Tamil Nadu - Vellore   

Centre will establish research and engineering foundation, says Sibal

By Our Staff Reporter

VELLORE, MARCH 6. The Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh has approved a proposal by the Ministry of Science and Technology to establish a Research and Engineering Foundation in order to facilitate research in various fields and enable the country manufacture and export scientific and engineering goods and become the world leader in science and technology, the Union Minister of State for Science and Technology and Ocean Development (independent charge), Kapil Sibal said on Sunday.

Inaugurating the Technology Business Incubator (TBI) and the Centre for Bio-Separation Technology (CBST) established with grants from the Department of Science and Technology (DST) at the Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Mr. Sibal said that as part of the proposed foundation, two universities, one each in Kolkata and Pune would be dedicated exclusively for research. The Prime Minister, he said, has assured him that all bureaucratic controls, which stood in the way of development of research, would be removed.

The Minister said that despite the green revolution, resulting in the production of 200 million tonnes of foodgrains, the agricultural productivity has declined. India has to produce twice the quantity of foodgrains to meet the needs of the increased population in 2020. Biotechnology was the only solution to this problem. The DST has charted a road map for biotechnology development in the 21st century. "Our farmers have to adopt the best transgenic practices and more modern systems of farming and produce pest-resistant and nutritive seeds".

Indigenous know-how

In the health sector too, India has to develop its indigenous know-how to tackle the diseases afflicting the people. With about 5.1 billion people being infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus and a large number suffering from tuberculosis, Hepatitis-B and Hepatitis-C in the country, Western pharmaceutical companies could not be expected to invest money on developing vaccines for the diseases prevalent in the less developed countries. "The solution has therefore to come from the less developed countries", he said, adding that no other country than India was capable of taking up this challenge.

V.S.Ramamurthy, Secretary, DST said that his department has taken several initiatives to collaborate with educational institutions of excellence to "produce the students of tomorrow, who are equipped not only with degrees and certificates, but with the necessary skills, knowledge and enterprise to face the global competition".

G.Viswanathan, Chancellor of VIT appealed to the Centre to enhance the allocation for research and development, especially in biotechnology, which has a huge potential in India.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu

News: Front Page | National | Tamil Nadu | Andhra Pradesh | Karnataka | Kerala | New Delhi | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous | Engagements |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Updates: Breaking News |

Stories in this Section

Centre will establish research and engineering foundation, says Sibal
`Consensus on exit policy must for oral polio vaccine'

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu