New India cannot be achieved without scientists’ contribution: Kovind

Kolkata, Nov 28 (IANS) Lauding scientists as "true nation builders", President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday said they have a major responsibility for the realisation of New India - an India that will achieve certain developmental milestones by 2022.

Appreciating the commitment of scientists to the nation, Kovind said it was important to harness the scientific talent pool in Bengal, for the good of the state as also the country.

"New India cannot be achieved without New Bengal. And neither New India nor New Bengal can be achieved without the scientific community here contributing in strong measure," Kovind said at "Vigyan Chintan-Scientific Ecosystem in Kolkata", organised at the Raj Bhavan, where he interacted with scientists from various reputed science and technology institutes of the city.

He said Bengal has produced a galaxy of scientists and made a major contribution in promoting the scientific temper in the country.

"To this day, young students from Bengal, young science graduates and scientists, young engineers and technologists, contribute so much to the furthering of science and of knowledge. They do so all over the country and all over the world.

"Kolkata contributed many illustrious names to our galaxy of scientists and technologists. J.C. Bose and S.N. Bose and Meghnad Saha are household names across India. C.V. Raman worked here and won the Nobel Prize," he said.

The President laid stress on converting Kolkata yet again into the tech hub of India, that it was "a century ago, or even 50 years ago".

Averring that there was "truly something special about Bengala, he pointed out that IISc, Bengaluru, was started after Swami Vivekananda requested Jamsetji Tata to set up a world-class science research institution in the country.

"On this soil, even a Swami devoted to spiritualism can have a sensitive appreciation for - and a fascination for - modern science," he said.