Bhubaneshwar
The Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik, honored the top five winners of the 17th Young Astronomer Talent Search (YATS) 2023 at the Pathani Samanta Planetarium (PSP) in Bhubaneswar. Tata Steel, in collaboration with PSP under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of Odisha, organized the event, attracting over 80,000 students from 30 districts.
The award ceremony featured dignitaries such as Ashok Chandra Panda, Minister of Science and Technology, Chithra Arumugam, IAS, Principal Secretary of Science and Technology, and Chanakya Chaudhary, Vice President of Corporate Services at Tata Steel. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik commended the participants, emphasizing YATS’s increasing popularity and influence in nurturing scientific curiosity.
YATS, paying homage to Odisha’s Pathani Samanta, serves as a platform to stimulate innovative thinking and cultivate interest in astronomy among students. Chief Minister Patnaik expressed confidence in YATS continuing to identify and develop talents in space sciences. Chanakya Chaudhary highlighted the program’s success, evident in the growing number of participants and its alignment with India’s recent achievements in space missions, particularly Chandrayaan-3. The competition, featuring open quizzes and multiple-choice assessments for different grade levels, culminated with the top 20 winners earning an exposure visit to an Indian Space Research Organisation facility in June 2024. Since its inception 17 years ago, YATS has engaged over 350,000 young science enthusiasts in Odisha, leaving a lasting impact, with 180 students having the privilege of visiting various ISRO facilities.
