The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee called on the recipients of Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) Awards today (March 22, 2013) at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Speaking on the occasion, the President said that it is for sure that the shape of India to come would be determined by youth of the nation. Science and Technology and Innovation would form the new grammar of development. He stated that India with a strong scientific and technical manpower has an opportunity to become a major knowledge power in the years to come. To make this dream a reality, we have to invest in research and development, he added.
The President said that India is a developing country and we need solutions to some of the most challenging problems of the society. He said that we need to find new technologies for meeting our food, energy, water and healthcare requirements.
Addressing the awardees, the President said that India would need a new brand of solutions designers and this is where they all could contribute. He said that India is a country of billion plus minds with billion plus innovative ideas and if we could ignite these minds and convert few of them in reality, it would bring glory to individuals as well as to the nation as a whole. He said that he was sure that the young scientists present would transform India into a league of nations, which proudly owns patents of new discoveries and products and in the process, making India emerge as a knowledge economy with its own solutions to its necessities.
Union Science and Technology & Earth Sciences Minister Shri S.Jaipal Reddy said on the occasion that opportunity given by the president to the aspiring buds in scientific innovations a strong massage has been conveyed to the country in favour of science and faith in the youth of the country.
He said currently the world view of science includes its applications and innovations. People expect solutions to the problems of societies. Science should also help in solving problems of the country. He exhorted the young scientists to lay equal emphasis on discovery processes as well as on solving problems through applications of scientific knowledge. We expect to see some great scientists to emerge from your generation. During the first half of 20th Century, Indian scientists of the calibre of JC Bose, CV Raman, S Ramanujan, SN Bose, Meghnad Saha, Homi Bhabha and many excelled in scientific discoveries. Those days the world view of science was focused on discovery processes, Shri Reddy added.
He said our national leaders have always invested in the youth of the Nation. Pandit Nehru became Chacha Nehru for children of my generation of India. Our President has been relating to the youth of the Nation. He sees a large role for youth of the country in shaping future of India. The Nation is pinning hope on the youth of the Nation. Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) is a programme of the Government of India for attracting talented youth to scientific careers. Under the scheme, the Ministry has been able to enrol more than 1.1 million children since its launch on 13th December 2008.
Shri Reddy said INSPIRE includes a total of five components, spanning the age group of 10 to 32. INSPIRE award component targets children in the age group of 10-15. It strives to connect 100% of all middle and high schools in the country. He expressed happiness that all the 28 states and 7 union territories have already enrolled into the scheme. Nearly 9 lakh awards have been sanctioned so far. He said the students invited to this programme have been selected from a group of nearly 5.2 lakh people of this age group. Also, nearly 230 entries from the two national level competitions conducted so far in 2011 and 2012 are being processed for filing patents for the INSPIRE Awardees.
Shri Reddy said I sincerely believe that Science, Technology and Innovation would form the next lever of transformational change in the World. He called upon the young students that some of them try to become a scientist who would participate in the transformational change of India for the better future through the tools of science. He said his Ministry would do everything possible for those of you wishing to become a scientist to realize your aspirations.
The young and budding scientists who are selected from a group of about 5.2 lakh children who received INSPIRE Awards and have come from various part of the country. The four National Awardees of 1st NLEPCs, Mr. Shreiyansh Jain from Rajasthan (Gold Medal), Morson Rongpi from Assam (Silver Medal), Mr. Owis Ahmed Dar from Jammu & Kashmir (Bronze Medal) and Jaspreet Kaur from Punjab (Bronze Medal) and 4 National Awardees of 2nd NLEPCs Mr. Alok Kumar Sharma from Bihar (Gold Medal), Mr. Viraj Dinesh Gapchoop from Maharashtra (Silver Medal), Mr. Sahil Divedi from Punjab (Bronze Medal) and Mr. Arun.T.A from Kerala (Bronze Medal) attended the function.
The function was also addressed by Dr. T. Ramasami, Secretary, Department of Science & Technology. Mentor teachers and officers of State Governments also participated in the function.
Innovation in Science Pursuit for the Inspired Research (INSPIRE), a National programme implemented by the Ministry for attraction of talent amongst students to study science and pursue career with research, was launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister on 13th December 2008. Since then, the programme has progressed extremely well, touching more than one million students across the country.
INSPIRE Programme has three components:-
(a) Scheme for early attraction of talents for Science (SEATs), which has two sub-components (i) INSPIRE Award of ` 5000/- and (ii) Mentorship through global Science leaders at a science camp;
(b) Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE) at the rate of ` 80,000/- for continuing education at B.Sc and M.Sc levels and
(c) Assured Opportunity for Researach Career (AORC) for young researches which also has two sub-components (i) INSPIRE Fellowship and (ii) INSPIRE Faculty.
In so far as INSPIRE Award Scheme is concerned, nearly 8.4 lakh INSPIRE Awards have been sanctioned so far. Under the INSPIRE Internship, as on date about 550 Science Camps have been held covering about 1.60 lakh students in the age group of 16-18 years, 40 Nobel Laureates and 4000 resource persons participated in these camps. About 30000 scholarships for students in the age group of 17-22 years have been given and about 2200 INSPIRE Fellows in the age group of 22 -27 years have been enrolled so far. Finally, under the Faculty Award for Assured Career under the age of 32, two hundred seventy individuals have been selected for INSPIRE Faculty Fellowship.
Tags: Inspire
Innovation
Rashtrapati Bhavan
President
Pranab Mukherjee
