New Delhi, India: The allocation for India’s space programme has been increased by more than 30 percent in the General Budget 2011-12, compared to last year’s allocation. The human space flight and Chandrayaan-II have gained the lion’s share.
New missions for earth observation, which include launch of satellites like RISAT-3 and Cartosat-3, were allocated INR 200 crore. Human Space Flight programme of ISRO was allocated INR 98.81 crore as against the token amount of INR 14.71 crore last year, while the sequel to India’s maiden moon mission got INR 80 crore as against INR 25 crore the previous year.
The Department of Atomic Energy also saw the allocation made to it by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee increase to INR 9352 crore from INR 8157.47 crore the previous year.
The Indian Meteorological Department cornered INR 352 crore out of the total INR 1567 crore allocation, including plan and non-plan categories, of the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
The Ministry of Science and Technology was allocated INR 7544 crore on the whole. The Department of Science and Technology got INR 2733 crore, the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research received INR 3385 crore and INR 1426.92 crore was set aside for the Department of Biotechnology.
Among key amounts allocated to the Department of Space was INR 410 crore for GSAT-11, the advanced communication satellite it plans to launch in the future.
ISRO’s ambitious plans to develop a next generation rocket for launching heavier satellites – GSLV Mark III – was allocated INR 292.46 crore, while the Space Capsule Recovery Experiment was given INR 65.64 crore.
Source: Business Standard
