The following
is the text of the Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s
inaugural address at the 90th Session of the Indian
Science Congress at Bangalore today:
"I am delighted to
be here with this distinguished gathering for the 90th
Session of the Indian Science Congress. At the outset, I wish
all of you a very Happy New Year.
My special greetings
to all the distinguished scientists from abroad, who have traveled
a long way to participate in this prestigious event. I am as pleased
as all of you to know that our respected Rashtrapatiji, Dr. Abdul
Kalam, will be coming here tomorrow to grace this occasion. It
is a tribute to Indian science that a renowned scientist-patriot
has become India’s President.
I am happy that this
Science Congress is being held in the excellent academic backdrop
of Bangalore University. Bangalore has become the IT, Bio-tech
and Space Technology hub of India.
Traditionally, this
Garden City is known for its beautiful sprawling parks. However,
now it is also known for parks of another kind – Technology Parks.
I can tell you that India is earning handsomely from the export
of the unique floriculture – "software floriculture" -- from these
parks. My special word of appreciation for Dr. Kasturirangan,
the General President of this year’s Science Congress. Whenever
I see him, I feel reassured by his self-confident and determined
approach, which, I am sure, is not his alone, but represents the
ethos of all his colleagues at ISRO. The Nation is proud of the
achievements of our Space Programme and of your leadership to
it, Dr. Kasturirangan.
Today I am delighted
to launch the new Science and Technology Policy 2003. The Scientific
Policy Resolution of 1958 had inspired India’s scientific endeavours
in earlier decades.
This was updated
in 1983 with the adoption of the Technology Policy Statement of
1983. Exactly after twenty years, we are launching STP 2003. This
shows that we can respond to the breathtaking changes that have
taken place in the world of science and technology in the closing
decades of the last century, and also to the challenges and opportunities
before us in the new century.
I congratulate Dr.
Murli Manohar Joshi and all the eminent scientists who have worked
hard for preparing a forward-looking policy.
Since ancient times
India has had an illustrious tradition of scientific enquiry.
Numerous fundamental scientific and mathematical concepts are
attributed to ancient Indian scientists. They also developed applied
knowledge in medicine, metallurgy, chemistry, agriculture, textiles
and other fields. But far more important than these specific contributions
of ancient Indian scientists and philosophers is their integral
approach to Knowledge and Life. They explored all areas of Jnan
and Vijnan in a holistic way, emphasizing that that man’s
material and spiritual development should be pursued in a balanced
manner, without ignoring one at the expense of the other. I believe
that our world needs this approach as much in the new century
as it did in all the previous ones.
Today I applaud the
impressive contributions of our scientists and technologists to
India’s national development and national security since Independence.
In several frontiers areas, our achievements rank among the best
in the world.
India’s chain of
national and regional laboratories, scientific departments in
universities, IITs and other academic establishments, can justly
claim to comprise the scientific infrastructure of an advanced
nation.
My vision is to embrace
science and technology, in all its true spirit, to realize our
dream of making India a Developed Nation. As you are well aware,
the Government is fully committed to supporting you in this endeavour.
The Tenth Plan has recognized that productivity-led growth is
the path India has to take in order to attain the ambitious target
of 8% GDP growth rate. Appropriate S&T inputs at all levels
and in all sectors of the economy are needed to pave this path.
Some of the thrust areas for Indian science now and in the coming
years are obvious.
We have to further
consolidate the gains we have made in agricultural science and
achieve higher productivity in the production of pulses, oil seeds
and vegetables, animal husbandry, dairying, fisheries, horticulture,
cultivation of medicinal and energy plants, and agro-processing
industries. Application of new scientific and technological capabilities
generated through Biotechnology, IT and Space Technologies should
be extensively pursued. Minimising wastage in farm produce continues
to be neglected tasks in most parts of the country. All these
efforts are essential to increase rural incomes and generate new
employment opportunities in the rural economy, which is our first
developmental priority.
India is also facing
critical challenges in meeting the basic healthcare needs of all
our citizens, land and water conservation, energy security, and
environmental protection. All these call for greater contributions
from Indian science. I would like to make a special mention of
the large quantum of energy that would be necessary to raise the
living standards of our people. For this, it is inevitable that
we develop advanced energy technologies capable of making use
of domestic energy resources and satisfying modern environmental
norms. Further developments in nuclear energy systems, non-conventional
and renewable energy options and technologies for cleaner use
of fossil fuels should receive our urgent attention. Technological
developments for achieving greater efficiency in the conversion,
transport and use of energy should also be our focus.
Disaster prevention
and management has become another pressing challenge before the
Nation. Although disasters know no boundaries, when they strike,
it is the vulnerable sections of society that suffer the most.
The Tenth Plan has
placed great emphasis on this task, and called for vital inputs
from science and technology. While trying to maximize our work
on all these developmental fronts, we should simultaneously intensify
our activity in frontier areas of science and technology.
Our space programme
has earned India global recognition. About a year ago, it demonstrated
India’s capability to launch a satellite into geostationary orbit
with our own launch vehicles. I am confident that it will soar
higher in 2003 and in the years ahead. Like space, oceans are
another frontier beckoning India. I am happy to learn about the
significant progress made by the Department of Ocean Development
in improving ocean observation capabilities. We should firm up
our future plans for assessing, exploring and harnessing the vast
energy resources in the ocean. This is the most appropriate time,
when the international order in respect of the ocean system is
evolving and taking final shape, that our scientists and scientific
institutions tune themselves to build up a reservoir of human
resources and technological infrastructure.
