New Delhi: Hailing astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla’s return from ISS, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said a new wave of curiosity about space among children has awakened and noted that today more than 200 startups have come up in the space sector alone.
In his monthly Mann Ki Baat radio broadcast, Modi said the path to a developed India in 2047 passes through self-reliance and the biggest basis of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ is ‘vocal for local’.
The prime minister noted that during the last few weeks, be it sports, science or culture, a lot has happened that every Indian is proud of.
“Recently, there was a lot of talk in the country over Shubhanshu Shukla’s return from Space. As soon as Shubhanshu landed safely on Earth, people jumped with joy; a wave of happiness rippled through every heart. The entire country was filled with pride,” Modi said.
“I remember, when Chandrayaan-3 successfully landed in August 2023, a new ambience was created in the country. A new curiosity also arose among children about science, about space. Little children now say, we will also go to Space; we will also land on the moon – we will become space scientists,” he said.
Talking about the INSPIRE-MANAK Abhiyan, Modi said this is a campaign to promote innovation among children.
“In this, five children are selected from each school. Each child brings up a new idea. So far, lakhs of children have joined this, and after Chandrayaan-3, their number has doubled,” he said.
Noting that Space start-ups are also growing rapidly in the country, Modi said five years ago, there were fewer than 50 start-ups, but today, there are more than 200, just in the space sector.
Modi said that in the 21st-century India, science is progressing with renewed energy.
“A few days ago, our students won medals in the International Chemistry Olympiad. Devesh Pankaj, Sandeep Kuchi, Debdutt Priyadarshi and Ujjwal Kesari, all four of them, brought glory to India. India has strengthened its image in the world of Mathematics as well. In the International Mathematical Olympiad held in Australia, our students won three gold, two silver and one bronze medal,” he said.
The prime minister pointed out that next month, the Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad is going to be held in Mumbai. This will be the biggest Olympiad to date, he noted.
