Date:11/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/11/stories/2009011154340800.htm

National

PM asks scientists to combine expansion with excellence

Special Correspondent

Inaugurates platinum jubilee of the Indian National Science Academy

— Photo: Shanker Chakravarty

HONOURING DIGNITARY: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh receiving a memento from M. Vijayan (left), president, Indian National Science Academy, at the Platinum Jubilee function in New Delhi on Saturday.

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday called upon scientists to reflect on ways to ensure that the rapid expansion in the number of scientific and educational institutions in recent years did not lead to a compromise in the quality of science and education.

Inaugurating the platinum jubilee of the Indian National Science Academy (INSA), he said: “Maintaining standards in sciences and education, while expanding the base at such a [rapid] pace is indeed a difficult task. I would expect institutions like INSA to reflect on ways to combine expansion with excellence.”

Dr. Singh also expressed concern that the “centre of gravity” of scientific research was moving away from universities and called upon scientists to look at the reasons for poor enrolment of students in science in universities despite efforts to make science education attractive.

“I believe that we need to examine our curricula and our approach to teaching and to research. We must ensure that our universities and our leading institutions keep up with the very best in the world and impart education on a par with them. In this effort, we should make full use of the enormous pool of Indian scientific talent resident abroad.”

Dr. Singh emphasised the need for an educational system that provided opportunity to all and a research and development system that delivered innovations and practical and pragmatic solutions to various social problems. “We need our scientists to take the lead and help us create a world in which we are able to combine the advance of the knowledge society and the challenge of providing adequate food, good healthcare and nutrition, housing, energy and environment security to all our people.”

He identified energy and the environment as the two sectors that required immediate attention and called for efforts to promote energy efficiency, generate new and sustainable sources of commercially viable energy, provide for equity in energy consumption, and reduction of human influence on the environment. “We need to meet human needs and our development goals without threatening our planet and its limited resources.”