JAMMU, November 12 : Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Ministry of Science and Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Ministry of Earth Science; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Space and Atomic Energy, Dr Jitendra Singh today said, present generation youth are children of technology-driven world.
Addressing an event of BJP’s student wing ABVP in Jammu, Dr Jitendra Singh said, his generation was born and brought up in technology-transition world, as newer innovations were happening at at very slow pace. The Minister recalled that when he was a child, there was only radio and nobody had heard of a television but his teacher used to wishfully say that one day we might be able to see the face of the news-reader on the radio and the advent of television proved right the prophecy.
Dr Jitendra Singh told the youth to embrace boldly the fast paced changes as today is an era of innovation. He said, they are lucky to have a government at the Centre, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which wholeheartedly supports the new scientific endeavours and through policy interventions enabled the youth of India to dream big.
The Minister added with emphasis that in the last 8 years of Modi Government, Indian youth esteem reached all-time high in the world.
Dr Jitendra Singh gave full credit to the futuristic vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had given a call for “Start-Up India Stand Up India” from the ramparts of Red Fort in his Independence Day address of 2015 that initiated a mass interest, as a result of which the number of Start-Ups in India has increased from mere 350 in 2014 to over 80,000 in 2022 with more than 105 unicorns. India ranks 3rd in the world start-up ecosystem.
Similarly, Dr Jitendra Singh informed that it was Prime Minister Modi who removed the veil of secrecy from India’s Space Sector two years ago and allowed private sector to tap new opportunities in joint missions. He said, today 102 Start-ups are working in the space sector in cutting-edge areas of space debris management., nano-satellite, launch vehicle, ground systems, research etc.
Amid a round of applause, Dr Jitendra Singh announced that India will launch its first privately developed rocket, Vikram S, from the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO’s) launchpad at Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota in a couple of days. Vikram S is developed by Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace and it will carry two Indian and one foreign customer payloads in a sub-orbital mission.
Dwelling on a number of policy initiatives and support system by the Centre to promote alternate sources of livelihood, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the youth must come out of the government job mind-set, which is hampering the blooming of their full potential. Giving the example of the ‘Purple Revolution’ originating from Jammu & Kashmir, the Minister said, it offers attractive StartUp avenues and those who have entered the lavender sector are making a fortune out of it. He said, it is important to take note of some of the exemplary instances of many young entrepreneurs who are seen quitting their lucrative jobs in the MNCs to establish their own Start-Ups, as these young entrepreneurs are now beginning to realise the possibility of greater fortunes in this.
Dr Jitendra Singh pointed out that a new wave of Agri-tech Start-Ups has emerged in the country in the last few years and these Start-Ups are solving problems related to supply chain management, cooling and refrigeration, seed management and distribution, besides helping farmers to access a wider range of markets.
Dr Jitendra Singh said that Himalayan States like Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and North-Eastern States are going to make a significant value edition to build India’s future economy in the next 25 years of Amrit Kaal, because these are the territories whose resources have remain under-utilised in the past. Similarly, he said that India’s 7500 km-long coastline will play a vital role in shaping up India’s Vision @ 2047 and added that we need to leverage our underutilised oceanic resources in order to advance the economic growth of our nation.
Dr Jitendra Singh urged the ABVP office bearers and members to organize workshops to educate and enlighten the young generation about the benefits of alternate sources of livelihoods through Start-ups and other innovative ventures. He said, ABVP should also undertake capacity building programmes and the Minister promised all kind of technical and financial support for them
Dr Jitendra Singh exhorted the oldest student body to come forward and prepare a blueprint of India@2047 with scientific vision.
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