FARIDABAD: Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh on Wednesday called for finding Indian solutions to Indian problems as the country is in the frontline of the comity of developed and scientifically advanced nations.
Inaugurating the 9th India International Science Festival (IISF) here, Singh listed Chandrayaan-3 landing near the south pole of the moon, first DNA vaccine against COVID-19 and Aroma Mission as three success stories that defined India’s emergence in the field of science and technology in the last decade.
“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 at the IISF being held at the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI)-Regional Centre for Biotechnology (RCB) campus here.
Singh urged scientists to find Indian solutions to Indian problems and added that it was time for the country to take the lead instead of following other nations.
The minister said five revolutionary decisions taken under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi — space reforms through the public-private partnerships, National Quantum Mission, Anusandhan-National Research Foundation (NRF), National Geospatial Policy, and National Education Policy (NEP) — will go a long way in achieving the goal of making India a developed nation by 2047.
Singh said India’s Space economy stood at a modest eight billion dollars, and was projected to grow to 40 billion dollars by 2040.
“But some international observers, for example the recent Arthur D Little Report, mentions that we could have the potential of 100 billion dollars by 2040,” the minister said.
Haryana Minister Moolchand Sharma, Principal Scientific Advisor A K Sood, Department of Biotechnology Secretary Rajesh Gokhale, Department of Science and Technology Secretary Abhay Karandikar, Earth Sciences Secretary M Ravichandran, NGO Vijnana Bharati Organising Secretary Shiv Kumar Sharma, CSIR Director General N Kalaiselvi were present at the inauguration of the IISF.
Haryana Minister Sharma said several industries in the state had contributed to the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission.
The India International Science Festival, which began in 2015, is organised by Vijnana Bharati and supported by the central government departments and Haryana government. (PTI)
