PM addressing Team ISRO on success of Chandrayaan-3 mission
Speaker: Narendra Modi
Date: 26 Aug, 2023

Namaskar friends, Today, I am feeling a new kind of joy amidst you all. Perhaps one feels such joy on very rare occasions. Often such incidents happen in a person’s life when one’s mind is absolutely filled with joy, and he becomes restless as a result. Something similar happened to me this time, and I was extremely restless. I was in South Africa, and later there was a programme in Greece. So I had to be there but my mind was completely focused on you. But sometimes I feel that I am doing injustice to you all. My restlessness creates a problem for you. You had to be here early in the morning but I just wanted to come and salute you. It must have been inconvenient to you, but I wanted to see you as soon as I landed in India. I wanted to salute you all, salute your hard work, salute your patience, salute your passion, salute your vitality, and salute your spirit. The height to which you have taken the country is not an ordinary success. This is the declaration of India’s scientific potential in infinite space. India is on the Moon. We have our national pride placed on the Moon. We reached the spot where no one had ever reached before. We did what no one had ever done before. This is today’s India, fearless India, warrior India. This India thinks in a new way and spreads the beam of light in the world even after getting into the dark zone. In the 21st century, this India will solve the biggest problems of the world. That day of 23rd August is flashing again and again before my eyes, every second. No one can forget that scenario when the touchdown was confirmed and the people jumped with joy here in the ISRO centre and all over the country! Some memories become eternal. That moment has become eternal. That moment is one of the most inspirational moments of this century. Every Indian felt that victory as his own. Every Indian felt as if he had passed a major exam. Even today, people are congratulating and messages are flowing in and all this has been made possible by all of you. The scientists of my country have made this possible. No matter how much I praise you, it will always fall short. Friends, I have seen the photo in which our Moon Lander has firmly set its foot on the Moon like Angad. On one hand is the confidence of Vikram while on the other hand is the bravery of Pragyan. Our Pragyan is continuously leaving its footprints on the Moon. The pictures taken from different cameras which have just been released, and I have had the privilege of seeing, are indeed amazing. For the first time since the beginning of human civilization, for the first time in the history of lakhs of years on the earth, man is looking at the pictures of that place with his own eyes. And India has done the work of showing these pictures to the world! All the scientists like you have done it. Today the whole world is acknowledging the significance of India’s scientific spirit, our technology and our scientific temperament. Chandrayaan Maha Abhiyan is a success not only for India but for the entire humanity. The region that our mission will explore will open up new avenues for the missions for all countries. It will not only reveal the secrets of the moon, but will also help in solving the challenges of the earth. I once again congratulate all the scientists, technicians, engineers and all the members associated with Chandrayaan Mahabhiyan for this success of yours. My family members, You are well aware that there is a scientific tradition of naming the touchdown point of space missions. India has decided to name the part of the moon on which our Chandrayaan has landed. The point where Chandrayaan-3’s moon lander has landed will now be known as ‘Shiv Shakti’. Shiva contains the resolution for the welfare of humanity and ‘Shakti’ gives us the ability to fulfil those resolutions. The ‘Shiv Shakti’ point of the Moon gives the sense of a connection between Kanyakumari and the Himalayas. Our sages have said – येन कर्माण्यपसो मनीषिणो यज्ञे कृण्वन्ति विदथेषु धीराः। यदपूर्व यक्षमन्तः प्रजानां तन्मे मनः शिव-संकल्प-मस्तु। That is, the mind with which we perform our duties, give motion to thoughts and science, and which is present within everyone, that mind should be associated with auspicious and beneficial resolutions. To fulfil these auspicious resolutions of the mind, the blessings of Shakti are essential. And this power is our women-power; our mothers and sisters. It has been said here – सृष्टि स्थिति विनाशानां शक्तिभूते सनातनि। That is, from creation to destruction, the basis of the entire universe is women-power. You all have seen the major role played by our women scientists, the women power of the country in Chandrayaan-3. The ‘Shiv Shakti’ point of the moon will witness this scientific and philosophical thinking of India for centuries. This Shivshakti Point will inspire the upcoming generations to use science only for the welfare of humanity. The welfare of humanity is our supreme commitment. Friends, Another task of naming has been pending for a long time. Four years ago, when Chandrayaan-2 had reached close to the Moon, it was proposed to name the place that was touched by it. But instead of taking a decision in those circumstances, we took a vow that when Chandrayaan-3 successfully reaches the moon, we will name both the points together. And today I feel that, when every house and every mind is painted in the spirit of tricolour, and there is a tricolour on the moon, then what better name could be given to the spot associated with Chandrayaan 2 than ‘Tiranga’? Therefore, the point on the Moon where Chandrayaan 2 left its footprints will now be called ‘Tiranga’. This Tiranga point