Funding in Scientific Research
What impact does science and technology have?
- The purpose is to improve one’s knowledge of the world. It is a very competitive field among nations.
- Spending on science and technology has long been considered an indicator of socioeconomic growth.
The state of India’s R&D spending:
- Government funds are the primary source of research funding in India. The private sector is only marginally involved.
- India contributes 1-3 percent of total worldwide R&D spending. However, the United States and China hold around 25% and 23% of the market, respectively.
- The proportion of qualified researchers in India is extremely low. In 2017, India had 255 researchers per million people, compared to Israel’s 8,342, Sweden’s 7,597, and South Korea’s 7,498.
- Budgetary allocations have been steadily decreasing over the last few years. It ranged between 0.6 and 0.8 percent of GDP over the course of a decade. It behind the United States, China, Japan, European Union countries, and South Korea significantly.
- The cash distribution is skewed. The majority of funding goes to the Department of Space and Atomic Energy. ICAT, CSIR, DST, DBT, MoES, and the Indian Council of Medical Research received the remaining 30 to 40% of public funds (ICMR).
- Between 2011 and 2018, funding remained stable despite a rise in the number of universities from 752 to 1,016, as well as the number of students seeking doctorates.
- The majority of the country’s scientific research is conducted by government laboratories and a few notable institutes. The agency will result in knowledge democratisation.
- India has taken certain initiatives to increase funding for scientific research.
- In accordance with the National Education Policy 2020, the government announced the foundation of the National Research Foundation (NRF). Thousands of colleges and institutions are expected to participate, enhancing university science research and social science activity. The budget for 2021-22 announced a five-year allocation of ten billion rupees to this agency, beginning in 2021.
- The budget address for 2021 also mentioned an intention to invest about 4,000 crore over five years for deep-ocean research and biodiversity conservation.
- The government has indicated that four centres for virological research and hydrogen energy development will be established.
Steps to Follow:
- Scientific organisations must be more autonomous, participatory, and less bureaucratic, as well as have a vibrant and responsive financial structure, to realise the full potential of Indian research.
- India must decide to eliminate bureaucratic barriers in government departments and implement creative techniques to boost basic research.
- Scientific research funding should be expanded by the government. R&D spending should be boosted to at least 1% of GDP.
- The contribution of the corporate sector is also crucial. The government should offer private actors with incentives such as tax breaks.
- NRF should be founded as well. It should be free of political interference and the associated financial commitment. Upgrades to the Science Engineering Research Board (SERB) are also possible.
- China, which has suddenly risen to the top of the scientific research world, may teach India a lot.
