Post a review with the Union Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Dr. S. Chandrasekhar, Union Minister for Science and Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh revealed on Monday that India has risen from seventh to third place in the global rankings on scientific publications.
Singh praised the ongoing efforts of India's scientific community and credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for creating an environment that allowed for freedom of thought and activity. He claimed that the recent quantum leaps in our scientific endeavors are only possible because of the push provided by PM Modi, both in terms of the simplicity of his policies and his own indulgence and prioritization.
He further informed that India's ranking in the world's scientific publications has increased from 7th position in 2010 to 3rd position in 2020, according to the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Science & Engineering Indicators 2022 report of the United States. The academic production of India increased from 60,555 papers in 2010 to 1,49,213 papers in 2020, he added.
According to Singh, over the past few years, the country's research performance in science and technology has significantly improved and it is evident in a large amount of scientific knowledge in terms of research publications, the development of technologies, and innovations that contribute to overall development.
Singh also noted with delight that India is currently third in the world for the number of PhDs in engineering and science. He also mentioned the fact that during the previous three years, the number of patents awarded to Indian scientists at the India Patent Office (IPO) increased as well, from 2511 in 2018–19 to 4003 in 2019–20 and 5629 in 2020–21.
The United States government's independent National Science Foundation promotes foundational study and training in all engineering and science disciplines outside of medicine.
It may be recalled that according to the World Intellectual Property Organization's (WIPO) Global Innovation Index (GII) 2022, India's GII rating has also dramatically increased from 81st in 2014 to 40th position in 2022.
Singh also said that the government has taken a number of measures to strengthen the science and technology sector, including increasing funding for scientific departments over time, encouraging private investment to increase its share of GERD, enhancing the ease of doing business in STI activities, introducing flexible tools for public procurement, and opening up channels for collaborative STI funding through portfolio-based funding.
Moreover, if reports are to be believed, the Department of Science and Technology would likely receive 20 per cent more funding in the forthcoming Union Budget 2023–2024 than it did the previous year.
