For a nation to catch up and move aggressively to the needs of its demographics, investing in Research and Development and innovation is imperative. However, India always considered investments in education and research as an expenditure. Politicians spend only when the returns are immediate.
With such short term planning of policy makers and Government, India can only create workers, employees, consumers while China creates employers, innovations and entrepreneurs. Look at our priorities:
1. Telangana Govt. spends 280 crores to distribute 95 lac Sarees for Bathukamma festival and 200 crores to make office buildings ‘Vastu’ compliant.
2. Andhra Govt. spends 1500 crores for Godavari Pushkaralu and another 1600 crores for Krishna Pushkaralu.
3. GOI spent 16 crores sending SMSs on Yoga day.
4. Maharashtra Govt. spends 3800 crores on Shivaji Statue
5. Uttar Pradesh spends 4200 crores on Kumbh Mela.
6. MP to spend Rs.5000 crores on Simhasta Kumbh
7. GOI spends 1200 crores on Artha Kumbh
8. GOI spends Rs.2989 crores on Sardar Patel statue
9. GOI spends 400 crores on Haj Subsidy
10. GOI is investing 90000 crores on a bullet train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
Now, let us compare it with our expenditure on Research & Development. As a perception is built that India’s competition is only China, here are the stats:
1. China spent USD 279 billion in 2017. India spent USD 15 billion only.
2. China spends 2.1% of its GDP( It was 0.56% in 1995) on Research. India spends 0.6% of our GDP(It was 0.6% in 1995). Israel spends 4.3% and USA 2.8%.
3. China’s spend has increased 71% in 5 years. For India, it is 46% and in 2015, it actually declined!
4. India’s spend has been consistent at 0.6% to 0.7% of GDP for the last 20 years. It just stagnated.
5. Only 26 Indian companies as compared to 301 of China are amongst the top 2500 R&D companies in India.
6. According to Nature Index Rising Stars, 51 of the top 100 Universities with improved research are from China. Zero from India.
7. China is likely to surpass even US in its total research spending. India will touch 1% spend after a few more decades.
8. Almost all of our R&D spend is by GOI. None from states. Negligible by private sector.
9. Even Our PSUs like ONGC which should invest in research donate for large statues and Kumbh melas while ignoring funding research projects in universities.
10. On Research Impact(H-Index), India scores 12.6 against China’s 39.2. We publish less and impact even lesser.
With this short term thinking amongst policy makers and Governments, be prepared to slog for others to make the pennies and living in penury while others create wealth. The growth would be incremental and not transformational. And we will all be good employees, obedient citizens, patriotic Indians and devout bhakts. And for all its failures, governments will feed us religion and caste while we dont have employment. India will create workers, employees, consumers while China will create employers, innovatiors and entrepreneurs!
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