‘We need to make science and technology a popular career choice’

• Besides our IITs, science and technology does not seem to be a very popular career choice among our youth. As for ocean development, how many youths name it as their choice of profession? How do you propose to reverse this?
S Iyer

It is true that students rush to IITs for getting admissions. Science and technology is unfortunately not a very popular career choice. The fault, if any, is in our inability to communicate with the public that a career in science is both exciting and lucrative. We need to use the electronic media not only to take science to the people but to convey the message that a career in science is both exciting and lucrative and demonstrate that through publicity and otherwise. That might reverse the trend.

• Funds for the Department of Science and Technology are earmarked during every Union Budget. In 1999-2000, for instance, the department got Rs 298 crore (planned) and Rs 359.25 crore (non-planned). Yet, the department is reported to be suffering from a paucity of funds. How do you account for the empty coffers? Is it simply a case of financial mismanagement or are the funds being siphoned off? How do you propose to rectify the situation?
Vishwajeet Agrawal

It needs to be realised that the Ministry of Science and Technology and Ocean Development is a huge Ministry. It includes the Meteorological Department, Survey of India, 38 laboratories functioning under the CSIR, autonomous institutions under the Ministry of Science and Technology in which there are private/public partnerships. Some institutions functioning under the Ministry are in mission mode dealing with not just upgradation of technology, but also doing research and development in the area of cutting-edge technologies. All such activities need funds. Funds allocated, both planned and non-planned, only meet the bare minimum needs of the Ministry. The task ahead is to devise unique solutions to generate resources through public/private partnerships or otherwise. We need to convince the Planning Commission of the urgent need of additional funds to meet requirements. Above all, we need to put in place a policy to grant incentives in the area of bio-technology, which will in turn generate growth. Though in some isolated instances, the allocated funds may not have been utilised in the most appropriate manner, by and large funds are neither siphoned off nor mismanaged.

• The Science and Technology department does not seem to distribute its funds for planned expenditure to its branches. Due to the loopholes in the internal distribution of funds, many scientific projects suffer. Please comment.
B Rai

On the contrary, when it comes to making decisions on the quantum of money required for each Department, there is a peer review that is carried out and the needs of the Department are assessed. Thereafter, formal requests are made pursuant to decisions at the highest level to the Planning Commission for allocation of funds. The Planning Commission independently scrutinises the demands of the Ministry and its various Departments and allocates the funds. The employment of funds allocated are entirely transparent and the distribution of allocated funds is done by the Ministry. All the funds are distributed in terms of allocations made.