Innovation in India Project Report

8/10/2019 Innovation in India Project Report

1/23

Subject : Economic EnvironmentAssignment Topic : Innovation in IndiaSubmitted by : Abdussalam H Khan (Roll No: EPGP-04A-003)

Ravi Dhingra (Roll No: EPGP-04A-0 !)"an#a$ %hargava (Roll No: EPGP-04A-0!3)&dai "han'ar ri a*hi (Roll No: EPGP-04A-+03),og sh .ishra (Roll No: EPGP-04A-0/3)

INNOVATION IN INDIA

In the next two decades, India is likely to become an economically prosperous nationand move significantly towards being a far more inclusive society, with the bulk of its

population gaining access to facilities for education and health care and living a lifewith hope and security. To realize such a vision, it is essential that science is at the

heart of the strategy that the next stage of national development demands. In what follows, we present a vision for the growth of Indian science that can help the strategysucceed, and a road map for India to emerge simultaneously as a global leader inscience.

There is a growing perception around the world about the emergence of India as one of the potential global leaders in Science. The US National Academy of Sciences (NAS)

published an influential report in 2 ! titled Rising above the gathering storm . Thestorm referred to in this report is concerned with the emergence of other global leaderssuch as "hina and India in science# and the challenges that such a de$elopment would

pose to the position of the US in the world of science. Interestingly# the US %resident has

spo&en about young people in "hina and India wor&ing round the cloc& hungry for &nowledge# and how 'obs in uffalo may be lost to angalore and ei'ing. The creationof new scientific and technological &nowledge is largely concentrated in three areas of the world the US# *estern +urope and the North,east Asian hub (-apan# South orea#"hina and Taiwan)# with a few pea&s in /ussia and Australia. India unfortunately

presents no comparable pea&s. 0rom a recent sur$ey of impact,ma&ing scientific publications# we are 22 in global ran&ing 1 below "hina# South orea and %oland. IndeedIndia s relative position in the world of science has declined in the last twenty years. *e

produce more science than before# but se$eral more ambitious countries li&e "hina and S.orea ha$e outpaced us. The fraction of 34% that is spent on /54 has remainedstagnant in India for two decades now. Two,thirds of the national /54 e6penditure in

India comes from the central go$ernment# and a 7uarter from industry. In contrast# it isalmost the other way in S. orea about 8 9 of its / 5 4 budget (about 8 : 9 of 3N%)#comes from the orean go$ernment 1 which spends about the same on / 5 4 as theIndian go$ernment does 1 but all the rest of it comes from industry. Indian industry isspending more on / 5 4 now than before in absolute terms# but less relati$e to 3N%( .8;9 of 3N% in ;!,;


2/23

cannot be ignored. As >r Narayan >urthy of,founder of Infosys said in an inter$iew?*hile India is uni7uely positioned to use technology for progress# it has in the recent

past lagged behind considerably in the 7uality and speed of scientific research.

Notwithstanding the global financial crisis# growth performance of India has attracted

considerable attention among analysts of all hues and shapes. @ne of the issues that ishighlighted in discussions is the emergence and rise of a number of &nowledge,intensi$emanufacturing and ser$ice industries and these industries together now account for agrowing share of the country s gross domestic product (34%). India has now become agrowing destination for inno$ati$e acti$ities by multinational companies (>N"s) andthis manifest itself in the form of a growing presence of foreign research andde$elopment (/54) centres in the country. 0oreign direct in$estment (04I) from Indiahas been steadily increasing and o$er 2 and 2 ; there were a number of high profileta&eo$ers of western technology,based companies by Indian corporate. All theseindicators ha$e prompted analysts to thin& that India has become more inno$ati$e sinceBCCB and recent attempts at measuring the contribution of technology to economic

growth essentially through measures such as total factor producti$ity (T0%) appear toindicate that Indian industries# both in manufacturing and ser$ices sectors# ha$e becomeacti$e from the inno$ation point of $iew. In the conte6t# the purpose of the present studyis to in7uire into the direct e$idence on whether inno$ati$e acti$ities are on the rise inIndia. 0or this# we employ a $ariety of con$entional indicators of inno$ation as data onnew indicators are practically non,e6istent in the Indian conte6t.

@ur Dast but UnrealiEed %otential

Indias Strengths

India s resources and strengths in science are considerable# but the potential is still far from realiEation. The rapid economic growth of the last fifteen years ma&es it feasible for the country to in$est a great deal more in science than it could earlier. "ontribution to/esearch 5 4e$elopment (/ 5 4) from pri$ate sources is on the increase e$en though itstill remains relati$ely small. *e belie$e# therefore# that the present time is a special onein the history of India s science as it offers an unusual opportunity to mo$e towards a newand higher le$el than the one that we ha$e become used to for decades. At the school,lea$ing le$el there is great enthusiasm for science. A national science sur$ey has foundthat the most popular sub'ect among tenth standard students is mathematics (with a $oteof 8!9). In the international @lympiads# Indian students ha$e been in the same class asUSA# South orea# "hina and -apan in terms of medals won in mathematicsF in biology#

they ran& abo$e the US. Gowe$er# as these bright young minds begin choosing their careers they prefer other options# chiefly because they see science as offering fewer opportunities. India has se$eral natural ad$antages as well. A ma'or one is theyouthfulness of India s population (3raphic H)# ,which currently has a median age of 2years. The number of Indians in the uni$ersity,going age group (between the ages of Bto 2B) is currently about C crores (C million)# and will be B crores or more in 2 2! thedemographics will still be dominated by youth (3raphic H). @nly B89 are enrolled inhigher education today. There is therefore $ast scope for e6pansion. India s strengths in


3/23

original research in basic science ha$e been substantial. The science# done in India# hasoften led to stri&ing new technologies# but these technologies ha$e generally beende$eloped elsewhere in the world.

