Assertion Partly supported AI assessment confidence: 85% certainty 5/5 debate potential 1/5

Modi: Took personal responsibility for Chandrayaan-2 setback before ISRO scientists

Narendra Modi · People with The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi x Nikhil Kamath | Episode 6 | By WTF · Nikhil Kamath · Jan 10, 2025 · at 54:06

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalls addressing ISRO scientists the morning after the Chandrayaan-2 moon mission faced a landing failure.

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“लेकि मैं सेटबेक से रोने दोने करके जिनी की गुजानने वालों मैं नहीं था। मैंने का मैं सुबह गया। और सभी साइन्टिस्टों को मैंने का अगर कोई फैलियर है तो जिम्मेवारी मेरी है। आपने प्रयास के आप निराश मत होगे।”

quote is from the automated transcript, cleaned for reading: filler sounds and stutters are removed, nothing is rephrased. names can be misheard (the analysis reads context, assessments check outside sources). how →

The claim, plainly

Following the Chandrayaan-2 setback, Narendra Modi told ISRO scientists that he personally took responsibility for the mission failure.

a quote alone can be ambiguous, so this restates it with the references and context of the conversation around it resolved. AI-written; the tape below the player is the source.

Assessment

The claim bundles two assertions regarding Narendra Modi's address to ISRO scientists on the morning of September 7, 2019, following the Chandrayaan-2 Vikram lander setback: (1) that he visited the scientists and urged them not to be disheartened, and (2) that he told them he personally took responsibility for any failure. Official transcripts released by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) and contemporary broadcast recordings confirm leg 1, showing that he delivered an address reassuring scientists that 'India is with you' and urging them not to be discouraged. However, leg 2 fails: neither the official transcripts nor contemporary broadcast recordings contain any statement where Modi told scientists he personally assumed responsibility for the failure, and then-ISRO Chairman K. Sivan recalled in a March 26, 2022 interview that Sivan himself told Modi he took responsibility for not meeting expectations.

Press Information Bureau (PIB) official transcript of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address at the ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) on September 7, 2019, confirms he delivered a pep talk urging scientists not to be disheartened, but contains no statement claiming personal responsibility for the mission's failure.
Contemporary broadcast recordings from September 7, 2019, corroborate the official transcript and show no remarks where Modi assumed personal liability for the setback.
In an interview on March 26, 2022, former ISRO Chairman K. Sivan stated that he personally took responsibility for the setback during his conversation with Modi, rather than Modi assuming it.

Checked against

[1] ndtv.com [2] opindia.com [3] dnaindia.com [4] pib.gov.in [5] thewire.in [6] business-standard.com [7] indiatimes.com [8] hcilondon.gov.in

Modi told ISRO scientists took responsibility Chandrayaan 2 site:pib.gov.in "Chandrayaan" "07 SEP 2019" Modi address ISRO scientists September 7 2019 transcript Modi speech ISTRAC September 7 2019 text responsibility "Prime Minister" "ISRO" "Bengaluru" "September 7, 2019" "disappointed" OR "failure" "जिम्मेदारी लेता हूँ" मोदी इसरो चंद्रयान

assessed as of 2026-09-05

This assessment is an AI reading of a public statement, made against the cited references with the confidence shown. It can be wrong. The quote, the tape and the references are all on this page; if something is off, use report an error below. full disclaimer →

Mentioned

Chandrayaan-2 ISRO scientists Narendra Modi

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