The Central University of Punjab (CU Punjab) organized a special programme to commemorate National Space Day 2024, celebrating India's historic achievement of the successful soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon on August 23, 2023. Under the patronage of Vice Chancellor Prof. Raghavendra Prasad Tiwari, the event featured a variety of activities centered around the theme "Touching the Moon and Touching Lives – India’s Space Story," including live screenings, expert lectures, and various competitive events.
Alongside university students, students from schools near Ghudda village also participated in the event. In the first phase of the program, university faculty and students watched the live telecast of the Hon'ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu’s address during the National Space Day 2024 celebrations held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
In her speech, the President hailed the Chandrayaan-3 mission as one of India’s greatest scientific triumphs and praised ISRO's extraordinary advancements in space exploration. She highlighted India’s impressive space accomplishments, from the cost-effective Mars mission to the successful launch of over a hundred satellites in a single mission.
Following the national broadcast, the second phase of the program featured two expert lectures organized by the Department of Physics at CU Punjab in collaboration with the Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC). The first lecture, delivered by Dr. S. Pal, Satish Dhawan Professor at ISRO’s Satellite Navigation Centre in Bangalore, focused on the topic “Indian Space Paradigm.” Dr. Pal highlighted innovations in satellite navigation and space communication technologies from the early satellite launches, emphasizing India’s growing role in space exploration.
The second lecture, titled “India’s Aatmanirbhar Space Journey,” was delivered by Prof. P.K. Ahluwalia, Distinguished Professor of Physics at Himachal Pradesh University. He spoke about India’s commitment to developing indigenous space technologies and achieving self-reliance in space missions, which has been a key factor in ISRO’s continued success.
The third phase of the program featured competitive events aimed at promoting student engagement with space science. Students participated enthusiastically in a quiz competition on the topic "Indian Space Missions: Past, Present, and Future," as well as an essay writing competition and on-the-spot poster competitions.
Prof. R.K. Wusirika, Dean Incharge Academics at CU Punjab, expressed his gratitude to the invited speakers for their informative lectures and appreciated the enthusiasm shown by students during the competitive events. He remarked that the National Space Day celebrations at CU Punjab not only highlighted India’s extraordinary space achievements but also inspired the younger generation to actively participate in shaping the future of the country’s space science and technology advancements.