Diagnosed with cancer on day of Aditya L1 mission launch, cured now, says ISRO chief
New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 4: ISRO chairman S Somanath has revealed that he was diagnosed with cancer on the day of the launch of India's Aditya L1 solar mission but he said he was "completely healthy now".
In an interview with Tarmak Media House, Somanath said he underwent an operation to remove the growth in his stomach, followed it up with chemotherapy and was now completely cured of the disease.
"I am completely healthy now," he said.
He said he realised that there were some health issues during the launch of the Chandrayaan-3 mission last year but was not very clear about it.
It was during a scan on the day of the Aditya L-1 launch that he gained a clue about his condition.
"After the launch, I underwent further tests in Chennai, confirming the presence of a cancerous growth in my large intestine. Following this diagnosis, I underwent surgery and chemotherapy", the space veteran said.
Asked about the reaction of his family members to the diagnosis, he said, "Undoubtedly, they would have been shocked. But now, I perceive cancer and its treatment has a solution. There is a message that it is not incurable."
He sought advice from family members who had overcome similar challenges, which helped alleviate his concerns.
"I was uncertain about complete cure at the time I was undergoing the process," he admitted, highlighting the nature of his battle against cancer.
Somanath said he would be undergoing regular checkups and scans, but he was now completely cured and has resumed duties.
He said after spending four days in the hospital for surgery, he resumed his duties.
He said that he will now undergo annual check-ups.
"No, I do not experience any pain now. I have no pain now. It was simply a growth. They detected it and had it removed," he said in the interview for the WriteTake programme of the media outlet.
He said that he continued his responsibilities even during his diagnosis and treatment period.
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Cong takes swipe at PM over India not being part of US-led 'Pax Silica' grouping
New Delh (PTI) The Congress on Saturday said it is perhaps not very surprising that India is not part of a US-led strategic initiative to build a secure silicon supply chain, given the "sharp downturn" in the Trump-Modi ties, and asserted that it would have been to "our advantage if we had been part of this group".
Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the news of India not being part of the group comes after the PM had enthusiastically posted on social media about a telephone call with his "once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC".
In a lengthy post on X, Ramesh said, "According to some news reports, the US has excluded India from a nine-nation initiative it has launched to reduce Chinese control on high-tech supply chains. The agreement is called Pax Silica, clearly as a counter to Pax Sinica. The nations included (for the moment at least) are the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia."
"Given the sharp downturn in the Trump-Modi ties since May 10th, 2025, it is perhaps not very surprising that India has not been included. Undoubtedly, it would have been to our advantage if we had been part of this group."
"This news comes a day after the PM had enthusiastically posted on his telephone call with his once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC," the Congress leader asserted.
The new US-led strategic initiative, rooted in deep cooperation with trusted allies, has been launched to build a secure and innovation-driven silicon supply chain.
According to the US State Department, the initiative called 'Pax Silica' aims to reduce coercive dependencies, protect the materials and capabilities foundational to artificial intelligence (AI), and ensure aligned nations can develop and deploy transformative technologies at scale.
The initiative includes Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia. With the exception of India, all other QUAD countries -- Japan, Australia and the US -- are part of the new initiative.
New Delhi will host the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 on February 19-20, focusing on the principles of 'People, Planet, and Progress'. The summit, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the France AI Action Summit, will be the first-ever global AI summit hosted in the Global South.
Prime Minister Modi and US President Trump on Thursday discussed ways to sustain momentum in the bilateral economic partnership in a phone conversation amid signs of the two sides inching closer to firming up a much-awaited trade deal.
The phone call between the two leaders came on a day Indian and American negotiators concluded two-day talks on the proposed bilateral trade agreement that is expected to provide relief to India from the Trump administration's whopping 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods.
In a social media post, Modi had described the conversation as "warm and engaging".
"We reviewed the progress in our bilateral relations and discussed regional and international developments. India and the US will continue to work together for global peace, stability and prosperity," Modi had said without making any reference to trade ties.
