“Could India hold the pivot by becoming the game changer of R&D for healthcare? The answer from Tirumalachari Ramasami, former Secretary of Indian Science and Technology, is ‘yes.’
For this to happen, Dr. Ramasami hinted at the need for emergence of new thought paradigms.
Delivering keynote address at the two-day workshop on ‘Listening to scientists and social scientists on translational research’ organised under the aegis of Centre for Translational Research at Sri Padmavathi Mahila Viswa Vidyalayam (SPMVV) here on Tuesday, Dr. Ramasami, a Padma and Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar awardee, recalled that India’s competence had already been proved in the field of vision care where it had earned repute in delivering quality clinical care at affordable cost, exhibiting its potential to become the ‘Vision care capital of the world.’
Referring to the general disagreement between natural scientists and social scientists, Dr. Ramasami said that they are poles apart and hence hardly listened to each other.
Translational research
“Unlike in the past when scientists like C.V. Raman undertook research from their own money, R&D today involves the taxpayer’s money. Hence, the scientists will have to be answerable to society on their research findings and their application to the community,” he cautioned.
Dr. Ramasami called translational research an emerging area having the potential to bring diverse groups of intellectuals on a common platform to achieve common good.
Infra upgrade
SPMVV former Vice-Chancellor V. Durga Bhavani, who now holds the charge of Telugu University, recalled the steps initiated in the past to improve scientific infrastructure in the varsity that were bearing fruit today. She said the state-of-the-art equipment had been of great utility to peer institutions such as SVU, Veterinary University, agricultural college and SVIMS, thus helping the academic ecosystem thrive.
Dean (Social sciences) K. Muragaiah presided, while the centre’s convener P. Vijayalakshmi explained the role of translational research in building bridges and linking the utility of S&T to the community.
