States to set up S

New Delhi, May 12 (UNI) The Centre today asked the States to set up science and technology innovation councils within 30 days.

The States should also draw up action plans for development of science and technology, for which the Centre would provide seed money, Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal told his counterparts from different States at an annual conference here.

Lamenting that State science and technology councils had been inadequate all these years, he asked the State Ministers to expand them by including other stakeholders such as private players, NGOs, industry and the Centre.

''Once these mechanisms are set up, we will start interaction with you for solving the bigger problem of human resource development,'' he added.

Regretting that the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) had no presence in some states such as Bihar and Punjab and the North East, Mr Sibal said the Centre would set up CSIR departments in north eastern States to begin with and later cover all the uncovered States.

''Then we will ensure training of human resource and teachers' training in every States by setting up training centres.'' He said the Centre also encouraged setting up of technology parks, such as biotechnology park and innovation park, through public private partnership.

''We will establish working models on how to set up these parks,'' he added.

The Minister said the Centre would carry out GPS mapping of large cities, starting from Delhi.

''The entire Delhi would be mapped by June 2009, well before the 2010 Commonwealth Games,'' he said.

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