Kharagpur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants Indian Institutes of Technology across the country to grow into Institutes of Indigenous Technology and take a lead in the development of health technology, solar power and disaster management to cater to the Indian market at affordable rates as well as play a global role in these fields.
“Requirements and aspirations have changed for India in the 21st century. Now it is time for the IITs to rise to the next level and develop as Institutes of Indigenous Technology,” the PM said in his address to the 66th convocation of IIT Kharagpur on Tuesday.
Lauding the software solutions offered by the IIT KGP in the fight against corona, Modi urged students and researchers to carry forward the initiative in health technology innovation. “Earlier, people kept a thermometer and some essential medicines at home. Now, they keep equipment to measure BP, sugar and oxygen level besides other healthcare and fitness devices. I would urge the institute to work fast and come up with futuristic solutions in health technology with precision at affordable rates,” the PM said.
Use of solar power during climate change was the PM’s another area of focus. “When the world is struggling with the challenges of climate change, India has come up with the idea of International Solar Alliance (ISA). India is among countries, where the cost of solar power is very low per unit. But there are still many challenges to deliver solar power to households,” Modi said. “I was thinking of launching the Clean Cooking movement. Around 25 crore households use chullahs. If we can innovate energy-storage batteries to run these chullahs and for other domestic requirements, we can take a major leap in the solar front.”
Modi said disaster management needed technology to minimize damage to the environment. Stating that India had joined the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure floated by the United Nations, he said, “Small and medium houses and bridges collapse in a disaster. We saw what happened in Uttarakhand. We need innovation in construction technology to make our assets disaster proof,” he said.
Exhorting students to recognize their potential and move ahead with confidence and selflessness, the PM said self-awareness, self-confidence and selflessness would help them overcome lack of confidence and obstacles. But Modi was not without a sound a word of caution for the IIT students and researchers. “There is no place for hastiness in the field of science and technology. You may not get complete success in the innovation you are working on. But that failure of yours will also be considered a success, because you will learn something from that,” he said.
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