New Institutes in India- Is this the solution?
Dinesh Kumar Singh
Tuesday, 04 August 2009 21:13 UTC
Govt. of India is in an overdrive to open hundreds of new institutes under the old umbrella (IITs, IIMs etc) or brand new ones with some international (and/or word-fad) tags like Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER), Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Stem Cell Institutes (SCI),Center for Vaccine and Infectious Disease Research (CVIDR), Center for Child Biology (CCB), Center for Chronic Biology (CChB), Regional Center for Biotechnology (RCB) under the aegis of UNESCO etc.
The idea is to give these institutes more money and freedom to do science free from any scientocratic web to develop “world-class” centers of excellence in new areas of biology.
Having read brilliant discussions about the current problems faced by Indian science in the current Nature India forum, I would like to start a discussion to know if opening new institutes is “THE SOLUTION” to the current problems faced by Indian science.
Do you think the new institutes will be any different from the current ones?
If so, how?
If no, what might be the cause of such failure?
What do you think should be done instead to rectify the current problems?
Updated 07 August 2009 02:25 UTC
-
Replies
Jump to resultsResults
-
Its nice to know that NameDoesNotMatterContentDoes is one the members of the recruiting commiittee for the new institutes. Well, I agree with the comment that “we do have one or two institutes in India who do cutting-edge leading science and compete equally with the world. The only thing different those labs have got is right team, right environment and right money”.
However, if we already know the problem, know what model to replicate, how to replicate and have the resources to do so, I think we should have started implementing with the existing ones first. More than 90% correction is needed and not just less than 1%.
Please don’t take these comments personal and start settling scores. I will only justify the “Ahama Bhrahmasmi” attitude. Its a forum for open and fair discussion. Lets be open to all ideas/criticism and take it in the right spirit. If anyone has any personal questions, they can contact me by personal email. -
Anonymous
If you want uncorrupted people them you yourselves need to be uncorrupted, should maintain a suitable atmosphere to groom and promote such people on basis of merit. It’s not always money that deters people from going back to India. I know at least few people with high level of personal integrity, unquestionable honesty and ability in research who went to India and either sidelined there in due time or came back. None of them went to India for money. As Indians (born and raised in India before going out) they all knew what life they can expect, what were their salaries and other benefits (at least in Govt institutes). All such people came back when got the slightest opportunity and got into the earliest flight possible.
-
Anonymous
Do anybody have statistics how many PDF (foreign) join Indian academic institutes (permanent position) in last 10 years and how many of return back to foriegn. If I am correct their is not even 5% persons who went back to foreign once they joined good academic institutes. In most of institutes (CCMB, IISc, IICB etc. ) most of scientist are foreign returns. Do anybody believe the person become more honest, once he/she did degree/PDF from foreign country. I believe system is important, indians abroad are as honest as they are in India; they become more honest in foreign country because law is very strict. Every human being is very smart they sense the env. and they try to behave as per system. Same person who breaks traffic rules daily in india, same person follow the rules with full sincerity. Honesty depends on individuals, lest send foreigner in India they will become as corrupt as indians. In summary system is more important then individuals.
It is good Idea to create new private research cum education institutes in India with the help of NRI’s, This institute should be model institute for india, only new blood no old scientist from india. Money should not be problem as NRIs are donating lot of money to indian govt. institutes. This new institute should take fresh 10th pass student and groom them to become better citizen and scientist. We need to attract more researchers working abroad to join this mission, particularly successful researchers. In one of the email anoy write that indian jr faculty or student are not writing. I agree with concern but same time not too many NRI particularly successful persons (in term of publication, position, money) .
Trust is major concern people are writing as all indian are corrupt and only honest persons are those who are living outside india. This is not true if you are honest by heart than it does not matter where you are. Nobody have statistics but ratio should be same.
-
Anonymous
People join an Indian institute at the end of his/her postdoc career. Mostly they go back after their extensive search for a faculty position or position in private companies in US turn futile. At that age and at that economic condition (as a PDF in US) general people will not have much option to come back to US. On top of that visa issues make things complicated. Naturally the proportion of going back to US will be small.
Once they are stuck, many feel that the best way to survive and flourish in India is to blame US system and promote an image that they were doing great in USA yet they came back to India (very few limited people are used as examples). Gradually they become just another member of the sheep hard, allow themselves to float towards the direction of mass. There is another issue. Once a person gets any decent publication once in a blue moon from India, s/he instantly becomes a superstar there. Now no body can question him/her anymore. All her faults, all the corruptions are pardoned. It’s not uncommon that a guy got a position through his/her family influence but subsequently published few papers (mostly as extension of his/her PDF work developed abroad) and then.. bang.. everything is forgiven.
I know many people who tried their best in US and could not get ANYTHING here. They went back. But now in different forums they never mention that did could not manage any position in US and that’s why they went back. They talk big among equally talkative people.
In Indian institutions nowadays you can see clear two division among faculties, one foreign returned and other is indigenous. There is always a cold war going on between these two. One group thinks those foreign-returned ones are arrogant and “knows nothing more” while the foreign-returnees think “I do not know how they got the job in the first place”. -
You are right. Level of honesty of common people (including businessmen and industrialists) is almost the same all over the world. It’s a general system, general awareness of common people that force everyone else to follow a common set of rules. That very basic system is not functional in India anymore. Honest people have hard time to survive in India these days. I really salute those people who are living in India and have the guts to remain personally honest and courage to oppose corruption. In US they can nicely survive without doing any corruption and crime in daily lives. You may be successful to bribe US president, but if you try to bribe a common police officer, then believe me, no body, not even US president can save you.
