Solar mission chief Nigar Shaji urges women to aim high

Women must know their self-worth and stop limiting their own growth due to social conditioning, said Nigar Shaji, project director of Aditya L1 solar mission, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), while commending female achievers in Tiruchi on Saturday.

Ms. Shaji was speaking at the ‘Women’s Excellence and Enterprise Awards and Knowledge Share’ event organised by Tiruchirappalli Regional Engineering College – Science and Technology Entrepreneurs’ Park (TREC-STEP).

It was conducted as part of the institution’s project to support civil society organisations for climate ventures, funded by European Union-backed Gender Enabling Network of Innovation and Entrepreneurships (GENIE).

Referring to the progress of Aditya L1, which was launched on September 2, Ms. Shaji said that it would begin orbit towards the L1 Lagrange point by the first week of January 2024. Lagrange points are positions in space where objects sent there tend to stay put.

The scientist, who was conferred with the ‘Eve of Excellence’ honour at the gathering, later gave away awards to 30 businesswomen from across Tamil Nadu.

Ms. Shaji said that though many more women were getting educated and were financially independent now, social justice would emerge only when mothers brought up their children to respect everyone irrespective of their gender. “Nobody else can improve our lot; we have to do it ourselves. Equality will ensure real progress, especially in rural areas,” she said.

It was also important for eco-friendly technology to be adopted more widely. “The culture of convenience is affecting our Earth’s environment, and entrepreneurs in climate ventures will hold the key to conservation. There will be challenges, but there will be opportunities too,” Ms. Shaji said.

“ISRO’s programmes have always aimed to empower and improve the life of the common man. We take up every task connected to the missions as our passion, so our success is the result of team work,” she said.

R.M.P Jawahar, Executive Director, TREC-STEP, and Sundar Srinivasan, Director Gnanam Business School, spoke.

An orientation course on digital marketing was held for women entrepreneurs as part of the programme.