THE NEW WAVE

"onsidering that India s potential in science and technology is immense# we belie$e that a policy of $igorous pursuit of science in the country can lead to rapid growth 1 of the &indthat occurred in our 34% following the economic reforms of BCCB. The BCCB reformsha$e 'ust now begun to touch the Indian science system. The re$ision of salaries by the3o$ernment of India in 2 ; has been a significant step forward. The new IndianInstitutes of Technology (IITs) established in recent years# the new system of IndianInstitutes of Science +ducation and /esearch (IIS+/s)# new uni$ersities beingestablished in the country# new milestones in national megapro'ects# the outstanding

performance of a small number of state uni$ersities and the considerable growth in


4/23

pri$ate wealth (in some cases arising out of the inno$ati$e initiati$es ta&en by Indianindustrialists and businessmen)# all these are changing the scientific scenario in Indiadramatically. These strides should presage a new wa$e of in$estment and growth inIndian science 1 the only one of such magnitude after the early initiati$es ta&en by thego$ernment led by -awaharlal Nehru# in the late H s and the ! s. At the heart of the

initiati$es proposed here is the need to promote the pursuit of basic science in thecountry. *ithout the anchor of the strong foundation that basic research can pro$ide# andthe new ideas that can lead to future technologies that could be generated in thelaboratories of the country# the $ision of this document cannot be achie$ed. Tomorrow stechnology often depends on today s basic science as e6emplified earlier. Inno$ati$esolutions will ha$e to be encouraged# by establishing the whole ecosystem that isnecessary for ideas that germinate in research centers to reach the mar&et place. Indeedsome of the wor& in the basic sciences should be dri$en by programs that the nation willha$e to underta&e to tac&le the ma'or problems that the nation# and indeed the wholeworld# faces. Ad$ances in basic science will not by themsel$es ma&e India a global&nowledge power. It will be essential to identify the real causes behind our lac& of

progress in attaining food security# energy independence# efficient water management#tac&ling climate change# pro$iding uni$ersal health care and a $ariety of other

INNOVATION

Inno$ation is deJned as a process by which $arying degrees of measurable $alueenhancement is planned and achie$ed# in any commercial acti$ity. This process may be

brea&through or incremental# and it may occur systematically in a company or sporadicallyF it may be achie$ed by

, introducing new or impro$ed goods or ser$ices andKor , implementing new or impro$ed operational processes andKor

, implementing new or impro$ed organiEationalK managerial processes in order toimpro$e mar&et share# competiti$eness and 7uality# while reducing costs.

Inno$ation and competiti$eness ha$e a dynamic# mutual relationship. Inno$ation thri$esin a competiti$e en$ironment and in turn# plays a &ey role in the achie$ement of such anen$ironment. Inno$ation generates economic $alue# new 'obs in the economy andcultures of entrepreneurship. y $irtue of its relationship with competiti$eness#Inno$ation emerges as a factor in promoting economic growth.

Inno$ation and competiti$eness ha$e a dynamic# mutual relationship. Inno$ation thri$esin a competiti$e en$ironment and in turn# plays a &ey role in the achie$ement of such an

en$ironment. Inno$ation generates economic $alue# new 'obs in the economy andcultures of entrepreneurship.

Innovation and India

Inno$ation is the new buEEword among Indian policyma&ers. Inno$ation cannot be bought or implanted. It will happen on its own once you ha$e pro$ided the righten$ironment for research and education in institutions of higher learning. Name,plating


5/23

organiEations cannot produce inno$ation 3i$en the fact that the Indian economy isgrowing at


6/23

According to the +conomist Intelligence Unit (2 C)# India s ran& in its 3lobalInno$ation Inde6B increased from !; in 2 2, < to !< in 2 H, ; and is predicted tofurther increase to !H by 2 C,B8. According to the *orld an India has emerged as thefifth largest economy in terms of its le$el of 34% in purchasing power parity (%%%)terms. Gowe$er# relati$ely spea&ing her economy is only one,half of that of "hina s.India s real 34% has grown at a rate of !. 9 during the period BCC ,CB to BCCC,2 #and it increased to .89 during 2 , B to 2 , ; and o$er the last three years (2 !,< to 2 , ;) it has been growing at the rate of about C9. "urrently# the ser$ice sector accounts for o$er two,thirds of the economy and both ser$ice and manufacturing sectorsha$e been performing $ery well. 0or a $ery long time the policyma&ers in the countryne$er specifically used the term inno$ation in an e6plicit manner in Indian policydocuments dealing with technological acti$ities. 0or instance# the most recent policydocument to promote inno$ations is titled the Science and Technology Policy 2003. utgi$en the international trend and in realising the increasing number of inno$ations ema,nating from the country# a draft National Inno$ation Act is in the an$il and the usage of the e6pression ?inno$ationL in this document is more than symbolic. In fact# there is afair amount of belief in both policy and business circles that the country is becomingmore inno$ati$e# at least certain specific industries in both manufacturing and ser$icesectors ha$e become important generators of inno$ations.2 *ithin the manufacturingsector itself a number of inno$ations ha$e been reported from the automobile andmedical de$ices industries.8 Gowe$er# this proposition has not been sub'ect to anyrigorous empirical scrutiny.


7/23

Trends in / &D Investments

oth the nominal and real growth rates ha$e declined since BCCB and the o$erall researchintensity of the country has $irtually remained constant pre, and post,liberaliEation

periods at about . ;.H +$en now the go$ernment accounts for o$er


8/23

education sector# which includes the prestigious Indian Institute of Science# the IndianInstitutes of Technology and a host of o$er 8 uni$ersities# constitutes only a $ery smallshare of the total /54 performed within the country. It is thus seen that the only actor of the country s inno$ation system that has increased its share in total /54 performancehas been the industrial sector. Indian pri$ate sector enterprises spend appro6imately four

times their public sector counterparts and nearly three times when compared to 3/Is. Inother words in terms of /54 performance# the pri$ate sector enterprises in India aremo$ing towards the core of India s inno$ation system.

