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PM promises more R&D funds
With emphasis on invoking the power of science in every sphere of India's economy and lifestyle, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday promised greater investment in research and development of science at two per cent of the GDP within the next five years. India's growth in the sector has been stagnant and it is being overtaken by countries such as China.
Addressing the 99th edition of the Indian Science Congress here, the PM lamented that the fraction of GDP spent on R&D in India has been "too low and stagnant" and said, "We must aim to increase the total R&D spend as a percentage of GDP to two per cent by end of the XIIth Plan period from the current level of about 0.9 per cent."
Prof Geetha Bali, general president of the Indian Science Congress Association, presided over the inaugural session of the Congress in which about 15,000 delegates including 12 Nobel laureate scientists are participating. Among others, Union Science and Technology Minister Vilasrao Desmukh and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik spoke on the occasion.
The theme of the ISC, organised jointly by the NISER and the KIIT University, is "Science and Technology for Inclusive Innovation — Role of Women".
Asserting that the Union Government is committed to boost research and development in Science, the PM said the increase in investment could only be achieved "if industry which contributes about one-third of the total R&D expenditure today increases its contribution". "I believe public sector undertakings, especially in the energy sector, should play a major role in this expansion," he said.
Admitting that publicly-funded R&D is "skewed" in favour of fundamental rather than applied research, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called for Public-Private Partnership in R&D in science and technology, the PM said, adding that a set of principles should be formulated to push such funding and to drive PPP in R&D as it is easier to attract industrial funds into applied research.
While stating that India has to increase public-private partnerships and catalyse significantly increased interaction between publicly-owned science and technology institutions and industry, the Prime Minister said, "We need to look at ways of incentivising private R&D investment under Indian conditions."
To make good his point on PPP in R&D, he gave the example of Singapore experiment of "the Biopolis". He said Biopolis in Singapore is an interesting example of a cluster approach that has brought together 2,000 scientists and researchers.
With emphasis on invoking the power of science in every sphere of India's economy and lifestyle, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday promised greater investment in research and development of science at two per cent of the GDP within the next five years. India's growth in the sector has been stagnant and it is being overtaken by countries such as China.
Addressing the 99th edition of the Indian Science Congress here, the PM lamented that the fraction of GDP spent on R&D in India has been "too low and stagnant" and said, "We must aim to increase the total R&D spend as a percentage of GDP to two per cent by end of the XIIth Plan period from the current level of about 0.9 per cent."
Prof Geetha Bali, general president of the Indian Science Congress Association, presided over the inaugural session of the Congress in which about 15,000 delegates including 12 Nobel laureate scientists are participating. Among others, Union Science and Technology Minister Vilasrao Desmukh and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik spoke on the occasion.
The theme of the ISC, organised jointly by the NISER and the KIIT University, is "Science and Technology for Inclusive Innovation — Role of Women".
Asserting that the Union Government is committed to boost research and development in Science, the PM said the increase in investment could only be achieved "if industry which contributes about one-third of the total R&D expenditure today increases its contribution". "I believe public sector undertakings, especially in the energy sector, should play a major role in this expansion," he said.
Admitting that publicly-funded R&D is "skewed" in favour of fundamental rather than applied research, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called for Public-Private Partnership in R&D in science and technology, the PM said, adding that a set of principles should be formulated to push such funding and to drive PPP in R&D as it is easier to attract industrial funds into applied research.
While stating that India has to increase public-private partnerships and catalyse significantly increased interaction between publicly-owned science and technology institutions and industry, the Prime Minister said, "We need to look at ways of incentivising private R&D investment under Indian conditions."
To make good his point on PPP in R&D, he gave the example of Singapore experiment of "the Biopolis". He said Biopolis in Singapore is an interesting example of a cluster approach that has brought together 2,000 scientists and researchers.
