Content

1. Department of Space – Year End Review 2025
2. SABHASAAR Initiative

Department of Space – Year End Review 2025

Strategic Missions & Technology Demonstrations

• SPADEX Mission: Successful in-orbit docking, undocking, circumnavigation and power transfer (Jan & Apr 2025) — foundational for space stations, on-orbit servicing, human missions under Space Vision 2047.
• Gaganyaan Progress:
  • First Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-01) validating parachute-based Crew Module recovery.
  • Axiom-04 Mission: First Indian (Shubhanshu Shukla) completed 18-day ISS mission, executing 7 Indian microgravity experiments.
• Semi-Cryogenic Engine (SE2000): Third successful hot test of Power Head Test Article — critical for LVM3 payload enhancement.
• C25 Cryogenic Stage Restart: First-ever in-space restart during LVM3-M5, enabling multi-orbit deployment.

Relevance : GS III – Science & Technology

Strategic Missions & Technology

• Indigenous space docking, power transfer, cryogenic restart → advancement in critical frontier technologies.
• Human spaceflight technologies (Gaganyaan, ISS exposure) → transition from experimental to operational space capability.
• Semi-cryogenic engine (SE2000) → higher payload efficiency, launch cost optimisation.
• Demonstrates technology maturity curve of India’s space programme.

Launch Infrastructure & Capacity Expansion

• Third Launch Pad (TLP) approved at Sriharikota for next-generation and human missions.
• SSLV Launch Complex, Kulasekarapattinam: Launch pad foundation laid; dedicated hub for SSLV & private launches.
• 100th Launch from Sriharikota: GSLV-F15/NVS-02 (milestone despite post-injection anomaly).
• ISRO’s 101st Launch Attempt: PSLV-C61/EOS-09 (partial mission shortfall; transparency maintained).

Launch Vehicles & Satellites

• LVM3-M5: Successfully launched CMS-03, India’s heaviest GTO communication satellite (~4.4 t).
• NISAR (NASA–ISRO): Landmark Indo-US collaboration; dual-frequency SAR for global, all-weather Earth observation.
• EOS-09: Strengthening radar-based EO capability (mission anomaly acknowledged).
• PSLV POEM-4: Completed 1000 orbits with 24 payloads; record in low-cost in-orbit experimentation.

Science, Research & Exploration

• CROPS-1: Successful seed germination & two-leaf growth in microgravity — leap in space biology.
• Aditya-L1: Public release of solar data; insights into photosphere, chromosphere, corona & solar wind.
• Exoplanet Discovery: PRL discovered TOI-6038A b (sub-Saturn) using PARAS-2 — strengthens India’s astronomy credentials.
• Space Analog Missions: HOPE mission in Ladakh simulating Mars-like conditions for human exploration readiness.

Indigenous Technology & Manufacturing

• Make-in-India Space Microprocessors:
  • VIKRAM3201 (launch vehicles).
  • KALPANA3201 (SPARC V8, satellite applications).
• Electric Propulsion: 1000-hr life test of Stationary Plasma Thruster — mass savings, higher satellite efficiency.
• New Facilities:
  • MPTTF & ITPF at LPSC (thruster testing, titanium tanks).
  • Centre of Excellence (Fluid & Thermal Sciences) at IIT Madras.

Industry, Startups & Reforms

• SSLV Technology Transfer to HAL — major step in commercialisation & private sector participation.
• Private Launch Ecosystem: Successful static test of KALAM-1200 solid motor (Skyroot).
• POEM Platform: Enabled startups to test AI models and novel sensors in orbit.

Space Applications for Society

• Disaster Management Leadership: ISRO led International Charter on Space & Major Disasters (Apr–Sep 2025).
• Agriculture:
  • Satellite-based wheat production estimate ~122.7 MT.
  • CROP framework integrating SAR + optical data.
• Education & Outreach:
  • NE-SPARKS: ~700 NE students exposed to ISRO facilities.
  • National Space Day & NM 2.0 aligned with Viksit Bharat 2047.

