Responsibility of people to benefit from startup culture: Union minister Jitendra Singh

Jammu, Nov 6 (PTI) Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened doors to lay the strong foundation of startup culture in the country and the responsibility to get utmost benefit from it lies with the people.

The Minister of state in the Prime Minister’s Office said there is a need to change the mindset with regard to employment which should not be restricted to government jobs alone.

“From 350 to 400 startups, the number has gone up to 1.25 lakh to 1.50 lakh under Modi who encouraged the entrepreneurs by opening the doors of various fields like the space sector.

“India started its space programme when Russia and America were preparing to send humans on the moon. But it was our Chandrayaan which was the first to prove the presence of water (one the moon). We have intelligence, capability and dedication,” Singh told reporters after inaugurating the “Children Science Festival” organized by CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM) here.

He said the prime minister opened the doors for the private sector and “now it is our responsibility to benefit from it and make constant endeavours so that it is easy for our coming generations.”

The minister said India has earned recognition at the world stage on the basis of its startups but the time demands a change of mindset within the country on account of employment which should not be restricted to government jobs only.

Referring to the national-level ‘Jigyasa’ programme for children, he said “We believe to catch them young. When the children reach class 10 and 12, they face a lot of pressure and they do not have a feeling of their talent.”

Lauding the historic role of CSIR-IIIM Jammu, he said it was this institution which gifted mint and purple revolution to the world.

Earlier addressing the school students, Singh narrated how the Jigyasa programme is inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a new India and Scientific Social Responsibility (SSR) of Scientific Community and Institutions.

“Jigyasa is a student-scientist connect programme implemented by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in collaboration with Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS),” he said.

He said such activities help to increase the scientific aptitude and inculcate the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship in young minds.

The minister said India’s first virtual science lab for children under CSIR Jigyasa Programme was launched, which built a strong connect between students and scientists with scientists across the country.

“The main objective of establishing the virtual lab was to provide quality research exposure and innovative pedagogy for school students based on an online interactive medium,” he said.

He said the new facility will immensely benefit students from Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas and Government Schools of various States Boards and will help in catching them young.

Director, CSIR-IIIM, Jammu, Zabeer Ahmed said the main objective of the children science festival is to ignite the scientific spirit in young minds.

The CSIR-IIIM, Jammu, has been regularly organizing various youth conclaves and startup expo, as outreach activities and to support and nurture the startup ecosystem of the Union Territory of J&K, he said.