Research efforts must advance the realms of knowledge: President Pranab

New Delhi: Research endeavours must advance the realms of knowledge and improve the lives of the common man bringing betterment in the lives of people, President Pranab Mukherjee has said. [caption id=“attachment_2032387” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] President Pranab Mukherjee said research must benefit knowledge levels. PTI[/caption] In a recorded video message played at the presentation of Infosys Prize 2014 organised by the Infosys Science Foundation on Monday in Kolkata, Mukherjee said research work must bring about betterment of people. “Research endeavours must advance the realms of knowledge and improve the lives of the common man. It must bring about social, environmental and economic betterment of our people,” he said. The President highlighted milestones achieved by the country in the field of science and said while these milestones are a matter of pride for the nation, they also remind us of the distance still left to cover. “Science is one of the creative endeavours of human mind. It plays a vital role in the advancement of human life and is central to technological progress. A scientific culture must determine the choices and decisions made by individuals, societies and nations,” he said. Acknowledging the scientific development under first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, the President said the country adopted science and technology as a priority from the early days of our independence under his guidance. “The creation of institutions for research and higher education began from 1950 itself. As early as 1951, the country decided to set up an Atomic Energy Commission which has enabled India build her own nuclear reactors. Soon, our space programme started enabling us to launch satellites into space,” he said. The President said at the time of independence, the agriculture sector was under-developed and country was importer of food grains. “The excellence of our scientists and toil of our farmers, together led to the Green Revolution of the sixties. Today, we are self-reliant in food and a major exporter of food grains. Such a transition has few parallels in human history,” he said. The President said the years that followed have seen the emergence of strong Information Technology, Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical industries. “A few months ago, we made history with the successful entry of the Mangalyaan into the Mars Orbit. India is the fourth in the world to reach the Mars. It is also the first to attain this goal in its very first attempt and at a cost of US$ 74 million, a fraction of the money spent by others,” Mukerjee said in his speech. He congratulated the Infosys Science Foundation for instituting Infosys Prize 2014 which recognizes and honours outstanding achievements of researchers and scientists across six categories. The President congratulated the winners of the Infosys Prize 2014 and said he is confident their achievements will inspire the youth to dedicate themselves to the service of science and society. PTI