Even after being a scientist at one of the most elite organisations in the country for the last six years, being a member of a team that successfully launched Chandrayaan-3, India’s third lunar exploration mission, was like a “childhood dream come true” for Prayagraj’s Neha Agrawal.
Agrawal, who was also associated with the Chandrayaan-2 mission, is also working on many future projects of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), details of which she didn’t want to share.
Girls High School and College of Prayagraj was the ISRO scientist’s alma mater, post which she completed her engineering graduate degree from United College of Engineering and Research. She then pursued MTech in Electronics and Communication from Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (MNNIT) and passed with a gold medal in 2017 before joining the ISRO.
Neha’s mother Vandana Agrawal is a teacher at a government-run primary school in Karachhana area of Prayagraj while younger sister Pranjali and younger brother Puneet are working as engineers in private firms.
Neha’s father Sanjay Kumar has retired as a special assistant from Indian Bankand is currently serving as the district chairman of the Allahabad Bank Staff Association.
Sanjay Kumar, a resident of Pushpakrishna Palace near Civil Lines in the city, said Neha, her eldest of child, wanted to become a scientist since her childhood.
{{/usCountry}}Sanjay Kumar, a resident of Pushpakrishna Palace near Civil Lines in the city, said Neha, her eldest of child, wanted to become a scientist since her childhood.
{{/usCountry}}“When she was not reading textbooks, she engaged herself with books of science. It is the result of her dedication that she became a scientist at the ISRO on the very first attempt and has been serving the country for the last six years. With pride, we all watched the launch of the Chandrayaan-3 live on TV,” he said.
PHOTO: Neha Agrawal