Bureaucratic morass holding back Indian science: Nature

CHANDIGARH: At a time when the Narendra Modi government is celebrating one year in office, one of the world's topmost science journals, Nature, has criticized its handling of top research organizations in the country. The journal has in its May 13 editorial, blamed "bureaucratic morass" for lack of scientific innovation in the country. The cover page of Nature in this week's edition is devoted to science in India.
The journal states: "India must tackle the bureaucratic morass that is impeding research and innovation. Scientists complain that funds for grants routinely arrive months late and that it can take years to fill positions. As a measure of the problem, one-third of the national laboratories, which are overseen by the prestigious Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), lack permanent leaders. Even the CSIR is run by a temporary director-general."
The editorial comes as a reminder when 65% of government-run major scientific laboratories under CSIR are without permanent directors. Referring to the "puny scientific workforce" mentioned in Nature, former director general of CSIR, professor S K Brahmachari said, "The problem lies in not being able to attract the best minds towards science and innovation today. To drive the best minds as scientists, we need societal respect and comparable financial remuneration."
Prof Dinesh Kumar Abrol, former principal scientist at CSIR, Delhi, added, "In the absence of decision makers, people-friendly CSIR projects like the CSIR 800 and Open Source Drug Discovery have come to a standstill. These projects had been working towards bringing research products to the rural areas and making health affordable through novel drug discoveries."
Many CSIR scientists are quitting the organisation and are joining academic institutions. The reasons range from lack of incentives to lack of freedom in scientific research. "In pre-independent India, Dr S S Bhatnagar in 1942 and professor C V Raman in 1933, earned Rs 2,500 and Rs 3,000 a month respectively. Post-Independence, salaries were reduced for scientists. Post-liberalization, opportunities in areas other than science increased exponentially and diverted our best minds away from public sector science institutions," said Prof Brahmachari.