Dwelling at the result of India’s tryst with scientific approach, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the science community should work to make the country ‘Aatma Nirbhar’ (self-reliant).
In his address to the Indian Science Congress, being held in Nagpur, via video conferencing, Modi said that development in the field of science should be aimed at fulfilling the needs of India, which should be the inspiration for the scientific community.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister underlined the role of scientific strength in India’s development story over the next 25 years. He said that India moved to 40th rank in the Global Innovation Index in 2022 from 81st position in 2015 in a list of 130 countries. India is among the top three nations in the world in terms of the number of PhDs and startup ecosystems, he added.
Pointing out that observation is the root of science, PM Modi talked about the significance of gathering data and analysing results. The field of data analysis is going forward at a meteoric pace which is of great help in converting information into actionable knowledge, he said.
The Prime Minister emphasised the need to buttress the scientific approach by applying various techniques of research-led development.
Modi said that scientific efforts can turn into big achievements when they step out of lab to reach the land and its impact reaches from global to grassroots
He said when the achievements of science narrow down the distance between experiments and people’s experiences, it impresses the young generation to learn the role of science. Modi called upon the gathering to work on developing an institutional framework through which children with scientific temper could be discovered.
Emphasising the growing needs of energy in the country, the Prime Minister said that India is working on a National Hydrogen Mission and stressed the need to manufacture equipment like electrolysers to make it a success.
He signified the role of the scientific community who are exploring ways of dealing with emerging diseases and encouraged the research work in developing new vaccines. PM Modi talked about integrated surveillance for detection of diseases on time.
He mentioned the role of science in waste management as municipal solid waste, electronic waste, bio-medical waste, and agricultural waste are expanding. He said that the government is promoting an economic system based on the reuse and regeneration of materials.
Acknowledging the role of low-cost satellite launch vehicles, the Prime Minister said that the world will come forward to take services of India’s booming space sector.
He also pointed out quantum computing and underlined India’s ability of making its mark in the world as a quantum frontier.
Urging young researchers and scientists to gain expertise in the quantum field and become leaders, the Prime Minister said: “India is moving fast in the direction of quantum computers, chemistry, communication, sensors, cryptography and new materials.”