It is 57 years to this day since India became a Republic.
I avidly follow the current Indian President's Republic Day Speech every year. Especially so because of the technology laced content that accompanies the tech-savvy Dr Abdul Kalam's speech.
This time around, he donned the role of a leading light to the thousands of scientists in various sectors. His speech envisioned a 5 point mission. Two points caught my attention as an IT student. For the full speech go here.
Increasing the Solar Photo Voltaic Cell efficiency from 14% to 45% using nano technology
Nano technology is a budding field and the President's thrust was to see if we could use this technology to increase photo-voltaic cell's efficiency from 14% ( where it has stood stagnant ever since the first photo-voltaic cell was invented ) to 45%.
A breakthrough here would be reap dual benefits the country
- It will bring about a massive switch over to the use of the Sun's energy by our citizens negating the huge dependence we have on fossil fuels currently.
- If India can patent the technology, it would mean earnings of billions of dollars.
Core research is on in different countries across the world to attain a breakthrough in increasing the solar cell efficiencies. It is a race against time and huge monetary benefits await the country which succeeds in pulling the magic wire first.
Immediate benefits would be
- Unlimited Power to propel a Developing economy like India.
- Applications in Defense technologies
- Space applications that entail India to launch inter-space ventures that solely use solar-power.
Developing the products in the health care, electronics and materials to meet the national requirements using the convergence of nano, bio and info technologies
The second point put forth by the President is even more exciting. He calls upon new indigenous products that could jointly make use the Nano Technology, Bio Technology and Information Technology spheres. Here again the possibilities are endless. Nanobots that could cure AIDS, human replacement parts that could be synthesized to be attached to humans who have lost limbs, software that self corrects bugs and squashes viruses.
Truly the speech opens up the inquiring mind to explore a plethora of super-ideas.
Wish all readers in India a Happy Republic Day.
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