Kolkata: G Satheesh Reddy, the former chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), called upon the scientific community to develop advanced defence systems and technologies that adversaries do not possess. Reddy, also a former scientific adviser to the defence minister, made the remarks while delivering the 20th Foundation Day lecture, "Evolving Science and Technology Ecosphere," at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata on Friday.
Reddy is also the president of the Aeronautical Society of India.
"Institutes like IISER need to work with organisations like DRDO or the armed forces and provide scientific support for the development of advanced defence systems," he said. Reddy also launched the new programme on BS-MS in computational and data sciences for the newly developing department of computational and data sciences (CDS). IISER Kolkata director Sunil Kumar Khare emphasised the need to popularise science among young minds.
Nearly 800 students from nearby schools participated in the outreach programme, comprising experiments, exhibitions, models, displays, popular talks, and poster presentations. An institute of national importance established in 2006, IISER Kolkata is presently under the aegis of the education ministry.