By Fakir Balaji, IANS
Visakhapatnam : Young scientists should focus on basic research as India needs more innovation in areas that affect everyone, the government’s principal scientific advisor R. Chidambaram said on the second day of the 95th Indian Science Congress (ISC) here Friday.
“You should devote more time on basic research than producing research papers for foreign journals. We need more innovation to meet the growing needs of the country,” Chidambaram told about 1,000 young scientists while delivering a lecture on strategies for innovation, leadership and direct basic research during the Jan 3-7 ISC.
Defining basic research, the former Atomic Energy Commission chairman said the present generation of scientists and technologists had to identify fundamental problems faced by the masses in accessing safe drinking water, quality education, healthcare, transportation and technology solutions that were affordable and within their reach.
“For instance, we all know how mobile telephony brought about a communication revolution in the country, making it accessible and affordable to even a commoner. Similarly, television and computers or the Internet have bridged the rural-urban divide in the dissemination of information or content (visual and text) on real-time basis.
“Likewise, scientists should focus on innovating new technologies, new products and solutions that will make access to efficient energy, drinking water, education, healthcare and markets for farm produce easier and more convenient,” Chidambaram said.
Admitting there were no quick-fix solutions and that basic research involved a long gestation period besides huge investments, the scientific advisor to the government said a beginning could be made by introducing a 15-year career programme for students with a passion for science, who were interested in taking up fundamental research.
“Unless career and future prospects of science students were guaranteed by universities/institutions with the backing of the government and the industry, it will be difficult to attract talent, much less retain it, as there is no dearth of alternative careers or jobs, with better compensation for the present/upcoming generation,” Chidambaram pointed out.
Lauding the efforts of the government in creating new institutes of science education and research and scholarships to enlarge the pool of scientific manpower and foster research, Chidambaram said any new idea, concept or proposal was good enough to begin with, but hard to sustain unless there was long-term planning and commitment on the part of all stakeholders.
“Once intelligent or smart scientists are identified and selected to take up research projects, they should be given a free hand and full support to work on the people’s problems. We should have the courage to overlook failures and bet on them to find solutions, whatever may be the cost,” he asserted.
Referring to the frequent criticism by a section of (top) scientists that Chinese scientists produced more research papers in international journals than their Indian counterparts, Chidambaram said such an observation was academic and not realistic.
“Our scientific priorities should be commensurate with our national goals and needs of society. What is important is improving the quality of life and inclusive growth. Science and technology should be able to contribute its mite in achieving these objectives.
“Except scoring brownie points and self-patting on international forums, more research papers in foreign journals will amount to following the developed countries blindly. That should not be the case,” he exhorted.
At the same time, Chidambaram advised the young delegates not to ignore such an exercise altogether, as it was also construed to be a measure of the country’s progress or achievements in science and technology.
“There is no harm in working on research papers, provided you have time and inclination. Get your priorities right. Decide which one you should take up first and which one will benefit you and the people at large in the long run.”
Chidambaram said that “the GDP growth rate is not directly related to scientific output in the initial stages, but sustaining higher growth rate requires advanced capabilities.”
He also advocated the concept of “swarm creativity” in innovation, where a large number of experts pool their creative talent and innovate solutions for real-time applications.