Harnessing Science for Poverty Removal

We are now living in a world in which advances in science and technology have made it possible as never before in human history that chronic poverty does not have to be the inevitable fate of the majority of humankind. Poverty removal in our lifetime is a feasible societal goal. We must harness the enormous potential of modern science and technology to deal with vital societal concerns such as food security, education and health for all and energy & environment security. Science and modern technology must become an active instrument of social and economic transformation. There is today widespread recognition of the fact that leadership in the modern age rests on the way we harness science for the development of the economy. Even newly industrializing nations like China and South Korea have leap-frogged ahead of us by their mastery of science and technology. In recent months I have encountered growing concern among our scientists that China has over-taken us in the field of science. If this is true, then we must ask ourselves why is it so and what can we do about it?

Declining Standards

India has to remain in the forefront of scientific research if it is to achieve its development ambitions. How can we achieve that goal if we do not perform well in the field of basic sciences? There is widespread concern about the decline in the standards of our research work in Universities and even in the IITs. A more fundamental challenge is to attract more and better students, both boys and girls, to the sciences at the school and college levels. Teaching of science and mathematics in our schools and colleges ought to be made sufficiently interesting for the pupils. I make a specific reference to girl students because they are performing very well in the sciences at the 10+2 stage. Our challenge is to encourage girl students to pursue a career in science teaching and research. Overall, the economic incentives and rewards have to be so oriented that more and more of our bright students opt for a career in science.

Quantum Jump For a hundred years we had only one advanced institute of research in the sciences. In the last six months our Government has launched three such new institutions. I am confident that this quantum leap in high quality science education will herald a new era in the development of modern science in India. I hope the new Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research will emerge as world-class institutions with an intellectually alive atmosphere for research. We are also committed to increase the annual expenditure on science and technology from less than 1% of our GDP to 2% of GDP in the next five years.

Multinational Corporations

Multinational corporations are playing an increasingly important role in the generation of new knowledge in areas such as biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, information technology and energy. The challenge before us is to find new pathways to sustain adequate incentives for the generation of new knowledge and simultaneously to make the fruits of this knowledge available at affordable prices to the poorer countries in the world

Reverse Brain Drain

In the past few decades some of our brightest students have gone abroad and have done well in advanced fields of research. I am aware of the fact that many of them have been returning home, for varying periods of time, as visiting faculty at institutions in India. Many are taking up work assignments in private sector research institutions and in research-based companies. This “reverse brain drain” must be encouraged.

Knowledge Economy

Our visa regime, our employment regulations and rules, especially in universities and in government institutions, and related issues must respond to this new phenomenon. Our Government will address these issues so that our knowledge economy can benefit from a ‘reverse brain drain’.

Our country is on the threshold of exciting new opportunities. We have to mobilize all the potential for exercise of intellectual creativity, spirit of education and enterprise that exist among our people. We are going to make the future happen. All stake holders must willingly accept the challenge of working in concert to make India a major growth pole of the evolving global economy. (PIB Features)

*Selections and adaptation from Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh’s address at the Platinum Jubilee Celebrations of the National Academy of Sciences

Source : Press Information Bureau
Date : November 16, 2006