Lamenting that research is a neglected domain in education, President Pranab Mukherjee today said universities must lead in making new inventions and patents.
"Universities must through their inventions and discoveries lead in the registration of patents of our country," Mukherjee said delivering the Asutosh Mukherjee memorial lecture here.
He said while countries like the US and China filed lakhs of patents, India files only few thousands.
"Currently research in a neglected domain in our higher education structure. Successful research programmes offer vast possibilities to make a difference in the lives of people. A developing country like India has to address the global challenges of renewable energy, climate change, drinking water and sanitation," he said.
Stating that research in these areas will have spin-offs unimaginable in terms of benefits to the common man, Mukherjee said, "Our universities have to be the breeding ground for creative pursuits.
"They have to be the source of cutting edge innovation and technological developments," he said, adding that academic autonomy should be preserved at all cost.
