SHILLONG, July 13: The Northeast has undergone a significant transformation over the past decade, emerging as a region with improved connectivity, stronger scientific infrastructure, and expanding opportunities, Union Minister of State for Science & Technology Jitendra Singh said on Monday.
Speaking to the media after chairing a review meeting of Science and Technology institutions at the North East Centre for Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR) in Shillong, Singh highlighted the progress made since 2014.
The Minister noted that states previously lacking railway connectivity are being integrated into the national network, while new airports and improved road infrastructure have significantly reduced travel time.
Highlighting the strengthening of scientific tools, Singh stated that the number of weather radars in the Northeast has increased from two in 2014 to 13, with further expansion planned under Mission Mausam. Additionally, seismological observatories and stations have grown from 80 to over 170, enhancing earthquake monitoring and disaster preparedness in the seismically active region.
Singh credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s focus on the region, noting that the Prime Minister has visited the Northeast nearly 80 times. He observed that the region’s youth are increasingly excelling in sectors such as aviation, tourism, and healthcare, citing the recent recruitment of nurses for Japan, many of whom were from Meghalaya.
Earlier at NECTAR, the Minister reviewed a Mobile Food Processing Unit developed with the CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute to assist farmers with value addition. He also visited the Vasundhara Soil Organic Carbon Detection Laboratory, established under the PM-DevINE scheme for in situ soil testing.
Singh inaugurated an advanced Geo-Informatics Laboratory equipped with drone and LiDAR technologies to strengthen geospatial research. During a meeting with heads of various scientific organisations, including the India Meteorological Department and the National Centre for Seismology, he urged institutions to focus on measurable outcomes.
The Minister called for greater collaboration between scientific bodies, IITs, industry, and state governments to translate research into grassroots solutions. He stressed the importance of using technology to improve livelihoods and generate employment, aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
