India has always had abundant scientific talent. But there has been little to show for it in concrete terms. In fact, the country's progress in scientific research has not been encouraging, given its potential. The Nobel Prize for Chemistry, 2009 laureate, American-Indian Venkatraman Ramakrishnan believes that the bane of scientific research in India is lack of funds. During a web chat with journalists on "Educational Opportunities and International Scientific Collaboration in the United States", Venkatraman Ramakrishnan said that he is hopeful that the situation would improve given the turnaround in the Indian economy.
Venkatraman Ramakrishnan is currently working with Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, England. Bosky Khanna reports.
India still lags behind in terms of research output. How can this problem be addressed?
I have visited a couple of Indian universities in the past as a part of my research programmes. My impression is that they are underfunded. This is something that the government and scientific community in India need to look into if they want an improvement in the field. More institutions like the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) will boost the country's research ventures.
Indian government is planning to start more IITs and IIMs. Will this help make a mark, globally?
Yes, certainly. But I think there should be more institutes dedicated to basic science and research, like IISc and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.
Can regional languages be used for communications in the field?
I think it will be difficult. English is the universally recognised medium of communication in the field of science.
Many scientific discoveries have done harm rather than good for humanity. Your comment.
It does worry scientists.Science should be used for the good of the humanity. We should use those technologies that benefit humanity at large.
Does your busy schedule create a problem in your personal life?
No, I consider myself very lucky and rewarded far beyond my abilities. I am very lucky that my family is very supportive. They were willing to follow me whenever I shifted my base for my research ventures.
Do you think young people see science as a desirable career option?
I think it is hard for young people to choose science as a career option unless they are passionate about it. It is a different kind of life. When you think of money, there are other better career options like medicine, engineering and management. This is not just an Indian problem. But, there are many brilliant young people taking science as their career. Human beings are intrinsically curious.
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