Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said that the growth of SCO depends on its success in science, technology and innovation sectors and there is a need to transform this landscape.
Dr Jitendra Singh, while delivering his inaugural address at the Second SCO Young Scientist Conclave in Bengaluru noted that India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at the 19th Meeting of Council of Heads of State of SCO, had coined an acronym HEALTH (‘H’ for Health-care cooperation, ‘E’ for Economic cooperation, ‘A’ for Alternate Energy, ‘L’ for Literature and Culture ‘T’ for Terrorism free society, ‘H’ for Humanitarian Cooperation). He said that SCO brings together the colorful and distinctive cultures of Central and South Asia and it promotes mutual assistance and team spirit. The Minister added that the SCO consists of approximately 42% of the world’s population, 22% of its land area, and it contributes 20% to the global GDP. He said that the SCO countries have demographic advantage of having large number of young people.