Prof. K Vijay Raghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser to Government of India, highlighted the challenge of being AtmaNirbhar in a world where one also has to be interactive internationally and how technology can be an enabler for India to position itself as a global leader and build better international collaborations at the ‘Fireside Chat’ organised on the occasion of the 9^th Foundation Day of Global Innovation and Technology Alliance (GITA).

“AtmaNirbharta need to be viewed in the context of supply chains internationally and globally. There are three pillars which need to be kept in mind while addressing the framework of self-reliance which are policy, regulation, examples of execution and this needs to be done with speed and a synergy,” Professor VijayRaghavan said at the celebration event that was held virtually on November 26, 2020.

“Science & Technology is critically important for everything we do but Science & Technology is also not an answer by itself. It is part of the answer. Science & Technology should be kept in perspective as a component along with politics, economics, sociology and so on and all of this needs to work together in addition to policy, regulation, and examples of execution.”

He stressed that the COVID 19 pandemic has stimulated extraordinary collaboration between our research laboratories, R & D labs, and industry and between industry and society. This feature needs to be embedded as we move along into the future.

Prof. K VijayRaghavan answered questions on the distribution & administration of the vaccine for COVID 19 and its emergency use.In partnership with the health ministry, an expert group has done an enormous amount of work in the health system preparedness for the distribution and administration of vaccines. This is being done without compromising existing health care services utilising the experience of our National Elections, our Universal Immunisation Programme in a big way in the vaccination programme.”

The day-long celebrations of the GITA Foundation Day celebrations included a panel discussion on ‘Global Perspectives: Countries becoming ‘Self- Reliant’ in a collaborative world’ which saw the attendance of representatives from countries like Taiwan, Republic of Korea, Canada, Sweden, Finland and Italy wherein the speakers iterated the need of coming out of silos, working together in collaboration, leveraging on innovation, opening innovation engagements internationally, enforcement of certain local capacities and on the other hand remaining open to FDI, technology transfers and technology engagements.

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NB/KGS/(DST Media Cell)