New Delhi: Eminent scientist CNR Rao on Wednesday said the quality of science in India was "lousy", adding if the country wants to have a future it should improve on quality. Critical of lack of infrastructure in the scientific field, Rao, a recipient of Bharat Ratna, also rued the lack of investment in this sector. Underlining the need for better scientific infrastructure in the country, Rao said India does not have "a single institution" that can match the best abroad even as he cited the example of China to call for more investment in science.
It was difficult to bring development in the country with the "lousy" quality of science, Rao said while delivering a lecture 'Celebration of Science' at Jamia Milia Islamia in New Delhi.
"If India has to have a future, it has to improve in quality. The main thing in India is that everything from the corporate (sector) and education to science needs to have quality. Our Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) says development with quality improvement because with the lousy quality we have, it is difficult to have development," he said.
Ruing the lack of investment in the scientific sphere, he said it "is so bad that it is less than one per cent of the GDP. Everyone is promising 2 per cent of the GDP (as investment), but that is not happening".
Highlighting the example of neighbouring China, he said that for every Indian scientist, there are 100 scientists in the neighbouring country.
"This is unbelievable. They (China) invest a huge amount of money. They are producing 30,000 Ph.d students and, next year, will produce 50,000 Ph.d students," Rao said.
"There is not a single institution in India which has facilities equal to the best institutions abroad. At least one, at least two. We don't have even that. So, we got to have that. I think we need to have overall better infrastructure to do well in science," he said.
Rao also emphasised the need for freedom and a better academic environment for students to excel in the country.
"Our young boys and girls go to America. They suddenly start doing good. Not because their brain is tuned in a different way after going there. What do they have? Freedom and the environment. India's future depends on that," he said.
Rao, who heads the country's Nano Technology Initiative, said Indians are good at solving problems but not at identifying them.
"Unfortunately, the problem with most of Indians is in science, knowing the problem is difficult, doing (solving the problem) is easy. Which is why, India is not so well known in science. Most Indians do a wonderful job of solving a problem. They solve wonderful physics problems, but nobody is interested in (identifying) the problem. That is why we see we have a problem," Rao said.
Responding to a question on the vacancies in scientific positions in various institutes across the country, Rao said it was an "administrative" delay and it was not that the country lacked scholars.
Pointing at the example of Nobel laureate Madame Curie, who was not granted membership of the French Academy of Sciences because of her gender, Rao said, "even today, we treat our women badly".
In his around hour-long interaction with students, Rao shared interesting anecdotes related to various scientists.
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