Friday 27 April 2012

Minister for Science & Technology Visits CSIO, Chandigarh

Following is the text of the speech of Shri Vilasrao Deshmukh, Minister for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences during his visit to Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIO), Chandigarh today:- 

“This day is a unique day, as we have under this roof, a distinguished gathering. An ensemble of leadership which is second to none. It gives me immense pleasure to be here and interact with all of you. CSIR is the fountain head of innovation in the country. It is a system which has energized the National Innovation System through its contributions time to time. CSIR’s contributions over the years, for each of the policy setting, the country has had put in place, have been noteworthy. The spectrum of such contributions is quite wide - from import substitution to development of specific industry segments, from strategic capacity creation in some niche segments to marching towards global leadership, and so on. 

I fondly recall what we have recently achieved. In fact, it is history made and would be cherished and remembered in times to come. That is setting up of Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR). I had honour to pilot the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research Bill in the Parliament. The Bill through due process has now become the Act and the AcSIR is fully functional. The AcSIR, I am confident would emerge as a world class organization. 

For any country, Innovation is the key for the production as well as processing of knowledge. A nation’s ability to convert knowledge into wealth and social good through the process of innovation determines its future. New values could be in the form of breakthrough products or services, new strategies, new processes and new methods for organization. In India innovation process is now viewed in terms of both forward linkages and backward linkages. In this context, I see a new role for CSIR for which CSIR is already repositioned. Necessity is to walk on the path identified and so well documented in CSIR@80: Vision and Strategy 2022. We need leaders who would take responsibility and deliver. 

Our challenge is to build innovative organizations. In fact, it requires setting up of truly innovative and proactive mechanisms that will drive innovation. In our country, risk taking must become a part of the innovation policy. I am happy that CSIR has put a lot of effort towards this in last four years. We have seen results of these efforts. I am confident that much more will be visible now. I see that CSIR 12th Five Year Plan is focused completely for creating what we require for the country in times to come. I appreciate the CSIR’s innovative approach to the 12th Five Year Plan. The strategy of implementation of the plan is also unique having national focus, organization focus and leadership focus. 

CSIR was created in 1942 by our great visionary Leader Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru. In the last 69 years, this organization has grown into a network of 37 research laboratories, each one of them having leading position in their area and well known both nationally and internationally. Today, this is world's largest research organization covering almost all areas of science and technology. India lives in villages. People at the base of pyramid need our help to enhance their income and remove drudgery. I am happy that CSIR-800 programme focused towards it is moving very well. We need to develop more and more technologies, products and services for people at the base of the economic pyramid. I want CSIR to contribute more and more through its knowledgebase. 

We need to create wealth from waste. I know that CSIR is working in this domain. CSIR has technology for wood without trees and has developed the technology to convert waste plastic to petrol and diesel. There is huge quantity of electronic waste also which is accumulating and this should be looked at seriously to see what valuable products we can produce from such plastic. There are many such opportunities. I request each one of you to identify such opportunities which will not only help us to get rid of the waste but also to produce materials which can be used thereby saving our precious resources, to make those materials. 

I would like to see dynamic leadership by all CSIR Directors and they should see that their lab contribute to the nation substantially”. 

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