SPEECH BY HER EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA, SHRIMATI PRATIBHA DEVISINGH PATIL, AT THE INAUGURATION OF THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MATERIALS SCIENCE: TRENDS AND FUTURE-2010

Amravati, 6th January, 2010

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am happy to be here to inaugurate the National Conference on Materials Science: Trends and Future-2010 organized by the Vidya Bharati Mahavidyalaya, Amravati. I wish everyone a very happy New Year and convey my greetings to all, and of course, to the delegates attending this Conference.

Amravati which means 'abode of the immortals' has a rich cultural and historical background. Many freedom fighters were from here as were several great and uncommon personalities who have worked selflessly for the good of others and the country as a whole, such as Gadge Baba, Gulabrao Maharaj, Tukdoji Maharaj, Dr. Punjabrao Deshmukh and Shivajirao Patwardhan and many others. This gives Amravati a position of eminence and a legacy of working with commitment and dedication for the progress of society.

In recent times, this city has come to be known for its educational institutions. It is very important that educational institutions keep themselves abreast of new developments in Science and Technology and the significant advances being made in diverse spheres, as a result of the application of the findings of Research and Development. It will now be inventions and innovations that will bring tremendous change in human societies and, therefore, it is being said that we are living in an age of knowledge. Almost all activities will lend themselves to technological interventions.

It is, therefore, appropriate that this Conference is deliberating on one of the most challenging areas of modern science. It is a multi-disciplinary study that relies on physics, chemistry, other engineering fields such as mechanical and electrical engineering. The availability of innovative materials and specialists in materials science is of increasing importance in a world where there are continual developments in aircraft design, cars, electronic, medical and sports equipment and domestic appliances and much more. Physical properties of materials are usually the deciding factor in choosing which materials should be used for a particular application. This involves looking at many factors such as; material composition and structure, fracture and stress analysis, conductivity and optical and thermal properties to name a few.

Just last month, one of the world's major commercial aircraft manufacturers, Boeing began its test flights on a mid-size aircraft made to a large extent from durable lightweight composite materials. If successful, the use of such materials will help in reducing fuel costs in aircraft. This demonstrates how the demand for materials science experts who understand advanced processing techniques and the latest computer based design procedures is high and is set to rise in the future. Another, fact is that, in recent years a significant amount of focus has begun to be attached to the importance of nanoscience and nanotechnology, because of which materials science has also acquired importance.

It is said that in the future, materials will become progressively smarter. The materials of tomorrow will actively communicate and respond with their environment. For example packaging materials would be able to sense the state of the contents that have been packed. The materials that would be used in the construction of aircraft, trains, ships and automobiles, would be able to detect micro-cracks in the structure of the vehicle or aircraft and as a result would be able to send early warning signals. Smart coatings would be able to repair themselves if damaged by corrosion. Computer chips it is said, will become as small as grains of dust.

New scientific disciplines, such as materials science would require a large amount of work by scientists and researchers, so that the knowledge gained can be applied to industries and areas of economic activity. However, we must be aware and I say this because I am speaking at an institution of higher education, that the quality of research that is being carried out today in the country, is not of the best quality. What is required is the infusion of new life into research that is taking place in our universities. There is also a need to attract more students to study in the basic sciences and also in creating conditions where good research can take place.

As a developing nation, India is currently focused on expanding its physical infrastructure, enhancing its agriculture and industrial productivity, as well as improving its global competitiveness. Today, optimum use of capital or labour or resources is dependent on technological breakthroughs and cutting-edge technologies, including nano technology and materials science. Efficient technologies are important to meet the energy needs of the nation, as also are environment friendly technologies that lower the levels of Green House Gas emissions. I think our scientist should take up this as a new challenge. Finding new options and cost-effective solutions for growth require that our scientists and researchers stay one step ahead rather than try to catch-up with the latest technologies invented by others. We must constantly look ahead to the technologies of the future, so that India can be a storehouse of knowledge and expertise. In a fast changing technological world, the rate of innovation would need to increase dramatically. We need to find new methodologies, new products, and new ideas. For accomplishing these objectives we need highly skilled manpower - engineers, researchers and scientists - that would provide knowledge and techniques to transform the landscape of India.

Technology and its applications should reach a broad section of our society. The majority of our people still live in villages. Our rural areas are engaged in the task of feeding the nation and we must not forget that we survive because of our farmers. However, our farmers are affected by floods, drought, pests, lack of infrastructure and low yields as compared to the rest of the world. While many of these areas are specialized, nevertheless, technologists have a duty to the nation to produce cutting edge solutions for our rural areas and its problems. Our materials scientists and specialists should look into how compound materials can be created in sectors that require cost reduction measures. For example, one obvious area would be construction and the housing industry. Here, materials that could perhaps reduce construction costs of houses, but would be durable and safe otherwise would benefit our rural poor.

It would be wrong to think that innovative solutions can find their genesis in sophisticated laboratories only. Innovation is a wide ranging term that could mean a technological innovation, a fresh way of management or a different way of doing the same task, but which would result in better performance. Innovation is not only the result of what happens in a chemistry, physics or other laboratories alone, but also in the "laboratory of life" and experiences encountered. Some common people, not highly educated, have invented earthen fridge, a scooter running on air rather than fuel and many more such items. I do hope that educational institutions will interact with local communities encouraging them to not only use better technologies but also to supporting them in creatively finding solutions with a view to promote local level innovations.

Educational institutions must assist the students in keeping pace with the requirements of the new age. There should be exchanges among teachers from different regions of the country through seminars, workshops and training courses to enrich their experiences and improve the quality of their work. At the end, I would like to say that the purpose of education is to make students focus on academic excellence and to impart to them a value system which makes them appreciate the rich heritage of our country as well as imbibe in them a spirit of serving the nation.

With these words, I wish the Conference well and I hope that all the participants will have ample opportunity to deliberate on the issues at hand. I hope that the New Year will be a fulfilling one for everyone gathered here, especially for scientists and researchers. I am sure that one of their aims would be, to apply their knowledge to make the world a safer, happier and more comfortable place to live in. My best wishes also to the students and faculty of the Vidya Bharati Mahavidyalaya.

Thank you,

JAI HIND