Nobel laureates suggest 'Discover in India' initiative

'China doing better than India in terms of science and technology'

Nobel laureates attending the 103rd Indian Science Congress, called upon the governments to take “bold decisions” that will have long-term effects rather than take short-term populist decisions in view of progress.

Addressing a joint media conference here on Monday, the laureates felt that China was doing better than India in terms of science and technology and their application for the welfare of the people, since it was not a democracy.

Pointing out that the gross domestic product (GDP) of India had almost doubled in the past decade, the scientists said that there has been no proportionate increase in the grants for science and technology.

“Science research does not yield results instantaneously. They need patience and hard work. So, politicians in India are not showing interest in such initiatives for fear of losing public support. But, China should be an example on how a nation can progress by investing on science. Awareness among people is also a need in this direction,” they said.

Stress should be laid on pure sciences. Basic sciences should be introduced in the kindergarten level. To attract youth towards pure sciences, there should be quality education and also qualified and trained teachers.

These teachers should groom future teachers to keep the spirit alive. Those who dedicate themselves to pure sciences should be remunerated better than engineers and doctors. If the governments and the corporates concentrate on pure sciences, India has a bright future and the results can be seen in the next 20 to 30 years. Besides ‘Make in India’ initiative, ‘Discover in India’ should be launched, the scientists opined.

To a question on the effects of brain drain, they said, no nation can detain its talented persons, practically. This will not yield adequate results. Brain drain can be checked only by creating abundant opportunities, they added.