Bhubaneshwar: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday admitted that China had overtaken India in the arena of science. Speaking at a science congress in Orissa, the PM emphasised that India needed greater investment in the field of science to be able to catch up with China.
"As far as resources are concerned, the fraction of the GDP spent on Research and Development in India has been too low and stagnant," he said inaugurating the 99th Indian Science Congress at the sprawling KIIT campus.
"India must raise spending in scientific research and development to at least 2 per cent of the GDP by the end of the 12th Five Year Plan, from the current level of about 1 per cent," he said.
"India must ensure enhanced investment in scientific research and development by involving industries. There should be public-private partnership in research.
"Over the past few decades, India's position in the world of science has declined and we have been overtaken by countries like China.
"Things are changing but we cannot be satisfied with what has been achieved," he said.
In a bid to push research in niche areas, the Prime Minister said the government was examining a proposal to build national capacity and capability in supercomputing which will be implemented by the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore at an estimated cost of Rs 5,000 crore.
He said there is another proposal for setting up a Neutrino Observatory at Theni in Tamil Nadu at a cost of Rs 1350 crore to study the fundamental particles that form the universe.
With additional information from PTI
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