MG Singh wrote:

A nation must have priorities. India invariably invites comparison with China which has been regularly launching space men and space statioins. To say our space is cheaper is neither here nor there  as a PG in physics  and my interaction with scientists at ISRo, 2 of who are my classmates, the space research done in India is just duplicate of what is done by US and other nations. Its infructuous and not needed.

The first priority is food and Medicare for entire population.  Our percapita consumption of food grain gone down and 99% of masses have no Medicare. Have people ever thought that there are nations intent on removing hunger and improving living standards and not doing space research , which in any case we lag. So people must think. An example is our National physical labs who have wasted crores and done no research in any field. Even Modi commented it.  

I agree with you on the second part completely. Each nation should have set priorities with importance given to the wellbeing of its citizens and that we MUST totally focus on providing food and healthcare. But here, there is one more aspect I wish to draw your attention to, will cutting down space research costs help? It may be well true, as you have heard it from people working in ISRO so there is cause for me to doubt it, but there are other things which are more unnecessary than space budget such as the sinfully enormous amounts spent on films and cricket which can be used instead for the more obvious and important priorities. While India may just be duplicating work already being done in US, or China etc. but can we really afford to stop it altogether and try to catch up years down the line when we can? Can we truly afford to depend on others for space technology or communication satellites etc without being fearful of our security? I am no expert so would like know your view on this!

@MGSingh seems to be confused. In a country of India's size and growing economy needs to have work going on all fronts. Space exploration happens to be one such area with long term benefits in many areas of the economy. Throwing random figures like 99 % of population do not have medicine and food consumption has gone down are not backed by facts.ISRO has had to create complete infrastructures by itself without foreign assistance as they were boycotted esp by USA on one pretext or other. It is a tribute to them that they have demonstrated that they can do so on their own.Modi commenting on performance of NPL's has no weaning as these labs have helped in many areas, Singh seems to be meeting only pessimists all the time. Time to change friends.

Well said. ISRO has attained self sufficiency in the space technology and ISRO has been using these technologies in generating revenue by launching satellites of other countries.

Kalyani Nandurkar wrote:

MG Singh wrote:

A nation must have priorities. India invariably invites comparison with China which has been regularly launching space men and space statioins. To say our space is cheaper is neither here nor there  as a PG in physics  and my interaction with scientists at ISRo, 2 of who are my classmates, the space research done in India is just duplicate of what is done by US and other nations. Its infructuous and not needed.

The first priority is food and Medicare for entire population.  Our percapita consumption of food grain gone down and 99% of masses have no Medicare. Have people ever thought that there are nations intent on removing hunger and improving living standards and not doing space research , which in any case we lag. So people must think. An example is our National physical labs who have wasted crores and done no research in any field. Even Modi commented it.  

I agree with you on the second part completely. Each nation should have set priorities with importance given to the wellbeing of its citizens and that we MUST totally focus on providing food and healthcare. But here, there is one more aspect I wish to draw your attention to, will cutting down space research costs help? It may be well true, as you have heard it from people working in ISRO so there is cause for me to doubt it, but there are other things which are more unnecessary than space budget such as the sinfully enormous amounts spent on films and cricket which can be used instead for the more obvious and important priorities. While India may just be duplicating work already being done in US, or China etc. but can we really afford to stop it altogether and try to catch up years down the line when we can? Can we truly afford to depend on others for space technology or communication satellites etc without being fearful of our security? I am no expert so would like know your view on this!

India has always had a lop sided growth - no proper roads, infra structure, not even proper toilets , peasants committing suicide with hunger and shame because they cannot pay back loans amounting to as little as a few thousand rupees on one hand but we have Industrialists , business men and celebrities living in their mansions oblivious of the world around them and caring two hoots for the rest of the population and a full fledged space research center which to those suffering may seem like a wasteful expenditure since they don't get any benefit out of it ..

usha manohar wrote:

Kalyani Nandurkar wrote:

MG Singh wrote:

A nation must have priorities. India invariably invites comparison with China which has been regularly launching space men and space statioins. To say our space is cheaper is neither here nor there  as a PG in physics  and my interaction with scientists at ISRo, 2 of who are my classmates, the space research done in India is just duplicate of what is done by US and other nations. Its infructuous and not needed.

The first priority is food and Medicare for entire population.  Our percapita consumption of food grain gone down and 99% of masses have no Medicare. Have people ever thought that there are nations intent on removing hunger and improving living standards and not doing space research , which in any case we lag. So people must think. An example is our National physical labs who have wasted crores and done no research in any field. Even Modi commented it.  

