Sajid Raina
New Delhi, Jun 23: Emphasizing that India never lacked talent but previously lacked policy support, Union Minister of State at Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Dr Jitendra Singh on Monday said that country under PM Modi’s rule is witnessing convergence between public and private sectors.
Addressing a news conference here, Dr Singh, according to the news agency said, “In other countries, there is no hard demarcation between public and private in scientific work. We have started moving in that direction.”
He said that India has transformed into a global leader in science and technology over the past decade driven by a political climate that enabled scientific risk-taking and innovation. “The last 11 years turned technology into the engine of India’s growth story. More importantly, we are no longer a technology follower but a technology leader.”
The Minister said that India is now setting global best practices in science and innovation rather than waiting to adopt them from abroad.
He credited this shift to a “supportive political dispensation” after 2014 that allowed scientists the freedom to experiment even when success wasn’t guaranteed.
“What a scientist needs most is the liberty to try and that space was given to us by the hon’ble Prime Minister,” he said, adding, “Opening up space and nuclear sectors to private participation has encouraged global collaborations.”
