PM asks scientists to find solutions to common people's

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to list out at least 100 problems faced by the common people and take up the challenge of solving them technologically within a specified time period.
Addressing top CSIR scientists CSIR here, he also asked the premier institution responsible for research and development to take a lead in finding breakthroughs to diseases like sickle cell anaemia, development of defence equipment and life-saving equipment for the jawans and look for innovations related to solar energy and agriculture sector.
Chairing a meeting of the CSIR society yesterday, the Prime Minister was given an overview of the work done by CSIR in addressing national challenges and its recognition as a major Indian innovator, a PMO statement said here today.

The members mentioned the potential that exists for a large number of start-ups to emerge from the research being done by CSIR labs, it said.
They stressed the importance of converting lab research to commercial applications. Medical device manufacturing, energy, and waste management were some of the areas mentioned where CSIR could play a key role.
The Prime Minister emphasized that he would like to see CSIR oriented towards making the life of the common man better, and providing technological solutions to the problems of the poor and downtrodden sections of society, it said.

"He called upon the scientific community at CSIR to list at least one hundred problems being faced by people in various parts of India, and take up the challenge of solving them technologically within a specified time period," the statement said.

Mentioning key areas where CSIR could take the lead in providing breakthroughs, the Prime Minister spoke of sickle cell anaemia prevalent among the tribal people, defence equipment manufacturing, life-saving equipment for the jawans, innovations related to solar energy, and innovations related to the agriculture sector, it said.
He called for laying down parameters to assess the performance of CSIR labs and and a mechanism whereby there could be internal competition among various labs.