New Delhi: Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh presented awards to distinguished figures from the medical field and philanthropists at a ceremony organized by Malayala Manorama and The Week magazine today. The event celebrated the contributions of notable individuals across various domains, including social service, media, education, cinema, and music.
Dr. Singh unveiled the “Pioneers of India,” a Coffee Table book featuring 29 personalities who have made significant impacts in their respective fields. He lauded the book as a “remarkable tribute to the indomitable spirit of creativity that has thrived in our nation for millennia.”
In his address, Dr. Singh expressed his satisfaction at being among the medical fraternity, given his own four-decade-long career as a renowned endocrinologist. He described the book as a testament to India’s extraordinary heritage of intellectual inquiry and pioneering achievements across diverse fields.
The Union Minister reflected on his previous association with the publishing group and highlighted that a similar ceremony was held last year. He praised Prime Minister Modi’s leadership for advancing research and development, mentioning recent government initiatives such as internships for youth, the abolition of angel tax, and the revised CSR rules mandating corporate investment in R&D.
Dr. Singh emphasized the government’s support for startups, citing successes in the space and biotechnology sectors through collaboration with non-governmental entities. He asserted that India is at the forefront of preventive healthcare and cautioned about the rise of non-communicable diseases alongside communicable ones.
On sustainable startups, Dr. Singh shared his mantra: “Early industry linkage and shedding skepticism that startups are only about information technology are key to success.” He underscored the government’s commitment to fostering an enabling environment for innovation and entrepreneurship.
Highlighting the importance of traditional knowledge, Dr. Singh spoke about the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL), which digitizes and transfers traditional knowledge to younger generations.