TAG: GS: 3- SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
CONTEXT: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi chaired the first meeting of the Governing Board of Anusandhan National Research Foundation at his residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg on 10th Sep 2024. The meeting focused on discussing India’s Science and Technology landscape and redesigning research and development programmes.
EXPLANATION:
About the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (NRF)
The Anusandhan National Research Foundation Act of 2023 provides for the establishment of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (NRF).
- The Department of Science and Technology will be the administrative arm of NRF, governed by a Governing Board, Presided by the Prime minister.
- NRF’s functioning will be governed by Executive Council chaired by the Principal Scientific Adviser.
- It also repealed the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) established by an act of Parliament in 2008 and subsumed it into NRF.
- NRF, as an apex body, aims to provide “high-level strategic direction for research, innovation and entrepreneurship”, and enhance “India’s national research infrastructure, knowledge enterprise, and innovation potential, for scientific pursuit”.
Main objectives of the ANRF:
- Enhancing the quality and quantity of research in Indian universities and colleges.
- Reducing bureaucratic hurdles to foster dynamic collaboration between academia and industry.
- Funding research projects that address both theoretical exploration and practical application to stimulate technological innovation and economic growth.
NITI Aayog Report:
- India’s gross expenditure on R&D is one of the lowest in the world, with just $43 per capita, according to NITI Aayog’s India Innovation Index.
- India needs to boost this expenditure to be at par with its BRICS or ASEAN counterparts like Russia ($285), Brazil ($173), and Malaysia ($293).
- India’s Gross Expenditure On R&D (GERD) as a % of GDP is around 0.7% for about a decade.
- ES 2020-21 India needs to increase its GERD to over 2% of its GDP.
- In India, the government spends the most on R&D (more than 55%) while in developed countries private sector contributes more.
The way a need for National Research Foundation:
- Less investment in research: India’s Gross Expenditure on Research and Development (GERD) stagnated at about 0.7 percent of GDP, which is less as compared to the 2% of the global benchmark.
- A significant infusion of funding, steered by a clear implementation strategy, is required for India to become a science leader.
- Less contribution by private sector: 52% of GERD in India is by the government which is substantially higher than in the US (10%), Germany (13%), China (15%). To bridge this gap, the ANRF-2023 Act plans to seek significant private-sector contributions.
- Challenges to India’s research and development capacity: NRF can be a viable tool to address challenges to India’s research and development capacity.
- For example, a share of the funds should be targeted toward building scientific research capacity in universities and semi-urban areas.
- Impact of Brain drain: Lower spending on R&D, and less innovative opportunities may force young talents to move to better terrains. India must strive to optimally use its pool of talent.
Significance of the National Research Foundation:
- Democratisation of science funding: NRF will prioritize funding for projects in outlying, rural, and semi-urban areas, which are underserved and rarely receive funding for science projects.
- Widen the area of research: The NRF would support research in areas other than natural sciences and engineering, such as social sciences, arts, and humanities.
- Provides an efficient and integrated management system: For the implementation of missions such as the supercomputer mission or the quantum mission.
- Enhance collaboration: The NRF will establish collaborations between business, academia, government agencies, and research institutions, and will dig into the financial resources of the private sector to ensure a financially viable research ecosystem.
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