It added that the two countries would initiate new STEM talent exchanges by expanding the professional engineer and scientist exchange programme (PESEP) to include space science, Earth science, and human spaceflight and extending a standing invitation to Isro to participate in NASA’s biennial international programme management course.
There will be strengthening of bilateral commercial space partnership, including through a new US department of commerce and Indian Department of Space-led initiative under the civil space joint (Indo-US CSJ) working group.
“This initiative will foster commercial space engagement and enable growth and partnerships between US and Indian commercial space sectors,” the statement read, welcoming S Somanath’s (Isro chairman) visit to the US. While Somanath was in the US as of February 1, NASA administrator is scheduled to visit India later in 2023.
The countries will also expand the agenda of the Indo-US CSJ working group to include planetary defence.
The announcement comes in the backdrop of President Biden and PM Narendra Modi announcing the US-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) in May 2022 to elevate and expand strategic technology partnership and defence industrial co-operation between governments, businesses, and academia.
“The US and India affirm that the ways in which technology is designed, developed, governed, and used should be shaped by our shared democratic values and respect for universal human rights. We are committed to fostering an open, accessible, and secure technology ecosystem, based on mutual trust and confidence, that will reinforce our democratic values and democratic institutions,” the White House said.
NISAR In 2024
In a separate statement, the US State Department, said officials from US and India gathered on January 30-31 for the eighth meeting of the Indo-US CSJ working group (CSJWG) co-chaired by principal deputy assistant secretary Jennifer R Littlejohn and the NASA associate administrator for international and interagency relations Karen Feldstein, Isro scientific secretary Shantanu Bhatawdekar.
The group discussions covered collaboration in Earth and space science as well as human space exploration, global navigation satellite systems, spaceflight safety and space situational awareness, and policies for commercial space. Participants also considered implementation of guidelines and best practices developed by the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Use of Outer Space (COPUOS) to ensure the long-term sustainability of outer space activities.
“The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission, planned to launch in 2024, is expected to systematically map Earth, using two different radar frequencies to monitor resources such as water, forests and agriculture. The mission will provide important Earth science data related to ecosystems, Earth’s surface, natural hazards, sea level rise and the cryosphere,” It read.

“By winning this World Cup, you have given a dream to young girls in India to represent the country.
“The beginning of the WPL (Women’s Premier League) is going to be the biggest thing. I believe in equality for men and women, and not just in sports. There should be equal opportunities,” he added.
Tendulkar said the BCCI is doing its best for the growth of women’s cricket in the country.
“What BCCI has been able to do and the officials’ contribution in helping women’s cricket prosper, I think it’s a sign that we will really do well (in future).”
Board secretary Shah had earlier invited the team for felicitation soon after India clinched the title defeating England in a one-sided final on Sunday. He also announced a cash prize of Rs 5 crore to the team and support staff which was handed during the felicitation ceremony.
BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla and treasurer Ashish Shelar were among other dignitaries present in the ceremony.
India beat England by seven wickets in the final for their maiden title where pacer Titas Sadhu was adjudged Player of the Match.
Opener Shweta Sehrawat was the highest run-getter in the tournament — 297 runs in 7 matches at an average of 99.

Alongside, the budget also aims to boost education, job creation, skill development, entrepreneurship, digital infrastructure, agriculture, housing and green growth, in the process touching the lives of almost everyone in the country. In all of this, the hope is that people benefiting from government schemes will reward the BJP when they enter the polling booth.

In keeping with the farm sector’s critical importance, the budget announced an 11 per cent hike in agriculture credit target to Rs 20 lakh crore, with a focus on animal husbandry, dairy and fisheries. The government will also launch a new sub-scheme of Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana with an investment of Rs 6,000 crore to improve value chain efficiencies and expand the fishery market. There was also a push towards natural farming, alternative fertilisers, balanced use of chemical fertilisers, boosting availability of quality planting material for high value horticultural crops and an Agriculture Accelerator Fund to encourage agri-startups by young entrepreneurs in rural areas. Put together, the initiatives signal the government’s continued focus on farmers, by far the largest demographic in the country.
A key focus area was the housing sector, with the budget announcing a 66 per cent hike in the Pradhan Mantri Aawas Yojana (PMAY) outlay to Rs 79,000 crore. This holds the promise of benefiting a large swathe of urban poor still languishing in shanties in less than hospitable conditions. The enhanced allocation is as much a recognition of the work still to be done on this front as it is of the electoral importance of this voting bloc, which invariably has ties to villages and has a spill-on effect. Enabling all cities and towns for 100 per cent transition of sewers and septic tanks from manhole to machine hole mode also has a similar aim — putting a stop to the dehumanising manual cleaning of sewers and providing a life of dignity to those involved in such work, who are drawn from the lowest strata of society.

Nirmala Sitharaman gives her shortest ever Budget speech. For how long did she speak?