Measure of Innovation in the econom and im!act on economic gro"th

Inno$ation Intensity is defined to be ? the percentage of revenue derived from products/ services which are less than 3 years old L Inno$ation Intensity measures the percentage of re$enue deri$ed from productsK ser$ices that are new to the firm . Gowe$er# focusing onlyon Inno$ation Intensity is not comprehensi$e enough# especially when the 7uestion iswhether a particular product# process or ser$ice is truly inno$ati$e # i.e. whether such an

Inno$ation is new to the mar&et itself (i.e. local# national or global). As such# there could be a situation where a firm is constantly introducing imitation products# which leads to ahigh $alue of Inno$ation Intensity# but is not necessarily inno$ati$e enough to introducea new productK ser$ice to the mar&et


9/23

Inno$ation Intensity has increased It can be seen from 0igure B below that Inno$ationIntensity has increased for large firms in our sample from 2 B, 2 to 2 !,


10/23

inno$ati$e design and engineering# while NAN@ in a different sphere shampoo and other sachets 1 has created a new business model ser$ing what has been called the ?bottom of the pyramidL. This has been emulated in such $ital areas as health. 3rass,roots inno$ationthri$es# as documented by the National Inno$ation 0oundation. Gowe$er# much of our inno$ation has been incremental and has focused on ?'ugaadL# best characteriEed as

impro$isation rather than true or radical inno$ation. In$entions# brea&,through and large$alue,addition are rare. The potential for inno$ation is e6tremely high since di$ersity andad$ersity# both crucial to inno$ation# are characteristic features of the Indian scene. Thefirst permits# e$en encourages# out,of,bo6 thin&ing# while the latter throws up day,today

problems that can be o$ercome only by creati$e solutions. @ur in$estments in higher education and /54 facilities should pro$ide the wherewithal to facilitate inno$ation. Inrecognition of India s capabilities# a large number of >N"s ha$e set up /54 centers inIndia. =et India has not become a leader in inno$ation. (It is worrisome that C out of thetop B entities recei$ing Indian patents are of foreign origin) *hat seems to be lac&ing isthe o$erall eco,system that can translate the undoubted Indian potential into reality. Themain elements of such an eco,system would include the following

Venture funding *hile there is now funding a$ailable for commercial scaling up of successful proof,of,concepts or pilots# there is yet a problem with regard to seed or ?angelL funding that is willing to ta&e ris&s on ideas. At this stage# failure rates arenecessarily high and in many countries such funding is often pro$ided directly or indirectly by go$ernment (Israel is a stri&ing e6ample). Gowe$er# in the case of go$ernment in$ol$ement# there must be high failure,tolerance con$entional auditing#that tries to fi6 accountability for unsuccessful in$estments# will not do# as some failuresare an integral part of inno$ation. A separate# large fund (of the order of /s. BcroreKyear) must be set up and administered autonomously1 possibly through a public,

pri$ate oard# or as a not for, profit company that in$ests in inno$ati$e start,up $entures.

MTa$ incentives 3i$en high failure rates# there must be some ta6 write,off and other incenti$es to encourage angel in$esting# lin&ed to the crucial element of mentoring.

M %reater funding for new ideas and inno$ation in go$ernment,funded /54organiEations# academic institutions and uni$ersities# and a willingness to ris& failureSuch funding could be separately pro$ided (as e6tra,budgetary grants) through the fundmentioned earlier.

M ess 'ureaucratic contro(s in go$ernment funded /54 organiEations This is a bigimpediment to free thin&ing# e6perimentation and inno$ation.

M Encouragement) Through both sabbatical lea$e and other schemes and appropriatefunding# scientists and technologists should be encouraged to realiEe and monetiEe their ideas through commercial $entures.


11/23

M *hanges in education curricu(a to encourage creati$e thin&ing and inno$ation (asopposed to rote learning) Since a great deal of inno$ation ta&es place through rossfertiliEation of ideas# we need to encourage trans,disciplinary centers and gi$e freedom tostudents to ta&e $arious combinations of courses (as against the present strait'ac&eting).

MA fund (either as part of the one suggested earlier or separately) to promote socialinno$ations Ideas or $entures that may not be commercially profitable but ha$e highsocial returns will ha$e to be supported.

MEncouraging tie#u!s 'et"een academia+ ,&D laboratories and commercial $enturesThis# as pro$en elsewhere in the world# is an e6cellent combination for promotinginno$ation and ta&ing it to mar&et 7uic&ly.

Mstrengthening the inte((ectua( !ro!ert (a"s and their enforcement *hile there arestrong arguments for putting certain &inds of de$elopments in the public sphere# there isalso need to enforce I% laws# so as to encourage in$estments in and de$elopment of new

products and processes.MA s!ecia( !ac-age for a Sma(( .usiness Initiative that will promote the establishmentof and pro$ide support for small / 54 intensi$e firms. India needs inno$ation to tac&lethe di$erse problems confronting it# including the one for con$erting our &nowledge,assets to economic growth and strength. 0ortunately the country has great potential to betruly inno$ati$e. 4emography# democracy and di$ersity gi$e us a uni7ue ad$antage. If we can create the right ambience through an appropriate eco,system# we can reap the

benefits of these ad$antages. 0inally# the in$estment in science that began some si6tyyears ago has left the country with a broad infrastructure going all the way from a fewe6cellent academic institutions to fine research laboratories and effecti$e technologydeli$ery systems. This infrastructure has many wea&nesses# but with the growingeconomic strength of the country a rapid build up has become feasible.


12/23

arriers to Inno$ation

E$terna( and Interna( .arriersThe barriers ha$e been classified into (B) external 1 those that could arise due to theregulatory en$ironment# the mar&et# the Intellectual %roperty /ights (I%/) regime# etc.#and (2) internal 1 those that could arise due to internal firm processes such as internal

resistance to change# inefficient systems and processes to manage Inno$ation# etc. Thefigures below display firms ran&ing of importance for barriers to Inno$ation. It isinteresting to note that in most cases# more firms considered a particular barrier to beNot Important rather than Important . This signifies a positi$e attitude towardsInno$ation at a general le$el. Also# on a$erage# firms perceive external barriers moreimportant than internal barriers.

