National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), as part of its collaborative efforts with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), is set to launch Axiom Mission 4.

This will be the fourth private astronaut flight from Axiom Space and the first to carry an Indian astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS).

The four-member crew also has astronauts from Poland and Hungary – countries that, like India, are sending their nationals to space after 40 years — underlining the very diverse nature of participation in this mission.

Background

• In June 2023, India and the United States announced a strategic partnership on human spaceflight, enabling an Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS) by 2024.
• Axiom Space, a private U.S. firm, invited India (along with Hungary and Poland) to participate in Axiom-4, themed “Realize the Return”.
• India signed the Artemis Accords, committing to responsible space exploration and cooperation, especially for lunar and deep-space missions.

• The Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) aims to advance commercial spaceflight, conduct scientific research, and promote international collaboration.

• The mission will focus on scientific experiments in microgravity, space tourism, and demonstrations of commercial space stations as viable platforms for business and research. 
• Key missions: 

1. Scientific Research: Conducting experiments in areas like health, materials science, and space technology to enhance understanding of space environments. 
2. Commercial Space Initiatives: Promoting commercial activities in low Earth orbit (LEO), including space tourism and the development of commercial space stations. 
3. International Collaboration: Fostering global cooperation in space exploration through a multinational crew. 
4. Outreach and Education: Engaging in educational and public outreach programs to inspire the next generation of space explorers. 
5. Demonstration of Feasibility: Demonstrating the viability of commercial space stations as platforms for business and research. 
6. Specific Research Projects: The Ax-4 research team will conduct numerous studies, including investigations into: 

• The effects of microgravity on the human body, including bone and muscle loss. 
• The potential of space-based agriculture. 
• The effects of space on the human brain and vision. 
• The potential of microalgae for long-duration space missions. 
• The resilience of tardigrades in space. 

1. Biological Experiments:

• Muscle Behaviour: Study of muscle degeneration in zero gravity, isolating variables impossible to control on Earth.
• Moong Dal and Sprouts: Examining plant behavior in space, tailored to Indian nutritional and agricultural goals.
• Micro-algae research: Potential applications in food security, space farming, and sustainability.

2. Technological Experiments:

• First-time opportunity for ISRO to run customised tech and life sciences experiments in space.
• Results from Axiom-4 can be followed up in Gaganyaan and later deep-space missions.

• The mission is a stepping stone towards Human Moon mission by 2040.
• Help in establishing an Indian space station
• May help in encouraging private sector participation in space.

• The Artemis Accords are a set of non-binding international principles and guidelines initiated by NASA and the U.S. government in 2020 to promote safe, transparent, and peaceful space exploration, especially for the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
• India signed the Artemis Accords in June 2023, enabling deeper collaboration with NASA in human spaceflight, lunar missions, and planetary exploration.
• Key Features:

• Promote peaceful uses of outer space under the framework of the Outer Space Treaty (1967).
• Encourage international cooperation, transparency, and sharing of scientific data.
• Emphasize responsible behavior, including deconfliction of space activities and preservation of space heritage sites.
• Allow for the utilization of space resources (like lunar minerals) for sustainable exploration.

About  Shubhanshu Shukla

• Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is a distinguished pilot in the Indian Air Force (IAF).
• He has been handpicked as one of the four astronauts for the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) historic Gaganyaan mission—the nation’s inaugural human space flight endeavor.
• His journey began when he was commissioned into the IAF fighter wing in June 2006. As a combat leader and seasoned test pilot, he boasts an impressive 2,000 hours of flight experience across various aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32. 

About Tardigrades

• Also called “water bears” or “moss piglets” are microscopic (0.5 mm), aquatic, 8-legged organisms with claws.
• Existed for ~600 million years, predating dinosaurs.
• Found in diverse habitats from mountaintops to ocean depths, especially in mosses and lichens.

Known for extreme resilience:

• Survive temperatures from -272.95°C to +150°C.
• Tolerate vacuum of space, UV radiation, and deep-sea pressure (up to 40,000 kPa).
• Can revive after 30 years of deep freezing.

Mechanism of Survival:

• Survive through cryptobiosis (near-zero metabolism) and anhydrobiosis (95% water loss).
• Enter a shrunken, durable state called tun.
• Produce CAHS proteins (Cytoplasmic-Abundant Heat Soluble proteins): Form a gel-like matrix that protects cells from damage.

• Tardigrades sent to International Space Station in tun state.
• Aims to Study effects of space radiation and microgravity and identify genes and proteins responsible for survival.
• Relevance:

• Enhance astronaut protection during long space missions
• Aid in preserving biological materials for space travel.

The Axiom-4 mission featuring Shubhanshu Shukla marks a pivotal moment in India’s space journey. This mission provides tangible knowledge, operational experience, and global visibility. It strengthens the pipeline to Gaganyaan, Moon missions, and beyond, positioning India as a serious contender in the new space age — scientifically, strategically, and economically.

• According to latest World Bank estimates, extreme poverty in India has sharply declined from 27.1% in 2011-12 to 5.3% in 2022-23, despite the benchmark for extreme poverty being raised from $2.15/day to $3/day.
• The findings are backed by new household consumption expenditure surveys (HCES) of 2022-23, released after a data gap since 2011-12.

What is Poverty?

• Poverty is a state of deprivation in which an individual lacks the financial resources to meet basic living needs like food, shelter, education, and healthcare.
• It can be measured in monetary (income/consumption-based) or multidimensional terms (access to health, education, standard of living).

