Youth achieving extraordinary things because of right environment, says PM Modi

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday highlighted the innovative work being undertaken by young entrepreneurs and researchers at IIT Madras, saying the country's youth were developing advanced technological solutions across several fields, including financial security, healthcare, defence and transportation. 

He also paid tribute to renowned Indian scientist Narinder Singh Kapany, widely known as the 'Father of Fibre Optics', ahead of his 100th birth anniversary on October 31.

Addressing the 139th episode of his monthly radio programme, 'Mann Ki Baat', PM Modi shared experiences from his recent visit to Chennai, recalling his interaction with young people during a metro journey and his visit to IIT Madras. 

"It was truly heartening to see how our youth are working on innovative solutions to problems," the Prime Minister said.

Highlighting some of the projects being developed by young entrepreneurs, PM Modi said one start-up was working on technology to verify the quality of gold, which could help protect consumers from fraud while purchasing the precious metal. 

He also spoke about another team developing a platform aimed at enabling the faster recovery of money lost in bank fraud cases. In the healthcare sector, a separate team is exploring the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to assist in cervical cancer screening.

"The interaction at IIT was entirely focused on 'deep-tech.' These start-ups are being supported by the incubation ecosystem at IIT Madras. Among them is a start-up that is developing an electric vehicle capable of flying over the sea. Another start-up is developing fast-charging batteries for drones and electric vehicles. One team is working on the application of AI in defence technology," he said.

PM Modi noted that the projects demonstrated how young people were exploring advanced technological applications in areas such as mobility, energy storage and national security.

"Our youth are achieving such extraordinary things today because they are receiving the right environment and support. It is not as if there has ever been a shortage of talent in our country," he said.

The Prime Minister then drew attention to the achievements of Indian scientists and recalled that the country would mark the 100th birth anniversary of Narinder Singh Kapany on October 31. 

Born in Punjab's Moga district, Kapany made pioneering contributions to the development of fibre-optics technology and earned international recognition for his research into the transmission of light through thin fibres.

"In just a few days, on October 31, India will mark the 100th birth anniversary of one such great Indian scientist, Narinder Singh Kapany. The world knows him as the 'Father of Fibre Optics.' He was born in the Moga district of Punjab," the Prime Minister said.

"His advanced research into the technology of transmitting light through thin fibres lent a new direction to the world of communication. It is difficult to even imagine the era of the internet and digital communication that we live in today without fibre optics," he said.

"On this occasion, we pay our respects to Narinder Singh Kapany. I would like our youth to read and learn about scientists like him, and draw inspiration from them," the Prime Minister added.

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