Jaipur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is talking “too much” on development but his government has not come out with anything on science so far, Bharat Ratna and renowned scientist C N R Rao today said here.
He expressed serious concerns over existing budgetary provisions for higher education and said the Centre should earmark at least six per cent of GDP for the sector.
“On the science and technology front, India was doing okay, but not well enough as compared to even South Korea and China which are doing much better,” he told PTI after inaugurating 16th Annual General meeting of Material Research Society of India (MRSI) here.
Rao was in the scientific advisory council to the Prime Minister in the earlier government.
When asked whether he would like to rejoin the panel, Rao said, “I do not know. I worked purely for the nation free of charge (remuneration). I do not know what is the attitude of Modi government towards Science and Technology.
“Though Prime Minister Nerandra Modi is talking too much on development but the government has not come out with any thing on science.”
“Indian industry and economy strongly depend on how good we are in Science and Technology as the country needs better science. Even IITs should perform higher level in S&T,” he said.
Rao said India's future will not be very good if education sector is allotted one to two per cent of GDP, which he said is the current budgetary support of the Central Government.
“It should not be less than 6 per cent of GDP,” he said. When reminded that he got numerous awards including Padma Shree and Padma Bhushan on the scientific research, he replied it was an individual performance which is different from national performance.
Earlier, professor Rao was felicitated by MRSI's Regional Chapter in which the Rajasthan University's acting Vice Chancellor Hanuman Singh Bhati gave him a plaque, shawl, and citation for his outstanding work in Material Science globally and in the country.
Speaking on the occasion, Professor Rao said Material Science was the most inter-disciplinary subject, but unfortunately it has not been much recognised in many universities.
“My dream and hope it that India will lead and be the most important place in Material Science. I feel we should be on the top of the world in MS,” octogenarian scientist, having 48 books and over 1,500 research papers under his belt, said. About 100 material science researchers are participating in different sessions.
