Odisha Minister’s Plea to Strengthen S&T Ecosystem

Bhubaneswar: Government of India should create an institutional framework for proactive engagement between Centre and State in order to develop Science and Technology Ecosystem in the States, urged Ashok Chandra Panda, Minister, Science and Technology.

Participating in the Leadership session of State S&T Ministers’ Conclave held in Ahmadabad, Minister Sri Panda emphasized to strengthen the STI ecosystems in the State by promoting research and development, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Panda also stressed upon the strategies to synergize State Innovation systems with National Innovation system. He suggested that Centre and States go hand-in-hand towards promoting private sector participation in the States. Indicating that a portion of CSR funds may be made mandatory for research and development in the States, Sri Panda also mooted the idea of creating a corpus fund by the States and the Centre.

Outlining various major steps taken by Department of Science and Technology, GoO, Panda said that Rs. 2 Crore has been given to Institute of Life Science (ILS), Bhubaneswar for establishment of Bio-incubation Centre and to strengthen research infrastructure to support Startups. Currently, 24 Startups are supported by ILS.

Similarly, State Government has started engagement with Bhubaneswar City Knowledge Innovation Centre for substantial increase in interactions of the academic and research institutions.
GoO has taken steps to establish innovation hubs in 500 schools to inculcate scientific temperament and creativity in the minds of the school students, more particularly the Schedule Tribe students. Initially, 50 such hubs will be established by 2023 with an investment of 200 crores, he said.

Minister Panda also presented some State specific schemes and sought more support from the Centre. State S&T Ministers’ Conclave was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and it will continue tomorrow also. In the plenary sessions, speakers deliberated on various themes such as STI Vision 2047, Doubling Private Sector Investment in R&D and 2030, Technological Interventions for Improving the Farmers’ Income, Clean Energy for All and Deep Sea Mission etc.
Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister, S&T, Earth Science, Bhupendra Rajanikant Patel.
Chief Minister, Gujarat, Jitubhai S. Vaghani, Minister, Education, S&T, Government of Gujarat were present in the Conclave. Puja Mishra, Joint Secretary, S&T, GoO and Senior Scientist Dr. L. N. Padhi has accompanied the Minister. Secretaries of different departments of the Ministry, Industrialists, Academicians, Scientists, Corporate Heads, Representatives of NITI Ayog and Secretaries from States shared their views and ideas in the plenary sessions.