I agree with you on the second part completely. Each nation should have set priorities with importance given to the wellbeing of its citizens and that we MUST totally focus on providing food and healthcare. But here, there is one more aspect I wish to draw your attention to, will cutting down space research costs help? It may be well true, as you have heard it from people working in ISRO so there is cause for me to doubt it, but there are other things which are more unnecessary than space budget such as the sinfully enormous amounts spent on films and cricket which can be used instead for the more obvious and important priorities. While India may just be duplicating work already being done in US, or China etc. but can we really afford to stop it altogether and try to catch up years down the line when we can? Can we truly afford to depend on others for space technology or communication satellites etc without being fearful of our security? I am no expert so would like know your view on this!

India has always had a lop sided growth - no proper roads, infra structure, not even proper toilets , peasants committing suicide with hunger and shame because they cannot pay back loans amounting to as little as a few thousand rupees on one hand but we have Industrialists , business men and celebrities living in their mansions oblivious of the world around them and caring two hoots for the rest of the population and a full fledged space research center which to those suffering may seem like a wasteful expenditure since they don't get any benefit out of it ..

Very true Usha...but then the point you raised about the many poor not being able to pay back loans is also something for which the fault lays with the people themselves too. I am not trying to be insensitive but I have read numerous accounts of farmers and nonfarmers too who borrow money at enormous rates from moneylenders and banks etc. to celebrate weddings, other functions which clearly they cannot afford to. Also, for the past many decades, the farmers and people in general have gotten used to receiving free subsidies and debts being waived off on account of many things, compassion being the foremost and chief reason. But as a country, such compassion is extremely costly not just moneywise but it does more harm to the people it is intended to help by crippling them in mind. They lose all faith in themselves and do nothing substantial to extricate themselves out of a bad situation. And like we discussed some time back, even though clear benefits cannot be seen out of space research, it cannot be said that it is a waste.

At present farmers in the far off places are getting latest weather reports, farming information use of right fertilizers, right seeds in the right season and  all other information pertaining to how to store their crop from the weather ravages in the nearest warehouses . All this  could become possible through satellite communication which is now has a net work that covers all the villages in a region.

Kalyani Nandurkar wrote:

usha manohar wrote:

Kalyani Nandurkar wrote:

MG Singh wrote:

A nation must have priorities. India invariably invites comparison with China which has been regularly launching space men and space statioins. To say our space is cheaper is neither here nor there  as a PG in physics  and my interaction with scientists at ISRo, 2 of who are my classmates, the space research done in India is just duplicate of what is done by US and other nations. Its infructuous and not needed.

The first priority is food and Medicare for entire population.  Our percapita consumption of food grain gone down and 99% of masses have no Medicare. Have people ever thought that there are nations intent on removing hunger and improving living standards and not doing space research , which in any case we lag. So people must think. An example is our National physical labs who have wasted crores and done no research in any field. Even Modi commented it.  

I agree with you on the second part completely. Each nation should have set priorities with importance given to the wellbeing of its citizens and that we MUST totally focus on providing food and healthcare. But here, there is one more aspect I wish to draw your attention to, will cutting down space research costs help? It may be well true, as you have heard it from people working in ISRO so there is cause for me to doubt it, but there are other things which are more unnecessary than space budget such as the sinfully enormous amounts spent on films and cricket which can be used instead for the more obvious and important priorities. While India may just be duplicating work already being done in US, or China etc. but can we really afford to stop it altogether and try to catch up years down the line when we can? Can we truly afford to depend on others for space technology or communication satellites etc without being fearful of our security? I am no expert so would like know your view on this!

India has always had a lop sided growth - no proper roads, infra structure, not even proper toilets , peasants committing suicide with hunger and shame because they cannot pay back loans amounting to as little as a few thousand rupees on one hand but we have Industrialists , business men and celebrities living in their mansions oblivious of the world around them and caring two hoots for the rest of the population and a full fledged space research center which to those suffering may seem like a wasteful expenditure since they don't get any benefit out of it ..

Very true Usha...but then the point you raised about the many poor not being able to pay back loans is also something for which the fault lays with the people themselves too. I am not trying to be insensitive but I have read numerous accounts of farmers and nonfarmers too who borrow money at enormous rates from moneylenders and banks etc. to celebrate weddings, other functions which clearly they cannot afford to. Also, for the past many decades, the farmers and people in general have gotten used to receiving free subsidies and debts being waived off on account of many things, compassion being the foremost and chief reason. But as a country, such compassion is extremely costly not just moneywise but it does more harm to the people it is intended to help by crippling them in mind. They lose all faith in themselves and do nothing substantial to extricate themselves out of a bad situation. And like we discussed some time back, even though clear benefits cannot be seen out of space research, it cannot be said that it is a waste.

