Srinagar, Jul 20: Indian astronaut and Indian Air Force (IAF) Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla captivated an audience of over 2,200 children, students, teachers and families at the Chinar Book Festival on Monday, inspiring young minds with stories from his historic journey to the International Space Station (ISS) and urging them to pursue excellence with discipline, curiosity and determination.
Speaking during a nearly two-hour interactive session at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) on the banks of Dal Lake, Shukla described his transition from an Indian Air Force pilot to becoming the first Indian to visit the International Space Station, calling the achievement ‘the journey of the entire nation’ rather than an individual accomplishment.
The session, moderated by Amit Wanchoo, Chief Convenor of the Chinar Book Festival, saw the astronaut simplify complex scientific concepts through engaging anecdotes, videos from his astronaut training and footage from his mission in space.
Reflecting on the launch, Shukla recalled that the moment his spacecraft’s engines ignited, he momentarily “forgot all his training”, comparing the feeling to the anxiety of opening an examination paper despite weeks of preparation.
He also shared several memorable experiences from life in space, including growing taller due to zero gravity, walking on the walls of the ISS, accidentally dropping his laptop after returning to Earth because he briefly forgot gravity existed, and undergoing rehabilitation to relearn walking after the mission.
Looking ahead, Shukla spoke about India’s ambitious space programme, including the Gaganyaan mission, plans for an Indian space station and the country’s goal of landing an Indian on the Moon by 2040.
He said India’s future in space exploration would be shaped by young people who choose curiosity over self-doubt and encouraged students to dream fearlessly.
“Sky was never the limit, not for me, not for you,” he told the audience.
Throughout the interaction, Shukla repeatedly emphasised the importance of maintaining both physical and mental well-being, urging students to strive for excellence in science, technology, engineering, research and other fields while contributing to nation-building through knowledge, innovation and dedicated service.
The highlight of the session was an animated question-and-answer segment, where students from different districts of Jammu and Kashmir eagerly raised queries about life aboard the International Space Station, astronaut training and India’s future space missions. Responding with patience, humour and humility, Shukla transformed every answer into a lesson on scientific curiosity and perseverance.
The auditorium erupted in applause as the astronaut’s inspiring stories and interactive style left a lasting impression on the young audience.
Meanwhile, the Authors’ Corner hosted a discussion on “Trilingual Formula and Multilingual Education under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.” Former Jamia Hamdard University Vice Chancellor Prof Afshar Alam spoke about the changing language preferences among students under the new education policy.
University of Kashmir Registrar Prof Naseer Iqbal highlighted the implementation of NEP-2020 at the university and announced that a one-year postgraduate programme would also be introduced in line with the policy.
Director of the National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language, Dr Shams Equbal, stressed that every Indian language is a shared national heritage and expressed hope that Kashmir would continue to strengthen the promotion of Urdu. The session was moderated by Prof Ijaz Muhammad Sheikh, former Head of the Department of Linguistics at the University of Kashmir.
The third day of the festival also featured vibrant cultural performances and a grand Mushaira, where noted poets including Rafiq Raz, Popular Merithi, Rukhsana Jabeen, Prof Shafaq Sopoori, Noman Shoq, Prof Ahmed Mahfouz, Prof Satish Vimal and Dr Shafi Ayub presented their works.
The cultural programme included performances by Vitasta Folk Theatre, Kashmir Valley Theatre, Young Dramatics Society and Malik Badshah Folk Theatre, while singers Shazia Bashir, Dr Deepali Watal and Ishrat Hussain Shah concluded the evening with musical performances that drew enthusiastic applause from the audience.
