India aims to become space power equal to world, work for humanity and planet: Minister
New Delhi; India aims to be a leader in the space sector as an equal partner of the world, and work for the betterment of humanity and the planet, according to Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology on Friday.
Addressing the Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX 2025) at Bharat Mandapam, here, Singh affirmed India's growing prominence as a space power in the global arena.
The MoS underscored India's transition from being a follower in space exploration to becoming a global enabler.
'India is now collaborating as an equal partner with some of the leading space-faring nations. This is a testimony to our scientific capability, visionary leadership, and commitment to peaceful space cooperation,' he said.
He added that India's space journey, which began with humble beginnings, has evolved into a source of inspiration for developing countries.
Singh described GLEX 2025 as a platform that advances India's vision on two fronts -- 'A for Bharat' and 'B for the World.'
He said the conference embodies India's aspiration to serve its own people through space applications while also embracing the spirit of Vishwa Bandhu Bharat -- a trusted global partner committed to collaboration, not domination.
'We are not here to act as a Big Brother,' he emphasised, 'but as equal brothers, working together with the rest of humanity for the shared benefit of our planet.'
The Minister highlighted the Government's initiatives to democratise the space sector, encouraging private enterprise and public-private partnerships.
'The opening up of India's space sector has already triggered a boom in innovation, with over 190 startups emerging in the last two years alone,' he noted, adding that this ecosystem was vital to fuelling India's ambitions in deep space missions, satellite launches, and commercial space applications.
The high-profile summit was organised jointly by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), and the Astronautical Society of India (ASI). It brought together space leaders, astronauts, and scientists from across the globe, with the participation of more than 35 countries and international agencies, reinforcing India's role at the forefront of space diplomacy and innovation.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
34 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Lesson from stampedes: Communication key to crowd control, say experts
This year, stampedes at a major railway station in Delhi, at the Maha Kumbh in Uttar Pradesh, and during a cricket match victory celebration in Karnataka have led to at least 72 deaths and a few hundred injuries so far — a grim statistic which exposes the glaring gaps in crowd regulation rules, official apathy and tokenistic governance. Action taken following these tragic, largely preventable deaths does little to avert such incidents in the future — after the June 4 stampede in Bengaluru, the state leadership, replicating the action of its counterparts in other parts of the country, suspending the city's top cop and other police staff, and ordered a magisterial inquiry. Later, the Karnataka high court also took suo motu notice. In light of these developments, HT spoke with veteran police officers, planners, urban designers, and academics to dissect the anatomy of stampedes and how to prevent them. Prakash Singh, a retired IPS officer who was the state police chief of Assam and Uttar Pradesh and the director-general of the Border Security Force, said the Bengaluru tragedy appears to be a case of overriding political desire overruling reservations from the police. Multiple reports, including by HT, suggest that the police had initially dismissed the idea of a parade due to paucity of time. But as some players from the overseas were scheduled to return home, there was a rush to hold the celebrations on June 4 itself, according to people aware of the matter. 'But this should have never been made part of the consideration. No event can be organised without the clearance from the police,' Singh said. The second issue, he pointed out, was the inconsistent messaging. 'There were multiple versions of when and where the parade will be held.' The most significant lapse, however, was the police's alleged failure to react when the crowd started trickling, Singh said. 'Around 200,000-300,000 people tried to make their way towards the stadium when the capacity was only 36,000. It was a policing failure, given that there are enough surveillance measures that would have indicated swelling of crowds.' Police should have, through existing intelligence and surveillance measures, prevented the crowd from converge from all directions. Another lapse was the inadequate deployment of forces, he added. 'Ideally, civic volunteers, armed battalions, and the fire brigade should have been mobilised. If there was fatigue, police from outside the commissionerate should have been engaged, he said. While Karnataka home minister G Parameshwara has announced that the government will formulate a new SOP for crowd control, these mechanisms are not alien to India, where heavy footfall events such as the Maha Kumbh are held regularly. They have been part of the police manual since colonial times, and even the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) has issued guidelines to manage crowds at events. To prevent stampedes, the administration — be it government, private organisers or temple trusts— should actively control the 'hype' through constant messaging, said Monika Vij, a geography professor at Delhi's Miranda House, who has researched extensively on crowd management at religious events. Referring to the Kumbh tragedy in January, where the official death toll was 30, she said, while the authorities made 'excellent arrangements', the hype of a historical event overshadowed everything. Authorities could not effectively communicate with the crowd when the stampede took place, she said. 