The State Science Technology Minister & Centre and State Science Secretaries and Officials Conclave at the India International Science Festival deliberated on the future strategy to catalyze the STI ecosystem through the network of S&T Councils and broaden their outreach in line with Government Policies.

In his address at inaugural session, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said that every department is being guided by S&T and the Ministry's importance is increasing fast to make S&T the backbone of growth and development of the country. “A lot of S&T opportunities exist in the different corners of India, and these can be harnessed for the benefit of the entire country, he added. Dr Jitendra Singh emphasised that value addition from states can enrich the S&T ecosystem and help transfer the benefits across communities. While the four-day mega event is an opportunity to learn from each other, the benefits should go beyond the four days and result in a system in which the states constantly learn from each other.

Dr. Singh highlighted that it is very important to take a leaf out of best practices like the Aroma Mission which has spread from J&K to Northeast; the cleanliness drive across the coastal region; lake cleaning learnt from J&K and implemented in Loktak lake in Manipur and connect similar missing links.”

“DST has created a unique Centre-State cooperation mechanism to support Science & Technology Councils in 28 States and 3 UTs which are working in tandem to strengthen the STI ecosystem at state and regional levels. The Councils were advised to interact with other S&T departments of GoI,” Dr. Singh added.

Professor Ajay K Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Govt. of India said that new technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) should be harnessed for reaching benefits of science to the farmers and other stakeholders and it would be enriching to learn from already existing best practices from different parts of the country.

Stressing on the proactive participation of the states Dr. V K Saraswat, Member, Niti Aayog stressed on addressing the glaring disparities in research and education standards in state universities by improving capability, training and infrastructure.

Secretary Department of Science and Technology (DST) Professor Abhay Karandikar said that India has made tremendous progress with outstanding achievements in S&T. The formulation of Anusandhaan National Research Foundation (ANRF) which DST is operationalising, will strengthen R&D ecosystem even in tier II and tier III cities and states can contribute a lot in this. “These collaborative initiatives can harness the collective potential of the Centre and States to drive sustainable development, innovation, and economic growth, all the while ensuring inclusivity and social progress, he added.

Shri S Somanath Secretary Department of Space and Chairman ISRO highlighted the need for space policy which has opened new avenues for private companies to work with ISRO and the Government, in space sector. Shri Somanath emphasized the importance of space policy. The policy should encompass a comprehensive connection of states with the ministries, establish practical implementation models, focus on market dynamics, and assess the ensuing impact. He underscored the need for access to those eager to contribute, with support provided through data sharing.

Shri Inder Singh Parmar, Minister of Higher Education of Madhya Pradesh; Shri Keshab Mahanta, Minister of Science, Technology & Climate Change, Govt of Assam; Mr Tsering Angchuk, Deputy Chairman, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council; Professor Ashutosh Sharma, former Secretary DST and senior officials from centre and states participated in the event.

The two days Conclave facilitated in-depth deliberations, knowledge sharing, and the formulation of actionable strategies for propelling India towards a brighter, self-reliant future. The conclave also featured panel discussions on the following themes -- Regional S&T strengthening, our problems and our solutions: Strengthening the Tech Neev (Technology Foundation).