The Prime Minister's Office has set up the Prime Minister's Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC), headed by principal scientific advisor to the government of India, K. VijayRaghavan. The new panel will advise the PM on all matters related to science, tecnology and innovation, and would also monitor the implementation of the PM's vision.
Modi is an enthusiast of scientific and technological solutions to developmental problems. His scientific vision also encompasses big ticket, eyeball grabbing initiatives like space missions and participation in international collaborative researches like the LIGO accelerator. Critics of the prime minister, however, point out that under the present dispensation, the scientific temper has gone lacking in the establishment. During the March for Science rally in April, Breakthrough Science, and several other organisations and individuals had sought that the government should develop a scientific temper and not peddle half-baked mumbo jumbo under the name of ancient science.
The PM's vision has encompassed initiatives like research on the benefits of cow urine. In fact, IIT Delhi recently had a conference on Panchgavya, following which there were 40 research proposals on the benefits of cow urine. Many scientific organisations have pointed out that a predetermined result towards which a research is oriented, is not the way science works. The PM and his ministers' utterances on science have also been rather embarrassing, with them painting a picture of ancient India as a time and place where almost every scientific theory and achievement that exists today, was discovered or invented.
PM-STIAC will also be tasked with facilitating the formulation and implementation of science, technology and innovation related policies and decisions, and with providing action oriented and future preparedness advice to the government on these matters. It will also assist the goverment in using, science, technology and innovation for solving socio-economic problems in the country.
The other members of the council include former DRDO Chief V.K. Sarswat; former ISRO Chairperson A.S. Kiran Kumar; IISc Bangalore professor Ajay Kumar Sood; Armed Forces Medical College Dean, Maj Gen Madhuri Kantikar; director of Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, Sanghamitra Bandopadhyay; US-based mathematician and Fields Medal winner Manjul Bhargava and Subhash Kak, professor at Oklahoma University along with Baba Kalyani, managing director of Bharat Forge are part of the council.
The council also includes secretaries from the departments/ministries of atomic energy, science and technology, space, defence research and development, biotechnology, scientific and industrial research, agricultural research and education, health research, higher education, environment, forests and climate change, and new and renewable energy, as special invitees.
PM-STIAC will replace two scientific advisory committees for the prime minister and the cabinet, and is aimed to streamline as well as cut down the number of committees and councils.