VP Naidu calls for out-of-box solutions for climate change, agri problems

During a visit to Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) in the city on Monday, the Vice President of India M Venkaiah Naidu called upon scientists to come up with out-of-the-box solutions to address challenges faced by mankind from climate change to agriculture to health and medicine.

Naidu said that scientists must strive for achieving excellence and to innovate for improving the lives of the people. “Purpose of science is to make people’s lives happy, healthy and comfortable,” he added.

Stressing that scientific research should be relevant to society, he said, in this context, translational research assumes importance. He lauded JNCASR for having generated over 300 patents and for promoting the establishment of a few startups based on indigenous inventions.

While noting that JNCASR was known for conducting research in a wide range of areas, he advised the scientists and researchers to undertake research in new emerging fields like synthetic biology, computational biology, high-performance engineering materials and artificial intelligence. Terming agriculture as ‘basic culture of the country’, the Vice President also wanted the scientists to focus their attention on issues faced by the farming community.

Lauding JNCASR for having made an excellent impact on the international arena by positioning itself among the top institutions in its areas of expertise, he said it can contribute immensely towards fostering scientific temper in the country and improving research outcomes.

Referring to the National Education Policy 2020, he said it will ensure that students have access to new teaching and learning strategies across all segments. “This will create the right educational ecosystem and enrich their knowledge base while also honing their skill sets,” he added.

Pointing to the fact that 40 per cent of JNCASR students are women, the Vice President said that he wished to see similar healthy trends in other scientific institutions as well.