Government of India declared 23rd of August as National Space Day to commemorate the success of Chandrayaan-3 mission with the soft landing of Vikram Lander and deployment of Pragyan Rover on the lunar surface on 23 August 2023. To mark this special day in the history of Indian Space Program, Department of Space planned nationwide celebrations through constituting various committess across centres of ISRO, IN-SPACEe and NSIL.

URSC had been shouldered with the lead responsibility for conducting the program for Zone-4 in the states of Karnataka, Goa, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh alongwith ISTRAC, MCF, LEOS, LPSC-B and NSIL. The Committee led by Chairperson, Shri Jasvinder Singh Khoral, Programme Director, Space & Science Exploration Programme Office (SEPO), URSC formed various sub-committees and working groups to provactively engage with institutions for the conduct of the program.

Event @ National Institute of Technology, Goa
Conducted by MCF and Zone-4 Committee
The event at NIT, Goa was presided by Shri Pankaj Killedar, Director, MCF with the august presence of Prof. O R Jaiswal, Director, NIT, Goa as Chief Guest. Prof. O R Jaiswal complimented ISRO team for the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the lunar surface and dwelled upon the co-ordination of universities with ISRO. Technical talks and insights into the space program was delivered by Shri Pankar Killedar and Shri Jasvinder Singh Khoral. The event was well attended by students of NIT, Goa and other dignitaries.

Event @ Karnataka State Open University, Mysuru
Conducted by ISTRAC, LPSC-B and Zone-4 Committee
The program was graced by Prof. Sharanappa V Halse, VC KSOU and Prof.N K Lokanath, VC Mysore University. The event had four technical talks from senior ISRO representatives;
1. Shri Raghavendra M R, Deputy Director, ISTRAC on ISRO:Aryabhata to Gaganayaan,
2. Smt Nandini Harinath on Chandrayaan3,
3. Smt Nagalakshmi A M, Project Director, URSC on Satellites and
4. Shri Shivaprakash, GM, LPSC-B on Overview & evolution of launch vehicles.

Event @ Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
Conducted by URSC, LEOS and Zone-4 Committee
The event at the historic Banaras Hindu University popularly known as BHU was graced by Prof. Ajit Kumar Chaturvedi, VC, BHU. Technical talks on varied aspects of space were delivered by ISRO dignitaries and invited experts. Shri Dinesh Kumar Singh, Director, HSFC delivered a special talk on India’s Human Space Program; Gaganyaan that was well received by the audience.

Event @ Women’s College, Patna
Conducted by NSIL and Zone-4 Committee
The event at Women’s College, Patna was graced by Dr. Sister M. Rashmi A C and Prof. Siddharth Singh, VC, Nava Nalanda Mahavira University. Technical talks were delivered by Sri Arunachalam, Director, NSIL and Shri Shantanu Bhatwadekar, Former Scientific Secretary, ISRO. A special lecture for the students was delivered by Shri Jasvinder Singh Khoral.

Across the Zone-4 events; activities like interaction with scientists, Space quiz, Pick-N-Speak, poster presentations, exhibition of models were conducted by the organizing committees. The student community also exhibited their skills through cultural programs showcasing the diversity of vibrant and cultural India. The Zone-4 National Space Day celebrations 2025 shall be cherished for the years to come.

Valedictory programs at centres
Respective centres conducted valedictory events culminating the event with a grand success.

URSC conducted the valedictory event on 14th August, 2025 at Prof. Satish Dhawan Auditorium. The event was graced by Shri M Sankaran, Director, URSC and Smt Anjali Ellis Shanker, Controller, URSC. Director and Controller, URSC engaged the young minds with the vision of the nation and execution through aspirations and pursuing goals with passion and dedication.

Dr Ramanagouda V Nadagouda, Associate Director (Projects), URSC and Smt Ramalakshmi N, Associate Director (R&D), URSC delivered invited talks on Societal impact of building Scientific Temper and R&D advancements for Satellite Building respectively. Students from different regions of Karnataka participated in large numbers for the event.

The Committee sincerely and respectfully acknowledges the unstinted support received from Dr V Narayanan, Secretary, DOS/Chairman, ISRO, Shri M Sankaran, Director URSC, Smt. Anjali Ellis Shanker, Controller, URSC and all the centre directors and senior dignitaries for conducting the event. The Committee also appreciates the efforts of all members, support staff, students and all those who have contributed for the successful journey of NSpD-2025 celebrations.

Space is an interesting and intriguing journey. The journey of space is towards exploring the known unknowns. The younger generation can take a leaf out of the contribution of Department of Space and strive towards the vision of Viksit Bharat.