Start-ups working for debris management in outer space: Minister

Start-ups in the space sector are working on software solutions for debris management in outer space, Science & Technology Minister Jitendra Singh said here on Wednesday.

Singh, who chaired a meeting of all the science ministries and departments, said more than 50 start-ups were working in the space sector and 10 of them had a funding of Rs 50 crore or more individually.

He said science ministries and departments concerned were on the job applying different scientific solutions for sectors such as agriculture, land mapping, dairy, food, education, skill, railways, roads, Jal Shakti, power, coal and sewage cleaning.

An official statement quoted the minister as saying that joint working groups were being set up between science departments and line ministries to speed up identification of the scientific applications for proposals and problems faced by them.

Singh said so far 38 ministries have sought technology support in different sectors and over 200 proposals/requirements have been received in this regard.

The meeting was attended by advisor in the Prime Minister's Office Bhaskar Khulbe, Principal Scientific Advisor K Vijay Raghavan, CSIR Director General Shekhar Mande, Secretaries M Ravichandran (Earth Sciences), Rajesh Gokhale (Biotechnology), S Chandrasekhar (S&T), S Somnath (Space), K N Vyas (Atomic Energy) and Hemang Jani (Capacity Building Commission).

Singh said with the help of Capacity Building Commission a template was being prepared to take up theme wise deliberations between Centre and states and union territories depending on specific needs from place to place.

Vigyan Prasar, an autonomous organisation under the Department of Science and Technology, was being revamped completely and it will cater to communication needs of the six S&T departments including Space and Atomic Energy, Singh said.

He said Vigyan Prasar has been asked to make small documentaries on success stories like Aroma Mission, UV technology installed in Central Hall of Parliament, Heli-Borne survey for water management, mechanised sewage cleaning system for wider dissemination.