Mysuru: Former Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre and President of Indian National Academy of Engineering, Dr. B.N. Suresh, exhorted the students to realise the dream of India Vision 2020 of late A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

He was speaking after inaugurating the Atal Tinkering Laboratory (ATL) at Kautilya Vidyalaya, the only school to be selected for this in Mysuru, here this morning.

He said the former President Kalam strongly felt that with the country having the youngest population in the world, it could catch up with developed countries like America and France with new ideas and knowledge through science and technology.

“All the developed countries have progressed due to science and technology. There is no science without technology and vice versa and one complements the other. Kautilya Vidyalaya being selected for ATL is a big honour and the students should make good use of this facility,” said Dr. Suresh.

He called upon the students to focus on innovation and research. The three most important requirements for learning, innovation and being innovative, is to have a keen sense of observation power, curiosity and innovative thinking. Only then is good research possible, he said.

Dr. Suresh reminded the students that after Sir C.V. Raman no Indian has won the Nobel Prize. It is at such times that the youth of today should think hard and try to emulate one of the greatest scientists the world has seen.

Later, he had an interaction session with the students.

One of the students Ayush of 10th standard told Star of Mysore that such initiatives are very useful for students and the experiments they conduct here is an eye-opener.

The ATL is open on all days of the week including Saturdays and Sundays and the public can visit the school and witness the experiments and other facilities, said Principal Dr. L. Savitha.

Former ISRO Scientist C.D. Prasad, Kautilya Vidyalaya Chairman R. Raghu and DC D. Randeep were present.