The Union minister Jitendra Singh announced on Saturday (September 3) that within the next three months, Ladakh will host India's first-ever "Night Sky Sanctuary" as part of Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary in the union territory.
Singh also claimed that the proposed 'Dark Sky Reserve' will be finished at Hanle in the UT within three months, which will boost Astro tourism in India and make it one of the highest-located sites in the world for optical, infrared, and gamma-ray telescopes, as reported by NDTV.
Preventing The Night Sky
The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Leh, the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), and the UT administration recently signed a tripartite MoU to establish the Dark Space Reserve.
All three parties will work together to prevent the night sky from being illuminated and polluted, which severely threatens scientific observations and the sky's natural conditions.
It should be noted that Hanle is ideally suitable for the project because it is situated in the freezing desert region of Ladakh, far from any human interference, and has dry weather conditions all year round.
Other Projects Onboard
RK Mathur, the lieutenant governor of Ladakh, spoke with minister Singh to discuss initiatives for the leather Centre, the Leh Berry, the Education Fair, and CSIR-supported Programmes.
Singh stated that the Ladakh Education Fair, which will be held annually, will have a distinctive and sizable pavilion from the Department of Science and Technology (DST). An official claimed that DST would actively participate in the appropriate topic selection, scholarships, career counselling, skills development, and apprenticeship to increase young people's employability.
A high-level delegation of scientists and representatives from the Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) Chennai will visit Ladakh by the end of the year to explore the possibility of establishing a regional branch of CLRI, given it has a vibrant and varied array of animals for leather research and industry and to advance the cause of leather research.