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By:

Akhilesh Sinha

25 June 2025 at 2:53:54 pm

India’s Rocket Woman

Chandrayaan-3 Mission Director Dr Ritu Karidhal Srivastava helped script a historic chapter in India’s space story. On August 23, 2023, as the clock struck 6:04 PM Indian time, waves of joy swept across India and the world when Chandrayaan-3's robotic lander Vikram touched down on the Moon's south pole. This triumph made India the first nation to land a spacecraft there and the fourth overall to reach the lunar surface. Behind this moment stood the dedication of scientists like Dr Ritu...

India’s Rocket Woman

Chandrayaan-3 Mission Director Dr Ritu Karidhal Srivastava helped script a historic chapter in India’s space story. On August 23, 2023, as the clock struck 6:04 PM Indian time, waves of joy swept across India and the world when Chandrayaan-3's robotic lander Vikram touched down on the Moon's south pole. This triumph made India the first nation to land a spacecraft there and the fourth overall to reach the lunar surface. Behind this moment stood the dedication of scientists like Dr Ritu Karidhal Srivastava, Chandrayaan-3’s mission director, affectionately known as India’s “Rocket Woman.” For millions watching, it was a moment of national pride; for the scientists behind the mission, the culmination of years of painstaking work and belief in India’s space ambitions. Dr Srivastava often placed professional commitments ahead of personal comforts, pouring her energy into India’s stellar legacy. Whether spearheading Chandrayaan-3, leading key aspects of Chandrayaan-2, or contributing to the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), she devoted herself to advancing India’s space programme. “From Mangalyaan to Chandrayaan, women have matched men stride for stride,” she has said, reflecting the growing presence of women scientists in India’s space missions. Over the years, women have moved from supporting roles to positions of leadership within ISRO, bringing expertise and determination to some of the nation’s most ambitious projects. Journey to the Stars Born in 1975 into a middle-class family in Lucknow, young Ritu was fascinated by the moon, stars and vast skies above. Her curiosity deepened during her school years, when she spent hours reading about space and imagining the mysteries beyond Earth. After earning her degree from Navayug Kanya Mahavidyalaya, she completed her MSc in physics in Lucknow before moving to the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru to specialise in aerospace engineering. This path led her to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which she joined in 1997. At ISRO, she steadily rose through the ranks, earning recognition for meticulous planning and technical expertise. She served as Deputy Operations Director for the Mars Orbiter Mission, popularly known as Mangalyaan — India’s first mission to Mars, which succeeded on its first attempt and placed the country firmly on the global space map. Personal Sacrifices Her work’s success roared loudly. The ISRO Young Scientist Award from President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam in 2007 and the Woman Aerospace Achievement Award from the Society of Indian Aerospace Technologies and Industries recognised her contributions to the nation’s space programme. Yet for years she worked largely away from the public spotlight, focused on the demands of complex missions. In a candid moment, Dr Srivastava spoke about balancing professional duty and family life. There were times when mission preparation meant missing important family moments. Once, when her daughter was running a fever, she could not leave work; her husband stepped in while she checked repeatedly by phone. School events and parent-teacher meetings often passed without her presence. Yet with strong support from her husband and family, she remained committed to the demanding world of space exploration. That collective resolve — from Dr Srivastava and her team — ultimately propelled India to new cosmic heights. Vikram’s flawless landing at the Moon’s south pole marked a technological triumph and firmly placed India among the world’s leading spacefaring nations.

New Vanguards

In a stunning turnaround, the ruling Mahayuti coalition rebounded from its Lok Sabha poll debacle to sweep the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections, capturing an astounding 230 of the 288 seats to thoroughly decimate the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA). For a state known for its fractious politics, the results signal not just a decisive mandate but also the emergence of fresh leadership across the political spectrum. The victory has redefined the contours of Maharashtra’s power dynamics, with Eknath Shinde shedding his image as a mere adjunct to the BJP and firmly establishing himself as the true inheritor of Bal Thackeray’s Shiv Sena legacy.


Shinde’s performance has been transformational. Once derided as a ‘BJP puppet,’ he led his faction of the Shiv Sena with humility and grit, securing a tally that the combined might of the MVA could not rival. Since the Shiv Sena split in 2022, Shinde, with his performance, has now laid an unassailable claim to Bal Thackeray’s political legacy. In contrast, the results indicate a fast fadeout for Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray Uddhav. His son Aaditya Thackeray, who managed to retain the Worli seat, will now have to shoulder the unenviable task of reviving a diminished Sena (UBT).


The election also settled the long-standing question of who controls the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Ajit Pawar, split the party founded by his uncle Sharad Pawar, delivered a commanding performance, dominating the sugar belt and securing 41 seats. His emphatic victory in Baramati against his own nephew Yugendra Pawar, underscored the erosion of Sharad Pawar’s stranglehold over the sugar heartland. The elder Pawar’s lament over the decline of ideological commitment in state politics now rings hollow in the face of this electoral drubbing.


On the opposition benches, the MVA’s collapse was dramatic. The Congress, long plagued by complacency and poor leadership, now faces a leadership vacuum after stalwarts like Prithviraj Chavan and Balasaheb Thorat biting the electoral dust. However, this setback could be an opportunity for the Congress to rebuild under younger leaders like Vishwajeet Kadam. Similarly, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) may see Jayant Patil, who won the Islampur seat for the eight time, emerge as the party leader following his victory, though the party’s dismal overall performance suggests a long road to recovery.


The BJP’s remarkable performance was clearly the engine of the Mahayuti’s comeback with Devendra Fadnavis cementing his status as Maharashtra’s political heavyweight. Fadnavis, often likened to a modern-day Chanakya, proven his mettle after being nearly written-off following the party’s Lok Sabha debacle.


The Mahayuti’s resounding victory has created a political vacuum in the opposition, raising questions about the state’s democratic checks and balances. Yet, it also signals an opportunity for new leadership to emerge and chart a path forward. Maharashtra’s electorate has placed its faith in promises of development and governance. Delivering on these expectations will be the ultimate test of Mahayuti's triumph.

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