Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Shillong: Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh visited the North East Centre for Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR) in Shillong on Monday, July 13. He inspected key facilities and chaired a review meeting with heads of scientific institutions to track regional progress. Progress is rapid. Singh noted that the Northeast has transformed over the past decade through improved rail, road, and air connectivity.
The Minister highlighted major leaps in scientific infrastructure. Weather radars increased from two in 2014 to 13, with more coming via Mission Mausam. Seismological observatories jumped from 80 to over 170. This improves disaster readiness for the region. Singh credited these gains to the focus of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has visited the area nearly 80 times.
During his tour of the Barik Point campus, Singh inaugurated a new GeoInformatics Laboratory. The facility houses 17 advanced drones, including LiDAR and hyperspectral-enabled vertical take-off and landing platforms. It features high-performance computing and specialized software. The Minister also reviewed the Mobile Food Processing Unit, a collaboration with CSIR-CFTRI designed to bring processing to farmers. He called the initiative a "processing on wheels" solution.
Training efforts are expanding. NECTAR has trained 569 drone technicians, 247 GIS professionals, 107 certified drone pilots, and 4,500 students in emerging tech. The STEM Education Laboratory, operational since January 2025, teaches robotics, coding, AI, and 3D printing to hundreds of local youth. Singh also inspected the PM-DevINE scheme’s Vasundhara Soil Organic Carbon Detection Laboratory, which uses tech from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre to provide local soil testing.
The Minister urged institutions including CSIR-NGRI, NEIST, CMERI, IAAST, IIG-DST, CSO-NCS-IMD, and IBSD-DBT to work in a mission mode. He wants more collaboration between researchers, IITs, and state governments to drive the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision. Research must hit the ground. Singh emphasized that scientific innovation must create livelihoods and jobs to improve life for the people of the Northeast.
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