Scientists’ Wish List: 5 Key Priorities for the New Government

Context

There are five fundamental issues that scientists want the new government to solve and their elected representatives to pay urgent attention to.

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Increasing R&D Spending: Strategic Approaches for the New Government

• Current State of R&D Expenditure: An increase in the nation’s gross domestic expenditure on research and development (currently below 0.7% of GDP), both from the government exchequer and private players (who contribute less than 40% of the current spending). 
• Urgent Need for Increased Government Spending: Government spending on research and development should increase by at least 50% year-over-year in the next five years. 
  • Accounting for nearly 4% of GDP at the end of the incoming government’s term.
• Mobilizing Private Sector Participation: The private sector should contribute to initiatives like the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF).
• Legislative Facilitation and Execution: Although a legislative route to facilitate this is envisioned, the new government must execute a detailed plan and establish mechanisms like escrow accounts for funding guarantees. 
• Ensuring Effective Utilization of Increased Funding: Boosted funding necessitates expanding the skilled scientific workforce, allocating funds judiciously and timely, and fostering both new and existing human resources.
• Improvement of Physical and Intellectual Infrastructure: Improvement of physical and intellectual infrastructure in public sector institutions like
  • Universities and research institutions.
  • Modernising science laboratories in undergraduate colleges. 
  • State and central universities and specialised research institutions are badly needed. Better infrastructure for students and scientists to stay and practise their trade is also needed. 
  • Upgrading infrastructure will require hiring more quality teachers and researchers to fill the sanctioned positions and effectively doubling that number over the next five years. 
• Ensuring a Competitive and Unbiased System: However, hiring more people to practice competitive science will only help if we have a robust and unbiased system to bring the best.

Focusing on Merit-based Hiring, Faster Funding, and Scientist Autonomy

• Ensuring Fairness and Efficiency: Transparent, fast, and unbiased hiring process in educational and research institutions based on global standards and merit, free from any outside influence.
  • The criteria for selection should be strictly based on merit, 
• Unbiased Decision-Making: A competent committee should be capable of choosing the right person for the right job without any outside influence. 
• Timely Appointment Process: Appointment letters are provided within six months of application. Adherence to established global norms for hiring quality educators and scientists.
• Enhancing Research Funding Efficiency: A Robust science grant management system with less red tape, faster disbursal of grants and fellowships, no hard copy submission, and autonomy for individual scientists on spending for their research. 
• Importance of Robust Systems for Science Ministries: Robust systems and an expanded workforce are crucial for science ministries to use budgets efficiently and disburse funds to scientists promptly before the end of each financial year.
• Empowering Scientists with Flexibility: Scientists should have the flexibility to purchase from places other than the government’s e-marketplace and deviate from general financial rules if required.

Empowering Scientific Discovery: Freedom, Flexibility, and Accountability for Researchers

• Upholding Freedom and Integrity in Scientific Endeavors: The freedom to speak and write on their subjects based on evidence and which is free from interference. 
• Core Tenets of Scientific Autonomy: The true spirit of innovation will come when the incoming government provides full autonomy to individual scientists like:
  • To take leave to form companies. 
  • They have flexibility in hiring the right scientific staff in their laboratories without excessive paperwork and administrative processes. 
  • The freedom to spend money where they deem fit.
  • To travel to national and international conferences. 
• Ensuring Accountability in Scientific Pursuits: While doing so, Scientists must prioritise accountability for –
  • The quality of their work. 
  • They should focus on both the outcomes of their research and the knowledge they pass on to future generations rather than solely adhering to processes.

Conclusion

In order for India to become the second-largest economy by 2050, the next administration needs to make research easier to do and give scientists the freedom to innovate without being constrained by needless paperwork and bureaucratic red tape.