India’s Chandrayaan-3 space programme is set to make a significant impact on the global stage, according to Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh. Following India’s success in producing the covid vaccine, the country has gained recognition as an important player on the global stage. The minister, who oversees the Department of Space, made these remarks while speaking to reporters at the 11th India Alliance Annual Conclave 2023. The India Alliance is a public charity funded by the government’s Department of Biotechnology for health and biomedical research.
Singh highlighted that although India began its space journey later than countries like the USA and the former USSR, it was Chandrayaan-1 that discovered water on the moon’s surface. This finding has been valuable for premier space agencies like NASA for conducting future experiments. Chandrayaan-3, the third edition of India’s Moon mission, is scheduled for launch on Friday. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has started the 25.30-hour countdown at the spaceport in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
The minister credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for India’s advancements in the space sector. Modi’s decision to open up space technology to private participants resulted in the formation of 140 startups in the industry within a span of 3-4 years. Singh also discussed the collaborations facilitated by the organisation under Team Science Grants and Clinical and Public Health Research Centre grants. These collaborations are crucial for strengthening India’s research capabilities.
During the Covid pandemic, many India Alliance Grant holders played an active role in diagnosis and treatment as required by their institutions. To enhance clinical and public health research capacity, the organisation offers Clinical and Public Health Fellowships and recently introduced more generous Clinical and Public Health Research Centre Grants, added the minister.
