'Science in India not dealing with national priorities'

Science in India is more "scientists centric" rather than "dealing with national priorities" and if the scientific community does not act swiftly, it will "lose trust of people", Union Minister Y S Chowdary said today.
The Minister of state for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences lamented that there is a gap between the common man and the scientific community, which "needs to be bridged at the earliest".
"I am coming across a public opinion, increasingly and more frequently, that India's science is scientists centric by choice and not by national priorities. And also, the gap between the scientific fraternity and common man, who is at the bottom of the socio-economic pyramid, is widening," Chowdary said.

The minister was speaking at Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Foundation Day. Earth Sciences Minister Harsh Vardhan, ISRO chairman and Department of Space secretary A S Kiran Kumar, CSIR Director General Girish Sahani were also present at the event.
Chowdary said Science and Technology (S&T) should be used to address the problems concerning India, especially the rural areas, where majority of its population lives.
Noting that resources were not a concern, the Union Minister said major reforms are required in the science administration and also the research as the existing "status quo is not going to deliver".

"Let us attempt big reforms. Reforms need not be restricted to economic development. They must encompass science administration and the way we do science in India," he said.

Chowdhary pitched for an overhaul in the approach so that the "people dont lose the trust" in the institution.
"A stitch in time saves nine. We need an overhaul in the manner of research which is carried out. Act swiftly because if we delay, we will lose trust of people. People, including me, will lose an opportunity forever of making changes," he asserted.
He added that the scientific community should prioritise research that can generate spin off companies.
"'Start up India and Stand up India' cannot be imagined without innovations, etc," he said.
Harsh Vardhan noted that there was a need for an integrated approach as different laboratories under different departments/ ministries do same kind of research without any coordination amongst themselves.