Hyderabad, January 3
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today expressed concern at the “rapidly falling share” of agriculture in national income.
Inaugurating the 93rd Indian Science Congress here, Mr Singh said: “While the share of agriculture in national income is falling rapidly, the share of population dependent on agriculture is not declining as rapidly. This is creating rural distress and contributing to enforced migration to the urban areas.”
Calling upon scientists to develop appropriate technologies to create more jobs in rural areas, the Prime Minister highlighted three challenges that science and technology must address to promote rural development — agricultural productivity, affordable technologies for energy and water, and efficient farm and non-farm technologies.
Over 5,000 delegates, including 85 scientists from 25 countries,
are participating in the science congress being hosted by the Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University (ANGRAU) at Rajendranagar on the city’s outskirts.The theme of the congress is ‘Integrated Rural Development: Science and Technology’.
The Prime Minister said creating productive employment opportunities in the rural areas required a multi-pronged approach, investment in skill development, financing of labour-using technologies on the farm and development of new functional townships away from existing cities.
Calling for development of technologies that are economically affordable and relevant to small and marginal farmers especially in drought-prone areas, Mr Singh said that the western world did not invest enough in research on water, bio-mass, solar and other sources of energy because they are not under the kind of pressure we face.
“We can promote economic usage of resources to improve productivity and infrastructure development through research,” Mr Singh said.
He asked the science congress to come up with suggestions to bring an additional 10 million hectares under irrigation without associated environmental damage.
Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Kapil Sibal, Andhra Pradesh Governor Sushilkumar Shinde, Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy also spoke on the occasion.
Earlier, the Prime Minister opened his address with a tribute to Prof MC Puri, who was killed in a terrorist attack.
The slain scientist was a soldier of knowledge who lived life of peace dedicated to science and education, he said.
“Dr Puri was gunned down in the greatest temple of Indian science by the most reprehensible and cowardly enemies of our people,” Mr Singh said.
