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Nigar Shaji

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nigar Shaji
Born
Nigar Sultana

NationalityIndian
Education
OccupationSpace scientist
EmployerISRO
Known forProject director of Aditya-L1 Associate project director Resourcesat-2A
Parent(s)Sheikh Meeran (father), Saitoon Beevi (mother)

Nigar Shaji (born 1964) is an Indian aerospace engineer who works at Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), India's national space agency.

Early life and education

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Nigar Shaji was born Nigar Sultana to a Tamil Muslim family. Her father, Sheikh Meeran, was a farmer, and her mother, Sythoon Beevi, is a homemaker. Shaji was raised in Sengottai,[1][2] in the Tenkasi district of Tamil Nadu.[3] She did her schooling in an SRM Government Girls Higher secondary school in Sengottai[1] before going to the Government College of Engineering, Tirunelveli Madurai Kamaraj University, where she earned an engineering degree in electronics and communications.[4] She went on to earn a master's degree in electronics from Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra.[5][6] She has a brother, Sheik Saleem.[7]

Career

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Nigar Shaji joined ISRO in 1987 as part of the U R Rao Satellite Centre.[5] She has worked on multiple satellite programmes, including serving as study director for India's proposed mission to Venus,[8] which she spoke about in 2012.[9] She was the Associate Project Director of Resourcesat-2A.[10][11] As of 2023, she is the project director of Aditya-L1, India's first solar mission, which launched successfully on 2 September 2023.[12]

Awards and honors

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In 2023, Times Now recognized Shaji and P Veeramuthuvel for their "contributions to India's space endeavors",[13] and she was given the 'Eve of Excellence' honor by Tiruchirappalli Regional Engineering College.[14][15]

Personal life

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Nigar Shaji lives in Bangalore with her mother and daughter.[5][16] Her husband works in Dubai.[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b Rajamani, Thinakaran (2 September 2023). "Meet Nigar Shaji from TN's Tenkasi, Aditya-L1 mission project director". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  2. ^ "Meet Nigar Shaji, a woman ISRO scientist who helmed Aditya-L1 mission". The Economic Times. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  3. ^ Singh, Surendra (3 September 2023). "After Moon, Isro's 'Nari Shakti' behind Aditya-L1: Nigar Shaji is project head". The Times of India (Online). New Delhi.
  4. ^ Web Desk, Outlook (3 September 2023). "Meet Nigar Shaji, The Project Director Behind India's First Solar Mission Aditya L-1". www.outlookindia.com. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d "Meet Nigar Shaji, The Project Director Of India's First Sun Mission: 5 Points". NDTV.com. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  6. ^ Sivapriyan, ETB (2 September 2023). "Meet Nigar Shaji, Aditya L1 project director from Tamil Nadu". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  7. ^ "Who is Nigar Shaji, the scientist who served as project director for Aditya-L1 solar mission". Moneycontrol. 2 September 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  8. ^ Kumar, Chethan (5 May 2022). "Aim is to find unique outcome from Venus mission". The Times of India; New Delhi.
  9. ^ Bartels, Meghan (2012). "India has a new planetary target in mind: Venus". All About Space: 13.
  10. ^ lallanpost (2 September 2023). "इसरो की एक महिला वैज्ञानिक निगार शाजी ने आदित्य-एल1 मिशन का नेतृत्व किया है". Lallanpost. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  11. ^ "Isro scientist urges engineering students to join space research". The Times of India; New Delhi. 10 February 2015.
  12. ^ Kumar, Hari; Mashal, Mujib (2 September 2023). "India Launches Its First Solar Mission". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  13. ^ "11 get Times Now Amazing Indians Awards [India]". The Times of India; New Delhi. 1 October 2023.
  14. ^ "Solar mission chief Nigar Shaji urges women to aim high". The Hindu ; Chennai. 22 October 2023.
  15. ^ "She's shining bright". The Hindu; Chennai. 27 October 2023.
  16. ^ "Diversity Shines: Muslim Scientists Nigar Shaji Heads ISRO's Sun Mission". INVC. 4 September 2023. Retrieved 4 September 2023.