New Delhi, Sep 26 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday said India has not been able to make an impact in science on a world scale commensurate with its large scientific manpower pool.
Addressing the 70th Foundation Day celebrations here of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the prime minister said the council will need to devote itself to these national challenges in the years to come.
"We have not been able to make an impact on a world scale commensurate with our large scientific manpower pool. It (CSIR) will have to take up national leadership in science, engineering and technology," he said.
Lauding the work of CSIR, Manmohan Singh said: "The council has proven its professional worth in every phase of India's growth in line with prevailing national policies and national priorities."
"In the early days of Independence, it was a champion of import substitution, rebuilding our industrial base in the face of shortages and resource crunch. When India became a victim of technology denial, CSIR laboratories created advanced products and technologies," he said.
"As a nation, we have not succeeded in mobilising enough private investment into science to raise our investment in scientific research to 2 percent of the GDP. We need to recognise that that excellence has not percolated across all our research and academic institutions," he said.
He asked young scientists to dream big and not to despair.
The function was attended by Science and Technology Minister Vyalar Ravi and a number of scientists.
|
|
Comments:
Dr.K.S.Ramchander Rao
September 26, 2012 at 7:43 PM
Basic sciences, life sciences are on the verge of decline, there are not many takers. Students stopped taking admission into life sciences and the subjected we boasted of i.e. biotechnology is at cross roads. The students who have done BT are on roads and I don't understand what our honorable prime minister is talking about. We are crazily going after info tech and computer science, people have understood that those are the only branches which may offer job and also fat salary. Students are confused, they are direction less and have several doubts in their minds when it comes to pure applied sciences and life sciences. Where are the opportunities for them to join? Post graduates are job less doctorates are jobless. Create opportunities, promote life science research vigorously and ask the industry to employ the students after good training, otherwise India will fall behind very badly in life science research.