Motivate young scientists: Dr Kalam

Coimbatore, May 3 (UNI) Former President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam today said ''Scientific Magnanimity'' was essential to focus on young achievers and nurture team spirit among them.

Inaugurating the Coimbatore chapter of the Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) at the Kongu Arts and Science College here, he cited the example of Nobel laureate Prof Norman E Borlaug, a well known agricultural scientist and a partner in India's first Green Revolution, in this connection.

At the age of 91, at a function in New Delhi two years back, Dr Borlaug had introduced many stalwarts, who had worked as junior to him and explained increased crop yield of various agricultural products, he said, adding this is the the ''Scientific Magnanimity.'' Recalling another incident, Dr Kalam said when the former President of India Dr Rajendra Prasad wrote to Sir C V Raman inviting him to be the personal guest to accept the highest award of 'Bharat Ratna,' the scientist politely refused by saying that he had to be by the side of a research student and see that the thesis was completed and he had to sign the thesis as it had to be submitted in time. This attitude would attract the youth to science as a carrier.

Speaking about the research challenge, he said in the energy sector, increasing the solar photovoltaic cell efficiency from the existing 15 per cent to 45 per cent using silicon as a base with Carbon Nano Tube was important.

He said the scientists in reputed labs in the world established the fact that it was possible.

He said India should go in for nuclear power generation in a big way using Thorium based reactors as thorium was available in abundance in the country.

''It is the need of the hour to invent a vaccine for prevention of HIV/AIDS disease and it is a big challenge for life science scientists to have an integrated vaccine development leading to production in three years time,''he said.

''Next is stem cell research through three areas such as adult stem cells, umbilical cord stem cells and embryonic stem cells that has to be pursued on a mission mode for finding cure for many diseases,'' he added.

He said India should work on mission mode research for forecast the earthquake using multiple parameters using precursors such as pre-shock conditions, electromagnetic phenomena prior to final rupture and atmospheric and ionospheric anomalies.

UNI KS DS SY KN1927