MYSURU: Terming rapid urbanisation as a challenge and critical for sustainability, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday said smart cities would make the cities networked to become efficient, safe and better in delivery of services.

"For the first time in human history, we are in an urban century. By 2050, two-thirds of the world's population will live in cities and three billion people will join 3.5 billion dwellers, with 90 percent of the increase from developing countries," Modi said at the 103rd Indian Science Congress being held in the University of Mysore here.

Quoting some studies, Modi said the country would have over 10 percent of the global urban population by 2025 and 50 percent of its people in urban habitats by 2050.

"About 40 percent of the global urban population lives in informal settlements or slums, facing a range of health and nutritional challenges," he said after inaugurating the five-day annual science jamboree in the 700-acre sprawling Mansagagotri campus in the heritage city.

Observing that many urban clusters in Asia would exceed the population of mid-sized countries in the world over, Modi noted that cities account for more than two-thirds of global energy demand and result in up to 80 percent of global greenhouse gas emission.

"As cities are major engines of economic growth, employment opportunities and prosperity, they have to be sustained to become locomotives of our economies and havens of healthy living," he said.1

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PM stressed that innovation in approach is not just the obligation of the government, but also the responsibility of the private sector and the academia.  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasized the need to bridge the gap between Science and indigenous growth aspirations. He was speaking to the august gathering of Nobel Laureates, Scientists and delegates across the world at the Inauguration of 103rd Indian Science Congress at the Mysore University today. He stressed that innovation in approach is not just the obligation of the government, but also the responsibility of the private sector and the academia.   It was the time of a new awakening in India which sought not just freedom, but also human advancement in India.  He drew the attention of the delegates towards the one of the biggest challenges for the world, and one that dominated global attention last year which is to define a path to a more prosperous future for our world and a more sustainable future for our planet. We were consistent in our message that it is not enough to speak of targets and restraints but it is essential to find solutions that help us easy transition to a future of clean energy said the Prime Minister.  For this, he stressed on 3 A’s available, accessible and affordable for all.

Prime minister suggested for the network of 30-40 universities and labs focusing for next ten years on transforming the way we produce, distribute and consume energy which he said he will also pursue in G 20. This is especially critical for India to achieve target of adding 175 GW of renewable generation by 2022. He called to employ fossil fuel for more efficient use and tap newer sources of renewable energy like ocean waves to geo thermal. Shri Modi said that that Government intends to integrate science and technology into choices that it makes and strategies that it pursues.

Calling the present century as ‘Urban Century’, as by the middle of this century two thirds of world’s population would live in the cities, he said that studies suggest that nearly 40% of the global urban population lives in informal settlements, or slums, where they face a range of health and nutritional challenges. That is why I have placed so much emphasis on smart cities, the Prime Minister added.

He called upon the scientists to be concerned of what he called as Five E s at the centre of their enquiry and engineering:  Economy, Environment, Energy, Empathy and Equity.

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The Union Minister for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Dr.  Harsha Vardhan has said that India has made substantial progress in the field of science and technology and we only have to endeavour to take fruits of such progress to the people.  Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the 103rd Indian Science Congress at Mysore today he said that India need not look towards western world for its scientific requirements.  He said India made substantial progress in the fields of biotechnology, nanotechnology and in space sector.

The Minister while pointing out that a substantial progress has been made in the field of vaccination development said that rotavirus vaccine has been developed in the country at a fraction of the cost  as it is  now available in the international market.  He also said that a cheaper medicine for diabetics -  BGR-34 is also to be launched through technology transfer from the  CSIR labs.2