I
am very happy today, to be here on this occasion, to lay the foundation stone
of the new building of the National Council of
Applied Economic Research.
The institute is a great asset to us, and it is obligatory on all those who
work, or are associated with this magnificent institute, to never lose sight of
the vision of the founding fathers of the NCAER. I remember Dr. P.S. Lokanathan, who, after serving as the first Secretary General of
the Economic Commission for Asia and the Far-East, took over as
the first Director General of this great institute – and I reflect on what he
stood for.
The
purpose of the study of economics is not to provide settled answers to
unsettled and difficult questions, but sometimes to warn economists and the
world-at-large, how not to be misled by clever governments.
I
would like to say, that when we study economics, our impulse is not the philosopher’s impulse – knowledge for the sake of
knowledge – but for
healing that that knowledge may help to bring. These are the words of past
thinkers: Wonder is the beginning of philosophy; but it is not wonder, but
social enthusiasm, which revolts against the silence of fixed life, and the
orderliness of the mainstream, which is the beginning of economic science.
I
sincerely hope that this institute will stay faithful to the ideals which the
founding fathers stood for, and I must say that with the passage of time, the
need for creating purposeful, applied economic research is not diminished, it
has actually gone up. Meaningful research has been done by past Chairmen and
past members of the NCAER. I sincerely hope that this building which is now
going to come up, will provide a hospitable environment for the pursuit of
applied economic research. With these words, I once again express my sense of
joy to be associated with this function.
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