMR); 5 MWt (thermal — about 2 MW of electrical) gas-cooled micro modular reactor (GCMMR); and other advanced technologies.
• The government told the committee it would deploy the ₹20,000 crore on R&D related to fuel cycle, and the installation and commissioning of demonstration plants — namely 200 MWe loop-type BSMR; and 5 MWt gas-cooled reactor (hydrogen generator).
• The Department of Atomic Energy’s three-fold focus in developing SMRs are: Repurposing ageing thermal power plants; captive power generation aimed at the energy-intensive domestic heavy industry, such as steel and aluminium, with a rated power of around 200 MW; and small power plants, typical rating of 50 MW, meant for remote locations.

Funding plan

• While BSMR and SMR will be pressurised water reactors, for which India largely has the technology ready, the design of gas-cooled reactors has been initiated.
• According to insiders, the committee recommended that initial funding should focus on BSMR and GCMMR demonstration plants, ahead of large-scale commercialisation.
• SMRs that use light water are relatively easier to develop, owing to the proven operating experience with light water reactors worldwide.
• Furthermore, international collaboration with established nuclear agencies would enable adoption of best practices in reactor design and safety protocols. Russia’s integrated nuclear power major Rosatom is a major player in this segment.
• While SMRs are expected to account for about 41 GW of the targeted 100 GW by 2047, the rest will be from existing and under-construction nuclear plants. The government anticipates 22.48 GW capacity by 2031-32 — a target arrived at after several downward revisions over the years; today the country has 8.18 GW.
• Perhaps recognising this, the committee has recommended phased capacity additions, with the overall goal to be divided into clear short-term (2030), medium-term (2040), and long-term (2047) milestones

India’s lunar mission set for 2040, Mars and Venus in sight: PM Modi

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi said  that India was marching ahead with renewed confidence in space exploration, and its astronauts’ footprints will be on the Moon.
• He stressed in a pre-recorded message for the Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX-2025) here that Mars and Venus were also on the country’s radar for exploration missions.
• Modi said for India, space was about exploration as well as empowerment, and listed out plans to set up the Bharatiya Anatariksh Station by 2035 and land an Indian astronaut on the Moon by 2040.
• “India’s space journey is not about racing others. It is about reaching higher together. Together, we share a common goal to explore space for the good of humanity,” he said in the video message that was recorded on Tuesday.
• India has launched a satellite for the South Asian nations, and the G20 satellite, announced during its presidency of the grouping, will be a gift to the Global South.
• “Our first human space-flight mission, ‘Gaganyaan’, highlights our nation’s rising aspirations,” Modi said, referring to the mission planned for the early 2027 launch.
• The prime minister said that in the coming weeks, an Indian astronaut will travel to space as part of a joint ISRO-NASA mission to the International Space Station.
• The Axiom-4 mission is scheduled to launch on May 29. Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three others will spend 14 days in the orbital laboratory.
• The GLEX-2025 is organised by the International Astronautical Federation and the Indian Space Research Organisation.
• “Space is not just a destination. It is a declaration of curiosity, courage, and collective progress. India’s space journey reflects this spirit,” Modi said.
• “By 2035, the Bharatiya Antariksha Station will open new frontiers in research and global cooperation. By 2040, an Indian’s footprints will be on the Moon. Mars and Venus are also on our radar,”
• India’s space journey started with a small rocket launch in 1963 and became the first nation to land near the South Pole of the Moon.
• “Our journey has been remarkable. Our rockets carry more than payloads.They carry the dreams of 1.4 billion Indians. India’s achievements are significant scientific milestones. Beyond that, they are proof that the human spirit can defy gravity,” Modi said.
• India made history by reaching Mars on its first attempt in 2014, Chandrayaan-1 helped discover water on the Moon, Chandrayaan-2 gave the world the highest-resolution images of the Moon, and Chandrayaan-3 increased the understanding of the lunar South Pole.
• “We built cryogenic engines in a record time. We launched 100 satellites in a single mission. We have launched over 400 satellites for 34 nations on our launch vehicles. This year, we docked two satellites in space, a major step forward.

