The Vaishvik Bhartiya Vaigyanik (VAIBHAV ) Summit was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today through video conferencing. The summit is aimed at bringing researchers from India and abroad and academics under a common platform.
“The aim of the summit is to bring Indian-origin luminaries in academic institutes and research organisations across the world and resident counterparts on a single platform to debate upon collaboration mechanisms to strengthen academic and science and technology (S&T) base in India for global development,’’ a statement from the Prime Minister’s office said.
Speaking at the summit Prime Minister Narendra Modi started with thanking the scientists for offering their suggestions and ideas.
He said, “I would like to thank the scientists who offered their suggestions and ideas today. You have brilliantly covered many subjects. Most of you highlighted the importance of greater collaboration between Indian academic & research ecosystem with their foreign counterparts.”
Thereafter he spoke at length on various issues and emphasised the need for farm research. “We want top-class scientific research to help our farmers. Our agricultural research scientists have worked hard to ramp up our production of pulses. Today, we import only a very small fraction of our pulses. Our food-grain production has hit a record high,” said the Prime Minister.
Modi went on to highlight the need for more youngsters developing interest in Science. He said, “The need of the hour is to ensure more youngsters develop an interest in science. For that, we must get well-versed with the science of history and the history of science.”
He also spoke about how India is slowly moving towards developing vaccines and encouraged indigenous vaccine production. “In 2014, four new vaccines were introduced in our immunisation programme. This included an indigenously developed Rotavirus vaccine. We encourage indigenous vaccine production,” PM Modi said.
Close to 200 academic institutes and S&T departments organised the summit. More than 3,000 overseas Indian-origin academics and scientists from 55 nations and over 10,000 resident academics and scientists took part in the Vaishwik Bhartiya Vaigyanik Summit.
