Parliament of India Rajya Sabha Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science & Technology, Environment & Forests
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175th Report of Committee On Science & Technology, Environment & Forests Page 1 of 22 PARLIAMENT OF INDIA RAJYA SABHA DEPARTMENT-RELATED PARLIAMENTARY STANDING COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, ENVIRONMENT & FORESTS ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY-FIFTH REPORT ON DEMANDS FOR GRANTS (2007-2008) OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SPACE (DEMAND NO. 88) (PRESENTED TO THE RAJYA SABHA ON 26TH APRIL, 2007) (LAID ON THE TABLE OF THE LOK SABHA ON 26TH APRIL, 2007) RAJYA SABHA SECRETARIAT NEW DELHI APRIL, 2007/VAISAKHA, 1929 (SAKA) E-Mail : [email protected] Web site: http://rajyasabha.nic.in C O N T E N T S 1. COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE 2. INTRODUCTION 3. REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE 4. SUMMARY OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS 5. ANNEXURE 6. MINUTES OF THE MEETINGS OF THE COMMITTEE COMPOSITION OF THE DEPARTMENT-RELATED PARLIAMENTARY STANDING COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS (YEAR 2006) ---------- 1. Shri P.G. Narayanan –– Chairman RAJYA SABHA 2. Dr.Prabha Thakur # 3. Vacant 4. Shri Suryakantbhai Acharya 5. Shri Bhagirathi Majhi 6. Shri Kamal Akhtar 7. Shri Saman Pathak 8. Shri Jabir Husain 9. Shri Ravula Chandra Sekar Reddy http://10.21.217.2/book2/reports/science/175threport.htm 7/16/2008 175th Report of Committee On Science & Technology, Environment & Forests Page 2 of 22 10. Dr. Barun Mukherjee LOK SABHA 11. Shri Jashubhai Dhanabhai Barad 12. Dr. Sujan Chakraborty 13. Shri Thupstan Chhewang 14. Shri Pankaj Chaudhary 15. Shri Francis Fanthome 16. Shri Babubhai K. Katara 17. Shri A. Venkatesh Naik 18. Shri Brahmananda Panda 19. Smt. Neeta Pateriya 20. Shri Jaysingrao Gaikwad Patil 21. Shri Pratik Prakashbapu Patil 22. Shri Bachi Singh ‘Bachda’ Rawat 23. Shri K.C. Singh “Baba” 24. Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh 25. Shri Rakesh Singh 26. Shri Aruna Kumar Vundavalli 27. Smt. Jayaben B. Thakkar 28. Shri Akhilesh Yadav 29. Shri Mitrasen Yadav 30. Shri Sita Ram Yadav * 31. Shri Rampal Singh http://10.21.217.2/book2/reports/science/175threport.htm 7/16/2008 175th Report of Committee On Science & Technology, Environment & Forests Page 3 of 22 SECRETARIAT Shri N.C. Joshi, Additional Secretary Shri R.K. Singh, Officer on Special Duty Shri Alok Kumar Chatterjee, Deputy Secretary Shri Jagmohan Sundriyal, Under Secretary Shri S. Rangarajan, Committee Officer INTRODUCTION I, the Chairman of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science & Technology, Environment & Forests, having been authorised by the Committee to present the Report on its behalf, present this One Hundred Seventy-fifth of the Committee. This Report deals with the detailed Demands for Grants (2007- 2008) of the Department of Space (Demand No.88). 2. In the meeting of the Committee held on the 2nd April, 2007 the Secretary and other Officers of the Department of Space gave an overview of the various activities of the Department and the Members sought clarifications on various aspects of the performance of the Department to enable it to scrutinise the Demands for Grants. 3. The Committee expresses its thanks to the Officers of the Department for replying to the clarifications sought by the Members and placing before it the required material to enable the Committee to scrutinise the Demands for Grants of the Department of Space. 4. The Committee considered and adopted the Report at its meeting held on the 20th April, 2007. NEW DELHI; P.G.NARAYANAN, April 20, 2007 Chairman Department- relatedParliamentaryStandinCommitteeon Science & Technology, Environment & Forests. REPORT Indian Space Programmme which began in the early sixties, was initiated primarily for scientific purposes. Since 1969 the management of space research and its utilization for peaceful purposes has been controlled by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). Thereafter, in 1972 the Indian Government set up the Space Commission and entrusted the Department of Space (DOS) with the responsibility for conducting the country's space activities. Since the inception of the space programme, it has proven to be beneficial for both civilian and military purposes. India undertook demonstration of space applications for communication, broadcasting and remote sensing; designing and building experimental satellites-Aryabhata, Bhaskara, APPLE and Rohini and experimental Satellite Launch Vehicles, SLV-3 and ASLV. The successs of those programmes led to an era of operational satellite programmes like INSAT and IRS. The INSAT series of satellites made a major impact on telecommunication scenario in India. The Space technology has allowed the nation to move into the http://10.21.217.2/book2/reports/science/175threport.htm 7/16/2008 175th Report of Committee On Science & Technology, Environment & Forests Page 4 of 22 world of high technology, a place previously occupied only by more advanced nations. 