New Delhi: The government is planning to
establish a separate agency to coordinate with research
organisations, provide funds and advise a proposed overarching
body in higher education on promotion on basic research.
The HRD Ministry will set up National Science and
Research Board (NSRB) which will promote synergy of research
in universities and higher educational institutions with
research in other agencies or laboratories.
This agency will be created under the proposed Higher
Education and Research Act. This Act mainly seeks to set up a
National Commission for Higher Education and Research (NCHER)
as an overarching body in higher education.
A task force, comprising noted academicians, is
currently preparing the draft Higher Education and Research
bill.
"Universities, which are supposed to create new
knowledge, are not able to do proper research. What they are
doing is sponsored research. This agency will link
universities to research institutions in promoting research,"
said Prof N R Madhava Menon, a member of the task force.
Eminent scientists will be members of the NSRB. It
will also provide grants to research institutions.
"This will function independent of NCHER. It will also
file patents on the new technologies developed by the research
institutes," he said.
The plan assumes significance in view of less research
output of Indian institutions. The number of people engaged in
research in India is also much less than other countries.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, June 20, 2010, 19:12