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New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 105th Indian Science Congress at Manipur University on March 16, 2018. He began his inaugural address by paying tributes to three very distinguished Indian scientists who the country lost in recent times – Padma Vibhushan Prof Yashpal, Padma Vibhushan Prof UR Rao and Padma Shri Dr Baldev Raj.
The PM said, ” Let us also join the world to mourn the death of one of the greatest physicists of our time, Stephen Hawking – one of the brightest stars of modern cosmology. He was a friend of India and had visited our country twice. The common man knows Hawking’s name not because of his work on black holes, but because of his unusually high commitment and spirit against all odds.” He will be remembered as one of the world’s greatest motivators of all time, he added.
The PM said that he was delighted to be among scientists, whose work paves the way for a better tomorrow. The University is emerging as an important centre of higher education in the North-East. This is just the second time in over a century that the Indian Science Congress is being held in the North-East. This is a testimony to the resurgent spirit of the North East, he said.
The Prime Minister stated that the time is ripe to redefine ‘R&D’ as ‘Research’ for the ‘Development’ of the nation – that is ‘R&D’ in the real sense. Science is after all, but a means to a far greater end – of making a difference in the lives of others, of furthering human progress and welfare, he said. The time is also ripe to commit ourselves to facilitate ‘Ease of Living’ for 125 crore Indians through the power as well as potential of science and technology, he added.
PM Modi said that effective solutions to big problems of science and technology also require close cooperation and coordination among scientists across diverse streams. The Union Government has initiated several new programmes for the North-Eastern States, in the area of science. Agro-Meteorological Services are being provided under the ‘Gramin Krishi Mausam Seva’. This is benefiting over five lakh farmers.
“We are now working to expand this network to all districts of the North-East. An Ethno Medicinal Research Centre has been set up in Manipur. This will undertake research on the wild herbs available in the North Eastern region, which have unique medicinal and aromatic properties,” the PM said.
The Prime Minister said that the Indian Science Congress has a rich legacy. It has been led by some of India’s tallest scientists such as Acharya J C Bose, C V Raman, Meghnad Saha and S N Bose. He said the theme chosen for the Indian Science Congress this year is quite appropriate: “Reaching the Unreached through Science and Technology”. The theme is very close to my heart, he said.
Earlier, addressing the gathering, Union Minister of Science & Technology Dr. Harsh Vardhan said that the Government’s aim is to deliver the benefits of Science & Technology to the last man in the society.
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