Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images] Tuesday said terrorists were targeting research and scientific institutions because of the emergence of India as a knowledge power and asserted no force on earth can weaken the resolve of the Indian people to emerge as a great and a modern nation.

• Terror attack at IISc, Bangalore; 1 killed, 4 injured

"It is a symbol of success of Indian science and technology, of our emergence as a knowledge power, that the symbols and temples of our knowledge society are today being targeted by terrorists," he said referring to the killing of Prof M C Puri in the terror attack at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore last week.

Inaugurating the 93rd Indian Science Congress, Dr Singh said, "I am confident that all our knowledge workers will close ranks and join the struggle to make India a great nation, a humane and a modern nation in knowledge power. No force on earth can weaken this resolve of the Indian people."

Paying homage to Puri at the outset of his speech, Dr Singh said he was gunned down "in the greatest temple of Indian science by the most reprehensible and cowardly enemies of our people".

Dr Singh said Puri was a soldier of knowledge who lived a life of peace dedicated to science and education.

"No civilised people can condone such an uncivilised act," he added.