TCA Raghavan appointed ICWA director general
NEW DELHI: Former Indian envoy to Pakistan, TCA Raghavan, has been appointed as the next director general of the Indian Council of World Affairs, a government think tank, an official release said on Thursday. “Vice President of India and the President of ICWA, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has appointed Dr. T.C.A. Raghavan (IFS: 1982) as the Director General, ex officio Member-secretary of the Council, ICWA. The decision was taken in the meetings of the Governing Body and Governing Council of the Indian Council of World Affairs held, here today”, the release said. The post is equivalent to the rank of Secretary to the government of India. Raghavan has also served as India’s High Commissioner to Islamabad and Singapore, and has served in the country’s missions at London, Thimphu and Kuwait. He also headed the territorial division in the MEA that comprises Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran NEW DELHI: July promises to be a treat for stargazers across the world with a line-up of a triple celestial delight: a partial solar eclipse on Friday (July 13); a lunar eclipse on the night of July 27; and Mars coming the closest it has to earth in 15 years on July 31.
A solar eclipse takes place when t he moon traverses between the earth and the sun, blocking it from view, partially or fully. “Friday’s solar eclipse is partial and not visible in India,” Arvind Paranjpye, director at Nehru Planetarium, said. It will be visible mostly over open waters, from the southern parts of Australia and New Zealand.
The real treat will be the lunar eclipse later this month, which will be the longest total lunar eclipse of this century.
“India is at the centre stage of the lunar eclipse. It is visible all over India in its entirety,” Ajay Talwar, at the Amateur Astronomers Association Delhi, said.
The cloudy monsoon skies could play spoilsport but Talwar pointed out that “eclipses are long leisurely affairs”.
But since this eclipse is longer than most, there is a good chance of catching a glimpse.
A lunar eclipse takes place when the earth comes between the sun and the moon. An umbral shadow is an area where the earth has blocked off all direct sunlight from reaching the moon.
When it enters the totality phase, the moon is completely inside the earth’s shadow and acquires a reddish hue, prompting many to call it a ‘blood moon’.
The total eclipse of the moon, when it is completely under the earth’s shadow, will last one hour and 43 minutes.
This rare celestial event will be visible across Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and South America. In India, it can be seen after 11:54 pm on July 27. Four days later, another spectacular celestial event is set to play itself out.
On July 31, Mars, the fourth planet from the Sun, will be 57.6 million km from Earth, the closest it has been since 2003 when it came within 55.7 million km, the nearest in almost 60,000 years.
Mars will be visible in the night sky after sunset until sunrise from everywhere in India if the sky remains clear.