“India is world’s fastest growing centers for S&T entrepreneurship”

Mentioned the union science and technology minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan, at the National Technology Day 2017 event held at New Delhi on 11th May

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The President, Mr Pranab Mukherjee presented the National Awards on Technology, at the 19th National Technology Day 2017 celebrations, in New Delhi on May 11, 2017. The Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr Harsh Vardhan and the Minister of State for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Mr Y S Chowdary, the Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Prof Ashutosh Sharma, the Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Prof. K. Vijay Raghavan, the Secretary, and the Director General, CSIR and Secretary DSIR, Dr Girish Sahni are also seen.
New Delhi: “India is now one of the world’s fastest growing centers for science and technology entrepreneurship,” said the Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Dr Harsh Vardhan. The Minister was speaking at the Technology Awards Ceremony on the occasion of National Technology Day in New Delhi on May 11, 2017.
The Minister added further, “Startups and entrepreneurship are the key to a nation’s economic growth and employment.The Ministry of Science and Technology through its various programmes have funded and supported thousands of start-ups, incubators and developed new technologies that have reached the market. In keeping with the theme of the day on Technology for Inclusive and Sustainable Development, the DST has catalyzed the development relevant rural micro-industry models.”
Dr Harsh Vardhan highlighted few key achievements under his Ministry. Pointing towards an example of Make in India, he said, “High-tech manufacturing in S&T is extraordinarily demanding. One collaborative effort is the successful operationalizing of India’s largest steerable optical telescope in Devastahl, Uttarakhand.”

The Union Science and Technology Minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan expressed hope that India will emerge as a hub of new innovative technologies in the future.

“In Health Technology, the CSIR has developed Saheli the world’s first non-steroidal contraceptive pill which is affordable at 1/10 the cost of conventional pills. The indigenous clot-dissolving drug, Streptokinase saves millions of lives through an affordable alternative to cost drugs in the market. A 1-day Dengue diagnostic test developed by the Department of Biotechnology is fast and effective and has reached millions,” said the union S&T Minister.
Dr Vardhan also highlighted that in the area of vaccine development, the DBT in partnership with the health ministry, has recommended several new vaccines for the Universal Immunization Programme. He said, “Notable is the affordable indigenous Rotavirus vaccine now a part of the universal immunization programme. Vaccine development for Malaria, Dengue are undergoing trials”
Talking about the agriculture and farm technology, he mentioned that it is another mission where major success has been achieved. “The programme Biotech-KISAN (Krishi Innovation Science Application Network) has been launched in collaboration with ICAR. In each Agro-climatic zone, farmers will benefit of quality technical solutions to problem of Seed, Water, Soil and Market.  Indian Farmers now get 21 million agro-advisories that have resulted in over Rs 50,000 crores contribution to the GDP as per the NCAER report 2015,” he said.
He added further, “Arsenic resistance rice has been developed by the CSIR and is now being cultivated in West Bengal, thereby addressing a major problem.”
“Wealth from waste and waste to energy has been successfully done,” said Dr Vardhan while pointing towards the commercial plant to produce 3000 litres of ethanol from 10 tonnes of agricultural waste that has been set up. “It is now being scaled- up by major Oil Manufacturing Companies. Applying the latest technology for treating flowing sewage, a pilot project has been installed at Barapullah drain in Delhi under the international collaboration with The Netherlands,” he said.
Each year, the Technology Day commemorates India’s success in using science and technology to address the challenges facing the country. On 11 May 1998, the Pokhran test was conducted. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee declared India a full-fledged nuclear state after operation ‘Shakti’ and it made India the 6th country to join the Nuclear Club.