The Chairman of ISRO, Dr Madhvan Nair, talking exclusively to The Tribune during his brief visit to Guru Nanak Dev University to discuss the possibility of providing it the (Edusat Education Satellite) link, said in the aftermath of the Pokhran nuclear test in 1996, the Americans had banned the transfer of cryogenic engine technology. It is used for putting their satellites the orbit for Scientific, educational and communication purposes. He said the first such cryogenic engine with liquid oxygen and hydrogen fuel would be tested next year, giving a major boost to country’s space programme.

Dr Nair said the government had already approved an ocean satellite project for forecasting natural disasters, including tsunamis. The satellite would be installed into orbit by 2007. This high-tech project would be used to predict and monitor any natural disaster likely to occur around the periphery of India’s vast ocean around South-East Asia. India would be using its own cryogenic engine to place the satellite in orbit for gathering scientific data and weather forecasting.

Dr Nair had now been credited with revolutionising the education system through Edusat.

The ISRO Chairman said they had already received approval from the government for Edusat, which would work as a virtual classroom for the spread of education throughout the country. Guru Nanak Dev University had approached ISRO for providing them this facility for their distance education programme to reach out to a large number of students, especially in the rural and remote areas who can not find access to quality higher education in their areas.

He said he was convinced that the university would make optimum use of this facility to impart scientific and technical education through the virtual classroom concept through Edusat. He said this system would provide the video conference as well as take questions through the two-way system.

ISRO would launch a high-power communication satellite for the spread of direct-to-home television facility to the remote and far-flung areas of the country.

Dr Nair was accompanied by Mr B.S. Bhatia, Director, Development and Educational Communication Unit in ISRO. Later DR Nair paid obeisance at the Golden Temple before returning to New Delhi.

Meanwhile, Dr S.P. Singh, Vice-Chancellor of Guru Nanak Dev University today announced to start a regional channel in Edusat (educational satellite) on the campus for the dissemination of lectures in the E-learning mode.

While acknowledging the efforts being made by the university in expanding higher education, Dr Nair and Dr Bhatia assured the university authorities of all possible help and added that ISRO would sent a team of experts next month for formal technical consultations regarding upward and downward linking facilities. They also agreed in principle that university had justified its claim for the allocation of a regional channel.