Dr Singh said that the government will set up two institutes dealing exclusively with science education and research to strengthen country's foundations in basic science.
"I have always felt that it is a pity that a country of a billion people has only one Indian Institute of Science," he said.
"To rebuild our foundations in basic science, the government is creating two institutes dealing with science education and research, one each at Pune and Kolkata," he said hoping these institutes would attain world class standards as the institute at Bangalore.
Dr Singh and the vice president, CSIR and Minister of State for Science & Technology and Ocean Development Kapil Sibal with the awardees of the CSIR Diamond Jubilee Technology Awards and Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Awards -2004, in New Delhi on September 28, 2005.