The Hindu : Country paying dearly for neglecting environment: PM

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Sep 27, 2002

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Country paying dearly for neglecting environment: PM

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI SEPT. 26. The Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, today expressed dismay that India had not been paying sufficient attention to safeguarding its environment and emphasised the need to strike a balance between economic development and environmental protection.

Referring to his just-concluded visit to Maldives, he said that country was an apt illustration of how economic development and environmental protection could go hand-in-hand. "I was struck by the meticulous care with which they have preserved their extremely fragile environment and yet succeeded in promoting a vibrant tourism industry".

Participating in a function to celebrate the diamond jubilee of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Mr. Vajpayee observed that India was "paying a huge price" for neglecting environmental protection and urged the scientific community to help in changing the situation.

He also called for greater partnerships between the S&T establishment and the industry to meet the new challenges liberalisation and globalisation were continuously throwing up. "Our industry and services have by now realised one thing: to survive and to win this battle of competition, they have to use knowledge — figuratively speaking — both as a shield and a sword".

He further asked the scientists to help transform the large S&T base that has been built up over the years into a dynamic force capable of occupying leadership positions in global R&D. The endeavour should simultaneously seek to position Indian R&D on a par with the best in the developed countries and to focus more on meeting the needs of the developing countries. It was clear that no research would be conducted in the West to tackle problems like malaria and malnutrition faced by the developing countries.

The Prime Minister said the country had many fine R&D institutions in the areas of national security, health care and agriculture. Successive Governments had shown immense faith in the power of science and technology to strengthen national security and propel national development. In the past four-and-a-half years, the NDA Government had substantially stepped up support to the country's S&T establishment. This support would continue.

The Science and Technology Minister, Murli Manohar Joshi, announced that the CSIR would shortly set up a Rs. 10 lakh award to promote indigenous development of technologies that met the highest global benchmarks of competitiveness and excellence. Called the diamond jubilee technology award, it would be given away every year.

He also announced the launch of an award for post-M.Sc. and B.Tech scholars. Called the diamond jubilee research interns award, it would be tenable for a period of two years at the CSIR laboratories and carry an allowance of Rs. 7,500 a month.

The was to train young students in the tools and techniques of research before they undertook a Ph.D programme.

The Prime Minister gave away the various technology awards instituted by the CSIR.

The technology prize for biological sciences was bagged by a team at the Indian Institute of Chemical Biology for the development of an anti-asthma drug, and that for chemical technology by a joint team of the Central Salt and Marine Chemical Research Institute and the National Aluminium Company for developing an eco-friendly and cost-effective technology for production of zeolite, a raw material for the detergent industry.

The prize for engineering sciences was won by a team at the Central Scientific Instruments Organisation for developing an important component for the light combat aircaft, while the shield for process technology went to a team at the Institute of Microbial Technology for developing a technology for the production of Streptokinase, a life saving thrombolytic drug, and the prize for business development and technology marketing went to a team of the National Aerospace Laboratories.

Mr. Vajpayee also presented the CSIR's young scientist awards to V.Chakravarthi of the National Geophysical Research Institute, S.Doraiswamy of the National Institute of Oceanography, M.T. Nair of the National Aerospace Laboratories and K.K. Sahu of the National Metallurgical Laboratory.

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