India doing very well in space programmes: ISSI chief

NAGPUR: “India has chalked out an ambitious space programme with more than two launches every year. It is a matter of pride that it was India which proved existence of water on the moon. We should not compare Indian programme with that of other countries. We are doing very well competing with other space programmes in countries like USA, Russia, European Union, etc,” said Suresh Naik, former group director from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and chairman of International Space Society in India.
Naik was delivering the 10the Prof VG Bhide memorial lecture at Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT). The lecture was organized jointly by the Maharashtra Academy of Sciences, Nagpur chapter, Physics Promotion and Charitable Trust, Bal Vigyan Chalval Nagpur, VNIT and the Bhide and Kapre families.
Padma Shri awardee Prof VG Bhide, born in Daryapur in Amravati district, spent the early years of his academic career at the then College of Science. He was also scientific adviser to the then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, and retired as vice-chancellor of University of Pune in 1986.
Prof Bhide’s wife Prabha, daughter Dr Vidula Kapre, Nagpur chapter of the Maharashtra Academy of Sciences, VNIT, Physics Promotion Trust and Bal Vidnyan Chalwal jointly organize this lecture every year in his memory.
On the occasion, Bhide and Kapre families felicitated Anuj Apte from city who had won gold medal at the Asian Physics Olympiad held at China in May 2015 and had won silver medal at the International Physics Olympiad.
Prof Vilas Deshpande from applied physics department at VNIT and former physics professor MY Apte introduced the speaker, VNIT board of governors chairman, Vishram Jamdar, and VNIT director Narendra Chaudhari. Dr Neeti Kapre Gupta and Dr Gauri Kapre Vaidya conducted the proceedings. Dr Madan Kapre and Anant Bhide, director of Muktangan exploratory science centre at Pune, were also present.