P.M.’s appeal to scientists
The Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, to-day [Jan. 3] asked the scientists in India to become the principal allies of the Government and the people in the battle against poverty. The scientist had to be in the forefront, working in partnership with those who moved the levers of the economy, she said while inaugurating the 54th session of the Indian Science Congress at the Osmania University campus here [Hyderabad]. She referred to the problem of brain drain “which is an international one”. The Prime Minister said she was firmly against tackling this question by resort to restrictions, legislation or executive fiat. “We must deal with this matter, by providing more and more creative opportunities for the scientists and other specialists in India,” she said. “It is an absurd situation that a country like India struggling with the problems of development should render technical assistance, through export of brain power, to the advanced nations of the West.” Mrs. Gandhi said this question was of vital interest to us and we must devise ways and means of preventing this intellectual waste.
Hundredth diesel loco
The hundredth diesel locomotive “Lal Bahadur” was commissioned to-day [Jan. 3] by the Railway Minister, Mr. S.K. Patil. The late Lal Bahadur Shastri commissioned the first diesel engine on January 3, 1964 and in exactly three years hundred locomotives have been produced. The project with its American collaborators is now producing 58 per cent of the components. Fifty-five locomotives are scheduled to be produced this year and if foreign exchange is available, it will be able to produce 150 locomotives a year. While the engine part of the locomotive is imported and assembled here, bulk of the chassis and the traction equipment are fabricated here. Mr. Patil said that while the Railways had been pushed to a back seat by the automobile in advanced countries like the U.S., the Railways continued to play an important part in India’s transport system. It was possible, he said, that in about 25 years from now, the steam engines might completely disappear, the diesel and electric engines taking their place. The Indian Railways, Mr. Patil proudly declared was one of the biggest contributors to the public revenue among the public undertakings. Mr. Patil pointed out that while “we must have no hesitation in accepting help in understanding new techniques, we must plan to be self-reliant.” While congratulating the officers and the workers for their excellent work, the Minister said that along with the improvements of the safety devices in the Railways, they had to see that no sabotage was permitted by anti-social elements. Mr. S. Chakravarthy, the General Manager of the factory, acknowledged the co-operation offered by the American collaborator Messrs. Alco Products Incorporated. Mr. Kripal Singh, Chairman of the Railway Board, said that the diesel locomotives produced here were of 3 very high quality which could be compared with the best in the world.
Larger number of Jan Sangh contestants
The Jan Sangh expects a three-fold increase in its strength in Parliament after the coming elections, and hopes to double its strength in the State Assemblies. The party will contest 250 of the 520 Parliamentary and about 2,000 of more than 3,000 Assembly constituencies. This increase is sought to be secured by putting up a larger number of candidates, through electoral adjustments with other parties, particularly the Swatantra Party, in some States, and in the expectation that the electoral tide has definitely turned against the Congress. In 1952, the party contorted only 93 Parliamentary and 717 Assembly seats. Three of its Lok Sabha and 34 of its Assembly candidates were successful. In 1957, 133 Jan Sangh nominees stood for the Lok Sabha and 578 for the various State Assemblies. Of them, four were elected to the Lok Sabha and 46 to the Assemblies. In 1962, it put up 196 candidates for the Lok Sabha and 1,140 for the Assemblies. Only 14 Lok Sabha and 116 Assembly candidates were successful.
