Steps to ensure scientific trips don’t become junkets: PM Modi

Using funds allocated for scientific research for “leisure trips” is soon going to be a thing of the past. Concerned over wrong usage of public money by different institutions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for a national framework for scientific audit of scientific departments and institutions in the government.

“We are creating technology incubators in academic institutions and I have asked for a framework of scientific audit for scientific departments and institutions in the government,” said Modi while inaugurating the 103rd Science Congress in Mysore.

Stressing on enhanced budget allocation in this sector, PM said, “We will try to increase the level of resources for science and deploy them in accordance with our strategic priorities. The rise in fund allocation will make it easier to do science and research in the country.”

Though the talk on a national body for assessing academic performance of scientific departments is at a nascent stage, International Science Congress Association’s (ISCA) council member Avijit Banerji said that it’s need of the hour as it will ensure a uniform policy for academic assessment to check fund ‘wastage’. “We have a national auditor – Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) – which audits the financial expenditure of different ministries. There is no concept of auditing the performance of institutions, which get sizeable grants for research and innovation works. It’s a welcome step taken for the right use of funds,” said Banerji, a retired Chemistry professor of Kolkata University.

At present performance of technical institutions are being audited as per the norms of National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), a body of University Grants Commission under Human Resource Development Ministry.

“When considerable funds are spent on scientific investigations, the need for auditing is a must. There are several instances of researchers, institutions getting money for research works and the outcome is almost zero. The new framework will cover assessment of every scientific research work being done at ICAR, DRDO, CSIR, etc. The auditing will be of everything, including publishing of research papers in science journals, how the outcome of a research benefits common masses,” said Banerji.

Department of Science and Technology has been allocated Rs 3,835.70 crore for the year 2015-16, which was Rs 2,898 crore and Rs 2,600.84 crore in 2014-15 and 2013-14 respectively, an increase of 32 per cent over the last budget.