Spirit of nationalism must for beating China: C N R Rao

Varanasi, Mar 12 (UNI) Spirit of nationalism is a must if the country wants to outperform China which is making rapid strides in all spheres of development including science and technology, the Chairman of Prime Minister's Scientific Advisory Council (SAC) C N R Rao said here today.

Delivering a lecture at the Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University (IT-BHU) here this evening, he said ''every citizen in China prides self for being Chinese, but people in our country lack nationalistic fervour, best accentuated by talented youths here running abroad for thousands of dollars in jobs.

Prof Rao, a BHU alumnus himself noted that ''be it sports, science and technology or military power, China is on the verge of becoming a superpower and much ahead of India in all spheres. ''If we want to edge out China in various spheres of development we will have to feel proud of being Indians. Nationalism is the biggest tool to development,'' Prof Rao maintained.

Foreseeing a massive migration of youngsters from India to developed nations including US and European countries during the next decade, Prof Rao said India is the youngest nation in the world and the economy of developed countries which are faced with the problem of ageing population will be driven by young professionals from India in future.

''Over the next 10 to 15 years an estimated one million young professionals will leave for US alone. But then what will happen to our own country. The need of the hour is the build a pool of young talent who will not only rule the roost in US, Europe and Japan, but also serve the needs of a resurgent India,'' he added.

The government is planning to introduce annual scholarships to one lakh students of class X and XII with the prime motive of identifying and then harnessing the untapped potential especially living in villages, he said.

Highlighting the need for raising investment in the sphere of science, technology and education, Prof Rao said only by increasing share of education in GDP from three per cent to six per cent and of science and technology from the present two per cent will we able to even think of restructring these crucial areas for national development.

''After stepping up investments in the two critical areas, the government should make radical structural changes to address modern day requirements,'' he added.

Painting a grim picture of science and technology in the country, Prof Rao said global science and technology data suggests that Indian scientists have contributed a meagre 2.7 per cent to world science and technology development. On the other hand China stood over five times ahead at 13 per cent.

Even the research in Science and Technology in India is very grim with only 4,000 Phd.s being awarded by various universities and institutes of excellence in the country as against 10,000 in Brazil and 16,000 annually in China.

''I know about institutions which employ 200 to 300 professors, who can only manage to guide 20 researchers to finally attain Phd.s in an year,'' the senior scientist claimed.

Stressing the need for inter-disciplinary reaserch in the country, Prof Rao also said efforts were on to develop such genetically modified crop varieties which can produce protein rich diet for our future generations.

Earlier in the day, Prof Rao chaired the meeting of PM's SAC in the Central University.

UNI