PM Modi to inaugurate State Science and Technology Ministers’ conclave in Ahmedabad
Image credit: Hindustan Times
On September 10, the two-day Science Conclave of the ministers of science and technology (S&T) from all the States and Union Territories (UTs) will be opened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Ahmedabad’s Science City.
Jitendra Singh, the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, announced this today after a high-level official meeting. He said the conference this time will have a different format with a focus on new technologies relevant to each of the various states and UTs and their best uses for “ease of living.”
According to him, the meeting would boost the Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) ecosystem by fostering greater national synergy and aiding in breaking down barriers between the Center and the States.
The minister announced that the two-day science conclave would include participation from the science and technology ministers of all 28 states, administrators of 8 UTs, key state officials such as chief secretaries and principal secretaries in charge of science and technology, as well as all science secretaries to the government of India and CEOs of more than 100 startups and businesses.
The two-day summit, according to Singh, will take on a new dimension as a number of action-oriented choices will be made and all states and UTs will be requested to establish their own STI policies that follow the National STI policy.
According to the Minister, the Center would support the states in developing their state STI policies in the true spirit of cooperative federalism.
According to Singh, states must take the lead in aligning their policies with the larger goal of strengthening the mechanism for coordination and collaboration between the centre and the states in order to strengthen the STI ecosystem in the states by encouraging R&D, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
The Minister stated in a public statement that some states and UTs need to integrate their institutions with academic and research centres run by the federal government because they have inadequate S&T foundations and institutional capacity.
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