Align the practice of S&T with societal expectations

Editorial page article in the Times of India: 20th May 2009…. by….…Sumit Bhaduri, Visiting professor at Northwestern University, Illinois.



Political change at the national level is a good time to talk about the state of science and technology (S&T) in India for two reasons. First, "inclusive economic growth" to which every political party pays lip service would remain a pipe dream unless mechanisms are put in place for the successful coupling of technological capabilities with the engine of growth. Second, the new government should understand that issues related to the precarious state of Indian science require serious public focus. Bluntly put recently by the chairman of the prime minister's scientific advisory council, seriously ailing Indian science has moved to its deathbed and, if it has to have a reasonable chance of revival, requires critical attention.



Societal expectations from S&T lie almost entirely in the 'T' part and are threefold: strategic defense capabilities, an improved quality of life and industrial research and development (R&D) activities which lead to competitive technologies and contribute to the national economy. The 'S' part is a critical component for acquiring, absorbing or developing the technological fruits.



In India till mid-1980, the responsibilities for meeting societal expectations in all three sectors were almost entirely shouldered by government agencies. Within the boundaries of a planned and protected economy, they performed their functions satisfactorily and sometimes admirably. Examples of a few visible successes are our continuing capabilities in nuclear and space technology, massive improvement in agricultural output in the period 1970-80 as a result of the 'Green Revolution' and availability of cheap out-of-patent drugs.



The reasons for the successes mentioned above are not far to see. In the strategic sector as well as in the case of the Green Revolution, the state had a long-term goal, and plans and commitment to achieve that goal. It put together a team of competent scientists, engineers and administrators, provided them with an environment conducive to work and, most important, monitored and owned the final outcomes with patience and perseverance. In the pharmaceutical sector, the state through its patent laws made it possible for private players to focus on the manufacturing processes and take advantage of available scientific expertise to bring down the cost of manufacture of patent expired drugs. This made it possible for private enterprises to be profitable and occasionally share interactive synergies with government laboratories.



However, the state's most important contribution often overlooked in the overall S&T enterprise was in human resource development. Quality higher education in basic sciences a critical requirement for successful technology development was far from satisfactory even 40 years ago, but the system did ensure supply of the required human capital in the form of enough skilled people to satisfy demand in the defense and civilian sectors, including the much-hyped IT sector. It is interesting to note that some of the most effective and competent managers of the private sector had science degrees, and honed their management skills in state-owned enterprises.



Globalization and the end of the Cold War changed everything. One of the most obvious manifestations of globalization is the enormous reach and power of global capital and the shrinking influence of the nation state in economic affairs. The other changes brought about by globalization such as change in patent laws, lowering of import tariffs etc, basically meant the entry of technology-savvy international competition.



Indian companies are trying to find ways to stay technologically competitive through increased focus on R&D. This has increased the demand for skilled technical personnel but supply is far too short and the level of skill inadequate. The rapidly changing aspirations of the younger generation and, more important, other job opportunities available to it add enormously to the complexity of the problem.



This acute shortage of students opting for a career in science had prompted the prime minister to offer a solution based on the "supply-demand equilibrium" model of economics. On the supply side, steps would be taken to increase the number of skilled scientists and technologists, while on the demand side the government would encourage, to use the prime minister's words, "technology-led accelerated inclusive growth". Since all this would require substantial additional resources, he had also announced that science funding over the next few years would be increased significantly.



However, funding is only a part of the problem. Recent statistics show that half the funds available for science are lying unutilized with the science ministry. The real challenge is how to utilize these funds in a manner that does not betray societal trust and expectations.



Improvement in quality of life can only be brought about by an S&T strategy that promotes the Nehruvian concept of scientific temper. Inclusive economic growth would result only if appropriate rather than glitzy technologies are developed or adopted. Promoting a scientific temper also means an emphasis on good science teaching rather than, in the name of democratization, below average research in innumerable research institutions. While solo efforts should be rewarded, new mechanisms must be found for rewarding team effort and collaboration a new emergent trend in global science. Increase in the quantity and quality of students trained in the emerging inter-disciplinary areas of science would certainly go a long way to align the practice of S&T with societal expectations.