External barriers 1 *e obser$e that only H89 of large firms thin& that e6cessi$ego$ernment regulation in their industry is an important barrier to Inno$ation. In addition#only H29 of large firms percei$e insufficient e6ternal pressure to inno$ate as animportant barrier to Inno$ation. This could be a reflection of the e6istence of

competiti$eness as a spur to Inno$ation efforts in the current economy. The mostimportant e6ternal barrier to Inno$ation# as percei$ed by both large firms and S>+s# iss&ill shortages due to the lac& of emphasis on industrial Inno$ation# problem,sol$ing#design# e6perimentation etc. in the education curricula. It is critical to focus on policyreform in the higher and $ocational educational curricula in order for India to achie$e itsInno$ation potential. The ne6t most important e6ternal barriers as percei$ed by largefirms are# in decreasing order of importance as follows the lac& of effecti$e collaboration

between industry and research conducted in uni$ersities and /54 institutionsF


13/23

insufficient pricing power to deri$e $alue from Inno$ations. 0or S>+s# the mostimportant e6ternal barriers are e6cessi$e go$ernment regulationF the lac& of effecti$ecollaboration between industry and research conducted in uni$ersities and /54institutions.

Internal barriers The most important internal barriers as percei$ed by large firms# indecreasing order of importance are lac& of organiEational focus on Inno$ation as astrategy for growth and competiti$enessF inefficient &nowledge management systemswithin the companyF and poor understanding of customer needs and mar&et dynamics.The most important internal barriers as percei$ed by S>+s# in decreasing order of importance are s&ill shortages due to lac& of effecti$e in,house training programmesFinability to mo$e beyond the first successful Inno$ation and de$elop a sustainable modelfor continuous Inno$ationF and poor understanding of customer needs and mar&etdynamics. Therefore# while S>+s are able to target small and emerging mar&ets# areopen to radical Inno$ation and can try new business models# they ha$e issues in scalingup and gaining a deeper understanding of the mar&et.

*urrent Status of Science in India

Science is about unra$eling nature. +ngineering or technology is all about using the power of science to ma&e life better for people# to reduce cost# to impro$e comfort# toimpro$e producti$ity# etc. Therefore# any country that has made ad$ances in prosperityhas in$ariably depended on science. If +ngland became a world power# it was because of the industrial re$olution. If the U.S. became the undisputed superpower that it is today# itwas primarily because of its technology# whether it is in transportation# agriculture# high,tech industry# medicine# etc. Therefore# for a country li&e India to sol$e its problems of nutrition# healthcare# shelter# etc. we need technology

It is well established that Science and >athematics teaching and research hasdeteriorated in India. 0ewer students are attracted to a career in Science or >athematics#compared to other professional sub'ects. A$ailability of good teachers and absence of modern pedagogy are &ey limiting factors in the ability of schools and Uni$ersities toma&e Science and >athematics e6citing. The new in$estments in institutes of higher learning in Science and +ngineering are a partial response to the problems India faces inScience and >athematics education. @ther efforts# some of them e6cellent# arefragmented and restricted to few institutions.

India s growing bac&wardness in Science and >athematics will e$entually retard its

ability to be globally competiti$e and affect its economic growth and social well,being.@nly a massi$e# well coordinated and well,funded national initiati$e# sponsored at thehighest le$el# can begin to bring about a mindset and attitudinal change in India# towardsScience and >athematics# teaching# and research.


14/23

,ecommendation to im!rove the state of education in India

,ecommendation /) Invest in u!grading and e$!anding the e$isting infrastructureand !romote sharing of avai(a'(e resources

Science is a capital intensi$e sub'ect and its pursuit re7uires good infrastructure# ade7uateresources and regular maintenance of the same. 0urther# better infrastructure will play a$ital role in attracting students towards sciences. asic infrastructure The number of seats presently a$ailable in good institutes for bachelors or integrated masters in scienceis limited. There is a need to e6pand seats at entry le$el in science disciplines to create acritical mass of scientists in each stream. Substantial e6pansion of capacity of bachelor s

programme in all good institutes is re7uired. The starting of IIS+/s is a step in the rightdirection and it is crucial that they succeed in setting an e6ample. "are should be ta&enthat while e6cellence is culti$ated in them# it should not lead to their isolation. !continuum of institutes in "uality is needed. *hile there are IIS+/s on one end# andgo$ernment science colleges on the other end# there is a need to start undergraduate

courses at uni$ersities and other places which currently offer only post graduateeducation in sciences to complete the continuum of institutes for students with $aryingabilities. Select uni$ersities can offer achelor s honors (four year course 1 detailed later)with an option to directly mo$e to %h.4. programme after successful completion of honours. Independent but standardiEed accreditation of science departments and regular e$aluation of accredited institutions is necessary. Accreditation agencies should besufficiently supported to carry out regular e$aluations. This rating information will helpstudents to ta&e informed decisions when they choose their place of study. This will alsoser$e to direct public funding where it is most optimally utiliEed. Uni$ersity departmentsshould be generously funded and upgraded with staff and facilities.

,ecommendation 0 Sharing resources) >any $aluable facilities are not optimallyshared among research institutes# laboratories and uni$ersities. The funding agenciesshould promote the formation of centers for shared instrumentation# by facilitating aconsortium approach. 0ull,fledged laboratories within the campuses of our uni$ersitiesand other educational institutions can be set up. 3reater collaboration should be promoted

between research institutes and uni$ersities through appropriate incenti$es. 0urther#colleges which do not ha$e ade7uate infrastructure should form clusters with nearbycolleges and institutes to share laboratory resources# especially e6pensi$e e7uipments.

,ecommendation 1 Scho(arshi!s) The number of direct scholarships to meritoriousstudents li&e D%= ( ishore Digyani& %rotsahan =o'ana) should be increased to co$er a

larger student population. To enlarge the pool of scientific manpower and foster researchin the sciences# the 3o$ernment of India has announced a programme entitled?Inno$ation in Science %ursuit for Inspired /esearchL (INS%I/+). The INS%I/+

programme should be launched as soon as possible.

