[Reader-list] Bombs, satellites and kids: the exciting world of A.P.J.

[shivam]

I'm a little intrigued as to what such a satellite can do that the
internet can't, or which the internet is already not doing. Never
mind, you have to pay the price of having someone like APJ as your
Prez.
Shivam




Kalam latest: an eye in the sky for the young
Speaks to ISRO about satellites to connect universities and students


By RITU SARIN 	
GENEVA, MAY 27: 
http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=71232


President APJ Abdul Kalam's foreign tours have become occasions for
marking the origins of some innovative satellite programmes.

While in Cape Town last year, Kalam had telephoned Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh and announced a grant of $50 million by India for
launch of the Pan-African satellite programme.

Scientists accompanying President Kalam during his current four-nation
tour say the African satellite scheme—to provide e-connectivity to 53
African countries—is now at the blueprint stage. Proposals have just
been discussed by a Rashtrapati Bhavan team which returned from South
Africa earlier this month.

This time, the President announced yet another mega satellite
programme during his foreign tour, which his scientific aides say he
fully conceived of only a week ago.

The President's latest scheme is for the launch of an International
Youth satellite, to provide connectivity to students and universities
around the globe.

True to form, before going public on his Youth Satellite scheme, the
President telephoned Madhavan Nair, Chairman of ISRO, from Moscow, and
briefed him about the scheme. Only after that, he spoke about it
publicly, first at the Moscow University and then before the Russian
President Vladimir Putin.

Expanding on the President's latest satellite scheme from Geneva, Prof
N Balakrishnan of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, said:
''It should take about two years before satellites can be located to
provide world students a connectivity programme.''

Added V Ponraj, Technical head of the Rashtrapati Bhavan: ''The ISRO
chief told the President that he feels such a satellite programme will
greatly help the youth of the world and that the ISRO will give the
necessary back-up.''

He said that since President Putin was the first world leader with
whom the youth satellite was discussed, the two countries would soon
need to formalize an agreement on the subject, maybe, with a
Memorandum of Understanding.

It is to be recalled that last month, an MoU for e-connectivity
between the Universities of Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai was signed at
Rashtrapati Bhavan in presence of the President and the Human
Resources Minister, Arjun Singh.

Ponraj said the latest satellite scheme conceived by the President is
an extension of such ideas.

''The idea is for any student anywhere in the world to be able to
learn and study what students in other countries are studying. A
constellation of satellites will need to be networked to transform the
President's vision into reality,'' he added.