The Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad is organizing the "International Conference on Planets, Exoplanets, and Habitability (ICPEH-2024)" during 5^th to 9^th February 2024. This conference will provide a platform to promote networking among peers and will greatly benefit the early and mid-career researchers, space technologists and innovators, and start-ups.The conference is being attended by around 250 delegates from more than 12 countries around the world, with nearly one-third of the conference participants being women scientists.

The inaugural session started with lighting of the lamps, followed by welcome address by Prof. Anil Bhardwaj, Director PRL. He mentioned that PRL is the cradle of space science in India and has actively participated in all the Indian planetary missions, namely the Chandrayaan-1 orbitor, the Chandrayaan-2 orbitor, the Chandrayaan-3 lander and rover, the Mars Orbiter Mission, and the Aditya-L1 mission. He shared about the first exoplanet discovery by using the PARAS instrument on the PRL telescope at Mount Abu. The inaugural address was delivered by Padma Shri, A. S. Kiran Kumar, former Chairman, ISRO and current Chairman, PRL Council of Management. He congratulated PRL for organizing this conference and for contributing to the space research related activities in India. Followed by this there were two felicitation talks, one on the exoplanet studies by Prof. Michel Mayor (Nobel Laureate) of Geneva Observatory and the second on planetary exploration by Prof. Carle Pieters of Brown University. Prof. Varun Sheel, Chair of the Local Organising Committee, gave an overview of the conference. He informed that the conference will include sessions on the themes related to the science and exploration of solar system bodies, exoplanets, and habitability in and beyond our solar system. Prof. Anil Bhardwaj, Director PRL delivered the inaugural talk on ‘Indian Planetary Missions’ - scientific results from past Indian missions and key areas of research planned for future exploration.

This international event will identify opportunities, that shall shape India’s future directions in planetary research and space exploration in the international arena.

AP/GP/JD

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