Patra congratulates budding astronomers

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Science and Technology Minister Krushna Chandra Patra on Saturday congratulated the winners of Tata Steel’s Young Astronomer Talent Search (YATS) 2023 who are on their way to the Space Applications Centre (SAC) of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in Ahmedabad. Twenty students were selected from over 300 schools across 30 districts of Odisha to visit SAC and the Science City in Ahmedabad.

Speaking at a programme organised by Tata Steel in collaboration with Pathani Samanta Planetarium, Bhubaneswar, Patra said, “India is excelling in space science and research globally. I am confident these children will contribute significantly to this field. Congratulations to all the winners, and best wishes for their visit to ISRO where they will gain valuable insights.” Chithra Arumugam, Principal Secretary of the Science and Technology department, also congratulated the students selected from among 80,000 participants to explore the space application centre of ISRO in Ahmedabad.

“YATS has been a pioneering initiative encouraging students to expand their scientific curiosity beyond conventional academic boundaries. We are thrilled to provide these young achievers the opportunity to explore ISRO’s facilities and nurture their astronomical dreams,” said Debashis Jena, Chief Resident Executive (CRE) of Tata Steel, Bhubaneswar. The selected students will tour SAC labs, interact with its director and engage with leading space scientists. They will also visit Science City to delve deeper into astronomy and space science. Over its 17-year history, YATS has inspired over 350,000 young science enthusiasts in the State, with 200 students, including this year’s cohort, having the privilege of visiting various ISRO facilities.