M Sankaran, director of U.R. Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) of ISRO, feels there is a need for science and research to move out of elite educational institutions and organisations, and reach Tier-II and Tier-III cities in India.
URSC is responsible for designing, developing and operationalising space projects, like Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya L-1 missions.
Speaking at the inauguration of the 42nd annual meeting of the Astronomical Society of India on February 1, Mr Sankaran said, ”There is a need for science and research to move out of elite educational institutions as well as organisations. Science and research should reach the general public and students.
“For the future for our nation to be bright, it is important that we inspire the younger generation, particularly those who are right now in schools and are entering colleges, to think that a career in science and research is worthwhile.”
Not enough students
For a country with a population of 140 crore, the number of people who are interested in science and carrying out research is quite small.
“Today, many Universities and colleges that teach science and mathematics at the undergraduate level are not getting the required number of students to fill their classrooms. This mindset should change,” he said.
Popular science articles should be made available to students, particularly to those at the high school level.
Space programme
On India’s space programme, he said, “We are in a very sweet spot. After the successes of (various projects in) 2023, everybody, including the government of India, is asking us to do more. So now, there is a rush for identifying new instruments which can be launched into space, and there are a lot of opportunities.”
The 42nd meeting of the Astronomical Society of India will involve scientific discourses focusing on the sun, planets, black holes and beyond. Around 750 astronomers are expected at the event, which ends on February 4. Visitors and school students can look forward to several activities designed to pique their interest.
