Agartala, December 23, 2024: Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah chaired the 12th meeting of the North Eastern Space Application Centre (NESAC) Society in Agartala, Tripura. The meeting saw the presence of Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha, Assam Chief Minister Hemant Biswa Sharma, Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, Union Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region Sukanta Majumder, Union Home Secretary Govinda Mohan, Secretary of the Department of Space Dr. S. Somnath, Director of the Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka, and other high-ranking officials from the Central and State Governments of the North Eastern region.
In his address, Amit Shah highlighted the significant progress made by India’s space sector under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the past decade. “Under the Prime Minister’s leadership, India’s space sector has made tremendous progress in the last 10 years,” Shah stated. He noted that the positive impact of the NESAC Society’s work is now clearly visible, 25 years after its establishment. Shah emphasized the need to further expand the scope of NE-SAC’s work in the North Eastern states and urged State Governments to take initiatives in this regard.
Shah proposed an initiative to inspire interest in space and related technologies among students. “The NESAC Society should take 100 science students each from all the North Eastern states to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) headquarters,” he suggested. He also called on the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region to contribute 60 percent to this project and urged North Eastern State Governments to introduce new courses related to space technology in their engineering colleges.
Highlighting the achievements of NESAC, Shah mentioned the construction of 20 waterways with the Society’s assistance and encouraged the exploration of more waterways. He stressed the importance of comprehensive mapping to identify mineral, oil, and coal deposits in the North Eastern states, which would financially benefit the region through royalties.
Shah also addressed the need for demographic mapping along the India-Myanmar border, particularly in Nagaland, Mizoram, and Manipur, to aid in building a border fence and preventing infiltration. “A comprehensive survey of the border areas is required,” he said. Additionally, Shah urged NE-SAC to focus on the development of forest areas using space science by comparing old and new maps and collaborating with State Governments to plant trees where possible. He also called for the preparation of a flood map for the North Eastern states.
The Union Home Minister praised NESAC’s efforts in utilizing space technology for administrative purposes and emphasized its potential in developing the challenging geographical regions of the North East. “NESAC should also focus on developing the society’s revenue model,” Shah added.
The meeting highlighted the critical role of space technology in the region’s development and the collaborative efforts needed to harness its full potential.
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