Delivering presidential address at three-day UGC sponsored national conference on “Astronomy and Astrophysics”, jointly organised by Poorna Prajna College (PPC), Udupi and Association of Physics Teachers of Mangalore University here, he said that India will play a vital role in the next 40 years in the world of knowledge. India is poised to become top nation by 2020. The development of human resource is essential for the progress of the country.  There is great need to develop innovative minds and attitudes in our schools and colleges, he said. He said astronomy and astrophysics is one of the emerging sciences.

Even before the invention of telescope, our ancestors had the knowledge on the movement of planet and stars. ‘Vedas and Vedanta’ have vast knowledge on astronomy, mathematics, medicines and chemistry.