Puttaparthi, 22 November 2022:

Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (SSSIHL) (Deemed to be University) held its 41st Annual Convocation in Sai Kulwant Hall, Prasanthi Nilayam, Andhra Pradesh, in the Divine Presence on 22 November 2022 at 10:30 a.m.

The grand ceremony saw the Honourable Chancellor, Shri K Chakravarthi, IAS (Retd.), admit candidates to their degrees.

SSSIHL was honoured to have Shri Somanath S, a Distinguished Scientist, Secretary, Department of Space, and Chairman, ISRO, as the chief guest for the event.

Spanning a distinguished career of nearly 36 years, Shri. Somanath has made significant contribution in the area of space technology and is an expert in system engineering of launch vehicles. In his previous assignment as Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in 2018, the lead Centre of ISRO, he was responsible for Launch vehicle technology development. Under his leadership, VSSC has achieved significant feats like the Crew Escape System demonstration through the Pad Abort Test (PAT) and the launch of GSLV Mk-III M1/Chandrayaan 2. Shri. Somanath also spearheaded the upcoming Gaganyaan mission and the development of a Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV).

The event began at 10:30 a.m. when the Chief Guest along with the Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, Registrar, Controller of Examinations, Members of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning Public Charitable Trust (PCT), the Board of Management, Directors, Deans, and Heads of Departments, entered the Sai Kulwant Hall in Prasanthi Nilayam with the Registrar of the University carrying the ceremonial mace.

Following the invocatory Veda chanting from Taittriya Upanishad, on the request of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. (Dr.) C B Sanjeevi, the Convocation was declared open in the Divine voice of the Revered Founder Chancellor Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

Speaking on the occasion, the Vice-Chancellor gave a glimpse of the high-quality research carried out for societal benefit by leveraging the world-class Central Research Instruments Facility (CRIF) and the Central Research Laboratory (CRL) at SSSIHL. He stated that currently there are 19 ongoing research projects with an outlay of over ₹6.9 crores.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. (Dr.) C B Sanjeevi then went on to share a few highlights of the activities, conferences, and webinars conducted by various departments during the previous academic year. He then congratulated the faculty and students for their various academic achievements in their respective fields of study. Referring to the Actuarial Science programme run by the Institute, he said the exemplary work done by the team was recognized globally by the Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) in the USA. SSSIHL won the CAS University Award for 2022, the only Indian Institution to win this recognition so far since its inception. He also spoke on various research collaborations of SSSIHL and highlighted the recent ‘World Space Week’ celebrations held in Prasanthi Nilayam, in association with Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota.

The convocation oath was then administered by the Vice-Chancellor, after which the students who achieved distinction in various disciplines were awarded Gold Medals and the doctoral research scholars were conferred their Ph.D. degrees by the Chancellor and given special mementos blessed by the Founder Chancellor Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

The Chief Guest Shri Somanath then delivered the convocation address to the students. Congratulating the graduands, he asked the students to take a moment on this momentous day to thank their family, friends, and inspiring teachers from the depth of their hearts for contributing to their all-around development as a student.

Drawing parallels to the passion and dedication that helps ISRO successfully put satellites and several objects in orbit defying distance and gravity, Shri Somanath S, believed every student could reach great heights in both personal and professional life by developing key attributes like Passion, Commitment, Excellence, Determination, Focus, and Learnability. Above all, was Humility, Honesty, and Integrity, he added.

Quoting the vision and Mission statements of SSSIHL, Shri Somanath S, said that both empathy and compassion in individuals are critical for us to thrive as a progressive society and believed the graduands who are now moulded to be professionally sound, socially responsible, and spiritually aware are ready to offer this to the world. He praised the visionary Founder chancellor, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba for “igniting a revolution in the academic landscape and setting up the impeccable institution”.

Shri Somanath S, spoke at length highlighting and in praise of the Institute’s Integral Education system which aimed to provide an environment that encourages the development of the student’s mind, body, and spirit, enabling the transformation of the heart alongside the training of the mind. He asked the students to reflect upon all they have learned and to make an effort to assess their transformation as they receive their degrees.

