Karnataka - Mangalore

India’s contribution to science negligible: IISc. dean

MANGALORE: The Indian institutes of technology are ranked below 1000 among the science institutes across the world, dean of the Indian Institute of Science Sanjay Biswas has said. Mr. Biswas, who is in the Advisory Committee under the petroleum Ministry, was speaking at a symposium here on Saturday. It was organised to mark the 90th birthday of veteran Marxist and former CPI MLA from the district B.V. Kakkilaya.

Mr. Biswas said that no one should take a simplistic view of Indian science. “Looking at the issue from a perspective that is clouded by jingoistic patriotism is detrimental. India ranks 550 in the list of countries which have made major contributions in the field of science and technology. We must get our facts right,” he said.

Stating that only 0.98 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was being allocated for non-defence based science and technology, he said it had recently been increased to 2.2 per cent. The major chunk of scientific activity was happening through projects that had been off-shored by western capitalist forces. “The profits of these enterprises, their products as well as technologies go back to the countries which are investing in them,” he said. He said that the beneficiary of science in the country was the scientific community alone and not the masses. “How does a man on the moon help the peasant in Dakshina Kannada?” he asked. Calling for greater spending in the area of science, Mr. Biswas said that India, which was a conscience keeper for the third world, was ruthlessly participating in the global arms race. “We are being mocked at by our friends in Africa and Latin America,” he said.

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