The 21st
century is poised to witness exciting breakthroughs in biotechnology.
India, too, is poised to be in the vanguard of these developments,
thanks to the efforts of the Department of Biotechnology and many
enterprising Indian biotech companies. Generation of new vaccines,
accurate and low cost diagnostic kits, genetically superior plant
material, many recombinant products and technologies – all these
would surely help in poverty alleviation, combating malnutrition,
protection from dangerous infections, and benefit our society
in many other ways.
Distinguished Indian
scientists, if your contributions to India’s socio-economic growth,
as also to the world’s body of knowledge, are to increase further,
we need to candidly recognize and address several problems. I
wish to share my observations with you on some of them. Disconnect
between science and policy: We live in an age when policy
problems, whether in the economic, national security, environmental,
or social development areas, are characterized by immense complexity.
Such issues are incompletely grasped by the concepts and methods
of any one discipline. They call for a multidisciplinary approach.
I appeal to our scientists and technologists to be pro-active
in throwing light on policy concerns. At the same time, I also
appeal to our policy makers in the Government, whether at the
political or bureaucratic levels, to pro-actively seek such inputs.
Insufficient linkages between R&D establishments and
the broader economy: Till recently, the economic impact
of Indian science and technology was far less than its true potential.
Economic actors and scientists did not recognize each other sufficiently.
On the one hand, during the era of the license-permit-quota raj,
industry had little incentive to upgrade its processes or products.
On the other, many of our scientists viewed applied research and
its commercialization as an inferior occupation.
I am glad to note
that, especially in the CSIR, there are clear winds of change.
I understand that last month CSIR was granted its 100th
US patent during the calendar year 2002, an event that is unparalleled
in Indian science.
We need such initiatives
in all our publicly funded institutions. Here I would like to
repeat my earlier appeal to industries in the private sector.
They should invest more in indigenous R&D, in partnership
with our S&T institutions, IITs and universities, so that
their products and services become globally competitive.
Since R&D has
today become a global enterprise, with top corporations spending
hundreds of billions of dollars, this partnership should also
boldly tap the huge new opportunities that have opened up in this
field. Promotion of traditional technologies: Diversity is as
much a part of India’s technological landscape as it is of our
economic landscape. There is a need to produce useful R&D
inputs to enrich all the three kinds of technologies that operate
in India – modern, conventional and traditional. In this context,
we cannot neglect the immense scientific talent that exists outside
the formal S&T establishment. I am told that the National
Innovation Foundation, which was set up two and a half years ago,
has started championing the cause of grassroots innovators, be
they slum dwellers, artisans, school dropouts, illiterate farmers,
and so on.
We need to encourage
conversion of these innovations into profitable enterprises with
appropriate measures.
Bureaucratization
of the R&D establishments: We have to ensure that
our scientific institutions do not become afflicted with the culture
of our Governmental agencies.
Ordinarily, seniority
should not displace merit. Talent should not be suppressed and
individualism should not replace teamwork. Inadequate attention
to these aspects sometimes results in our talented younger scientists
getting frustrated.
Internal brain-drain:
Closely linked to the bureaucratic culture in many of our S&T
establishments is the disturbing phenomenon of internal brain-drain.
Apart from the migration of significant numbers of our talented
scientists and technologists abroad, we also face a problem of
diversion of talent away from R&D careers to non-scientific
careers in both Government and the private sector. We need to
examine why a career in science is not considered worthwhile by
so many of our talented younger scientists. Whatever the reasons,
we must face this issue squarely, by taking visible, concrete
steps to give promising scientists and technologists the necessary
opportunities, recognition, standing, and adequate material compensation.
Attracting
the Indian Scientific Diaspora: Another related issue
is the need – and the opportunity – to attract our large and accomplished
scientific diaspora. They are more than willing to contribute
to our national development. We can use their expertise in critical
R&D areas. Wherever necessary, we should devise pragmatic
and flexible schemes to enable them to come and work in our S&T
institutions.
Scientific
education: Lastly, I wish to briefly touch upon a disturbing
trend. While we have several exceptional scientific and technological
institutions, some others turn out graduates and post-graduates,
even doctorates, of indifferent quality.
We need to reflect
on this and take corrective action.
Friends, I am full
of optimism about the future of Indian science. If your Today
is brighter than your Yesterday, your Tomorrow will be brighter
still. What is needed is pursuit of excellence with single-minded
determination and dedication -- not just individual excellence
but institutional excellence -- and making it a sustainable hallmark
of the entire S&T establishment. Like in sports, achievements
in science and technology are a source of national pride.
Therefore, the Nation
expects you to aim higher, be ambitious and achieve big things.
I am sure that our scientists and technologists will serve role
models to all other participants in building a Self-Confident
India.
Before I conclude
I have to make an announcement. Dr. Joshi has made a very good
suggestion that we institute an Indian Science Award of Rs.25
lakhs to be given each year. I agree to this suggestion. The selection
committee will comprise eminent scientists from India and the
world.
With these words,
I am pleased to inaugurate the 90th Session of the
Indian Science Congress.
Thank you".
