STATE TIMES NEWS
FARIDABAD: The four-day 9th India International Science Festival’ was inaugurated on Wednesday by Union Science & Technology Minister Dr Jitendra Singh at a majestically decorated venue here with over 12,000 delegates in attendance and nearly 200 faculty holding simultaneous multiple sessions in different halls over the next four days.
Addressing the inaugural session, Dr Jitendra suggested Indian solutions to Indian problems as India emerges as a frontline nation in the comity of developed and scientifically advanced countries.
The Minister cited three success stories in Science & Technology that have defined India’s emergence in the recent times.
“India is the first country to land on the South Polar region of the Moon, India’s Vaccine success story is cited the world over and the Aroma Mission that has spurred the sprouting of a range of Agri StartUps,” he said.
“We have a political leadership today under Prime Minister Narendra Modi which has sent a message loud and clear that gone are the days when we waited for others to take the lead and then follow. India of 2024 is ready to take a giant leap and move forward on its ascent of its scientific acumen and its technological prowess,” he said.
“India’s Space economy today stands at a modest $8 billion, but our own projection is that by 2040 it will scale $40 billion. But more interesting is that according to some international observers, for example the recent ADL (Arthur D Little) Report mentions that we could have the potential of $100 Billion by 2040,” he said.
Stating that the “Anusandhan National Research Foundation” will pave the way for a greater PPP model in scientific research, Dr Jitendra said the NRF will catapult us to the league of a handful of Developed nations pioneering new research in new frontiers. “NRF budget envisions a spending of Rs. 50,000 crore over five years, out of which over 70%, will come from non-government sources, including domestic as well as outside sources,” he said. Stating that most journals describe India as the bright spot, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the children of today are blessed to be the architects of the technology driven Amritkaal.