DailyPost 122
INDIAN RESEARCH – Should be researched upon!
The direction, quantum, contribution and impact of Indian research remains in the realm of imagination . There is a crying need to rectify the situation. The starting point is always empirical data. The creation of a detailed database of research conducted out of public money in the country in the last fifty can be a worthwhile starting point.
Mere collation of data itself will throw up total quantum of the national research mechanism; number of institutions, projects, fields, guides, researchers, funding and duration . It will give us a clear idea of the scale in comparison to other countries we intend to compete with.
Filtering of data with application of mind facilitated by an appropriate software can help detailing, leading to clear findings; institutions we can bank upon, high end human resources, the nature of the collaborative model and the nitty gritty of the present mechanism.
If the desired goal is expressed with clarity alongside specified timelines, a professional study of the present and desired will culminate in a workable gap analysis document . The modalities of bridging the gap is the critical task. A blueprint is a must. Resources of all kinds has to be aligned to the details prescribed in the blueprint.
A national research & innovation policy is a must, followed by detailed tangible mandatory guidelines to support the same. Curiosity has to become the undercurrent of our research. It cannot be mechanical as it is made out to be. The use & impact of research on the society is the final parameter.
PROVIDING SOLUTIONS TO SOCIETAL ISSUES SHOULD BE THE ONLY RESEARCH GOAL.
Sanjay Sahay