Speaking on the role of technology in changing India’s socio-economic landscape, he said while the electronics and IT revolution has shaped the past few years till now, the future will see a fusion of many of the new emerging technologies that will define the world. Students he said must be ready to embrace change and unlearn and learn regularly to cope with the speed of technological advancement and become a nation of innovators, technology disruptors, and start-ups based on Atma Nirbhar Bharat to usher in a new technologically powerful and leading nation.

He exhorted students to aim high and dream big and drew their attention to the prevailing issues like economic crises, terrorism, climate change, and resource constraints and urged them to find impactful solutions and seek challenging opportunities and take the path less taken and make their family, teachers, and country proud.

Revered Founder Chancellor, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba Baba in his Divine Benediction said that students must grow in wisdom and learn to discriminate between good and bad, follow the righteous path, cultivate good qualities like humility, discipline, and gratitude, and must always speak the truth. He then said that humility is the hallmark of education and education must be offered free to bring about a sacred transformation amongst students. He urged students to become men and women of great character and earn a good name and make their parents, country, and Swami proud.

The event concluded with the National Anthem and Mangala Aarati.

As part of the 41st convocation, a Drama entitled “Bangaru! – The Call of Love” will also be streamed on the Prasanthi Mandir Live channel YouTube, at 5 pm., 22 November 2022.

View the recording of the 41st Annual Convocation of SSSIHL: https://youtu.be/_6ryjlOguf4

View more pictures here.

About the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning

The Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (SSSIHL) (Deemed-to-be-University), Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh, India, is one of the few institutions in the world offering values-based education to students at the University level. Ethics and morals form the undercurrent of every subject taught at the Deemed to be University, providing a holistic framework of inter-personal development for its students combined with academic excellence. SSSIHL follows a merit-based open admissions policy for all irrespective of income, religion, or region and provides quality education free for all students.

The Deemed-to-be university hosts students from across the country at its four campuses in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, India and provides free education to all programmes of study. The programmes offered include undergraduate, postgraduate, professional and research. It has a merit-based open admissions policy for all, irrespective of income, religion or social status.

SSSIHL also provides a strong research environment, with exceptional academic practices, that has resulted in the growth of national and international collaborations. The Central Research Instruments Facility (CRIF), based at the Prasanthi Nilayam Campus of the SSSIHL, is one of the few facilities in the country that houses advanced Characterisation / Analytical Tools to carry out Translational Research in various areas of Science and Technology.

For further information, visit: sssihl.edu.in

Media contact: Registrar, SSSIHL, email: [email protected] or [email protected]. Tel: +91 8555287239

Prasanthi Nilayam, 07 October 2022:

The World Space Week 2022 Celebrations at Prasanthi Nilayam came to a close today, Friday, 07 October. The celebrations were held by Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (SSSIHL) in collaboration with the Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota, ISRO, Department of Space, Government of India.

The valedictory ceremony began with invocatory chants by the students of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning and the traditional lighting of the lamp by the Chief Guest Shri R J Rathnakar Managing Trustee, Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust (SSSCT), Guest of Honour Dr. S Sankaran, Chief General Manager, SMP & ETF, SDSC SHAR, ISRO, the Vice-Chancellor, SSSIHL, Prof. (Dr.) C B Sanjeevi, and Shri C Muralidhar, Chairman, WSW, Puttaparthi.

In his welcome address, Shri C Muralidhar said that the objective of the programme was to ignite young minds and reiterated the need to conserve outer space for future generations. He said that the activities conducted as part of the outreach received a huge response and observed that the students were very unique and highly talented. Sharing details of the participation he said over 3700 students took part in the Space talent test, 470 entries were received for the Poster competition, and over 40 for elocution. In addition, the competition was also extended to Anantapur, which saw 247 students participating in essay writing and 70 for Extempore. The walk for space on 04 October, he said saw over 400 students participating. A short video was then played with clips and photographs from various activities held. View video.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. (Dr.) C B Sanjeevi then shared how the overall event and the various scientific lectures and interactions with students have already led to discussions for potential partnerships and collaborations with various centers. Discussions to have a value-added course on Satellite making, he indicated are underway. With a variety of other initiatives in the pipeline, Prof. (Dr.) C B Sanjeevi said he was very hopeful some of them will materialize very soon. He expressed his gratitude to the SDSC SHAR team for this wonderful opportunity.