Kalyani, it is a combination of many things - poverty, feudal set up of our society and coupled with that lack of knowledge which drives them to do things that gets them into financial entanglements. I hate the system where doles have become a way of life instead of making them self sufficient through spread of awareness. The leaders of our country have kept the farmers down there so that they could easily be manipulated ..

usha manohar wrote:

Kalyani Nandurkar wrote:

usha manohar wrote:

Kalyani Nandurkar wrote:

MG Singh wrote:

A nation must have priorities. India invariably invites comparison with China which has been regularly launching space men and space statioins. To say our space is cheaper is neither here nor there  as a PG in physics  and my interaction with scientists at ISRo, 2 of who are my classmates, the space research done in India is just duplicate of what is done by US and other nations. Its infructuous and not needed.

The first priority is food and Medicare for entire population.  Our percapita consumption of food grain gone down and 99% of masses have no Medicare. Have people ever thought that there are nations intent on removing hunger and improving living standards and not doing space research , which in any case we lag. So people must think. An example is our National physical labs who have wasted crores and done no research in any field. Even Modi commented it.  

I agree with you on the second part completely. Each nation should have set priorities with importance given to the wellbeing of its citizens and that we MUST totally focus on providing food and healthcare. But here, there is one more aspect I wish to draw your attention to, will cutting down space research costs help? It may be well true, as you have heard it from people working in ISRO so there is cause for me to doubt it, but there are other things which are more unnecessary than space budget such as the sinfully enormous amounts spent on films and cricket which can be used instead for the more obvious and important priorities. While India may just be duplicating work already being done in US, or China etc. but can we really afford to stop it altogether and try to catch up years down the line when we can? Can we truly afford to depend on others for space technology or communication satellites etc without being fearful of our security? I am no expert so would like know your view on this!

India has always had a lop sided growth - no proper roads, infra structure, not even proper toilets , peasants committing suicide with hunger and shame because they cannot pay back loans amounting to as little as a few thousand rupees on one hand but we have Industrialists , business men and celebrities living in their mansions oblivious of the world around them and caring two hoots for the rest of the population and a full fledged space research center which to those suffering may seem like a wasteful expenditure since they don't get any benefit out of it ..

Very true Usha...but then the point you raised about the many poor not being able to pay back loans is also something for which the fault lays with the people themselves too. I am not trying to be insensitive but I have read numerous accounts of farmers and nonfarmers too who borrow money at enormous rates from moneylenders and banks etc. to celebrate weddings, other functions which clearly they cannot afford to. Also, for the past many decades, the farmers and people in general have gotten used to receiving free subsidies and debts being waived off on account of many things, compassion being the foremost and chief reason. But as a country, such compassion is extremely costly not just moneywise but it does more harm to the people it is intended to help by crippling them in mind. They lose all faith in themselves and do nothing substantial to extricate themselves out of a bad situation. And like we discussed some time back, even though clear benefits cannot be seen out of space research, it cannot be said that it is a waste.

Kalyani, it is a combination of many things - poverty, feudal set up of our society and coupled with that lack of knowledge which drives them to do things that gets them into financial entanglements. I hate the system where doles have become a way of life instead of making them self sufficient through spread of awareness. The leaders of our country have kept the farmers down there so that they could easily be manipulated ..

True Usha, more than anything else, it is the doles that has caused more harm to the economy of India and no one still wants to wake up. When are we going to realise that there can never be an endless fund of money to be doled out just like that. It is quite ridiculous the manner in which money is doled out. People drink illegal poisonous hooch, give them money, people cross railway lines illegally without using proper bridges provided for it and are struck down by railways, give them money. Dig borewells and don't cover holes, a child falls down and maybe dies or survives but injured, give the parents money...the list is endless, no one wants to really help people on their own two feet.

It is becoming clear thru the posts of @MGSingh and @Usha and @ Kalyani that till there is not a single pot hole on any road in the country or not a single death due to hooch or -----. Till such time no money should be spent on space projects. Looks very unreasonable and confusing.

vijay wrote:

It is becoming clear thru the posts of @MGSingh and @Usha and @ Kalyani that till there is not a single pot hole on any road in the country or not a single death due to hooch or -----. Till such time no money should be spent on space projects. Looks very unreasonable and confusing.

On the other hand from my side I am giving reasons as to why many are opposed to the space program, personally I have no issues against it but at the same time I can see why some people are opposed to it !