"I am delighted to be amongst you at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. This is a special place as it commemorates the efforts of generations of India's most accomplished scientists to create a world class space port. It is also a particular pleasure to unveil a bust of that great pioneer of India's space programme, Prof Satish Dhawan, after whom this Centre is named.

Prof Dhawan was an outstanding scientist and a memorable personality. I cherish my long personal association with him when I was a Member of the Space Commission. He was one of the most distinguished men I have ever known - a brilliant aeronautical engineer, an outstanding space scientist, a philosopher, a patriot and above all, a great humanist and a great leader of men who worked with him. He combined great personal charm with a deep commitment to social and ethical values and an extraordinary objectivity in management. He inspired several generations of students, scientists and administrators to make unceasing efforts, and to refuse to accept failure. Prof. Dhawan's concern for the environment and ecology and his keen interest in all living beings was all encompassing. I deem it therefore, a great privilege to have known and worked with Prof Satish Dhawan.

Standing here, I pay tribute to Prof Dhawan's visionary leadership which helped transform this otherwise isolated island into India's proud space port. This Indian window to space now has the capacity to launch spacecraft into orbit around the Earth, and will soon take us to the moon. This we hope will be a precursor to exploring other planets as well.

My association with the ISRO family and our space programme gives me a special sense of pride today. In the last three decades, beginning with modest sounding rockets, such as the one I saw being launched today, ISRO has gone on to record many giant leaps forward. You have now mastered the design, development and launch of powerful and complex rocket systems. Your capabilities now include Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles and Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicles. You have proven that you are equal to the best and the finest in the world, and second to none, in developing complex technologies and using them to serve our development goals. Moreover, you have achieved these milestones with a high success rate. I am told that the last 11 major launches from this Centre have all been highly successful.

It is, therefore, a matter of great pride that international technology denial regimes have not impeded your efforts - in fact they have spurred you to greater heights. I am proud to observe that among the 16 satellites recently launched by ISRO, four have been from other countries. We have proven to the world that India is a leader in advanced technologies. Your achievements have drawn upon the wealth of talent, skills and sheer brain power in India, and you have remained undeterred by the misplaced and anachronistic restrictions. ISRO has indigenously developed an array of sensitive and advanced technologies while maintaining an unblemished record as far as non-proliferation is concerned. This record deserves greater recognition both within India and abroad.

A short while ago, I went around the premises and the facilities that have been created over time. I was greatly impressed by the level of skills that have been mastered and which have been applied here. I have also seen some of the hardware that testifies to the achievement of our space programme, and to your talent, determination and dedication. Our country salutes your contribution. This launch centre has great significance. From a small beginning it has become one of the major state-of-the-art satellite launch centres in the world. The excellent infrastructure here meets our national requirement and also provides adequate facilities for us to work with international partners.

I am also proud that India has established the largest constellation of remote sensing satellites in the civilian sector. These satellites provide valuable data on natural resources, not only domestically, but also to more than a dozen countries around the world. We also have one of the largest domestic communication satellite system in the Asia-Pacific region. We make use of our space assets and the most advanced technologies to meet the needs of many national developmental tasks. These include a number of socially beneficial purposes such as the tele-education and tele-health, meteorology, natural resources management and disaster warning. Taken together along with many other programmes, such as the novel scheme of Village Resource Centres, we can help India's farmers by providing them data on land use, water resource management, agriculture and weather forecasts. All of these are examples of an innovative approach to use advanced technology for improving the quality of life of the common man in our country. This was the vision of Prof. Dhawan and I am very happy that how effectively that vision is being implemented through our space programme.

The future evolution of nations and economies will be determined not only by possession of technology but also in its effective application to meet fundamental development needs of the people. We must, therefore, continually aim at the stars if we are to succeed in meeting our ambitious national goals on the ground. One such grand programme is our Moon mission : Chandrayaan-I.

I look forward to this successful launch of this unmanned Moon-shot from this Centre, using our Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. Chandrayaan-I will enable our scientific community to embark on more ambitious plans of exploring the universe. The implementation of this programme will add to the international profile of our space community. Not only Chandrayaan, but our other programmes are now eliciting positive responses from international partners. I therefore reiterate India's commitment to international cooperation in the scientific exploration of outer space for the benefit of humankind.

Achieving self-reliance in space research and in the application of space technology for national development is the driving force of India's space programme. The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre and Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre at Thiruvananthapuram, ISRO Satellite Centre at Bangalore and Space Applications Centre at Ahmedabad strive continuously to achieve this national goal. They are all justly recognized internationally as centres of great excellence.

An ambitious plan is in hand of this Centre to meet the challenges of the future. A world-class propellant plant will be set up to meet the demands of the next generation launch vehicle, GSLV-Mk III. A number of other satellites to test and integrate a new generation of satellites are also on the anvil.

As our space programme moves into higher gear, ISRO will be increasingly called upon to meet our growing requirement for access to space for purely civilian reasons. Main key areas of our national effort are dependant on the optimum use of our space assets. Therefore, your efforts should be geared to achieve low-cost access to space through innovative space transportation systems. At the same time, while providing these services, you must not compromise in the quest for excellence and quality. The country looks up to you to keep abreast of the latest technologies and to continue to maintain your leadership in this field. I am sure that you will take India to the forefront in the global space arena.

As we reap the benefits of space technology and pledge to strive for higher goals, it is fitting that we pay tribute to the leaders who showed us the way forward.

Let us, therefore, remember Prof. Satish Dhawan whose spirit is ever present in this island to inspire you and the vision of Dr Vikram Sarabhai, the founding father of our space programme is also a source of great inspiration and strength.

We should also remember the other titans of our space programme, namely, President Kalam, Prof. U.R. Rao, Prof. M.G.K. Menon, Prof. Pant, Prof. Narasimhan, Prof. Kasturirangan and many others. Guided by these towering figures, ISRO's committed efforts have taken India to the horizon and beyond in space technology, and its diverse applications. I am very happy that some of these towering figures are present here today. I salute them on behalf of our nation for the contribution that they have made to the development of India's capacities in the field of space. I am particularly happy that Mrs. Dhawan is here alongwith members of her family. I join all members of the ISRO family in paying a tribute to you Madam for you are the woman behind that great scientist, great humanist that Prof. Satish Dhawan was.

In conclusion, I am particularly pleased that today the Astronautical Society of India is honouring some of our high achievers in the fields of space, technology and science. I congratulate Dr K Kasturirangan, who led ISRO with great distinction, on being conferred the Aryabhata Award. This is a very well-deserved recognition of a lifetime of achievement. I also extend my warmest congratulations to the young scientists who have received awards today. You are part of a most distinguished community - one that is based on a commitment to excellence and motivated by the spirit of intellectual endeavour. May you continue to venture far in spirit and in your attainments.

My sincere thanks and best wishes are with all of you, members of the ISRO family. May your path be blessed."