Proceedings of the Workshop - United Nations Office for Outer ...

________________________________________________________________________India’s Space Policy and InstitutionsC. JayarajSecretary GeneralIndian Society of International LawIntroductionThe present paper seeks to recapture the historical evolution of the Indian policy andinstitutions relating to space since India’s Independence and highlights the present and the futurepolicy perspectives.It is not an overstatement to say that India has come of age in space technology as well asconverting scientific and technological skills in this area for socio-economic development of theIndian people. From the humble beginning of 1960s, it has emerged into a truly space-faringnation. However, this achievement was based on the clarity of thought and policy on this field bythe Indian government. Speaking on science policy for the nation, the first Prime Minister ofIndia, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, stated in 1958:“Science alone could solve the problem of hunger and poverty, insanitation andilliteracy, of superstition and deadening custom and tradition, of vast resourcesrunning to waste, of a rich country inherited by starving people”.While articulating India’s commitment to international co-operation in space explorations, thethen Indian Prime Minister stated in a message to UN Secretary General in 1968:“The peaceful uses of outer space, particularly in the fields oftelecommunications and meteorology, promise to confer great benefits todeveloping nation. India looks forward to expanding areas of internationalcollaboration and would take initiatives as she has at the United Nationssponsored International Rocket Launching Station in Trivandrum and at theExperimental Satellite Communication Earth Station”Dr.Vikram Sarabhai (considered as the father of Indian space programme) drew up a strategy forspace programme of India in the early sixties and stated:“There are some who question the relevance of space activities in a developingnation. To us, there is no ambiguity of purpose. We do not have the fantasy ofcompeting with the economically advanced nations in the explorations of themoon or planets or manned space flights. But we are convinced that if we are toplay a meaningful role nationally and in the comity of nations, we must be secondto none in the application of advanced technologies to problems of man andsociety, which we find in our country”.