Bengaluru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday interacted with the women scientists of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), who were involved in the 'Chandrayaan-3' project, commending the key role that they played in the successful culmination of India's maiden lunar landing mission.
India became the first country to successfully place a lander on the uncharted lunar South Pole on Wednesday evening.
Addressing scientists at ISRO’s Telemetry Tracking and Command Network Mission Control Complex in Bengaluru on Saturday, PM Modi said, "Women scientists played a key role in the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission. The 'Shivkshakti' point (spot on the lunar South Pole where the 'Vikram' lander touched down) will inspire future generations to take up science in earnest and use it for the welfare of people. People's welfare remains our supreme commitment," PM Modi said to applause from the audience.
Congratulating the ISRO scientists on the historic lunar landing, PM Modi said they took the country to new heights. "You (ISRO scientists) took the country to new heights. It was not an ordinary achievement," PM Modi said.
"This mission demonstrates the power of our space research and programme. India is on the moon," PM Modi added in his address at the ISRO's Bengaluru headquarters.
"We also placed the symbol of our national pride (Tricolour) on the moon," PM Modi said to applause from the scientists.
Commending the ISRO scientists further, he added, "You took us to where nobody had gone before. This is today's Bharat. This is a fearless Bharat. This is an India brimming with new and innovative ideas. Our thinking has changed. This is an India, which is giving hope to the world even from the dark side of the moon."
"The Bharat of today will provide a solution to the biggest challenges that the world faces in the 21st century," PM Modi added.
"As our lander touched down on the lunar surface, not only did everyone here at the ISRO but people across the country and beyond erupted in unbridled celebrations. Who can ever forget that moment?" he added.
"Some moments are never to be forgotten. The lunar landing was one such moment," PM Modi added. Earlier, on Saturday, PM Modi was accorded a warm reception as he arrived at the ISRO headquarters.
He met the team of scientists involved in the country's third lunar mission and was pictured giving a hug to ISRO chief S Somanath. Locals, holding up posters and the tricolour had lined the streets outside the airport to welcome PM Modi.
Upon landing at the HAL airport in Bengaluru, he waved at the cheering locals and raised the slogan "Jai Vigyan Jai Anusandhan (Glory to Science, Glory to Research)" (ANI)
