The NRF needs to clarify its objectives and address disparities in research funding in order to drive outstanding research and become a science leader.
The National Research Foundation (NRF) is India’s largest government programme to fund research till date. India’s gross expenditure on research and development (GERD) is currently 0.6-0.8% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), quite low when compared with that of the United States (US) (3.36%), China (2.14%), and Israel (4.9%). A significant infusion of funding, steered by a clear implementation strategy, is required for India to become a science leader. The NRF bill is an excellent start to driving India’s research agenda but it needs to clarify its objectives and create capacity for their achievement.
The National Research Foundation is envisaged to bridge the gap between education and research in India (Shutterstock)
First, driving outstanding research is currently possible by expanding the funding pool for those working in well-equipped laboratories. However, our universities and colleges are not well-endowed with such amenities. This is evident from the fact that the higher education sector contributes just about 7% to India’s total research and development (R&D) expenditure. This is significantly lower than Australia (31%), Mexico (27%), France (21%), Germany (17%), and the US (13%). In many countries, a significant share of basic research is undertaken by the universities. Not so in India. In 2017-2018, 93% of all R&D expenditure by the Union government came from major scientific agencies. Furthermore, the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB)-- set up by an act of Parliament – funds work only in a handful of premier institutions such as the Indian Institute of Science or the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. This disparity in research funding robs undergraduate and postgraduate students in state and central universities of opportunities. As the overarching goal of NRF is to enable a culture of research in our universities, it must be structured in a way that current disparities in research funding are addressed.
Second, India’s share of public and private contribution to GERD is significantly skewed when compared to other countries; 52% of GERD in India is by the government which is substantially higher than in the US (10%), Germany (13%), China (15%), and even Russia (30%) and Mexico (36%). Conversely, India’s GERD by private enterprise is at 41%, which is much lower than in South Korea (79%), China (78%), the US (73%), the UK (68%), and France (65%). In many countries, business enterprises invest in conducting experimental and applied research, rather than basic research. As ₹36,000 crore of the ₹50,000 crore outlay is expected to come from the private sector, a clear road map for raising this money will be crucial.
NRF can be a viable tool to address challenges to India’s research and development capacity. For example, a share of the funds should be targeted towards building scientific research capacity in universities and semi-urban areas. There is a need for capital investment to build research laboratories in academic institutions that offer undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. Public funds must be used to this end.
But it will need more clarity on two counts. At the outset, the government should clarify whether NRF is meant exclusively for science research, or will encompass allied fields and even humanities. The department of science and technology (DST) is likely to administer NRF, reports suggest, indicating that science will get priority, even though the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 envisages NRF as a mechanism to “fund outstanding peer-reviewed research and to actively seed research in universities and colleges” – with no mention of it catering exclusively to science.
And, reports suggest that NRF is likely to integrate R&D funds available with all ministries. In addition, the NRF Bill is likely to subsume the existing SERB Act, 2008. The subsuming of existing funding mechanisms implies that there might be limited availability of additional funds over and above the current commitments. If true, this could be a cause for concern.
NRF is a long-awaited reform that is expected to streamline the research and development ecosystem in the country and enhance India’s capacity to innovate. The proposed body should focus its public funding component on promoting basic research and uplifting institutional capacities, while taking steps to increase the share of private funding that can be more targeted towards promoting experimental and applied research. With a structured implementation, NRF can be a major game changer for Indian science.
Saurabh Todi and Shambhavi Naik are researchers at the Takshashila Institution. The views expressed are personal
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