New Delhi, Jan 15: NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission safely splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego early Thursday, concluding a more than five-month stay aboard the International Space Station and marking what NASA highlighted as its first medically driven evacuation from space.

NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov returned to Earth at 12:41 am PST.

The mission ended about a month earlier than planned due to a medical concern with one crew member, who remains stable.

NASA said the early return allowed the crew to access advanced medical care on Earth, underscoring the agency’s capability to bring astronauts home when needed. “I couldn’t be prouder of our astronauts and the teams on the ground at NASA, SpaceX, and across our international partnerships,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said.

“Missions like Crew-11 demonstrate our ability to bring astronauts home as needed, launch new crews quickly, and continue pushing forward on human spaceflight,” reported NASA.

NASA had coordinated for all four crew members to be transported to a local hospital for evaluation following splashdown.

After an overnight stay, they are expected to return to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston for routine postflight recovery and assessments. Launched on August 1, 2025, Crew-11 spent 167 days in orbit, traveling nearly 71 million miles and completing more than 2670 orbits of Earth.

During the mission, the crew carried out over 140 science experiments and marked 25 years of continuous human presence aboard the space station, contributing research critical to future Moon and Mars exploration.

Jaipur, Jan 15: Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Thursday said the institution is moving forward as a future-ready force and underscored the need for indigenous equipment, calling it a “strategic necessity”.

“The Indian Army is moving forward as a future-ready force, possessing well-trained soldiers, modern equipment, and multi-domain operational capabilities. Technology is being used to make the soldier even more capable,” he told reporters in Jaipur after the Army Day parade.

He said that there has been a clear shift in the Indian Army’s thinking in the last few years.

“We are not just addressing current challenges but also preparing for future wars. New structures are being created in this direction, which are being equipped and trained according to future needs,” he said.

He said that new units like the Bhairav Battalion and Shakti Baan Regiment have been raised.

“This reflects the creation of an agile, responsive, and mission-oriented army, aligned with future challenges,” he said.

He said that today’s parade showcased a beautiful blend of tradition and transformation.

“The Nepal Army Band reflected our strong ties, while the new units demonstrated the army’s emerging strength,” he said.

“The Indian Army is fully prepared at all times for any kind of attack. We are fully prepared for future warfare. We demonstrated this in the parade. Such preparations will continue to increase in the coming days,” he said, adding that the Indian Army will continue to adapt itself with time and will bring about the necessary changes.

He said that with the display of ‘Made in India’ equipment, the parade reflected that the foundation of transformation is self-reliance.

“The Indian Army needs equipment in the future that is designed and developed in India. Indigenisation is not just a goal; today, it has become a strategic necessity,” he said.

General Dwivedi said that special emphasis is being placed on resources that are useful for both military and civilian purposes, contributing to the overall development of the country.

On organising the parade in Jaipur, he said Rajasthan is a land where many heroes have made history and therefore the land was chosen for the Army Day parade.

He said the Russia-Ukraine conflict has underlined that the duration of any war cannot be predicted in advance, and future conflicts could last either a few days or stretch into years.

Technology increases efficiency, but it does not mean that it replaces manpower, Dwivedi said, adding that smaller units are more successful because new units have greater speed and agility.

“The Bhairav Battalion has been created to fill the gap between the Ghatak and Special Forces. New organisations have been established. More changes will also come. The battlefield is changing rapidly, and we need to move quickly to keep up,” he said.

“We cannot predict the future, so it is essential to adapt to changing circumstances. Whether today’s war will last four days or four years will only be known on the battlefield,” he said.

The army chief laid emphasis on research and development in the country.

He said that equipment and supplies should be manufactured and repaired within the country for fighting a long war.

“Research and development are very important. Until India focuses on research and development we will not be able to fight a long war and achieve complete self-reliance,” he said.

“Therefore, research is crucial. Keeping this in mind, the Indian Army, in collaboration with the Defence Research and Development Organisation and academia, is deliberating on how to move forward,” he said.

The army chief also said that credibility is essential in information warfare.

New Delhi, Jan 15: India has turned diversity into the strength of its democracy and shown the world that democratic institutions and processes give stability, speed and scale to its development.

Inaugurating the 28th conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth, Modi also said that Indian democracy is like a large tree supported by deep roots.

“When India gained Independence, many doubted whether democracy could survive amidst the country’s immense diversity. However, this very diversity became the strength of Indian democracy,” he said.

“There was also scepticism that even if democracy did take root, India would struggle to progress. Contrary to these doubts, India has demonstrated that democratic institutions and processes provide stability, scale, and speed to its development,” he said.

The prime minister said India has a long tradition of debate, dialogue and collective decision-making.

“In India, democracy means last mile delivery,” he said.

He also said that India is strongly raising the concerns of the Global South on every global platform.

“During its G20 Presidency as well, India placed the priorities of the Global South at the centre of the global agenda,” he said.

About 60 speakers and presiding officers are attending the event being held at the Samvidhan Sadan in Parliament House complex here from January 14 to 16.

It is deliberating on a wide range of contemporary parliamentary issues, including the role of speakers and presiding officers, in maintaining strong democratic institutions.

The use of artificial intelligence in parliamentary functioning, the impact of social media on Members of Parliament, innovative strategies to enhance public understanding of Parliament and citizen participation beyond voting, among others, are also being discussed at the conference.