NITI Aayog emphasises India's rich scientific heritage, asserting that its vast knowledge repository was systematically destroyed during foreign invasions, hindering technological advancement.
NITI Aayog member Gobardhan Das on Monday asserted that India possessed a rich scientific tradition that suffered setbacks during centuries of foreign domination, saying the repository of knowledge was "systematically destroyed" by invaders.
Das, while addressing the National Technology Day celebrations at the Delhi University, jointly organised by Indraprastha Vigyan Bharati and the Faculty of Technology at DU, said Maharshi Kanada propounded the atomic theory around 2,500 years before English chemist John Dalton.
"Our repository of knowledge was so vast that it was systematically destroyed by invaders. It took nearly nine months to burn down the Nalanda library," he said.
Presiding over the event, Yogesh Singh said India's prolonged period of subjugation was partly due to its inability to keep pace with technological advancements.
"National Technology Day reminds us that we must never compromise on technology," he said, adding that higher educational institutions should focus on innovation, originality and creativity to strengthen research and entrepreneurship.
"If we can develop technology ourselves, we should do so. If not, we should acquire it, and if that is not possible, we should collaborate technologically," Singh said.
Das said India was once again emerging as a global scientific and technological power, citing the country's vaccine production during the COVID-19 pandemic, leadership in UPI transactions and advances in strategic defence capabilities.
He also said India holds nearly 25 per cent of the world's thorium reserves and scientists are working towards harnessing them to make the country self-reliant in the energy sector within the next decade.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta congratulated the organisers through a video message. The brochure of the 'Vidyarthi Vigyan Manthan' was also released during the programme.
Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA) National General Secretary, Vivekananda Pai, said science must be promoted in Indian languages to reach the country's population effectively.
He said VIBHA was working towards advancing scientific education and communication through Indian languages.
The event was attended by several senior university officials, including Dean of Colleges Balram Pani, Registrar Vikas Gupta and Faculty of Technology Dean Sanjeev Singh, along with faculty members and students.