BHUBANESWAR: Minister for Science and Technology Krushna Chandra Patra felicitated 30 winners of the nineteenth version of the Tata Steel Young Astronomer Talent Search (YATS) on the grand finale right here on Saturday.
Organised by Tata Steel in collaboration with the Pathani Samanta Planetarium, this flagship initiative celebrates the legacy of Odisha’s legendary astronomer Pathani Samanta. It additionally goals to nurture younger expertise and encourage schoolchildren throughout the state to discover science, astronomy and house analysis.
More than 76,700 students participated in YATS-2025. Thirty winners had been introduced out of 60 finalists from throughout the state. Since the inception of the initiative in 2007, YATS has reached greater than 4.7 lakh students within the state.
Wishing the winners a shiny future, the minister suggested them to hold ahead the legacy of the good mathematician and astronomer Pathani Samanta. He thanked the organiser for instilling confidence among the many students to discover the house. “I believe, these young talents will surely make a mark in the field of space science and make Odisha and India proud,” he mentioned.
Additional chief secretary of Science and Technology Chithra Arumugam mentioned the YATS initiative is a vibrant testomony to the collaborative spirit. She hoped that the winners would carry ahead the spirit of scientific enquiry.
Vice president (company companies) Tata Steel DB Sundara Ramam mentioned, “By encouraging young minds to explore the universe with curiosity and courage, we are investing in a future where innovation, discovery and human potential shine brighter than ever.”
Senior ISRO scientist Amitav Mohanty, co-founder and CEO of Serendipity Space Antariksh Parichha and city-based AI developer Ayush Dalai additionally spoke.