Page 7 - English 01-15 March, 2026

India’s Cricketing Talent Shines

India’s sports ecosystem has strengthened significantly over the past decade. Whether it’s women’s cricket,
women’s cricket for the visually impaired, or men’s cricket, our players are making their mark globally. The
Under-19 cricket team brought a new level of glory, winning the One Day World Cup for a record sixth time
in Harare, Zimbabwe. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his congratulatory address to the team, said, “Proud
of our U-19 team for bringing home the World Cup. The team has played very well through the tournament,
showcasing exceptional skill. This win will inspire several young sportspersons too. Best wishes to the players
for their upcoming endeavours.” Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan congratulated the young champions,
calling the victory a historic achievement. He particularly praised the record-breaking innings of young star
and Player of the Tournament Vaibhav Suryavanshi.

The Road To Bharatiya Plan To Manufacture 260
Antariksh Station Rakes Of Vande Bharat

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has Indian Railways is continuously modernising itself,
finalised the overall structure of the five modules handling over 7.2 billion passengers annually.
of the BHARATIYA ANTARIKSH STATION. Services are being continuously added in the form
After review, the first module has been approved. of Vande Bharat, Namo Bharat, and Amrit Bharat
Development and launch of the first module of the trains. In this regard, the Vande Bharat Sleeper Train
Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS-01) by 2028. Overall was recently launched. The government is working
system engineering and technology development on plans to expand it. Union Minister of Railways,
of various subsystems for the BAS-01 module are Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics and
underway at ISRO centres/units. Bharatiya Antariksh Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, stated
Station will be equipped with advanced life-support that the government is developing safe, reliable,
systems and modern technologies. It will enable long- and comfortable Vande Bharat Sleeper Train sets.
duration human habitation in low Earth orbit. It will The Vande Bharat Sleeper Train manufacturing
enable advanced scientific research and testing of new program is being implemented in a phased manner
technologies that can have a positive impact on society through prototype development, testing, and series
and the economy. It will also support subsequent production by BEML and Integral Coach Factory
Indian human space missions beyond low Earth orbit. and technical partners. A total of
The government has included the earlier missions and 260 rakes are planned, which
the development and launch of BAS-1 in the revised will be put into service
scope of the Gaganyaan programme, increasing its in a phased manner
budget to ₹20,193 crore. based on demand and
operational readiness.