Chennai: Minister for Science and Technology, Earth Sciences and Health and Family Welfare, Harsh Vardhan presided over the curtain raiser event of India International Science Festival (IISF) – 2020, on Tuesday, at Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR), a DRDO laboratory at Leh-Ladakh. The event was organised as a virtual conference.
India International Science Festival (IISF) is celebrated every year to promote Science and Technology and demonstrate how science could lead India towards a developed nation within a short span of time. The aim is to engage public with science and celebrate the joy of science and show the ways how science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) provide us with the solutions to improve our lives.
Harsh Vardhan in his address via online media, briefed the audience about the importance and relevance of celebrating this festival and asked all the stakeholders to promote and make science and technology reach every remote location of the country. He further emphasised the importance of S&T in realising the theme of 6th IISF to “make India self reliant and contribute in global welfare”.
He also congratulated DIHAR for itās contribution towards improving the agro-animal development of Ladakh region.
Lt Governor of Ladakh UT, R K Mathur in his address briefed about the role of Science and Technology to improve the socio-economic standard of population as well as itās inherent capacity to reach every corner of the country, irrespective of challenging physical boundaries.
Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, Member of Parliament, Ladakh, in his address appreciated the contributions of DIHAR in developing suitable technologies to increase the availability of vegetable diversity in Ladakh and said that endeavours of utilising the potential of S&T has to be disseminated in various other domains and far flung locations.
G Satheesh Reddy, Secretary, DD R&D and Chairman DRDO sent his wishes to the organisers and the scientific community for this large festival of science and technology. Dr AK Singh, DG (Life Sciences) in DRDO emphasised upon strengthening S&T to find local solutions to the prevailing local problems.