The Guest of Honour Dr. S Sankaran, Chief General Manager, SMP & ETF, SDSC SHAR, ISRO in his address said that both ISRO and SSSIHL shared a few things in common – Discipline being first, and other was that caste, creed, and religion had no place in the organisation and all worked together to a common goal. He praised the institution for instilling such ‘humility and discipline in students. From his recent interaction with the students at the campus, Dr. S Sankaran was very hopeful to see some collaboration and also wished some of them would be part of ISRO someday.

The Chief -Guest Shri R J Rathnakar, Managing Trustee, SSSCT in his address said that technology has grown leaps and bounds in the last few decades, and that barely over 100 years ago man invented the airplane, and today we talk of various missions to space and planets. He went on to share how closely both Science and Spirituality are interconnected and can co-exist. He said all Indians are extremely proud of the work our Scientists at ISRO do and of their contribution to society.

Shri R J Rathnakar and Prof. (Dr.) C B Sanjeevi was then felicitated by Dr. S Sankaran, and Shri C Muralidhar on behalf of SDSC SHAR, ISRO. Three Satellite photographs of the State of Andhra Pradesh, Puttaparthi, and Sri Sathya Sai District were also presented to them by the SDSC SHAR team. Both Dr. S Sankaran, and Shri C Muralidhar too were felicitated on behalf of SSSIHL.

The students and staff from all four campuses of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (Anantapur, Muddenahalli, Brindavan, and Prasanthi Nilayam), and the Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School, Primary School, and Smt. Easwaramma High School in Prasanthi Nilayam was extremely fortunate to witness and participate in the celebrations. The students of the Institute (SSSIHL) were also immensely blessed to listen to and interact with senior ISRO Scientists and hear from them the fascinating growth stories of the Indian Space Programme along with experiences, challenges, and learnings from various projects and missions they have been a part of. In addition, they all had the opportunity to view some of the amazing work done by the SDSC SHAR Scientists through the exhibits which also included scaled-down versions of their launches.

The 2022 theme ‘Space and Sustainability’ was an eye-opener for many. The World Space week teaser video gave the students an overview of the threats posed by increasing space debris and the need for more responsible use of space and an action plan to mitigate this.

Prizes to winners of all the competitions held for school children both boys and girls were then handed over. This included winners of the Space talent test, Elocution, Poster and Drawing competition, and online quiz and photography. In the end, SSSIHL felicitated the whole team of SDSC SHAR who worked hard to make this event a grand success.

The ceremony concluded with the National Anthem and Aarathi to Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

World Space Week is an international celebration of Space Science and Technology and their contribution to the betterment of human conditions. Every year, 4 -10 October is celebrated by more than 70 nations as World Space Week in commemoration of the launch of the first man-made Earth Satellite, Sputnik-I on 4th October 1957, and the signing of the treaty on principles governing the activities of states in the exploration and peaceful uses of outer space including the moon and other celestial bodies by a resolution in the UNO on 10th October 1967.

The valedictory event was streamed live on YouTube: https://youtu.be/HIbc4-QOQaA

View pictures from the event.

About the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning

The Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (SSSIHL) (Deemed-to-be-University), Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh, India, is one of the few institutions in the world offering values-based education to students at the University level. Ethics and morals form the undercurrent of every subject taught at the Deemed to be University, providing a holistic framework of inter-personal development for its students combined with academic excellence. SSSIHL follows a merit-based open admissions policy for all irrespective of income, religion, or region and provides quality education free for all students.

The Deemed-to-be university hosts students from across the country at its four campuses in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, India and provides free education to all programmes of study. The programmes offered include undergraduate, postgraduate, professional and research. It has a merit-based open admissions policy for all, irrespective of income, religion or social status.

