India's journey of becoming a 'Vishwa Guru' has started via space: MoS Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh

Soon after Chandrayaan's successful landing on the Moon, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science and Technology, Atomic Energy and Space Dr Jitendra Singh while speaking to ETV Bharat's Anamika Ratna said it was a sign of Amritkaal that Prime Minister Modi often talks about.

New Delhi:As India on Wednesday successfully landed a spacecraft near the moon’s south pole, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science and Technology, Atomic Energy and Space Dr Jitendra Singh said there were years of hard work behind the success even as he praised Prime Minister Modi for making Space Department "open for all".

"The entire country, everyone in India acknowledged and felt this success because there was no secrecy involved. It is a sign of Amritkaal that Modi ji talks about," Dr Singh told ETV Bharat in an exclusive interview. "The journey (of becoming a vishwa guru) in 25 years that PM Modi often talks about has started via space," he said.

On Congress giving credit of Chandrayaan-3's success to former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, the Union Minister said: "I asked the media persons have they been able to report from the Bengaluru centre. They said no. So I told them this is the difference. There was a lot of secrecy involved since the times of Nehru ji which is not there anymore....Modi ji allowed the private sector into space. Today we have over 150 startups," he said.

Talking about the Chandrayaan-3 project, Dr Singh said the next 14 days are crucial. "For the next 14 days on earth and one day on the moon, the project would conduct multiple studies." He also said that Chandrayaan-3 was a very cost-effective mission and said India has proved that it has the ability to achieve success through cost-effective means.

After a failed attempt nearly four years ago, India made history by becoming the first country to touch down near the little-explored South Pole region and joined the United States, the Soviet Union and China in achieving a moon landing. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also hailed the Chandrayaan-3 mission and said “India is now on the moon”.