Union Minister Jitendra Singh met President Draupadi Murmu, wished Diwali

New Delhi, October 18 (IANS). Minister of the trade union, dr. Jitendra Singh, met President Draupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Saturday. He wished the President a happy Diwali and shared information about the progress and upcoming plans of his ministries. During this he also discussed the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir. Dr. Jitendra Singh briefed President Draupadi Murmu about two major national science events. First, the four-day India International Science Festival (IISF-2025) starting from December 6 in Chandigarh, which will be based on the theme ‘Prosperity through Science’. The event will showcase India’s achievements in science and technology and encourage participation from the youth and the public. It will include five main themes: Science of Northwest India and the Himalayan region, Science for society and education, self-reliant India, biotechnology and integration of traditional knowledge with modern science. This festival will promote sustainable development. Second, the Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conference (ESTIC-2025), to be held from November 3 to 5, 2025 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. Based on the theme ‘Imagine, Innovate, Inspire for a Developed India 2047’, the conference will be the first integrated platform of science and technology. In this, areas such as semiconductors, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, space science and clean energy will be discussed. Dr Jitendra Singh said that the event reflected a ‘whole of government’ approach with the participation of 13 ministries. There will be 11 thematic sessions, which will promote collaboration between researchers, start-ups and industries. Minister Jitendra Singh said that India has made significant progress in innovation in the last decade. The country is now among the top six countries in the world in patent filing and could overtake leading economies in research publications by 2029. ESTIC-2025 will serve as a strategic platform to formulate India’s scientific and technological roadmap, linking innovation to national priorities and sustainable development goals. Dr. Jitendra Singh praised India’s scientific development under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said that the role of science and technology is emphasized in every speech of the Prime Minister. IISF and ESTIC complement each other, where ESTIC focuses on the study of science, while IISF is a celebration of innovation. –IANS AKS/DKP