SSSIHL also provides a strong research environment, with exceptional academic practices, that has resulted in the growth of national and international collaborations. The Central Research Instruments Facility (CRIF), based at the Prasanthi Nilayam Campus of the SSSIHL, is one of the few facilities in the country that houses advanced Characterisation / Analytical Tools to carry out Translational Research in various areas of Science and Technology.

For further information, visit: sssihl.edu.in

Media contact:

The Registrar, SSSIHL, email: [email protected] or [email protected]. Tel: +91 8555287239

Prasanthi Nilayam, 05 October 2022:

The inaugural ceremony of the “World Space Week (WSW) 2022” celebrations took place at the Sri Sathya Sai International Centre for Sports, Prasanthi Nilayam, Puttaparthi, Sri Sathya Sai District, Andhra Pradesh. The theme for this year’s celebrations worldwide is ‘Space and Sustainability’.

Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (SSSIHL) in association with Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota, ISRO, Department of Space, Government of India, is celebrating the “World Space Week 2022” from 5th-7th October 2022.

The Governor of Andhra Pradesh His Excellency Shri Biswabhushan Harichandan was the Chief Guest and the event was presided over by Shri A Rajarajan, Distinguished Scientist & Director, SDSC SHAR, ISRO.

The dignitaries on the stage included, Shri R J Rathnakar Managing Trustee, Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust (SSSCT), the Chancellor, SSSIHL, Shri K Chakravarthi, Vice-Chancellor, SSSIHL, Prof. (Dr.) C B Sanjeevi, Shri R Senthil Kumar, Dy. Director, MSA, SDSC SHAR, Shri C Muralidhar, Chairman, WSW, Puttaparthi, District Collector Shri P Basanth Kumar, I.A.S, Member of Parliament Shri Gorantla Madhav, and Shri D Sreedhar Reddy, MLA, Puttaparthi.

The event began with the National anthem, followed by invocatory chants by the students of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning and the traditional lighting of the lamp by the Governor and other dignitaries on the stage.

This was followed by a short felicitation ceremony. On behalf of SDSC SHAR, ISRO Shri A Rajarajan, Director, SDSC SHAR felicitated the Chief Guest the Governor H.E. Shri Biswabhushan Harichandan, and other dignitaries on the stage. Shri R J Rathnakar Managing Trustee, SSSCT and the Vice-chancellor, SSSIHL, Prof. (Dr.) C B Sanjeevi felicitated the Governor H.E. Shri Biswabhushan Harichandan, Shri A Rajarajan, Director, SDSC SHAR, and all other dignitaries on the stage on behalf of SSSIHL.

Shri C Muralidhar, Chairman, WSW, Puttaparthi, delivered the welcome address during which he outlined the importance of making space cleaner and using it more responsibly which he said was the thought behind this year’s global theme “Space and Sustainability”. As part of this year’s celebrations, he also shared that SDSC SHAR has conducted several competitions to reach out to the student community across the Sri Sathya Sai District which includes, Space talent test, essay writing, painting, quiz, and drawing, which has received an overwhelming response.

The 2022 World Space Week teaser video was then released by the Hon’ble Governor which gave the audience an understanding of the theme ‘Space and Sustainability’ and the gamut of activities SDSC SHAR is conducting through the World Space Week Celebration programs organised in 7 locations Cuttack, Karaikal, Chennai, Vellore, Vizianagaram, Guntur, and Puttaparthi, other than Sriharikota.

This was followed by an address by Shri R Senthil Kumar, Dy. Director, MSA, SDSC SHAR who stated that the objective of the event will be met if it can inspire at least ten students toward space science and technology.

The Vice-Chancellor, SSSIHL, Prof. (Dr.) C B Sanjeevi in his address said the event was a great opportunity for SSSIHL and its Students. He was highly positive about a collaboration soon to support the SSSIHL team in the building of a satellite that he hoped will be called ‘Sai Satellite’.

