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SUMMARY:Science\, the fulcrum for social and economic change in India - Pr
 ofessor K Vijay Raghavan\, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government 
 of India in March 2018.
DTSTART:20181127T173000Z
DTEND:20181127T190000Z
UID:TALK112618@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Laura Sayer
DESCRIPTION:The 2018 Dr Seng Tee Lee Public Policy Lecture will be deliver
 ed by Professor K Vijay Raghavan\, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Gov
 ernment of India.\n\nHosted by Professor Stephen Toope\, Vice Chancellor\,
  University of Cambridge\n\nScience is a beautiful and rewarding pursuit. 
 The understanding of our universe\, which it continually brings\, can hold
  us in thrall\, constantly liberating us from our past ignorance while sho
 wing new frontiers for exploration.\nFrom this understanding and through t
 echnology\, science is also the fulcrum on which the strong crowbar of nat
 ional missions which aim to lift India economically and socially can rest.
  Such a role for science is not only necessary for India but also for the 
 sustainability of our planet\, for with its large young population\, the s
 uccess of India is vital to the success of the world. Science as a fulcrum
  will allow reasonable and affordable investment to lift huge loads\, wher
 e otherwise even larger investments can be ineffective.\n\nThis fulcrum mu
 st be strong and correctly placed. Till recently\, this fulcrum was not st
 rong enough and was poorly positioned. Both situations are speedily changi
 ng.\n\nStrengthening science in India requires three simultaneous efforts:
  (1) strengthening our best institutions\, invigorating the university res
 earch system and expanding the footprint of science by creating new instit
 utions of quality\; (2) opening the minds of our best research centres so 
 that we challenge ourselves much more\; and (3) increasing the resources f
 or science and clearing bottlenecks in delivery of these resources. Increa
 sed support from the Government is necessary\, but substantially more must
  come from industry and philanthropy.\n\nPositioning science in India also
  requires three simultaneous efforts. Firstly\, our research laboratories 
 – often accused of being a short-walk from India – must inspire and be
  inspired by our messy surroundings. In other words\, with doors wide open
  and working with the best internationally\, we must also have an independ
 ent intellectual view and standing\, and not only be an efficient interpre
 ter of the global best in science.\n\nSecondly\, while India has been an a
 ctive participant in many global science missions\, it is now time for us 
 to lead in the development of new missions\, with international partners.\
 n\nThirdly\, science in India must position itself to make major national 
 missions in energy\, environment\, electric mobility\, health\, agricultur
 e etc successful and cost-effective. Through development of context- appro
 priate technology\, science in India can be the agent of social and econom
 ic transformation.\n\nOver the past two years\, a ‘Group of Science Secr
 etaries’ met regularly to both formulate and initiate implementation of 
 major steps in the above directions. This year\, a new Principal Scientifi
 c Adviser and the Prime Minster’s Science Technology and Innovation Coun
 cil were appointed.\n\nIndia aims to make science central to its developme
 nt\, while ensuring that support for science as a beautiful and intellectu
 ally rewarding pursuit is also enhanced. India was one of the few post-col
 onial countries to invest substantially in science. Our ambition now is to
  see the impact of current changes in science policy by 2022\, seventy-fiv
 e years after independence\,\n
LOCATION:Peterhouse Theatre\, Peterhouse College
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