CSIR should become market and stakeholder friendly: PM
Wednesday, 10 January 2007, 18:30 IST
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New Delhi:Conscious of the talent crunch facing Indian science, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made a strong case for the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to take a lead in preparing an action plan and raise the bar for all science departments. Addressing the country's apex science body, just a week after he indicated at the Indian Science Congress that the government was committed to increasing the spending on science, Manmohan Singh emphasized that CSIR should re-look its own charter to become both market and stakeholder friendly. "If CSIR has to survive as a major force in civilian technology development, many radical changes are still required. Interaction and collaboration with industry, especially private industry, has to become very much easier and simpler," he said. Manmohan Singh also pointed out that CSIR must mobilize private funds. "It is a matter of concern that internal receipts have virtually remained stagnant over the years. They need to pick up," he said. Arguing for greater synergy and collaboration between the strengthening of CSIR's laboratories and the university system, the prime minister specifically pointed out that the two remained disconnected and change was necessary. "I do believe that our scientific enterprise and research activity should be rooted in the university system. The center of gravity of science and research in India has to move back closer to universities," said Singh. For this to happen, Manmohan Singh said the university system must also be reformed and restructured so that it could be open to the free flow of talent allowing research and teaching activity to develop together. Lamenting the loss of scientists and engineers at all levels to private industry, he left the gathering with a series of posers on how to alter incentive systems, encourage younger talent to acquire a stake in institutions and how to de-bureaucratize and rid institutions of academic feudalism. "While hierarchies are inherent to organizations and necessary for efficient management, we must devise ways in which younger scientists and researchers feel free to pursue their work and secure remuneration without being hindered by administrative constraints," he said. Speaking on the necessity to take science to rural areas, Manmohan Singh said more work had to be done in the area of water use, energy and biotechnology. These technologies would have to address the need for efficient and economical use of water at affordable costs. "As our incomes rise, there will be a rising demand for food products which we need to cater to and same is the case for energy. We need new and innovative ways of meeting our energy needs. And not just on a pilot scale. But on a scale that matches the needs of vast, growing country like ours," he said. While lauding CSIR's contributions to increase the number of patents, Manmohan Singh said the country had a long way to go in catching up with other countries, especially China and South Korea, in Intellectual Property Rights acquisitions, both quantitatively and qualitatively.
Source: IANS
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