Tuesday, February 21 2006 15:15 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

ISRO Director elected Chairman: B N Suresh, Director of ISRO's Vikram Sarabai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, has been elected Chairman of Science and Technology Sub-Committee of the United Nations Committee on 'Peaceful Uses of Outer Space' for the current year.

This is the first time that a technical expert from a developing country has been elected to the post.

Dr Suresh, who has contributed significantly to the development of launch vehicle technology and played a key role in a number of bilateral cooperation agreements between ISRO and other space agencies, was the nominee of the group of Asian countries for the post, a release said.

The Science and Technology sub-commitee, which is attended by 69 member-states and other international professional organisations, focusses on international cooperation in the field of space, with specific reference to space science and technologies and their applications.

Dr Suresh has been leading the Indian delegation to the sub-committee for the past three years.

The election was held at the beginning of the 43rd session of the sub-committee, which commenced at the Vienna International centre, Austria, yesterday.

His election was facilitated by the efforts of Indian Ambassador to Austria and permanent representative of India to the UN, Vienna, Dr Sheel Kant Sharma in close consultation with ISRO chairman Dr G Madhavan Nair, sources said.