Rise of India on global stage will be primarily on strength of 'scientific prowess': Union minister Jitendra Singh

Promoting science communication and education in Indian languages is one of the key focuses of the government, the minister said

Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Sunday said the rise of India on the global stage in the next 25 years will be primarily on the strength of the "scientific prowess and capacity of startups" that will be essentially technology driven.

The Union Minister of State (independent charge) for science and technology said promoting science communication and education in Indian languages is one of the key focuses of the present government and the efforts are on to make available science textbooks in vernacular languages to the students.

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He said a group of resource persons has been tasked in this mission. “In the next 25 years of 'Amrit Kaal' when India rises to the world pedestal, this will be primarily on the strength of our scientific prowess and capacity of our startups who will be essentially technology driven,” Singh said at a function here. The Union minister was in Jammu to release "Vigyan Jattara", the Dogri language version of widely read national monthly 'Science' magazine published by the Union Ministry of Science and Technology, at Brigadier Rajinder Singh Auditorium in the University of Jammu.

He also announced that the Kashmiri language version of the same magazine will be launched soon.

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The minister said the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s special thrust on promotion of science and technology is fully visible in revolutionary decisions like unlocking of space sector for private players, joint ventures in atomic energy initiatives and ably amplified in 75,000 startups with 100 unicorns in a very short span of time. “It is equally important to focus on the scientific capacity-building of startups and the youth in the age group of 30s who have another 25 active years to contribute till the year 2047 and whose scientific potential can be utilised to the maximum extent, regardless of which language they speak or read,” he said.

He said the prime minister strongly favours use of vernacular languages for promoting science communication and also to provide a level playing field to every aspiring youth to compete in science without facing any disadvantage on account of ignorance of English or Hindi languages.

“When the most advanced countries like Russia, Japan, Germany and China can have the best of science literature and projects in their mother tongues, India has also taken the lead to communicate modern science and technology in all the Indian languages,” he said.

“Our learning becomes deeper when we study in our mother tongue. “In a technology driven world of knowledge and progress we owe it to the youth of this country to provide them with appropriate curriculum, literature and options to study science in the language of their choice and be able to compete with the students of English or Hindi medium,” the Union minister said.