Supreme Court publishes assets of 21 judges, says more to come

• Twenty-one Supreme Court judges, including Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, have disclosed their financial assets and liabilities on the top court’s website, sending a strong message to critics who blamed the judiciary for lack of transparency.
• The near-midnight publication of the wealth and properties, both earned and inherited, of the judges and their family members on (May 6, 2025) incidentally came within hours of the court issuing a statement that a three-member inquiry committee had submitted its report on the discovery of half-burnt currency notes in the official residence of High Court judge, Justice Yashwant Varma.
• The court had responded to allegations of opacity by moving towards transparency with regard to judicial assets and the Justice Varma controversy.
• The list of assets of the 21 out of a total 33 serving judges of the court swing between the identifiably commonplace and affluence. Home and car loans, a few pieces of jewellery, a house still under construction as retirement draws near to ancestral properties, residential apartments in metros, 10-figure investments matched by nine-figure tax statements and zero financial liabilities.
• Chief Justice Khanna has listed a three-bedroom Delhi Development Authority (DDA) flat and four-bedroom one with parking lots at the Commonwealth Games Village in the national capital. He has a share in an ancestral property acquired and developed by his grandfather several years before the Partition. The top judge has investments worth over ₹55 lakh and no loans, a Life Insurance of India policy besides a 2015-model hatchback car.
• Chief Justice of India-designate B.R. Gavai has a house inherited from his father in his native Amravati in Maharashtra besides apartments in Mumbai and New Delhi and agricultural lands.
• Justice Surya Kant makes a point to say he has “three valuable watches” besides real estate in Gurugram, Chandigarh and Hisar, but no vehicles. Justice Abhay S. Oka has a car loan worth a little over ₹5 lakh.
• Justice Vikram Nath, the fifth judge of the Collegium, has investments worth over a crore, but owns no jewellery or vehicles. He has no loans. Likewise, Justice Bela M. Trivedi has no loans but is constructing a house in Ahmedabad. She has jewellery worth ₹50 lakh and a hatchback car. The assets of Justice B.V. Nagarathna, the second woman judge on the top court Bench, has not yet been uploaded on the site.
• The assets of Justices P.S. Narasimha and K.V. Viswanathan, both directly elevated to the top court Bench from the Bar, have been published. Their assets reflected their successful legal careers in the Supreme Court Bar. Both judges are in line to be Chief Justices of India as per the seniority norm.
• Justice Narasimha’s assets include nine-figure investments and jewellery worth in six figures. He has listed his income tax statements from 2008-2009 to 2023-2024, which also count to nine figures.
• Justice Viswanathan has investments in 10 figures and his total income tax paid from 2010-2025 are in nine figures. He has no loans and has jewellery weighing a few 100 grams.
• Justice J.B. Pardiwala, also in line to be Chief Justice of India as per the seniority norm, has a “few gold jewellery” and a home loan.
• Besides Justice Nagarathna, the assets of Justices J.K. Maheshwari, Dipankar Datta, Ahsanuddin Amanullah, Manoj Misra, Aravind Kumar, P.K. Mishra, S.C. Sharma, P.B. Varale, N. Kotiswar Singh, R. Mahadevan and Joymalya Bagchi have not been uploaded. The Supreme Court clarified that “statements of assets of judges already received are being uploaded. Statement of assets of other judges will be uploaded as and when the current statement of assets is received”.
• The publication of assets followed a unanimous resolution of the Full Court on April 1. Unlike politicians and bureaucrats, judges do not have to mandatorily put their assets in the public domain.
•  Full Court Resolution of May 7, 1997 headed by the then Chief Justice of India J.S. Verma had decided that judges must declare their assets to the Chief Justice of India “in the form of real estate or investments held by them or their spouses or dependents within a reasonable time of assuming office”. In 2009, over a decade later, a Full Bench of the Court resolved to place the assets of judges on the Supreme Court website, but purely on a voluntary basis.
• The Delhi High Court, the same year, had held that asset declaration by Supreme Court judges, pursuant to the 1997 Resolution, was “information” under Section 2(f) of the Right to Information Act, 2005.
• In 2019, a Constitution Bench had held that the disclosure of assets of judges would “not impinge upon the personal information and right to privacy of the judges” if it served public interest. Justice Khanna, as he was then, had authored the main judgment for the Bench