,ecommendation23 Autonom and f(e$i'i(it #! university is about learning that molds a lifetime$ learning that transmits the heritage of the millennia$ learning that

shapes the future.% *hile efficient uni$ersity administration should facilitate this#


15/23

bureaucratic stranglehold and political interference $itiates the academic en$ironment#creating a war of ner$es between academicians and the administrators. Uni$ersities ha$eto be financially accountable to the go$ernment# but the academic matters should beunder the sole pur$iew of the uni$ersity bodies. At present# e$en academic matters li&estarting new inno$ati$e courses ha$e to be appro$ed by the state go$ernments. These

proposals do not see the light of the day e$en after se$eral years. Academic autonomy isessential to contemporiEe syllabus and ma&e it more rele$ant. The administration at allle$els should be made transparent# professional and sensitiEed towards wor&ing in anacademic and research en$ironment. To facilitate teaching in uni$ersities by researchscientists# supporting infrastructure should be created in uni$ersities for $isiting

professors. 0urther# Uni$ersity and research institute faculty members should be gi$en thefle6ibility of ta&ing sabbaticals for teaching in colleges# doing wor& in educational fieldand for populariEing science among children# teachers and communities in rural andurban areas. Appropriate chec&s and balances can be put in place to ensure that theorganiEations where the faculty members choose to wor& are indeed benefiting from their

participation. There is a horde of grant disbursing go$ernment departments and

organiEations. /esearchers see&ing funds for their pro'ects ha$e to maneu$er across allthese administrati$e hassles to get funds. A web portal which brings all rele$ant fundinginformation together should be launched. Administrati$e problems and delays created byfunding agencies should be done away with. "ompetiti$e process for grants should beestablished. %rinciples of e,go$ernance should be incorporated to promote transparencyin the system.

,ecommendation 4) ,evita(i5e the teaching !rofession to attract and retain 6ua(itteachers The wor&ing conditions for science teachers at all le$els should be impro$ed.>assi$e efforts are needed not only to ma&e teaching an attracti$e profession for youngscience trained professionals# but also to re$i$e the desire to teach and inspire students ine6isting teachers. Issues The base salary of teachers is low. 0urther# reward andrecognition mechanisms do not e6ist. asic infrastructure is inade7uate and poorlymaintained. In addition# systematic politiciEation of uni$ersities has contributed to thedeteriorating en$ironment. @$erall# the morale of the teachers is se$erely affected.Teaching is ta&en up by uninspired practitioners who do not communicate the passion for doing science. Shortage of teachers in colleges results in additional burden of teachingload lea$ing little room for inno$ation in teaching. The practice of contractual teachingwithout appropriate remuneration has created its own problems. Access to good libraries#teaching aids etc is not a$ailable. "ollege teachers do not get e6posure to newestde$elopments in their fields. Academic freedom and fle6ibility is lac&ing in the presentrigid system.

,ecommendation 7 ,e"ards and recognition The teaching profession has beense$erely undermined in recent years and the wor&ing conditions of teachers needs to bedrastically impro$ed. It is essential that teachers are gi$en due recognition for their contribution to society. Salaries need to be hi&ed across the board. /ewards should beinstituted for good teaching based on student feedbac& in colleges. The rewards should begi$en at all le$els and should be organiEed with sufficient publicity. Inno$ation in


16/23

teaching should be encouraged through appropriate incenti$es. The practice of institutingchairs li&e National %rofessors should be e6tended to school and college teachers too.

,ecommendation 8 9rofessiona( deve(o!ment) School teachers should be pro$idedwith a$enues to discuss new pedagogical de$elopments. 0or instance# they should be

encouraged to do pro'ects in laboratories in colleges during $acation time. "olleges can be gi$en separate funds to run such programmes. School teachers should be sufficientlyincenti$iEed to de$elop new e6periments and acti$ities to be used at school le$el.Teaching load in colleges should be lightened to pro$ide scope for professionalde$elopment. There should be a pro$ision of research facilities in all colleges or a systemwherein interested college teachers can a$ail of nearby research facilities. Access to

'ournals and internet based learning must be pro$ided. New faculty members should begi$en lighter teaching load and a start up grant for research. This will enable them toestablish themsel$es in their chosen research area. There is a need to increase academicfreedom at all le$els. !cademic autonomy is important in retaining teachers. Teachersshould be encouraged and empowered to try new pedagogical tools. 0le6ibility is

important to contemporiEe classroom learning and ma&e it more engaging.

,ecommendation : Mentoring A mentoring programme for young faculty membersshould be started in uni$ersities and colleges. +6perienced faculty members can mentor

'unior members on issues related to starting new research pro'ects# grant applicationwriting etc. They can share tips on different aspects of classroom teaching# li&e syllabus

planning# managing the classes# etc. %eer e$aluation of teaching and e6change of ideas on pedagogy should be encouraged. >any reser$ed faculty posts remain $acant in theabsence of inno$ati$e or fle6ible appointment modes to fill these posts. This leads toe6cess strain and teaching load on the e6isting teachers. In addition# this has contributedto the gradual decay and death of many departments of pure sciences in colleges anduni$ersities around the country# which were once famous for their science teaching.There is a need to start a systematic affirmative campaign to rectify this situation. =oungstudents who can e$entually fill these posts should be selected from an early age andnurtured carefully to induct them into a career in teaching. Special mentor programmeswith highly indi$idualiEed attention should be an inbuilt part of this programme.

,ecommendation ;) ,evam! teacher training at a(( (eve(s and !romote deve(o!mentof teaching aids to retain student attention in c(assroomsA systemic change in science pedagogy from primary and high school le$els is re7uired.Teaching should be made more in7uiry based. It should raise curiosity# con$ey thee6citement of science and enable understanding of nature through e6periments. IssuesUnimaginati$e science teaching has promoted rote learning# thereby dousing the $eryspirit of en7uiry that a study of science should nurture in young minds. Teaching isaccompanied by a limited number of demonstrations and acti$ities. Science is pro'ectedas an abstract difficult sub'ect to its young practitioners. There is no effort on the part of the system to engage students in the process of scientific en7uiry. +mphasis is not laid onthorough understanding of fundamental concepts. Instead# students are o$erloaded withmore and more information. This is also encouraged by the current e$aluation system and$arious competiti$e e6amination bodies.


