Context:
In 2023, the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) Bill was passed by both Houses of Parliament, marking a significant step towards promoting research in India, particularly within its universities and colleges. The 2019 National Research Foundation (NRF) project report highlighted that one of ANRF’s top priorities is to enhance the outstanding research cells already present in State Universities. The scientific community welcomed the Bill, hoping it would offer Indian academia the much-needed freedom from bureaucracy, increase funding, and foster collaboration with industry partners.
Relevance:
GS3-
- Government Policies and Interventions
- Growth and Development
Mains Question:
Discuss the relevance of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation in the current landscape of science and technology in India. What can be done to ensure that it doesn’t become just another government department. (15 Marks, 250 Words).
Associated Challenges:
Lack of Representation:
- Recently, it announced a 15-member Governing Board and a 16-member Executive Council, both of which lack representation from the organizations the ANRF intended to support and facilitate.
- Despite the ANRF’s goal to strengthen the research infrastructure of universities and the fact that over 95% of students in India attend State universities and colleges, there are no members from Central or State universities or colleges on these boards.
- The Principal Scientific Adviser is joined by individuals typically found on high-powered government committees, including Secretaries from all science departments (such as the Department of Science and Technology, Department of Biotechnology, and Department of Scientific and Industrial Research), as well as representatives from earth sciences, agriculture, health research, atomic energy, new and renewable energy, electronics and information technology, higher education, and defense research and development.
- Additionally, the boards include directors from the Indian Institute of Science and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, the Chair of the Indian Council of Historical Research, a Princeton mathematics professor, a science administrator and former Director of the United States National Science Foundation from Brown University, and a Silicon Valley serial entrepreneur.
- However, the board and council need members who understand the bottlenecks within the current system, particularly in universities, and who can implement solutions effectively on the ground rather than just providing advice.
Multiple Committees Creating Confusion:
- To avoid confusion from having multiple committees, it is crucial for the ANRF to create a single committee dedicated to formulating and implementing strategies.
- This focus on practical, ground-level experience among committee members should reassure the research community and stakeholders that the ANRF’s decision-making process will be informed, competent, and timely.
The Lack of Adequate Industry Representation:
- The lack of adequate industry representation and diversity is a significant oversight in the current board and council, especially given that the ANRF aims to raise more than 70% of its funding from non-government sources and industry.
- The sole industry representative is Romesh T. Wadhwani, an Indian-American businessman based in Silicon Valley, while the only woman representative is the Secretary of the DSIR.
- There is no representation from Indian industry, local entrepreneurs, or eminent academics from Central and State universities on the committee.
R&D Underfunding:
- India currently underfunds research and development. To enhance research and make innovations from Indian organizations globally competitive, the research and development budget needs to be increased to 4% of GDP, and the existing funding system requires a significant overhaul.
- To achieve this, the ANRF must be properly staffed, implement a robust grant management system, establish an internal peer-review system with incentives for reviewers, ensure timely disbursal of research grants and student fellowships with a turnaround time of less than six months between application and fund disbursal, and create a system free from bureaucratic hurdles at both the funding body and grantee institutions.
- Additionally, the ANRF should allow flexibility in spending money without adhering to the government’s stringent general financial rules (GFR) and permit purchases without using the Government e-marketplace (GeM) portal.
Conclusion:
The ANRF must operate differently from current government science departments. It should include a more diverse representation of practicing natural and social scientists from the university system, with a focus on including more women and young entrepreneurs in its committee. Moreover, the future CEO of the ANRF should have a background in both industry and academia, be capable of raising funds for the ANRF, and understand the global innovation ecosystem. A complete overhaul is necessary for the ANRF to avoid becoming like any other government department and to bridge the gap between research and teaching in universities.
