Strong commitment to research needed: CNR Rao

Bangalore, Jan 23 (UNI) Renowned scientist and Prime Minister's Scientific Advisory Council Chairman Prof C N R Rao today called for a strong commitment towards research to make India a world leader.

''India cannot become a world leader by economic development, but it can certainly become a world leader by improving the knowledge sector and for this research wing has to be accelerated...India will be and can be a number one provider of knowledge not only for the country, but for the entire world,'' he said, inaugurating the third Microsoft Research India-TechVista 2007 here with the theme 'Making India a Powerhouse in Research'.

Research was important not only for the services sector, but all areas of development. Research should be carried out to create best knowledge, new technology and new way for progress, he added.

Stating that India was in a tough position with the country producing only 4,000 PhDs for the last 20 years, he noted that this was less than three per cent of the total research across the world.

''We should increase it to at least 10 to 15 per cent. We should produce many more PhDs. Last year, Brazil produced 10,000 PhDs, China 15,000 and the USA 23,000.'' Prof Rao said ''India is a young nation where 65 per cent of the population is below 35 years, while the rest of the world is ageing fast. We have to produce future manpower, technical manpower.'' Calling for giving a free hand to students to select their own field after school, he said that this year there were over four lakh admissions to engineering colleges. ''Parents are forcing children to go in for engineering courses since it has more money, but this sort of value system has to be changed.'' The event would also feature a panel discussion by eminent scientists and academicians like Academy Award winner Prof Ken Perlin of New York University, Prof Mriganka Sur, Sherman Fairchild, Professors of Neuroscience, MIT Professor Jeannette Wing, President's Professor of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Prof N Balakrishna, Associate Director, IISc, Bangalore.

UNI