17/23

,ecommendation /< Teacher training To help teachers &eep pace with recent ad$ancesin their sub'ects and new pedagogic tools# there is a need to launch large scale in,ser$icetraining programme for all science teachers. Training teachers is necessary because at themiddle school le$el# they are e6pected to teach general science courses though they might

ha$e recei$ed training in only one of the disciplines. The deli$ery medium should beclassroom based# supported by materials based on I"T. Dideo conferencing sessions can be $ery useful. Science academies ha$e launched such a training programme# and this canser$e as a model for other institutes. The in,ser$ice training programme for teachersneeds to be re$amped. The fre7uency of training should be increased. Teacher traininginstitutes should be measured on their performance based on outcomes. +$ery trainingschool can be lin&ed to nearby schools for this purpose. The performance of students can

be ta&en as a substitute for measuring the performance of teachers associated with thetraining school. Apart from fundamental concepts# in7uisiti$eness# creati$ity# problemsol$ing and research orientation should be included in teaching. At the undergraduatele$el# the present method of faculty training conducted by Staff Training

InstitutesK"enters should be re$iewed and the training system with lectures alone should be done away with. There is a need to re$amp the /efresher and @rientation coursesconducted under the guidance of U3". The need is to pro$ide a platform for life longs&ill enhancement of teachers. 4edicated training centers can be established at researchinstitutesKuni$ersities for ad$anced le$el courses. A database of good teachers should becreated so that they can be tapped for discussion forums# $ideo,conferencing sessions andfor li$e interactions with trainees. ectures of good teachers should be recorded and madea$ailable in "4sKinternet for easy accessibility. *eb enabled discussion forums should be

promoted. Teachers should be connected with one another so that in time# teacher organiEations can become leaders in de$eloping new teaching methodologies and ma&esignificant contributions to content and e$aluation reforms. &ell established associationsli'e (ndian !ssociation of Physics Teachers and others li'e the nascent (ndian

!ssociation of Teachers in )iological Sciences should be strengthened by appropriate financial and other support.

,ecommendation //) ,estructure master and graduate degrees to !romote careerf(e$i'i(it after graduationStructural reforms in courses are needed to streamline a$ailable options and presentstudents with multiple options. %references of students who intend to pursue a career inresearch will be different from those who want to wor& in industry immediately after graduation. >any students may want to pursue a more generaliEed science course whileothers may prefer a highly specialiEed course focused on a particular stream.

Issues) The present courses of study a$ailable at $arious colleges and uni$ersities in$ol$erepetition at each le$el. This affects students interest ad$ersely. There is a need tointegrate course curriculum from senior secondary le$el to master le$el in sciences. >ostof the .Sc. courses in the country fail to pro$ide a wider conceptual base in di$ersedisciplines of Science and thus se$erely limit ?interdisciplinaryL capability of thegraduating students. In the absence of e6tensi$e laboratory wor the graduates do not&now how to actually do an e6periment and without any self,underta&en e6ploratory


18/23

e6perimental wor they also fail to learn how to as& new 7uestions for research. To bring a graduate degree in science at par with other streams$ a four year )achelors in Sciencecourse is proposed. This degree course should be aptly branded so that it gains moresignificance than the regular three year programme. To ensure the success andacceptability of this programme# the course content must be planned in consultation with

di$erse e6pert groups# and implemented at institutions with a pro$en trac& record of success. The first two years of this course would be common for all students. Thestudents may choose their streams based on interest and performance after two years. If the course is offered in an instituteKuni$ersity where engineering courses are also offeredthere can be a pro$ision of fle6ibility to mo$e from .Sc. to .Tech. 0urther# a studentcould also choose to ta&e a H year integrated .Sc. plus .+d. course in colleges wheresuch a facility is a$ailable. A four year ).Sc. * ). +d. Programme is a more effecti$etraining programme than the current practice of .+d. after completing .Sc. 0unding of this programme should be gi$en special attention. Uni$ersitiesKScience colleges must beencouraged to run such programmes. If the student does not opt for .+d. then sheKhe caneither do a research pro'ect in final year or ta&e up employment friendly modules li&e

clinical research# statistics# etc. The e6act duration of the course need not be fi6ed butshould be based on credits. Thus# if a bright student completes the re7uirement of allnecessary credits a semester before# sheKhe could do additional ad$anced courses in theremaining period. Also if the place sKhe is studying offers >.Sc. and %h.4.# there should

be fle6ibility to start earning credits for the master s courses such that the total effecti$etime spent in .Sc. O >.Sc. is reduced# and the student can directly opt for %h.4. at theend of the course. The go$ernment should encourage uni$ersities and IITsKIIS+/sKresearch institutes to start a broad based undergraduate degree programme in science.ased on the course credits students ac7uire# the degree can be aptly named li&e achelor in >athematics and "omputer Science# achelor in "hemistry and iology etc. GighlyspecialiEed courses li&e iotechnology or ioinformatics at undergraduate le$el should

be a$oided. Instead the emphasis should be on broad based &nowledge of $arious sciencestreams.

