Even though Prime Minister Narendra Modi batted for his pet project Make in India and indigenous knowledge during his address to the ongoing 103rd Science Congress in Mysuru, the top scientific brains want invention before ‘Make in India’ and were vocal in saying that India’s spending on research and development must increase to develop products.
Many Nobel laureates attending the Congress feel India must spend more on R&D before it’s produced locally. It was on Monday, in an interaction with the media particle physicist David J Gross, who suggested that the Prime Minister’s ‘Make in India’ campaign may be replaced with ‘Discover, Invent and Make in India’.
Prof Gross said that before ‘Making in India’ there was a need to Invent in India. “In order to invent in India, you should have discoveries in India,” he said and added that India should have to focus on “new inventions, new technologies and new products that can compete on the world stage.”
He said investment in R&D was crucial for a country to develop. Though India’s economy and GDP had doubled in the last ten years, the Government’s financial allocation for research and development has not increased much. Despite successive promises by the Prime Ministers to increase the funding for R & D during every Indian Science Congress since the last 15 years, the growth has just been a ‘flat curve’, Prof Gross regretted.
Another Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry, Prof Dan Schechtman wants India to focus on innovation in India. He stressed on entrepreneurship and start-ups that can make products out of the innovations taking place at the universities and research centres.
Prof Schechtman said India also needs more human resources in science and engineering. He felt the that the subject should be taught to students at a very young age during kindergarten and early primary school stages. “If science is taught early, the students will begin to understand and like science”, he argued.
John B Gurdon, a developmental biologist and Nobel Prize winner in Physiology said, “I am happy to see large number of youngsters showing interest in science in India. Science gives very substantial opportunities for youngsters. It even helps them financially.’
Prof Serge Haroche, a French physicist, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics, said, “Science is not short term agenda, science is a long term project. Priority should be given to appoint good teachers”.
Prof Manjul Bhargava, the Indian-origin Mathematics professor, who won the Fields Medal said, “We have amazing talent in science. But they opt for engineering. More young people should take up science and try to innovate.”