Inaugurating the centenary celebrations of the IISc here on Wednesday, the Prime Minister first paid tribute to Prof M C Puri who was killed in the December 2005 terror attack on the campus. “That terrorist attack symbolised the nefarious designs of the enemies of our country and our people. They chose the IISc as their target because this great institution and this vibrant city have come to represent the spirit of a resurgent India,” he said.

The Prime Minister called for the spread of scientific temper in the country through the work of scientists. “We need an opening of the Indian mind. We cannot allow unreason to dominate reason, and intolerance to threaten the spirit of tolerance and dispassionate enquiry that is at the heart of Indian culture,” Singh stressed. Science is a means to shaping minds, he said.

He made a fervent appeal to make science more accessible to the people. “We have to spread the light of liberal learning and critical enquiry among all our people so that we can truly build a ‘knowledge-based’ society and economy,” he said.

With newly industrialised countries like China and South Korea leaping ahead in science and technology by tying up with the best institutions in the world, Indian scince institutions must be open to two-way flows of information with other institutions, he said.

Recalling the philosophy of ‘constructive philanthropy’ of Jamsethji Tata that led to the creation of the IISc, the Prime Minister said modern business leaders should derive inspiration from Tata and invest more in ‘constructive philanthropy’. “Jamsethji believed that industry and science would serve as two pillars of the modern Indian nation. Like a true pioneer he contributed to the growth of both,” the PM said.