6.Science and Technology Science and Technology in India 1. India boasts of many contributions such as the first use of zero as revealed by the Bakshali manuscript. However, India now needs to look ahead of its past laurels and move from being a net consumer of knowledge to becoming a net producer as it emerges as one of the world’s largest economies. According to WIPO, India is the seventh largest patent filing office in the world. However, India produces fewer patents per capita. 2. Current situation 1. India has become a major destination for outsourced R&D activities. We currently have more than 1,100 R&D centres set up by MNCs such as IBM, Google, etc. 2. Indian scientists are at the forefront of some global groundbreaking work. For example, 37 Indian scientists from nine Indian institutions played a key role in the discovery of gravitational waves that received the Physics Nobel prize in 2017. Indian scientists also contributed to the discovery of a neutron star merger at Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO), USA. 3. The development of Brahmos, advanced air defence supersonic interceptor missiles, diverse missiles and rocket systems, remotely piloted vehicles, light combat aircraft (LCA), etc., are brilliant examples of India’s progress in strategic and defence technologies. 4. India now ranks amongst a handful of nations that have credible capabilities in the field of space technology. The upgrading from SLV to ASLV and PSLV to GSLV, the first moon orbiter project Chandrayan-1, Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) at the cheapest price and the recent simultaneous launch of 104 satellites are India’s significant achievements. 5. India is now the third largest country in terms of the number of start-ups. The government has set up the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) to transform radically the innovation, entrepreneurship and start-up ecosystem. 3. Importance 1. Science, technology, and innovation have instrumental and intrinsic value for society. They are key drivers of economic performance and social well-being. 2. It is also important for driving scientific temper, with its spirit of enquiry, the primacy accorded to facts and evidence, the ability to challenge the status quo, the adherence to norms of discourse and the elevation of doubt and openness. 3. The open spirit of inquiry that is fundamental to science can provide a bulwark against the darker forces of dogma, religious obscurantism, and nativism that are threateningly resurfacing around the world. 4. It is also essential for human security, for combating climate change as well as national security threats ranging from cyber ware to autonomous military systems such as drones. 4. Challenges to research in India 1. R&D expenditures has remained stagnant at 0.6-0.7% of GDP over the past two decades. This is well below other countries such as US (2.8), China (2.1), Israel (4.3) and Korea (4.2). Central government undertakes almost entire R&D expenditure with limited State government spending but spending by state governments is needed especially for application oriented R&D aimed at problems specific to their economies and populations. 2. The share of the private sector in R&D investment in most technologically advanced countries is as high as 65 percent to 75 percent, it is only about 30 percent in India. 3. There is a disconnect between the teaching and research enterprise with research being concentrated in specialized research institutes and universities playing largely a teaching role. This has led to a situation where universities have students but need additional faculty support, while research institutes have qualified faculty but are starved of young students. 4. Our education system has so far not focused on cultivating a scientific temperament at an early age. In comparison to China, there are less than half Indian STEM PhD students in the US. Fewer students have been enrolling for such degrees either due to lucrative career options after master’s degree or rising work visa challenges. 5. Many Indian students prefer to major in engineering rather than science, because of the promise of lucrative industrial career opportunities. 6. There has been poor progress in the development and deployment of affordable technologies for rural areas, particularly in agriculture, agro-processing, micro irrigation, etc. 7. The public procurement system is heavily biased in favour of experienced and established products and technologies. This strongly discourages new and innovative technologies offered by start-ups, who do not get much- needed support from government procurement. 8. “Lab to Land” time is too long. Renowned public funded institutions like (CSIR) have developed many frontline technologies. However, the rate of transfer of these technologies to industry and for societal benefits is low. 9. The adoption of indigenous innovations by Indian industry is not very encouraging. Frequent violation of Preferential Market Access (PMA) is an issue leading to large-scale imports of foreign products and services. 5. Government efforts 1. Prime Minister Research Fellows (PMRF): It is a PPP between Science & Engineering Research Board (SERB) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) which aims to improve the quality of research by attracting the best talents across the country and reduce brain drain. 2. IMPRESS scheme aims to identify and fund research proposals in social sciences with maximum impact on the governance and society. 3. SPARC aims to boost joint research with global universities from 28 countries and get international expertise to solve major national problems, train Indian students in the best laboratories. 4. IMPRINT is a national initiative of MHRD which aims to address engineering challenges in 10 technology domains relevant to India through an inclusive and sustainable mode. 5. Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) is a flagship initiative set up by the NITI Aayog to promote innovation and entrepreneurship across the length and breadth of the country. 6. Way forward 1. India needs to double its national expenditure on R&D with a larger share coming from private sector and universities. The metrics need to go beyond paper and publications to providing value for society. 2. The private sector should be incentivised to both undertake and support R&D through CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) funds. Government can also partner with private sector to create new R&D funding opportunities such as 50:50 partnerships with Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) for industry relevant research under Ucchtar Avishkar Yojana (UAY). 3. Link national labs to universities and create new knowledge ecosystems. Better synergy between universities and research institutes would fill the gaps of faculty support and young talents and ensure deep commitment to excellence. 4. India should leverage its scientific diaspora. India has the opportunity to attract back more scientists with growing strength of India’s economy and anti-immigrant atmosphere in some countries. There has been an increase in scientists returning to India. Schemes like INSPIRE, VAJRA can act as a catalyst in leveraging the scientific diaspora. The inducements should be to allow them to do good research. 5. Take a more mission driven approach to R&D in some areas like agriculture, genomics, cyber physical systems, etc. 6. Improve the culture of research. Indian science and research institutes need to inculcate less hierarchical governance systems and encourage risk taking and curiosity in the pursuit of excellence. There should be greater representation of younger scientists in decision making bodies. 7. National laboratories and other publicly funded R&D institutions need to make much stronger efforts to engage with the public through the media or through regular tours and lectures and create broad public support for their work. 8. To bring vibrancy to frugal innovations, a non-lapsable “District Innovation Fund” with a corpus of about INR 2 crore in each district may be created and used to promote grass root innovations. Schemes for women in the field of S&T 1. Department of Science And Technology (DST) initiated exclusive schemes to enable women to pursue a career in R&D in Science and Technology (S&T) only in the year 2002. One of the major reasons for gender gap in scientific R&D was the break in career that many women had to face due to familial compulsions like marriage, child birth, looking after old or ailing parents, children's education and so on. 2. DST has launched DISHA Programme for Women in Science to address these issues and made focused efforts to facilitate the re-entry of such women to mainstream science. 3. In 2014, DST restructured the women specific programmes under one umbrella called “KIRAN (Knowledge Involvement in Research Advancement through Nurturing). Through KIRAN, DST is not only addressing various issues related to women scientists (unemployment, break-in career, relocation, etc.) but is also aimed at providing opportunities in research, entrepreneurship, science communication, etc. 4. Consolidation of University Research for Innovation and Excellence in women universities (CURIE) is another component of KIRAN that has a focus to develop state-of-the-art infrastructure to help large number of women to enhance their S&T skills besides promoting research culture in such institutions. 5. KIRAN is also providing budgetary support for creating Women Technology Park (WTP) where appropriate S&T packages for women are developed to improve livelihood and health & nutrition besides reducing drudgery in order to enhance their quality-of-life. KIRAN has more holistic approach and inclusiveness and gives more career options to women through new components, namely mobility as well as training in science communication, entrepreneurship, and leadership. 6. Indo-U.S. Fellowship for Women in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine): It will provide opportunities to Indian Women Scientists, Engineers & Technologists to undertake international collaborative research in premier institutions in U.S.A 7.