Bengaluru, March 8 (UNI) On the occasion of International Women's Day, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday commended ISRO for its culture of gender diversity in all its endeavors and inclusivity in the decision-making process.
"I must, particularly on International Women’s Day, commend ISRO for its culture of gender diversity in all its endeavors and inclusivity in the decision-making process," he said in an address to the ISRO community from the UR Rao Satellite Centre here.
Presently there are about 20 percent women in scientific and technical areas, and more than 500 women employees are in leadership roles at different levels in managerial and administrative domains, including leading a Centre, Dhankar said.
"I have a slight digression. A woman is always in a leadership role, right from birth! India’s Rocket Women are leading us to the sky and beyond. They have broken ceilings for themselves, and for our progress to go beyond benchmarks set earlier," the Vice President said.
Dhankhar said in the next ten years, India is likely to witness a nearly five-fold rise in its contribution to the global space economy. ISRO has also cemented itself as a key player and a contributor in enhancing India's global diplomacy and soft power, he said.
"I do not doubt that Bharat in 2047 will be not just a developed nation but a global space power. Let us continue to reach for the stars, not just for the glory of our nation and the goal of Viksit Bharat in 2047, but for the betterment of humanity as a whole," he said.
ISRO's support in governance and disaster management through internal institutional mechanisms has been a game changer, the Vice President said.
"Geospatial support for Flagship Programme PM Fasal Bima Yojana and PM Awas Yojana is a case in point. These two impact those who are in great need of it- farmers and the vulnerable section of society," he said.
ISRO's role in developing models for early warning of Genesis, Track, Intensity and Landfall at par with global benchmarks is commendable, Dhankhar said.
The nation is proud of ISRO's historic achievement in launching 432 foreign satellites from 34 countries and becoming the first and the only country to land on the lunar south pole successfully, the Vice President said.
"We have Tiranga and Shiv Shakti Points there. Thanks to this phenomenal achievement of ISRO India celebrates August 23 as National Space Day," he said.
ISRO’s success has ignited the fascination of the masses and brought space technology to every household which was evident when the launch of Chandrayan-3 broke the internet by becoming one of the most watched live streams on YouTube with over 8 million viewers, Dhankhar said.
"Only ISRO's achievements were being shown across all international channels," he said.
The Vice President said ISRO's continued dedication to pushing the boundaries of space exploration and leveraging technology will certainly play a pivotal role in realisation of Viksit Bharat in 2047.
"Indian Space Programme and its ecosystem have been in a state of unprecedented vibrancy with various achievements by ISRO," he said.
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