GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO. 278
TO BE ANSWERED ON 18-03-2008

SHORTAGE OF SCIENTISTS
278. SHRI RANEN BARMAN:
       SHRI K.J.S.P. REDDY:

Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
be pleased to state:

(a) whether the quality and pace of scientific research have suffered due to ban on recruitment of scientists to fill up the vacancies in various research establishments under his Ministry; and

(b) if so, the details thereof and the remedial steps proposed in this regard?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTER OF EARTH SCIENCES

(KAPIL SIBAL)

(a) & (b): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT AS REFERRED IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) AND (b) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO 278 FOR 18.03.2008 REGARDING "SHORTAGE OF SCIENTISTS"

(a) & (b): The impact of scientific research is measured in the form of number of publications, impact factor and the patents filed. The output of scientific research from India, as measured by research papers published in cited journals, has been slowly increasing at the rate of 8% per annum as against global average of 4.5 %. However, in terms of publications India's rank has shifted from 8th in 1985 to 14th in 2006 on account of relative performance by emerging countries. But India is ahead of all countries in terms of publication output per dollar invested in R&D. One of the important factors contributing to the weaker relative performance as against the other emerging economies is that of full time equivalent scientist positions in R&D per million of population. The Indian figure is 115 scientists per million which is more than 6 times lower as compared to China, 30 times lower as compared to United States and 50 times lower as compared to Finland. The ban on recruitment of scientists in Government S&T establishments/ public funded S&T institutes has had an adverse impact on the quantum of scientific output of the country in relation to some emerging economies. Government has initiated some remedial measures for exemption from deemed abolition of S&T posts lying vacant for more than one year.