Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, on Wednesday, said that his government wants to use science and technology (S&T) for creating jobs in the state.
“I’ll constitute a team of scientists and technocrats which will guide us in how to proceed on the S&T front,” he said while virtually addressing the inaugural function of the four-day Madhya Pradesh Vigyan Sammelan (MPVS) & Expo jointly organised by IIT-Indore, Vigyan Bharati and MP Council for Science and Technology.
An expert briefs students on drone technology during the Expo at the SGSITS. | ANANDSHIVRE
The CM said that the subject of employment creation through S&T would also be discussed during the Sammelan. “The Sammelan will give us a roadmap which we will introduce in the state,” he added.
The CM said that they want to become a leader in S&T in the country. The state has resources in abundance. “Through the use of S&T, we can make our local products of world-class standards and, thus, meeting the requirements of the country and other countries too,” he said.
Chouhan emphasised the need to work for scientific agriculture, organic farming and also to use the forest eco-system for discovering Ayurvedic medicines.
The CM also stressed the need for developing a scientific temperament among students. “Instead of schools in every village, we’ll open schools at every 20 km distance. These schools will have science labs and teachers who have a scientific temperament,” he said.
Drawing an analogy between science and religion, Chouhan said that the one does not cut another. “In fact, they both support each other. Mantra is also science. It’s sound energy which is never destroyed. Mantras have scientific a impact.”
Chouhan said that India was a leader in knowledge, science and spatiality in the world. “There came a period when we couldn’t keep our literature intact. Some people say that foreigners stole our literature and did invention for the welfare of their countries,” he added.
The CM said that an unscientific lifestyle leads to many diseases. “Covid-19 is one such disease. Fear of Covid-19’s third wave looms over the state. We’ll deal with it in a scientific way,” he concluded.
IIT-Indore chairman prof Deepak B Phatak said that India had a platform of ‘Make in India’ which, through the hidden opportunities created through R&D, will be successfully adapted by the stakeholders into new technology towards higher value addition, lower costs and better products.
IIT-Indore acting director prof Neelesh Kumar Jain said there was an increased demand for the transformation of R&D, innovation, skill development, technology and science to deliver products and services to society.
‘Need to spread scientific temper’
Former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, Anil Kakodkar said that there is a need to spread scientific temper in every nook and cranny of the country. Scientific temperament should be developed in every person so that he/she should have curiosity to know about things presented to them.
‘People should question everything presented to them and accept only if it passes the test of scientific temper,’ he said. The seasoned scientist said that science is moving very fast. ‘India can’t afford to be behind anyone so we have to develop eco-system by breaking the walls erected before combined growth,’ he stated.
Conferences at IIPS, MGM College today
Vigyan Bharati state organising secretary (Malwa Prant) Prajatantra Gangele said as many as 17 conferences and 3 conclaves would be held at the leading institutions of the city under the banner of MPVS-2021. Organising general secretary Santosh Kumar Vishvakarma said that a special souvenir ‘VITAN’ was released during the inaugural function. MPVS-2021 secretary Rajeev Dixit’s conference on theme ‘MP Vigyan Paryatan’ would be held at IIPS on Thursday. Another conference on the theme ‘Traditional and Modern Healthcare’ would be held at MGM Medical College, he added.
A Mega-Expo event was also inaugurated at SGSITS-Indore on Wednesday.
