Mysuru (Karnataka) [India], November 13 (ANI): Institutions such as the COSMOS-Mysuru Planetarium will nurture a generation that questions, explores, and discovers as India moves towards Viksit Bharat by 2047, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Friday.
Speaking at the newly inaugurated COSMOS-Mysuru Planetarium at the University of Mysore campus, Sitharaman noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated India's first LED dome planetarium to the nation at the foothills of Chamundi Hill.
Built by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) in collaboration with the University of Mysore, the cosmology, education, and research training centre aims to promote scientific curiosity among students and the public.
"As India moves towards Vikasit Bharat by 2047, institutions such as Cosmos will help nurture a generation that questions, explores, and discovers. So, perhaps among young Indian students present here today, there will be scientists who take India to its next frontier in space," Sitharaman stated during the ceremony.
The Union Minister highlighted how the facility makes astronomy accessible through immersive learning, helping children understand stars and planets. She added that planned live video links with observatories at Hanle in Ladakh and Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu will bring real-time astronomical observations into the dome on selected days, allowing local students to see how research operates at those facilities.
"Today, the honourable Prime Minister dedicates to the nation the cosmology, education, and research training centre, the Cosmos Planetarium. Here at the foot of Chamundi Hill, under the blessings of Nada Devi, Goddess Chamundeshwari, Mysuru, with its long tradition of learning and scholarship, now welcomes a new institution devoted to understanding the universe," she said.
Sitharaman also pointed out that visual presentations at the centre will bring India's space journey to life, covering missions such as Mangalyaan, Chandrayaan-3, Aditya-L1, and Gaganyaan so children can grasp the science behind them.
She noted that opening the space sector to private participation in 2020 created fresh opportunities for startups, private industry, and young professionals.
"Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri ji gave us Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan. Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji added Jai Vigyan. Our honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji carried this forward with Jai Anusandhan, recognising that research and innovation are essential to India's progress in the 21st century," Sitharaman remarked.
Tracing Karnataka's scientific roots from the establishment of the Indian Institute of Science to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and ISRO, the Finance Minister observed that the state leads in information technology, aerospace, and biotechnology.
She noted that the event reached over 10,000 institutions across Karnataka via live telecast, including 5,000 arivu kendras, 4,000 gram panchayats, and 1,000 schools and colleges.
Beyond education, Sitharaman said the planetarium will support Mysuru's tourism economy by giving school groups and astronomy enthusiasts another reason to visit and stay longer, benefiting local livelihoods.
She thanked the Karnataka government, the Mysuru district administration, the departments of science and technology and atomic energy, as well as the scientists, engineers, and architects who built the centre. (ANI)
COSMOS-Mysuru Planetarium will nurture a generation that explores and discovers: FM Sitharaman
