ALL SMILES: President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam being presented a sketch by students during an interactive meet on motivation of youth in science on the occasion of India-European Union Ministerial Science Conference at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on Thursda y. Minister for Science and Technology Kapil Sibal looks on . — PHOTO: R. V. MOORTHY

NEW DELHI : President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam on Thursday called upon India and the European Union to identify and implement 25 research projects that would take the benefits of scientific development to the grassroots levels.

"Indian economy is in ascent phase. There is considerable growth in the manufacturing and service sectors. Still our major population, who are living in the rural sector, have not realised the benefits of the economic growth. Nearly, 200 million people have to be lifted by upgrading their quality of life in both rural and urban areas," he said.

Addressing an interactive meeting of science icons and the student community, as part of the first-ever India-EU science ministerial conference here, he emphasised the need for evolving a world knowledge forumto bring together the core competences of different countries.The President also called upon universities to work towards increasing the output of higher education from the existing 11 per cent to 20 per cent by 2015, 30 per cent by 2020 and 50 per cent by 2040. Mr. Kalam also wanted them to create two cadres of personnel — a global cadre of skilled youth with specific knowledge of special skills and a global cadre of skilled youth with adequate education. "No Indian youth should be without either a world-class higher education or without world-class skill sets."

Earlier, on Wednesday, scientific collaboration between India and the E.U. reached a new milestone with the holding of the E.U.-India Ministerial roundtable on Science.

The meeting was co-chaired by the German Federal Minister for Education and Research, Annette Schavan, representing the German presidency of the E.U., the European Commissioner for Science and Research Janez Potocnik and Union Minister for Science and Technology Kapil Sibal.

Addressing mediapersons, the three leaders stressed the need to build a wide and strong linkage between the E.U. and India in science and technology with increased scope for movement of manpower and resources in both directions.

Mr. Sibal said the meeting decided in principle to foster joint programmes in strategically important research fields of mutual interests such as advanced materials, nanoscience, and nanobiology. Replying to a question, Ms. Schavan and Dr. Potocnik agreed that there were certain problems with regards to trade and other issues between India and the E.U. but expressed confidence that there would be no such hitch with regard to the progress of S and T cooperation.

India also a signed an expression of interest for participation in the establishment of the Facility for Anti-Proton and Ion Reactor, which is being set up by the E.U. to help find answers to some of the questions dogging the global scientific community relating to the evolution of the universe.

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