will become the inspiration for every effort of India. This Tiranga point will teach us that no failure is final. If there is a strong will then success is bound to come. Let me repeat. The spot where Chandrayaan 2’s footprints are, that spot will be called Tiranga Point from today. And the spot where Chandrayaan 3’s moon lander has touched, that spot will be called Shiv-Shakti Point from today. Friends, Today India has become the fourth country in the world to touch the surface of the moon. This success becomes even greater when we look at the place from where India had started its journey. There was a time when India did not have the required technology and there was no support either. We used to be among the ‘Third World’ countries, standing in the ‘Third Row’. From there, today India has become the fifth largest economy in the world. Today, from trade to technology, India is among the countries standing in the first row. That is, in this journey from ‘Third Row’ to ‘First Row’, institutions like our ‘ISRO’ have played a major role. Today you have taken ‘Make in India’ to the moon. My family members, Today, with my presence amidst you, I would like to particularly tell the countrymen about your hard work. What I am telling you is not new to you. But the countrymen should also know what you have done, and have accomplished. Chandrayaan’s journey from the southern part of India to the south pole of the Moon was not an easy one. To ensure soft landing of the Moon Lander, our scientists even created an artificial moon in ISRO’s research facility. Vikram Lander was tested on this artificial moon by landing it on different surfaces. Now our Moon Lander has reached the spot after passing so many exams. So it was bound to be successful. Friends, Today, when I see that the young generation of India is full of energy regarding science, space and innovation, it is due to the success of our similar space missions. The success of Mangalyaan, the success of Chandrayaan, the preparation for Gaganyaan has given a new mood to the young generation of the country. Today, the name of Chandrayaan is on the lips of small children of India. Today every child of India can see his future in you, the scientists. That’s why your achievement is not just limited to hoisting the tricolor on the moon. But you have achieved another great feat. And that achievement is to awaken the entire generation of India and to give it a new energy. You have left a deep impression of your success on an entire generation. From today onwards, when any child will look at the moon at night, he will have the conviction that he has the same courage and spirit within him with which his country has reached the moon. The seeds of aspirations that you have sown in the children of India today, will grow into banyan trees tomorrow and become the foundation of a developed India. Another decision has been taken so that our young generation continues to get inspired. August 23rd, when India hoisted the tricolor on the Moon, India will now celebrate that day as National Space Day. Now every year the country will celebrate National Space Day in the spirit of science, technology and innovation, so that it will continue to inspire us forever. My family members, You also know that the potential of the space sector is much greater than just launching satellites or exploring space. One of the great strengths of the space sector, which I see, is Ease of Living and Ease of Governance. A lot of work has been done in the country in the direction of connecting space applications with every aspect of governance. When you all entrusted me with the responsibility of working as the Prime Minister, I had conducted a workshop with space scientists of the Joint Secretary level officers of the Government of India after assuming the office. And the purpose of that was to explore the ways to make maximum use of the power of the space sector in governance, and in bringing transparency in the governance system. At that time probably Kiran ji used to work with us. As a result, when the country started the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, started the construction of toilets and the campaign to build crores of houses, space science helped a lot in monitoring all this and for its progress. Today, the space sector plays a major role in providing education, communication and health services to the remote areas of the country. These days, for the ‘Azaadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, Amrit Sarovars are being built in every district. Tagging and monitoring of the same is being done through space technology only. Without space technology, we cannot even imagine tele-medicine and tele-education. Space science has also helped a lot in the optimum utilization of the country’s resources. Every farmer of the country knows that the space sector helps in forecasting the weather, and strengthening the agriculture sector of our country. Today the farmer can check on his mobile the condition of the weather next week. The accurate information that crores of fishermen of the country are getting today from the ‘NAVIC’ system is also due to your contribution. Today, when there is a flood in the country, a natural calamity, an earthquake, you are the first to find out the seriousness of the situation. When a cyclone hits, our satellites inform us about its entire route, all the timings, and as a result people’s lives are saved and property is also saved and if we add up the cost of the property that is saved from the cyclones alone, that is more than the money invested in the space technology. Space technology is also the basis of our PM Gatishakti National Master Plan. And today the world is studying this Gati