During October 6-7, 2026, Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), jointly conducted a space science outreach programme at the Tagore College Seminar Hall, Sri Vijaya Puram, Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The event was attended by over 200 participants, including 180 undergraduate and post-graduate students from several disciplines of science, technology and engineering and about 20 faculty members from local academic institutes like DBRAIT college, JNRM, Centre for Pondicherry University, and the Tagore Government College of Education. The inaugural event was graced by Shri A S Kiran Kumar, former Chairman, ISRO / Secretary, DOS, member-space commission, as the chief guest, in the presence of Shri M R Raghavendra, Director, ISTRAC/ISRO, Prof. A.P. Dimri, Director, IIG, Dr. Tirtha Pratim Das, Director, Science Programme Office, ISRO Headquarters, and Shri Aditya Sangotra, DANICS, Director (Education/Sports/HE/S&T), A&N Administration.
During the inaugural event, Shri A S Kiran Kumar spoke about the importance of India’s supremacy in space. Shri M R Raghavendra, Director, ISTRAC, mentioned the importance of conducting scientific observations both from space and ground systems. Prof. A P Dimri, Director IIG spoke about the importance of the geomagnetism and the link between the Earth and the Sun through the interactions between the geomagnetic field and the Interplanetary Magnetic Field. Dr. Tirtha Pratim Das underscored the very objective of space exploration, i.e. understanding how the universe works, and the aspect of life and intelligence in the broader perspective of space science. Shri Aditya Sangotra, DANICS, Director (Education/Sports/HE/S&T), A&N Administration, spoke about the importance of this event to the student community of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and inspired the community of faculty members and students of the local academic institutes to engage with the preparation for India’s space exploration journey. During the vote of thanks, Dr. Praveen Kumar, Deputy Director, Science Programme Office, ISRO Headquarters, thanked the faculty members, acknowledging their enormous role to channelize the interest of the students to space science and technology, in a holistic approach.
The event included several components like informative lectures on the Indian space science exploration programme, solar physics, how the solid Earth and Geomagnetism couple with the Solar magnetic field to govern the space weather, comparative planetology, topics like exoplanets and astrobiology, as well as detailed interaction sessions between the students and the resource persons, and a space exhibition.
This event was conducted under the ISRO-IIG MoU signed in September, 2024, with the objective to combine the resources of the two institutes in reaching out to all parts of the country, to spread awareness about the space science and exploration programme.
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