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Dr B N Suresh, Director of ISRO?s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) at Thiruvananthapuram, has been elected by consensus as the Chairman of Science and Technology (S&T) Sub-committee of United Nations Committee On Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN-COPUOS) for the current year. He was the nominee of Asian Group of countries for the coveted post. Dr Suresh was elected to the post at the beginning of the 43rd Session of the S&T Sub-committee, which commenced at the Vienna International Centre, Austria, for its annual meeting on February 20, 2006. This is the first time that a technical expert from a developing country has been elected as the Chairman of the S&T Sub-committee since its inception in the early 1960?s.
The S&T Sub-committee of UN-COPUOS, which is attended by 69 member states and other international professional organisations, focuses on the international co-operation in the field of Space, with specific reference to space science and technologies and their applications.
Dr BN Suresh, who is the Director of ISRO?s largest Centre, VSSC, has been leading the Indian delegation to the S&T Sub-Committee of UN-COPUOS for the past three years. He has made significant contribution to the development of launch vehicle technology and played a key role in a number of bi-lateral co-operation agreements between ISRO and other space agencies.
Dr Suresh?s election was facilitated by the efforts of Ambassador and permanent representative of India to UN Vienna, Dr Sheel Kant Sharma in close consultation with Dr G Madhavan Nair, Chairman, ISRO and Secretary, Department of Space, and Ministry of External Affairs. Dr Suresh?s election is an important recognition for ISRO?s outstanding achievements in development of space science and technology and their applications to benefit the society.
