That all is not well with scientific research in this country has been known for some time. But Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s delineation of this bitter fact at the 99th Indian Science Congress puts the matter in stark terms. Not only did he spell out home truths on how India is falling behind China in scientific research; he also correctly diagnosed the reasons. Plainly put, anyone studying science in India has very few real and lucrative prospects to pursue — that is a real disincentive.
It is ironical while our public sector research units don’t offer too many opportunities, multinationals have moved some research units to this country where they employ Indian scientists. So there should be no dearth of opportunities. But clearly that’s not enough. There is a need for greater public-private partnerships in research and indeed, in the long term, it will be critical to create an entire ecosystem nurturing education, research and economic opportunity in science. Companies must get incentives to pursue research, while educational institutions must be encouraged to boost scientific study. Nor should this be limited to defence or agricultural research, two areas which so far have received most of our emphasis.
Having indicated that R&D investments and spending will be almost doubled in the 12th Plan period, Dr Singh should ensure this effort doesn’t remain limited to deploying more financial resources, but also leads to a comprehensive plan to once again boost scientific R&D. India needs this push if it is to maintain and enhance its growth trajectory.