Vardhan: Science should be solution-based, people-centric

Fundamental and translational science is important but it has to be solutionbased and people-centric, Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Sunday.

Speaking on the National Science Day, Vardhan said it is the problems of the people that should be guiding the intellectual acumen while pursuing research. "We have to make sure the science that we do of course, the fundamental science is important, translational science is important (but) it has to be solution-based science. It has to be people centric," Vardhan said in a virtual address.

The National Science Day is celebrated on this day to mark the anniversary of Raman Effect, the discovery made by Indian physicist Sir C V Raman.

Elaborating on the budgetary allocations for this sector in 2021-22, Vardhan said there has been a hike of 30% for all the scientific ministries. Projects like Deep Ocean Mission, with an outlay of Rs4,000 crore over the next 5 years, are also being launched, he said.

PM’s call for ‘Lab to Land’ to move science forward

On the National Science Day, PM Modi on Sunday gave a clarion call for ' Lab to Land' to move science forward, noting its power in the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' campaign.

When we talk of science, the Prime Minister said, many a time people restrict it to physics-chemistry or labs, but the spread of science is much more than that.

"And there is a lot of contribution of the power of science in the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' campaign. We have to move science forward with the mantra of 'Lab to Land'," the PM said.