National Research Foundation’s vision: A chance at genuine innovation

Source: The post is based on the article “National Research Foundation’s vision: A chance at genuine innovation” published in “Indian Express” on 7th July 2023.

News: The article discusses the establishment of the National Research Foundation (NRF) as recommended by the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP-2020) in India.

Read – India’s National Research Foundation (NRF): Needs, significance and challenges- Explained, pointwise

The NRF is expected to seed, grow, and promote research and development (R&D) and foster a culture of innovation throughout Indian universities, colleges, institutions, and R&D laboratories.

What are challenges that may still arise after the establishment of NRF?

First, India’s R&D spending is low, at only 0.65% of GDP, compared to over 2% in developed and East Asian economies.

Second, the majority of the government R&D funding is through core grants, with the DRDO, DoS, and Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) being the top recipients. While only a small percentage (5.8% in 2016-17) is spent on extramural grants, vital for R&D in universities and institutions of higher learning. The extramural grants from DST-SERB and DBT have been the lifeline for R&D in the universities and institutions of higher learning in the country.

Third, the static extramural grant funding, despite a significant increase in institutes and doctoral students, has hampered quality doctoral training.

Fourth, India does not have a competitive grant system, despite global prevalence of such systems.

Moreover, there was underutilization of funds extramural grant funding in 2021-22 due to bureaucratic issues.

The mention of agriculture is missing from the stated goals, which seems like an oversight.

What should be done?

The success of the NRF will depend on its ability to manage a large number of projects in a timely and fair manner, and to secure funding from non-government sources.

A competitive grant system can expedite research in emerging interdisciplinary areas and encourage collaborative work.