The Indian space programme can act as a model for other developing nations wanting to realise a cost effective and socially relevant programme, said Kasturirangan, Director of the National Institute of Advanced Studies at Bangalore and a member of the Rajya Sabha.
Neena Bhandari
SYDNEY: The Indian space programme can act as a model for other developing nations wanting to realise a cost effective and socially relevant programme, said Kasturirangan, Director of the National Institute of Advanced Studies at Bangalore and a member of the Rajya Sabha.
He was delivering the Tenth K R Narayanan lecture at the Australia South Asia Research Centre (ASARC) of the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra.
Speaking on ‘India’s Space Enterprise: A Case Study in Strategic Thinking & Planning’, Kasturirangan argued that the success of India’s space programme is due to the clear-cut objectives and vision of pioneering figure, Vikram Sarabhai.
Over the last 45 years, India’s space programme has distinguished itself by focusing on the societal applications of advanced technology.
On shoestring budgets, the programme developed state-of-the-art satellites and launch vehicles with a high success rate.
A recipient of the Padma Shri, the Padma Bhushan, the Padma Vibhushan and the highest French honour ‘Officer of the Legion d’honneur’, Kasturirangan as an astrophysicist has made extensive contributions to studies of cosmic x-ray sources, celestial gamma-ray and effect of cosmic x-rays in the lower atmosphere.
The Narayanan Lectures honour India’s immediate past-President K R Narayanan. Each year, this oration has been delivered by a distinguished speaker, which includes Raja Chelliah, UR Rao, Jagdish Bhagwati, P Chidambaram, Dr C Rangarajan, Lord Meghnad Desai, Pranab Bardhan, Vijay Kelkar and MS Swaminathan.
“The Narayanan Oration now ranks among the very best ‘India’ lecture series anywhere in the world and ASARC has emerged as a nodal point for research on the South Asian economies (particularly the Indian economy) in the Australia-New Zealand region,” said Raghbendra Jha, Executive Director of the ASARC and Rajiv Gandhi Chair Professor at the ANU.
A message from President APJ Abdul Kalam was read on the occasion by India’s High Commissioner to Australia Prabhat Shukla. It said, “Today India is self reliant in space technology with its own satellite for remote sensing and communication applications.
The benefits of space programme are now reaching the society through tele-education, tele-medicine, e-governance, meteorology, communication and broadcasting, resource assessment and disaster management.
Further, India is poised to send a probe for lunar exploration and develop reusable launch vehicles. I am sure this Oration will generate a renewed interest in space missions through international co-operation drawing the benefit.
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