Science in India -- Nature News highlights: 14 May 2015

[mskmoorthy]

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Science in India : Nature News & Comment

Nature is one of the top rated Science Journals in the world (at least that is what we are made to believe )

Any way this issue highlights Science in India

Nature takes a close look at the state of science in a mushrooming economy, soon to be the world’s most populous nation. By most metrics, India is underperforming compared with developed nations and ascendant economies such as China and Brazil. So, how best to build the country's scientific capacity, and tackle its grand challenges including energy, water, food and pollution?

Editorial A nation with ambition : Nature News & Comment India with Ambition


Interesting article: Indian bioscience: The anti-bureaucrat : Nature News & Comment

Indian bioscience: The anti-bureaucrat K. VijayRaghavan is determined to cut through red tape and build up biological science in India.

Research management: Priorities for science in India : Nature News & Comment

 

[vgane]

I did find a few concrete suggestions such as need for high quality universities, funds coming late, job positions being vacant for years affecting the innovation ecosystem etc

But following comments on Government control of NGO's is unwarranted:

"India does, however, need to look closely at the changes it is making, because not all are positive. As part of its effort to encourage development, the Modi administration has tried to silence some critics of policies on energy, climate and human rights. In April, the Indian government revoked the registrations of thousands of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that receive foreign funds, and it has frozen the assets of Greenpeace over claims that it had violated reporting rules about foreign contributions. On 6 May, the US ambassador to India, Richard Verma, warned about “the potentially chilling effects of these regulatory steps focused on NGOs”.

Some scientists might be tempted to applaud India’s clampdown on environmental groups, which have stymied certain research initiatives. In March, environmentalists held up construction of a major neutrino observatory with debatable claims that the facility would harm an aquifer. And Naturereports this week that the Modi government has quietly moved forward with trials of genetically modified crops, which have long been desired by biotech researchers but have been impeded by environmental groups (see page 138).
But scientists in India should not cheer the government’s attempts to suppress dissent, even if it helps them to achieve their research goals. It would be wrong to blame environmental advocates for India’s lengthy and fault-ridden procedures for weighing up the impact of projects. The solution is not to silence discussion or to shrink environmental oversight. Rather, India should make strategic improvements to the environmental evaluation process that balance progress with protection"

 

[prasad1]

Vganeji,
I did not get the full meaning of your post.
Are you with the RSS wing of criticizing NGO's who do not tote the government position or are you for NGO's to hold government responsible for its action in the sphere of environment and impact on the poor?

 

[cmano1981]

Reservations put wrong people in wrong place and destroy progress. Foreign Indians are normally appreciated for many of the inventions nowadays. Every science project in tamilnadu or India gets opposition from some groups which made Government think foreign hands are involved in stopping our development. If we do not allow research (done in a safe way after environment ministry approval), then how can we have some achievements to show or utilize the income coming after that/patents etc...