Kolkata, Dec 25 (IANS): Union Minister for Science and Technology and Environment Harsh Vardhan on Monday said India is firmly on its course to become one of the top two scientifically advanced nations in the world by 2030.
The minister said the country has made significant progress in the fields of nano technology, space science under the Narendra Modi government while it is already on the top spot in terms of providing tsunami early warning.
"It is the dream of the Prime Minister to make India one of the top two scientific nations in the world. I feel our nation is firmly on the course of achieving that goal," the minister said at the pre-launch event of Coastal Research Vessel CRV Sagar Tara, here.
"India already has number one spot in the tsunami early warning. We are number four in weather forecast and number three in nano-technology. Our growth in science publication is 14 per cent as compared to four per cent internationally and we are sixth in terms of total scientific publications produced in the world," he pointed out.
The vessel, the first of the two coastal research vehicles developed by the Titagarh wagons Limited in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district for the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), will be launched on December 25.
The vessel, prepared three months ahead of the schedule, will play a vital role in measuring oceanographic and atmospheric data within Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The ship will also be used for shallow water operations including water quality monitoring, testing of underwater components, deep sea technology development and enhance the tsunami early warning systems.
Harsh Vardhan, also the Union Minister for earth Sciences, Forest and Climate Change, said the nation has also achieved significant accomplishments in space science.
"We are the only country to complete a Mars orbiter mission in the first attempt. Now Americans and others are using our launch vessel for sending their satellite into space," he noted.
He also said the ministry of earth sciences have created a number of desalination plants in Lakshadweep which would play a pivotal role in addressing the water crisis within the country.