DRDO, IITs cannot live with chalta hai attitude
In keeping with the ‘let's get going' narrative that he introduced with much gusto on Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has now reached out specifically to the country's scientists, both aspiring and experienced, to keep the spotlight on one of his pet themes: Technology for development. Mr Modi has consistently emphasised the role of technology in the processes of good governance, social welfare, and national rejuvenation, and this past week he sent out a targeted message to the scientific community. He made two specific points: First, get your act together and put deliverables on the table on time, and second, focus on projects that are of relevance to the nation. This renewed push for more science and better research, new technologies and greater innovation, delivered in two doses from two different platforms, could not have come a day sooner. Despite India's rich civilisational legacy of scientific pursuit, and even its present day status as somewhat of an emerging technological powerhouse, the country still relies to a large extent on foreign knowhow. This, in turn, adversely impacts India's sovereign credentials. Nowhere is this more relevant than in the field of defence research and production. Entirely the fiefdom of the state-run Defence Research and Development Organisation up until now, this field has stagnated in recent years. India is heavily dependent on other nations to fulfill its military needs, and spends several crores of rupees on importing defence systems, which, ideally, should have been made at home for a fraction of the cost. The DRDO may have been pampered by past regimes but Prime Minister Modi has put it on notice. At the organisation's annual award ceremony on August 20, he made clear that shoddy products, project delays and cost overruns that had become synonymous with the DRDO will no longer be tolerated. Recently, he commissioned INS Kolkata with much fanfare but without the surface-to-air missile system and the advanced light towed array sonar that the DRDO was supposed to deliver. The Prime Minister also underlined two important problem areas: Poor administration (which inhibits the productivity of even the best of scientists) and a lack of coordination with the military (as a result of which DRDO products often don't match the requirements of the Armed Forces).
On Friday, Mr Modi broadened the scope of his DRDO message to suit his audience — the top leadership of the Indian Institutes of Technology — but retained its core principle: Deliver projects that can contribute to the nation's development. For example, he suggested that the IITs lead the way in providing innovative solutions to India's problems in housing, railway and security systems. Most importantly, he urged those who guide the country's best technological institutes to encourage more research work. This is timely advice given that the IITs have been losing sheen internationally on this count.