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Kapil Sibal Interacts with Young Scientists

Shri Kapil Sibal, Minister for Science & Technology and Ocean Development has said that Government is committed to provide work environment to the scientist community to excel and achieve greater heights in their respective areas. He was addressing the group of young scientists who represented India at the 56th Meeting of Nobel Laureates & students at Lindau, Germany.

Shri Sibal urged the young scientists to make best use of this opportunity after meeting the best brains in the field and appropriately apply the ideas in their own research. Shri Sibal said that the purpose of the programme is not to teach science but to provide inspiration from direct interaction with Nobel laureates who are simple persons with great sense of purpose and have vision for global issues. The Minister also mentioned that a Lindau like meeting may be planned in India so that more Indian students get opportunity to interact with great minds in Science and students from other parts of the world.

This was the Sixth time India deputed such young scientist's team. DST launched this new programme in 2001 for participation of young Indian Scientists in the Annual Meetings of Nobel Laureates & Students in Lindau, which is jointly sponsored by the Department of Science & Technology (DST) and the Committee for the Meeting of Nobel Laureates & Students in Lindau, Germany.

Since 1951, such meetings of Nobel Laureates with students and young researchers in science disciplines of Chemistry, Physics, and Physiology or Medicine are being organised in Lindau, Germany, in turn at intervals of three years. These meetings usually last for one week, always at the end of June / beginning of July and are aimed at open and informal contact between Laureates and young researchers through round table discussions, lectures and personal small group interactions.

This year’s meeting was dedicated to Chemistry with participation by 25 Nobel Laureates and about 500 young scientists from around the world. Wide ranging topics were discussed in an informal atmosphere including, topics like “How to reduce di-nitrogen to ammonia, A passion for precision, increasing the sensitivity of laser spectroscopy, Why our proteins have to die so we shall live, The power of the Sun, Some reflection on the potential of Ethics arising out of Science, Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Climate Change, Elemental Carbon Chemistry, Benefits of curiosity driven research etc.

The Indian team was comprised of 26 young scientists and students in the age group 20-30 yrs and in their early science careers. The team included 9 female students. The participants in the team were short-listed by a selection committee from a large number of applications received from all over India against an open advertisement released by the DST.

In the week after the Lindau meetings, the Indian team also visited several premier German institutions in the area of Chemistry and a Chemical Company.

Source : Press Information Bureau
Date : July 10, 2006