,ecommendation /0) ,eform the science curricu(um content in (ine "ith thechanging "or(d and increase research com!onent at a(( (eve(sThere is a need to change the balance of content in fa$or of hands,on acti$ities andresearch at all le$els. Increase in e6perimental learning will increase student interest inscience. "ontent de$elopment acti$ities also need to be altered to cater to all segments of student population. Issues 0irstly# the curriculum load at school le$el has significantlyimpacted the understanding of fundamental concepts. Infle6ibilities in the coursecurriculum# lac& of application oriented content and poorly designed laboratory coursesha$e made sciences unattracti$e. Secondly# emerging technology has reshaped andcontinues to reshape e$ery discipline rapidly. "ompetiti$e ad$antage will rest with thosewho ha$e life,long self learning s&ills and humanistic grounding and not with thosestuffed with most information. 3lobaliEation demands indi$iduals who can cope withe6ploding and challenging landscapes of the future world. There is a need to modify thecurrent education system to adapt to changing needs of society. /eduction of load Thereis an urgent need to reduce information load of curriculum at higher secondary level.,ourses should be made engaging and not very heavy. -undamentals should be


19/23

emphasi ed by providing more bac'ground and application related problems on eachconcept. "ontent reforms The amount of hands on wor' at all levels should beincreased. To ma&e sciences interesting# local en$ironment can be made a part of learning. Students can apply principles of science to sol$e local problems. This can becoordinated with local science bodies. 3roup acti$ities# hands,on training# student

seminars# pro'ect camps in summers should be encouraged at all le$els. aboratorycourses should follow a continuum. To aid learning by in7uiry# more e6ploratory methodsmust be incorporated into the curriculum. A larger number of e6periments# &its and multimedia teaching aids should be created using# as far as possible# locally a$ailable materialswith accompanying do,it,yourself boo&s. >ost te6tboo&s at school le$el do not describethe details of e6periments and teachers are often not sure how to do the e6periments or why their e6periments fail 1 it should be ensured that practical manuals e6plaining detailsshould be made a$ailable. 4etails about where the re7uirements K&it items can bea$ailable and e6pected cost should be pro$ided. Students should be encouraged toe6periment in a creati$e# unfettered fashion. This calls for changes in the curriculum#teaching and attitude of school administrators (not $iewing labs or instruments or

chemicals as priEed possessions# etc). )oo's should be written by teachers who teach the sub ect and not by curriculum committees. A culture of writing boo&s needs to bede$eloped. >ass collaboration for content de$elopment should be encouraged. Thego$ernment should promote Indian edition of latest boo&s in science. be ready for thee$er changing scientific world# we should de$elop and impart creati$ity training that isthe ability to synthesiEe conceptually.

,ecommendation /1) ,adica( changes are re6uired in the eva(uation s stem toencourage scientific thin-ing and !romote 'etter understanding of 'asic scienceconce!ts

Issues) The present e$aluation system tests memory instead of comprehension. It doesnot promote creati$e thin&ing or problem sol$ing. The selection processes discountoriginality in thought# inno$ati$e ability and passion for hands,on science. Theseelements are far more important for a career in research. The fun of studying science has

been forgotten in the current competiti$e scenario where science students are focused atsol$ing problems which appear in $arious entrance e6aminations in the shortest possibletime. aths and Science# it is essential to ensure access to7uality science education to all students. There is a need to disseminate high 7uality


20/23

educational material in local languages to assist students from non +nglish mediumeducation bac&ground. +ducational materials should be pro$ided to all at subsidiEedrates.Issues The 7uality of education in sciences across the country $aries widely. >anymeritorious students ha$e no access to 7uality education. There is a large section of

student population which recei$es school education in local languages. These students dowonderfully well in the sciences till graduate le$el where the medium of instructionremains $ernacular. ut at post graduate and higher le$els because of the monopoly of +nglish language in science education# they face serious problems. They ha$e to put a lotmore effort to understand concepts in the +nglish language at a higher le$elF oftenma&ing it difficult to cope with the course wor& Study material The current studymaterial a$ailable at bachelor s and post graduate le$els in science is limited and does not

promote or enable self learning for students. Self learning aids will increase access to7uality education and hence should be promoted. Internationally a$ailable courses indifferent streams can be adapted for local use. Incenti$es for people to create suchmaterial in academia should be pro$ided so that people are encouraged to ta&e up such

wor& willingly. 0urther# lectures of teachers reputed for their teaching should be recordedand disseminated all o$er the country# enabling students and teachers to ha$e access to7uality education material. Translation anguage should not act as a barrier in scienceteaching. To bring such students to le$el playing ground# apart from +nglish languagelessons# there is a need to arrange speedy and widespread dissemination of basic scienceeducation materials in local languages. These courses should be designed to facilitateunderstanding of fundamental concepts in the local languages and also pro$ide a bridgetowards subse7uent studies in the +nglish language.

,ecommendation /4) ,e#'rand and !romote careers in 'asic sciences)

The prime reason that students opt for professional courses is the perception that there areno attracti$e career opportunities in sciences. There is an urgent need on the part of allscience teaching colleges# uni$ersities and institutes to better brand the careers in scienceand to spread awareness of increasing career opportunities in basic sciences.

Issues) 0inancial unattracti$eness at all le$els is a ma'or reason for the downfall of interest in science. The two main occupations associated with pure sciences are teachingand research. oth careers no longer carry the respect and recognition in society as theyused to. The financial attracti$eness of 'obs in other streams pulls students away fromsciences. %arental and peer pressure de,moti$ates e$en interested students.

*urrent careers) +6isting careers in sciences# namely teaching and research# should bemade more attracti$e by pro$iding better emoluments# security of tenure# academicfreedom and facilities. -oint appointments within the country and appointment of eminentscientists in such areas from other countries under long term $isiting professorshipsshould be loo&ed into. %h.4s need to be restructured to ensure better stipends for longer duration and secured post docs. It is $ital that all such recommendations of appointmentsand salary structures ha$e a $isible component of accountability in their implementation.Some other suggestions to attract students to careers in sciences Information about 'ob


21/23

opportunities for indi$iduals with a master or doctorate 7ualification in pure sciencesshould be made a$ailable on a portal. New opportunities in emerging fields li&e financialmathematics etc should be appropriately mar&eted. "ompanies wor&ing in these fieldsshould be in$ited to deli$er tal&s in science colleges. Science colleges should collaboratewith research institutes and industry for campus placements.. These groups should focus

on ta&ing an idea from basic research to mar&et ready application. Such groups can be partially funded by industry. Shortage of trained technicians for science laboratories hasresulted in poor maintenance of laboratories across uni$ersities# colleges and institutes.Appropriate $ocational courses may be designed and introduced in areas that can pro$idedirect employment. This may re7uire a good analysis of local industrial and other re7uirements. Some general e6amples are i) io,>edical aboratory Techni7uesF ii)io,informaticsF iii) "omputer ApplicationsF i$) aboratory Techni7ues (for

