After space startups, government will promote science and tech for public good

In a high-level joint meeting of all the Science ministries and Science departments, Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister for Science and Technology (S&T), informed that so far, 38 ministries in Government of India have sought technology support in different sectors.

The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, also added that over 200 proposals/requirements were received from 38 line Ministries/Departments for Scientific Applications and Technological Support & Solutions.

While his ministry will be looking at ways to support initiatives focused on sectors like agriculture, railways, roads, power and sewage cleaning to name a few. The minister highlighted that after the unlocking of the space sector for private players, innovative startups are coming in a big way to explore the untapped potential.

"More than 50 Start-ups are working in the space sector and about 10 of them are having funding of over Rs 50 crore or more individually," Dr. Jitendra Singh said.

While Dr. Singh name checked the private space sector as an example of the good work being done by Indian startups. In particular, he seemed to appreciate that apart from NAVIC based applications, startups are also working on software solutions for debris management in space, that have global ramifications.

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Dr. Singh mentioned that Gujarat was the only state with a dedicated S&T policy at the moment, but after four months of deliberations, 11 more are currently working on them. This includes states such as Sikkim, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.

These policies can be tailored to each state’s needs. For example, in Jammu and Kashmir, work can be done on snow clearing technology, while in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, assistance will be given on the restoration and renovation of beaches.

Finally, Dr. Singh stated that the S&T will develop a common portal for all six departments under its mandate to avoid duplicated effort and greater synergy in policies and programmes.