The making of a New India, the Viksit Bharat of our dreams, is no longer debatable. The growth and the rate at which the infrastructure push is being provided for the Viksit Bharat, demonstrate a steely resolve of the Government to create robust contours of the nation’s economy in the coming years.
Along with the physical infrastructure of expressways, bridges and high-tech buildings, the increasing thrust on urbanisation is going to cause a massive surge to the already-booming economy. Science and technology education and research will play an important role in deciding the future trends of development and have a profound impact on the economy.
It is worth recalling that of the 4.33 crore of students currently enrolled in over 1,043 universities and 45,000-plus colleges in India, an estimated 57.2 lakh students were enrolled in 2021- 22, at the UG, PG and PhD levels in Science stream, with female students (29.8 lakh) outnumbering male students (27.4 lakh). The Governmentfunded universities, constituting 58.6 per cent of the total universities in India, contribute 73.7 pc of the total enrolment, while the private universities account for 26.3 per cent.
Massive investment
As such, a much greater investment in science education and for scaling up the quality and quantum of scientific research in Government-funded universities would be required in the coming years to empower talented youth who look towards cost-effective quality science education and scientific research in public funded universities. These include the central and the state universities and also the institutions of national importance, such as the IITs, IIITs and IISERs.
It is heartening to note that there has been a significant growth of the IITs, from seven in 2014 to 23 in 2024 and likewise from seven AIIMS for medical education and research in 2013 to 23. This gives clear signals of the Government’s resolve to spend more on world-class technical education and scientific research for which the IITs have a proven track record of accomplishments. Likewise, world-class medical education and research in AIIMs will continue to empower India in the field of medicines and healthcare.
It would, however, be imperative for the IITs and other leading universities in public and private sectors to align their scientific research to national goals as also to address the global challenges.
Investment in science education and scientific research in research0-intensive institutions, like the IITs, needs to be carefully planned to address the immediate and future challenges facing a nation like India that aspires to leapfrog in its developmental goals and achieve great economic growth along with ensuring its commitment to environmental sustainability.
The time is right for redefining the meaning and purpose of science education and research. We need to ask what ‘science for society’ and ‘science for national development’ mean in the age of rapidly rising concerns for human development, environmental health and economic prosperity. It would also be important to realise that like technology, science has its all-pervading influence on the quality of life as well as on wellbeing of people and, of course, on the environmental health that decides the future of the planet.
A caring pursuit
The new age of technology-intensive and innovation-driven industry and service sectors demand science education and research for achieving the goals of economic prosperity without sacrificing the interest of man and that of the Mother Nature.
It would, therefore, be absolutely necessary to delink science from mere career aspirations or, for that reason, achieving scientific breakthroughs for increased productivity and increased production, to a caring pursuit and an inbuilt concern for the quality of life of the people and reduced dependence on fresh natural resources for production systems. This calls for creating a legitimate place in science education and scientific research for sustainability and sustainability sciences and technology innovations supportive of sustainable development.
