BANGALORE: Launching his government's Science and Technology Policy 2003 at the opening of the 90th Indian Science Congress here, Vajpayee laid the road map for making India a developed nation with science and technology-driven inputs. He said as a first step, the government would make budgetary commitments to raise the level of investment on science and technology to at least two percent of the gross domestic products (GDP) by the end of the 10th Five-Year Plan. To achieve this, the private sector has to "steeply increase" its investments in research and development, the policy document said. "The 10th plan has recognised that productivity-led growth is the path India has to take in order to attain the ambitious target of eight percent GDP growth rate. Appropriate S&T (science and technology) inputs at all levels and in all sectors of the economy are needed to pave this path," Vajpayee said. The policy he unveiled is the first in 20 years. India had a scientific policy resolution in 1958 that was updated in 1983. The new policy document has called for a certain percentage of the overall allocation for socio-economic ministries to be devoted to science and technology programmes and activities. It says the states would be encouraged to establish linkages with national institutions for solving their regional and locale-specific problems. The policy promises that scientific institutions would be substantially strengthened, "de-bureaucratised", given full autonomy and flexibility. To encourage quality and productivity, mobility of scientists and technologists between industry, academic institutions and research laboratories would be "ensured," it adds. It says the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and other select institutions will be encouraged to launch comprehensive programmes for technology management. But the prime minister also pointed out problems impeding progress, like the lack of connection between science and policy, the insufficient linkages between R&D (research and development) establishments and the broader economy and the brain drain. Asking scientists and technologists to be "proactive in throwing light on policy concerns," the prime minister added: "I also appeal to our policymakers in the government, whether at the political or bureaucratic levels, to proactively seek such inputs." Vajpayee referred to the "disturbing trend" of a huge disparity in standards, with some scientific and technological institutions performing exceptionally while other churned out "graduates and postgraduates, even doctorates, of indifferent quality". "We need to reflect on this and take corrective action. What is needed is pursuit of excellence with single-minded determination and dedication -- not just individual excellence but institutional excellence," the prime minister said.
Source: IANS