Take science beyond laboratories, to every citizen: CM Saini to researchers

Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Sunday urged scientists to take science beyond laboratories, ensuring its benefits reach every person in society.

He said science brings true prosperity only when it helps a farmer increase crop yield, cures a patient’s illness, and empowers an entrepreneur.

Addressing an event on the second day of the 11th India International Science Festival (IISF) in Panchkula, Saini said science is not just a career, but a medium for nation-building, according to an official statement issued here.

The Chief Minister inaugurated the Students’ Science and Technology Village at the event, describing it as the “New Nalanda” of modern India, and visited the science exhibition -- interacting with youth, students, and scientists. Saini urged scientists, research institutions, industry partners, the start-up community, and innovators to work together to create a scientific development model that provides better quality of life to every citizen, gives India global leadership, and ensures a sustainable and environmentally-responsible future for the planet.

Saini expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union minister Jitendra Singh for giving Haryana the opportunity to host the IISF for the second time. He said more than 40,000 participants from India and abroad are taking part in the four-day event, dubbing it the ‘Science Mahakumbh’ -- a confluence of science, innovation, start-up energy, future technologies, and the aspirations of a ‘New India’, the statement read.

The theme of this year’s festival, ‘Science for Prosperity for a Self-Reliant India’, is extremely relevant, Saini said, hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership for India’s progress in the field of science and technology and reiterated the pledge of a developed nation by 2047.