Chandrayan-3: Looking beyond the successful mission Q & A

Col R Hariharan

Here are my answers to media questions on the successful lunar mission Chandrayan-3..

Q How do you see India’s successful lunar mission to the South Pole of the moon and its impact beyond the moon mission?

India's successful landing of Chandrayan-3 on the South Pole points to many other aspects of than India's scientific and technical capabilities. These less visible aspects are –

A.   Political leadership: PM Modi's full support to ISRO during the last 9 years has energized ISRO to go the extra mile. The moral of the story is political leadership commitment is essential for scientific and technological progress in 3rd world democratic countries

 

B.   Cost effectiveness of the whole project has proved that space programs can be successfully carried out without eating into other development programs.

C.  The ISRO team had only 2 percent of IIT graduates breaks the myth that elite education is essential for tech achievements.

D.  Hard work of a host of specialised MSMEs who had supplied thousands of parts required for the project has been acknowledged by the ISRO chief. This shows that India can successfully embark upon projects requiring precision engineering research and technology i.e. aircraft and tank engine manufacture and hypersonic weapons research.

Q: Post Chandrayaan-3, does India emerge as a major leader of south Asia and in its war game with China and countries such as Pakistan begin to see it with more respect? How much significance does India's lunar mission success hold in this part of the world?

Good questions! 

Of course, Chandrayan-3 success, is likely to make China re-look at India's research and technical effort in Atmanirbhar projects relating to military weapons and procurement efforts with the serious it deserves. 

I expect this to impact China to carefully re-assess India's strategic moves in South Asia and in Indian Ocean Region to regain its influence. The elections in Bangladesh and Maldives are likely see some stoking of anti-India lobbies using Chinese money.

As far as Pakistan is concerned, China is probably alarmed at increasing US influence particularly in Pak army. And in tandem with India's clear message on Eastern Ladakh border at the 19^th round of talks it had recently, China is likely to go soft on India till Pakistan settles down.