PM presents DRDO awards

Indian Military Veterans

• Calls for extensive involvement of youth in defence research activities to ensure India remains at the forefront of defence technology

• Asks DRDO to engage in a big way with youth and soldiers, for value addition

• PM congratulates defence scientists – compares their efforts with Rishi Mann – the mind of a sage.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today called for involving youth in defence research related activities in a big way, to ensure that India remained abreast of global technological advancements in the field.

Addressing a distinguished gathering of senior and eminent defence scientists, and senior officers of the armed forces, after giving away the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) awards in the capital today, the Prime Minister suggested that at least five DRDO labs should be identified exclusively for innovation from young scientists upto the age of 35 years. The Prime Minister made an impassioned appeal for speeding up defence programmes to keep pace with the world, where technology has become the key driver of defence products. The Prime Minister exhorted DRDO to visualize, anticipate, and eventually set the agenda for the global defence community.

Congratulating the scientists who have won awards today, the Prime Minister drew a parallel with the ancient sages who had composed the Vedas. He said the devotion with which these scientists worked in such sensitive domains, reminded us of the “Rishi-Mann” – “the mind of a sage.”

The Prime Minister encouraged DRDO to connect with the ultimate end-user of its products – the soldier. He said the soldier can suggest many practical innovations in defence technology. “Has the soldier met the sage who toiled for fifteen years to develop a good product for him,” Shri Narendra Modi asked.

Shri Narendra Modi also called upon DRDO to engage actively with identified universities for exchange and spread of values and ideas from one generation to another – “sanskar sankraman.”

He also suggested that a special robot competition be conducted, dedicated to defence matters only.

The Prime Minister said DRDO has done good work and has the potential to deliver more, which is why there are expectations from it to deliver more.

In his address on the occasion, the Defence Minister Shri Arun Jaitley congratulated the award winning scientists, and said DRDO has a very important responsibility to perform for the country. MoS for Defence Rao Inderjeet Singh, MoS PMO Dr. Jitendra Singh, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, and Scientific Adviser to Defence Minister Shri Avinash Chander were also present on the occasion.

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