 Supreme Court Publishes Full Appointment Procedure for Judges to the Supreme Court and High Courts

• The Supreme Court of India has published the complete process for appointing judges to the Supreme Court and High Courts.
• This includes details about the role of the High Court Collegium, inputs from state and central governments, and the decision-making process of the Supreme Court Collegium.
• The court has also disclosed information about candidates recommended for judgeships, including their familial ties with sitting or retired judges1.
• Additionally, the Supreme Court has uploaded details of appointments made between November 9, 2022, and May 5, 2025. These records include names, the high courts they were appointed to, whether they were chosen from the judicial service or the Bar, dates of recommendation and notification, date of appointment, and their category (such as SC, ST, OBC, Minority, or Woman)

 Supreme Court Collegium

• The collegium system is a forum including the Chief Justice of India and four senior-most judges of the SC, which recommends appointments and transfers of judges. 
• Judges of the higher judiciary are appointed only through the collegium system, and the government has a role only after names have been decided by the collegium.
• The Indian Constitution does not explicitly mention the collegium system for the appointment of judges to the Supreme Court and High Courts. Instead, the collegium model evolved through judicial interpretations over time, primarily based on Articles 124 and 217.

What the Constitution Prescribes:

• Article 124: Deals with the appointment of judges to the SC. It mandates that appointments should be made by the President, after consultation with such judges of the SC and HCs as the President deems necessary. The Chief Justice of India must be consulted for all appointments, except for their own.
• Article 217: Deals with the appointment of judges to the HCs. It specifies that judges are appointed by the President after consulting the CJI, the Governor of the state, and the Chief Justice of the concerned HC. 

Evolution of the Collegium System

• The collegium system arose due to judicial interpretations of the term “consultation” in the appointment process, particularly through three landmark cases known as the Three Judges Cases.
• First Judges Case (1982): The SC ruled that consultation with judges did not mean concurrence. This judgment gave primacy to the Executive (i.e., the government) in the appointment process.
• Second Judges Case (1993): This ruling reversed the earlier decision, interpreting “consultation” as concurrence, meaning the CJI’s advice became binding in the appointment of judges. However, the CJI was required to consider the views of two senior-most colleagues.
•  Third Judges Case (1998): The SC clarified that the CJI’s opinion in judicial appointments should be formed in consultation with a collegium consisting of the four senior-most judges of the SC.
• All opinions of collegium members must be in writing, and the majority view would prevail in case of disagreements.
• If two or more collegium members oppose a candidate, the CJI should not forward the recommendation to the government.
• These judgments collectively established the collegium system, giving primacy to the judiciary over the Executive in judicial appointments.

Role of the Executive

•  The government has no direct role in selecting judges. It acts after the collegium makes its recommendations.
• The government may conduct background checks through the Intelligence Bureau (IB) for lawyers being elevated to the HC or SC. 
• It can raise objections or request clarifications regarding the collegium’s choices, but if the collegium reiterates its recommendation, the government is bound to comply and make the appointment.

Eligibility Criteria for Supreme Court Judges

• According to Article 124 of the Constitution, a person is eligible to be appointed as a Supreme Court judge if they meet any of the following criteria:
• Judicial Experience: Must have served as a High Court judge for at least five years.
• Legal Practice: Must have worked as an advocate in a High Court (or multiple High Courts) for at least ten years.
• Distinguished Jurist Clause: If considered an exceptionally distinguished jurist, they may also qualify (although this criterion is rarely invoked).
• Citizenship: Must be an Indian citizen.
• Additionally, there is no specified retirement age for appointment, but once appointed, a Supreme Court judge must retire at 65 years.

Eligibility Criteria for High Court Judges

• According to Article 217 of the Constitution, a person is eligible to be appointed as a High Court judge if they meet any of the following criteria:
• Judicial Experience: Must have served in any judicial office in India for ten years.
• Legal Practice: Must have practiced as an advocate in a High Court (or multiple High Courts) for ten years.
• Citizenship: Must be an Indian citizen.
• A High Court judge must retire at 62 years