The two Houses of Parliament will pay tributes to Kalpana Chawla, the Indian American astronaut who died along with six others in the Columbia crash on February 1, on the opening day of the Budget Session, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel said on Friday.

The Budget Session will begin on February 17 when President A P J Abdul Kalam will address a joint session of Parliament.

He will mention Chawla's achievements in the field of science during the course of his speech. A one-minute silence will be observed as a mark of respect for the astronaut.

Meanwhile, the Government of Punjab has decided to open a wing of aeronautics, dedicated to Chawla, in one of its colleges.

"We have decided to have this wing in Thapar College... this will come into operation during the next session soon after the board of directors give their approval," Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said.