Content

1. Leap Beyond: Elevating India’s Space Saga
2. Rashtriya Gokul Mission

Leap Beyond: Elevating India’s Space Saga

Modest Beginnings to Global Leadership

• 1963: Launch of India’s first sounding rocket from Thumba, Kerala.
• 1975: Aryabhata, India’s first satellite, launched with Soviet assistance.
• Now: India has launched over 400 foreign satellites for 34 countries via cost-effective launch vehicles like PSLV.

Relevance : GS 3(Space )

Policy Reforms and Strategic Shift Since 2014

• Post-2014 space reforms: Opened doors to private sector and international collaborations.
• India Space Policy 2023: Defined roles of ISRO (R&D), NSIL (commercial), IN-SPACe (regulator/facilitator).
• FDI Liberalization (2024):
  • 100% FDI allowed; up to 74% automatic for satellite manufacturing & operations.
  • Up to 49% automatic for launch vehicles & spaceports.
• Result: Emergence of 328+ space startups, vibrant space-tech ecosystem.

Landmark Missions and Achievements

NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) – Launch: 30 July 2025

• First NASA-ISRO Earth observation mission.
• Uses dual-frequency L-band (NASA) and S-band (ISRO) radar.
• Tracks:
  • Earth deformation, ice sheets, forest biomass.
  • Coastal changes, landslides, oil spills.
• First GSLV mission to Sun-Synchronous Polar Orbit.

Axiom Mission-4: India’s First Astronaut on ISS

• Gp. Capt. Shubhanshu Shukla became the first Indian to visit the International Space Station (ISS).
• Mission Duration: 18 days aboard ISS, returned on 15 July 2025.
• Collaborative crewed flight with Poland and Hungary, via SpaceX Dragon.

Scientific Experiments Conducted:

• Microalgae, seed sprouting, and cyanobacteria growth for nutrition and biotech.
• Tardigrade survival and human muscle regeneration under microgravity.
• User interface in zero gravity & crop seed adaptations for future agriculture in space.

Gaganyaan Programme (₹20,193 crore)

• Goal: India’s first independent human spaceflight by Q1 2027.
• Components:
  • Human-rated LVM3, Crew Escape System, Service Module.
  • Astronaut training for 4 IAF officers: PB Nair, Ajit Krishnan, Angad Pratap, and Shukla.
• Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) by 2035; crewed Moon mission by 2040.
• Gaganyaan to catalyze:
  • Space station R&D, industrial innovation, high-tech job creation.

Chandrayaan Missions: India’s Lunar Legacy

• Chandrayaan-1 (2008): Discovered water on the Moon.
• Chandrayaan-2 (2019): Partial success; orbiter still functional.
• Chandrayaan-3 (2023): First soft-landing near lunar south pole.
• Chandrayaan-4 (Upcoming):
  • Sample-return mission.
  • Will use 2 rockets, 5 modules, orbit docking, sample return module to Earth.

Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan)

• Launched: 2013, reached Mars orbit in Sept 2014.
• First Asian country to reach Mars on maiden attempt.
• Cost: Only $74 million, world’s most cost-effective interplanetary mission.
• Operated for 7 years (designed life: 6 months).

Solar Exploration: Aditya L-1

• Launched: 2017; orbits Lagrange point L1.
• In 2025: SUIT instrument captured rare solar flare kernel from chromosphere and photosphere.

Next-Generation Technologies

SpaDeX & Satellite Docking

• India became 4th nation to demonstrate space docking (Jan 2025).
• Enabled: Refueling, payload transfers, self-sustaining space stations.

Next Gen Launch Vehicles (NGLV)

• Reusable first stage; Payload: 30,000 kg to LEO.
• 3-stage, 93-meter tall vehicle, with 9 engines in first stage.

Orbital Re-entry Vehicle (ORV)

• Winged body for horizontal runway landings.
• Currently under testing.

Global Collaborations and Commercial Engagements

Key Partners:

• NASA: NISAR mission.
• Axiom Space: Human spaceflight (Ax-4).
• France (CNES): TRISHNA infrared resource monitoring satellite.
• Japan (JAXA): LUPEX lunar rover mission.
• Europe (ESA): Proba-3 launched aboard ISRO’s PSLV.
• SpaceX/Starlink: Received license (June 2025); expanding satellite broadband with Airtel & Jio.

Communication & Navigation Missions

NavIC (Indian GPS)

• 7 satellites in GEO/GSO; covers India + 1500 km radius.
• Applications: Military, agriculture, transportation, disaster management.

GSAT-N2 (2025)

• High-capacity communication satellite: 48 Gbps bandwidth.
• Built by NSIL, launched via Falcon-9.

Defence and Debris-Free Initiatives

Mission Shakti (2019)

• DRDO successfully destroyed a satellite in LEO.
• Proved India’s Anti-Satellite (A-SAT) capabilities.