Shri R J Rathnakar, Managing Trustee, SSSCT in his address expressed his gratitude to the team of SDSC SHAR, ISRO for partnering with SSSIHL and holding the celebration in Prasanthi Nilayam and said it is a proud moment for SSSIHL fraternity to be associated with India’s most prestigious institution. He then spoke about the ‘Special Consultative Status’ conferred upon the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust by The United Nations (ECOSOC) for its unparalleled humanitarian work. He said it was important to educate people about how society benefits from space science and technology and thanked the Scientists at ISRO for their amazing work and for making India proud. Shri Rathnakar also thanked the Hon’ble Governor for taking the time to grace the occasion.

Shri A Rajarajan, Director, SDSC, in his address said that from the days of the first sounding rockets from Thumba to the GSLV, the Indian Space Programmes has come a very long way and the credit goes to Dr. Vikram Sarabhai for the vision he had and the strong foundation he laid and to Prof Satish Dhawan for making Sarabhai’s vision a reality. He said that in the 1970s when scientists around the globe were focused on proving their might in space, Sarabhai was working on using space applications to carry information to remote places that can benefit the common man, a technology commonly known today as DTH. He went on to share the various areas of benefits that satellites provide to humanity. Shri A Rajarajan saluted SSSIHL’s holistic approach to education and for producing model citizens and said he was proud of this association. He went on to share that one of his colleagues is an SSSIHL Alumnus and doing the organization proud.

The Chief Guest, Governor of Andhra Pradesh H.E. Shri Biswabhushan Harichandan then addressed the students. The history of India’s prestigious institution ISRO he said, is an interesting and inspirational story for Indians. He said Dr. Vikram Sarabhai is considered the founding father of the Indian Space Programme and Prof Satish Dhawan is known as the architect who converted the dreams and vision of Sarabhai into reality.
He then spoke about the importance of sustainability in space and said the orbital area around the earth is a finite resource and its use will define its sustainability in the long run. In today’s context, he said conservation will need to be slightly redefined as a state of harmony between man, land, and space, quoting the noted American author, philosopher, and scientist Aldo Leopold. He emphasised the need to clean up space debris to ensure there is no threat to future missions. He said India’s space debris monitoring project NETRA is a domestic surveillance system that will support all sustainability initiatives of ISRO by providing the required data. He spoke on the increasing role of the private sector, especially start-ups, and said they should be encouraged with a set of sustainability guidelines to ensure optimum utilization of resources that will improve the productivity of space missions.

The inaugural ceremony concluded with the National Anthem and Aarathi to Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

The Governor then visited the exhibition and spent some time viewing the various exhibits showcased by the SDSC SHAR team. Students and the general public during the next 3-days will have an opportunity to view the outstanding work done by SDSC SHAR through their exhibits which will include posters from their projects, scaled-down versions of their launches, ISRO launch videos, and prize-winning competition posters of young student participants. Students from over 150 educational institutions in and around the Sri Sathya Sai District are expected to participate in the celebrations.

The students and staff of Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School, Primary School, Smt. Easwaramma High School and all the four campuses of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, senior members of the SSSIHL administration along with other members of the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust (SSSCT) were present at the event.

As a prelude to the celebrations, the students held a Space Walk (Walkathon) on 4 October 2022, through the town of Puttaparthi to create awareness about space science and our space programs with society. The space walk was flagged off by Sri Rahul Dev Singh, IPS, Superintendent of Police, Sri Sathya Sai District. View Recording.

World Space Week is an international celebration of Space Science and Technology and their contribution to the betterment of human conditions. Every year, 4 -10 October is celebrated by more than 70 nations as World Space Week in commemoration of the launch of the first man-made Earth Satellite, Sputnik-I on 4th October 1957, and the signing of the treaty on principles governing the activities of states in the exploration and peaceful uses of outer space including the moon and other celestial bodies by a resolution in the UNO on 10th October 1967.

The inaugural event was streamed live on YouTube: https://youtu.be/3VvcpblVSmw

View Pictures from the event

About the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning

The Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (SSSIHL) (Deemed-to-be-University), Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh, India, is one of the few institutions in the world offering values-based education to students at the University level. Ethics and morals form the undercurrent of every subject taught at the Deemed to be University, providing a holistic framework of inter-personal development for its students combined with academic excellence. SSSIHL follows a merit-based open admissions policy for all irrespective of income, religion, or region and provides quality education free for all students.

