Venkaiah Naidu calls for creating national innovation movement

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu Saturday called for creating a national innovation movement to promote path-breaking ideas and innovations that improve living conditions of people and generate wealth.

Speaking at the Gandhian Young Technological Innovation (GYTI) Awards, organised by the Department of Biotechnology here, he stressed on the need to tap the huge talent present in every section of society across the country to build a new and inclusive India.

Referring to a call given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi "to reform, perform and transform", he said there was a lot of meaning in the message and added that he had no hesitation in describing the prime minister as a great transformer now as the elections were over.

Naidu recalled that former US President Barack Obama had called Modi a 'Reformer-in-Chief' in a profile penned by him in an international magazine, a statement said.

He also called for reorienting education system to foster out-of-box thinking and problem-solving approach.

The vice president urged the young scientists to come up with simple, low-cost but hi-tech innovations to make people's lives more comfortable and address challenges such as pollution, climate change, diseases, not-so-profitable agriculture, and low-efficiency industrial processes.

Citing an example, the vice president referred to an an innovative, indigenous machine invented by Telangana weaver Chintakindi Mallesham which reduces the drudgery and time taken to weave a saree from about 6 hours to an hour and half.

Mallesham was honoured with Padma Shri for his invention 'Asu' and a film was also made on his journey and achievement.

Calling for stepping up biotechnology interventions to make agriculture more viable and sustainable, he said there was a need for a greater focus on allied sectors like animal husbandry, dairy, fisheries, apart from other vital areas such as health, nutrition, environment and biodiversity conservation.

Observing that trained and capable youth must become the drivers of innovation in India, Naidu called for enhancing their skills and encouraging them to explore unchartered territories.

He also paid tributes to Syama Prasad Mookerjee, the founder of Jana Sangh, on his birth anniversary on Saturday and said that he would always be remembered for his "parliamentary brilliance, great oratorical skills and for laying down his life to uphold the status of Jammu and Kashmir as an inalienable and integral part of India".