NEW DELHI. September 2. KAZINFORM  India is to build the world's largest solar telescope in the India-controlled Kashmir's cold desert region of Ladakh at an estimated cost of 31 million U.S. dollars, the Indian Institute of Astrophysics said Thursday. Kazinform refers to Xinhua.

"The solar telescope will help study the microscopic structure of the sun and derive specific observations that are speculative in nature," IIA Director Siraj Hasan told the Indo-Asian News Service.

Apart from IIA, the National Large Solar Telescope project involves the state-run Indian Space Research Organization and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.

"The pre-technical discussion meeting will be held in October," Hasan said.

The 10-meter optical telescope at Mauna Kea in Hawaii is currently the largest solar telescope in the world. Kazinform cites Xinhua. See www.en.rian.ru for full version.