Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Friday unveiled the new Science & Technology policy while inaugurating the 90th Indian Science Congress in Bangalore.

"Some of the thrust areas for Indian science now and in the coming years would be in consolidating the gains the country has made in agriculture science and achieving higher productivity in the cultivation of pulses, oil seeds and vegetables, in animal husbandry, dairy farming, fisheries, horticulture, cultivation of medicinal plants and agro-processing industries," he said.

Expressing concern over the lack of basic healthcare and drinking water for millions of citizens, Vajpayee asked the scientific community to address these issues on a priority basis.

There is an urgent need to provide a large quantum of energy by developing advanced energy technologies capable of making use of domestic energy resources efficiently and by satisfying modern environmental norms, he added.

"Application of new scientific and technological capabilities generated through biotechnology, Information Technology, and space technologies should be extensively pursued.

"Minimizing wastage in farm produce continues to be a neglected task in most parts of the country. All these efforts are essential to increase rural incomes and generate new employment opportunities in the rural economy, which is our first developmental priority," he said.

Referring to the targets set by the Planning Commission for the next five years as part of the Tenth Plan period, Vajpayee said productivity-led growth was the path India had to take in order to attain the ambitious target of 8 per cent Gross Domestic Product growth rate.

"The government would require appropriate science and technology inputs at all levels and in all sectors of the economy from the scientific, academic, and industrial communities to pave the way," he added.

"The objectives of the new policy show that India can respond to changes taking place in the world of science and technology. My vision is to embrace science and technology in its true spirit to realize our dream of making India a developed nation in the 21st century," Vajpayee said.