Union Minister for Science and Technology, Harsh Vardhan said India urgently needs new ideas and technologies, not mere research journals.
The Minister added that researchers must start developing these new ideas and technologies, instead of merely showing published journals as their contributions towards the society.
Citing an example of his recent visit to the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-North East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat in Assam, the minister said he asked the researchers what the Institution developed in terms of technologies and ideas in its 30 years of history - he was only handed 100s of published journals instead.
“I asked the researchers at Jorhat what are the breaking news from the Institute in terms of new ideas and technologies, to which they showed me the journals that have been published by the Institute,” the Minister said while speaking as the Chief Guest at the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institution of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) in Shillong the State Capital of Meghalaya in India's northeast.
Vardhan said, journals are “theoretical” in nature and have little value in terms of benefit for the society, unless the theories are implementable on the ground and changes people’s lives.
Urging the researchers to start “thinking out of the box” rather than going through their “routine and casual” regime, Vardhan added, 60 years have gone by due to such casual attitude.
“This has to change. There must be a re-orientation of our thinking in terms of research. There has to be breaking news. India must begin by identifying its priorities and then build and also create a pool of entrepreneurs,” he said.
Vardhan said India has a great advantage over other countries be it its ancient past with scientific advancements or the present demographic dividends. He said the demographic dividend of India gives the country “great hope” and therefore urged the young people to think and work differently in a deviation from the past 60 years.
Asked about budget allocation towards Research and Development in India, Vardhan said that this area would always be a concern. “There is always a constraint,” but at the same time added that increase in budget allocation “cannot be done in a day.”
The Minister, however, said that the Make In India is a great initiative of the Government to boost R&D and at the same time help in the growth of the country’s Gross Domestic Product and the overall economy.
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