http://www.newkerala.com/news2.php?action=fullnews&id=15207
New Delhi: The Government of India is keen on promoting the young inventors from the remotest to the most urbanised parts of the country to contribute in transforming India into a knowledge economy.The launch of IRIS-2006 (Initiative for Research & Innovation in Science) this Wednesday in New Delhi is the latest example.
While launching the new programme, a joint effort by the Department of Science and Technology, Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and Intel, Kapil Sibal, Minister for Science and Technology and Ocean Development, stressed upon the need for creating greater opportunities for young talent so that they could contribute to the development of the country as a knowledge economy.
Sibal expressed his satisfaction that industries, while taking forward their respective business, are also carrying out their social responsibilities.
He pointed out that environment in India is complex, given the urban and rural divide and, therefore, it is time to bring together both the rural as well as urban talent, so that technological solutions to problems faced by people in both areas were easily available.
“The need of the hour is to understand that environment in India is extremely complex. We have the common people living in the rural areas whose needs are somewhat different from the urban people living in the urban areas and the technological solutions should also to be different. It is important to get creative minds work at both ends and to be able to solve problems that face us as a nation,” said Sibal.
“This particular enterprise will bring together and synergise the talents of young minds both in the rural area and urban area and perhaps showcase the creativity that will emerge therefrom,” Sibal added.
IRIS is the merger of two programmes with a common mission of promoting science, the Intel Science Talent Discovery Fair and CII-DST's “Steer the Big Idea”. The merger will create the science fair of India and achieve a higher level of reach across schools, colleges, labs and research institutions in the country.
Under the CII-DST initiative-Steer the Big Idea-- Indian participation was organized at the International Exhibition for Young Inventors (IEYI) at Tokyo in 2004 and at Kuala Lumpur in 2005. India has got the opportunity to host IEYI in 2006.
“At the end of this year the exhibition by young inventors which was held in Tokyo earlier, is going to be held in December, hopefully, in India. So this particular partnership through the expression of interest and the holding of event will be a precursor to the international young inventors in which we will showcase what our children can do,” said Sibal.
IRIS aims to help build scientific temperament and an innovative culture amongst the youth of the country, as well as help in popularising the science and technology in schools and amongst students.
It is expected to touch over two million students from over 25,000 schools and institutes in India and infuse the spirit of science, research and innovation among them.
IRIS would recognise and reward the innovative and outstanding projects while providing a platform for these young innovators to interact with Indian industry as well as get recognised at International events like the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) and the International Exhibition for Young Inventors (IEYI).
