Social transformation through science: Kalam

Former President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam on Saturday asked the Indian Science Congress Association to 'network scientific minds' for finding solutions to society's problems and motivate students to undertake careers in science.

Inaugurating ISCA Coimbatore Chapter, Kalam suggested to the ISCA to adopt villages where innovation was taking place and become a partner in transforming rural innovation into a marketable product with the help of an entrepreneur.

Solutions to seven major problems -- relating to solar power, nuclear power, healthcare, HIV/AIDS, stem cell research, forecasting of earthquake and precision forecasting of rain content for particular cloud condition -- were challenging areas for the young researchers, Kalam said.

The new ISCA members can create a website and enable 'connection of the minds' of all members in the region, who can be given a task related to the seven research areas, he said.

ISCA can facilitate breaking down of the problem and allot a specific topic of the research to the individual members through the website, he said, adding this experience would generate many innovative ideas leading to solutions of complex societal problems and also enable utilisation of physical and mind resources of many institutions.