Lok Sabha to hold special discussion on astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla’s historic space mission tomorrow

NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha will hold a special discussion on ‘India’s first astronaut aboard the International Space Station – the critical role of space programme for Viksit Bharat by 2047’ on Monday after Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla returned to India after completing a successful mission at the International Space Station.

“Special discussion on India’s first astronaut aboard the International Space Station-critical role of space programme for Viksit Bharat by 2047,” the agenda released by Lok Sabha secretariat read.

Shukla, who returned to Earth on July 15 after completing NASA’s Axiom-4 (AX-4) space mission, landed in Delhi in the early hours of Sunday.

He was received at Delhi’s IGI airport by Union Minister Jitendra Singh, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, as well as his family, including his wife and son.

Shukla was part of NASA’s Axiom-4 Space Mission, which took off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, US, on June 25. He returned to Earth on July 15, splashing down off the coast of California. He became the first Indian in 41 years to travel to space.

Alongside this landmark discussion, two crucial Bills will be introduced in the Lok Sabha.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal will move for leave to introduce the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025.

The second bill is the Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025. It will be moved by Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. This Bill proposes further amendments to the Indian Institutes of Management Act, 2017. (ANI)