The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Scientists told to apply Gandhian Engineering

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Saturday, Nov 29, 2008
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Scientists told to apply Gandhian Engineering

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: Former Director-General of Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) R.A. Mashelkar called upon the scientists and innovators to apply the Gandhian Engineering to solve big problems.

Delivering the Dr. C.V. Seshadri Memorial Lecture on “Indian innovation from Gandhi to Gandhian engineering” organised by Shri AMM Murugappa Chettiar Research Centre (MCRC), here on Friday, he said that Gandhian Engineering essentially meant solving big problems in a few years at affordable price and at less development cost.

Stating that the challenge was to “get More for Less for More and More people.”

Indians had achieved breakthroughs in several cases, which were once considered impossible.

He quoted the examples of Jaipur Foot, Tata Nano car, Computer based Functional Literacy programme (for illiterates) and development of low cost PCs among other things.

Dr. Mashelkar said that young minds have to produce high performance products that are available, affordable and accessible to the poor.

He also called for incorporating Gandhian Engineering principles in early education, setting up of Special Gandhian Engineering Zones, integrating Gandhian Engineering with national policy and programmes, giving tax incentives, setting up science and technology parks for Gandhian Engineering and setting up Gandhian Engineering chairs in institutions.

As part of the new perspective plan for the next five years, MCRC will concentrate on development of useful technologies for the poor and marginalised, operate R&D projects sponsored by the government and other funding agencies and take up contract and industrial research.

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