In an interview to Doordarshan on the eve of G20 Summit in New Delhi, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh said that India is ready to lead the world in more ways than one. For any future science endeavour, including in the Space sector, all the stakeholder nations of the world would need to come together
Dr Singh said India’s G20 Presidency coincides with the country’s glory in Space.
“G20 Summit is happening in India at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emerged as the tallest leader of the world. The Summit is taking place at a time when India’s flag is flying on the South Pole of Moon, the first time any spacecraft has landed on the farther side of the Moon, and the nation’s achievements in Science & Technology, including the pioneering R&D success story in Covid vaccines, are being hailed across the globe,” the Minister said.
True to the spirit of ‘Vasudeva Kutumbakam’, the theme of the G20 Summit in New Delhi, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the world today acknowledges PM Modi’s mantra of ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future.’
Pointing out that India’s Space programme is now at an equal pace with the world’s leading Space agencies, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the NASA might have been the first to land on the moon, but it was India’s Chandrayaan-1 that picked up possible evidence of water molecules on the Moon and now Chandrayaan-3 has for the first time landed on the South Pole of the moon.
Minister said ISRO has launched more than 380 foreign satellites, earning more than 250 Million Euros and more than 170 Million US Dollars by launching European and American satellites respectively.
Dr Singh said Space Applications is being utilised in almost all sectors such as Smart City project, Railway Tracks & management of unmanned Railway Crossings, Roads & Buildings, Telemedicine, Governance, and most importantly, the ‘Svamitva’ GPS land-mapping.