95th Indian Science Congress gets underway
NI Wire
Vishakhapattanam
Thu, 03 Jan 2008:
Jan 03: The 95 th edition of Indian Science Congress based on ??Knowledge Based Society Using Environmentally Sustainable Science and Technology? got under way after the annual convention was formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh here on Thursday.
Addressing the Congre Prime Minister expressed his concern on the environmental issues which remains the focal point of his speech and not only asked for greater responsibility from developed countries in controlling the further damage to environment but also said that as a nation we too have to take action.
He reminded, ??Mahatma Gandhi's famous dictum that our planet has enough to cater to all our needs but not enough to cater to our greed must never be lost sight of.?
He also emphasised on the importance of collecting relevant data with regard to climate change to address the climatic concern globally. Manmohan Singh stressed on improving the quality and analysis of data. He asked for pro-active and pragmatic approach to the environmental impact.
He called for global, national and local response for sustainable development and talked of the need to strengthen the infrastructure required to develop scientific capabilities.
Dr. Singh reminded quick reduction of per capita emissions of CO2 by developed countries and generating technologies to fulfill current energy requirement, new challenges ahead because of growing constraint on our natural resources and to meet this he envisioned assimilation of modern technology with traditional knowledge base to develop environment friendly and efficient technologies.
Green Revolution and emphasis on yet another technique to raise yields, productivity, water conservation and utilisation, concerted effort to build and development of solar energy were other issues in the Dr. Singh's speech.
He called for the qualitative and quantitative increase of science pool and stressed the importance of basic science in school curriculum. He hailed his government for investing more on education as the Plan Allocation for 11 th Plan for education has been increased from 7.7% of 10 th plan to over 19 %in the 11 th plan.
He said, ??We are planning to fund thirty new Central Universities , five new Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research, eight new Indian Institutes of Technology, seven new Indian Institutes of Management, and twenty new Indian Institutes of Information Technology.?
??I urge our science and technology community, of teachers and researchers, to show us the way ahead. We need a quantum jump in science education and research. This agenda can no longer wait. I am aware that we need policy reform, we need institutional reform, we need organizational reform and, above all, we need more investment in science education and research,? he added.
A thousand of delegates are expected to join the Congress including foreign delegates including Noble laureates Dr. Robert Curl Jr., Roger D.Kornberg and Dr. Nushe.
Jeffery McNeely of Switzerland who is heading the International Union for Conservation of Nature and E.G.C. Sudarshan of University of Texas are also participating.
Mahila Kisan to be inaugurated by President Pratibha Patil, a Special Children's Science Congress an exhibition in memory of Yellapragada Subba Rao who invented a very effective antibiotic aureomycin by National Institute of Nutrition , the release of stamp on Bipin Chandra Paul by the Postal Department are the event to come.
Scientific Adviser to Defence Minister & Secretary Defence R&D, M Natarajan, will receive the prestigious C. V. Raman Birth Centenary Award carrying Gold Medal for his Outstanding Achievements in the field of Defence Research and Development and Strategic Systems of National importance while the Presidential Gold Medal of the Indian Science Congress will be presented to a noted Social Scientist and Chairman of the Mekaster group Virender M. Trehan.