%hysicsK"hemistry labs) etc. These courses need to be so designed that the students may be ready for gainful employment. These courses can also be offered to students who arestill pursuing their .Sc. as additional courses. >entoring programme A structured

programme for mentoring students in science should be introduced. It was felt that the

students in lower classes in different schools across the country are intimidated by their science and math teachers because of the teacher s attitude towards the students or theteacher s gap in &nowledge. As a result# students feel inhibited in as&ing 7uestions. Thisin turn leads to the de$elopment of a comple6# which is detrimental for academic

progress. @n the other hand# if good students of higher classes# at least H years older#come forward to assist the younger students# the latter would benefit by peer learning asthis is associated with a sense of ease and freedom. The =oung Instructors programme of Agastya International 0oundation is a model which could be replicated in this conte6t atall le$els.

,ecommendation /7) aunch a massive science outreach !rogramme aimed atstudents and their !arents in !articu(ar

The declining interest in sciences is a wider phenomenon and needs to be addressedcomprehensi$ely. arge scale science populariEation programmes are needed to re,establish the passion that science once generated. The ob'ecti$es of science programmesshould include

To spar& curiosity and imbibe scientific way of thin&ing To spread awareness about latest disco$eries and their impact on society To discuss issues related to ad$erse effects of scientific de$elopments To promote science as a medium of socio,economic de$elopment To glorify careers in science , The media# parents and students should be

sensitiEed to the $arious career options and 'ob situations a$ailable to students comingout of science streams. This would encourage more students to science and re$erse thealarming trend of lac& of interest in basic sciences.

A (arge science !o!u(ari5ation !rogramme) A science populariEation programmeshould be launched to co$er 2! O million children effecti$ely across India. This

programme should include all the ob'ecti$es mentioned abo$e. Apart from money# it willre7uire committed people with $ision and capacity towards e6ecution. The importance of


22/23

this programme necessitates consideration of out,of,the bo6 organiEation and ser$icedeli$ery alternati$es. This programme should bring all popular science acti$ities under one umbrella for effecti$e implementation and replication of successful initiati$es.Science cells# centers and mobile labs A large chain of science talent cells should becreated. +ach school should be funded to open a science club. A networ& of good

teachers# laboratory facilities and reading resources connecting li&e,minded students ine$ery townKcity is needed. The school science clubs can be then networ&ed to the localcenters of science. The local science centers should ha$e e6perimental models todemonstrate basic science concepts. The centres would be e7uipped with personnel toe6plain and answer 7uestions of students. %ro$ision should be made to facilitate $isits tothis science centre by connected science cells. The "entre would act as an ?anchorL for the rest of the state s science acti$ities and mobile lab programmes# which would bedispersed across rural talu&s. In general# the $arious state go$ernments should facilitate

building of more engaging and interacti$e science par&s and museums for learningscience outdoors. To tap talent from rural India# special efforts are needed. Science

programmes for rural children should be started 1 boo& grants# computer grants etc can

be gi$en apart from direct scholarship. The effectiveness of mobile science labs inreaching rural students is very high and the programme should be replicated across (ndia. The Agastya International 0oundation s mobile lab programme should be studiedin this regard.

,ecommendation /8) Encourage industr !artici!ation in !romoting sciences at a(((eve(s

Industry participation is important in ma&ing sciences popular. As research basedindustries flourish in India# more and more companies will need employees 7ualified in

basic sciences. This will $isibly pro$ide more attracti$e career options.

Issues) The current industry participation in science education is $ery low. It needs to beincreased manifold. "ompanies need to realiEe that their in$estment in science educationis a long term in$estment for their own benefit. Select companies# which employ researchscientists# can come forward to offer 'obs to %h.4. students post completion of their doctoral degree. Ideally this commitment should be made at the time when a prospecti$e%h.4. student is deciding about 'oining the degree programme. Some industries arealready doing this in "omputer Science. Industry can sponsor %h.4s for students after setting some certain minimum criteria or it can hire students at master s le$el and pro$idescholarships to pursue %h.4. in chosen fields. Industry internships of longer duration for

post graduate students should be encouraged for students who intend to pursue a career inindustry. This will enable them to learn wor& place s&ills as well as e6pose them to latesttechnologies and research methodologies. Industry should also de$ise methods tooptimally utiliEe the student s stay in their wor&place. At bachelor s le$el# employables&ills li&e computer training# communication s&ills etc should be included in thecurriculum. Undergraduates should be e6posed to industry problems through seminarsand popular science lectures by industry leaders. This will engage students in scientificissues and moti$ate them to sol$e some of these problems in the future. Teaching aidsIndustry can participate in creating study material which can be directly used by students.


23/23

Self learning should be promoted at all le$els. The massi$e efforts re7uired in translatingscience study material into local languages can be underta&en by companies which ha$esome e6pertise in this field. B .! Industry sponsorships for science fairs# laboratories#science centers and mobile labs should be sought.

*hat has been pro'ected here has to be accomplished within a short period# if India has totruly find a place in the sunF we cannot afford to lose time. The nation is demandingaccelerated# inclusi$e growth and world class go$ernance. Indian science is today in a

position to help in this endea$or. India has to become a leader in the scientific world# anda &nowledge pro$ider for the world. 0or this to happen# it is essential that science gets animportant position in our way of thin&ing. %ursuit of e6cellence and elimination of mediocrity should become guiding principles in all our endea$ors. %olicy ma&ers#administrators# and politicians as well as the general public ha$e to $iew science as anessential agent of transformation. There is much to be done by indi$idual scientists#scientific institutions# academies# uni$ersities and the society at large. @ne hopes that theentire nation will rise to the occasion .

Innovation in India Project Report

Documents

Transcript of Innovation in India Project Report