Stalin announces Rs 25 lakh each to honour nine ISRO scientists from TN

CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Monday announced Rs 25 lakh each to honour nine ISRO scientists from Tamil Nadu, including former ISRO chairman K Sivan and Chandrayan project directors Mayilsamy Annadurai and Veeramuthuvel who made the state and country proud through their contributions to space science in India.

Speaking at "Olirum Tamil Nadu, Milirum Tamizhargal", a felicitation organized by the state government at Anna centenary library to honour the ISRO scientists from the state, Stalin recalled the nine scientists' contribution to various space missions of Indian space agency and happily announced that on behalf of Tamil Nadu government, Rs 25 lakh each would be given to the nine scientists who made and would make Tamil Nadu and the country proud.

"This is no measure of your intelligence. The Tamil Nadu government is providing the sum as a sign of recognition of your hard work. Please accept it and make India more proud, " Stalin added.

Apart from Sivan, Mayilsamy Annadurai and Veeramuthuvel, the nine ISRO scientists consists of professor V Narayanan, director of Liquid Propulsion Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, professor A Rajarajan, director of Satish Dhawan Space Centre, professor M Sankaran who served as director of U R Rao Space Centre, professor Asir Backiyaraj who is an expert in rocket propulsion, Professor M Vanitha, project director of Chandrayan-II and professor Nigar Shaji, project director of Aditya-I.

Scholarship for ME students:

Also announcing a scheme to develop the interest in scientific discoveries among engineering students, the CM said that a scholarship in the name of the nine ISRO scientists would be provided to nine PG engineering students, who completed their BE through 7.5% reservation and government scholarship. The scholarship would cover all fees, including tuition and hostel fees for the students who would be selected by committees headed by scientists.

A corpus fund of Rs 10 crore would be created for the scholarship program, the CM announced, reasoning that the felicitation was organized not only to honour the nine scientists but to produce more thinkers like them. The state government made arrangements for 58 lakh school and college students to watch the felicitation program.