Step up research output, technology minister tells scientists

Asking scientists to step up research output, science and technology minister Prithviraj Chavan today said the government would back their endeavour by significantly enhancing budgetary allocations.
      
Speaking at the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) here, the minister asked scientists to set themselves a target of getting India a place among the top five nations engaged in meaningful scientific activity.

"Currently, India ranks ninth in the world on the list of nations publishing maximum research papers in science citation index journals. You should set yourself short-term challenges and try and reach the top five in the next five years," he said after releasing a book 'Science in India:

Achievements and Aspirations' brought out by INSA. 

The book, edited by P N Tandon and H Y Mohan Ram, traces the developments in Indian science over the years. 

Chavan said that the research output in the country was increasing at the rate of 10-12% every year but pointed out that the growth of China in the area was at the rate of 19% every year.

The government was committed to double its expenditure in science and technology to upto two per cent of the GDP, he
said adding that this would require a 25 per cent increase in
the budgetary allocation for S&T every year for the next four
years.