IITs not spending enough time on burning porblems of mankind: CNR Rao

Management of water, energy and environment issues are subjects where every Indian can contribute

The Indian Institute of Technology (IITs) and similar major institutions are not spending enough time and energy on meeting the burning problems of mankind, said eminent scientist CNR Rao, chairman of Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minster and who was recently named for Bharat Ratna Award by the Government of India.

Delivering he inaugural Institute Lecture programme by IIT-Madras, he said, “I am worried that IITs and all major institutions like IITs are not spending enough time, enough energy and enough effort on meeting the burning problems of mankind.”

There are many issues like the water related problems including the management of water, and energy and environment issues which are subjects where every Indian can contribute.

For instance, in energy, the country has to use other forms of energy as sources like solar and nuclear energy facilities would not be enough to provide the fuel needs of the country satisfactorily. There should be research on this and he added that he is indulged in study on water, in which new methods like water spliting and artifical photosynthesis are bringing in changes.

Speaking on “Celebration of Science”, on the evolution of science in past more than a century, he said that the scientists in earlier periods used to come up with new ideas and dedicated their life for research even when funding or recognition were not available for them.

He said that the Indian scientists are not looking at new ideas useful to the present situation rather than publishing papers on subjects answering questions which nobody asks.

It is important for the scientist to know how to pick up a good problem, which would result in good science work. He asked the students to take the path less traveled, which could lead them to good results.

There is a tendency that one can do easy work and publish something, but the young, brilliant students in IIT has the ability to take up good research, he added.

There is a similarity in spirituality, music and science, as the practitioners in all these segments could better their work by conducting new experiments which would bring up new ideas. He added that there is a satisfaction and happiness in doing the process of research itself, which is beyond the worries of monetary gains on research works.