The Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that people of the country must be active participants in governance to fast-track the process of development. He said that merely enacting legislations would not create solutions to problems and stressed that laws must be backed by political skill and administrative will.The Vice President was addressing the gathering at the 117th Birth Anniversary celebrations of Shri Gujar Mal Modi, after presenting the Gujar Mal Modi Innovative Science and Technology Awards 2019 to Prof. S.K. Satheesh and Dr. Maharaj Kishan Bhan (Padma Bhushan) at Vigyan Bhawan, here today. Shri. Naidu lauded the Gujar Mal Modi Science Foundation for their initiative of encouraging scientists and innovators and said that we must preserve the age old Indian tradition of honouring excellence, to motivate the younger generations to do well.Shri Naidu called for innovative and out-of-box solutions to formidable challenges like poverty, pollution, climate change, diseases, not-so-profitable agriculture and low-efficiency industrial processes.Calling for a culture of innovation, the Vice President said that innovation was imperative to address these challenges and take India forward on the path to inclusive and sustainable development at a faster pace.The Vice President called for a reorientation of the education system to promote creativity.
Asserting that foundations for the culture of innovation must be laid in our schools and colleges, he observed that a ‘new model of education’ was needed.“We must build on the ‘best practices’ we have developed over centuries as learners, and create ‘next practices’ that would suit our vision for our future,” he added.Saying that research in basic sciences forms the bedrock of all technological advancement, Shri Naidu said that it was crucial to create an environment where the government, universities, corporate houses, and others come together to propel the entire science eco-system forward with special emphasis on sustainability.Expressing his desire to develop Indian universities into centers of excellence in basic sciences as well as cutting edge technology, Shri Naidu said that our universities must become the power houses of research and development.Observing that innovation and entrepreneurship must hand in hand, the Vice President said that universities must serve as safe spaces for entrepreneurship to flourish.The Vice President presented Gujar Mal Modi Innovative Science and Technology Awards to Prof. S.K. Satheesh and Dr. Maharaj Kishan Bhan (Padma Bhushan). The President of the Gujar Mal Modi Science Foundation, Shri. Satish Kumar Modi, trustees of the foundation, Shri. Krishan Kumar Modi, Shri. Umesh Kumar Modi and others were present on the occasion.