2. The primary objective of the Indian Space Programme is to promote the development and application of space technology and space science for the socio-economic benefit of the nation through establishment of operational space services in a self-reliant manner. The main thrust areas of the programme are: Satellite-based communication for various applications. Satellite-based resources survey and management and environmental monitoring. Meteorological applications Development and operationalisation of indigenous satellites, launch vehicles and associated ground segment for providing these space-based services. 3. To achieve the aforesaid objectives the DOS implements the policies framed by the Space Commission. These are carried out through the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Grant-in-aid institutions viz., National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA), Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), National Atmospheric Research Laboratory (NARL), North-Eastern Space Applications Centre (NE-SAC) and Semi-Conductors Laboratory (SCL). 4. The Secretariat of Department of Space and the Headquarters of ISRO are located in Bangalore. Programme Offices at ISRO Headquarters co-ordinate the overall programmes like satellite communication, Satellite Navigation, earth observation, launch vehicle, space science, space industry development, disaster management support, international co-operation, publications and public relations, budget and economic analysis and human resource development. 5. The major Centres, Units and establishments of ISRO/DOS, responsible for carrying out research and development activities as well as for undertaking various projects and programmes, are given below: (a) Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, provides the technology base for the country’s indigenous launch vehicle (rocket) development. (b) Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), with its facilities at Bangalore, Thiruvananthapuram and Mahendragiri, is responsible for development of liquid propulsion and cryogenic propulsion systems for satellite and launch vehicles (c) Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC-SHAR) at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, is the launch base. Also, it provides the facilities for processing of solid rocket motors. http://10.21.217.2/book2/reports/science/175threport.htm 7/16/2008 175th Report of Committee On Science & Technology, Environment & Forests Page 5 of 22 (d) ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC), Bangalore, is entrusted with the prime responsibility for the satellite development. ISRO Radar Development Unit (ISRAD), Bangalore of ISAC has the responsibility to develop the Radar systems for ISRO and other emerging radar systems for national development. (e) The Laboratory for Electro-Optics Systems (LEOS), Bangalore has the responsibility for development and production of electro optical sensors for satellites. (f) Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad, carries out research and development in space applications as well as development of application payloads. (g) Development and Educational Communication Unit (DECU), Ahmedabad, is involved in the conception, definition, planning and socio/techno-economic evaluation of development communication programmes. (h) ISRO Telemetry, Tracking & Command Network (ISTRAC), with its ground stations at Bangalore, Sriharikota, Lucknow, Bearslake, Biak (Indonesia), Brunei and Mauritius provides the telemetry, tracking and command support and spacecraft mission management for the Indian remote sensing satellite missions, space science missions and satellite launch vehicle programmes. (i) Master Control Facility (MCF) with its main facility at Hassan, Karnataka and backup facility at Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh has the responsibility for control and operation of INSAT satellites. (j) ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU), Thiruvananthapuram, carries out research and development in the area of inertial systems for satellites and launch vehicles. 6. In addition, a National Natural Resources Management System (NNRMS), with the Department of Space (DOS) as the nodal agency, has been established to ensure optimal utilisation of natural resources using remote sensing data in conjunction with conventional techniques. Under NNRMS, five Regional Remote Sensing Service Centres (RRSSCs) at Bangalore, Dehradun, Jodhpur, Kharagpur and Nagpur have been set up for execution of remote sensing application programmes in the respective regions. 7. In addition to the aforesaid institutions, the following Organisations receiving Grants-in-aid, under the Department of Space: (a) National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA), Hyderabad, an autonomous institution under the Department of Space, is responsible for acquisition, processing and dissemination of http://10.21.217.2/book2/reports/science/175threport.htm 7/16/2008