Scientific distemper

Possibly for the first time in their history, some of the most prestigious colleges in Delhi have been forced to drastically lower their en...

Possibly for the first time in their history, some of the most prestigious colleges in Delhi have been forced to drastically lower their entrance criteria for the science courses in order to fill their classrooms. The fourth cut-off list brings cheer to the hopefuls who did not make it earlier. But for the rest of us, it is cause for extreme disquiet.

As the popularity of science falls, the commerce stream is proving to be increasingly attractive. Number-crunchers certainly have their uses, especially when they are also trained in business administration, but good business is always a collaborative exercise. If there are no longer enough people interested in science, both pure and applied, we could have a situation where production lines are run by MBAs who are clueless about the processes they are expected to control, and do not have a technical cadre to help them out either. Every industry, from defence technology to consumer goods, is bound to feel the strain.

It ought to be remembered that the Japanese, the most obsessional management freaks on earth, invented the Walkman first, and Kaizen and Just In Time afterwards. If a company does not have competitive products, good management practice and fail-safe accounting will not help it stay afloat. And competitive products come out of unrelenting research and development, which calls for serious commitment from industry and government. Unfortunately, in India, both the government and the private sector have conspired to deprioritise Ramp;D. It is always assumed that handy technology transfers, duly played up in the newspapers, will keep industry competitive. Failing that, there is always reverse engineering, though the heat and dust being raised about intellectual property rights this year may soon put paid to that possibility. The immediate implication of this policy is that India can never lead the market. Whether it is shaving cream or parallel processing, we will have to remain dependent on foreign technology.

In India, scientists are still believed to be disinterested savants, woolly-headed boffins who are more interested in the latest advances in interferometry than in their salary scales. In this perspective, it does not matter how many disincentives they are handed out 8212; they will carry on with their labour of love regardless. It is absurd to expect results from scientists who are treated thus, as absurd as it is to expect continuing loyalty from underpaid soldiers. In the past, disaffected scientists sought better conditions abroad. But today, most Indians seem to prefer to live in India.

Unfortunately, there are few satisfying scientific jobs around and with academia tightening its belt, there might be even fewer in the future. It is only natural, then, for students to change their career choices. Someone who might make a first-rate scientist would rather take life easy as a chartered accountant with an MBA than waste his years reverse engineering ulcer pills. This situation will not improve unless the right incentives are offered. And the alternative is a bleak future, because we will have lost the very edge that won skilled Indian manpower respect worldwide. India will be reduced to the level of a nation of managers with very little to manage.