'Abundant' availability of data, technology in India has potential to take its science to new heights: PM Modi

"I am sure, India's scientific community will ensure a place for our country of which it was always deserving," PM Narendra Modi said at the Indian Science Congress.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (January 3, 2023) addressed the Indian Science Congress and said that our scientific power will play a big role in India's development. Addressing the Congress, being held in Nagpur, via video conferencing, Modi also said that India's scientific community should work to make India 'aatmanirbhar' (self reliant).

Highlighting the role of India's scientific strength in India's story of development over the next 25 years, he said, "When the spirit of national service gets infused in Science along with passion, results are unprecedented." 

"I am sure, India's scientific community will ensure a place for our country of which it was always deserving," Modi added.

He stated that the abundant availability of data and technology in 21st-century India has the potential to take Indian Science to new heights. 

Speaking about the result of India's tryst with the scientific approach, Prime Minister Modi said that India is being counted among the top countries of the world as India moved to 40th place in the Global Innovation Index in 2022 from 81st place in 2015. 

India is among the top three nations in the world in terms of the number of PhDs and startup ecosystems, he said.

He also pointed out the doubling of women's participation in the field of extramural research and development. 

"The increasing participation of women is proof that women and science are both progressing in the nation," Modi said.

Talking about the scientists' challenge of turning knowledge into actionable and helpful products, the Prime Minister said that efforts of science can turn into great achievements only when they come out of the lab and reach the land, and their impact reaches from global to grassroots, when its ambit is from journal to jameen (land, everyday life) and when change is visible from research to real life. 

He said when science's achievements complete the distance between experiments to people's experiences, it gives an important message and impresses the young generation who get convinced of the role of science. 

In order to help such youth, PM Modi emphasised the need for an institutional framework and called upon the gathering to work on developing such an enabling institutional framework. 

He gave examples of Talent Hunt and Hackathons through which children with scientific temper could be discovered. 

Addressing 108th Indian Science Congress on the theme “Science and Technology for Sustainable Development with Women Empowerment.” https://t.co/pK1jZAhp6C — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 3, 2023

He also talked about India's stride in the field of sports and attributed the success to the emerging robust institutional mechanism and guru-shishya parampara. 

Pointing out issues that will pave the way for the development of science in the nation, the Prime Minister remarked that fulfilling India’s requirements should be the root of all inspiration for the entire scientific community. 

"Science in India should make the country atmanirbhar," he said.

"In Amrit Kaal, we have to make India the most advanced laboratory of modern science," PM Modi said in his concluding address.