A Kashmiri youth was today at the centre of a controversy with the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), Kerala, disputing his claim of pursuing higher studies there and having got his two astronomy projects approved for research by US space agency NASA.
"This institution herewith makes it known to one and all that a student by this name (Asif Ali) has never graduated from IIST, nor is he presently doing a postgraduate course in astronomy in IIST," the institute said in a disclaimer posted on its website.
Defence spokesman Lt Colonel N N Joshi had issued a statement in Srinagar on Wednesday saying Ali, hailing from a remote village in Kashmir, has won approval for two of his astronomy projects from the Kennedy Space Centre, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in USA.
The official release had claimed that this youth has completed his B.Tech from IIST and is currently also pursuing a post-graduate (MS) degree in Astronomy there.
It went on to say that the two projects that Ali will work on include those on estimation of asteroids and the effect of gamma ray emissions.
When asked to comment about the IIST disclaimer, Lt Col Joshi said he will verify the facts before making any further statement.
