Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) and the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB) have cleared the decks for increased cooperation.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed yesterday envisages cooperation between the two Space Agencies in the peaceful uses of outer space and is expected to open up an enduring relationship between the two countries in studies related to satellite communications, operation of satellite ground operations and satellite mission management. The MoU also covers the areas of space based remote sensing, meteorology applications, use of sounding rockets, balloons and ground based facilities for space research and applications of space technology.

The agreement will also enable exchange of technical and scientific personnel to participate in studies and joint working groups to examine specific uses, according to the Indian space agency.

The MoU was signed yesterday by Isro chairman Dr K Kasturirangan and Dr Mucio Roberto Dias, president, AEB. Minister of state (space), Vasundhara Raje and Brazilian minister for science and technology Ronaldo Mota Sardenberg, were present on the occasion.

Doordarshan Mumbai‘s inhouse music-n-dance show Tak Dhina Dhin will soon reach an unsurpassed milestone of completing 250 episodes among the state broadcaster‘s programmes

The landmark achievement was celebrated in a unique manner at the YB Chavan Centre on Wednesday. Renowned singer Lata Mangeshkar was present as chief guest at the function, which also boasted several noted vocalists presenting compositions rendered originally by Lata. The event produced by Nina Raut was a long drawn out three hour affair which was attended by a select audience of over three hundred invitees who sat spellbound though the show, compered jointly by Adesh Bandekar and Vrinda Haire.

The highlight of the evening was when Lata, along with five renowned Marathi personalities from the world of music - Datta Daojekar, Hridaynath Mangeshkar, Srinivas Khale, Mangesh Padgaonkar and Snehal Bhatkar were felicitated on the occasion.

The event will be telecast in the form of six half hour episodes, the first of which will coincide with the 250th episode of Tak Dhina Dhin. The show, according to DD officials, was the winner of the best TV show award at the Doordarshan awards ceremony held in December 2001. This unique programme has been on air for the last five years.