Rejecting the notion that the achievements in space do not in any way benefit the people, the defence minister, Rajnath Singh, said there are multidimensional uses of India’s space missions which have a huge impact on the people as well. Singh said this during a discussion in the Lok Sabha on the success of Chandrayaan-3 mission and other achievements of the nation in the space sector, on Thursday.

Giving examples, Singh said better predictions of cloudbursts will be beneficial for farmers and better prediction of cyclones will be beneficial for those living in coastal areas and fishermen. “More importantly, space missions to the Moon or Sun help to awaken the scientific temperament in a child living in a remote village. These inspire the young minds to do something in the future,” he further said.

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On the success of Chandrayaan-3 mission, the minister said it was not an exception, but a result of the development of India’s social, cultural, and scientific trend. He described the success of Chandrayaan-3 as a testament to the robust scientific ecosystem taking shape in the country. “Chandrayaan-3 shows that science education is improving in our schools and colleges, and industries are producing and supplying quality products. Efforts were also made by previous governments. Therefore, everyone who has contributed towards developing scientific temperament within the nation deserves compliments,” he said.

Singh termed Chandrayaan-3 as a huge achievement for the entire nation and stated that there are many developed countries which, despite being more resource-rich, are trying to reach the Moon, while India has become the first country to reach the south pole of the Moon with limited resources. He credited the success to the intellectual prowess and dedication of Isro scientists towards the development of the nation. Today, India is among the leading nations in the field of science due to their relentless efforts, he said.

The minister pointed out that of the 424 foreign satellites launched by India, so far, 389 have been launched in the last nine years of the Modi government. He added that with the successful launch of foreign satellites, India’s space sector is rapidly gaining a prominent place in the world.

The defence minister emphasized that while science is crucial for the development of a nation and humanity at large, culture holds equal importance. He voiced the government’s resolve to provide equal importance to both aspects.

“Science is value-neutral. It can give us knowledge of nuclear power, but it is our culture which tells us whether we use that power in the form of energy for our own development or in the form of a weapon to destroy others. It doesn’t matter how much progress science makes, it will remain incomplete without culture and values,” he added.