Achievements of Indian space programme brought changes in lives of common people, says former ISRO chairman

Shivamogga

The achievements of Indian space programme over several decades have brought significant changes to the lives of common people, said A.S. Kiran Kumar, former chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

He was speaking at a programme titled “Nanu Vijnani” (I Am a Scientist), organised by the Shivamogga Zilla Panchayat for gram panchayat librarians on Monday (March 2, 2026).

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.

He added that in an earlier workshop conducted for librarians, participants listened to expert lectures and also built telescopes under the guidance of BGVS experts. “In the first workshop, librarians came up with 40 telescopes,” the officer stated.

Zilla Panchayat deputy secretary K. R. Sujatha and others were present at the programme.