Cabinet hails ISS astronaut, passes 50-Year Emergency resolution

Ira Singh
Khabar Khabaron Ki,26 June’25

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday passed a resolution on 50 years of the Emergency and extended its best wishes to Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the Indian astronaut participating in the Axiom Mission 4, which successfully launched with an international crew. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, addressing the media, read out the cabinet’s official message acknowledging Shukla’s milestone as a moment of national pride. “We welcome the successful launch of the space mission carrying astronauts from India, Hungary, Poland and the US. He also reads out the resolution passed on 50 years of the Emergency.

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The Cabinet also approved three major decisions during its meeting. Ashwini Vaishnaw said Rs 3,626 crore has been sanctioned for the extension of the Pune Metro project, aiming to improve urban mobility and public transport infrastructure in the city. This is expected to ease congestion and support the city’s expanding population and industrial base.Another significant decision pertains to Jharia in Jharkhand, where a long-standing issue of underground coal fires has affected local communities for decades.The Cabinet approved a revised master plan worth Rs 5,940 crore to address the crisis through rehabilitation and environmental management. The plan is seen as a critical step toward sustainable redevelopment of the affected region.Additionally, the Cabinet cleared a proposal for setting up an International Potato Centre in Agra, with an investment of Rs 111 crore. The centre is expected to drive research and innovation in potato cultivation, helping India strengthen its agricultural resilience and enhance food security.