BENGALURU: Indian Space Research Organisation chairman Alur Seelin Kiran Kumar said ISRO is in the forefront of spinning off space technology for the benefit of people.
Dr Kumar was speaking at a felicitation programme organised here on Monday by National College, his alma mater. This was his maiden public appearance after being appointed chairman.
He said ISRO’s research is used to predict cyclones, thereby averting loss of lives. “Since India has a long coastline and fisheries is a major business, we also give fishermen the latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates to locations in the sea which have a large number of fish,” he said. “This way, `10,000 crore is saved as fishermen know exactly where to go and various sundry expenses are not incurred.”
Kumar said, “We are not an elitist organisation. Our objective is to serve people.” ISRO is the only space organisation in the world where research is application-oriented, and space technology is used for public good, he said. However, it has also achieved excellence in satellite technology. “We were among the first to use a three-axis satellite long ago while the Chandrayaan and the Mangalyaan were huge successes,” he said.
Later, speaking to reporters, Kumar said he is looking to achieve cohesiveness among various departments under ISRO. He advised students to make use of opportunities. “When I was studying, we did not have any information like what is available these days. We experimented and learnt by trial and error. This is important. A student’s life has several opportunities with minimal responsibilities. Opportunities must be utilised effectively,” he said.
National Education Society president Dr A H Ramarao and others were present on the occasion.