Why Indian scientists are failing to make the international grade?

In my opinion , it is a matter of lack of respect in our society for the scientist. A junior IAS officer moves around with tremendous self-esteem well aware of his importance and proud to be an administrative officer who can make or break things. The awe with which he is treated as our"sarkar" is truly amazing. It is not just IAS but same is the story of all organised services like IPS, IRS, IRSE,IRTS,IRAS etc etc.,

A senior scientist by virtue of long hours of study and research, generally is shy and the archaic rules of control of expenditure and tyranny of the clerk holding out against the demands of a scientist , makes him suffer loss of self-esteem. Dr Bhabha helped set a different bench mark with the blessings of Pandit Nehru and a different world where scientist expresses a desire and the administrative issues are taken care of to satisfy the need, with due reverence. But today things have changed. The clerk simply makes it difficult and the IAS officer posted to make things move to the wishes happen by removing the administrative hurdles, too acts in a manner to establish his importance and superiority. I have seen this happening. Renowned scintists of proven abilities and achievements, are made to look sheepish, getting dismissed off hand when they express a need to change a rule or procedure which is coming in the way.

"No it cannot be done, Rules do not permit." It is the stock answer to block the poor guy. called a scientist. Emotionally it drains a person and slowly over years, the Darwin principle operates and the scientist converts himself in to an administrator and then more successful ones become politically savvy too.

The culprit is the administrative culture which is supreme in hierarchy. Audit/vigilance expenditure control culture of British Raj designed for slaves, continue to govern us. Even simple management of a railway, where no creative work is involved gets stuck in such ruts. Generally, when rules do not permit, but the case is genuine and needs to be favourably disposed off, the machinery has a wonderful way of putting up as an exception to be "personally" approved by the CEO or GM.

As Head, I refused to make exceptions, but rather wanted the rule to be modified, as in independent India, we are the rule makers. So I did change rules rather than make exceptional decisions.

When creative processes are involved, self-esteem and respect play a big role for emotional motivation.

This is missing in the current arrogant self-centered administrative culture prevailing, scientists also becoming part of the cogs in the wheel acting the same way to each other.

In near future India will fail to produce any thing worth while unless we bring back the culture of Dr Bhabha.