Scientists at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (Barc) should work with external stakeholders and beneficiaries to facilitate technology pull and support and push technologies for wealth generation in rural India, according to Anil Kakodkar, chairman, Atomic Energy Commission. He was speaking at the two-day national symposium on ‘Barc Technologies for Development of Rural India’ which began on Wednesday.
The symposium, organised by Barc Officer’s Association (Barcoa) and Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences (BRNS), is an attempt to take the fruits of technology to the grassroots level and empower villages with science and technology based eco-friendly work plan.
“To take technology successfully to society, we need to engage with society, end users and other institutes pursuing similar programmes. The symposium is unique and will be a turning point in the years to come,” said Kakodkar.
This maiden attempt is expected to promote interaction between scientists, technologists, agriculturists, farmers and consumers so that the scientific community has a better idea about needs of rural India, even as it takes stock of current technologies which are of benefit to the rural community. It will introduce NGOs and farmers to technologies developed by Barc scientists and other organisations and explore possible future collaborations.
Barc director Srikumar Banerjee said techniques like tissue culture and radiation processing of cut flowers have potential for application and employment generation in rural India and referred to initiating decentralised power programme through harnessing solar energy. “Rural development is essential for survival of urban life,” he said.
