How PM Narendra Modi has backed ISRO through thick and thin

Prime Minister Narendra Modi fulfilled his promise today (26 August) to meet the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientists following the historic success of the Chandrayaan-3 Moon mission. In his phone call to ISRO chairman S Somanath from South Africa, where the prime minister was attending the 15th BRICS summit, Modi had offered congratulations and said he would meet him soon. “Many congratulations to you and your entire team from my side. Very soon, I will be with you to congratulate you in person,” the prime minister told the ISRO chief earlier, as per NDTV. Chandrayaan-3’s lander soft landed near the south pole of the Moon on 23 August (Wednesday), making India the first country to achieve this feat. India is also only the fourth nation to successfully land a spacecraft on the lunar surface. Addressing the scientists at ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Karnatata’s Bengaluru earlier in the day, Modi made some key announcements. “This is no ordinary achievement; it’s a roaring announcement of India’s scientific achievement in the infinite universe,” he said, as per the news agency PTI. Let’s take a closer look at what the prime minister said and how he has been backing the Indian space agency and its ambitious endeavours. ‘Shivkshakti’, ‘Tiranga’ and more Modi told the ISRO scientists that the touchdown point of the Vikram lander has been named ‘Shivshakti’. “It is a convention to name the spot of the touchdown on the Moon. And India too has now decided to name the point where Vikram lander touched down. That point will now be known as ‘Shivshakti Point’,” NDTV quoted the prime minister as saying. “The ‘Shakti’ in the name ‘Shivshakti’ comes from the hard work, inspiration and empowerment of the women scientists,” he added.

VIDEO | "India has decided to name the spot on the Moon, where our Chandrayaan has landed. We have decided that it will be known as 'Shivshakti'," says PM Modi as he addresses ISRO scientists in Bengaluru on the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 on Moon's surface. pic.twitter.com/3rPlX2BL8N

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 26, 2023

India’s second lunar mission Chandrayaan-2 had failed and crash-landed on the surface of the Moon in 2019. Modi said the landing point of Chandrayaan-2 will be known as ‘Tiranga Point’ as it is “India’s first contact with the surface of the Moon”.

Moreover, he declared that 23 August, when ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 landed on the lunar surface, will be celebrated as National Space Day.

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“It will be a day of celebrating science and technology and will inspire generations to come,” he said, as per NDTV. When India was waiting with bated breath for Chandrayaan-3’s success, Modi ensured to be a part of the moment even while he was not in the country. A visibly cheerful prime minister was seen on a split screen during the live stream of the Vikram lander’s descent on the lunar surface. Through thick and thin And not just success, Modi was there with ISRO scientists even during the heartbreaking failure of the Chandrayaan-2 mission. In September 2019, the prime minister flew to Bengaluru to watch the planned touchdown of the Vikram lander on the lunar surface. However, hours after the space agency confirmed that it had lost contact with the lander, Prime Minister Modi was seen consoling and hugging an emotional K Sivan, the then ISRO chief. The video of the incident resurfaced recently as India finally succeeded in its third lunar journey.

Moment when Communication lost with Vikram Lander to emotional moments when PM Modi hugged and consoled ISRO chief Dr Sivan!❤️🥹🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/0HqOG6xQgg

— ADV. ASHUTOSH J. DUBEY 🇮🇳 (@AdvAshutoshBJP) August 23, 2023

In his address to the ISRO scientists at the time, he had asked them not to get disheartened and that there would be a “new dawn and brighter tomorrow” very soon, reported PTI. “As important as the final result is the journey and the effort. I can proudly say that the effort was worth it and so was the journey. Our team worked hard, travelled far and those teachings will always remain with us. The learnings from today will make us stronger and better,” Prime Minister Modi said at the time, as per NDTV. The then ISRO chief had said that the prime minister’s address enhanced their morale. “We are extremely happy (with PM’s address as well as the nation rallying behind ISRO). It has boosted the morale of our people,” Sivan had told PTI. ALSO READ: Chandrayaan-3: How India’s Moon mission will be a game-changer for the economy Modi govt’s space push On Wednesday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government released a report card listing the country’s achievements in the space sector in the last 10 years. According to the government, the space sector budget has seen a 123 per cent rise, from Rs 5,615 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 12,543 crore in 10 years, reported Times of India (TOI). Underlining “India’s stellar decade in space”, the government said that out of the 424 foreign satellites launched by ISRO, 389 were in the last nine years of the Modi regime, which earned over Rs 3,300 crore for the country. With this, the space agency’s launch rate has soared from 1.2 yearly missions before 2014 to an 5.7 satellite launches since 2014, TOI reported citing the government data. The Modi government has also been taking steps to promote young innovators. As per the government, ISRO through its new mini-PSLV – Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV-D2) – has launched three student-built satellites – EOS-07, AzaadiSAT-2 and Janus-1. The government also mentioned how it is unlocking the space sector by encouraging private players. In 2021, Prime Minister Modi had called on the private sector to utilise the technology and resources available with ISRO. Speaking at the launch of the Indian Space Association (ISpA), a grouping of space and satellite companies, Modi highlighted the four pillars which provided basis for the government’s reforms in space sector. “First, the freedom of innovation to the private sector; second, the role of the government as an enabler; third, preparing youth for the future; and fourth, to see the space sector as a resource for the progress of the common man,” he said virtually in October 2021, as per Economic Times (ET).  “The government will also play the role of an aggregator for space assets and services so that our young innovators don’t have to spend time and energy buying equipment,” he added. Modi said that there was a tendency of making attempts to rule space and the space sector in the 20th Century. “However, now in the 21st century, India will have to ensure that space plays an important role in uniting and connecting the world,” ET quoted him as saying. Even while hailing the Chandrayaan-3 success, Modi called it a “victory cry of a developed India”, adding that “this success belongs to all of humanity”, not just India. With inputs from agencies