India’s Public-Funded R&D Labs: Study Finds Gaps
Why in the news
A study commissioned by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser and carried out by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) with the Centre for Technology, Innovation, and Economic Research exposed weaknesses in India’s public-funded R&D sector.
Key facts
| Area | Finding |
|---|---|
| Start-up incubation | One in four organisations |
| Deep tech support | One in six organisations |
| Overseas industry collaboration | 15% of labs |
| Facilities open to outsiders | About 50% of labs |
Spending
- Union government R&D spend in 2020-21: ₹55,685 crore; key science agencies, excluding defence, atomic energy and space, spent ₹24,587 crore.
- About 25% of institutions spent 75-100% of budgets on R&D.
- Lower spenders were mostly from ICAR, CSIR, ICMR, AYUSH and DST.
Staffing
- Permanent staff fell in several labs, with more contractual hiring.
- Young researchers rose to 58% in 2022-23 from 54%.
Way forward
- PSA Dr. Ajay Sood noted labs are shifting from pure scientific inquiry to innovation centres.
- Every lab should review and update its mandate.
- Build a more collaborative, industry-oriented approach with external partnerships and incubation.
Exam angle
- Commissioned by: Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser; executed by CII.
- PSA: Dr. Ajay Sood.