PM highlights role of pvt sector at science congress

Prime minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday called on the private industry to help science reach every part of the country.

Addressing the 100th Science Congress which got underway here on Thursday, the prime minister said, “Given the limited resources, we as a nation, are able to devote, it is imperative that we give priority to meeting the challenges which are fundamental to the transformation of our economy.”

Trying to drive his point home, Singh said, “I have already referred to the need to transform India’s agriculture, but there are equally valid concerns which require priority attention,” he said, adding, “The Indian industry must play an active part in this process through in-house research centres and more importantly, through enhanced academia-industry interaction.”

His emphasis on the role of private industry became louder when he repeated, “Government-sponsored research must be supplemented by research in private labs. Academic and research systems must foster innovation and entrepreneurship and therefore link up with those interested in commercial development.”

He also sought to softly denounce ideological problems in accepting resolutions of science. “Our younger generation must adopt a science-based value-system in order to benefit from what science can offer and to make for lost time,” he said.