25 Oct :Former President A P J Abdul Kalam on Saturday said India’s presence on moon is vital to ensure that "some individual nations" would not establish monopoly in the earth’s only satellite.
"Moon belongs to the entire world. For this India’s presence on moon is vital. Some individual nation should not have monopoly on moon," Kalam said in Ahmedabad at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.
This was his second visit to IIM-A to give lectures on the course "Globalising and Resurgent India through Innovative Transformation (GRIT)".
"Apart from establishing that the moon belongs to the world, the mission is also important as traces of Helium 3 have been found on its surface," Kalam said, adding the Chandrayaan mission will help determine the amount of the mineral on moon.
"If substantial amount of Helium 3 is found on moon’s surface, nations of the world will compete for control over earth’s satellite," the Missile Man was replying to questions after delivering a public lecture on the subject "Nation, Challenges and Leadership".
"I think that earth-moon-mars in future will be single complex for strategic application and economic growth," Kalam said stressing that Moon Mission was vital for the country’s strategic as well as economic development.
He said that India is also planning to send a mission to Mars.