Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh today called upon the scientists of different Ministries and Departments to further enhance collaboration in the field of Research & Development so that our dependence on imports can be reduced considerably.Addressing the first ever joint meeting of all Science Ministries and Departments here today, the Minister emphasised on the need for ground level collaboration among all science ministries to further step up research & development activities and collaboration with industriesand corporate houses.The present cooperation in scientific and human resource sectors needs to be streamlined and efforts should be made to give shape to an institutional mechanism at the earliest, the Minister added.Dr. Singh complimented the excellent R&D efforts being carried out by private sector industries.
The Minister pointed out that while different Science Ministries are making note-worthy contribution to nation building, they should not be working in isolation. Touching upon the Prime Minister’s mandate that scientific endeavour should be citizen-centric, Dr. Singh opined that the performance of Science Ministries and Departments should impact the lives of the common man.Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government Prof. K Vijaya Raghavan, Secretaries of the Department of Atomic Energy , Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, Department of Biotechnology and other senior scientists participated in the brain storming session. Chairman ISRO& Secretary Department of Space Dr. K Sivan who joined the meeting virtually, reiterated the importance of such a collaboration.In the concluding session of the meeting, Minister Dr.Jitendra Singh said that such inter-ministerial meetings will be held every month to evolve an institutional mechanism. Subsequently efforts will be made to extend such collaboration outside the Government also, the Minister added.