Covid vaccination drive to start soon: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said India’s Covid vaccination programme, the largest in the world, is about to begin now that scientists have successfully developed two Indian vaccines.

Modi, who opened the National Metrology Conclave 2021 virtually, lauded Indian scientific institutions including those under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), for coming together to find solutions for every challenge faced by the country.

Modi also dedicated National Atomic Timescale and Bhartiya Nirdeshak Dravya Pranali (Indian Reference Materials system) to the nation and laid the foundation stone of National Environmental Standards Laboratory during the conclave organised by the CSIR’s National Physical Laboratory in New Delhi.

As the timekeeper of the country, CSIR-NPL has the responsibility to change the future of India, Modi said, adding that over decades, India was dependent on foreign standards for quality and measurement, but now India’s pace, progress, rise, image, and strength will be decided by our own standards.

The Prime Minister said metrology, the science of measuring, also sets the foundation for any scientific achievement. No research can proceed without measurement. The credibility of any country will depend on the reliability of its metrology, said Modi observing that metrology is like a mirror showing us our standing in the world, the scope for improvement. The goal to achieve a self-reliant India consists not only quantity but also quality, he added.

Bhartiya Nirdeshak Dravya

Modi said Bhartiya Nirdeshak Dravya would help the industry to make quality products in sectors like heavy metals, pesticides, pharma and textiles by drafting a ‘Certified Reference Material System’. He added now the industry is moving towards consumer-oriented approach rather than regulation-centric approach.

According to him, complying with international standards will help large foreign manufacturing companies come to India to find a local supply chain. With the new standards, the quality of both India’s exports and imports would be ensured. It will also provide quality goods to domestic consumers of India and reduce problems faced by exporters.

Modi said historically progress achieved by any country directly proportional to its effort to promote science. Calling this value creation cycle of science, he said that a scientific invention creates a technology and technology leads to industry development. Industry, in turn, invests further in science for new research. This cycle keeps on taking us in the direction of new possibilities.

This value creation cycle of science to mass creation has become more important in today’s world when the country is moving forward with the goal of Aatmnirbhar India.