Union Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) and Prime Minister’s Office Sunday credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for promoting the extension of applications of space technology to different sectors and areas in order to bring “ease of living”.
“In the wake of revolutionary steps being taken under the resolute leadership of the Prime Minister, who shows keen interest towards exploring and encouraging technological advancement, India is fast emerging as a frontline nation in scientific innovations,” he said delivering the keynote address on the ‘National Science Day’ function organised on the theme ‘Future of STI: Impact on Education, Skills and Work’ by the Department of Students Welfare, University of Jammu here.
“The cumulative experience and knowledge gives a sense of scientific intuition and it was the PM, who for the first time let the government diversify the applications of space technology and scientific innovations in the country,” Singh said. “The Prime Minister of India and his team have the capacity and courage to take revolutionary decisions for future technological advancements.”
He said in the last few years, the government had taken some revolutionary and pragmatic decisions to give a fillip to indigenous scientific innovations which would be a key to ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’.
In this context, Singh made a special mention of the decision to “unlock” India’s space technology to private players for the first time after independence and the approval given by the union cabinet to go ahead with the joint ventures in the field of atomic energy and nuclear energy to promote the setting up of new nuclear installations.
He said that scientific perseverance gained momentum during the last seven years under Prime Minister Modi and added that the recently-announced National Education Policy was one of best steps ever taken and making the scientific studies in the vernacular form had made it easily understandable for everyone in India without any language bar.
“The theme chosen for the ‘National Science Day’ is most appropriate considering the rapid strides being made in contemporary India and being followed by other countries of the world,” Singh said and cited the example of COVID-19 vaccine, which India was not only among the first countries to prepare indigenously but also in exporting it to most of the medically-advanced nations of the world. “Equally significant is the fact that not only the vaccine has been made but the country has been successful in imparting scientific social temper among its citizens too.”
He said it was remarkable coincidence that on the morning of ‘National Science Day’ ISRO achieved another glorious landmark by successfully launching the PSLVC51/Amazonia-1.
“While India began its space journey much after several other countries, today we are in a position to provide inputs from Mangalyaan and Chandrayaan to the premier institutions of the world like the NASA of the USA,” Singh said.