The Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that peace was prerequisite for progress and attention could not be paid to developmental activities if there was tension on border. Addressing scientists, students and staff of the Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM) at Jammu today, the Vice President said that there should be zero tolerance on matters of national security and unity. He said India wants good relations with all and said that a neighboring country must give up its policy of supporting, aiding and abetting terror.The Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Shri N.N. Vohra, the Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (I/C), Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh, the Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Shri Kavinder Gupta and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.The Vice President said that both science and religion are the tools in the hands of the people in their quest for prosperity and internal peace. Scientific advancements illuminate our understanding of the universe, where as the religion provides answers to the unexplored universe, he added.The Vice President said that the issues of ‘mind and soul’ and the relentless internal unrest and lack of internal peace constitute this vast unexplored universe. It is the religion which provides some answers to these raging issues, he added.
Saying that the process of questioning and seeking solutions lies at the heart of research, the Vice President said that human progress is not possible without the quest for deeper understanding of the world around. Research and innovation make us grow and they transform the world we inhabit, he added.The Vice President said that posing relevant questions and seeking answers must be a way of life. He said that children and young adults must be encouraged to ask questions and search for answers. Quality of research is an important indicator of the quality of an educational system and said that it also determines the pace of a country's development.Paying tributes to the first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru on his death anniversary, he said the former Prime Minister felt that integration of science and technology with national planning was necessary to improve the socio-economic conditions of the teeming millions of people of our country.He also recalled the contribution of Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, who was the first Vice President of CSIR. He said that CSIR has also instituted a special fellowship as a tribute namely, "DR. SHYAMA PRASAD MUKHERJEE (SPM) FELLOWSHIP" to commemorate the birth centenary in 2000, he added.