Highlighting the real reasons behind the much talked about underdevelopment of Jharkhand, Governor Draupadi Murmu gave a call for close linkages between natural wealth and innovations. The Governor also underlined the role of industry and investors to tap the potential available in the State in abundance.Speaking at a seminar organised by ASSOCHAM on ‘Innovations in India- Opportunities and Challenges’ on Friday, the Governor said, “Innovation is a catalyst to growth which is crucial for a society like ours. In the present wider spectrum of the society, ecosystem for innovations needs to be promoted.
Beauty is that innovation can even come from lesser professionals which can be a case in Jharkhand.”Specially mentioning about lots of mineral and natural resources available in the State on the one side and underdeveloped, unskilled human resource on the other, the Governor stressed on developing a linkage between the two with the role of industry. “Jharkhand should look into this area. State is known for its mineral wealth and it should be linked to industry. Thousands of opportunities are available in Jharkhand,” said Murmu.
Also present on the occasion was Urban Development Minister CP Singh who compared smaller countries with India in the field of innovations. “India was considered as ‘vishwa guru’ (world leader) once upon a time but what we are todayIJ Even smaller countries like South Korea are way ahead of us in innovations. Statues of our gods are being imported from China and our best brains are working for the foreigners. We have to look things in perspective and work at grass roots to change the scenario,” said Singh.
Human Resource Development Secretary Aradhana Patnaik said that new ideas can come form anywhere and the focus of the policy should be to invest more at our primary education level. “Children have their own set of ideas which can be developed into big. Recently the State Government organised series of ‘Bal Samagams’ of school children where we got some fantastic ideas and innovations which were unheard of earlier. We have to find out what kind of talent the children have and for that industry people should come forward and set up a linkage between innovations and market,” said the Secretary.
She also stressed over the need to infuse innovations into school curriculum so that the tendency to find out something new can be infused early into young minds. Similar exchange of idea or samagams, Patnaik added, was being also taken up for the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas of the State.Also present in the seminar was Dr George John, Vice Chancellor of Birsa Agriculture University who said that innovation hubs are needed to be set up at every level. “There is also a large scope of agriculture innovations and in developing agro-entrepreneurship in Jharkhand which are badly needed,” said the VC.