'Didn't have courage to write IIT entrance': ISRO chief S Somanath as he completes PhD from IIT-Madras

ISRO chief S Somanath, who recently completed PhD from IIT Madras, has revealed that even though he was the topper in the state for science, he had no courage to sit for the IIT entrance. Somanath, who comes from a village in Kerala, received his PhD from IIT-Madras Friday.
      
"When I stand here I look at a young Village boy after having been the topper in the state for science had no courage to write an entrance examination for an IIT," the ISRO chief said while speaking at the 61st convocation ceremony of IIT-Madras.  

"Still. I kept a dream to be once graduated from such an institution. I had the fortune of being graduated in my masters from Indian Institute of Science Bangalore and now my PhD comes from IIT-Madras," he said. 

Somanath, under whose watch ISRO scripted history by successfully landing its Chandrayaan-3 near the south pole of the Moon, said he joined IIT-Madras as a student when he was doing the GSLV Mark-III vehicle design and development. "But I got immersed in that. I couldn't take this task of completing my PhD forward," he said. 

"But that's real good fortune that after having assumed the office of chairman of ISRO I could complete it and get graduated," the ISRO chief said.

In November 2021, Somanath, in an interview with Congress MP Shashi Tharoor for Sansad TV, explained how he got interested in science and how he was recruited by the premier space agency. He said he was very much fascinated by the Sun, the Moon, and the stars.

"My father was a science enthusiast though he was a Hindi language teacher. He was interested in science, he would bring books, especially astronomy. Later, I went to engineering, which was not a very easy option then. However, due to many circumstances, I went to engineering. There, I developed a fascination for research and space science," he said.

Somanath did a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from TKM College of Engineering in Kollam from 1980-1985. Interestingly, he revealed, there was no specialisation and he was a mechanical engineer when he graduated from college. "During the course, I was interested in propulsion," he said, adding that he went and asked the professor if the latter could take a course on propulsion, which was not offered in the college. "He (professor) said I will study and teach you. We joined the (propulsion) course very first time in our college," he said.    

Somanath said he was recruited by the ISRO for the space programme at the time when the PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) project was starting. "There was quite a bit of intake of engineers into this (space programme), and we all applied while we were in college. I was only in the final year, and they were recruiting people in the final year based on the marks in the previous semesters. Five of us were selected. I happened to be one of them," the 60-year-old scientist said. "It was because of a passion and interest which was within me that ultimately made me reach here."