Science & Technology Ministers’ meet calls for Greater Synergy to Rectify Regional Imbalances State Specific Development Action Plan to Be Funded by The Centre

The Science & Technology Ministers of various states met in New Delhi today in a brainstorming session convened by the Ministry of Science & Technology. Presiding over the event, the Union Minister of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Shri Kapil Sibal, called for a greater synergy between the centre and the state in the areas of science & technology so that the existing technologies could be used to meet the aspirations of the people and the new technologies can be developed through public-private partnerships to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Acknowledging that every state has different ecosystem within which the government has to prioritize its developmental needs, the Minister urged the State Governments to come forward to seek solutions for their problems to rectify the enormous regional imbalances. Stating that knowledge is the new form of asset which can grow only through excellence, Shri Sibal called upon the State Governments to compete with each other to set up centres of learning through public-private partnerships.

The meeting was attended by S&T Ministers of 9 states which included Assam, Bihar, Chhatisgarh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan, Tripura and Uttar Pradesh. Delhi was represented by the Chief Minister, Smt. Sheila Dikshit. Senior science & technology officials representing 26 States and Union Territories also participated in the meeting.

The Secretaries of Ministries of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Govt. of India, namely, Dr. M.K. Bhan (DBT), Prof. S.K. Brahmachari (CSIR) and Dr. T. Ramasami (DST) made presentations on potential areas for cooperation with the State Governments following which the Ministers and representatives of State Governments expressed their views.

The meeting concluded with the following resolutions:

1. Coordination mechanisms need to be strengthened
2. A state specific S&T based development action plan to be funded by the Centre
3. Science, Technology and Innovation council by strengthening the performing S&T councils under triangular Center-state- private partnerships to be established by providing seed money
4. States to form vision council within 30 days
5. Joint initiatives of CSIR-DBT to expand its network in North East
6. Human resource to be developed. Teacher training program to be initiated
7. Working models to be developed under mentoring model
8. Mapping of large cities for urban planning to be undertaken
9. Geospatial Technology product to be applied
10. Science ministers to meet annually

Source: Press Inormation Bureau
Date: May 13, 2008