HRD Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao on Tuesday said that the government was keen on encouraging research and development in science and technology to make the State a knowledge hub.
He was speaking after inaugurating the three-day A.P. Science Congress being hosted here jointly by the A.P. Akademi of Sciences and Andhra University.
The theme for the third edition of the congress is ‘Green technologies for transformation and sustainable development.’
Mr. Rao advised the students to think out of the box, and said the government had set up the A.P. Innovation Society to encourage scientific solutions to various problems.
Underlining the need for promoting green technologies in a big way, he said maintaining ecological balance was of topmost priority.
He said Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had already announced an award of ₹100 crore at the Indian Science Congress early this year at Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, to anyone who won Nobel Prize from the State.
The Minister promised to release ₹4 crore at the rate of ₹2 crore per annum to the A.P. Akademi of Sciences for spreading scientific culture and research.
Awards presented
Several awards were presented at the congress. Lifetime achievement awards were given to Prof. Yerraguntala Venkata Rao (pharmaceutical sciences) and Prof. Chilukuri Shantamma (physics).
While Dr. Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, received the Dr. A.V. Rama Rao Award, ICAR Director-General Trilochan Mohapatra was honoured with the Prof. N.G. Ranga Memorial Award in recognition of their outstanding service to their respective areas of specialisation.
Space scientist Prem Shankar Goel was conferred with the C.V. Raman Award.
The congress awarded honorary fellowship to human genetics honorary professor Kutikupala Surya Rao, CSIR emeritus scientist V. Balaram, professor from Australian National University Chennupati Jagadish, Gitam University pro Vice-Chancellor N. Siva Prasad, and IIT-Hyderabad Director U.B. Desai.
AU Vice-Chancellor G. Nageswara Rao presided.
A.P. Akademi of Sciences president B.L. Deekshatulu welcomed the delegates.
