'Master plan for space governance being readied'

The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (Isro) Isro Satellite Centre director Dr M Annadurai has said that Isro is preparing a master plan for space governance to be launched in 2016-17.

Annadurai, who was awarded the Citizen Extraordinaire Award 2014-15 by the Rotary Club of Bangalore here on Monday, said India was blessed with vast natural resources which had to be managed carefully. “We have the resources, but they have to be managed carefully using our remote-sensing and communication capabilities. Crucial areas like the piped gas project, or fisheries or mining, have to be monitored and managed to take the maximum benefit out of them. While we have gone to Mars now, it is important to come back to earth and focus on how best we can utilise the resources we have,” Annadurai said.

He also pointed out that India was a land haves and have-nots. “It is important to bridge the gap between the rich and poor and make resources available to the latter, too. We have space scientists, but we may not have a primary school teacher in a remote location.

We have satellites functioning high above the earth, but we may not have a primary health centre. It is to bridge these two that we have to concentrate our efforts. In this sense, space governance would be very crucial. We have multiple missions planned this year and the next,” the scientist explained.

Annadurai said the award being given to him was actually an award to all the engineers at Isro. “This is an award to the people behind the success of Isro, not just me.”
Annadurai’s wife Vasanthi was also felicitated.