By Prashant K. Nanda, IANS
New Delhi : Four years after her death in space, Indian-American astronaut Kalpana Chawla has been included in a Class 7 textbook to promote science and education among girls in India.
In the latest edition of its science textbook for Class 7, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has devoted a page to Chawla to encourage girl students to take up a career of their choice and spread awareness about equal rights for women.
A picture of Chawla in an astranaut's dress accompanies the write-up for the promotion of education of the girl child and is captioned as "Educated Girl, Nation's Progress, Society's Pride".
"Kalpana is a role model for Indian women and information about her in our science book will attract students towards the subject," said Hukum Singh, head of NCERT's department of science and mathematics.
"From a modest family of Karnal to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and finally the space, Kalpana's contribution to women empowerment across the globe is important. I think her presence in the book will boost the morale of students.
"This will not only impel students, especially girls, to learn more about the individual but also urge them to think big and try to achieve higher goals. From home to space, girls can conquer everything," Hukum Singh told IANS.
The book underlines that "women have won the Nobel Prize in different areas, women have been astronauts and women have been running industries successfully".
It further mentions that women have successfully led countries as prime minister and presidents and women are top-level managers, scientist, leaders and technocrats. "If they can do it why not you?"
Chawla was born in Karnal in Haryana in March 1962 and received her early education from the Tagore Bal Niketan School. She completed her aeronautical engineering from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh. She moved to the US in 1982 and started working with NASA in 1988.
Chawla died in February 2003 when space shuttle Columbia carrying her and fellow astronauts disintegrated after catching fire while returning to earth.
Students and staff of the Tagore Bal Niketan School are very happy about Chawla's inclusion in the Class VII science textbook.
"This is a very good move. It will certainly motivate students towards the subject and promote science among girls," said an elated Rajan Lamba, principal of Tagore Bal Niketan.