Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday extended a warm welcome to over 300 young astronomers from 64 countries participating in the 18th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) hosted in India. In a video message, he highlighted India’s rich legacy of scientific inquiry and its modern contributions to global astronomy, urging participants to leverage space science for the betterment of humanity.
Addressing the delegates, PM Modi emphasized India’s historical and contemporary achievements in astronomy. He recalled the contributions of 5th-century mathematician Aryabhatta, who introduced the concept of zero and proposed that the Earth rotates on its axis. Fast forward to today, India operates one of the world’s highest astronomical observatories in Ladakh at 4,500 meters above sea level and the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope in Pune, a globally recognized facility decoding mysteries of pulsars, quasars, and galaxies.
The Prime Minister highlighted India’s role in global mega-science projects like the Square Kilometre Array and LIGO-India. He also celebrated the success of Chandrayaan-3, which made India the first nation to land near the Moon’s South Pole, and the Aditya-L1 solar observatory, which monitors solar activities. Additionally, he noted the recent historic mission of Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station as a proud moment for India and an inspiration for young scientists.
PM Modi reiterated India’s commitment to fostering scientific curiosity among youth. He mentioned the Atal Tinkering Labs, where over 10 million students engage in hands-on STEM learning, and the One Nation One Subscription scheme, which provides free access to international journals for millions of students and researchers. He also underscored India’s leadership in promoting women’s participation in STEM fields and substantial investments in the research ecosystem.
Encouraging the young participants, the Prime Minister urged them to explore how space science can address real-world challenges, such as improving weather forecasts for farmers, predicting natural disasters, monitoring forest fires and melting glaciers, and enhancing communication in remote areas. He emphasized the importance of international collaboration, noting that this edition of the IOAA is the largest to date.
Expressing gratitude to the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education and the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research for organizing the event, PM Modi inspired the participants to aim high and dream big, stating, “In India, we believe the sky is not the limit; it’s just the beginning.”