-
This for NameDoesNotMatterContentDoes. Thanks for your earlier post. I was thinking about a reply and then it became little big. Ultimately it took a shape that I posted as a new thread (Definition of intelligence and responsibility of a scientist.)
-
Dear Goel, I fully agree that corruption in foreign country is at higher level and not visible at lower level (day-to-day life) whereas in india it is at all level and common person is effected. Regarding difficulty for honest person to live in India, it is simple game of minority vs majority. It is difficult for minority to survive, if system have more honest persons then it is difficult for dishonest person to survive and vice versa.
-
Raghava, I agree with you. But what are those minority honest people doing to change the number game? I am not hearing much noise from those honest people in public forum and the number of honest people is going down at a faster rate now in India, as I think.
I decided to go out of India and make some noise in public and some head rolling whenever possible in policy making (when get a chance to get involve in any such process). -
Anonymous
I have tried to compile the mission and mandates of some of the most “successful and reputed” existing Indian institutes, incase anyone is interested. For the most part this has been taken from their website’s homepage.
NCBS: The mandate of NCBS is basic research in the frontier areas of biology. The research interests of the faculty are in four broad areas ranging from the study of single molecules to systems biology. In addition interactive initiatives, such as the iBio, have been developed and new ones in other areas, for example those that promote clinical interactions, are envisaged.
IGIB mission is to translate concepts developed in basic biological research to commercially viable technologies for health care.CDRI: Mission of CDRI is to strengthen and advance the field of drug research in India. The Institute has the following charter of activities are development of new drugs and diagnostics, cellular and molecular studies to understand disease processes and reproductive physiology, development of contraceptive agents and devices, systematic evaluation of medicinal properties of natural products, development of technology for drugs, intermediates and biological. dissemination of information in the field of drug research , development and production and consultancy and development of technical manpower.
ICGEB: The International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology provides a scientific and educational environment of the highest standard and conducts innovative research in life sciences for the benefit of developing countries. It strengthens the research capability of its Members through training and funding programmes and advisory services and represents a comprehensive approach to promoting biotechnology internationally.The Centre is dedicated to advanced research and training in molecular biology and biotechnology and holds out the prospect of advancing knowledge and applying the latest techniques in the fields of: biomedicine, crop improvement, environmental protection/remediation, biopharmaceuticals and biopestidice production
CCMB:
To conduct research in frontier and multi-disciplinary areas of modern biology and to seek potential applications of this work. To carry out exploratory work in areas of biology with a view to aid the development of biochemical and biological technology in the country on a sound basis. To train people in the advanced areas of biology to serve the needs of development in these areas, with special provision for short-term training of staff from other institutions in techniques for which adequate facilities may not exist elsewhere. To provide centralized facilities in the country for new and modern techniques in the inter-disciplinary areas of biology, and to ensure that these facilities are so organized, maintained and administered that they can be put to maximal use by research workers from other laboratories and institutions in the country. To interact adequately with other institutions doing basic or applied work in areas related to the activities of the Centre. To collect, collate and disseminate information relevant to biological research.NCCS: The vision of NCCS is to accelerate research in modern biology to create new knowledge for human welfare. This will be achieved through basic research in modern biology, human resources development and serving as national repository.
NBRI: NBRI’s mission is to act as a premier plant research centre of India under the umbrella of CSIR by undertaking both basic and applied research in various aspects of plant sciences for the conservation and sustainable utilization of plant genetic resources for human welfare and sustainable development.
NII: The National Institute of Immunology (NII) is an autonomous institution supported by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. The Institute is committed to advanced research addressing the basic mechanisms involved in body’s defence, host-pathogen interactions and related areas with a view to contribute to the creation of an internationally competitive intellectual knowledge base as a sustainable source of innovative futuristic modalities of potential use in health care.
NIPGR: NIPGR (formerly known as NCPGR) was established in 1998 with mandate to undertake, promote and co-ordinate research, train workers and to serve as information resource in identified aspects of plant genome to build a frontline plant genomics institution. The research programme aims to contribute to the understanding of the structure, expression and function of genes along with arrangement of genes on plant genomes and manipulation of plant genes / genomes to breed improved varieties of food and industrial crops for high yields and of better quality products. NIPGR was established to contribute in the achievement of such crops as a part of national effort for meeting the challenges in the midst of fast pace of international genomic research and grasping of opportunities on long-term basis.The entire working community of NIPGR is committed to make the Centre a premier institute for plant genomic research in the country. The objectives and purposes of NIPGR are given below.
• To undertake, aid, promote, guide and coordinate research of high caliber in basic and applied plant molecular biology;
• To provide and promote effective linkages on a continuing basis between various scientific and research agencies / laboratories and other organizations working in the country on plant genes, development and related areas;
• To utilize molecular biology approaches along with tissue culture and genetic engineering technology to identify important genes and manipulate these for generating transgenic plants with improved agronomic characters and pathogen / stress resistance;
• To take up any fundamental work related to gene-regulation and mapping that would aid in achieving above mandate;
• Development of molecular markers for monitoring important traits;
• Production and testing of transgenic plants;
• Identification of genes that are vital for the survival of the pathogens so that those could be targeted for pathogen combating;
• To impart advance training at different levels in the field of plant genetic engineering and genome analysis; and
• To undertake collaborative programmes with International Institutes those are engaged in plant genome research and develop close linkages.
Results
-
