PM calls for boosting Indian intellectual property
19 Oct 2010
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today Tuesday called for expanding the human resource pool in science and technology and creating a stimulating institutional environment to help India become a "world leader" in creating intellectual property.
Speaking after laying the foundation stone for the Hyderabad campus of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) at the centrally-run University of Hyderabad, Singh said, "We need to maintain our competitive advantage in the knowledge economy that is now on the horizon in the world."
He added, "Innovation and knowledge will be key factor in a nation's development in this 21st century. We must therefore ensure an environment that promotes and nurtures scientific achievements and makes us a world leader in creating intellectual property."
The ceremony was held amid tight security in view of protests by a section of students and faculty of the university over allotment of university land to TIFR.
The institute is coming up on 209 acres allotted by the state government. TIFR plans to set up various research and academic facilities at the Hyderabad campus with an investment of about Rs2,500 crore over a decade.
According to TIFR officials, the Hyderabad campus will have world-class labs and facilities to put India in the forefront of research in the emerging areas of science. It plans to accommodate 200 permanent faculty, 1,000 students and 300 post-doctoral researchers.
