Gadkari calls for tribal, agri-centric innovation for prosperity of villages

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday said there was a need for tribal rural and agriculturecentric research and innovation so that villages in the country prosper reported news agency PTIHe was addressing the second convocation ceremony of the Mahatma Gandhi Mission University in Chhatrapati SambhajinagarWe are the largest growing economy Our prime minister dreams of making our country a USD 5 trillion economy For this we need tribal rural and agriculturecentric research and innovation Earlier 90 per cent of the countrys population lived in villages and now the number has come down to 65 per cent People have not migrated happily but because of the problems in villages the road transport and highways minister saidToday we have cotton that is cheap but clothes are costly We have cheaper oranges and tomatoes but their juices are costly We need to bring prosperity to the villages through the diversification of agriculture to the power and energy sector Biomass will give ethanol and we can create bioCNG and LNG with agricultural waste he saidCurrently the country is importing fossil fuels worth Rs 16 lakh crore If farmers get involved in energy generation and are able to produce energy worth Rs 10 lakh crore villages will prosper and people will return to villages he addedAppealing to students to not take shortcuts Nitin Gadkari said Students sitting here should become job providers and not seekers There is no age for learning We should learn whatever we can from anyone In many cases people who didnt go to school are doing wondersDuring the event the university honoured late poet Vamandada Kardak with D Litt posthumously for his work and writings for social equality University Chancellor Ankushrao Kadam and ViceChancellor Vilas Sapkal former education minister Kamalkishor Kadam were present on the occasionMeanwhile Union minister Nitin Gadkari on October 5 said the countrys doctors command respect the world over and maintained that out of 10 best physicians in the UK and the USA six were of Indian originHe said affordable medical treatment and ensuring availability of cheap medicines were the need of the hourThe association is a premier organization in the country devoted to promotion and advancement of knowledge and skills in the field of surgical and aesthetic dermatologyThe Union minister praised Indian doctors and said they command respect the world overGadkari said out of 10 best doctors in the UK and the USA 6 were from IndiaThe Lok Sabha MP from Nagpur underlined the need to increase the number of medical colleges and AIIMS All India Institute of Medical Sciences campuses in the country in view of increasing demand for themGadkari said the country needs more physicians and pitched for increasing the retirement age of government doctors to bridge the demandsupply gapThe veteran politician called for publicprivate partnership in medical sciences and emphasized on providing qualitative education in the key fieldWith inputs from PTI