PM urges scientists to enhance disaster predictive capabilities

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Ahmedabad, Jan 3: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said the government will set up a science advisory council to address the challenges faced by Indian science.

Addressing scientists and researchers at the inaugural session of the Indian Science Congress here, Dr Singh said that the council would be chaired by Dr CNR Rao.

He said the government was currently implementing the National Rural Healthcare Mission and urged scientists and researchers to contribute practical suggestions to address the needs of people.

Asserting that the scientists cannot remain silent witnesses to natural disasters like tsunami, the Prime Minister called upon them to play a significant role in addressing the problems of mitigation and management of impact of natural disasters.

He said, “We must enhance our predictive capability and preparedness for meeting such emergencies arising from floods, cyclones, earthquakes, droughts, landslides and avalanches and manage the post-disaster situation. Confronted by collosal human tragedies wrecked on thousands of people in our part of the world by tsunami waves, the question has been asked if we could have made better use of modern science and technology to alleviate, if not prevent, human suffering.”

Emphasising the need for second green revolution, Dr Singh said, “The new patent regime will have a special significance for the drugs and pharmaceutical industry where the experts need to concentrate more on innovation rather that mere imitation. The industry would have to get into new drug discovery research that would help in curing the diseases of common man.”