Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday highlighted the transformative role of space technology beyond research, emphasizing its growing relevance in communication, agriculture, weather forecasting, disaster management, education, health, and infrastructure development.
Speaking at the Space Conference 2025, themed around the role of Himalayan states in realising the Developed India Vision by 2047, Mr. Dhami said Uttarakhand is committed to becoming a space-technology-friendly state for sustainable progress.
National Pride: Tricolour at ISS
The Chief Minister congratulated ISRO and the scientific community for Indian scientist Shubhanshu Shukla’s achievement of hoisting the Indian national flag at the International Space Station, calling it a moment of immense pride. He noted that this historic feat would serve as a strong foundation for India’s upcoming space missions, including Gaganyaan.
Dashboard for Champawat, ISRO Publication Released
On the occasion, Mr. Dhami inaugurated a dashboard jointly developed by ISRO and UCOST aimed at transforming Champawat into a model district, and also unveiled a publication by ISRO. He reaffirmed the state’s commitment to science and technology, stating that major projects like Science City, Innovation Centres, and cutting-edge labs in AI, robotics, and drones are progressing rapidly.
ISRO’s Journey: From Bicycles to the Moon
ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan, the chief guest at the event, recounted India’s historic strides in space exploration. From launching its first rocket in 1963 to managing 131 satellites today, India has seen phenomenal growth.
He pointed out that India was–
- The first nation to detect water on the Moon
- The first to land on the Moon’s South Pole
- The fourth to send a mission to the Sun (Aditya-L1)
- The first to reach Mars’ orbit in its maiden attempt
He announced that ISRO is developing a powerful rocket capable of carrying 75,000 kg payloads to low Earth orbit, expected to be ready in 27 days, and reaffirmed India’s goal of establishing a space station by 2030 and sending astronauts to the Moon by 2040.
Satellite Technology Transforming Uttarakhand
Prakash Chauhan, Director of the National Remote Sensing Centre, said that satellite data now plays a critical role in daily governance and disaster management.
He shared examples from Uttarakhand-
- Digitisation of livestock data
- Mapping and planning during the Rishiganga-Chamoli disaster using satellite imagery
- Use of satellite data for forest conservation, glacier lake monitoring, cloudburst prediction, and flood alerts
Mr Dhami concluded by expressing confidence that the conference would help accelerate Uttarakhand’s integration with national space programmes, supporting India’s ambitious Developed India 2047 vision.
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