Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman lays foundation stone for Rs. 81 crore project
Mysuru: The Cosmology Education and Research Training Centre (COSMOS) — featuring a planetarium — the foundation stone for which was laid by Finance Minister (FM) Nirmala Sitharaman at the University of Mysore’s Sri Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Centre for Higher Learning campus at the foot of Chamundi Hill, will build a good learning ecosystem in the Mysuru region.
“It will democratise learning and will be available for all. It will facilitate young minds to learn and disseminate knowledge to the world with substance,” the FM said. The Rs. 81 crore project is expected to be realised by March 2023.
Nirmala Sitharaman arrived in a helicopter at Mysore Airport in Mandakalli from Bengaluru and headed straight to the foot of Chamundi Hill for the event. After the event, she proceeded to Government Guest House for lunch and was scheduled to reach Hebbal on a private visit to a relative’s house near the Infosys campus. She will travel by road to Bengaluru in the evening, confirmed intelligence sources.
Conceptualisation of COSMOS
Taking the audience through the conceptualisation of the COSMOS, Nirmala Sitharaman said, “As an MP for Karnataka, I wanted to do something unique, apart from attending to my regular duties as an MP and a Minister. My former Personal Secretary, a Karnataka-cadre IAS Officer, came up with the idea of a planetarium and it gradually developed into this mega scale. The idea was germinated two years ago and now it has become a Rs. 81 crore project,” she said.
Acknowledging the contributions of Prof. K. Vijay Raghavan, Principal Scientific Advisor, K.N. Vyas, Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy, Dr. S. Chandrashekar, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology and Prof. Annapurni Subramaniam, Director, Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru, the Minister said that if Secretaries of different Departments think alike, it will achieve wonders. “This is exactly what happened here with beautiful coordination with the University of Mysore,” she said, looking at the officers who were present on the dais.
Real-time astro data
“With COSMOS, the Ladakh sky can be viewed in Mysuru in real time as the data from telescopes from all over the world is available here along with the data of the past and the present. It is not just a planetarium but is a world in itself. This will enable young minds to acquire knowledge, facilitate learning and empower them to use the data guided by scientists and astrophysicists,” she added.
Before Nirmala Sitharaman addressed the gathering, Prof. Annapurni Subramaniam gave a presentation on the COSMOS and said that apart from featuring a planetarium, COSMOS will also function as an education hub and conduct science education outreach and scientific activities for the students.
India’s first hi-tech Planetarium
“The COSMOS will be India’s first hi-tech planetarium with a Digistar 7 system and a Domex screen. This unique state-of-the-art and real-time planetarium with a playback engine will make it an extremely powerful tool for education and training for students as well as teachers”, she said.
The Digistar system will allow scientists, researchers and students to display real-time data from observatories within the dome as all domes will be inter-connected. Regular teaching courses will be provided for school and college students, training on processing astronomical data, coding and hands-on experiments along with systematic documentation of astronomy heritage will be provided,” she added.
MP Pratap Simha also spoke and placed a demand for Coding Academy and Incubation Centre at University of Mysore on the lines of Coding and Incubation Centre in France.
University of Mysore Vice-Chancellor Prof. G. Hemantha Kumar, Registrar Prof. R. Shivappa, University of Mysore Planning Monitoring & Evaluation Board (PMEB) Director Prof. N.K. Lokanath and others were present.
Girls and colours of the universe
Turning her attention to the girl students present among the audience, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that it felt good to see a lot of girl students. “Girls and science can be real game-changers. You can bring colours to the universe and bring about a change. Girls can bring colours to the COSMOS and I am glad that you all are here. In fact the entire universe is full of colours and with their energy, the girls will only add to that,” she said.
“As an MP for Karnataka, I wanted to do something unique, apart from attending to my regular duties as an MP and a Minister.
She is just a Rajya Sabha member and a Modi chela. Very ordinary person, who worked as a sales assistant in London, a mediocre lowly job, but she inflated her profile with lies, and boasts about her IAS officer secretary, who should have been as daft as she is, to suggest this stupid planetarium. What Mysuru needs is a central university.
What earthly use this COSMOS project provides. The research is of no use to earthly beings, the Mysoreans.
Yes she has been always a party faithful raising through ranks as chamch for a number of ministers, and she is the FM. That is the best this world country can do.
While her husband was studying at LSE London, yes, she worked as sales assistant in Habitat London and was scrounging 1 hour now and then assisting Tamil programmes then broadcast by the BBC World Service. She baosts aslso she worked in the accounting firm PWC, which seems dubious.
Her husband does not have a steady job, although as a Congress supporter, he was working for Andhra government.. Her mother-in-law family is staunch Congress.
Yet PM Modi supported her ( Sonia and Rahul are laughing) , because she buutered all the central ministers at one time, particularly that woman Foreign minister a few years ago, and came up through arguing as woman. Sent her daughter to study at journalism at NW Western University, paying all the fees ( how?). I would nt rate as an economic literate at all, although she claims MA economics from Delhi U.
Her husband lives in Hyderabad and she in New Delhi-bizarre married life, like her leader Modi!
A few more details on Mrs Sitharaman. From an Iyengar Brahmin family in Tamil Nadu, mediocre academic career, selected student politics rampant J N university in New Delhi, did MA there and captured a husband. No evidence of finance career in London, while her husband was studying in London .Mother-in-law was a Congress MLA in Hyderabad. Husband’s family are staunch Congress supporters. Tried various things, became propaganda secretary at some stage for BJP in the South, gradually picking up acquaintance with central BJP leaders. Argued for woman representation. Knew , she could not win from Tamil Nadu-Loksabha or Rajya Sabha, lobbied to get the Karnataka a BJP government attention to get s Rajya Sabha seat. Never lived in Karnataka , does not speak Kannada. Distinguished only by an almost slave following of Modi. Became defence minister, but was easily manipulated to get the Rafale fighter jets with Ambani getting a slice of action. It is reported in the Western media a few months ago, that the order of Rafale jets were achieved through corruption in India,. She was not involved, perhaps others. Modi was thinking of replacing her,. Think of former finance ministers like Pai and Man Mohan Singh. Modi is the real FM.
In the G7 finance ministers meeting in Italy, she argued for more aid to India to handle the pandemic. People questioned the priorities of India in sending satellites, finding money for it, but not for handling the pandemic, like oxygen supply, the lack of which killed thousands of Indians in hospitals.
Well, there you have it. But then you have also Bommai the CM as the FM of Karnataka, not a finance genius !
Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka, has home in Hyderabad, Husband and his family staunch Congress, does not speak Kannada, has no relationship with Karnataka, There you go. What has she done for Karnataka except this flimsy star-gazing wasteful outfit at Chamundi Hill foot?