Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the 18th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) via video link, delivered a stirring message blending India’s rich astronomical heritage with cutting-edge scientific progress. Welcoming over 300 young talents from 64 countries, he hailed them as “shining stars,” celebrating the union of tradition, innovation, spirituality, science, curiosity, and creativity. Modi highlighted India’s scientific milestones, from hosting one of the world’s highest observatories in Ladakh and the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope in Pune to contributing to mega-science projects like the Square Kilometre Array and LIGO India. He also lauded the nation’s space triumphs, including the lunar south pole landing and the Aditya-L1 solar observatory, and praised Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s historic mission to the International Space Station as a beacon of inspiration for the next generation of explorers.