The Deemed-to-be university hosts students from across the country at its four campuses in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, India and provides free education to all programmes of study. The programmes offered include undergraduate, postgraduate, professional and research. It has a merit-based open admissions policy for all, irrespective of income, religion or social status.

SSSIHL also provides a strong research environment, with exceptional academic practices, that has resulted in the growth of national and international collaborations. The Central Research Instruments Facility (CRIF), based at the Prasanthi Nilayam Campus of the SSSIHL, is one of the few facilities in the country that houses advanced Characterisation / Analytical Tools to carry out Translational Research in various areas of Science and Technology.

For further information, visit: sssihl.edu.in

Media contact:

The Registrar, SSSIHL, email: [email protected] or [email protected]. Tel: +91 8555287239

Prasanthi Nilayam, 03 October 2022:

Three eminent Scientists from ISRO Dr. V. Seshagiri Rao, Fmr. Distinguished Scientist and Fmr. Associate Director, SDSC, ISRO, Mrs. Nandini Harinath, Deputy Director, Spacecraft Operations, ISRO, and Dr. R. Umamaheswaran, Distinguished Scientist & Director HSFC, ISRO. participated in the Vistas in Space Science event held on 03 October 2022 in Prasanthi Nilayam campus of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning.

Dr. V. Seshagiri Rao spoke to the students on the topic ‘Making of Mini, Micro, and Nano Satellites and Applications Scenario. He began by giving a wonderful bird’s eye view of the vastness of the universe and how insignificant human efforts are in understanding the creation, despite glorious achievements over the decades. Dwelling on the Satellites and their applications he stressed the importance of size which he said is a function of mass, time cost, and utility.

Ocean mapping, research, urban and regional planning, water resource management, weather forecast, environmental monitoring, bushfire mapping, forestry, road mapping, horticulture, infrastructure, and land management, energy resources, and emergency and disaster response are several satellite applications Dr. V. Seshagiri Rao shared in addition to broadband mapping globally, and communication.

The biggest players in satellite making he said are private organisations and universities followed by space agencies, military, non-profits, institutes, schools, and individuals. 1157 satellites of 1853 planned have been launched by companies and Universities have launched 563 satellites of 1044 planned so far. Giving the students a glimpse of the scheduling and budgeting of making and launching satellites, Dr. V. Seshagiri Rao said satellites can be made for as less as 2000 USD today.

The second speaker Mrs. Nandini Harinath spoke on ‘Glimpses of ISRO’s Inspiring Mission’. She touched upon the GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) and Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), Search and Rescue distress system through COSPAS-SARSAT. An important part of her talk revolved around Space Debris mitigation which aimed to reduce the creation of new debris and active Debris removal aimed to reduce the re-entry period of selected space debris and transport the target into a graveyard orbit. She highlighted how way back in 2007, India entered the elite club of countries having re-entry technology. She spoke about the PSLV C7 / SRE Mission which deployed recovery systems and ensured successful recovery on re-entry.

Speaking about the future missions, Mrs. Nandini Harinath said that NISAR a joint earth observation mission between NASA and ISRO will carry radars that will measure the Earth’s ecosystem collecting data on melting glaciers, rising ocean levels, tectonic plates movement of the earth, and more, and will be one of the most expensive satellites ever made. Aditya L1, due for launch in 2023, will observe and study the sun.

Mrs. Nandini Harinath then spoke on the popular Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) India’s first interplanetary mission. She outlined the challenges of the mission as – developing hardware to survive in the martian environment, deep space communication, and most important the short launch window of 18 months from project approval to launch, so that the mission is launched when Mars is 46 degrees ahead of the earth which was critical to its success. Mrs. Nandini Harinath said, that learning from mistakes made by others was critical to success in the first mission itself.

