Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Thursday that that scientific community must work together to bring more youth to the field of scientific innovation after they finish high school.

He expressed concerns over the falling number of students opting for courses related to the field of scientific research after their 10+2 exams. Mr. Singh was speaking at the foundation laying ceremony of the Indian Institute of Science Education & Research along with the diamond jubilee celebrations of the National Chemical Laboratory.

He said that the government is working towards expanding the education system including science education at various levels. He added that the education system must continuously produce competent young graduates to lead the R&D centers in the country so as to maintain the competitive edge that India enjoys.

'However, we need to do more, we need to improve the quality of teaching of science in our schools, focus on faculty development, increase expenditure on science and technology from the current low of about 1 percent of our GDP, and further strengthen academic-industry interface,' said Mr. Singh.

He urged the leading scientific institutions to come together and work towards findings solutions to the problems faced by the country today. He said scientific solutions can improve the lives of people through environment-friendly technologies, water management, affordable healthcare, food security and biotechnology.

Declaring 2010-2020 as the 'Decade of Innovations' he said that the youth in the country must have a sprit to innovate and find solutions to enable growth of the country.

He paid tribute to the success of the National Chemical Laboratory and said that it has traditions of excellence in scientific research and has been able to produce many individuals who went on to lead prestigious academies of sciences in the country.

On the establishment of Indian Institute of Science Education and Research he said that the idea behind it is to 'create world class institutions for undergraduate as well as postgraduate education in science with an intellectually alive atmosphere for research'.