GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4838
TO BE ANSWERED ON 27.04.2005

NEW SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY POLICY

4838. SHRI AJIT JOGI:

Will the Minister of SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

be pleased to state :

(a) whether the Government is formulating any new national policy with regard to Science and Technology;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) the time by which the policy is likely to be announced;

(d) whether the Government has decided to bring about any change in the functioning of various Scientific and Research laboratories including C.M.I. in different parts of the country; and

(e) if so, the details thereof?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE DEPARTMENT OF OCEAN DEVELOPMENT

(SHRI KAPIL SIBAL)

(a) to (e): The Government of India have already announced a new Science and Technology Policy 2003 (STP-2003). It was announced by the Hon’ble Prime Minister during the Indian Science Congress at Bangalore in January, 2003. It was also laid in both Houses of the Parliament.

The new Policy presents Science and Technology with a human face and emphasizes new realities like facing open, global competition; need for examining social, economic and environmental consequences of S&T; and, aggressive international benchmarking and innovation. It advocates strong support for basic research, emphasizes manpower build-up and retention as important challenges and advocates dynamism in S&T governance, through the participation of scientists and technologies, to meet the speed of developments in S&T.

The Government of India is putting in considerable effort to strengthen the research infrastructure of Scientific and Research Laboratories and grant them autonomy and flexibility in their functioning so that an ambience for truly creative work is encouraged