Conscious of the dwindling quality of research across Indian institutes, the Centre will introduce a pioneering legislation dedicated to boosting research across science and engineering institutes and create an agency along the lines of USA’s National Science Foundation, an independent federal agency created by the US Congress to “promote the progress of science”.On the recommendation of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, the Department of Science & Technology will soon be operationalising the country’s first National Science & Engineering Research Board (NSERB) which will help fund quality research facilities across universities and institutes in the country.The board will be accorded autonomous status and kept away from governmental interference and politics through an act of Parliament currently being drafted. The Board with a Rs 3,000 crore corpus at its disposal over the 11th five year plan, will have a ‘top-to-bottom’ approach to research in the country and help set up major international research programmes and projects.“The setting up of the board has already got Cabinet approval earlier this year and deliberations are on to select the board members. The board will have 18 members. While Secretary DST will head the board, members from the Biotechnology Department, Department of Expenditure and Planning Commission will also be part of it. The remainig board members will include eminent veterans and promising young scientists from different disciplines, representatives of industry, the social science and rural sector and also international experts”, V Rao Aiyagari, Advisor and Head Science & Engineering Research council (SERC) division, DST told The Indian Express.The Board, adds Ayagiri, will help identify institutes with research potential and assess them in terms of what more is required to create a vibrant research culture. It will also put in place incentives for scientists in terms of non-salary benefits like housing, access to good schools for children among others.“The Board will not provide funds for creating buildings or basic brick and mortar structures but it will focus instead on the provision of all necessary research facilities, equipment and assistant personnel as well. Parameters for selection of institutes for Board funding will be several but the key aspect would be faculty profile and their international track record”, Aiyagari added.While the main thrust of the programme aimed at revitalising the research culture will be towards science and engineering institutes and departments in universities, the Board will be open to ‘pushing itself beyond the system’ to include colleges and private institutes on a cost-sharing basis. The autonomous board, whose powers will be delineated in a Bill to be introduced in the next session of Parliament, will enable NSERB to decide on the size and investment in various research programmes and also fast-track the process for obtaining research funding, currently mired in red-tapism. The main grouse of the scientific community is the delay in sanction of funds by the government and this is where the NSERB will be able to cut through the bureaucratic delays as the sole approving agency for all research programmes.
