Talent, temperament, tech will change future: Modi
The trinity of 'talent, temperament and technology' will transform the future of India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday as he emphasized on simplifying regulations and fast-tracking approvals to allow the benefits of innovation and research to reach the people. Modi also hailed India's youth as 'R&D'—ready and disruptive—and narrated how India is setting new milestones in various sectors.
Speaking at the YUGM (Confluence in Sanskrit) Innovation Conclave organized by the Wadhwani Foundation and the Union education ministry in New Delhi, the PM remarked that 'We have limited time, the goals are big'. After a pause, Modi clarified that he was not referring to the 'current situation', referring to anticipation over India's response to the terror attack at Pahalgam , but about the larger task of turning India into a developed nation by 2047.
The PM said the country is at the forefront to adapting to AI (artificial intelligence). He added that India must accelerate the transition from idea to product in order to meet the goal of becoming 'Viksit Bharat' within the next 25 years.
Speaking at length on the latest innovations, the PM also compared the progress made during the UPA era and the current regime. 'To give continuous momentum to the goals that India has set, it is necessary to strengthen the country's research ecosystem. In the last decade, rapid work has been done in this direction, necessary resources have been increased. In 2013-14, the gross expenditure on R&D was only ₹60 thousand crores. We have more than doubled it to more than ₹1.25 lakh crores. Many state-of-the-art research parks have also been established in the country. Research and Development Cells have been established in about 6000 higher education institutions. Due to our efforts, innovation culture is developing rapidly in the country'
Modi said that in 2014, around 40 thousand patents were filed in India every year, which has now increased to more than 80 thousand. 'This also shows how much support the youth of the country is getting from our intellectual property ecosystem,' he added, listing the ₹50,000 crore (over five years) National Research Foundation , the One Nation One Subscription scheme for subscription to journals, and the Prime Minister's Research Fellowship.
Modi highlighted the commissioning of the world's longest hyperloop test track, the 422-metre hyperloop developed by IIT Madras and the Indian Railways, the development of 'brain on a chip' technology by IISC and making of the first indigenous MRI machine. 'There are many such path-breaking R&D that are taking place in our universities. This is the youth power of a developing India – Ready, Disruptive, and Transformative!' Modi said.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also spoke at the conclave. He said the government will open 50,000 new Atal Tinkering Labs in schools across the country over the next five years. He said 10,000 such labs have already been established. He said initiatives such as internship cells and the PM Vidyalakshmi scheme are being implemented to support skill development and improve access to education.
Pradhan said the word 'YUGM' reflects integration, vision, and innovation. He said the government's education and research reforms are forming the base of a self-reliant India.
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