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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.

Not all projects came to BJP-ruled states: EAM

Updated: Oct 30, 2024

Jaishankar

Mumbai: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday refuted the allegations of investments from Maharashtra shifting to Gujarat, saying investors have their calculations and they will see a performing state government which is capable and efficient.


Not all projects have come to the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states in the last 10 years, Jaishankar said addressing a press conference at the BJP office in Mumbai ahead of the November 20 Maharashtra assembly polls.


“Competitive federalism is good for the country,” the BJP Rajya Sabha member said.

The India-Middle East Economic Corridor is the most talked about connectivity corridor in the world and the main interface will be in Maharashtra, he said.


Leaders from the opposition parties, including the Congress and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), have often claimed that various big investment projects have been moved from Maharashtra to the neighbouring BJP-ruled Gujarat.


Asked about the opposition’s allegations, Jaishankar said the investors also have their own calculations and assessments.


“They will see a performing state government which is capable and efficient. You can’t blame the Centre but also have to check your own merit. Not all projects have come to BJP-ruled states in the last 10 years,” he said.


The Indian government works on the image and branding of the country at the international level, but it is the state governments which will take decisions for employment and investments to come, Jaishankar said.

“The success of a country depends on positive, effective, sincere partnership from the state governments,” he said.


The minister also said Maharashtra needs a government which is on the same page as the Centre since it is the most industrialised state in the country which will play a key role in achieving the objective of “Viksit Bharat”.


Maharashtra’s contribution in the field of industry, technology, airports, ports is immense and increasing investments, logistics, exports, best practices is important for foreign policy, Jaishankar said.

Along with this, infrastructure development and skilled educational policies are also important, he said.

The Centre’s focus is on boosting the economy and employment, the minister added.

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