Bengaluru focuses on tech for money, ignores science: Rao

'I'm looking for young boys and girls who have passion and who want to do science. Unfortunately there are too many normal people in Bengaluru...'

India’s top scientist Bharat Ratna C N R Rao has criticised the value system in India’s technology hub Bengaluru, saying youngsters are more obsessed with making money via technology to the detriment of basic science that leads to technology developments.

“There is a value system problem in India; I know many of you are coming from Bengaluru. The value system changes can be seen in Bengaluru. As you know, it is the IT (information technology) capital where young people are earning very good money, but they are not interested in science,” Rao, a former head of the scientific advisory council to the Prime Minister and honorary president, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research.

“I’m looking for young boys and girls who have a passion and who want to do science. Unfortunately, there are too many normal people in Bengaluru. I want these crazy guys who want to do science. There are not enough crazy people. They are all the well-dressed kind,” Rao said. “Unfortunately whenever we mention science, people will say science and technology, but there is something called science without technology.” Bengaluru, home to the Indian Institute of Science, is also called the science capital thanks to the number of people who are involved in scientific pursuit.

The city has the Indian Space Research Organisation, around a dozen defence research labs, and a very active research community in aerospace, biotechnology and astronomy.

“They are not interested in intellectual exploration. What has happened is they have created a generation of young people whose ambition is to make money,” said Rao.