Raja Ramanna, who is also member of the Rajya Sabha told media persons that nuclear tests conducted early this month were far more sophisticated and modern. ``This fact had also been now acknowledged by the western countries like America, which had always tried to undermine our scientific advancements,''he observed.

The former Atomic Energy Commission chairman who was here in connection with a programme of National Research and Technology Consortium (NRTC) said India had always kept its nuclear options open. ``If Indian Government did it now, it was only the question of exercising the option,'' he said and advised that country now must be very clear as how to use the nuclear devices since these can destroy the whole mankind. He maintained that India was second to none so far its nuclear programme was concerned.

When asked to comment on remarks of some retired army generals, who described the tests as ``inferiors'', he said these generals themselves must be inferiors.

Stressing that India had always stood for peace, Raja Ramanna said country cannot afford to use its nuclear options for purposes except defensive deterrence. When asked whether country had tried to ward off clouds of war from China, Raja Ramanna declined to make a comment but quoted that during his visit to China two years back, he was told by some scientists as why India wants to exercise nuclear options.

Asked about signing of CTBT, the former Atomic Energy Commission chairman said India should not sign CTBT in its present form. ``It had been drawn up in such a way that it favours only five nuclear powers and unless it was made equitable India cannot sign it'' he said endorsing Prime Minister Atal BIhari Vajpayee's stand.

Secretary to Department of Science and Technology of India Dr K Ramamurti said the government would extend support to Himachal on its science programmes and science and technology. A technology information centre would also be set-up here very soon.

Earlier, at the seminar, Raja Ramanna stressed the importance of patents protection and intellectual property rights for all types of technical development and technology as it play a vital role in maintaining industrial quality and technological development.

He also stressed for the protection of intellectual property rights and use of the patents system. He said that Union government had been advised by an expert group to modernize the patent offices.