Need to liberate science from shackles of bureaucracy: Manmohan

Need to liberate science from shackles of bureaucracy: Manmohan

The Hindu 2010/1/3

PTI Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with his wife Gursharan Kaur in Thiruvananthapuram as he arrives for a two-day state visit on Saturday. He inaugurated the 97th Indian Science Congress on Sunday. Photo: PTI


Stressing on the centrality of scientific institutions in the innovation eco-system, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said, "The system must include industry, and providers of venture funds, as well as regulators who set high standards of performance for products".
Terming as “unfortunate” regression in some sectors of Indian science due to red tape and political interference, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday asked scientists to engage with government to liberate it from shackles of “bureaucratism and in-house favouritism“.

Holding that time has come to give a “new boost” to science and technology, he asked Indian scientists working abroad to return to the country to convert the “brain drain” to “brain gain“.

Dr. Singh announced that the government was considering revision of the value of doctoral and post-doctoral fellowships as well as formulation of schemes that would cover all research scholars with some funding support.

“It is unfortunately true that red tape, political interference and lack of proper recognition of good work have all contributed to a regression in Indian science in some sectors from the days of C V Raman and others,” Dr. Singh said inaugurating the 97th Indian Science Congress here.

He said he had taken note of 2009 Nobel laureate Venkataraman Ramakrishnan’s remarks that there was a need for greater “autonomy from red tape and local politics” for Indian scientists.

Steps to improve science

Dr. Singh said steps to improve science requires not only money but change in mindset, including that of the senior faculty and university administration.

“I invite you all to explore all these issues and engage with us so that we can do what is needed to liberate Indian science from the shackles and dead weight of bureaucratism and in-house favouritism,” he told a gathering of about 5000 scientists and educationists

“Only then we can unleash the latent talent and creative energies of our scientists and engineers,” Dr. Singh said.

The Prime Minister appealed to scientific institutions to introspect and to propose mechanisms for greater autonomy, including from the government, which could help to improve standards.

“We must make special efforts to encourage scientists of Indian origin currently working abroad to return to India, including to coming to universities or scientific institutions for a short period.

“In this way we can convert the ‘brain drain’ of the past into a ‘brain gain’ for the future,” he said.

Stressing on the centrality of scientific institutions in the innovation eco-system, he said, “The system must include industry, and providers of venture funds, as well as regulators who set high standards of performance for products“.

Decade of innovation

Noting that the government has declared 2010-2020 as a “decade of innovation”, he said, “We cannot continue with business as usual as we need new solutions in many areas to achieve the goals of inclusive and sustainable growth.”

He pitched for a strong outward orientation of the innovation eco-system to stimulate innovation to find indigenous solutions for local problems.

“Solutions from developed countries are not always applicable. They are often too costly and at times not sustainable... Innovators must be challenged to produce solutions society needs,” the Prime Minister said.

Dr. Singh said the scientific establishments must be central to the innovation eco-system but there was a need to think creatively on how to increase private investment in research and development.

“Some innovative policy readjustments may be required to build vibrant public-private-partnerships in the S&T (science and technology) sector,” he said.

“Today, each operates within its own silo. Unless we close those gaps, our research and development sector may report high performance in terms of published papers but our challenges of the 21st century will remain unsolved,” he said.

Listing out steps taken by his government in the S&T area, the Prime Minister said a special scheme named Consolidation of University Research, Innovation and Excellence (CURIE) has been launched to attract more women to take up careers in science.

He said the National Science and Engineering Research Board will start functioning by March. The Board is expected to function as an independent body comprising eminent scientists which would allot funds for research projects, he said.

The Prime Minister said the landmark agreement with the Nuclear Suppliers Group lifting long-standing restrictions on transfer of nuclear fuel to India has paved the way for an accelerated nuclear power development programme.

India must not lag behind in climate change initiatives

The Copenhagen meet made “limited progress” and no one was satisfied with the outcome, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, while observing that taking the path of low greenhouse gas emissions was the only alternative and India “must not lag behind” on this.

Dr. Singh acknowledged that results of last month’s climate summit, that saw sharp differences over issues of emission cuts and accountability, had left no one satisfied.

However, he said, India should aspire to be among the world leaders in climate-friendly technologies.

“We were able to make only limited progress at the Copenhagen Summit and no one was satisfied with the outcome.

“And yet there is no escaping the truth that the nations of the world have to move to a low greenhouse gas emissions and energy efficient development path,” he said.

Dr. Singh, who was among over 100 world leaders who attended the finale of the 12-day summit in the Danish capital, said nations are chalking out strategies to achieve greater energy efficiency and a shift to renewable energy sources, as well as for adapting to climate change “which is inevitable“.

India, he said, “must not lag behind in these areas“. “Indeed we should plan to be among the leaders in the development of science and technology related to mitigation and also adaptation to climate change. The market for such technologies is not just India. It is the whole world,” he said.

Disappointment

The much-anticipated Copenhagen climate change summit ended in a disappointment last month, with world nations failing to agree on clear terms on the way to combat global warming, and coming out with a mere face saver statement.

Major differences persisted over the limit to which rise is temperature is to be contained and on the insistence of developed countries that developing nations must open up their domestic mitigation targets for scrutiny.

The Prime Minister said even as India grapples with the challenges of food security and disease control, climate change and its effects are posing fresh challenges to the country.

Climate change, he said, “is a problem that is challenging the knowledge and wisdom of humankind“.

He said India now faces “new challenges of climate change and the management of our scarce water resources,” and pressed for marking a greater share in the energy sector to clean supplies like nuclear and solar energy.

“As far as energy is concerned, renewable and clean energy supplies will need to play a much bigger role that what they do currently. Nuclear and solar energy supplies will need to increase considerably,” Singh told the gathering.

On the nuclear energy front, he expressed confidence that the “landmark” waiver on fuel restrictions by the Nuclear Suppliers Group last year, will help India “plan for an accelerated nuclear power development programme”.

Keywords: Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, former President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, Prithviraj Chavan, 97th Indian Science Congress, ISC 2010, tight security, Children's Science Congress, scientific developments