Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday called upon the research community and institutions, such as the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), to come up with intelligent solutions to prevent any sinister plans of terrorists to hurt the country’s interests.
After visiting the country's first 3D Printed House in India on the IIT-Madras campus, Mr. Naidu said terrorism was the enemy of mankind and referred to the use of low-flying drones by terrorists and pointed out that they could not be detected by military radars.
He said that educational institutions such as IITs should also focus on areas related to terrorism and come up with solutions to counter the efforts of terrorists.
Highlighting the importance of “industry-institute” partnerships in scaling up emerging technologies and achieving commercial viability, the Vice-President said that cutting edge technologies provided a glimpse into the future.
“Technologies should not be limited to being only ‘proof of concept’. It can greatly alleviate human suffering and make a common man’s life comfortable. That is the ultimate purpose of any research,” he said.
Mr. Naidu, according to an official release, suggested that premier institutes such as IITs were best placed to foresee the upcoming technological revolutions and keep the country better prepared in seizing new opportunities. He advised institutions of higher education to go beyond classroom programmes and prepare students for real-world challenges by inculcating a holistic approach to problem-solving. “This way, they will become our job creators and not just job-seekers,” he said.
Revenue Minister K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran and IIT-Madras Director Bhaskar Ramamurthi were present.
