India has emerged as the most populous country in the world. The sub-continental features speak through the element of diversity. Naturally, people expect innovations in lifestyles. The knowledge contributes to significant diversities like history, geography, culture, region and religion. Each area in the country is known for different climate changes. Linguistic niceties dominate the country. Other cultures and traditions bring about regional changes. Education has benefitted many sections of the country.
After independence, India invested in education and established primary, tertiary, college and university institutions. At first Macaulay’s Minutes paved the way for the introduction of English in India. From the 1950s to the 2020s, there have been many commissions and policies. India witnessed rapid growth from the evolutionary stage to the advanced stage during the last 75 years. Many drastic changes affected the education. From the Kothari Commission to the Yashpal Committee, India progressed with as many current reforms as possible. At first, the traditional mode of education dominated the events followed by the emergence of technical education.
Professional education is the buzzword of modernity across the country. India has established 1200 universities at the central, state and private levels. Even foreign universities have initiated the universities in India. But they come under academic programs. Research institutions are in dire need of funding. Innovation and skill-based education are the need of the hour. Testing and evaluation have undergone many changes. Academics and research are the two eyes of any institution. Academics without research is a body without a heart. Even major institutions in the US are focused on research. Having seen the drop in research and its standards, no concrete output has come out in recent years. If one notices Indian Research Institutions, there aren’t many to cite the best except a few established ones that too a few decades ago. India has established these premier research institutions like the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology (CCMB). Swami Subramaniam, CEO, of Ignite Life Science Foundation, observes that India spends USD 58 Billion on R&D, a low figure compared to the US (USD 668 Bn) or even China (USD 525 Bn).
The share of the corporate sector in R&D in India is also low, at 37%; in Japan, it is 78% and in the US 65%. India has responded by providing incentives for corporate R&D. Despite being in place for over two decades, incentives have not worked. Indian academia is not producing the knowledge that the corporate sector can build upon. What then are the problems? Is it because of a lack of sufficient funding? Is it a shortage of qualified people? Is it the dearth of talent? When Indian universities focused on research, nothing was generated to the level of international recognition. All the universities produced in India are centres of politics.
Academics have been politically influenced right from the appointment of Vice-Chancellors down to the recruitment of teachers. Research should be independently carried out. Academics and research never go together except in a few rare cases. It is high time that academic institutions were separated from research institutions What the academic institutions did was merely on paper. Application-based research that is relevant to society is the focus of this article. Though funding agencies are there, not much significant research has been done. Indian research has not influenced the world. No substantial work proved the standards. Is there a need to increase public funding for research? New Education Policy -2020 emphasises establishing research institutions to compete with the best research institutions in the world.
Finland allocates most of its annual budget to education. India, a country of 150 crores, needs research institutions on par with the population ratio. New challenges are coming up in education, health, industry, commerce, pharmacy, environment, agriculture etc to justify the need for more research institutions. Nutrition research is more exposed now. Ever since technology has made rapid strides, India needs research institutions at every level to carry out research to cater to the needs of its citizens. Further, India needs exclusive research institutions with serious-minded people to be engaged in research. More budget allocation is the need of hour apart from establishing world-class research institutions. Research is essential for certain obvious reasons. It helps in improving knowledge, decision-making, economic growth, evidence-based data, and quality of life. A major collaboration with Private funding agencies and foreign investors can be planned in promising research sectors. India needs to be self-reliant in research. Only potential research output will place India on top of the world. India’s growth and development depend significantly on research and innovation. Key sectors like the Knowledge Economy, Talent Generation, and Global Competitiveness are expected to boost India’s GDP. Though India has become a major hub in research, it still needs more orientation. The emerging challenges demand more research to reach out to the wider section of society. International research has yielded amazing results in different disciplines. India needs more such institutions to become a home for research. Only then will the fruits of Indian research be recognized.
P.V. Laxmiprasad is an author and editor of 43 well-deserved books in English Literature
