India plans to send its astronauts to Moon by 2040: former ISRO chief
Ahmedabad (PTI): India plans to land its astronauts on the Moon by 2040, former ISRO chief A S Kiran Kumar said here on Wednesday.
Kumar, who is currently the chairman of the management council of the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), was speaking at the inauguration of the 5th Astronomical Society of India (ASI) Symposium.
"Between now and 2040 there are a whole lot of missions which are going to go into space activities. So, 2040 is a plan where we want to land Indians on the Moon and bring them back safely. India is also working towards building a space station by 2040," he said.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the event held at the PRL campus, the former Indian Space Research Organisation head elaborated on the country's space roadmap.
In the immediate future, there will be a Chandrayaan follow-on mission, and work was underway with Japan for a lander and rover, he said.
"We should be trying to look for some specific information in the South Polar region (of the Moon). It will only be the beginning of a whole lot of activities beyond that. India as a country is committed to doing space observation and then understanding the universe," Kumar said.
This will up open up a lot of opportunities for academic institutions, engineering institutions and even private companies to contribute to India's space exploration, he said.
In his speech before the gathering of scientists and students during the inaugural session, Kumar said India is the only country which started building space technology primarily for societal benefits and not for military purposes.
Dr Vikram Sarabhai's contribution to India's space sector, when the country was only 10 years into Independence, was phenomenal, he said.
Sarabhai explored how space technology can improve broadcast communication and weather monitoring to provide facilities to citizens, he noted.
The three-day symposium focuses on the pivotal role of optics and advanced instrumentation in astronomy, space science, planetary science, atmospheric science, and emerging interdisciplinary areas including quantum science and technologies.
It brings together nearly 150 scientists, engineers, academicians, young researchers and early career scientists, and industry participants from across the country.
Those present at the inaugural event included Prof Yashwant Gupta, Director, National Centre for Radio Astrophysics; Prof Annapurni Subramaniam, Director, Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru, and Prof Anil Bhardwaj, Director, Physical Research Laboratory.
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Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani to be India's next Chief of Defence Staff
New Delhi (PTI): Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani will be India's new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and his key task is set to be to implement the ambitious theaterisation plan that seeks to ensure tri-services synergy.
He will succeed Gen Anil Chauhan whose tenure will come to an end on May 30.
Gen Chauhan, a former Eastern Army Commander, took charge as the country's senior-most military commander in September 2022, over nine months after the first CDS, General Bipin Rawat, died in a helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu.
The government has appointed Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani (Retd) as the Chief of Defence Staff, who will also function as the secretary of the Department of Military Affairs, the defence ministry said on Saturday.
Lt Gen Subramani is currently serving as the military adviser to the National Security Council Secretariat.
Prior to that, he was the Vice Chief of the Army Staff from July 1, 2024 to July 31, 2025, and was General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Central Command from March 2023 till June 2024.
As Chief of Defence Staff, Lt Gen Subramani's primary task will be to implement the theaterisation model to bring in tri-services synergy by rolling out integrated military commands.
The officer is a graduate of the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy. He was commissioned into the eighth battalion of the Garhwal Rifles on December 14, 1985.
Lt Gen Subramani is an alumnus of Joint Services Command Staff College, Bracknell (UK), and the National Defence College, New Delhi. He holds a Master of Arts degree from King's College London and an MPhil in defence studies from Madras University.
In his illustrious career spanning over 40 years, Lt Gen Subramani has served across a wide spectrum of conflict and terrain profiles and tenanted a host of Command, Staff and Instructional appointments.
He commanded the 16 Garhwal Rifles in Counter-Insurgency operations in Assam as part of Operation Rhino, the 168 Infantry Brigade in Jammu and Kashmir, and the 17 Mountain Division in the Central Sector, all during a challenging operational environment.
He also has the distinction of commanding two Corps, including the Indian Army's premier strike Corps on the Western Front.
