PM: World’s biggest vaccination drive against coronavirus set to begin in India
Lauding scientists and technicians for coming out with India’ indigenously developed Covid-19 vaccine, Prime Minister Modi on Monday said world’s biggest vaccination drive against coronavirus is set to begin in the country.
“World’s biggest Covid-19 vaccination programme set to begin in India. For this, the country is proud of the contributions of its scientists and technicians,” Modi said. He was addressing scientists at the National Metrology Conclave.
Asserting that “Made in India” products should not only have a global demand but also global acceptance, the PM said, adding, “Quality is as much important as quantity, our standards should rise with our scale in our quest for Aatmanirbhar Bharat.”
Modi said in any progressive society, research is key and effective and its effects are commercial and social. They also help widen approach and thinking.
“We do not want to fill the world with Indian products, but we must win the hearts of every customer of Indian products in every corner of the world,” he said.
Quality of services in our country and products, both public or private sector will determine India’s strength in the world, he reiterated.
The Prime Minister pointed out that historically any country has progressed in direct correlation to its effort to promote science. He termed this “value creation cycle” of science, technology and industry. He said scientific invention creates technology and this leads to industry development. Industry, in turn, invests further in science for new research.
“This value creation cycle of science to mass creation has become all the more important in today’s world when the country is moving forward with the goal of ‘Aatmanirbhar’ India. CSIR will have to play its role in this,” he said.
Modi also dedicated the National Atomic Timescale and Bhartiya Nirdeshak Dravya Pranali to the nation and laid the foundation stone of the National Environmental Standards Laboratory through video conference. The conclave was organised by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NPL), New Delhi, on its 75th year of inception. The NPL is one of the oldest laboratories in the country.
Modi said metrology also sets the foundation for any scientific achievement and no research can proceed without measurements.
“Even our achievement has to be measured on some scale. The credibility of the country in the world will be dependent on the reliability of its metrology. Metrology is like a mirror showing us our standing in the world, the scope for improvement,” said the PM.