NEED TO STRENGTHEN
THE STATE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY COUNCILS
It is needless to emphasize that the Ministry of Science & Technology, Govt. of India, through its three departments, Department of Science & Technology (DST), Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Department Scientific & Industrial Research (DSIR) has been rendering yeoman service to the country through various programmes and initiatives in order to strengthen scientific infrastructure, capacity building, manpower development as well as science education in the last few decades. Various councils and autonomous institutions established under these departments in different parts of the country have not only provided the needed inputs for carrying out frontier research in various scientific disciplines but also helped the country emerge as one of the frontline countries in the world in terms of scientific outputs and innovations in areas like agriculture, engineering & material science, information technology, space science, etc. India’s scientific output is stated to be growing at the rate of 14 percent per annum, compared to a world average of 4 percent.
Science & Technology being a subject in the concurrent list, the state governments have also equal responsibility as that of the central government to strengthen science education and research as well as implement technologies for social benefit to ensure overall growth of the states across different sectors. It is, however, a matter of concern that in most of the states, the Ministry of Science & Technology under the state governments is not functioning through full-fledged departments; rather all programmes of the ministry are being implemented through a State Science & Technology Council. Moreover, in many states including the states of NER, these councils are run with a meager manpower support and without adequate infrastructure and resources available to put into action their plans and programmes in an effective manner.
The Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India has several schemes under which funds are made available to the State S&T Councils for implementation of various viable projects submitted to it from time to time. However, due to inadequate manpower and due to lack of appropriate linkage with the research institutes and universities, many a time the S&T Councils of some states fail to come up with fundable projects in time. This results in deprivation of the concerned state from resources needed for development of scientific infrastructure compared to many other states which are mostly benefitted by such schemes of the central government. This is rather more true in respect of the S&T Councils of the North-Eastern States, including Assam; compared to the state S&T councils of some other states like Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh etc., the councils of NE states have so far evidently failed to reap the benefit of the central government schemes to the fullest potential.
It is, therefore, the right time for the state governments of NE states to look into the matter very seriously and take urgent steps in regards to the following:
- Establishment of a full-fledged Department of Science & Technology in the state to cater to the growing needs.
- Strengthening the present S&T councils by providing adequate manpower support, infrastructure and financial resources.
- Establishing a better linkage between the State S&T Council, and universities and institutions of the state so as to enable taking up of collaborative projects for the benefit of the state. Associating scientists and researchers from universities and institutions within the state for designing and implementation of scientific projects will certainly bring more success to the S&T Councils to mobilize resources from the central government through various schemes.
Let us all join our hands together to provide the much needed fillip in the scientific infrastructure, and output of research and innovations in various sectors so as to bring in the desired transformation in the society and change the life of the common man through scientific interventions.
