Innovation in Science and Technology will make India self-reliant: Dr. Rajeev Ahuja
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in
Innovation in Science and Technology has a bright future and it will make India self-reliant. Scientific and innovative aptitude should be inculcated among students and teachers to boost the research to solve the problems of the people at the bottom of the pyramid.
This was stated by Prof. (Dr.) Rajeev Ahuja, the Director of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar during an interactive session with the students and faculty on occasion of orientation and Student Inductions Program (SIP) at auditorium of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab technical University (MRSPTU), Bathinda on Wednesday.
While emphasizing on innovations on a mass scale and focus on quality ensuring reliability and adaptability, Prof. Ahuja said, “Be innovative, Innovation comes from inside and it will be your greatest strength. You bring in new innovations to give the poorest people the ease of living. Be it the technology industry or the agricultural sector, innovations are happening in all sectors today. Our actions today will shape our future tomorrow,” .
“We must remember that the potential for learning was never exhausted. Education is a life-long process,” he added.
He called upon the faculty and students of the MRSPTU to work in a team spirit to focus on developing innovative solutions to help people of the region learn better ways of running their farms, small businesses, small scale industry, other community ventures in predominantly rural area, besides finding solutions to specific problems like clean energy, saving natural resources, water scarcity and waste management, post-disaster management, solar power and maintaining groundwater levels, and concentrating on areas in which India has the potential to become a world leader.
He pointed out that Punjab being an agrarian state, there is an urgent need to innovate in food processing system, innovative technological solutions to maximize productivity, improve upon the market linkages and supply chain efficiency, and bolster the country’s startup ecosystem by providing inputs for agro-business in ensuring a sustainable agriculture system. He also talked about Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine learning and Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) in agriculture automation etc.
Advocating interdisciplinary research and development for the benefit of Industry and Society as envisaged in New Education Policy, Prof. Ahuja stressed upon the need to focus on bridging the gap between academia and industry by providing hands-on training, setting up industry incubation centers and Corporate Resource Centers in educational institutions.
“A good education system is one that empowers and enables an individual with social responsiveness. You are the leaders of tomorrow. You should be government job seekers, rather you should become job creators by unique innovations,” he said.
He regretted that it was a matter of disappointment that for decades no Indian has been able to claim the Nobel Prize by doing their research in India, just because we are not focusing on innovations.
He said the country has to regain its past glory as ‘Viswa Guru’ and become a knowledge and education hub once again. He advised the students not to mix Saraswati (the goddess of learning, arts, and cultural fulfillment) and Lakshmi (Goddess of wealth, light and material etc.)
Innovation in Science and Technology will make India self-reliant: Dr. Rajeev Ahuja. Concluding his speech with inspiring words to students , Prof. Ahuja quoted Late President Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam that the greatest brains of the nation could be found in the last benches of classrooms.
Speaking on the occasion, MRSPTU, Vice Chancellor, Prof. Buta Singh Sidhu introduced Prof. Rajeev Ahuja, Dr. Ahuja, who served as professor of Computational Materials Science at Uppsala University, Sweden for a long time. Dr. Ahuja had joined the university as postdoctoral fellow in 1992 after doing his PhD from IIT Roorkee. His main area of interest is computational materials science with a focus on energy such as batteries, hydrogen storage, and production, sensors as well as high-pressure physics.
Prof. Sidhu also highlighted the achievements of the university in research and innovation, besides highlighting the role of Science and Engineering in shaping the world.
MRSPTU Dean Academic and Campus Director, Dr. Savina Bansal, Controller of examination, Prof. Karanvir Singh, Dean Consultancy and Industry Linkages, Dr. Manjeet Bansal and Dr. Rajeev Varshney (both main coordinators of the event) also spoke on the occasion. Senior faculty, deans and directors attended the function. While Assistant Professor Dr. Sunita Kotwal conducted the stage very well. At the end Prof. Ahuja held interactive sessions with students and faculty and answered various queries.
It may be mentioned here that 21-day mandatory Student Induction Program as per University Grants Commission (UGC) and All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) requirements is under progress at the MRSPTU for its new entrants. The students from states including Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and North East states have joined University to undertake Engineering and Science programs here. While hundreds of students from Punjab State Aeronautical Engineering College, Patiala, Punjab Institute of Technology (PIT’S), Rajpura, Nandgarh, Moga and several private colleges affiliated to the university joined the programme in online mode.
October 27,2021
