PM: Private investment in science below expectation

Singh also said that India had so far failed to make a global impact in the science and technology

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday lamented that despite the best efforts of the government,private investment in science and technology sector had been below expectation because of which the goal of raising investment in scientific research to at least 2 per cent of GDP had remained unrealised.

Speaking at the foundation day of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research CSIR,Singh also said that India had so far failed to make a global impact in the science and technology sector although it had great achievements to its credit.

However,with all our achievements,we cannot rest on our laurels. As a nation,we have not succeeded in mobilising enough private investment into science to raise our investment in scientific research to 2 per cent of GDP. We need to recognise that excellence has not percolated across all our research and academic institutions. We have not been able to make an impact on a world scale commensurate with our large scientific manpower pool. CSIR,therefore,will need to devote itself to these national challenges8230; It will have to take up national leadership in science,engineering and technology, he said.

Recalling Jawahar Lal Nehrus remark in 1947 that science in India must think in terms of 400 million people,the Prime Minister complimented CSIR for proving its professional worth in every phase of Indias growth,in line with prevailing national policies and national priorities. In this regard,he singled out the open source drug discovery programme that aims to make healthcare affordable to all,for a special mention.

As a concept,this is a global first and the world has turned from skepticism to partnership. I am happy to learn that the Council has opened its patent chest for accelerated drug discovery for hitherto neglected diseases like tuberculosis and malaria, he said.

I am glad that the Council has remained firmly rooted in the social milieu of our country while selecting and implementing projects. I commend the recent CSIR 800 programme which aims at affordable scientific interventions to improve the quality of life of the people at the base of the economic pyramid, the Prime Minister said.

PM remembers bonds with CSIR: Both born on Sept 26

PM Manmohan Singh,who turned 80 on Wednesday,recalled his personal association with CSIR. Dr Samir Kumar Brahmachari CSIR director general just reminded me of a personal attribute that I happen to share with the Council we are both born on 26th September8230; With your indulgence,I could stretch my association with the Council fraternity even further. Dr Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar first director general of CSIR,the man whose memory we cherish today,came to this city from Lahore with a dream to build the chain of CSIRs national laboratories. I followed him with a more modest dream of my own,to make a fresh beginning in free India,though in tragedy and chaos of partition that forced this choice upon my family,to dream was indeed to dare!, he said.

Winners of Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Awards for 2012

BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

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Dr Shantanu Chowdhury,CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology,Delhi

Dr Suman Kumar Dhar,Special Centre for Molecular Medicine,JNU,New Delhi

CHEMICAL SCIENCES

Dr Govindasamy Mugesh,Department of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry,Indian Institute of Science,Bangalore

Dr Gangadhar J Sanjayan,Division of Organic Chemistry,CSIR National Chemical Laboratory,Pune

ENGINEERING SCIENCES

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Dr Ravishankar Narayanan,Materials Research Centre,Indian Institute of Science,Bangalore

Dr Y Shanti Pavan,Dept of Electrical Engineering,Indian Institute of Technology,Chennai