Dr. R. Umamaheswaran spoke on “Indian Space Odyssey – Sounding Rockets till Gaganyaan”. He highlighted the importance of the first sounding rocket launched from Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching System (TERLS), Kerala in 1963 and spoke about the expansion of ISRO in the 1970s. ISRO, he said was always open to collaboration with Industry and International agencies. The 1970s and 1980s he said were an era of satellite launches – from Aryabhata in 1975 to Bhaskara 1 and 11 in 1979 and 1981, APPLE in 1981, the INSAT Series and RS D1 and D2, and IRS -1A.

Dr. R. Umamaheswaran shared how India improved its launch capability from SLV and ASLV to PSLV and GSLV. The PSLV he said was a quantum jump in making the next-gen launch vehicle that has seen over 53 launches including Chandrayaan and MOM and several international launches. He said the evolution of the Indian Space programme can be categorised into 4 phases – Initiation Phase (the 1960s-70s), Experimental Phase (1980s), Operational Phase (1990s), and Expansion phase (2000s). He then took the audience through all the major milestones of India’s space programme. He even touched upon the GSLV D5 mission for which he was the vehicle Director and the struggles and joy of finding success at the end. Dr. R. Umamaheswaran spoke about how the PSLV C37 launched 104 satellites creating a world record. Talking about satellite applications, he highlighted how remote sensing data today is being used very effectively to help the common man and shared a host of Communication and Navigation applications.

Speaking on Gaganyaan, Dr. R. Umamaheswaran said the thought process for human space flight started in 2002. The study and research over the years translated to a pre-project team in 2011 and finally the announcement of India’s first manned mission Gaganyaan programme. He took the audience deep into the design and architecture of the vehicle highlighting the Crew Escape System (CES) at the top, in case of any eventualities during the launch. The initial mission he said is designed for 3 days.

He highlighted the role of IN SPACE started by the Government of India to have a single window interface for industry, academia, and private institutions and to support their active participation.

The speakers were felicitated at the end of their talks by the Chancellor, Shri K. Chakravarthi and the Vice Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) Carani Sanjeevi of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning.

For the students and faculty, it was an unforgettable experience that has left them highly inspired.

The event was streamed live on the SSSIHL YouTube Channel:
Session 1: https://youtu.be/foADz5DpEuk
Session 2: https://youtu.be/rsxmGLPc92s

About the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning

The Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (SSSIHL) (Deemed-to-be-University), Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh, India, is one of the few institutions in the world offering values-based education to students at the University level. Ethics and morals form the undercurrent of every subject taught at the Deemed to be University, providing a holistic framework of inter-personal development for its students combined with academic excellence. SSSIHL follows a merit-based open admissions policy for all irrespective of income, religion, or region and provides quality education free for all students.

The Deemed-to-be university hosts students from across the country at its four campuses in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, India and provides free education to all programmes of study. The programmes offered include undergraduate, postgraduate, professional and research. It has a merit-based open admissions policy for all, irrespective of income, religion or social status.

SSSIHL also provides a strong research environment, with exceptional academic practices, that has resulted in the growth of national and international collaborations. The Central Research Instruments Facility (CRIF), based at the Prasanthi Nilayam Campus of the SSSIHL, is one of the few facilities in the country that houses advanced Characterisation / Analytical Tools to carry out Translational Research in various areas of Science and Technology.

For further information, visit: sssihl.edu.in

Media contact:

The Registrar, SSSIHL, email: [email protected] or [email protected]. Tel: +91 8555287239

Prasanthi Nilayam, 01 October 2022:

Eminent Scientist and astrophysicist and the Chancellor, Central University of Rajasthan Padma Vibhushan Dr. K. Kasturirangan, delivered the memorial address at the S G Sundaraswamy Memorial Lecture, held at the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (Deemed-to-be-University), Prasanthi Nilayam, Andhra Pradesh, on Saturday, 01 October 2021.

Speaking on the topic ‘Evolution of Space Science in India’ Dr. K. Kasturirangan gave the students and his listeners a beautiful bird’s eye view of his illustrious career at ISRO right from the day he was picked by Dr. Vikram Sarabhai till he retired as its Chairman in 2003, sharing alongside the growth story of India’s space technology under the leadership of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, also known as the father of Indian Space program who was later succeeded by Prof. Satish Dhawan.

