INDIA SEEKS STRONGER SCIENTIFIC TIES WITH EUROPEAN
UNION NATIONS
India has sought
to build up stronger scientific and technological ties with the
member nations of the European Commission. Speaking at the European
Policy Centre as a Special Invitee on ‘Indian contribution
to science and technology’ in Brussels last night, the Minister
for Human Resource Development and Science & Technology Dr.
Murli Manohar Joshi said, strengthening of scientific and technological
collaboration between India and European Union will be greatly
beneficial not only to these nations but the entire world. This
is in the backdrop of the twin issues looming large over the globe
i.e., the unchecked ever-increasing exploitation of the limited
resources of the planet and the resultant climate change posing
a great danger to the very existence of the mankind.
Appreciating the
increasing awareness about these issues in Europe and many other
parts of the world, Dr. Joshi said that both India and the EC
nations can collaborate in a big way in tackling them because
of the expertise available with us and easy mobilisation of funds.
In this connection, he recalled the international conference held
in New Delhi last month on Science & Technology Capacity Building
For Climate Control and said that it was decided to locate a centre
of excellence for climate control in India taking into consideration
the infrastructure and expertise readily available here. Moreover,
any study on climate control will have to begin from the Indian
Ocean as it has a greater influence on atmospheric changes. He
urged the European Commission to extend full support for the establishment
of the Centre both financial and technological with networking
backup.
Speaking on India’s
perspective and contribution to science and technology, Dr. Joshi
said that we have achieved not only self-sufficiency but also
excellence in some selected areas, while quite advanced in various
other fields. Out motto, he said is, that science and technology
should be integrated with societal needs and the fruits of any
technological invention should be beneficial to the mankind.
In keeping with this
philosophy, all efforts have been made to encourage not only national
but international collaboration with both the advanced and the
developing countries. Indian research institutions have attained
global standards and have been evolving cost-effective technologies
with a sound commercialisation and patenting processes. Science
was not new to India and it existed from the ancient times. Contribution
of ‘zero’ to the world and highly advanced metallurgy from ancient
Indian science, cannot be forgotten. Indian space programmes,
nuclear power for electricity generation, green revolution, white
revolution, supply of software personnel to the world and providing
higher/technical education to a vast number of foreign students
are no less important contribution of Indian science, Dr. Joshi
averred. Our work in various areas of frontier science including
biotechnology and nano-technology speak of India’s scientific
quest and endeavours, Dr. Joshi said.
