An Indian astronaut and a Group Captain in the Indian Air Force, Shubhanshu Shukla, returned to India on July 20 after successfully completing the Axiom-4 space mission to the International Space Station (ISS). During his mission, Shukla was the pilot of the spacecraft.
After his return, Shukla met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 21 and with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on July 24.
On July 21, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla addressed the Lok Sabha, welcoming Shukla back to India and highlighting the importance of his achievement for the “Viksit Bharat” vision by 2047. Birla emphasized that Shukla’s mission was not only a success but a source of pride and inspiration for all of India.
A discussion on India’s first astronaut aboard the ISS and the critical role of the space program for “Viksit Bharat By 2047” was briefly held in Lok Sabha. During this discussion, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, Jitendra Singh, criticized the opposition for not congratulating Shukla and the space scientists for their achievements.
Amidst a protest by opposition members regarding a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in Bihar, Singh expressed his astonishment, stating, “Your anger can be with the government. Your anger can be with the BJP and the NDA. But it is surprising that you can be angry with an astronaut…He does not belong to any political party.”
