Union Minister of State Dr Jitendra Singh recently chaired a high-level joint meeting of Science Ministries and Departments, including Science & Technology, Biotechnology, CSIR, Earth Sciences, Space and Atomic Energy. The meeting was aimed at breaking silos between the ministries and fostering a synergistic integrated approach. As a result of the meeting, it was decided that all Science Ministries and Departments would jointly observe National Technology Day on May 11th, 2023.
The theme for this year’s National Technology Day will be “Atal Tinkering Labs,” a pathbreaking initiative launched in 2016 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to promote innovation start-ups and entrepreneurship at the school and teaching institution level. The Minister emphasized that India has witnessed explosive growth in technological advancements in the past 9 years, thanks to the landmark reforms undertaken by the government.
The meeting also included discussions on awards rationalization, the creation of the Science Media Communication Cell (SMCC), and a review of relaxation in age for technical staff for appointment in projects. Once the Science Media Communication Cell comes into force, the success stories of all the departments must be compiled and disseminated to the general public to create awareness about India’s scientific prowess, according to Dr Jitendra Singh. He also directed all Ministries and departments to work together to disseminate information in regional languages, engage in creative content creation and preparation of daily news bulletins related to Science & Technology.
The meeting was attended by Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, Prof Ajay Kumar Sood, and Secretaries of the Science Ministries and Departments, including Science & Technology, Biotechnology, CSIR, Earth Sciences, Space and Atomic Energy. The joint meeting highlighted the achievements of tech giants, researchers, and engineers in technology in India and acknowledged the effort of scientists and engineers as growth drivers.
