NDTV.com
India's small town space heroes Madhu Bharathi Sunday, October 26, 2008 8:03 AM (Coimbatore)
Behind India's first moon mission are the hundreds of scientists who toiled to make it a success. What stands out is that many of the heroes of Chandrayaan are not from the much hyped IITs but from regional engineering institutions in small towns.
For instance the Government College of Technology, Coimbatore is known for its contribution to science and technology for the last 63 years.
PSG College of Technology, again in Coimbatore has been imparting quality education since last 57 years.
It's a sample of two regional institutions behind India's success in space science. Many scientists now in ISRO are from colleges in such small towns in India.
>From Dr RM Vasagam the project director of ISRO's first ever satellite
'Apple' to Dr Annadurai the project director of Chandrayaan it's the
regional colleges that have championed the cause of India's technology
research.
"We give a lot of importance to science based education, research and development in post graduation and PhD level," said Dr Rudramoorthy, Principal, PSG College of Technology.
At a time when IIT graduates are often criticized for letting opportunities back home go a begging as they hanker after more lucrative jobs abroad, it's alumni from regional colleges who pitch in to make India proud.
ISRO's Dr Annadurai hailing from a small village in Coimbatore studied all the way up to his post-graduation without even stepping out of his home district.
"We lecturers used to speak about Annadurai right then. He was an intellectual and we knew he would go at a supersonic speed to achieve what he is now," said Dr Annadurai, M Annadurai (ISRO)'s teacher, Principal, Government College of Technology.
As we revel in the success of our maiden moon mission it's contributions from the small town institutions that stand tall.
-- My humanity is in feeling we are all voices of the same poverty. - Jorge Louis Borges