India celebrates joining Square Kilometre Array Observatory as member country, to set up regional data centre

Prof Yogesh Wadadekar of NCRA-TIFR who is coordinating the effort to build the SRC in India said that the centre will process, store and provide access to SKAO data products for the astronomy community.

3 min readPuneNov 14, 2024 08:28 AM IST

From L to R- Sunil Ganju, Head of the Programmes Division, DAE, Dr A K Mohanty, Secretary, DAE, Prof Phil Diamond, Director General of SKAO and Prof Yashwant Gupta, Centre Director, NCRA

“You don’t have to wait for a complete telescope array to use it. Starting 2026, we will be doing early science,” Prof Phil Diamond, Director General, Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO), said. He was in Pune on Wednesday to celebrate India’s recent membership in the SKAO. “There are myriad challenges, but we are largely on track and delving deeper to enhance our understanding of the Big Bang to the origins of life. The SKAO is one of the great scientific endeavours of the 21st Century and we are glad India is part of it,” he added.

The SKAO is an intergovernmental organisation that brings countries from around the world to build and operate cutting-edge radio telescopes to transform our understanding of the universe. With HQ in the UK,the SKAO’s two telescopes are at radio-quiet sites in South Africa and Australia. India is among the 12 member countries. India formally joined the SKAO Council in July 2024.

India had earlier approved participation in this international mega-science project with a commitment of Rs 1,250 crore, funded jointly by the Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Science and Technology to support India’s activities in the SKA project up to 2031.

Dr Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy, who was present at the event held at the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA), hailed this remarkable milestone which DAE has achieved in the platinum jubilee of its existence. “This mega science international collaboration puts India ahead in the global scientific forum,” he said.

The Indian science community is gearing up for an active role in the SKAO, said Prof Yashwant Gupta, Centre Director, NCRA-Pune, that is the nodal institution for coordination of Square Kilometre Array (SKA) related activities in the country. “Previously, India was an associate member at SKAO Council. Following phase wise approvals, India has become a full member and we are developing a regional data centre. A small prototype centre is ready for use, Gupta said, adding that there would be more active participation in SKA data challenges. “We have some well-defined roles including contributing to data processing software,” he said.

Prof Yogesh Wadadekar of NCRA-TIFR who is coordinating the effort to build the SRC in India said that the centre will process, store and provide access to SKAO data products for the astronomy community.

Prof Pankaj Jain of IIT Kanpur, the SKA-India consortium Chair of 24 academic and research institutes, said India has made significant contributions to the critical software elements at the heart of SKA telescopes. “India will continue its work to supervise the development of the Observatory Monitor and Control system, which will issue commands required to carry out astronomical observations. In delivering this crucial element we will engage with the expertise of the software industry. We are currently in the process of setting up training programmes for UG and PG students in all aspects of radio astronomy,” he said.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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