• Absolute Poverty: Defined by fixed income or consumption thresholds (e.g., global poverty lines).
• Relative Poverty: Compares income distribution within a society.
• Multidimensional Poverty: Includes indicators like health, education, housing, sanitation, etc.
• Chronic Poverty: Persisting over long periods across generations.
• Transient Poverty: Short-term poverty due to sudden shocks.

• As per World Bank, extreme poverty refers to individuals living below the international poverty line, which has been revised to $3/day (PPP) in 2022-23.
• It captures the minimum consumption needed to survive in low-income contexts.

1. Household Consumption Expenditure Surveys (HCES) by NSSO/NSO
   • These surveys are conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO) (formerly known as NSSO) and are the primary source of data to estimate poverty in India.
   • They collect data on the spending patterns of households on various goods and services like food, education, health, clothing, etc.
   • Based on this consumption data, a poverty line is drawn, households spending below this threshold are considered poor.
   • The surveys are generally quinquennial (every 5 years), but the latest rounds (2022-23 and 2023-24) were conducted to update the long gap since 2011-12.

1. International Poverty Lines and Purchasing Power Parity (PPP)
   • International poverty lines are set by the World Bank to compare poverty across countries.
   • As of 2022-23, the extreme poverty line was updated from $2.15/day to $3/day, and the lower-middle-income poverty line was raised from $3.65 to $4.2/day.
   • These values are adjusted using Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) — a method that equalizes the purchasing power of different currencies by accounting for differences in the cost of living across countries.
   • In India, this means the amount of money needed in Indian rupees to buy the same basket of goods that $3 would buy in the US.

1. Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI)
   • Developed by UNDP and Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), and adopted in India by NITI Aayog, MPI goes beyond income to measure poverty in terms of multiple deprivations.
   • It uses 12 indicators grouped under three broad dimensions:
     • Health: Child mortality, nutrition
     • Education: Years of schooling, school attendance
     • Standard of Living: Electricity, drinking water, sanitation, housing, cooking fuel, assets, and bank accounts
   • A person is considered multidimensionally poor if they are deprived in at least one-third of these indicators.

1. Gini and Theil Indices – Measures of Inequality
   • These are statistical tools used to measure economic inequality, often alongside poverty metrics.
   • The Gini coefficient ranges from 0 (perfect equality) to 1 (maximum inequality) and measures the distribution of income or consumption among individuals or households.
   • The Theil Index is an entropy-based measure of inequality that is sensitive to changes at both ends of the income distribution. It allows decomposition to study inequality within and between population groups.
   • While poverty measures how many people fall below a threshold, inequality measures how wealth or consumption is distributed across society.

• Extreme poverty fell from 344.47 million (2011-12) to 75.24 million (2022-23).
• Even with $4.2/day threshold for lower-middle income countries, poverty declined from 57.7% to 23.9%.
• Inequality (Gini, Theil) also declined between 2011 and 2022.
• Multidimensional Poverty fell from:

• 55.34% (2005-06)
• 24.85% (2015-16)
• 14.96% (2019-21) – NITI Aayog

Government schemes for Poverty alleviation

MGNREGS (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme)

• Provides 100 days of guaranteed wage employment annually to rural households.
• Aims to enhance livelihood security and create rural infrastructure through unskilled manual work.

Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM)

• Promotes self-employment and women-led SHGs in rural areas.
• Focuses on capacity building, financial inclusion, and sustainable livelihoods.

PM-KISAN (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi)

• Provides ₹6,000 per year in three equal installments to small and marginal farmers.
• Offers direct income support to reduce distress and ensure basic farming sustainability.

National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013

• Legally entitles 75% of rural and 50% of urban population to receive subsidized food grains.
• Implements welfare schemes like PDS, Mid-Day Meal, and ICDS under a unified law.

POSHAN Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission)

• Aims to reduce stunting, undernutrition, and anemia among children and women.
• Uses data-driven monitoring and community-based health practices.

PM Awas Yojana (PMAY)

• Provides affordable housing with basic amenities to the rural and urban poor.
• Offers credit-linked subsidies and infrastructure support under “Housing for All”.

Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM)

• Focuses on eliminating open defecation and improving sanitation infrastructure.
• Encourages construction of household and community toilets with behavioral change campaigns.

Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY)

• Offers health insurance cover up to ₹5 lakh/family/year for 50 crore poor citizens.
• Covers secondary and tertiary care hospitalization at empaneled hospitals.

Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan

• Integrates SSA, RMSA, and Teacher Education for holistic school education from pre-primary to Class 12.
• Focuses on equity, access, and quality learning with infrastructural support.

Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM)

• Aims to reduce urban poverty through self-employment, skill training, and SHG support.
• Promotes economic empowerment of the urban poor and street vendors.

One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC)

• Enables nationwide portability of food entitlements under NFSA.
• Benefits migrant workers and ensures uninterrupted access to subsidized food anywhere in India.

• Improve quality and frequency of consumption & income data for better policy design.
• Expand social security nets for vulnerable populations post-pandemic.
• Enhance urban poverty tracking, often left out of rural-focused surveys.
• Promote inclusive growth, particularly through job creation and skill development.
• Strengthen data transparency and standardisation across surveys.

The sharp decline in extreme poverty in India is a positive socio-economic milestone, yet continued focus is needed on multidimensional poverty, urban vulnerability, and inclusive development. Data-backed policymaking, grounded in transparency and regularity, will be critical to sustaining and accelerating this progress.