Will the Minister of SPACE be pleased to state:-

(a) whether expenditure on various space programmes has increased during 2009-2010 as compared to 2007-08 and 2008-09;

(b) if so, the reasons therefor;

(c) the details of such expenditure incurred during each of the last three years and the current year;

(d) whether the earnings from National Remote Sensing Centre and Leasing of Transponder to INTELSAT have decreased during 2009-10 and 2010-11;

(e) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor; and

(f) the steps taken by the Government thereto?
ANSWER: MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY PERSONNEL, PG & PENSIONS AND IN THE PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE (SHRI V. NARAYANASAMY)

(a) Yes, Sir.

(b) The increase in expenditure during 2009 -10 and 2010 -11 was mainly towards Indian National Satellite (INSAT) operational(GSAT – 8 and GSAT – 10 launch services), Space Technology (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) & Geo-synchronous Launch Vehicle (GSLV) operational, Satellite Navigation and commissioning of specialized technical infrastructure), Space Application programmes including societal applications and other programmes (upgradation of Very Large Scale Integration fabrication facility at Semi-Conductor Laboratory, Chandigarh).

(c) The details of expenditure on various space programmes incurred during each of the last three years are given below

Sl Programmes Expenditure (Rs in Crores)
No

2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 BE
2011-12

A Space 2477.43 2945.59 2537.53 4017.59
Technology

B Space 396.17 599.52 545.08 848.83
Applications

C Space 239.48 196.30 165.70 351.12
Sciences

D Direction & 148.69 171.74 557.91 322.53
Administration/
Other Programmes

E INSAT 231.80 249.81 675.97 1085.93
Operational

Grand Total 3493.57 4162.96 4482.19 6626.00

(d) Compared to 2008-09, the earnings of National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) decreased during 2009-2010 and increased during 2010-11. The earnings from leasing of transponders to INTELSAT have decreased during 2009-10 and 2010-11, compared to 2008-09.

(e)&(f) The details of earnings from NRSC during the period 2008-11 are given below:

Financial Year Earnings of NRSC
(Rs in Crores)

2008-2009 64.24

2009-2010 52.40

2010-2011 71.64

Consequent to the governmentalisation of NRSC in September 2008, the interest receipts from deposits were not accounted as earnings. Further, the prices of IRS data products were reduced in order to enhance the outreach of the data for societal applications. Because of this, the earnings of NRSC decreased during financial year 2009-10. However, it has increased during the financial year 2010-11 by 36% as compared to that in 2009-10. The increase is due to increase in the sale of data products and transfer of surplus to Government revenues as per accounting procedures.

Department had leased 11 transponders (36 MHz bandwidth equivalent) onboard India`s INSAT-2E satellite in May 1999 for a period of ten years to INTELSAT (International Telecommunications Satellite). The earnings on account of leasing of transponders to INTELSAT during 2008-11 are as given below:

Financial Year Earnings accrued from
leasing of Transponders
to INTELSAT
(Rs in Crores)

2008-2009 39.13

2009-2010 29.11

2010-2011 25.89

Earning from leasing of transponders to INTELSAT onboard INSAT-2E satellite were reduced during the period of 2009-10 and 2010-11, compared to 2008-09, due to reduction in the number of transponders leased to INTELSAT from 11 to 6 from June 2009.

The reduction was effected after the expiry of the original contract and based on the customer requirement. The remaining 5 transponders were allocated to TV broadcasting and digital news gathering services on commercial basis.The earnings from leasing of transponders to INTELSAT during the above mentioned period were based on the fact that 11 transponders were used for 12 months during 2008-09; 11 transponders were used during first two months and 6 transponders were used for the remaining 10 months during 2009-10; and 6 transponders were used for 12 months during 2010-11.

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