India, April 02, 2025 — In a truly remarkable and inspiring evening, the 5th Annual Celebration of Space Exploration and the NH–UNS Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) Medalling Ceremony was held with great pomp and scientific fervour at Hotel Hycinth, Trivandrum. Organized by the UNS Research Council in collaboration with NH Groups of Companies, the event brought together trailblazers in the fields of space science, healthcare, research, and innovation.

The event’s pinnacle was the presence of Dr. Kartik Sheth, Associate Chief Scientist at NASA, whose keynote on “NASA: The Dream Path and Untold Mysteries” mesmerized the audience. A leading voice in astrophysics and a veteran of missions including the James Webb and Spitzer Space Telescopes, Dr. Sheth generously shared his journey from aspiring student to leading NASA scientist. He also spoke about his collaborations with the White House and provided motivational insights for young scholars and aspiring space scientists.

Before his speech, Dr Hemachandran Ravikumar, Founder of NH Groups and Ambassador of the Royal Society of Biology (UK), personally introduced all the dignitaries, directors, and foundation members to Dr. Sheth. Moved by the contributions of the community, Dr. Sheth extended his best wishes to the Foundation Members of UNS, praising their steadfast dedication. He also commended the Directors of NH Groups for their tireless efforts in making space science more reliable and accessible to youth and society at large.

A moment of great honour followed when Dr Sheth personally acknowledged and praised Dr Hemachandran Ravikumar and Co-founder Ms Mathunila V for promoting scientific reasoning and logic in research programs. Furthermore, Mr. Suresh Sathyanarayanan, CEO of UNS Groups, was lauded by Dr. Sheth for his significant contributions to society, research, and development initiatives. In a vital development for the future, Mr Sathyanarayanan extended an invitation to Dr Sheth to be the chief guest for the upcoming Grand Research Festival sponsored by the UNS Research Council, to which Dr Sheth gave a positive affirmation, much to the excitement of attendees.

JRF Medal Honours: A Night of Recognition The prestigious Junior Research Fellowship Medals were awarded to 28 exemplary scholars from various domains of science, technology, and innovation. These research fellows are: Kumaresan Rajendran, Monica Sudhakaran, Gunasundari Ramasamy, Vasuki Eswaran, Dr. Kokilabhuvaneswari Yuvaraj, Mohanraj Kumar, Kamalesh Jayaprakash Bhuvaneshwari, Sridevi Subramani, Leela Sengottuvelu, Sakunthala Chinnasamy, Eswaran Sengodan, Prahatheeswaran Chandrasekaran, Praveen Kumar Alagirisamy, Parthasarathi Chittibabu, Jayanthi Sundarraj, Dhanasekaran Govindarajan, Shanmukasundharam R S, Rajakarthikeyan Sengottaiyan, Srimathi Ramakrishnan, Pandiyarajan Pandithurai, Dr. Saranya Devi Pradeepkumar, Nallasivam Sengounder, Duraisamy Perianagounder, Dr. Senthilkumar Kathamuthu, Vijayabaskar Govindarajan, Hariharan Srinivasan Manimekalai, Sathya Prakash Soliyappannan Karuppannan, Arumugam Ramachandran.

Distinguished Guests and Eminent Dignitaries The event was honoured by the presence of several eminent figures from academia, research, and the medical sciences. Among them were Dr Srinivasakumar KP MD, Director of Clinical Operations at IBCR; Dr G. Vasanthan, Director of Lychee Internationals; and Dr Shanmugavelu P., senior academician from Tamil Nadu Open University. The gathering also welcomed Lt. Dr. Yaseen Ismail Shaikh, Assistant Professor at Abeda Inamdar Senior College; Dr. Suresh Sathyanarayanan, CEO of UNS Research Council; and of course, Dr. Hemachandran Ravikumar, the event’s visionary host, Founder of NH Groups and a Royal Society of Biology Ambassador.

These dignitaries contributed rich insights to the panel discussions, praised the research achievements of the awardees, and stood witness to the declaration of the 5th NH Space Exploration program.

UNS Foundation Members Introduced to Dr Sheth Dr. Sheth was introduced to the key foundation members of the UNS Research Council, whose contributions continue to uphold the institution’s research-driven vision. These included Viswanathan Krishnamoorthy, Nallasivam Sengounder, Muthusamy Marappagounder, Sanmugam Gurusamy, and Gunasundari Ramasamy. A close associate, Sanjeevan Raja, was also among the representatives engaging with Dr. Sheth.

NH Group of Companies – Visionaries Honoured The Directors of NH Groups were also introduced to Dr Sheth and commended for their leadership and support in driving scientific progress across various domains. The team comprised Mr Sabarinath Gunasekaran, Mr Jakesh Kumar Thimmarayan, Mr Nirushan Tamilselvan, Mr Divakar Ravikumar, and Mr Kirubananth K. Dr. Sheth acknowledged their forward-thinking approach and described their work as instrumental in making space science more reliable and inspiring for the next generation.

Closing with Vision and Unity The evening concluded on a high note with the official declaration of the 5th NH Space Exploration Program by Dr. Hemachandran Ravikumar and Dr. Kartik Sheth. The finale saw the 2025 JRF batch join for a grand group photo, capturing a historic moment of unity, ambition, and scientific camaraderie.

With global leaders, futuristic research initiatives, and passionate youth coming together, the event set the tone for a new era of exploration and scientific progress under the unified mission of “Science for Society.” (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with NRDPL and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR PWR