India's Quest For Dark Matter: Exploring The Depths Of Jadugoda And The Heights Of Hanle

It may come as a surprise but today we know only about five percent of the total Universe, which is the part we see, a massive ninety-five percent is unseen and unknown. This is made up of 24% as Dark Matter and 71% as Dark Energy, these are still unknowns and scientists are trying to decipher this big-big mystery. India joined the search for the elusive Dark Matter by setting up a laboratory almost half a kilometer below the Earth’s surface at Jadugoda in Jharkhand. Now to add to the heft India has set up the world’s highest located Gamma ray telescope at Hanle in Ladakh at almost 4500 metres altitude. Dr AK Mohanty, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, India’s nuclear chief has spoken to NDTV’s Science Editor from both these locations and the search for Dark Energy and Dark Matter continues unabated. At Hanle it is a telescope like no other, a special robotic eye in the sky to track some of the most energetic phenomenon like the birth and death of stars. One needs very special instruments to study these exploding stars.