PM wants to create more jobs in villages

Urging Indian scientists to develop affordable and relevant technologies, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday said this was important to help bridge the urban-rural divide and create more jobs in the villages.

Urging Indian scientists to develop affordable and relevant technologies, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday said this was important to help bridge the urban-rural divide and create more jobs in the villages.

"The technologies must be relevant to small and marginal farmers, especially in drought-prone regions," Manmohan Singh said while inaugurating the 93rd Indian Science Congress at the Acharya N G Ranga Agricultural University here.

Attended by over 5,000 leading Indian and overseas scientists, including Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, the meet focuses this year on the role of science and technology in promoting integrated rural development.

Acknowledging the criticism against the first Green Revolution that helped India achieve self-sufficiency in foodgrain production in the 1960s, the Pm said the second Green Revolution should not focus on large farmers but the small and marginal ones.

The PM also presented the first India Science award to eminent scientist CNR Rao on the occasion.

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