Bhubaneswar: The 18th grand finale of the Tata Steel Young Astronomers Talent Search (YATS) was hosted at the Pathani Samanta Planetarium in Bhubaneswar, celebrating the achievements of young scientific minds from across Odisha.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, the chief guest at the event, paid homage to the legendary astronomer Pathani Samanta.
Highlighting Samanta’s contributions, he noted that in 1835, the astronomer from Khandapada, Nayagarh, accurately predicted solar and lunar eclipses using simple bamboo sticks.
He also praised other Indian luminaries like Aryabhata, Brahmagupta, Varahamihira, and Bhaskara for their remarkable contributions to astronomy.
The Chief Minister emphasized India’s rising stature in space science, mentioning the nation’s accomplishments, such as Chandrayaan-3, Aditya-L1, and the ambitious Gaganyaan project.
He noted that India is the first country to land a spacecraft on the Moon’s South Pole and shared Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to establish India’s own space station by 2035 and send the first Indian to the Moon by 2040. He encouraged the students to contribute to these historic missions, underscoring their potential to shape India’s future in science.
During the event, 30 outstanding students from 23 districts of Odisha were awarded for their achievements and will have the opportunity to visit ISRO for an educational tour.
Minister for Science and Technology Krushna Chandra Patra, addressing the gathering, celebrated India’s scientific progress since the time of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who had coined the slogan “Jai Vigyan” to complement former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri’s “Jai Jawan Jai Kisan.”
Patra emphasized that the young talents being recognized are the nation’s strength and announced plans to establish a planetarium and an Astro Physics & Astronomy Institute in Khandapada to honour Pathani Samanta’s legacy.
Other dignitaries, including Khandapada MLA Dushmant Swain, Development Commissioner Anu Garg, and Science and Technology Principal Secretary Chitra Arumugam, delivered motivational speeches encouraging students to pursue careers in science.
The event began with a welcome address by Rajiv Kumar, Vice President, Operations, Tata Steel Kalinganagar, and concluded with a vote of thanks by Urmiprabha Maharana, In-charge Director of Pathani Samanta Planetarium.
