COMMENTING ON THE NATIONAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION BILL IN AN EDITORIAL ANALYSIS

 

  • The National Research Foundation (NRF) Bill 2023 was passed by the Union Cabinet in order to “strengthen the research ecosystem in the country”.

 

GSPREP ON THE ISSUE

 

Bill 2023, National Research Foundation (NRF):

  • The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) Act 2008 is intended to be repealed by the bill.

o The Department of Science and Technology (DST) established the SERB as a legislative entity.

o It performs essentially the same or related functions as those that the NRF wants to.

  • The NRF will incorporate the SERB.
  • As per the National Education Policy’s (NEP) recommendations, it will establish NRF as a top body to give “high-level strategic direction” to scientific research in the nation.
  • A $50,000 billion total anticipated cost from 2023 to 2028.
  • The DST would be a “administrative” department of NRF, governed by a Governing Board made up of renowned academics and industry leaders from many fields.
  • The Union Ministers of Science & Technology and Education will serve as the ex-officio Vice-Presidents and the Prime Minister will serve as the ex-officio President of the Board.

According to the release, an Executive Council headed by the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India will oversee NRF’s operations.

  • It abolishes and incorporates into the NRF the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), which was formed by Parliament in 2008.

 

Creating the NRF:

  • The Kasturirangan Committee proposed it in 2019 and the National Education Policy (NEP 2020) endorsed it.
  • Organisations that currently support research:

o DST

o The Department of Atomic Energy

o DBT, the Department of Biotechnology

o Agricultural Research Council of India (ICAR)

o ICMR, the Indian Council of Medical Research

o The Indian Council for Historical Research

o The University Grants Commission

o Numerous nonprofit and private institutions

 

  • It would keep supporting research in accordance with their priorities and requirements on an impartial basis.

Issues:

  • The SERB was not specifically included in the list of organisations financing research.
  • The policy paper made no mention of its elimination or incorporation into the NRF.

 

Multiple funding agencies are required:

  • Major research-producing countries had a variety of public and commercial financing organisations.
  • The notion of having numerous research funding organisations reaffirmed the NRF’s intention to work with other funding organisations.

o It will collaborate with science, engineering, and other academies to ensure purpose coherence and prevent effort duplication.

 

The budgetary commitment (Kasturirangan Committee):

  • The NRF would receive a “annual grant of 20,000 Crores (0.1(zero point one)% of GDP)”, it was stated.
  • The nation’s research expenditures made just a pitiful 65 (zero point six five)% of GDP compared to:

o 8 (two eight) % of the population in the US

o 2 (two one) % in China

o four three percent in Israel

o Four and two percent in South Korea.

 

  • It raised worry that the nation’s investment on research and innovation had decreased from 84 (zero eight four) percent of GDP in 2008 to 0.69 (zero point six nine) percent in 2014.

 

What are the funding problems?

  • The proposed annual award would continue until the nation’s research expenditures equaled what they were in 2008.
  • Although no particular funding commitment was made, the NEP 2020 endorsed the concept.
  • Compared to 0.76 (zero point seven six)% in 2011–12, total public and private spending on research and development continued to decline, eventually reaching 64 (zero point six four)% of GDP in 2020–21.
  • According to a Press Information Bureau statement, NRF would receive 10,000 crore over the course of five years, for a total of 50,000 crore.

The maximum amount of fiscal help from the government will be 14,000 crore.

o The remaining funds (about 36,000 crore) would be raised through private philanthropic organisations and industry.

 

o Over the following five years, NRF will receive a maximum yearly allocation of Rs. 2,800 crore (14% of what the Kasturirangan Committee had suggested).

 

SERB:

  • The DST established the SERB as a statutory body.
  • It organises, encourages, and finances globally competitive research in cutting-edge fields of science and engineering.
  • The SERB’s varied programming portfolio, which consists of the following, has significantly contributed to the development of a sustainable research ecosystem:

 

o Grant money

o supporting budding scientists

o praising and awarding outstanding research

o fostering collaborations and networks in science

o improved social and gender inclusivity.

 

Financial support for the SERB:

  • From 200 crore in 2011–12 to 1,000 crore in 2018–19, it had consistently climbed.
  • In 2020–21, allocation fell to 742 crore, but it increased once again to 911 crore in 2021–22.
  • SERB programmes, schemes, and activities have contributed significantly to funding basic scientific and technical research.

With certain modifications and alterations, the majority of them will continue under the NRF.

  • The sum allotted for the SERB will not diminish the budgetary allocation for the NRF.

 

Way ahead

  • The New Education Policy has put a strong emphasis on the value of research and knowledge development as well as the need to increase funds for research.

o It maintains that many industrialised countries’ economic prosperity, both today and in the distant past, can be linked to their intellectual resources and to their fundamental contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of science, the arts, and culture.

o It uses Greece, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and India as examples.

  • The NEP contends that a strong research environment is now more important than ever because of the potential provided by technological breakthroughs and the rising number of global concerns.
  • According to the policy, India has a long history of discovery and research in the fields of science, mathematics, art, literature, phonetics, language, medicine, and agriculture.

o It must be strengthened if India is to become a leader.

  • The Kasturirangan Committee had stressed that the NEP’s concepts have substantial financial support, at the very least.

 

PRACTISE

What are the current obstacles that women in India face in terms of time and space?(200 WORDS, 10 MARKS) (UPSC 2019)

Describe the advantages and disadvantages of globalisation for Indian women. (UPSC 2015) (200 WORDS, 10 MARKS)