While inaugurating the five-day 99th Indian Science Congress on Tuesday, Indian PM Manmohan Singh called for increased R&D spending in India for it to catch up with countries such as China.
AsianScientist (Jan. 4, 2012) This was stated by none other Prime Minister Manmohan Singh while inaugurating the five-day 99th Indian Science Congress at Bhubeneshwar in Orissa on Tuesday.
Calling for the doubling the spending on research and development by the end of the 12th plan in 2017, he said that India has been overtaken by countries like China in the world of science.
The PM told the huge gathering of scientists, numbering more than 15,000 and including a few Nobel Laureates, that over the past few decades Indias relative position in the world of science had been declining.
We must strengthen the supply chain of the science sector. While it is true that science and engineering continue to attract some of our best students, many of them later opt for other careers because of the relatively poorer prospects in science, he said, emphasizing that much more needs to be done to change the face of Indian science.
While stating that the Indian scientific sector could do with a much-needed boost, he said that over the last few years, the number of scientific publications from India has increased at more than 12 percent per annum against the global average of 4 percent. He said India has moved from the 15th rank in 2003 to the 9th rank in 2010 with respect to the number of publications in peer-valued journals.
Singh told that the delegates that as India moves into the 12th five-year plan period, objectives to be achieved include a major increase in R&D investment, greater alignment with national development, and greater collaboration both within India and internationally.
He regretted that with regards to the resources, the fraction of GDP spent on R&D in India has been too low and stagnant, and that there were not enough public-private partnerships in India.
We must aim to increase the total R&D spending as a percentage of GDP to at least two percent by the end of the 12th plan period from the current level of about one percent, he told the international science conference.
This can only be achieved if industry, which contributes about one-third of the total R&D expenditure today, increases its contribution significantly. I sincerely believe that public sector undertakings, particularly those in the energy sector, should also play a major role in this expansion.
The PM said that scientific research should be directed to providing frugal solutions to the chronic problems of providing food, energy, and water security to people in India.
We are examining a proposal to build national capacity and capability in supercomputing which will be implemented by the Indian Institute of Science Bangalore at an estimated cost of Rs. 5,000 crore. The Government is also considering a proposal to establish a Neutrino Observatory in Theni district in Tamilnadu with a proposed investment of Rs. 1,350 crore, he said.
As the theme of the conference this year is Science and Technology for Inclusive Innovation Role of Women, the Prime Minister also mentioned the contributions of women in science, a traditionally male bastion everywhere.
He highlighted that the project director of the Agni Missile program is a distinguished woman scientist Dr. Tessy Thomas. Last year, for the first time, three women scientists received the prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar award, as compared to a total of only 11 women awardees for all the years since 1958 up to then, he said.
We should also take note of the results of a study published last year that showed that 60 percent of nearly 2,000 Indian women Ph.D.s in science who were surveyed were unemployed, he said.
The main reason cited was lack of job opportunities. Only a very small number cited family reasons. This underlines the need for transparency in selection procedures at institutions and also the great importance of gender audits, he added.
PM Singh: China Has Overtaken India In The World Of Science
AsianScientist (Jan. 4, 2012) This was stated by none other Prime Minister Manmohan Singh while inaugurating the five-day 99th Indian Science Congress at Bhubeneshwar in Orissa on Tuesday.
Calling for the doubling the spending on research and development by the end of the 12th plan in 2017, he said that India has been overtaken by countries like China in the world of science.
The PM told the huge gathering of scientists, numbering more than 15,000 and including a few Nobel Laureates, that over the past few decades Indias relative position in the world of science had been declining.
We must strengthen the supply chain of the science sector. While it is true that science and engineering continue to attract some of our best students, many of them later opt for other careers because of the relatively poorer prospects in science, he said, emphasizing that much more needs to be done to change the face of Indian science.
While stating that the Indian scientific sector could do with a much-needed boost, he said that over the last few years, the number of scientific publications from India has increased at more than 12 percent per annum against the global average of 4 percent. He said India has moved from the 15th rank in 2003 to the 9th rank in 2010 with respect to the number of publications in peer-valued journals.
Singh told that the delegates that as India moves into the 12th five-year plan period, objectives to be achieved include a major increase in R&D investment, greater alignment with national development, and greater collaboration both within India and internationally.
He regretted that with regards to the resources, the fraction of GDP spent on R&D in India has been too low and stagnant, and that there were not enough public-private partnerships in India.
We must aim to increase the total R&D spending as a percentage of GDP to at least two percent by the end of the 12th plan period from the current level of about one percent, he told the international science conference.
This can only be achieved if industry, which contributes about one-third of the total R&D expenditure today, increases its contribution significantly. I sincerely believe that public sector undertakings, particularly those in the energy sector, should also play a major role in this expansion.
The PM said that scientific research should be directed to providing frugal solutions to the chronic problems of providing food, energy, and water security to people in India.
We are examining a proposal to build national capacity and capability in supercomputing which will be implemented by the Indian Institute of Science Bangalore at an estimated cost of Rs. 5,000 crore. The Government is also considering a proposal to establish a Neutrino Observatory in Theni district in Tamilnadu with a proposed investment of Rs. 1,350 crore, he said.
As the theme of the conference this year is Science and Technology for Inclusive Innovation Role of Women, the Prime Minister also mentioned the contributions of women in science, a traditionally male bastion everywhere.
He highlighted that the project director of the Agni Missile program is a distinguished woman scientist Dr. Tessy Thomas. Last year, for the first time, three women scientists received the prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar award, as compared to a total of only 11 women awardees for all the years since 1958 up to then, he said.
We should also take note of the results of a study published last year that showed that 60 percent of nearly 2,000 Indian women Ph.D.s in science who were surveyed were unemployed, he said.
The main reason cited was lack of job opportunities. Only a very small number cited family reasons. This underlines the need for transparency in selection procedures at institutions and also the great importance of gender audits, he added.
PM Singh: China Has Overtaken India In The World Of Science
What, had this Singh been living under a rock for past decades?
