Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted concerns that will help the country’s research advance, saying that the scientific community as a whole should be motivated by meeting India’s needs above all else.
“Science in India should make the country atmanirbhar”, the Prime Minister remarked as he noted that 17 to 18 percent of the human population resides in India and such scientific developments should benefit the entire population.
This was stated by Narendra Modi on Tuesday during his video presentation to the 108th Indian Science Congress (ISC).
Science and technology for sustainable development with women’s empowerment served as the main theme of this year’s Indian Science Congress, which featured debates on the topics of sustainable development, women’s empowerment, and the role of science and technology in accomplishing these goals.
In his remarks to the group, the prime minister emphasised the importance of India’s scientific prowess in shaping the growth narrative for the ensuing 25 years.
Modi emphasised the significance of collecting data and analysing findings, noting that observation is the foundation of science and that it is through such observation that scientists follow patterns and arrive at necessary discoveries.
The Prime Minister noted that India’s experiment with the scientific method had yielded positive results, as seen by the country moving from 81st to 40th place in the Global Innovation Index in 2022. When it comes to the amount of PhDs and startup ecosystems, India is one of the top three countries in the world.
The Prime Minister emphasised the complementarity between the two areas while expressing his satisfaction about the Science Congress’s subject this year, which blends women’s empowerment and sustainable development.
The Prime Minister noted that women-led development is one of the high-priority topics taken up by the chair while informing that India has been given the opportunity to preside over the G-20. He stated that over the past eight years, India has undertaken exceptional initiatives in the areas of government, society, and the economy, all of which are currently being discussed throughout the globe.
The Prime Minister highlighted the example of the Mudra Yojna, which has been crucial in empowering women in India, in highlighting the women who demonstrate their strength to the world, whether it be in a partnership in small industries and enterprises or leadership in the start-up sector. He also emphasised the fact that the proportion of women working in extramural research and development has doubled.
The importance of supporting research to create new vaccines was again emphasised by PM Modi, along with the responsibility of the scientific community in formulating strategies for combating emerging illnesses. He discussed comprehensive disease surveillance for early disease detection.