Shakti platform of India which is so useful in planning and management. This is helping a lot in planning, execution and monitoring of projects. This scope of space application, which is increasing with time, is also increasing opportunities for our youth. And that’s why today I want to give a suggestion. And I believe that the retired people from your institution can help a lot in this matter. Now please don’t complain that Modi ji came here early in the morning and is leaving after assigning us some task. Friends, I would like ISRO to organize a National Hackathon on ‘Space Technology in Governance’ in collaboration with various Central Government Ministries and State Governments. Maximum number of youngsters should participate in this hackathon. I am confident that this National Hackathon will make our governance more effective and provide modern solutions to the countrymen. And friends, Apart from you, I want to give one more task separately to our young generation. And kids don’t enjoy working without homework. You all know that India is that country, which had started looking beyond the earth and studying infinite space thousands of years ago. We had Aryabhatta, Brahmagupta, Varahamihira and Bhaskaracharya of the research tradition centuries ago. When there was confusion about the shape of the earth, Aryabhata wrote in detail about the sphericity of the earth in his great treatise Aryabhatiya. He also wrote about the rotation of the earth on the axis and the calculation of its circumference. Similarly, it has also been said in texts like Surya Siddhanta – सर्वत्रैव महीगोले, स्वस्थानम् उपरि स्थितम्। मन्यन्ते खे यतो गोलस्, तस्य क्व ऊर्ध्वम क्व वाधः॥ That is, some people on earth consider their place to be at the top. But, this spherical earth is located in the sky, what could be above and below it? This information was written at that time. I have mentioned only one verse. Countless such compositions have been written by our forefathers. The information about the eclipse caused due to the alignment of the Sun, Moon and Earth is found in many of our texts . Apart from the size of the Earth, calculations of the sizes of other planets, information related to their movements are also found in our ancient texts. We had achieved the ability to make such precise calculations regarding the movement of planets and satellites, and that’s why calendars were started hundreds of years ago. That’s why I want to give a task related to this to our new generation, school & college students. I want the new generation to come forward to scientifically prove the astronomical formulas in the scriptures of India, to study them afresh. It is important both for our heritage and for science. Today, there are two responsibilities for the students from schools, colleges, universities, and researchers. The treasure of scientific knowledge that India has, was buried and hidden during the long period of slavery. In this ‘Azaadi Ka Amritkaal’, we have to explore this treasure, conduct research on it and also tell the world about it. The second responsibility is that our young generation has to give new dimensions to today’s modern sciences, modern technology, from the depths of the ocean to the heights of the sky, from the heights of the sky to the depths of space; there is a lot to do for you. You need to explore both the Deep Earth and the Deep Sea. You need to not only develop the Next Generation Computer but also excell in Genetic Engineering. New opportunities are constantly opening up for you in India. In this period of the 21st century, the country which takes the lead in science and technology will be ahead of the rest. Friends, Today, great experts are saying that in the next few years, India’s space industry will increase from $8 billion to $16 billion. Realizing the seriousness of this matter, the government is continuously carrying out reforms in the space sector. Our youngsters are also gearing up. You will be pleasantly surprised to know that in the last four years the number of startups working in the space sector has increased from 4 to around 150. We can imagine the endless possibilities waiting for India in the endless skies. After a few days, from 1st September, MyGov is about to launch a massive quiz competition on our Chandrayaan mission. Students of our country can start from there as well. I would urge the students across the country to participate in it in large numbers. My family members, Your guidance is extremely necessary for the future generation of the country. You are working on several important missions; and it is the coming generation that will take these missions forward. You are a role model for all of them. Your research and your years of hard work have proved that what you decide, you do. The people of the country have faith in you, and earning trust is not a small thing, friends. You have earned this trust with your hard work. The blessings of the people of the country are with you. With the power of these blessings, with this dedication towards the country, India will become a global leader in science and technology. And I can tell you with great confidence that the same spirit of innovation that we have, will make the dream of a developed India come true in 2047. With this belief, I have once again become blessed to have met all of you. The countrymen are full of pride. Dreams are fast turning into resolutions and your hard work is a great motivation to take those resolutions to fruition. I can’t congratulate you enough. My heartiest thanks and best wishes to you all from my side and also on behalf of crores of countrymen, as well as the scientific community around the world. Bharat Mata Ji Jai, Bharat Mata Ji Jai Bharat Mata Ji Jai, Thank you!