Scientist C.N.R. Rao on Thursday said India needs to do serious research into the areas of energy, environment and safe water.
Speaking after inaugurating the three-day International Conference on Advanced Materials and Technology (ICMAT-16), a TEQIP-II initiative, organised on the occasion of the birth centenary of Shivarathri Rajendra Swami at Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering here, he said India may face problems if it does not take up research in the area of energy, given how the demand for energy goes up substantially with the increase in population.
He said environment is another area that needs to be studied, especially with water mismanagement rampant in the country. Even as rainwater goes waste, a lot of technologies available for making water safe are not being used, he said. He added that 60 per cent of the diseases in the country are caused by unsafe water.
Arguing that material science was an exciting subject, Prof. Rao said India should become a leader on the subject, which brings scientists and others together.
Prof. Rao, who is the chairman of the National Nano Mission, said India is ranked third in the world in the publication in journals on nano science. He stressed the need for making use of the applications of nano science in the area of medicine. He said research is being done for the treatment of breast cancer using nano particles.
More than 300 papers are expected to be presented during the course of the conference.
