Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma today emphasised the importance of encouraging young minds to find solutions to problems using science and technology.
Speaking at the National Science Day 2025 celebration and inauguration of a Digital Planetarium at the NEHU campus in Tura, the Chief Minister stated, “We should challenge our youth to come up with solutions to various problems.”
He believes that these challenges will inspire innovative ideas that can benefit society.
Citing an example related to irrigation, he said, “If we encourage our youth to study this issue, they might develop solutions that will benefit our farmers, such as sensor-based or solar-powered systems. We should have faith in their ideas.”
He said that students in different age groups should be supported, from primary school to university and proposed holding science and mathematics competitions with increased prize money to motivate the younger generation.
The Chief Minister said that the government has identified various areas for investment aimed at promoting youth-related initiatives. “India is a young nation, and Meghalaya is even younger. The majority of our population is under the age of 20, with over 600,000 people above 45 years old. Recognizing the potential of our youth, the government is making systematic investments to channel their positive energy,” he stated.
He also spoke about government interventions in sports and music.
During the program, he interacted with participants showcasing various models aimed at solving issues such as traffic congestion, solar-powered flood alarms, solutions for ambulances on elevated roads, and signals for narrow turns.
Later, he visited the Digital Planetarium at the NEHU Tura campus and inaugurated the newly constructed project in the presence of Assembly Speaker Thomas A. Sangma and other dignitaries.