Congress leader Udit Raj Questions Why a Dalit Was Not Selected For The Axiom-4 Space Mission

NDC DESK

New Delhi, July 15, 2025 — Congress leader Udit Raj has reignited the “merit vs reservation” debate by suggesting that a Dalit or OBC candidate could have been chosen instead of Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla for the Axiom-4 mission. Shukla is currently serving an 18-day tenure aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as the first Indian astronaut on this mission.

Speaking to ANI, Udit Raj acknowledged Shukla’s historic journey but questioned why no representative from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), or Other Backward Classes (OBC) was included this time around. He noted that during Rakesh Sharma’s pioneering 1984 mission, educational access among these communities was limited. “But this time, someone could have been sent from these communities. Any Dalit or OBC could have been sent in place of Shukla ji,” Raj remarked.

Shubhanshu Shukla is expected to return to Earth today aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule, splashdown scheduled off the California coast after approximately a 22½-hour return journey and his prolonged stay aboard the ISS.

Udit Raj, a Dalit leader and former IRS officer who joined Congress in 2019, emphasized that opportunities such as space missions should extend to marginalised communities. He also highlighted Shukla’s accomplishments, noting that the data and experience collected will significantly aid India’s upcoming Gaganyaan mission.

However, his comments drew widespread social media backlash. Critics accused him of politicising a scientific achievement and undermining merit. One X user remarked, “Space missions aren’t selected through caste lottery—they’re earned through skill, sacrifice, and sweat,” while another said, “Shameful. Instead of saluting Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s historic space mission, Congress leader Udit Raj drags caste into it”.