Bharat Ratna Prof C N R Rao, on 23 November, termed the long-time practice of Indian Space Research Organisation seeking the divine blessings in Tirupati before its space missions an act of superstition. In a response to a question, whether the space agency places a miniature replica of soon-to-be-lofted satellite at the feet of lord Balaji in the temple town of Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, every time before its launch from Sriharikota spaceport, the scientist stated that this was a practice and the agency is superstitious. ”Human beings are scared. They think that if they do offerings, their work will get right. What to do?” the eminent scientist said at a meet-the-press programme hosted by the Press Club of Bangalore.
The scientist further noted that “there is no contribution of Indian industry for scientific research” if we compare it with the countries such as the United States, Japan and South Korea where more than 50 per cent of the scientific work is supported by the industry.