DOES NOBEL GROW ON TREES?

While broadcasting a speech, the Prime Minister addressed the nation that money does not grow on trees. It appears that this is a favourite phrase used by our Prime Minister. In fact, on an earlier occasion, he said in the same language when a delegation from Odisha approached him for more grants. Now perhaps the Prime Minister has got a unique opportunity to pose a question in a similar vein, Does Nobel Grow on trees? The centenary session of the Science Congress was held at Kolkata in the first week of January 2013, which attracted huge attention because of the august presence of the President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh as its Chief Guest and General President respectively. A remarkable observation in that session was that of the President, when he expressed concern that a Nobel Prize in Indian science was long overdue. This should not be taken lightly for the simple reason that the only Indian to have received a Nobel Prize in science is the physicist C. V. Raman in the year 1930, that too under British India. Since then nobody has won a Nobel in any branch of Science (or in any other category) for his / her work in India . This is considered as disgraceful to all concerned of independent India. Indeed this is a natural ignominy which cannot be brushed aside. This need to be discussed with all the seriousness it deserves. It is estimated that in the year 2011, the number of Indian students graduated is 14,617,000 out of which only 12 per cent opted for P.G. Courses. Among these, the percentage of research in our country dwindled to merely one percent. This is a painful picture definitely. However, this does not prove beyond doubt that Indian students are not research oriented. In fact, most of the students, who had a desire for research, went abroad. In 2011 alone, 1,03,895 Indian students went to US for M.Sc./ Ph.D. Degree, which is 14 percent of the higher education of U.S.A. . the matter for concern is that India, being at present an economy of trillion dollar, has failed miserably to retain its students. It is alarming to note that western countries are in a position to attract our young and ambitious people. In fact, India, being a booming economy of the world, should have attracted by this time immigrant-scientists from at least developing countries, if not the West. But the picture is very bleak and disappointing. The data

provided by the National Bureau of Economic Research of US 1 shows that Switzerland leads the list, followed by US in the matter of immigrant-scientist. India is nowhere in the picture. On the other hand, it is suffering from severe brain drain and is bereft of its own budding talented scientists. Patriotism cannot prevent them from their strong desire to pursue knowledge which has universal appeal. One of the reasons for this pathetic situation is the paucity of funds. The Prime Minister and President may speak volumes keeping in mind they are talking to an audience of scientists and researchers in the Science Congress. But the ground reality is that the Government hardly cares to espouse the cause of R & D in science. In the 12 th Five Year Plan period it has been proposed to allot six percent of the GDP for education activities. But if we look at the expenditure of higher education during the year 20092010, it is a mere 1.25 of the GDP2. When we compare this figure with that of US , we note that in the year 2007, it was 3.1% of the GDP , which is of course huge being 15 trillion dollars. Further, we find that in 2010, whereas 29,768 were patent-applicants filed by foreigners , the domestic patent-application is merely 7044 in India. What is more disturbing is that out of 7044 applications only 1725 were found fit for patents ! The poor quality of Government policy is aptly reflected in our scientist population as well. Whereas in the US it 21.5, in India it is an abysmal 7.8 per thousand. It is to be noted that Korea, an Asian country not far away from us, has this figure at 53.13 and has far exceeded even US. In fact, Korea, even if much smaller in size, should have inspired us to move fast. But we have confined ourselves to mere rhetoric. While speaking to a community of researchers we speak in a voice only to soothe their irate sentiments. The much awaited Centenary Science Congress has the theme, Shaping the Future of India, with the policy document Science, Technology and Innovation. In this context, we quote Sumit Bhaduri, Professor, IIT Bombay , Innovation essentially means good, new ideas that lead to socio-economic benefits for society as a whole. Science based innovations work mainly through civilian technologies where new (http://spectrum.ieee.org/at-work/tech-careers/the-global-brain-trade) (Report: Higher Education at a Glance, University Grants Commission, The Hindu, 19/01/2013)
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products and new processes deliver economic benefits. They also work through the spread of scientific temper in the class rooms. This clearly shows that there is no short-cut way for success if we follow the path of Innovations. We have to engross ourselves in ideas which are very abstract. Among these ideas it is quite possible that 99.99% will go up in smoke and there will be no tangible results. It is quite like writing on a water surface which is even more impermanent than writing on sand. After all, will the bureaucracy tolerate this? Assuming that only one idea in 10,000 will succeed it is not possible to yield profit immediately. It may have a large gestation period, certainly more than 5 years. Under these circumstances, no government is likely to take a risk as it has to prove its worth within a span of its normal period of 5 years. Of course, in the long run there is an invaluable gain of the spread of scientific temper, not only among the students but the society at large. But our governments, with short term outcomes, will not care a fig for this. On the other hand they will try wholeheartedly to implement Food Security Bill and Direct Cash Transfer Programme which are highly lucrative for vote bank politics and a sure success approach to beat incumbency in power politics. With this objective in view , it is highly incomprehensible , how one can hope for Nobel Prize. Perhaps, it would have been nice if the Prime Minister had hinted at the President , Does Nobel grow on trees?.

Nikhilanand Panigrahy Mobile: 9473026651 Address (Retd.) Director, Orissa State Bureau of Text Book Preparation and Production Badakhemundi Bunglow Utkal Ashram Road, Berhampur- 760001 E-mail: nikhilanand.panigrahy@gmail.com