Thiruvananthapuram: Union minister Shashi Tharoor Wednesday commended the research carried out by the National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST) here, saying its work in frontier areas of science was of "high relevance".
"India is constantly criticised as being inhospitable for cutting edge research. But I feel proud that a research organisation from my own constituency does quality research in frontier areas of high relevance," the union Minister of State for Human Resource Development said while addressing scientists at NIIST.
It was commendable that the research conducted at NIIST was anchored locally and "oriented at finding immediate applications", he added.
He also said that social consciousness was the main factor distinguishing Indian research institutes from those in foreign countries.
NIIST is a constituent laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India`s premier industrial research organisation.
IANS
