The Process and System of Science

Advice in India

by

R. Chidambaram Principal Scientific Adviser to Government of India

Presentation in the ‘Science Advice to Governments’ Conference, Auckland, August 28-29, 2014

Science Advisory Systems in India

*Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government (PSA) – position created in 1999. PSA reports to the Prime Minister.

*The Scientific Advisory Committee to the Cabinet (SAC-C) has been in existence for a long time. Since 1999, PSA is ex-officio Chairman of SAC-C.

*And there are many other mechanisms, including informal ones, available to the Government for obtaining science advice.

The Scientific Advisory Committee to the Cabinet (SAC-C)

The SAC-C has, as members, all the Secretaries of the Scientific Departments, Presidents of the Science/Engineering Academies, Presidents of Industry Associations, and some other leading scientists and academics. Thus all the stakeholders in science and technology development are represented in this Advisory System.

PSA’s Office has a Multi-Departmental Role

The scientific business of the Government has been divided into many scientific departments, with well – defined areas. But there are subjects which go beyond individual departments. These are the areas PSA’s Office and SAC-C focus on.

PSA’s Office holds, following requests by the scientific community or suo moto, brain-storming sessions and has prepared reports (under the guidance of SAC-C) on a wide range of subjects, to provide roadmaps for these areas. These areas have included nano-electronics, research & education networks, photonics, next generation synchrotron radiation sources, additive manufacturing and green chemistry, policy issues like attracting young people to careers in science and public-private partnership, and many more.

PSA’s Office is funded for what I have called ‘synergy projects’.

Science Advice & Government Objective

Science Advice to Government can be suo moto or on request, but would generally be– though it can also be in response to a new situation or a new global development in science and technology -- in consonance with the government’s broad objective. In the case of India, the objective now is for India to become a ‘developed country’ and then a ‘Knowledge Economy’.

Science Advice must factor in collaboration possibilities, in an increasingly connected world, physically and also electronically with rapid information flows over the internet. The latter, of course, also allows exploitation of knowledge generated in one country by another country better-equipped for applied research and in manufacturing skills in that field.

The Science Advisory Processes of PSA’s office

* Major suggestions made by PSA’s Office & SAC-C have been accepted by the Government, like establishment of National Centres of Excellence in Nanoelectronics (in IISc Bangalore and IIT Bombay); the National Knowledge Network (suggested along with the National Knowledge Commission); R&D for the setting up of an Advanced Ultra-Supercritical (Coal-Based) Thermal Plant using a consortium of IGCAR, BHEL and NTPC.

* Sometimes PSA’s Office is directed by the Government to coordinate leading research and technology initiatives, which are multi-departmental (with PSA as Chairman of their High Level Committees), for example the National Knowledge Network (NIC is the implementing agency), and Cyber Security R & D.

* PSA’s Office has the power to establish and has established S&T Groups, which span several Departments like the Core Advisory Groups for ‘pre-competitive applied research’ in various technology sectors to enhance academia-industry interactions; the Society for Electronic Transactions and Security(SETS) in the area of Cyber Security; and the Rural Technology Action Group (RuTAG), centred in eight IITs, for rural technology development and delivery

A Different Kind of Science Advice

Identification by PSA’s Office of exceptional capabilities, developed by hi-tech organizations with one objective, to be used with suitable innovations, for societal applications in other (perhaps unintended) areas. For example:

(i) Use of the ‘Isotope Hydrology’ Technique developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre(BARC) for identifying acquifer recharge zones in rural areas of the hill States. BARC has set up an Environmental Lab for this purpose in Dehradun.

(ii) Use of the capabilities of the Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO) to build portable bridges for the armed forces to develop foot bridges to restore

mobility logistics in the flood affected areas of Uttarakhand.

International Science Advice Science advice to Governments must also factor in the recommendations of international

organizations like WHO, FAO, IAEA, IPCC, ICSU, etc. and their expert bodies.

For example:

“Though the rate of warming over the 15-year period (1998-2012) at 0.05 deg C has been found

to be smaller than the trend over the longer period 1951-2012, which is at 0.12 deg C per

decade, there is now a 95 percent probability (a 5 percent increase from 2007 Report of the

IPCC) that global warming is caused by humans”.

(IPCC 2013 Assessment Report)

“Expanded use of nuclear technologies offers immense potential to …. satisfy energy demands and

to mitigate the threat of climate change – two of the 21st century’s greatest challenges “.

(Report prepared by an independent Commission of the IAEA – 2008; I was a member)

“A World Health Organization’s (WHO) report released in February 2013 on the health risk

assessment, …from the Fukushima-Daiichi reactors. … concludes that the possible impact of

Fukushima accident on the health of population in the affected regions is practically insignificant”.

(From the statement by Dr. R.K. Sinha, Chairman AEC, in the 2013 IAEA International

Ministerial Conference at St. Petersburg, Russian Federation, June 27-29, 2013)

R. Chidambaram

THANK YOU