Honourable Guests, Distinguished Delegates, Teachers, Mentors, And my dear Bright Young Friends, Namaskaar!
It is a joy to connect with more than 300 shining stars from 64 countries. I warmly welcome you to India, for the 18th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics. In India: Tradition meets innovation, Spirituality meets science, and curiosity meets creativity. For centuries, Indians have been observing the skies and asking big questions. For example, in the 5th Century, Aryabhatta invented zero. He was also the first to say that the Earth rotates on its axis. Literally, he started from zero and made history!
Today, we host one of the world’s highest Astronomical Observatories in Ladakh. At 4,500 metres above sea level, it is close enough to shake hands with the stars! Our Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope in Pune is one of the world's most sensitive radio telescopes. It is helping us decode the mysteries of pulsars, quasars and galaxies!
India proudly contributes to global mega-science projects like the Square Kilometre Array, and LIGO-India. Two years ago, our Chandrayaan-3 made history. We were the first to successfully land near the Moon’s South Pole. We have also set our sights on the Sun with the Aditya-L1 solar observatory. It keeps an eye on solar flares, storms, and– the Sun’s mood swings! Last month, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla completed his historic mission to the International Space Station. It was a proud moment for all Indians, and an inspiration for young explorers like all of you.
Friends,
India is deeply committed to nurturing scientific curiosity and empowering young minds. Over 10 million students are understanding STEM concepts through hands-on experimentation in Atal Tinkering Labs. This is creating a culture of learning and innovation. To make access to knowledge more democratic, we have launched the One Nation One Subscription scheme. It provides access to reputed international journals, free of cost, to millions of students and researchers. You would be happy to know that India is a leading country in the participation of women in STEM domains. Under various initiatives, billions of dollars are being invested in the research ecosystem. We invite young minds like you from across the world to study, research and collaborate in India. Who knows the next big scientific breakthrough may well be born from such partnerships!.
Friends,
In all your efforts, I encourage you to think about how we can work for the benefit of humanity. As we explore the universe, we must also ask how can space science further improve lives of people on Earth? How can farmers be provided even better weather forecasts? Can we predict natural disasters, can we monitor forest fires and melting glaciers? Can we build better communication for remote areas? The future of science is in your hands. It is in solving real world problems with imagination and compassion. I urge you to ask “what is out there?” and also see how it can help us here.
Friends,
India believes in the power of international collaboration. This Olympiad reflects that spirit. I have been told that this edition of the Olympiad is the largest so far. I thank the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research for making this event possible. Aim high, Dream Big. And remember, in India, we believe that the sky is not the limit, it's just the beginning!
Thank You.