Dr. Kasturirangan spoke passionately reminiscing about the days of working on Bhaskara 1 to the launch of IRS/INSAT and PSLVs to modern-day planetary missions like Chandrayaan. He touched upon the challenges of building satellites right from scratch in the early years in 40 months and the success of taking the first pictures from space and the quantum leap of improvement achieved by ISRO in two decades with capabilities that were on par with the best in the world, building world-class satellites in remote sensing. He spoke about how PSLV is one of the finest launch vehicles in the world and that ASTROSAT recently completed 7 years of operations. He also mentioned ISRO’s future missions to Venus and the solar observation project (Aditya L1).

Dr. Kasturirangan also shared the role of the political class and their contribution to all the projects and launches and that he had the opportunity to work with four Prime Ministers during his tenure as Chairman of ISRO and two Prime Ministers as Member of Planning Commission and later Chairman of NEP and NCF currently.Dr. Kasturirangan also shared the role of the political class and their contribution to all the projects and launches and that he had the opportunity to work with four Prime Ministers during his tenure as Chairman of ISRO and two Prime Ministers as Member of Planning Commission and later Chairman of NEP and NCF currently.

As summarized well by Dr. Kasturirangan himself, his talk took us through his extraordinary journey filled with great opportunities, exciting experiences, and memorable events, inspiring and igniting the young minds listening to dream and pursue the dream with passion.

Dr. Kasturirangan was with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for over a period of nearly 35 years including nearly 10 years as its Chairman from 1994-2003. He worked on the design and development of early satellite systems of ISRO and played a key role in shaping India’s remote sensing satellite capabilities.

Currently, the Chancellor of the Central University of Rajasthan, Dr. Kasturirangan is also a Member of all the four National Science Academies of India and several International academies. He is a Member of the International Astronomical Union and a Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS). He is an Academician of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Vatican City, and an Honorary Fellow of Cardiff University, UK. Dr. Kasturirangan is the only Indian to be conferred the Honorary Membership of the International Academy of Astronautics.

More recently, he was the Chairman of the Committee that drafted the National Education Policy; presently he is the Chairman of the National Steering Committee for developing the National Curricular Framework.

He is a recipient of several awards and recognitions including the highest civilian honors Padma Shri (1982), Padma Bhushan (1992), and Padma Vibhushan (2000) by the President of India, and the Award of ‘Officer of the Legion d’honneur’ (2002) by the President of the French Republic, France.

The event was attended by Sri S S Naganand, Member, Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust (SSSCT), Shri K Chakravarthi, Chancellor, and Prof. (Dr.) C B Sanjeevi, Vice-Chancellor, and Prof. B Sai Giridhar, Registrar of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning.

Dr. K. Kasturirangan’s memorial lecture on space science will also be a prelude to the World Space Week 2022 celebrations set to be kicked off on the 4 October 2022.

View Recording on: https://youtu.be/GAm5qyR8s0o

About the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning

The Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (SSSIHL) (Deemed-to-be-University), Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh, India, is one of the few institutions in the world offering values-based education to students at the University level. Ethics and morals form the undercurrent of every subject taught at the Deemed to be University, providing a holistic framework of inter-personal development for its students combined with academic excellence. SSSIHL follows a merit-based open admissions policy for all irrespective of income, religion, or region and provides quality education free for all students.

The Deemed-to-be university hosts students from across the country at its four campuses in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, India and provides free education to all programmes of study. The programmes offered include undergraduate, postgraduate, professional and research. It has a merit-based open admissions policy for all, irrespective of income, religion or social status.

SSSIHL also provides a strong research environment, with exceptional academic practices, that has resulted in the growth of national and international collaborations. The Central Research Instruments Facility (CRIF), based at the Prasanthi Nilayam Campus of the SSSIHL, is one of the few facilities in the country that houses advanced Characterisation / Analytical Tools to carry out Translational Research in various areas of Science and Technology.

For further information, visit: sssihl.edu.in

Media contact:

The Registrar, SSSIHL, email: [email protected] or [email protected]. Tel: +91 8555287239