Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Call for paradigm shift in scientific pursuits

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Prithviraj Chauhan has called upon scientists to translate their innovative skills into enterprise and wealth creation so that the private sector will contribute more for their research and development activities.

Addressing the staff and students of the National Institute for Inter-disciplinary Science and Technology here on Sunday, Mr. Chauhan called for a paradigm shift in their scientific pursuits. Science should not be for science’s sake. All research and development activities should aim at salvation of the poor and evolving pragmatic solutions to food security, rising fuel needs, disease, drinking water problems and poverty, he said.

At present, one per cent of the GDP was being expended on research and development activities. The government was keen on raising it to two per cent. About 75 per cent of such activities in the country were being supported by the public sector, he said.

The Union government had already signed 80 international agreements for scientific cooperation and research. Various institutions and countries had evinced interest in cooperating with the scientific fraternity here. Cooperation and not competition was the name of the game at the moment. Universities and scientific institutions abroad had all the facilities, but lacked trained manpower. India should capitalise on its scientific manpower, Mr. Chauhan said.

The future rests with the scientists who would decide on managing the resources at their disposal. Scientists should quit the older model of working on long-term results and instead concentrate on getting immediate results that would help the nation prosper. In spite of the resource crunch, the Centre would extend all assistance to scientific institutions and their research programmes, he said.

Institute director Suresh Das welcomed and deputy director K.G.K. Warrier proposed a vote of thanks.

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