NEW DELHI, Mar 2: The achievements of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in the country’s space programme over the last several decades have brought significant changes to the lives of common people, the former ISRO chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar said.
Speaking at a programme titled “Nanu Vijnani” (I Am a Scientist), organised by the Shivamogga Zilla Panchayat for gram panchayat librarians on Monday, Mr Kiran Kumar said the Indian space programme began with the Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) in 1975-76, in which ISRO used a USA satellite to reach over 2,400 villages across the country. The success of the experiment prompted the country’s leaders to invest money in the space programme.
“Over the years, by launching satellites, we have improved our communication technology. The pictures sent by the satellites are helping us take necessary steps to minimise damage caused by cyclones. Fishermen are benefiting greatly from Oceansat satellites, which provide precise data to locate fish,” he said.
Referring to recent milestones, he noted that last year, ISRO, in collaboration with NASA, launched a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) with a huge antenna. Additionally, a private company from the U.S., BlueBird, joined hands with ISRO to launch its satellite. “These achievements show how much the U.S. trusts the efficiency of the Indian space programme,” he said.
Speaking about advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning, Mr Kiran Kumar noted that humans have historically invented tools to minimise physical labour. However, in recent years, humans have been trying to make machines function using intelligence. “We need to consider whether we are losing our capacity to think by putting intelligence into machines as well,” he said.
Zilla Panchayat CEO N. Hemanth said the programme was organised in association with Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti (BGVS) to promote scientific temper in rural areas. “During my recent visits to villages, I noticed that a girl was forced to stay in a temple for a few days, missing her classes, in the name of warding off evil forces. We need to spread awareness to avoid such incidents,” he said.
(Manas Dasgupta)