PANJIM: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Thursday said the government is seeking to reinforce Goa as a scientific hub focussing on strengthening scientific education and promoting a scientific temperament.
Parrikar, speaking at the inaugural function of the Nobel Prize Series Goa said, “Our government seeks to reinforce Goa’s status as a scientific hub of India with a strong focus on not only significantly strengthening scientific education but also promoting a scientific temperament across the state. To this effect, we are setting up two new educational hubs in Goa.”
He added, “We seek to develop the capacity of our human capital, most precious resource, into a knowledge powerhouse that fuels our nation’s growth and addresses our most critical development issues through innovation. We would like to assure this august gathering that we will ensure that we carry forward the momentum built by this event around the importance of breakthroughs in scientific research.”
He proposed to the Nobel Foundation that an annual Goa Nobel Lecture Series could be held, which the government would be happy to support and organise.
“We want to make Goa the home to the next generation of Nobel laureates. I know my team has planned a series of interactions of the visiting laureates with students, researchers and teachers from around the country and I urge all of you to take full advantage of these interactions,” he said.
The Chief Minister also announced that an annual ‘Innovation in Science Contest’ for senior school and college students will be held, where students will be invited to propose breakthrough ideas with help from the government for a period of one year. “We invite esteemed international scientists to help us choose and mentor ideas, an exercise we will support for winner,” he said.
Professor Cristin Nusslein Volhard, a Nobel Laureates, in her address said that science is not only meant to improve mankind but to encourage basic research.
“Basic research is not directly aimed towards discovery but to understand complications. Currently I am working on fish and their patterns and colours. I urge the students to be curious, ask questions and discover things to help mankind,” Volhard said.
The Nobel series is a five day programme to stimulate engagement in science, literature that will take place in Goa, Mumbai, and Delhi. Nobel Laureates will deliver lectures, and take part in roundtable discussions and meetings with experts and students. A conference for students will take place in Goa and a National session will be hosted by the President at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
It is organised by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India, with collaboration with Nobel Media AB, Sweden.
