DST mulls over positioning India as global S&T leader for Viksit Bharat

The Department of Science and Technology (DST) is mulling over ways to reposition itself in changing times when there are huge expectations from it to make science and technology the fulcrum of the development of the country, an official statement said on Thursday.

It added that at an interaction meeting with scientists at DST, Secretary DST Professor Abhay Karandikar said that India's goal of becoming a developed nation can only be possible when it becomes a global leader in science and technology.

"We need to initiate consolidation of existing programmes and start big-ticket projects that can create impact at the national level. Apart from the several disruptive programmes such as the creation of incubation centres, the INSPIRE programme, NM-ICPS, international bilateral programme centres, and several programmes of SERB, we may start some major programmes in areas such as precision agriculture; Indigenous Biomedical devices; 6G Semiconductor, intelligent transportation, hydrogen energy, research in the automobile sector and so on," the DST Secretary suggested at the meeting coordinated by the Department of Science and Technology Scientific Officer Forum, as per the statement.

He added that these programmes may be initiated by bringing in industry as a major collaborator. He pointed out that with the formation of ANRF, DST's role will become bigger. DST will then focus on developing flagship national importance programmes and policies. "It will initiate some big basic science programmes oriented towards discovery science," said Professor Karandikar. He also highlighted the need to improve the ease of doing research by simplifying financial rules and regulations.

Secretary DST suggested organising brainstorming sessions to further dwell on such plans and prepare a work programme on some key areas, the statement added.