Science for Shaping the Future of India

The composing of this Congress, Science for Shaping the Future of India, reflects the dream of e very generation of Indian scientists. Faster evolution over the next fewer decades, more sustainable development based on food and vital force security, and socio- scotch inclusion do possible by rapid growth of basic brotherly services, such as education and health, are all crucial for defining Indias future tense. Science, technology and universe all have an important role to trick in achieving these objectives.Science and technology development have been central to the phenomenal real(a) advancement and efficiency in the use of resources seen in the last hundred long time. The pace of change has only if accelerated in the last few decades, as globalization and new technology have enhanced pluralitys access to knowledge and their ability to leverage it through collaboration. India has arrive ated from this epoch-making renewal by embracing these trends. Since technologic al changes typically emanate from naturalised structures, they whitethorn at times re-inforce them and inhibit the advancement of equity and equality.As India seeks a sustained growth of its national income, we moldiness endeavour to harness the tools of accomplishment to cater to the guides of the underprivileged and to bridge the col between the haves and the have-nots. roughly 65 percent of our people live in rural areas. The attach in their living standards depends greatly on the growth of agricultural yield and productivity. The Twelfth Five Year intend assumes that a sustained growth of our agriculture at the rate of 4 percent per annum is essential for the accomplishment of food security for our country.This growth is constrained by shortages of water and in any case of land. We need new breakthroughs in water-saving technologies of cultivation, enhancement of land productivity and development of climate-resilient varieties. This transformation of agriculture must be the top priority precaution of our public policies, including comprehension and technology policies. In keeping with the theme of this Congress, the interrogatory naturally arises as to what we should do to build our future through recognition? I would equivalent to share a few ideas.First, we must, as a society, enhance the spread of what Jawaharlal Nehru used to describe as the scientific temper. Our junior generations must adopt a science-based value-system in order to benefit from what science can offer and to limit up for lost time. obscure issues, be they genetically modified food or nu work energy or exploration of outer space, cannot be settled by faith, emotion and fear still by structured debate, analysis and enlightenment. A scientific approach and understanding of these issues are thitherfore as vital as our core scientific capabilities.For this, we must invest in popularizing science, not only in our schools and colleges as we are doing through the INSPIRE p rogramme but excessively in our homes, workplaces and communities through all available communication methods, like the high-speed optical fibre National Knowledge Network. Eventually, science must help in establishing an inclusive society that seeks to solve major social problems through the application of science. Second, our scholarship and look must be inform by a keen awareness of our basic social and economic realities.Given the limited resources that we, as a nation, are able to devote to scientific research, it is imperative that we give priority to meeting those challenges which are fundamental to the transformation of our economy. I have already referred to the need to transform Indias agriculture. further there are other equally valid concerns as intimately which require priority attention. The quest for energy security, sanitation, provision of safe potable water, labour intensive manufactures and universal healthcare at affordable price are other areas of high p riority concern.Our effort should be to mutilate out a niche for Indias leadership in several(prenominal) of these areas. Indian industry must play an active part in this process through in-house research centres and, more importantly, through enhanced academia-industry interaction. Third, a holistic organizational approach is essential. There was a time when science took a lonely road, driven by individual enterprise sort of than collective effort. This is sub-optimal in the designing and knowledge-intensive world that is empowering the growth process today.We need cross-fertilization of disciplines and synergy among s urinateholders. Government-sponsored research must be supplemented by research in close labs. Academic and research systems must foster innovation and entrepreneurship and therefore link up with those interested in commercial development. In the last few years, we have taken some policy measures in this direction. We have encouraged sharing of and access to Gove rnment-owned data for research.We have also created new mechanisms like initiation Complexes, Technology Business Incubator and Innovation Universities in an effort to bring most convergence of interests among the various players in science. Fourth, internationalistic collaboration is vital for increasingly resource-intensive modern science to progress. economical liberalization and economic growth over the last several years have made it possible for our scientists to collaborate meaningfully and confidently in the international arena.Let me cite only two outstanding exercises. There was strong Indian collaboration with the European Centre for Nuclear Research on the Large Hadron Collider, which led to the discovery of what is believed to be the elusive Higgs boson. The other example is our work with a select group of countries on the International nuclear Experimental Reactor. We must partner not only with established leaders in science and technology, but also with emergin g innovation powerhouses, numerous of them in our region.We must also offer our expertise to our neighbours for collective prosperity and progress. Finally, the quality of our scientific triggers will depend upon the quality of the students we can curl into science, the freedom we give them in pursuing scientific research and the humane resource policies we follow in selecting leaders. We must select only the top hat and we must expand our search to the many Indian scientists abroad who may wish to return to India at least for some years.The solution of steady the simplest of problems related to humanitys pressing needs often requires A-one fundamental research. During the last eight years, we have tried to fill this gap by expanding the infrastructure of our scientific research and innovation. We have established phoebe bird new Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research, eight new Indian Institutes of Technology, hexadteen new Central Universities, ten new Natio nal Institutes of Technology, six new R&D institutions in the field of battle of biotechnology and five institutions in other branches.It is my hope that all this will significantly raise the quality of scientific research in our country. Given that science-led innovation is the key to development, the National Innovation Council has also brought the domain of innovation to the foreground, dower translation of knowledge into usable solutions. The Science, Technology and Innovation Policy 2013 released here today aspires to position India among the top five global scientific powers by the year 2020. It is an ambitious goal.It aims to produce and nurture talent in science, to stabilise research in our universities, to develop young leaders in the field of science, to reward mental process, to create a policy environment for greater private sector participation in research and innovation and to forge international alliances and collaborations to meet the national agenda. The Twelfth Five Year Plan, which was approved by the NDC a few days ago, outlines a number of initiatives which will make this possible.An important step in this direction in the Eleventh Plan was the establishment of the National Science and Engineering Research Board as an autonomous funding body. As pointed out in the Twelfth Plan, this institution proposes to invest in researches of proven track record and establish about 200 to 250 centres based on a grant model with performance reward linkages. I would like to conclude by recalling Gurudev Rabindranath Tagores unceasing lines in which he prayed for a future India where, among other things, a clear stream of reason would prevail.I am confident that, in the next five days, this confluence of leading lights of science from home and abroad will moult up useful ideas on how science will shape the future of India. As the Indian Science Congress crosses another milestone, let us pledge to keep alive the passion of its architects for t ruth that is eternal and beauteous and their dream to lead India to greater heights of knowledge. Let me also take this occasion to wish all those gathered here a very Happy New Year.