Debris-Free Space Missions (DFSM)

• Announced in 2024, operational from 2025.
• Goal: All Indian missions to achieve 99% debris-free compliance by 2030.
• Managed by IS4OM, includes tracking, controlled re-entry, and de-orbiting strategies.

 Investment & Budget Growth

• Space Budget: Tripled from ₹5,615 crore (2013-14) to ₹13,416 crore (2025-26).
• 11 years: 100 ISRO launches completed.
• Private sector-led launches increasing via NSIL and IN-SPACe facilitation.

Upcoming Missions in 2025

• PSLV-C61/EOS-09: Microwave C-band radar imaging satellite.
• TV-D2: Gaganyaan abort test with full Crew Module recovery.
• LVM3-M5: Commercial launch for AST SpaceMobile (USA).
• Chandrayaan-4, Venus Mission, Mangalyaan-2, Gaganyaan.

Strategic Vision: Space Vision 2047

• Pillars:
  • Bharatiya Antariksh Station (2035)
  • Crewed lunar mission (2040)
  • Interplanetary missions (Venus, Mars)
  • Full spectrum public-private synergy
• Embedded in India’s Amrit Kaal vision of becoming a global tech and knowledge power.

Conclusion

• India’s space journey reflects:
  • A quantum leap from Earth observation to human spaceflight.
  • A synergy of government reforms, private innovation, and global collaboration.
  • Commitment to peaceful, sustainable, and inclusive use of space.
• With a future anchored in missions like Gaganyaan and Chandrayaan-4, and leadership in low-cost, high-impact innovation, India is now a leading spacefaring nation shaping the global space order.

Rashtriya Gokul Mission

Background and Objectives

• Launched by: Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, GoI
• Objective: Conservation and development of indigenous bovine breeds, genetic upgradation, and enhancement of milk productivity and production.

Relevance : GS 2(Scheme ) , GS 3(Livestock)

Key Achievements (2014–15 to 2023–24)

Increase in Bovine Productivity

• Overall bovine productivity increased from 1640 kg/animal/year to 2072 kg/animal/year
  → 26.34% increase, the highest globally.
• Indigenous and non-descript cattle productivity increased from 927 kg/animal/year to 1292 kg/animal/year
  → 39.37% increase
• Buffalo productivity improved from 1880 kg/animal/year to 2161 kg/animal/year
  → 14.94% increase

Surge in Milk Production

• Milk output rose from 146.31 million tonnes (2014–15) to 239.30 million tonnes (2023–24)
  → 63.55% increase in a decade

Future Target (Vision 2030)

• RGM aims to boost bovine milk productivity to 3000 kg/animal/year by 2030

Major Components and Interventions

1. Nationwide Artificial Insemination Programme (NAIP)

• Focus: Rural areas with <50% AI coverage
• Services: Free doorstep AI with High Genetic Merit (HGM) bulls, including indigenous breeds
• Impact (as of July 2025):
  • 9.16 crore animals covered
  • 14.12 crore AIs performed
  • 5.54 crore farmers benefited

2. Progeny Testing & Pedigree Selection

• Goal: Breed and select high genetic merit bulls, especially from native breeds
• Indigenous cattle breeds supported: Gir, Sahiwal, Tharparkar, Kankrej, Hariana, Rathi, Gaolao
• Buffalo breeds supported: Murrah, Mehsana, Jaffarabadi, Pandharpuri, Nili Ravi
• Outcome: 4343 high genetic merit bulls produced and provided to semen stations

3. Accelerated Breed Improvement

• Tools used: In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and Sex-sorted semen
• Purpose: Rapid genetic upgradation including for indigenous breeds

4. Genomic Selection

• Aim: Faster and more precise breeding of superior indigenous cattle and buffaloes using DNA-based selection

5. Human Resource Development

• Training rural youth as:
  • Multipurpose AI Technicians in Rural India (MAITRIs)
• Status (as of July 2025): 38,736 technicians trained and equipped to deliver AI services

Strategic Significance

• Boosts India’s Position: Solidifies India’s role as the largest milk producer globally
• Rural Income Support: Enhances farmers’ livelihoods, especially smallholders
• Breed Conservation: Ensures sustainable use of native genetic resources
• Technological Integration: Incorporates AI, IVF, Genomics to modernize livestock rearing
• Inclusivity: Delivers doorstep services, particularly in underserved rural districts

Conclusion

Rashtriya Gokul Mission is a transformative initiative integrating genetic science, rural capacity building, and indigenous breed conservation, resulting in unprecedented productivity gains and contributing to India’s agri-dairy resilience and rural economy. The push toward 3000 kg/animal/year productivity by 2030 reflects a bold vision backed by sustained policy and technological momentum.