Reorientate science agenda

NOT so long ago, Research & Development (R&D) was hardly discussed in public. But try asking a man on the street about R&D now. Chances are many are now more familiar with what it stands for. Some are even aware of the issues in R&D. This has come about because of the growing public discourse on R&D. The Academy of Sciences can take some credit for this. Even Parliament has seen more and more MPs asking questions on R&D spending, and whe­ther it truly benefits the nation.

The scientific community has come under pressure of late to deliver the promises of R&D. Though the nation’s investment in R&D has yet to match those in the highly developed economies, the amount allocated is still substantial. Now the country invests around one per cent of GDP on R&D.