RAS question
Which initiative did the Department of Space say Dr Jitendra Singh reviewed on 26 April 2026?
Correct answer: (A) Space laboratories in universities and colleges.
On 26 April 2026, the Department of Space said Dr Jitendra Singh reviewed plans to set up space laboratories in universities and colleges across India.
Explanation
The PIB release says Dr Jitendra Singh reviewed plans to set up space laboratories in universities and colleges across India. It adds that seven such laboratories would be established in the first phase. That detail is the key clue: the review was not about a mission, a broadcasting policy, or a weather network, but about creating practical space-learning facilities in higher-education institutions. The release links the initiative to hands-on exposure for students in satellite systems, rocketry and mission design, and says the laboratories are expected to strengthen the skilled-youth pipeline for India’s expanding space sector. Therefore, option A matches both the initiative named in the release and the first-phase implementation detail.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) A new lunar sample-return mission is wrong because the cited Department of Space release describes space laboratories in educational institutions, not a lunar mission.
- (C) A national satellite television policy is wrong because the announcement is about university and college space laboratories, not satellite broadcasting regulation.
- (D) A weather radar network for coastal cities is wrong because the release mentions hands-on space laboratories for students, not meteorological radar infrastructure.
Concept
This tests current developments in India’s space-sector policy and institutions. RAS frequently asks such items because Rajasthan-exam science and technology questions often turn on identifying the exact government initiative named in an official release.