By Our Staff Reporter
Roorkee, 19 May: The Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Secretary of the Department of Space, S Somanath, visited IIT Roorkee and inaugurated the Centre for Space Science and Technology, here, today. He also released the book, ‘Research Area in Space 2023’, and the Atlas (from IIRS Dehradun): Exploring Footprints of the Past Heritage Documentation – A Geospatial Approach. He also inaugurated the Office premises for ISRO-IITR Space Technology Cell.
Prof KK Pant, Director, IIT Roorkee; Prof Apurba Kumar Sharma, Dean, Academics Affairs, IIT Roorkee; Prof Sanjay Upadhyay, Head, CSST & Coordinator, ISRO-IITR Space Technology Cell; Sudheer Kumar N, Director, CBPO, ISRO; Dr MA Paul, Associate Director, RESPOND & AI, CBPO, ISRO; Dr Dipankar Banerjee, Director, Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES); Dr RP Singh, Director, IIRS, ISRO, Dehradun; Dr Anil Bhardwaj, Director, PRL Ahmedabad; Dr Pramod Kumar, Dean (A) and GD, Water Resources and Urban Studies, IIRS; Dr Arijit Roy, Head, Disaster Management Studies, IIRS &Programme Coordinator, CSSTEAP; Dr Prakash Chauhan, Director, NRSC, ISRO Hyderabad; Dr Rajashree Bothale, Deputy Director, NRSC, ISRO; Vinod M Bothale, Retired Associate Director, NRSC, ISRO; Dr SC Sharma, Retired Deputy Director, VSSC ISRO; Dr Bhanu Pant, Retired Group Director, VSSC, ISRO; AC Mathur, Retired Group Director, SAC, ISRO; and other dignitaries were present at the inauguration.
S Somanath interacted with research scholars and Faculty Members during the poster presentation and discussed the 21 ongoing project activities under ISRO-IITR Space Technology Cell. Prof Sanjay Upadhyay briefed about the research activities under the cell.
In his welcome address, Prof Upadhyay expressed his gratitude towards the Chairman for his presence.
The Chairman, ISRO, emphasised, “There is need for research scholars and faculty members to work on various opportunities available in the space sector, which would prove fruitful for various applications, businesses, and diverse benefits from this sector.” He urged them to focus on applications with the ability to manufacture in line with the “Make in India” initiative. He also highlighted the importance of the space policy of 2023, which aims to expand the academic reach and grow the economy while making space activity more accessible to the common people.
Prof KK Pant, Director, IIT Roorkee, said, “The inauguration of the Centre for Space Science & Technology and ISRO-IITR Space Technology Cell is an important milestone in the journey towards a strong and fruitful partnership between communities that share a passion for learning and for the advancement in the field of space science and technology.”
With the support of ISRO and IIT Roorkee, the centre is expected to emerge as a hub for cutting-edge research, development, and innovation in space science and technology.
Prof Apurba Kumar Sharma, Dean, Academic Affairs, briefed about the academic activities at IIT Roorkee and proposed the vote of thanks.
