What is the issue?
India's funds for Science in general and for small scale science projects in particular are very low.
How is India's expenditure in Science?
- Currently, research and development expenditure stands at around Rs. 1 lakh crore.
- This amounts to 0.8% of the GDP.
- The recent Economic Survey highlights the role of scientific and technological innovations in economic prosperity.
- It thus calls for doubling the above share.
- Even the doubled amount would be behind that of China, Israel, Japan and the U.S.
- Notably, each of these countries spends more than 2% of their GDP on research.
What are the concerns?
- Research Grants - This year’s Budget has allotted around Rs. 28,000 crore to science ministries.
- Out of this, a mere 3.22% is for basic science projects.
- This will be disbursed as competitive research grants by the statutory body, Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB).
- This is very low in comparison to many other countries where the share is around 30 to 40%.
- Small Projects - Share of expenditure for R&D in GDP is a significant indicator.
- However, more importantly, appropriate share between small and large scale projects also needs attention.
- Notably, funds for exploratory small-scale science researches are diminishing.
How have small science projects transformed?
- Creative and indigenous innovations often result from the efforts of scientists working alone or in small groups.
- The small science projects often emerge as harbingers of technological changes.
- Higgs boson - Discovery of Higgs boson/God particle in 2012 at CERN, European Organisation for Nuclear Research was popular.
- It came with $1 billion annual expenditure of CERN.
- Yet, this began in seminal theoretical works of several independent scientists including Peter Higgs.
- Spectrometer - In 1928, C.V. Raman spent about Rs. 200 on his laboratory-built spectrometer.
- Today, the global market for Raman spectrometers is about $1.2 billion.
- It also brought to India its first science Nobel prize.
- ISRO - Through the 1960s, Vikram Sarabhai was experimenting with simple sounding rockets.
- These ultimately grew into the Indian Space Research Organisation of today.
What is desired?
- India’s provision for competitive research grants needs upward revision.
- Science budget has to be balanced between mission-oriented projects and the small research grants.
- Mission-oriented projects include those in the areas of defence, space, nuclear and environmental sciences.
- Besides these, the research ecosystem that provides human resources and feeds for innovations needs enough policy focus.
- The Economic Survey recommends having a greater share of an investigator-driven model for funding science research.
- These are voluntary, independent researches.
- Here, the investigator or the institution (academic, private, or governmental) serves as the Sponsor.
- It provides more scope to generate individual, innovative ideas.
- The Survey also calls for expanding resources in this regard.
- It stresses on creating governance structures for facilitating supportive research environment in the country.
Source: The Hindu
Quick Fact
SERB
- The Science and Engineering Research Board is an autonomous body.
- It works under the Department of Science and Technology.
- It was set up by the Science and Engineering Research Board Act, 2008.
- It is aimed at promoting basic research in Science and Engineering.
- It provides financial assistance for those involved.
- These include individual scientists, academic institutions, R&D laboratories, industrial concerns and other agencies.
