University research and scientific publications are on positive note: PM
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- Science & Technology
- Tuesday, 03 January 2012 22:47
- Published on Tuesday, 03 January 2012 22:47
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Gujarat Global News Network, Bhubaneshwar
The number of scientific publications by Indian scientists working in India has increased at more than 12% per annum against the global average of 4%. The university research system is also showing signs of rejuvenation.
Inaugurating the 99th Indian Science Congress, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh said that consistent efforts in science and technology sector are paying off. Over the last few years, the number of scientific publications by Indian scientists working in India has increased.
It is more than 12% per annum against the global average of 4%. India has moved from the 15th rank in 2003 to the 9th rank in 2010 with respect to the number of publications in peer-valued journals, he said.
The university research system is also showing signs of rejuvenation. In 2008, I gave away incentive awards to 14 universities under the Promotion of University Research and Scientific Excellence (PURSE) scheme. In 2010, 30 more universities have qualified under the same criteria.
The University of Rajasthan leads among the top 50 Indian scientific institutions in citations per paper under international collaboration. We produce, I have been told, 8,900 Ph.Ds annually in science and engineering, three thousand more than five years ago.
We have introduced a large number of scholarships; most notably, the Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research or INSPIRE scheme which gives awards to one million science students.
The INSPIRE scheme is doing well and is also responding to our concerns about inclusiveness. The enrolment of weaker sections in the scheme is good and 49.6% of the INSPIRE awardees are women. More than 60% of INSPIRE fellows pursuing doctoral research happen to be women.
We have greatly expanded the higher education infrastructure for Science and Technology by establishing new institutions.
Public investment in Research and Development has been growing at 20-25% per year during the 11th Plan period.We have funded a number of schemes to rejuvenate research and scientific excellence in universities.
Over the past few decades, India`s relative position in the world of science had been declining and we have been overtaken by countries like China. Things are changing but we cannot be satisfied with what has been achieved. We need to do much more to change the face of Indian science.
We must strengthen the supply chain of the science sector. While it is true that science and engineering continue to attract some of our best students, many of them later opt for other careers because of relatively poorer prospects in science.
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