Annual exp on S

Chidambaram, Jan 3: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today announced that the annual expenditure on Science and Technology will be increased from less than 1 per cent to two per cent of the GDP in the next five years, and set the agenda for the scientific community to revitalise the science institutions and make science attractive in schools and colleges.

''We are committed to increasing the annual expenditure on Science and Technology from less than 1 per cent of our GDP to two per in the next five years,'' Dr Singh said, inaugrating the five-day 94th Indian Science Congress (ISC) at Annamalai University.

The goverment has already begun the exercise for general budget 2007-08.

Expressing the government's resolve to do its utmost to invest in science, Dr singh said, ''I also call upon the scientific community to invest its time and intellectual energy in the revitalisation of our science institutions.'' Deeply concerned about the declining enrollment in schools and colleges in basic sciences, the Prime Minister said the teaching of science and mathematics in schools were ought to be made sufficiently 'interesting' for young people.

He also expressed concern about the decline in standards of research work in the universities and even in advanced research institutions.

Expressing the need for upgrading the university system, Dr Singh said, ''We should institute a system of international peer review in our research laboratories to help maintain standards.'' Pointing out that many young bright Indian scientists working abroad in advanced fields of research wish to come home for varying periods of time, he called for fully exploiting the potential of this ''reverse brain drain''.

''Our visa regime, our employment procedures and remuneration system, especially in universities and government institutions, must change and respond to facilitate this,'' he added.

UNI