International Cooperation & Diplomacy

• GLEX 2025 (New Delhi): India positioned as a global space collaboration hub.
• IAC 2025 (Sydney): India Space Pavilion showcased missions, startups, and future vision.
• MoU on Space Medicine: ISRO–SCTIMST partnership supporting human spaceflight & biomedical research.

Vision & Governance

• Chintan Shivir 2025: Roadmap for Space Vision 2047 and beyond, covering transportation, infrastructure, human exploration, industry enablement.

Conclusion

2025 marks ISRO’s transition from mission-centric achievements to ecosystem leadership — combining human spaceflight readiness, indigenous deep-tech, private sector integration, and global collaboration, firmly anchoring India’s ambitions for Space Vision 2047.

SABHASAAR Initiative

What is SabhaSaar?

• SabhaSaar is an AI-enabled voice-to-text automated meeting summarisation tool.
• Launched by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj on 14 August 2025.
• Designed for Gram Sabha and Panchayat meetings to auto-generate Minutes of Meeting (MoM).
• Supports vernacular, large-scale grassroots governance digitisation.

Relevance

GS II – Polity & Governance

Decentralisation & Local Governance

• Strengthens Article 243 (Panchayati Raj) institutions.
• Enhances Gram Sabha effectiveness, procedural legitimacy.
• Improves documentation of deliberative democracy.

GS II – E-Governance

• Example of AI-enabled public service delivery.
• Demonstrates shift from digitisation → intelligent governance.
• Supports Digital India + Viksit Bharat 2047.

Objectives

• Improve transparency, accountability and record-keeping in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).
• Reduce manual paperwork and dependence on clerical capacity.
• Enable data-driven local governance aligned with Digital India.
• Standardise documentation of Gram Sabha resolutions.

Scale of Adoption (as of 3 Dec 2025)

• Total Gram Panchayats in India: 2,67,940
• GPs using SabhaSaar: 92,376 (~34.5%)
• Rapid scale-up:
  • 15 Aug 2025: 12,667 GPs
  • 2 Oct 2025: 77,198 GPs
• Pilot success:
  • Tripura: 1,047 out of 1,194 GPs (≈ 87%) used SabhaSaar on launch day.

High Adoption States 

• Tamil Nadu: 11,874 GPs
• Uttar Pradesh: 27,352 GPs
• Odisha: 6,239 GPs
• Chhattisgarh: 8,707 GPs
• Bihar: 5,988 GPs
• Tripura: 1,061 GPs
  → Indicates administrative readiness and digital capacity variation across states.

Technology & Governance Framework

• Built on AI + cloud infrastructure via:
  • India AI Compute Portal
  • India AI Mission (MeitY) as nodal authority.
• Data sovereignty ensured:
  • Data processed entirely within Government infrastructure.
  • No third-party data sharing.
• Data protection:
  • Governed by Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules, 2025.
  • Legal backing via Gazette notification (13 Nov 2025).

Capacity Building & Awareness

• Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued to all States/UTs.
• Multiple physical and virtual training sessions for officials.
• States responsible for last-mile dissemination to Panchayats.
• Designed for ease of use to overcome digital literacy barriers.

Governance Significance  

• Strengthens Article 243 (Panchayati Raj) institutions.
• Promotes procedural transparency in grassroots democracy.
• Converts deliberative democracy into machine-readable governance data.
• Supports Viksit Bharat 2047 through tech-enabled decentralisation.

Key Challenges (Implicit)

• Uneven adoption across states and districts.
• Digital infrastructure and connectivity gaps.
• Need for language robustness and accent accuracy.
• Long-term issues of data standardisation and archival use.

Conclusion

SabhaSaar represents India’s first large-scale application of sovereign AI in grassroots governance, transforming Gram Sabha deliberations into transparent, standardised, and data-driven democratic records while operating fully within India’s data protection and AI governance framework.