Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

PM's address at the CSIR Society Meeting

"I am delighted to be with you today. Let me at the very outset pay tribute to the leadership provided by Dr Mashelkar to CSIR. Under his dynamic leadership, CSIR has been re-energised as an institution and the research record of CSIR institutions has improved. I must also compliment Dr Mashelkar for increasing the interface between the private sector and public sector in the R&D activity in our country. I hope CSIR's new leadership will further strengthen our country's R&D base.

One of Dr Mashelkar's contributions was to increase the number of patents filed by CSIR institutions. I compliment CSIR for this. However, we have a long way to go in catching up with other newly industrializing countries, especially China and the Republic of Korea, in IPR acquisitions - both quantitatively and qualitatively. CSIR must constantly review the quality, content and utility of its IPR holdings.

As I had indicated at the Science Congress last week, our Government is committed to increasing the spending on science in India. However, as Rashtrapathi Dr Abdul Kalam reminded the Science Congress the following day, we have to also improve the quality of spending and our ability to spend what is provided for.

Our decision to step up funding for science in India is both an opportunity and a challenge. We must be able to raise our ambitions sufficiently high to be able to make good use of the funds at our disposal. As the apex science body in the country, CSIR must take a lead in preparing an action plan for the Eleventh Plan period for utilizing the funds and raise the bar for all science departments. CSIR must also mobilize private funds. It is a matter of concern that internal receipts have virtually remained stagnant over the years. They need to pick up.

I am aware of the talent crunch facing Indian science in general and CSIR in particular. We must look at how CSIR can become more "market friendly" and "stakeholder friendly". If CSIR has to survive as a major force in civilian technology development, many radical changes are still required. Indeed, CSIR's charter itself requires a re-look. Interaction and collaboration with industry, especially private industry, has to become very much easier and simpler.

I also believe that we must strengthen CSIR's links with Universities. A greater synergy and collaboration between CSIR laboratories and the University system is absolutely necessary. These two parallel systems have largely remained disconnected. This must change. 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. However, for this to happen, our university system must also be reformed, restructured and rejuvenated. Universities must be more open to the free flow of talent so that research and teaching activity can develop together.

Both CSIR laboratories and our universities can benefit from a managerial reform that improves the efficiency of both administration and academic work. Good academics and scientists need not be good administrators and managers, and vice versa. We must be able to de-link administrative responsibility from leadership in R&D and academic work in all our research institutions.

CSIR must prepare itself to make the best use of new opportunities. Talent in today's world is very mobile. Many leaders in the science and technology community are concerned about the loss of their scientists and engineers at all levels to private industry.

The questions before us are: how do we alter incentive systems and organizational structures to deal with this? How do we encourage younger talent to acquire a stake in our institutions? How do we de-bureaucratise and rid our 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. We can consider incentive payments related to the research productivity of scientists measured in terms of a variety of criteria. I believe there are already some arrangements in place for handling consultancy projects or selling intellectual property rights. Their efficacy can also be reviewed. This is an important issue that merits urgent consideration by our scientific community, the Government and domestic private sector companies.

I have often spoken of the need to take science to rural areas. I think we have a tremendous opportunity to leap frog in the race to development. Modern science and technology have much to offer in improving quality of life in rural areas. CSIR should have a special focus on this. I know that much work has been done in the area of water use, energy and bio-technology. We need to do much more to develop better water management technologies, both for domestic as well as agricultural use. These technologies should address the need for efficient and economical use of water at affordable costs. We also need to focus on achieving fresh breakthroughs in food production and improving food processing. As our incomes rise, there will be a rising demand for food products which we need to cater to. 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.

Finally, I am seriously concerned about widening regional disparities in the development of science and technology. We have tried to reduce this by funding new research institutions in States that are lagging behind. However, there is only a limited amount that the Union Government can do. What we need is massive investment at the bottom of the pyramid, not just in financial terms but in organizational and social terms, in the states lagging behind. This is a challenge for all.

I assure you that our Government will do all that is needed to support the development of science and technology in our country. But I also want our academic community and the private sector to respond to the challenges at hand."