Be open to challenges of new ideas, says PM

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today asked Indian universities to be more creative and less captive to bureaucracy and procedure.

He said the community must translate their scientific research findings into marketable products for the country and asked universities to strengthen ties with research laboratories and the industry.

In his inaugural address at the 98th Indian Science Congress, inaugurated at SRM University campus near Chennai today, he said: “Our universities have to be more hospitable to creativity and genius, and less captive to bureaucracy and procedure. They should be more open to talent and to the challenge of new ideas.”

He said growth in India’s economy, people’s health and security depends on scientific and technological competence.

“This is well understood and is reflected in the support that government gives in the pursuit of scientific research.”

The Prime Minister said in the last six years, the Centre had given special attention to the growth and development of the University system in the country, by sanctioning funds for new universities and increased capacity for the existing ones.

Eight new IITs and five Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research were established in the last five years to bolster the education sector and carry out research in frontier areas of science and technology.

“I belong to a generation that worried about the links between science and society. Scientific temper, we believed, would help India make the transition from a traditional to a modern society..”

He said, it is true that science has made progress even in societies that were neither modern nor liberal. It is true the products of science have been put sometimes to illiberal uses. “I sincerely believe we must guard against such tendencies, especially in our own blessed country.”

The Prime Minister asked the Science Congress to discuss and find out how India can strengthen the link between universities, research laboratories and industry and come out with actionable recommendations.

The PM asked the Ministry of Science and Technology to organise a national-level programme to celebrate the birth centenary of S Chandrasekhar, one of the outstanding scientists of the 20th century.

He also asked the ministry to collaborate with the Indian Science Congress to designate 2012-13 as the ‘Year of Science in India’.