The Finance Minister met science and technology experts today forenoon as part of his pre-budget meetings for 2002-03. In his opening remarks, the Finance Minister recalled the initiatives taken to promote science and technology in response to the suggestions received at the pre-budget meetings held in the previous years. He underlined the need to do more and promised to allocate funds to the extent possible in the forthcoming budget. He also focussed on the four areas for further work. First, there is an urgent need to expedite the transfer of benefits of science and technology to rural areas so as to remove drudgery in daily life, especially of women. The second area is fundamental research, particularly in areas like bio-technology. The two other related areas pertain to encouragement of innovative ideas, including the establishment of a national register of ideas, and efforts to enable India to emerge as a global leader in scientific research in areas with proven capability. He then invited the participants to give specific suggestions on different facets of science and technology.

    The main points/issues raised and suggestions given included the following:

• On the lines indicated by the Prime Minister in his address to the Science Congress, investment in science and technology should be raised to 2 percent of GNP.
• The declining trend in the proportion of young students opting for science needs to be reversed; those who excel in science and win medals in science Olympiads should be encouraged to stay and pursue basic research in India.
• A beginning has been made to attract foreign firms to set up R & D Centres in India. This will create demand for scientific personnel in India, and further encouragement will increase supply of experts to meet the growing demand.
• Basic research in University should be promoted.
• The Fund for Improvement of Science and Technology Infrastructure in Universities and Related Institutions (FIST) has worked well and needs to be replenished significantly.
• Cuts in government recruitment should not be taken too far, involving cut in posts in science and technology institutions where young scientists are needed.
• Patent office needs to be strengthened; at present there are only 30 officials in the Indian Patent Office to process 30,000 patent applications.
• The National Innovation Foundation has worked very well. Information has been received on more than 10,000 innovations. Funds are now needed to carry these innovations forward.
• In order to popularise grass-root level innovations, a dedicated fund for Incubation and R&D must be established.
• Income accruing to IITs should not be taxed.
• Drugs to remove iron deficiency in women are under price control. This must be removed to allow greater R&D in such drugs.
• Tax benefits for bio-technology be brought on par with IT to facilitate export of ‘research’ like software export.
• Tax benefits be given to industry to sponsor scholarships and institute chairs in educational and research institutes.
• Instrumentation technology be promoted through joint ventures.
• Design platform be created in all key engineering branches.
• Special purpose vehicle be created to promote equity participation by industry/government in promising fields of research in science and technology.
• Senior faculty from University be encouraged to take up positions in R & D departments of industry so as to overcome ‘top heavy’ structure in universities.
• In view of zero duty regime for imports, taxes on indigenous products in the telecom sector need to be rationalised.
• Bioinformatics is a new area of competence. Need new programmes for training personnel
• Proportion of students entering science courses in universities is falling. This needs to be reversed.
• Universities have been deteriorating. Problem is both of funds and governance. New governance structures need to be found.
• A Bio-technology Development Fund be created to promote bio-technology with cooperation from industry.
• 100 scholarships for women scientists should be announced to encourage the participation of women in science.
• Focus on Research using new and emerging technology for reliable prediction of disasters like earthquakes be encouraged.

    The participants in the meeting included Science and Technology Experts from leading institutes, both inside and outside the Government, Universities and IITs. Prominent among them were Prof. Anil Gupta, IIM, Ahmedabad, Dr.(Mrs.) Swati Piramal, from Nicholas Piramal India Limited, Dr. P. Balram, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Dr. R. Chidambaram, Principal Scientific Officer to Government of India, Prof. S.K. Lahiri, IIT, Kharagpur, and Prof. M.S. Valiathan, Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi.

    The meeting was also attended by the Minister of State for Expenditure, Banking & Insurance, Minister of State for Revenue, Secretary (Revenue), Secretary (EA) and Secretary (Expenditure) and other senior officers of the Finance Ministry and other concerned Ministries.