Chandigarh, July 22: The Punjab State Council for Science & Technology (PSCST) celebrated its 43rd Foundation Day, reaffirming its commitment to strengthening Punjab's research, innovation and technology ecosystem.
Addressing the event, Kamal Kishore Yadav, IAS, Secretary, Department of Science, Technology & Environment, Punjab, said the state government is focused on building a vibrant research and innovation ecosystem. He highlighted PSCST's role in conceptualising Punjab's world-class Knowledge City cluster and developing skilled human resources that contribute to meaningful research and societal progress. He also called for stronger collaboration among government, academia, research institutions, industry and startups to accelerate innovation-led growth.
Dr. Shailender Kaur, IFS, Special Secretary, DSTE Punjab, praised PSCST's contributions over the past four decades. She said the Council has established strong partnerships with various stakeholders and encouraged industry and academic institutions to collaborate further in strengthening Punjab's research ecosystem.
In his welcome address, Pritpal Singh, Executive Director, PSCST, highlighted the Council's major achievements. He said PSCST is providing scientific and technical support to over 8,000 industrial units in adopting cleaner technologies and improving energy efficiency. He also announced the establishment of the Centre for Research, Innovation, Policy & Technology Advancement, which will promote innovation, entrepreneurship and technology commercialisation in Punjab.
Prof. Rajeev Ahuja, Director, IIT Ropar, stressed the need to nurture innovation from the school level, strengthen startup culture, promote industry-academia partnerships and encourage translational research.
Prof. Ashwani Pareek, Executive Director, National Agri-Food Bio-Manufacturing Institute (NABI), said India should move from being calorie-sufficient to nutrient-sufficient through science-driven innovation and collaborative research.
During the programme, Dr. Dapinder Bakshi, Joint Director, acknowledged the contributions of knowledge institutions, industry partners and startup ecosystem enablers. Several experts from healthcare, entrepreneurship, academia and innovation were honoured for their outstanding contributions. The dignitaries also released a commemorative souvenir on PSCST's four-decade journey and the TISC Bulletin on Intellectual Property Rights.