Close on the heels of the success of the PSLV/Saral mission, the budgetary allocation for India’s space programme has rocketed by nearly Rs 2,000 crore—one of the highest in recent times, according to ISRO officials. While the allocation in 2012-13 was Rs 4,880 crore, it has been raised to Rs 6,792 crore now. The amount earmarked for the manned spaceflight programme, which is still awaiting the government’s formal nod, has been increased from Rs 14 crore to Rs 27 crore. The hike in allocation has triggered speculation that the government will give the green signal to the project in the near future. For the moon mission, the budget has been raised from Rs 50 crore to Rs 78 crore, and for space science programmes such as the Aditya (India’s first solar mission) and Astrosat (the first dedicated space observatory), from Rs 330 crore to Rs 521 crore. The increase for INSAT operations is from Rs 960 crore to Rs 1,580 crore.
Source: Times of India
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