Govt providing institutional support for both invention, innovation: PM Modi

Asserting that no country has made progress without science and technology, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the government is providing institutional support for both invention and innovation.

Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the Fifth India International Science Festival today.

Address the gathering in Kolkata through video conference, Prime Minister Modi said, "There is no country in the world that has made progress without science and technology. India has produced many great scientists, our history makes us proud and our present is also largely influenced by science."

He added, "Our responsibility towards future increases manifold. The responsibility is to take science and technology along with human values. Government is providing institutional support for both invention and innovation. The ecosystem for science and technology is being strengthened."

The prime objective of the festival is to instil scientific temper among people, showcase India's contribution in the field of science and technology, and encourage translation of its benefits to people. It aims to build a strategy for inclusive advancement of science and technology.

The theme of the festival this year was - RISEN India - Research, Innovation, and Science Empowering the Nation.

Present at the event was Union Minister for Science and Technology, Earth Sciences and Health and Family Welfare, Harsh Vardhan. He said that a platform like India International Science Festival is an opportunity to bridge the gap and bringing science and technology near to the public for wider awareness.

Inaugurating the Mega Science Exposition, a part of the IISF, in Kolkata, Vardhan said that Kolkata has a place of pride for the entire nation for its tradition, culture and historical importance, its association with a wide array of scientific luminaries such as Dr CV Raman, Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose, Dr Meghnad Saha and Dr Satyendra Nath Bose.

Congratulating the senior scientists and directors of the science labs for organising the event, the Union Minister said that scientists of the past have set laurels and made achievements for entire country by their work and it is the responsibility of the scientific fraternity to make the present generation aware of the scope and importance of science and technology to common people.

Vardhan emphasised that bringing science and technology to the doorsteps of the common people, particularly the children, is an essential responsibility for the betterment of their day-to-day activities.

He further stated that India is a land of opportunities where the participation of scientists in higher education and research and development has a pivotal role in fostering empowerment and development of people.