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Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 19 (IANS) C.N.R. Rao, the scientific advisor to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Tuesday exhorted India's scientists to work in groups rather than functioning in isolation, citing the team spirit of their counterparts in China which has emerged as a world leader. "In the recent past, China has literally frightened developed nations in terms of growth in science and this emergence as a global leader owes to the hard work and team spirit of Chinese," said Rao in his address at the inauguration of the Nano India 2013 here. "The R&D investment of China for the next five years is a whopping $1.5 trillion," he said. The two-day national conference on nanoscience and technology is intended to provide exposure to the scientific community including students to nanoscience and nanotech research besides promoting exchange of ideas and collaborative endeavours in interdisciplinary areas. It is jointly organized by National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), a constituent laboratory of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the central government's science and technology department. The Indian government launched the Nano mission in May 2007, with an allocation of Rs.1,000 crore for five years to promote the research and developments in this emerging and highly competitive area. "Nano research is one of the globally pursued frontier areas of contemporary research expected to influence a wide range of products and processes with far-reaching implications for national economy and development," said Rao. The conference will feature top most experts in these areas speaking on important areas in nanoscience and technology such as health care applications of oxide functional nanostructures, light matter interactions at nanoscale, optical and electronic properties of semiconductor nanomaterials, molecular DNA devices in living systems, and agro-nanobiotech in India. About 500 delegates from various academic institutions and industries are taking part and the conference will be followed by a two day review of the ongoing projects under the Nano Mission programme.
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