Dr Harsh Vardhan emphasises on collaborative efforts

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr Harsh Vardhan on January 22, 2018, emphasised on the need to break the mindset of “working in silos” and work collectively towards developing synergy for technological solutions and for optimal utilization.

Addressing the Inter-ministerial Coordination meeting of 5 Ministries/Departments at Indira Paryavaran Bhawan here, Dr Harsh Vardhan urged the Ministries and departments concerned to identify commonalities for technological solutions that can be taken to various stakeholders. He said that all sorts of problems can be solved through science, but the approach towards it needs to be changed in favour of collaborative efforts and developing synergies, according to a PIB release.

The Minister added that an excellent synergy has already been developed within the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Ministry of Earth Sciences (MOES) and now the same has to be replicated with the MOEFCC also. He stated that CSIR, DST, DBT and MOES have excellent research capabilities and the Environment Ministry can benefit from this.

Underlining the need to formulate well-defined goals and time-bound actions, Dr Harsh Vardhan said that a working group will be formed and MoEFCC will work as a secretariat, while each of the Ministries will nominate its nodal officers.  He strongly emphasized on the need to come up with results over the next one year. The Minister also stated that meetings of the joint working group will be held every month and a quarterly meeting will be held at the Minister’s level.  However, he also pointed out that the meeting will be attended by all  project groups concerned of all the Ministries.

Recollecting PM Narendra Modi talking of “Scientific Social Responsibility”, Dr Harsh Vardhan averred that there is an urgent need to put science to use for the benefit of people.   He urged the scientists and the senior officers present at the meeting to also work out innovative solutions and projects for 115 aspirational districts to improve their Human Development Index (HDI).