Syllabus Section: Science and technology

Why in News?

Recently The draft Science, Technology and Innovation Policy was released contains radical and progressive proposals that could be game-changers for not just the scientific research community.

Philosophy:

• National STI policy (STIP) follows core principles of being decentralised, evidence-informed, bottom-up, experts-driven, and inclusive.
•  It aims to be dynamic, with a robust policy governance mechanism that includes periodic review, evaluation, feedback, adaptation and, most importantly, a timely exit strategy for policy instruments

Objective:

• The STIP will be guided by the vision of positioning India among the top three scientific superpowers in the decade to come.
• To attract, nurture, strengthen, and retain critical human capital through a people-centric STI ecosystem
• To double the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) researchers, gross domestic expenditure on R&D (GERD) and private-sector contribution to GERD every five years.
• To build individual and institutional excellence in STI with the aim of reaching the highest levels of global recognition and awards in the coming decade.

It has made recommendations such as:

• Mandatory positions for excluded groups in academics; 30% representation of women in selection/evaluation committees and decision-making groups.
• Addressing issues related to career breaks for women by considering academic age rather than biological/physical age.
• A dual recruitment policy for couples; and institutionalisation of equity and inclusion by establishing an Office of Equity and Inclusion, etc.

Need for a New Science, Technology and Innovation Policy

• Many important changes such as the positive changes in scientific temper, increasing technological outreach and the necessity of solving the problem quickly and progress in education and innovative thinking of the Indian society in the past decade have necessitated a new and updated STI Policy.
• Formulation of the new policy with massive changes will give a new outlook and strategy for Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI).
• The latest and fifth S&T policy of India is being formulated at a crucial time when India and the world are facing the COVID-19 pandemic and finding ways to tackle it.
• The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the global economy and has presented unprecedented challenges on social, healthcare and business fronts.
• It can integrate the lessons of the pandemic including the building of an Atma nirbhar Bharat by anchoring India’s strengths in R&D, design, science and technology workforce and institutions, huge markets, demographic dividend, diversity and data.
• As the crisis changes the whole world, the new policy with its decentralized manner of formation will redirect and reorient STI in terms of priorities, sectoral focus, the way research is done, and how technologies are developed and deployed for larger socio-economic welfare of a highly populous country like India.

Source: Indian Express