Topics Covered: Awareness in Science and Technology.
Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) policy:
Context:
The draft Science, Technology and Innovation Policy released on Jan 1.
- It could be game-changers for not just the scientific research community, but also for the way ordinary Indians interact with Science.
What is the overall philosophy behind the policy?
- Unlike previous STI policies which were largely top-driven in formulation, the 5th national STI policy (STIP) follows core principles of being decentralised, evidence-informed, bottom-up, experts-driven, and inclusive.
Overall objectives:
- To position India among the top three scientific superpowers in the decade to come.
- To attract, nurture, strengthen, and retain critical human capital through a people-centric STI ecosystem.
- To double the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) researchers, gross domestic expenditure on R&D (GERD) and private-sector contribution to GERD every five years.
- To build individual and institutional excellence in STI with the aim of reaching the highest levels of global recognition and awards in the coming decade.
Key components:
- It proposes an Open Science Framework, with free access for all to findings from publicly funded research.
- One Nation, One Subscription: The idea is to democratise science by providing access to scholarly knowledge to not just researchers but to every individual in the country.
- It suggests modification or waiver of General Financial Rules (GFR), for large-scale mission mode programmes and projects of national importance.
It has made recommendations such as:
- Mandatory positions for excluded groups in academics; 30% representation of women in selection/evaluation committees and decision-making groups.
- Addressing issues related to career breaks for women by considering academic age rather than biological/physical age.
- A dual recruitment policy for couples; and institutionalisation of equity and inclusion by establishing an Office of Equity and Inclusion, etc.
What are the learnings from the Covid-19 pandemic for India’s science and technology sector? How does the draft policy address those learnings?
In India, the pandemic presented an opportunity for R&D institutions, academia, and industry to work with a shared purpose, synergy, collaboration and cooperation, which helped the country develop the capability to produce these kits in record time.
- The STIP draft focuses on the need to adopt such learnings for greater efficiency and synergy in future.
Sources: Indian Express.
