The article, “Back to basics” (Feb.7) did not touch upon the role of fundamental research in Indian agriculture. One of the major barriers to boosting farm productivity is the lack of new technologies and major breakthroughs. While the National Agriculture Research System played a major role in the Green Revolution, in recent years, there hasn’t been any major breakthrough in research. A key reason is the lack of financial resources. Because of this, there has been no diffusion of new agricultural innovations and practices, critical to enhancing farm productivity. As Ashok Gulati, former chairman of Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices, notes, doubling of real incomes of farmers would be a “miracle of miracles”, as it would imply a compound growth rate of 12% per annum. In many ways this paints a bleak picture of the future of Indian agriculture.
K.M.K. Murthy,
Secunderabad
Cutting edge scientific research in most disciplines of science today demands good infrastructure, which is missing in India. Anaemic spending on science is a reason. India has lagged behind China — which spends nearly 2% of GDP on science every year. In India, spending is less than 1% of GDP on science. Large-scale scientific research (an initiative such as CERN) and interdisciplinary research often require international collaboration, and India’s contribution in these areas is limited, one of the reasons for which is a paucity of funds and laboratories. The writer’s lament about India not realising its full potential due to a lack of curiosity in enough individuals is justified. This is rooted in our lacklustre education system and how science is taught in most schools. In order to establish a strong scientific culture, an ethos of inquiry and discovery has to be nurtured.
Souvik D.,
Kolkata
