NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hailed the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha as a gift to female scientists across India.
“The Nari Shakti Vandan Bill is a gift from a grateful nation to the women scientists of ISRO along with the entire scientific community,” Singh said on Thursday, crediting the success of the Chandrayaan-3 moon mission to the “Nari Shakti” associated with the program.
He also acknowledged the efforts of the previous UPA government in advancing India’s space ambitions, stating that the success of the moon mission was a testament to the country’s growing scientific ecosystem.
WATCH:
“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 congratulations,” he said.
Singh spoke about the benefits of space exploration, highlighting that India had launched 389 of the 424 satellites during the Bharatiya Janata Party’s governance under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He added that India’s space sector was becoming internationally prominent by the day.
“India has become the first nation to land on the lunar south pole, with comparatively limited resources,” he said.
Singh attributed ISRO’s success to the integration of culture and science in India’s science sector. Quoting American civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr., he said, “Science gives man knowledge, which is power. Religion gives man wisdom, which is control’. Those who say that we should get rid of our culture and adopt science, they must understand that culture and science complement each other.”
ALSO READ: ‘Another jumla’: Women MPs unhappy over quota bill implementation delay
“The sources of this success are hidden in our past,” underlined the 72-year-old, while also highlighting that it was also India’s culture that had enabled the G20 Summit in India to be such an amazing success.