Stating that putting in place a robust ecosystem of research and innovation as one of the key elements for realising a large and vibrant economy that could sustain for a long time, the former Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) K. Kasturirangan has said that the National Research Foundation (NRF), which came into existence as part of implementation of the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020), will help nurture a vibrant research ecosystem through adequate funding, mentoring and careful monitoring.
“The present inadequacies are very much evident through the low number of researchers in India which compares very unfavourably with the other top 10 economies in the world, with all the attendant impacts on publication, patent applications and industrial growth involving indigenous technologies. NEP 2020 highlights the critical need to better manage research at all levels. The NRF is born out of the felt need to increase the quantum and scope of quality research across all disciplines and to create a much larger workforce for trained researchers within the country,” he said, while delivering his address at the sixth Convocation of the Central University of Karnataka at Kadaganchi near Kalaburagi on Wednesday.
After his brief admiration of Kalaburagi’s multicultural tradition and its historical importance, Dr. Kasturirangan, who was the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of NEP 2020, dedicated much of his convocation address highlighting the key aspects of NEP 2020.
