Context: Union Minister of Science and Technology addresses faculty and students at the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST) in Mohali, Chandigarh.

About INST Mohali:

• INST Mohali is India’s first Nano-Science Institute dedicated to research and product development in Nanoscience and Technology.
• It is an autonomous research institution under the Society Registration Act, 1960.
• INST Mohali operates under the Department of Science and Technology’s national mission on Nano Science and Technology (NANO Mission).
• It started its activities on 3rd January 2013.
• Research Focus Areas:
• • Agricultural Nanotechnology, Nanomedicine, Energy and Environmental Science, Quantum Materials and Device Physics, Nano Electronics, Microfluidics Based Technologies, Nanobiotechnology.
• Aims: To emerge as a globally competitive research institution, applying nanoscience in agriculture, medicine, energy, and the environment.

What are the objectives of INST Mohali?

• Resource building – Infrastructure and Manpower
• Enhance research activity in Nano Science and Nano Technology
• Training students in the Ph.D. program in Nano Science and Technology
• Generating patents in Nano Science and Technology

About Nanotechnology:

• Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter on a near-atomic scale to produce new structures, materials and devices. 
• Applications: It promises scientific advancement in many sectors such as medicine, consumer products, energy, materials, and manufacturing.
• Example: 
  • Electronics: Carbon nanotubes are on the verge of replacing silicon in microchip production, leading to smaller, faster, and more efficient devices. 
  • Biomedicine: Nanomaterials prove advantageous in biomedicine, offering improvements in the early diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. 

News Source: PIB