PM Modi to meet Nobel laureates at first Nobel Prize Series in Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Monday meet several Nobel laureates and have discussions with them on how the country can achieve innovations via Science and Technology.

1. This meeting is to be held at the Science City in Ahmedabad where the Nobel Media is holding the first Nobel Prize Series in the country in conjunction with the biennial summit of Vibrant Gujarat.
2. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed last year by the Nobel Media and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology, for hosting Nobel Prize Series in India for the next five years.
3. Nobel Prize Series is a unique programme combining a conference, lectures, roundtables, and exhibitions. By bringing together Nobel Laureates, other experts and lifelong learners the programme aims to stimulate innovation and creative thinking.
4. Later a trilateral Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Department of Biotechnology, the Government of Gujarat and the Nobel Media.
5. Accordingly the first of the Nobel Prize Series, India 2017 is being held as a prelude to Vibrant Gujarat to demonstrate how science and discovery underpins all enterprise and human well-being with the underpinning theme of Science Impacts Lives.
6. Beside the conference and meeting events, such as lectures, roundtables and other activities in Gandhinagar, Delhi and Bangalore, Nobel Prize Series, India 2017 will feature a five week long Science Exhibition being set up by the Nobel Foundation, with exhibits from the Nobel Museum, Stockholm, Sweden. This will be held at the Science City Ahmedabad.
7. The lectures in Delhi and Bengaluru are to be held on January 12th and 13th.
8. The Nobel Prize Series, India 2017 at Vibrant Gujarat will start on January 9 with the formal inauguration of the Nobel Prize Series Science. This will be followed by an interaction of the Prime Minister with various Nobel Laureates who are visiting India to participate in this conference cum exhibition.
9. Nobel Laureates include Dr. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, Nobel Prize Laureate in Chemistry, Dr. Richard Roberts, Nobel Prize Laureate in Physiology or Medicine, Dr. Harold Varmus, Nobel Prize Laureate in Physiology or Medicine, Dr. Randy Schekman,Nobel Prize Laureate in Physiology or Medicine, David Gross, Nobel Prize Laureate in Physics, Dr. Ada Yonath, Nobel Prize Laureate in Chemistry, Dr. Serge Haroche, Nobel Prize Laureate in Physics, Dr. William E Moerner,n Nobel Prize Laureate in Chemistry have confirmed their participation. Hon'ble Minister of S&T and ES Dr. Harsha Vardhan will be present at the event.
10. On the January 10, there will be panel discussions with the Laureates to be streamed live across the country and the world. In the afternoon, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the CEOs conclave which will be attended by the Nobel Laureates.

PM Modi in Bengaluru Terming the political backlash against demonetisation as unfortunate, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday thanked the Indian diaspora for their support to the note ban to curb black money and fight corruption. The moment Modi raised the demonetisation issue during his 40-minute address -- in both English and Hindi, a majority of the audience cheered and applauded, hailing his decision. (Prime Minister Narendra Modi/ AP Photo) Ruing that the twin evils -- black money and corruption -- had adversely affected the country's economy and polity over the years, Modi said the time had come to eliminate them and help the honest people live with dignity and respect. Modi urged the diaspora, especially Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), to avail of the six-month extension given from January 1 to surrender the banned notes at designated Reserve Bank of India (RBI) offices till June 30. The government has also given three months up to March 31, 2017, to Indians staying or travelling abroad to declare if they possess old notes.