Effective steps can be taken to reduce post-harvest losses with the help of biotech: PM

Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology inaugurating the mega science exhibition ‘Pride of India’, at the 108th ISC by cutting the ribbon at Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University on January 3, along with dignitaries (from l-R) Jagdish Patankar, Executive Chairman, MM Activ Sci-Tech Communications, Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Dr Vijay laxmi Saxena, President General of the Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA), Calcutta and Ravindra Boratkar, Managing Director, MM Activ Sci-Tech Communications; Publisher & Managing Editor, BioSpectrum.

- Dr Manbeena Chawla 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the 108th Indian Science Congress (ISC) via video conferencing on January 3, 2023. The focal theme of this year's ISC was 'Science and Technology for Sustainable Development with Women Empowerment' which witnessed discussions on issues of sustainable development, women empowerment and the role of science and technology in achieving this.

Speaking about the result of India’s tryst with the scientific approach, the Prime Minister said that India is being counted among the top countries of the world as India moved to 40th place in the Global Innovation Index in 2022 from 81st place in 2015. "India is among the top three nations in the world in terms of the number of PhDs and startup ecosystems", he said.

“Efforts of science can turn into great achievements only when they come out of the lab and reach the land, and their impact reaches from global to grassroots, when its ambit is from 'journal to zameen' and when change is visible from research to real life”, he added.

The PM further said, "The United Nations has declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets on the call of India. This is a matter of great pride for every Indian. Work can be done to improve India's millets and their use. Effective steps can be taken by the scientific community to reduce postharvest losses with the help of biotechnology.”