Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday appreciated the Indian scientists for making India self-reliant on Covid-19 vaccines, testing kits, necessary equipment and new medicines while he described pandemic as the "biggest challenge of this century."
Addressing a meeting of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Society through video conference, the Prime Minister complimented the scientists for the scale and speed at which the vaccines , testing kits, new effective medicines and other equipment were made within a year, to save humanity from the pandemic.
He praised scientists for developing made-in-India vaccine against Covid and boosting other measures to fight the pandemic within a year of its outbreak.
Modi remarked that the Corona pandemic has emerged as the biggest challenge of this century. But , he said, whenever there was a "big humanitarian crisis" in the past, science has prepared the way for a better future.
He said the scientists in India are working with speed and at par with other countries. Prime Minister said that bringing science and technology at par with developed countries is better for the industry and the market.
Modi said CSIR works as an institutional arrangement to keep the Science, Society and Industry on the same page.
"This institution of ours has given so many talents and scientists to the country like Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar who gave leadership to this institution", he said.
CSIR's role, Prime Minister said is important as "today’s goals of the country and dreams of Today's India wants to be self-reliant and empowered in every sector, from biotechnology to battery technologies, from Agriculture to Astronomy, from Disaster Management to Defense Technology, from Vaccines to Virtual Reality."
He praised the CSIR for starting to take suggestions from people following his advice. Modi appreciated the CSIR for its role in the Aroma mission launched in 2016 and said today thousands of farmers of the country are changing their fortunes through floriculture. He also lauded CSIR for helping in cultivation of asafoetida within the country for which India was dependent on imports.