DNA
Chennai, Dec 29: Frustrated over the delay in getting land near Thiruvananthapuram for its Indian Institute of Space Science Technology (IIST), the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is thinking of shifting the ambitious institution out of Kerala.
After several bunglings, broken promises and legal tangles, the Kerala government offered on Monday 70 acres in Valiyamala, 30 km from Thiruvananthapuram. But the government just does not have land to be handed over to Isro. Land acquisition is fraught with impediments.
“We are frustrated at the way the state government has been treating this matter. We are forced to think of shifting the school to some other state, though we are yet to have a short list of alternatives,” a senior Isro scientist told DNA.
Isro had conceived the idea of the space school to fight attrition among its scientists and mould young scientists for India’s ambitious space programmes, as the country has joined a select league of self-sufficient space-faring nations.
After an assurance from the state government that 100 acres would be provided for ISST in the picturesque Ponmudi hills, 50 km from Thiruvananthapuram, Isro started classes for the first batch of students this year at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram.
IIST offers two four-year courses in the undergraduate stream (space technology and aerospace engineering) and a five-year integrated master’s course in applied sciences.
The selection is made from the IIT-JEE extended list. IIST could not launch its doctoral and post-doctoral programmes this year owing to lack of facilities on the Thumba campus.
Not waiting for government land, Isro purchased 100 acres in Ponmudi from a private party earlier this year, but it had to drop the deal as the land falls in the “fragile eco zone”.
The government offered another 100 acres in Kambimoodu near Ponmudi, but Isro found it unfit for the institute which is to have, among other facilities, a planetarium. “Valiyamala was our last hope. We cannot wait any longer and have to put up at least a basic structure before the next academic year starts,” the scientist said.