Despite government claims of turning India into a science powerhouse, there has been no significant increase in funding for science and technology in the Union Budget, with investment remaining stagnant at 0.64% of GDP.
In February, the government announced the creation of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) to boost the country’s R&D, with an allocated budget of ₹500 billion over five years. The initiative, which was well-received, promised that 72% of ANRF funding would come from private sources.
Last year’s budget allocated ₹20 billion to the ANRF, of which only ₹2.6 billion was actually spent. This year, the finance minister repeated the same allocation and declared the foundation fully operational.
Binay Panda, a biotechnology researcher at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi, points out that the majority of India’s science and technology budget – approximately 67% is currently funded by the government, unlike other countries where the private sector plays a significant role. Panda questions the feasibility of raising 72% of ANRF’s funding from private sources without a clear roadmap.
Panda emphasised the urgent need for investment in science and improvement of college and university infrastructure. He describes the current laboratory facilities and classrooms as outdated and inadequate.
Panda attributes the delays in funding disbursement to excessive bureaucracy within Indian institutions and argues that meaningful reforms are necessary at the governmental, institutional, and individual scientist levels for the ANRF to be effective. Without these reforms, he warns, the ANRF will be merely a superficial change.
Meanwhile, significant changes are occurring in other areas affecting science. The government has drastically cut the budget for the University Grants Commission (UGC), the main higher education funder and regulator, by 61%.
Instead of increasing higher education funding, the government has encouraged universities to take large loans from the higher education financing agency since 2017, while reducing financial support and increasing fees. As reported by chemistryworld.com, the new budget also expands student loans, adversely affecting affirmative action for lower castes and poorer students.
