Most likely because the Department of Space comes under the Prime Minister.[1] And it was very important to assure the international community that we are not going to use it for attacking another country. PM's direct involvement helps this very much. The Chinese test got a significant negative reaction because of the ignorance from the top leadership.
That doesn't hold water because he wasn't the one who made the Balakot airstrike announcement. While he did announce Mars Orbiter Mission(because the reason I stated in the parent) when there were no elections around. You're free to draw whatever conclusions you want.
The man said nothing, absolutely nothing during the Balakot event. Which is fine, because the whole thing was a cockup anyway. That didn't stop his base from celebrating the event. (Disclaimer: I don't support Pakistan, but you have to add this disclaimer lest you're called "anti-national" by his base)
Anyway, you have to agree the mans a propoganda machine. Just like at the release timeline for the movie Uri...
Pretty funny you should mention Nehru. Tweets from official Congress party account credits today’s event to Nehru. Both sides resort to the same kind of tactics.
Yeah, both main parties are stuck in the past. The BJP is horrible for obvious reasons, and there is no good opposition party. The upcoming election is going to be a shitshow.
Jawaharlal Nehru and Abul Kalam Azad pretty much built entirety of India's Human resources development and Industrial infrastructure with what was one of the poorest countries at the time.
Historic opportunity meets historic people. Jawaharlal Nehru is one of the best things to happen to India both politically and economically. 5 year plans effectively, though taken from the communist governments of USSR, were one of the greatest political innovations of the age. Focus on big things, 5 years at a time and get it done. Agriculture, industrialization, educational infrastructure, space programs, domestic industrial infrastructure, highways, green revolution, white revolution etc. If you are sitting and working in place like Bangalore, that comes from Industrial infrastructure and its inertial effects on educational institutions around Bangalore.
Needless to say garden variety international foreign affairs policies. Which include but do not end at NAM. Which prevented India from becoming a thugs for hire nation for cold war super powers.
This is above and beyond his pivotal role in India's independence movement.
Eh, I'm not questioning what Nehru did for the country. That's not even the point of discussion. But it is pretty idiotic to attribute recent technological/military success to Nehru, just as it is idiotic to blame him for today's problems in the country.
1. https://www.isro.gov.in/about-isro/organisation-structure