Vital to step up science research

Vital to step up science research

The private sector must raise its R&D game.

While ludicrous claims of ancient technological feats at the Indian Science Congress elicit ridicule rather than cultural confidence that leads on to new achievement, young Indians must not dismiss India’s past contributions to science and mathematics as trivial. Ancient Indians have made sterling contributions to mathematics, astronomy and medicine but that tradition was, according to historians of science, smothered by excessive emphasis on metaphysics long before external influences made their presence felt. The university system instituted by the colonial administration was not geared for producing new knowledge and such research as did take place was carried out in specialised research institutes, mostly in the state sector, without organic linkage to teaching. The system largely carried over into independent India.

The prime minister’s call to create an ecosystem for science and research in state universities is welcome in this regard. But mere exhortation will not do. Increasing spending on R&D is critical. In real terms, the absolute expenditure had doubled in the last decade. However, as a share of GDP, the figure of 0.627% in 2015 is not just lower than the peak of 0.867% reached in 2008, but below the figure of 0.628% for 1996. The comparable figure was 2.066% for China in 2015 and 4.228% for Korea. The government is the biggest source of R&D investments in India, as also the biggest consumer of these funds—over three-fifths of the funds are utilised by key state agencies. The private sector and universities must step up their effort. Public funding must be used strategically to leverage and de-risk private funding, and focus on cutting-edge and long-haul research in which the private sector is unlikely to invest.

Science must have a robust interface with other disciplines and policy, whether in boosting farm productivity, adapting to climate change or curbing pollution. This would create new opportunities in fields ranging from engineering to wildlife preservation, and encourage more people to study science, apart from drawing in talent from the diaspora.