“To make India the No. 1 developed country in the world, we need to do scientific research for which we need human resources. We have selected you when you are young so you can be the building blocks for the future,” said K. Sivan, Chairman of Isro, as he addressed a gathering of 108 schoolchildren from around the country at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
“In my opinion being a scientist is the simplest job. You just have to be curious and always ask questions,” he told the students at an interactive session on Friday.
The session was part of the space research organisation’s ‘Yuvika-Samvad’ programme for which three 9th graders from 29 States and seven U.T.s were chosen.
The two-week programme will give them the opportunity to learn about the origin of the universe, the Indian environment, among other things and then move on to other complex topics.
“When you turn on the television every morning, you are part of the space system. When you go to an ATM and get money, it happens because the ATM communicates with Delhi through our satellite. Space is unknowingly open to common man,” said T.K.Alex, former director of Satellite Centre, who was part of the team that developed the syllabus for Yuvika.
“In the recent cyclone Fani, our satellites were responsible for predicting the trajectory of the cyclone. This information was sent out and used to prevent disaster,” said the chairman in response to a question from a student in Odisha about what the benefits of space programs are for Indian society. He also announced that ISRO would be establishing a Yuvika alumni association of which this group would be the first batch.
