Brainstorming Session of Young Scientists to Connect Dreams of Today with actions of tomorrow

In an effort to connect dreams of today with the actions of tomorrow, the Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Shri. Kapil Sibal, had a face-to-face interaction with about one hundred Young Scientists from across the country at a brainstorming session in New Delhi today. The event organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology at the Indian National Science Academy was attended by bright and performing Young Associates of all the National Science Academies (INSA, IASc, NASI, INAE) and CSIR Young Scientist awardees who described it as a unique opportunity where the Minister sought suggestions on various issues of S&T for building a vision for the country.

Addressing the young minds, Shri Kapil Sibal called for connecting science with larger issues that touch the mankind and common man. Emphasizing the need for touch of irreverence and challenging attitude among scientists he said that Climate Change, technologies for mitigation and adaptation with a wide spread effect are the areas to be looked into.

The Young Scientists, on the other hand, came out with several suggestions for policy framework, research and career development which would serve as Vision for Indian Science. Some of these included reaching the available solutions to solving problems on a given time frame by refocusing priorities, creation of new mindset to link research with wealth generation, creating excitements in schools and colleges to attract talented youth to science and research and retention and career opportunities, access to science information as mission, inclusion of social scientists in the main stream of S&T sector and linking youth to community work and linking knowledge of the lab to the people in field etc.

The Meeting is expected to lead to

(i) Identification of research areas with super ordinate goals;
(ii) Design of career progression for scientists;
(iii) Measures for performance of scientific community; and
(iv) Five key steps which would rejuvenate research in the university sector in addition to the understanding of aspirations of young scientific manpower of the country.

Dr. T. Ramasami, Secretary, DST, Dr. M. K. Bhan, Secretary, DBT and Prof. Samir Brahmachari, DG, CSIR and Secretary, DSIR, were present at the meeting.

Source: Press Inormation Bureau
Date: March 15, 2008