New Delhi, September 06 (H.S.): Congress general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh has accused the Centre of curtailing the role of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in the name of promoting private companies and start-ups in the space sector. He said the process of handing over capabilities developed through six decades of hard work by scientists and ISRO employees to the private sector was a matter of serious concern.

On Sunday, Ramesh shared on X a newspaper clipping highlighting concerns raised by nine ISRO employees’ organisations over the growing role of the private sector. He also shared a video of an earlier speech he had delivered in the Rajya Sabha on the same issue, in which he had emphasised the public character of India’s space programme and the autonomy of scientific institutions.

Ramesh said it was commendable that concerns over privatisation were being voiced from within the ISRO community itself. Referring to the success of a recent Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) mission, he said the achievement demonstrated ISRO’s capabilities. He also noted that a former ISRO chairman had raised concerns over privatisation and said other scientists should not remain silent either.

He alleged that the government was moving towards aggressive privatisation of the space programme. According to Ramesh, preparations were underway to limit ISRO’s role in rocket development and manufacturing and to transfer satellite-related resources to private companies. He also raised questions about the new spaceport being developed at Kulasekarapattinam in Tamil Nadu and the future of the Sriharikota launch centre.

Ramesh said private participation in the space sector could be supported, but it should not come at the cost of weakening ISRO. He described ISRO as part of India’s scientific heritage and asserted that the country could not compromise its scientific backbone.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar