Our research is mostly oriented towards problem solving and indigenisation of research done abroad. We are happy to be followers, not leaders in innovation.
By Oruganty Prasada Rao
Science in India developed a great deal since Sir CV Raman won the Noble Prize in Physics, particularly after the independence. Yet India has won only one Nobel Prize in Science for Physics. That too long ago in 1930. Why so?
<India today has 1,043 universities, 42,343 colleges and 11,779 standalone institutions. Most of them award undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in various branches of Science. There are specialist institutes dedicated to Science education and research too including Bose Institute, Kolkata; Raman Research Institute, Bengaluru; Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.
Every year, India produces 10.6 lakh graduates in Science. Enrolment at the MSc level in 2019-20 stood at 6,75,217. At the PhD level, it was 9,129 in 2019-20. A chain of research laboratories under the aegis of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research and Defence Research & Development Organisation carries out research in almost all disciplines of Science. Thus, India has the enabling infrastructure to win Nobel Prizes.
At the postgraduate level, the maximum number of students are enrolled in the Social Science stream and Science comes at number two. At the PhD level, most are enrolled in Engineering and Technology stream followed by Science. Thus, a majority of students give less importance to Science.
R&D Focus
Many commentators have said a major reason for our poor show at the Nobel is the inadequate expenditure on scientific work. But it is not so. For example, Israel and South Korea spent the highest on R&D in 2022 to the tune of 4.8% and 4.5% of the GDP but have won 13 and 1 Nobel Prizes so far, respectively. The US spent just 3% of the GDP and has won the maximum at 403. India spends less than 1% of the GDP and has won 13 Nobel Prizes — including Indian citizens, Indian born but not citizens and Indian Residents at the time of being awarded but non-Indian.
According to the NITI Aayog, India’s R&D expenditure is one of the lowest in the world. Not only this, of the budget allocated to our research institutes, about 80% goes towards salaries and other overhead expenses. The meagre capital available for research is thinly spread on a number of R&D projects insufficient to take the work beyond ‘test tube level’.
In Nobel-winning countries like the US, the UK and Germany, the best scientific work takes place in universities, which support basic research, collaborative work, interdisciplinary thinking as well as innovation. Scientific discoveries from universities are then further developed into technology, patents, products and ultimately wealth. The research at universities is funded to a large extent by the industry. But, in India, the major funding comes from the government and industry gets involved at a later stage if the research shows commercial viability. Therefore, much of the research work done in our universities and research laboratories remains with them.
Poor Research, No Full-time Minister
Our scientists do research to publish papers because it gives them promotions. Our research is mostly oriented towards problem solving and indigenisation of research done abroad. We are happy to be followers, not leaders in innovation.
India Inc does not have faith in the technologies developed in our academic and research institutions and prefers imported ones. But they cannot be blamed because we do half-baked research. There is so much of research infrastructure in the country but hardly a few scientific achievements that have created an impact. We have developed capabilities to launch satellites and make Light Combat Helicopter & BrahMos missiles but they are out of the scope of the Nobel Prize.
India does not even have a full-fledged minister for science. Dr Jitendra Singh looks after it, as a small part of a very large portfolio. He is Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Earth Sciences & Science & Technology, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space. A similar situation exists in the State governments. This shows the importance our governments give to Science.
Albert Einstein said: “We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made” which was based on ancient Indian discoveries such as the idea of zero, decimal system, binary system and the theory of atom. Unfortunately, we have failed to get motivated by ancient achievements.
The Olympics and the Nobel Prizes have similar historical significance and are the highest awards. We are proud of our cricket but we don’t show even an iota of enthusiasm for the Nobel.
Jobs More Attractive
More than a million people graduate in Science in India every year. And almost all of them are interested in jobs. Just a handful of them are genuinely interested in scientific research. The same is the case with the medical field. Most medical graduates are almost immediately absorbed by hospitals and others set up their own clinics due to the high doctor-to-population ratio. They are more interested in earning money than doing research work.
Overall, the mindset of the Indian people is to go for jobs right after graduation. Education is not for acquiring knowledge but for earning a livelihood. Encouragement to take up research is also very less, from parents, society, government and teachers/professors. There is campus interview by companies for jobs, not for research work.
We have a reservation system based on caste, religion, nativity, etc, in education, jobs and even in promotions. Merit which is absolutely necessary for research is shadowed by the never-ending reservation system. Modern Indians prefer candidates from their caste or creed or religion or language rather than merit for a job. To do wonders in Science that get prizes, one must be genuinely interested in it and must have access to infrastructure that helps in achieving it.
Indians are more individualistic and don’t like to share credit for innovation. Any research involving teamwork gets into trouble due to such an attitude. Politics and favouritism in research cannot be ruled out.
We take pride in boasting that many Indian scientists are working in NASA and Silicon Valley and top companies like Google and Microsoft have Indian-origin CEOs. But we don’t convert pride into prize.
The Global Innovation Index is an annual ranking of countries by their capacity for, and success in innovation. India was at 46th rank out of 132 countries in 2021. The NITI Aayog has come out with the India Innovation Index, which is a tool for the evaluation and development of the innovation ecosystem in the country and ranks the States to build healthy competition among them. Hope this enables a Nobel Prize in Science for India soon.
(The author is a retired Scientist, CSIR)