Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 26 (IANS): Celebrations galore in Kerala. Thanks to Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor who shared with the world that the key scientists who formed a part of the Chandrayaan-3 Mission team have graduated from two engineering colleges of the state.

While the ISRO chairman S. Somanath is a product of TKM College of Engineering, Kollam, his other colleagues graduated from the College of Engineering, ( CET) Thiruvananthapuram, Tharoor posted on X, formerly Twitter.

Incidentally Somnath’s alma mater is the first Government-aided engineering college whose foundation stone was laid in the year 1956 by Dr Rajendra Prasad, the first President of Independent India.

The college was formally inaugurated by Prof. Humayun Kabir, the then Minister for Scientific and Cultural Affairs, on July 3, 1958.

While CET -- the first engineering college in the state -- has churned out an array of engineers and continues to do the same, it has always been the first choice of any prospective engineering student.

And that’s what made Tharoor write that Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief S Somanath is also a product of a Kerala engineering college.

"Worth applauding: @ISRO chief Dr Somanath is a product of the TKM College of Engineering, Kollam, Kerala and many of his colleagues graduated from the College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram (CET). At least seven more engineers from CET were involved in the #Chandrayaan-3 Success: Mohana Kumar (mission director / mechanical), Athula (electronics), Satheesh (mechanical), Narayanan (associate mission director / mechanical), Mohan (mechanical) and Shora (electronics)," said Tharoor.

Tharoor also said Chandrayaan-3 success is a good occasion to "salute the alumni of unsung engineering colleges".

"Indians are rightly obsessed with the IITs, but let's salute the alumni of unsung engineering colleges who serve the public sector with dedication & who are the backbone of national enterprises like @ISRO. IITians went to Silicon Valley; CETians took us to the moon!" Tharoor added in his post.