Science and tech play a big role in societal development: NITI Aayog

The NITI Aayog along with the Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute (LMSAI) hosted the Annual India Symposium – Science and Society at Vigyan Bhawan on April 5. The event explored the symbiotic relationship of science and society.

The symposium, which hosted scientists from leading universities in the US and India, identified three overarching strategic objectives, all directed to bolstering the intellectual ties that bind scientists to one another, and science to society.

Namely, to strengthen the country’s science clusters so that these are accessible and relevant to all in society, link country’s efforts in science and technology to global initiatives so communities benefit from shared knowledge and to foster a culture of scientific literacy at large.

More than 150 leaders from business, academia, industry, government and the research community as well as officials and students from 20 academic institutes in India took part in an event that also marks Harvard Universitys increased academic research presence in India.

‘I would like to see more young people actively pursuing education and careers in STEM subjects. These skill sets are critical for future economic and societal growth. It is important that collectively business, custodians of public policy and academia work together to address such skill shortages with a common aim and purpose.’ said Lakshmi Mittal, Chairman and CEO of Arcelor Mittal

‘All the countries that have grown rapidly such as Japan and China, have done so through science & technology. If we want to grow as a country, we need to focus and create opportunities in science & technology. It is time we get into sunrise industries for massive development in science and technology and have a sustainable growth,’ said Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog

The Symposium was graced by eminent leaders like Mr. Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog, Dr. K. Vijay Raghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Prof. Tarun Khanna, Director – the Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute and Jorge Paulo Lemann Professor, Harvard Business School, amongst other.

Spread across six sessions, the Symposium hosted industry veterans who deliberated on a number of issues. While one session talked about technological advancements in agriculture, focusing on enhancing productivity and ensuring food security for our country, another session focussed on Catalysing Indias Digital Health Ecosystem, wherein Mr. J Satyanarayana, Chairman, Unique Identification Authority of India elaborated on the significance of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence.

In a discussion on Methods and Tools to Enhance STEM Education in India, Mr. R. Ramannan, Mission Director, Atal Innovation Mission, touched on issues revolving around talent mismatch – the evident disparity between college curricula and industry expectations being one of them. He further spoke about many tools that can be used to propagate idea of pursuing STEM careers among students.