NavIC's hurdles hint at govt's science funding

GOVT INVESTING IN RESEARCH IS A GAMBLE THAT IS ROOTED IN FAITH, NOT IN CERTAINTY

- Charles Assisi

A silent struggle is unfolding in the skies above us. Satellites, built with dreams of national autonomy and technological prowess, orbit the Earth as part of a grand project named NavIC, India's navigation satellite system. On paper, it was meant to be India's answer to America's GPS—a regional powerhouse capable of guiding ships, planes, and troops, without relying on foreign systems.

This was described effusively in this column back in October 2023. But the narrative has changed since then. NavIC finds itself limping, battered by failures of atomic clocks, propulsion glitches, and a tangled web of challenges back on Earth. The question is: why did something with so much promise run into so many hurdles? And perhaps more importantly, does it stand a chance of revival?

The answer to NavIC's current predicament doesn't just lie in the failure of machinery or missed engineering deadlines. It lies in something more fundamental, deeply rooted in how India has approached science and technology over the years. A science journalist with over a quarter-century following ISRO has much to say on why things are the way they are: "No one in policy-making circles really understands how investing in science and technology helps in development." That statement strikes at the heart of why NavIC, despite its potential, is fighting an uphill battle.