Kerala or Gujarat? CPI asks Centre which state introduced science and tech policy first

New Delhi: CPI Rajya Sabha MP P Sandosh Kumar has sought a clarification from the Centre on "discrepancies" in its reply to a question on the first Indian state to implement a science and technology policy and said two different replies were submitted in Parliament on two different occasions.

In a statement on Monday, the CPI Parliamentary Party said the Centre, in a reply dated July 21, 2022, had stated Gujarat as the first state to implement a science and technology policy.

However, in reply to another question on March 13, 2025, it acknowledged that Kerala was the first state to introduce a science and technology innovation policy.

"In response to an unstarred question (No 611) answered on July 21, 2022, the Union government stated that Gujarat was the first state to introduce a science, technology and innovation policy in 2018. However, in a subsequent answer to another unstarred question (No 1,725) on March 13, 2025, the government correctly acknowledged that Kerala was the first state to introduce a science and technology policy in 1974, under the leadership of then CPI leader and Kerala chief minister C Achutha Menon," the CPI Parliamentary Party said.

It also described "this glaring contradiction" in official statements as "deeply concerning".

"Providing misleading data in Parliament is a serious issue, especially on a subject as crucial as science policy, which plays a vital role in shaping the country's education, research and technological progress," the CPI Parliamentary Party said.

It added that Kumar had formally demanded a 30-minute discussion in the Rajya Sabha to allow the Centre to clarify its position.

"The discussion will also provide an opportunity for a broader debate on the state of scientific research, innovation and policy implementation in India, more than 50 years after Kerala set the benchmark," according to the CPI Parliamentary Party.

The demand was supported by CPI MP PP Suneer and the Samajwadi Party's Javed Ali Khan.

"We insist that the government rectify its erroneous statements and ensure that Parliament is furnished with factually correct information in the future. The CPI reaffirms its commitment to scientific progress and urges the Union government to take the matter seriously, acknowledging Kerala's pioneering role in establishing India's first state-level science and technology policy," Kumar said.