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RecentbudgethasnotliftedtheveilofgloomoverSTEAMTheHindu

Today'sPaperFEATURESSCITECH&AGRI
RecentbudgethasnotliftedtheveilofgloomoverSTEAM

Thecrunch:TheMinistryofHumanResourceDevelopmentfacesa17percentcut.Photo:K.MuraliKumar

Twoweeksago,wewerehopingthatthecloudofgloomcoveringSTEAM(Science,Technology,Engineering/
Education,AgricultureandMedicine)inIndiawouldbeliftedsoon.Alas,thebudgetannouncedrecentlybythe
governmenthasonlylettheveilofgloomthicken.AsPallavaBagladescribeditlastweek(TheHindu632015),ithas
beenmorelipservicethanaction.Inthemorningofthedayofthebudget,whichincidentallywasalsotheNational
ScienceDay,thePrimeMinistersmessagewas:TheGovernmentisfullycommittedtoencouragingresearch,
innovationandexcellence,particularlyamongouryoungminds.Andthesameevening,werealisedthatthe
governmenthasincreasedtheS&Tbudgetby47percent,onethathardlymeetstheinflationrate.Eventhese
numberslie,becausethebudgetaryincreasewasbasedonwhatSTEAMministriesspentlastyearuptoDecember
2014andnotwhattheywouldhaveuptoMarch31,2015,astheusualpracticeis!Mr.Modihasnotwalkedthetalk.
Devastating
IndeedithasbeenadevastatingbudgetforSTEAM.Thehealthministrysbudgethasbeencutby20percent.The
moneyfortheHIVprogrammehasbeencutby30percent,andchildhealthprogramme(Indiahasthemaximum
malnourishedchildrenandnursingmothers)downsized.ThishasledDr.SrinathReddytolamentthatthisisakinto
starvingasickchild.Theresearcharmofthehealthministry,IndianCouncilofMedicalResearch(ICMR),seesits
outlaypoorerthisyear.
Agriculture'sloss
AgriculturelosesitsbudgetbyRs2,800crores,fromRs19,852croreslastyearto17,004thisyear.Itsresearcharm,
theIndianCouncilofAgriculturalResearch(ICAR)loses25croresthisyear.
TurntotheMinistryofHumanResourceDevelopment(MHRD)whichhandlesschool,collegeanduniversity
education,andresearch.Itfacesa17percentcut.MoneyforschooleducationhasbeencutfromRs55,155crorestoRs
42,210,adropofRs13,000crores.Inanexampleofadministrativejugglery,thecentrehaspassedonthebucktothe
stategovernments(eachofwhichdemandsspecialassistancestatus,claimingbankruptcy).Andinhighereducation,
themoneyallottedisalreadydownbyRs3900crores,andmuchoftheMHRDbudgetherewillsurelygotobreastfeed
thenewlyborndozensofcentraluniversities,IITsandIIMs,leavingestablishedonestotheirwits.Notetoothat
MHRDcoversnotjustS&Tbutalsohumanitiesandsocialsciencesthepoorcousins.Theirdemandsareusuallyfar
lessexpensivebuteventhesearehardlymet.Shouldeducationnotbeonthehightable?
Mr.BaglaremindsusofhowtheresearchscholarspursuingtheirPhDdegrees,thefootsoldiersofIndianSTEAM
hadgoneonaGandhiantypehungerstrikedemandingreleaseofthepromisedscholarshipmoney.Recentlyitwas
hikedtoaboutRs4Lakhsperyear.Thenumberlookssubstantial,butafteraccountingforadmissionandsemester
fees,thesisrelatedexpensesanddailylivingcosts,eachofthemhaslittleaccesstothekindof29rupeelunchthatour
parliamentariansenjoy.
ScienceMinistry
TurntotheScienceMinistry,andthesituationisaboutthesame.True,thebudgetprovideswellformissiontype
programmesplannedbytheSpaceandtheAtomicEnergygroups.ButifwelookatthebudgetsoftheDepartmentsof
Science&Technology,ScienceandEngineeringResearchBoard,DepartmentofBiotechnology,EarthSciencesandthe
CouncilofScientificandIndustrialResearch,thepictureisbleak.Asmentionedabove,thesocalledincreaseof7per
centhardlymeetstheinflationrate.
TheCSIRisparticularlyinbadshape,withnoDirectorGeneralforthelast18monthsandabout10withnoappointed
directorsthestopgapadministrativesolutionoftheseniormostscientisttoactastheinterimheadismeaningless
sincehe/shehasnopowertoplanthecomingyear.Itis,tosaytheleast,pathetic.
Manyhaveappreciatedthebudgetasappropriate,suitedtoimprovetheeconomicsituationinthecountry.Advicehas
beensoughtandobtainedfromacknowledgedexpertssuchastheReserveBankGovernor,chiefeconomicadviser,
NITIAyogViceChair,andmajorindustryheads.Sadlythough,thereisatpresentnosuchgrouppitchinginfor
STEAM.Shouldwenotmakefriendswithscience,justaswehavedonewitheconomics?
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3/12/2015

RecentbudgethasnotliftedtheveilofgloomoverSTEAMTheHindu

Beyondgovernment
Itistimeforustogobeyondthegovernmentforsupport.Twogroupsthathaveremainedbeneficiariesofwhatever
littlethegovernmenthasdonetowardseducation,R&DanddoneverywellareprivateindustryandtheNRI
community.ItistimetheythinkofcontributingtoIndiaseffortsinR&DinSTEAM,humanityandsocialsciences.
Elsewhereintheworld,privateindustryandindividualbusinessmagnateshavesetuptheirownR&DFoundations
whichoffercompetitivegrants.Indiantycoons,manyricherthanthegovernment,needtogobeyondcorporatesocial
responsibilityandsetupR&Dfunds.CanbodiessuchasFICCI,CII,NASSCOMandASSOCHAMinitiatesimilar
grants?Andletsuchfundsbemanagedincollaborationwithscienceacademiesandsimilarscholarlygroupswith
domainexpertisetodisbursethem.
Thesecondgroup
ThesecondgroupisthatoftheNonResidentIndians,whohavehadtheirearlytraininginIndia,andhavesince
workedhardtobecomesuccessstories.AndtheyhaveconcernsaboutIndiasfuture.Whyshouldtheynotstartanot
forprofitR&DfundtohelpIndiasSTEAM?(IrecallhowsuchathinghashappenedwithIsrael).Suchafund,withan
annualbudgetof,say,US$1billion,willgoalongwaytoacceleratethegrowthandimprovementinIndiasSTEAM
andeducation.IsBarkiswilling?
D.BALASUBRAMANIAN
dbala@lvpei.org

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