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

RAJYA SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO.47
TO BE ANSWERED ON 19-11-2007

REPORT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF INSTRUMENTATION

47. SHRI HARISH RAWAT:
SHRI SANTOSH BAGRODIA:

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

(a) the major recommendations of the report prepared by the Indian National Science Academy on development of instrumentation in the country and submitted to the Principal Scientific Advisor; and
(b) the action taken by Government on those recommendations ?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTER OF EARTH SCIENCES
(KAPIL SIBAL)

(a) to (b): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT AS REFERRED IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) and (b) OF THE RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.47 FOR ANSWER ON 19.11.2007 REGARDING REPORT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF INSTRUMENTATION

(a ) In January, 2003, Prof. M.S.Valiathan, President of Indian National Science Academy, new Delhi set up a committee to prepare a report on Instrumentation in India in about a year's time. The mandate given to this committee was to work out a strategy for developing instrumentation for science laboratories, universities, hospitals, industries, etc., and to provide a clear and innovative roadmap for the Government, Industry, etc., who would be obliged to implement the strategy.
The Committee submitted its report in June 2004 to President, INSA. The key recommendations of the Committee are as follows: -
(i) In all instrument related projects, industry-academia partnership should be ensured right at the proposal formation. IP rights will then have to be shared.
(ii) Sharing IP rights by funding agencies with the developers of instruments will help marketing of instruments. Funding agencies should put in place a practical mechanism to serve this purpose.
(iii) Government should create a separate fund that would provide an incentive or tax credits to the industry that purchases indigenous instrumentation technology and brings it to the market. It can also be used to help companies in creating a brand for their instruments by enabling them to exhibit their instruments abroad etc.
(iv) Some of the innovators are turning entrepreneurs in some of our S&T institutions like IISc, Bangalore and IITs. The above fund should provide venture capital to spin off companies formed by these scientist entrepreneurs.
(v) For a technology transfer to be successful, there should be continued association between the technology developer and technology buyer till the latter has successfully absorbed the technology.
(vi) While recommending procurement of an instrument it should be ensured that specs are draw-up to include those of the locally made ones. Companies and institutions, which buy locally produced instruments, may be given tax credits.
(vii) A website containing a list of instruments being manufactured in India and a data-base of professors and scientists with expertise in instrumentation, who will interact with the instrument industry should be maintained.
(viii) Technology Parks; and 'Incubation Centres' in proximity to R&D institutions to exploit the S&T strength of the R&D institute may be created.
(ix) The Government may set up a few component and subsystem development technology parks.
(x) Accreditation centres should be setup/augmented for certification of instruments conforming to international norms like ISO, CE, UL, and QS etc.
(xi) Government should establish some centres of excellence in electronics and encourage the industry to use them.
(xii) Academies and science administrators should give due credit to instrumentation scientists in promotions, awards and election to Fellowships.
(xiii) The S&T institutions may help to upgrade the skills, knowledge and technical manpower in industry by organizing short-term course, seminars, etc.
(xiv) Some Indian universities may start multidisciplinary course involving S&T and business management and also take steps to produce manpower required for particular skills needed by the industry. Similarly the industry may do more for training of students at their plants, as this hands-on training will be an important step to develop entrepreneurial skills in them.
(xv) Some instrumentation linkage companies should provide rapid prototyping services for converting innovations into products.

(b) The report is with the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government.