NewsBytes

India's most celebrated astrophysicist Jayant Narlikar, who passed away in May, was on Saturday selected for the Vigyan Ratna Puraskar. Narlikar challenged the Big Bang theory, which states that the universe was created in a single moment. He, along with British astronomer Fred Hoyle, proposed that the universe had always existed with continuous creation of new matter into infinity. Narlikar died on May 20 at the age of 86. Modelled on the Padma awards, the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar is the country's top science award. The winners for 2025, the second edition of the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar, were announced on the website of the national awards -- awards.gov.in -- on Saturday. The government also announced eight Vigyan Shri, 14 Vigyan Yuva and one Vigyan Team awards. Noted agriculture scientist Gyanendra Pratap Singh, popularly known as the wheat breeder, won the Vigyan Shri award for his contribution to the field of Agricultural Science.

Delhi will get its first-ever official logo on November 1, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced on Saturday. A special committee formed by the Chief Minister to select the logo met earlier in the day to review entries received through an all-India competition, the Chief Minister's office said in a statement. The meeting, chaired by Gupta was attended by Cabinet ministers Parvesh Sahib Singh and Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Chief Secretary Rajeev Verma and other senior officials. The logo will be unveiled on November 1, observed as Delhi Day (Foundation Day), reflecting harmony between the city's culture and its development, the statement said. Gupta said that this will be the first-ever official logo of the Delhi government, displaying the capital's distinct identity,  its modern, transparent and people-oriented governance.

The European Union is developing a new plan to curb its reliance on Chinese critical raw materials, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Saturday, as she criticised Beijing for its expanded restrictions on the export of rare earths. The European Union has for years attempted to reduce its dependence on China for the minerals that are needed for the transition to cleaner energy, the defence sector and electric vehicle production. Von der Leyen said the EU would seek to speed up critical raw materials partnerships with countries such as Australia, Canada, Chile, Greenland, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine. The plan would also include greater efforts to recycle critical raw materials in products sold in Europe, she said.

Veteran actor Satish Shah, who passed away on Saturday, was an effortless performer who became a household name due to his versatile roles across genres. He gave several hit performances in movies and shows.  'Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro', 'Main Hoon Na' and 'Mujhse Shaadi Karoge' were among the movies in which his role was widely admired. Tributes poured in from across the country with people recalling his iconic roles. Born on June 25, 1951, Satish Shah joined the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), where he trained as an actor. Shah started his acting career in the 70s. After playing minor roles in films, he got a major breakthrough with the 1983 film, 'Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro'. Satish Shah received Filmfare nomination for Best Performance in a Comic Role for his performance in Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro' Satish Shah made his film debut with the 1978 film 'Ajeeb Dastaan'. After featuring in supporting role in a number of films, Shah rose to fame in 90s with prominent roles in films like 'Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa', 'Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!', 'Hum Saath Saath Hain', 'Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai', 'Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani', 'Mujhse Shaadi Karoge', 'Kal Ho Naa Ho', and of course 'Main Hoon Na'.