Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has recommended more Implications of Science and Technology for the growth of Nation and insisted that we failed in doing so.
“We did not use science and technology in our development processes as much as we should have,” Manmohan Singh said at the Indian Science Congress Association meeting at Kolkata
“We did not build local capacities that could meaningfully address problems of development in a decentralised manner using this knowledge,” he said.
Stressing the need to raise the profile of science, he said: “I believe that the huge expansion in educational infrastructure that this government has overseen will create the building blocks of a modern knowledge economy and, more importantly, society.
“I hope that all our educational institutions and scientific establishments will mark the occasion with suitable events to raise the profile of science in India,” he added.
Manmohan Singh enumerated infrastructural inadequacy as hindrances to the process but said he was confident of overcoming them.
“We have to overcome many challenges such as producing qualified teachers in adequate numbers, devising a modern curriculum and teaching methods and building proper physical infrastructure.
“But it is certainly true that we have taken a quantum leap in our ambitions for Indian science,” he said.
The prime minister said the government was planning to formulate a new science and technology policy within a year.
“Over the course of the year, we hope to formulate a new Science and Technology Policy that will update the existing policy document of 2003 in the light of a rapidly changing scientific environment in the country and the world.”
Manmohan Singh was here for the inception ceremony as the General President of the Indian Science Congress Association on the occasion of its centenary year celebrations.
“To motivate young learners, the association will bring out inspirational video documentaries highlighting the history of modern science. We will bring out a well-researched publication on 100 high impact — making discoveries in Indian Science during the last 100 years,” said the prime minister, who was last year elected the general president of ISCA in its centenary year.
Over the course of the year, the government hoped to formulate a new Science and Technology Policy that will update the existing policy document of 2003 in the light of a rapidly changing scientific environment in the country and the world.
The association in addition to its annual session in Kolkata will hold three regional science congresses in the north, west and south of the country.
Special sessions on the use of high technology, renewable energy and public health challenges like malnutrition will be held, emphasising on themes that relate science to integrated rural development.
“We will also launch a Hall of Fame in cyberspace to portray globally the contribution of Indian science,” the prime minister said.
The prime minister proposed that the technical programmes of the Indian Science Congress in Kolkata in January 2013 begin with a special lecture in honour of Ashutosh Mukherjee, who personified the national science movement, that took shape a hundred years ago.
Singh said there was a proposal to set up a a Science Academy for the Young during the centenary year and it would be followed up after due deliberations.
The ISCA centenary session in Kolkata next year will also invite outstanding young scientists under the age of 45 to give lectures to the youth, while a special session will be held for young scientists.
Starting from this year, a special scheme for 100 doctoral research fellowships annually will be launched under a Public Private Partnership between Ministry of Science & Technology and the Confederation of Indian Industries.
To promote science in India’s neighbourhood, the ICSA was considering a proposal to introduce a scheme to invite 25 young scientists from the neighbouring countries to undertake doctoral research in India.
The prime minister hoped the centenary events will be used by the scientific community to ponder on framing a science and technology policy that “reflects our aspiration for making science a spearhead of development in our country”.
The association also aims to increase its financial strength and develop its infrastructure.
“I am happy that efforts are being made to rejuvenate the Indian Science Congress Association through additional building infrastructure and are source mobilisation drive to create a corpus of Rs.150 crore on the occasion of its Centenary Year,” added Singh.