Indian Science & Technology Minister Calls for Transparent, Evidence-based Regulatory System
The head of the Indian Ministry of Science and Technology, Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, called for a new emphasis on science and technology, including regulatory science, during a speech on 3 January 2011.
Speaking at the Indian Science Congress in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India, Minister Deshmukh said that research and development (R&D) spending should double under a new science and technology policy so that India can catch up to China, according to Biospectrum Asia. Better competitiveness when it comes to promoting an "innovation ecosystem" will enhance economic growth, said Deshmukh.
The Minister also called for ways to translate those discoveries in to products.
"My Ministry will dedicate to the nation such a well balanced policy soon. To make sensible use of the bio-technological tools and techniques for the benefit of our people, we are establishing a transparent and evidence-based regulatory system," said Deshmukh.
Minister Deshmukh also noted that China translated five times as many patents when it comes to every dollar spent on R&D-a gap that he said needs to change if the country wishes to commercialize more products.
"The private sector engagement and investment are essential for gaining from the R&D outputs through their commercialization," he added. "R&D outputs should be converted into measurable economic and social outcomes."
Deshmukh hopes that the changes, if implemented, could vault India to a premier status within the science community in the next six years.