Prez makes a pitch for industries to back research efforts

Emphasising upon the importance of promoting basic research and innovation, President Pranab Mukherjee today said the industry should also join the efforts to achieve excellence in education and science.
"While you are celebrating 100 years of your prestigious institution, dear students, esteemed faculty members, I will urge you to look into this aspect, we are lagging far behind in basic research, innovation...," he said, after inaugurating the centenary celebrations of Osmania University here.
"The country cannot achieve excellence in science and education without promotion of research and innovation, he said.
Recalling a conversation he had with the IIT, Kharagpur, director he said he was told that the students taking up research in India were inadequate though the institute achieved almost 100 per cent campus recruitment.

Mukherjee said he would not like to blame educational institutions for the country lagging behind in research and innovation.
Industry should also join the efforts to encourage the research and there should be an interaction between the industry and the academic institutions, he said.

"I do not blame academic institutions alone. Because, substantially it requires uninterrupted flow of funds. And it comes either from government or from industry. State funding is not possible to the extent it requires. Industry must come forward," he said.
"The country can achieve its rightful place in the comity of nations only if the research and innovation got its due importance," he added.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
The president is also scheduled to attend the first convocation of the English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) in the evening and then leave for Delhi from the Begumpet airport here.