File Photo: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat shaking hands with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (Press Trust of India)
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat today said that modern science and technology should be blended with traditional knowledge systems to make the hill state prosperous.
"Modern science needs to be bolstered by traditional knowledge. Local knowledge cannot not be allowed to go waste," he said.
Mr Rawat said that economy of the state can be improved by combining agriculture, animal husbandry and other farm activities.
"Science and technology should be made the vehicle of development in Uttarakhand. There is need to conduct research on traditional foods and fodder of the state.
"The hill economy can be improved by combining agriculture, animal husbandry and other farm activities," Mr Rawat said.
He was addressing the ninth Uttarakhand State Science & Technology Congress in Jhajhra yesterday.
Praising Uttarakhand State Council for Science and Technology (UCOST) for popularizing scientific awareness and new technologies among people, Mr Rawat said it was a matter of pride that the National Council of Science Museums would establish an elaborate Science Centre in the state.
He announced a three-fold increase in UCOST's budget for next year, amounting to Rs 10 crore.
The first district-level Science Centre would begin this year in Almora. The government was also working on establishing a soil testing lab.
Stating that the focus was on human resource development in Uttarakhand, the Chief Minister disclosed that there were adequate number of ITIs, polytechnics, engineering colleges, but these have not been developed as centres of excellence.
A determined effort could transform these institutions. Science could play a major role in this. He reminded that a Policy Planning Group had been constituted to obtain input from experts in the development of the state.