More investment in science, research the way forward: NIAS Director

Energy transition and climate change is one area we’ll be working extensively on, said NIAS Director

Dr Shailesh Nayak, Director, National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), envisions the institute as a generator of knowledge which is new, sustainable, and actionable. Four years after Dr Nayak took over as chief, NIAS is looking to play a larger role in research areas as diverse as workforce migration and maritime security.

A former secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, and former director, Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, Dr Nayak has also held important positions in the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), including Group Director (marine and water resources) at its Space Applications Centre. He spoke with R Krishnakumar of DH on a host of subjects including India’s energy challenges, the academia-administration relationship, the potential of science diplomacy, NIAS’ plans across research areas, and India’s potential as a world leader. Excerpts:

The next edition of the senior executive programme at NIAS, scheduled in January, is themed ‘Leadership in a world of uncertainties’. What is it about?

If we look at how the world responded to Covid, there was a lot of uncertainty to start with but we also saw how the countries that had invested in science and technology could tackle it. In India, we had a good partnership among the government and the research institutes. The industry was also in a position to mass-produce vaccines. Take the war in Ukraine; its impact, contrary to the initial assessments, is now felt the world over. This particular programme is designed to help leaders in the government, and the corporate and public sectors, develop a greater understanding of these uncertainties and demonstrate how collective action which is built on available knowledge could help address them.

You have spoken earlier about balancing the development goals with the protection of the environment being “the greatest challenge of the century”.

The need to shift from fossil fuels to Renewable Energy is a given but we also need to have a transition plan in place. Our studies show that the about 250 old thermal power plants we have are not in line with this vision. Many of these plants that are closed could be used for small and modular reactors for nuclear energy. The SMRs could be assembled in factories and installed in these closed plants. The technology gaps could be addressed in time. When we talk about sustainable development goals in the context of energy, we should also be talking about the access to energy that is affordable. There should be a focus on more electric vehicles and ways to utilise our large installed capacity for greater generation of power.

How do you assess work done by academics and researchers as translated to policy action in India?

For knowledge to get translated to policy action, we need a framework that allows close interactions between the academia and the administrators. At Isro, we have tried to translate knowledge to applications; NIAS is also trying to do that, in partnership with the researchers and policy-makers. On the energy transition plan, we were in close interaction with all stakeholders including the Department of Atomic Energy, NTPC, and Niti Ayog.

The social impact of research will also depend on how we eliminate the element of uncertainty. For instance, we cannot have a cyclone forecast system with only a 50% accuracy. We should also consider the fact that our investment in R&D is largely a post-Independence development. It is also substantially low when compared with developed countries where it is about 3% of the GDP. The investment in science and technology has to grow; that is the way we move forward. It will grow as India is now participating in more projects that are of global relevance.

What is your take on the recent narratives that trace scientific progress and innovation to ancient wisdom?

There, definitely, are a few (of the innovations) – like some of the engineering concepts – that could be traced to our past. That, however, does not mean that everything we know was known earlier. The point here is that civilisations have progressed when their engagement with science increased.

Can you share with us an overview on the work being done at the School of Conflict and Security Studies, under NIAS?

We try to understand the social, psychological, and economic aspects of conflicts of different kinds. These are not solutions that we are offering but we do make actionable recommendations. Now, we are expanding the scope of our work by including extensive social impact assessment. The assessment is not limited to large projects; it could even look at CSR interventions, for instance, and their actual social impact.

What does the new year hold for NIAS in terms of research focus and capacity-building?

Energy transition and climate change is one area we’ll be working extensively on. Research is also being done on conflicts and international relations, and how science and technology could build these ties – you can call it science diplomacy. Technology, large-scale migration and other factors have brought issues like inequality into the system. We don’t want to measure these inequalities but want to understand them. Blue Economy is another important area, where we try to suggest the best use of our ocean resources. At NIAS, about 75 research scholars are currently working on topics across 10 broad areas. The focus will remain on generating new knowledge on issues of national and global interest, imparting that knowledge through capacity-building programmes and leading it to policy interventions.