Dr K Kasturirangan, Member (Science), Planning Commission, Government of India along with Jharkhand State High level senior officials visited CSIR- National Metallurgical laboratory, Jamshedpur on Thursday.
The team visited several NMl facilities like Museum, Sodium Pilot Plant, Submerged Arc Furnace, Gleeble, Esca/ Auger/ EPMA, Non Destructive Testing, Transmission Electron Microscopy, Creep Bay, etc. and expressed happiness over the activities undertaken by the laboratory.
later, Dr. Kasturirangan addressed a gathering of Scientists and invited dignitaries including National Academy of Sciences, India fellows and members. Dr. S. Srikanth, Director, NMl welcomed all the dignitaries and scientists.
Dr. Kasturirangan highlighted on the 12th Five Year Plan and the National Science Policy. He said "To achieve these projected goals, the science and technology base should be expanded and has to be made effective. There is an enhancing knowledge base reflected by the increase in the number of research publications and their citations. However, the process of linkages with industry and National S&T organisations, universities, and educational institutes needs to be accelerated.
Dr. Kasturirangan further indicated that by the year 2020, investment in R&D would be shared equally by the Government and Industry.
He stressed the need for meeting the challenges of water, energy, health and agriculture through public private parternership.
The need for enhancing the role of State S&T councils in providing academy industry linkages has been recommended.
On strategic areas like space and atomic energy the possibility of involving private civilian research programmes with sufficient checks may be initiated to provide impetus to innovation. He appreciated the role played by CSIR organisations in the areas of technological innovations.
Jharkhand Development Commissioner Nidhi Khare also addressed the gathering and pleaded for more women representation to the scientific community. She added the innovators should be more passionate about S&T and for the development of rural mass.