Business Line, August 17, 2025
The Lok Sabha will on Monday hold a special discussion on India’s first astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS), Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, and the wider role of the space programme in achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047.
The agenda, released by the Lok Sabha Secretariat, lists the discussion under the title: “India’s first astronaut aboard the International Space Station — the critical role of space programme for Viksit Bharat by 2047.”
Group Captain Shukla, who returned to Earth on July 15 after a successful stint aboard the ISS as part of NASA’s Axiom-4 mission, arrived in Delhi in the early hours of Sunday to a warm welcome.
He was received at the IGI airport by Union Minister Jitendra Singh, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and members of his family. Shukla’s mission marks the first time in 41 years that an Indian has travelled to space, the last being Rakesh Sharma in 1984.
The Axiom-4 mission, launched on June 25 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, saw international astronauts conduct scientific experiments aboard the ISS. Shukla’s participation is being hailed as a landmark for India’s growing presence in global space exploration.
Two Important Bills to Be Introduced
Alongside the discussion, two key bills are set to be introduced in the Lok Sabha.
Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025, to be introduced by Union Minister Piyush Goyal, aims to amend several laws to decriminalise minor offences and enhance the ease of doing business.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will introduce Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025, to amend the Indian Institutes of Management Act, 2017, further empowering IIMs with administrative and academic autonomy.
With the return of Shukla and Parliament’s focus on India’s space and education sectors, Monday’s session is expected to reflect the government’s broader push for innovation-led development and long-term national transformation.
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