The goal of a developed India by 2047 can be achieved through science and technology; and “if we have to move ahead, we have to move ahead with science and technology,” said Prof Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, in a Q&A session with Deepak Dwivedi, Editor-in-Chief of Blitz India. A PhD in Physics from IISc Bangalore, Prof Sood has published more than 450 research papers, holds several patents, and his work has been recognised with many awards, including the Padma Shri. In this elaborate interview, broadcast on Blitz India YouTube channel in two parts, he also stressed that just making policies is not enough, “we have to see how to make an action plan.” The following are excerpts from the interview, which covered a wide range of subjects: Deepak Dwivedi: The first PSA of the country was Abdul Kalam Saheb. What difference do you see between the PSA office of that time and today? Prof Ajay Kumar Sood: See, as you said, it started from there, but now the whole environment is different, because science and technology has become a complete vehicle for our economic growth. If you look at it, now science and technology is not limited to just one or two areas, it is completely spread in the strategic sector also. So, at present our office takes a 360-degree view – science and technology in every sector, in every ministry. What is our role? Our role is to see how we prepare the country for future technology. Where are our gaps, how to fill these, and what should we do if we need contemporary technology or science? So, in a way, it covers all the sectors and let’s see how we can achieve the vision of our leadership in 2047 that we can become developed India. How will we become this through science and technology? Because, we have no doubt that if we have to move ahead, we have to move ahead with science and technology.
DD: What was the working style of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam? Did you ever get a chance to work with him?
AKS: I never worked with him, but I had some meetings with him. The roadmap of nano technology was prepared in Rashtrapati Bhavan itself, in which I also participated. Our objective is like that of Kalam Saheb – how we should make an action plan; just making policy will not do. We have to see how to make an action plan. Let me give you an example. It was probably at the end of 2019. At that time, the Prime Minister’s Science & Technology Innovation Advisory Council, was headed by PSA Vijay Raghavan ji. I was a member of it. At that time, we had given a presentation of quantum technology to the Prime Minister; that this is the future technology and we have to keep it ready. Quantum technology was not a hot word at that time, it happened in 2022 or 2023. But, we had presented the thought that India has to be made quantum-ready, and why should we do quantum technology. It is very fortunate for us that it was immediately accepted. However, that mission got delayed because of Covid. Pandemic. As soon as it was over, the quantum mission was launched.
DD: Great! Now, if you want to put it before the country, what is the main objective of your office, the PSA office?
AKS: Our main objective is that how should we percolate S&T to every sector in India, how should we make S&T benefit the society further. This is our objective. We want to transform India to a knowledge economy which is being initiated. We should help to create a product nation. Look at this very carefully, our product-nation concept is yet to be completed. We are very strong in the service economy, but if you cannot take this and move forward with that, then we have to create a product economy. The product economy is not created like a country has technology, you buy it, and start making products. If you make it, your margin remains only at 15-20 per cent. The actual margin comes when there is innovation in your design. And if you manufacture it, then the entire lifecycle has to be completed. And how will you innovate? You can innovate only when you have basic knowledge of S&T.
DD: How do you establish relationship with the last-mile person in the PSA office, and what is the process for that?
AKS: I will give you a specific example so that it becomes clear. A few years ago, 10-12 years ago, we started a new programme in our PSA, in which seven IITs participated. It as RUTAG – Rural Technology Action Group for Rural Development. What was the purpose? The purpose was that we provide reasonable solutions to the problems we are facing in the Livelihood Mission. Today, there is a huge demand for RUTAG, Phase-I of which has just finished.
DD: Is there any data on how many entrepreneurs and industry people have benefited from Manthan?
AKS: The data is on our website, but it is almost 700 or 800 peopl who are connected with it and 300 such groups have already been established, the work on which is going on very fast.
DD: What is the role of this brainstorming programme that will be part of the Prime Minister’s goal of making the country a trillion-dollar economy?
AKS: This is that the funding of science and technology is not only from the Government; we should also encourage the rest of the sectors. Take the case of the US, South Africa or Japan. Everywhere the private funding is very high, it is two or three times. So, now we’ll have some help in the new system that we have created. We have just created a new NRF, the National Research Foundation. It was rolled out a few months ago. The office of the PSA has a lot of role and DST is its administrative ministry, but it is independent. It is a very interesting experiment.
DD: The National Research Foundation is a very good thing because it is usually seen that universities and scientific institutions have the same thing but do not have money for research. So, everyone is very excited about the new system that is coming up for funding.
AKS: There are two committees, one is the highest governing board of which the Prime Minister is the Chair. It is very unique because the entire 360-degree vision is very unique. Then, there will be two Vice-Presidents, who are the Science Minister and the Minister of Education. The members in that committee include the PSA, who will be the Acting Secretary. The other committee is the Mission Council, which will actually do the dayto-day work. It is headed by the PSA and its CO will be the CEO Research. The implementation agency has all the Secretaries in it, academic people, and there are people from the industry. The first committee also has people from the industry, so it is a holistic thing and our idea is how to touch Tier-II and TierIII university cities where the funding is going down.
DD: You have also done a lot of work to create Centre of Excellence. We would like to know how many such centres have you created, what is its basis and what purpose is fulfilled by creating a Centre of Excellence?
AKS: The Centre of Excellence, which we have just created, is under Manthan. I want to clarify that we are not the implementing agency, we are an advisory body and enabling body and catalyst. We make the policies and we enable them with the help of all stakeholders. Like in the brainstorm, the funding has come from the rest of sources. There are seven or eight centres of excellence, some are in IITs and some are in universities.
DD: How many proposals have been executed so far from the brainstorm?
AKS: Almost 700 opportunities have been loaded on the Manthan platform and there are almost 326 engagements in it and the Centre of Excellence are 11. So, a lot is happening.
DD: What is the system of disseminating the success story in the country, that of outreach, so that people know and there is more enthusiasm in them? What is the system for that?
AKS: There are many things in it. The first is that a series has come, on pay startups. Another one is being created in which we are trying how we can bring our rural technologies from cartoons to animation, how to disseminate them in public. We have many programmes on women in STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. (To be continued…)
