By Bizodisha Bueau, Bhubaneswar, October 14, 2016 : Union Minister for Science and Technology Harsh Vardhan on Friday laid the foundation stone for an iron ore pelletisation pilot plant in the campus of Institute of Minerals & Materials Technology (IMMT) in Odisha capital.

“A pilot project for pelletisation of iron ore is a major initiative undertaken by Institute of Mineral and Materials Technology (IMMT) Bhubaneswar. China is the only other country that has honed this technology. Our success can save a lot of foreign exchange in terms of import,” Vardhan said while addressing the gathering on the occasion.

The union minister also reviewed the ongoing work on mineral processing and seabed minerals’ program at the institute and focused on the need for science and technology to aid to progress of the under-privileged and tribal areas of the country.

“Research papers are important. It is also important to file patents. However, what is more important is: how our research is helping the people. Research by scientists should not be limited within the walls of laboratories. Right now, we are second to none in fundamental research. We are working at extreme levels in various fields. In the past 2-3 years, more than 250 scientists came back to India,” said Harsh Vardhan.

Citing that several government programmes need support of the scientific community, the Minister urged the scientists to think out-of-box.

“Modi government has come up with a number of schemes such as Swachh Bharat, Digital India, Startup India, Standup India, bio-toilet and many others. All these people-oriented schemes need backing from the scientific community. The scientists should think out-of-box to help the people,” he added.

Vardhan further underscored the need for timely completion of research projects and called upon the scientists to ensure that the innovations are cost-effective. Besides, he called for better coordination among the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) laboratories to avoid duplication of R&D work in the country.