'There has to be greater control and responsibility over disseminating information.' On the Bengaluru stampede, she said it was the 'lack of clarity over the venue and ticketing' which led to the tragedy. Similar confusion was seen at the February 15 stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station over train departures, Vij said. Another retired IPS officer Nazrul Islam, who was the ADGP in West Bengal, said a crowd, by default, is fuelled by frenzy and not rationality — be it a religious procession or a sports event. 'Visible, prompt policing is important to keep the crowd disciplined. Staggered movement of crowds is essential, and for that, checkpoints are installed in all directions from approaches to the event venue,' he said. KT Ravindran, founder of the Institute of Urban Designers India, said, for any kind of gathering, authorities must ensure that designing standards, such as entry and exit points and emergency exit, are followed. 'At any point in time, the potential to disperse should be higher than the potential to gather.' Ujan Ghosh, the former president of the institute, said the combined action of authorities, including police, along with the architecture, either prevents or causes a stampede. He also questioned if the Bengaluru stadium was the right choice as the venue for the cricket felicitation event. Spaces, such as streets and pavements, are often designed for specific purposes, he said, suggesting that stadiums are usually for ticketed events.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Rahul's allegations on M'rashtra polls baseless: Karnal MP
Union energy minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday refuted the recent claims by Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, regarding 'rigging' in the Maharashtra assembly elections, saying the public have already rejected them. Khattar was speaking to reporters on Sunday after concluding a workshop on the completion of 11 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Karnal Lok Sabha constituency. The Karnal MP also took a dig at the Congress leader for his recent attempts to re-build party organisation in Haryana. 'They must have accelerated the process but the outcome is important. Even we are waiting that they are able to build the party structure at the earliest. I've offered them in the past that if they are not able to do so, they should hire someone from us as advisor,' he added. Earlier, he addressed the gathering that included cabinet minister Arvind Sharma and BJP MLAs from nine assembly constituencies of the Lok Sabha seat along with office-bearers of the party. Khattar said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country is on the path of progress in terms of development and is receiving respect from all over the world. 'Not only this, other countries of the world have also been surprised by many big historical decisions which included the construction of Ram Mandir, abrogation of Article 370, strong opposition and fight against terrorism, ban on triple talaq for the respect of women, 33% reservation to ensure women's participation in politics, free ration and houses and toilets for the poor class, gas cylinders at affordable rates, distribution of Ayushman cards, Waqf law, among others,' he added. Minister Arvind Sharma said that on lines with the Union government, the BJP government has been formed in the state for the third consecutive time due to the elimination of the system of nepotism, regionalism and casteism and the transfer industry, job industry in the state by Khattar. Sharma counted on various social welfare schemes introduced under Khattar's tenure and taken forward by chief minister Nayab Singh Saini.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Railway convention raises alarm over rising accidents, urges govt action
Hubballi: Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) president K Hemalatha said despite the alarming rate of accidents and the huge loss of lives, the Union govt is not showing any concern for protecting the lives of the people and staff who are crucial to the operation of the trains. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Speaking at a state-level convention on 'Safety in Railways', organised by the CITU, here on Sunday, Hemalatha stated that the BJP-led NDA govt failed to take effective measures to prevent train accidents. "Instead, govt is blaming the railway employees for these accidents and taking punitive action against them," she added. The number of train accidents, which was 21 in 2020-21, increased to 34 in 2021-22, 48 in 2022-23, and 81 in 2024-25. The Railway Minister informed Parliament in 2022 that 469 passengers were killed and 1,275 injured in train accidents during 2014-19. "The trains running in suburban areas are experiencing accidents too. Hundreds of track maintainers died. More than 450 trackmen died in . Rail travel, an affordable mode of travel used by more than 2 crore people every day, must be made safe," Hemalatha demanded. S Varalakshmi, Karnataka President, CITU, said to oppose the privatisation of railways and address the safety concerns of passengers and employees, the organisation is creating awareness. "Govt is casting a negative shadow on employment. Contract employment is increasing, and due to this, accidents are increasing. The employees are working overtime, which is leading to accidents. Every passenger should travel safely, and govt should provide this," she urged. General secretary Meenakshi Sundaram demanded that the Union govt should ensure the safety of railway passengers and provide safe working conditions for railway employees. "Govt should stop the privatisation of in any form and improve facilities for passengers on trains, with senior citizens receiving concessions like women and other demands," she said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "In Karnataka, eleven station division-level conferences should be completed by the end of July-August 2025. The union should conduct publicity at railway stations in a way that reaches train passengers in the districts and launch a public signature campaign for a petition to be submitted to the Prime Minister after the conference. In Oct, a protest will be organised at railway stations," she said.
