Forty years of pioneering work culminating in the successful launch of India’s first Mars orbiter this September has won the Indian Space Research Organisation the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2014.
“ISRO has shown how much Indian scientists and talent can be harnessed to international levels, catching up with much more advanced nations in a highly technical and sophisticated field,” the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust’s secretary, Suman Dubey, sai
“It has shown what true self-reliance is, often working in adverse circumstances… It has demonstrated that in space technology, Indians stand shoulder to shoulder with the best in the world.”
The prize was also for ISRO’s contributions in strengthening international cooperation in the peaceful use of outer space and for the organisation’s role in addressing the needs of rural Indians in remote areas, he added.
A jury chaired by Vice-President Hamid Ansari chose ISRO for the award, given to individuals or organisations who promote international development, a new international economic order or make scientific discoveries for public good.
