V-P pushes for stepping up investment in R&D

The government has a greater responsibility in creating regulatory framework and necessary environment for research and innovation, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu today said.

There was also a need to hugely step up investments in Research and Development to promote the culture of innovation and discovery, he said.

He was addressing the inauguration of the Platinum Jubilee year Celebrations of CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) here.

Referring to the United Nations 17 sustainable development goals which include ending poverty in all its forms, promoting sustainable agriculture and good health, he cautioned that all these ambitious goals cannot be achieved if "we adopt business-as-usual approach.

Noting that scientific innovations from penicillin to space technologies were by and large led by the private sector, he said the government had a great responsibility.

"It has to create regulatory frameworks, create conducive conditions for nurturing research and innovations... there is need to hugely step up investments in R & D to promote the culture of innovation and discovery," he added.

The right ecosystem for research and innovation needed to be created in all the scientific labs by reducing procedural bottlenecks, removing hierarchical barriers and resetting priorities, the Vice-President said.

Union Minister for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Harsh Vardhan said research institutions in the country were continuously working to develop newer technologies for the benefit of people.

He said the Indian research institutions have reached global benchmarks during the past four years.

I think by 2030 or so, we should probably bein the top two or three scientific nations in the whole world. I can assure that on behalf of all my scientists," he said.

The Minister said the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) was ranked at ninth position among over 1,200 government-funded institutions globally in terms of research performance and output among others.

Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Governor E S L Narasimhan, Telangana Deputy Chief Ministers Kadiyam Srihari and Mahmood Ali also spoke.