Date:02/09/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/09/02/stories/2005090202470500.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Science and technology academy inaugurated

Staff Reporter

U.R. Rao will head the academy; 46 eminent scientists its members

INAUGURAL EDITION: Minister for Science and Technology and Rural Development Basavaraj Horatti giving the first copy of a book to scientist and former Chairman of ISRO U.R. Rao at the inaugural function of Karnataka Science and Technology Academy in Bangalore on Thursday. — Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash

BANGALORE: The Karnataka Science and Technology Academy aimed at helping the Government in implementing its various development and welfare programmes utilising the available technology came into being here on Thursday.

Inaugurating the academy, Science and Technology Minister Basavaraj Horatti said that Karnataka has turned out to be a pioneer in establishing a science and technology academy. The former chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) U.R. Rao is the chairman of the academy, which held its maiden meeting on Thursday attended by the Minister. It has 46 leading scientists from different disciplines as members.

Mr. Horatti said that initially it had been decided to allocate Rs. 15 lakhs to the academy. He has raised it to Rs. 1 crore and the Finance Department has been asked to approve the proposal. The Department of Science and Technology has Rs. 12.50 crores with it and there is no dearth of funds for carrying on the activities of the academy.

The Policy Committee, headed by Prof. Rao, had submitted its recommendations to the Government and the Cabinet will discuss the same.

After it is approved, Mr. Horatti said the recommendations will be implemented in different phases. Assuring non-interference, the Minister appealed to the academy to facilitate transfer of successful stories in the laboratory for improvement in the income and living conditions of the masses.

Prof. Rao, who presided over the function, said that what is urgently needed is the achievements made in the industrial and knowledge sectors should be taken to the masses for value addition. The skills of the unorganised workers can be improved for increasing their wages with less efforts in short time. Science should become a way of life by imbibing scientific temper among children, he said. The scientist said that 75 per cent of the population living in villages contributes less than 25 per cent to the gross domestic product and it is those people who have not benefited from researches in the laboratories. V.P. Baligar, Principal Secretary to the Government, Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, and K. Shankaralinge Gowda, Secretary to the Government, Department of Science and Technology, participated.