To fulfil STEM potential, India must cast the net wider, go to the roots, Pg10

Key Highlights:

• The government is re-evaluating the selection process for doctoral degree guides, focusing on research aligned with national priorities.
• Emphasis is being placed on research areas like renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and health technologies.
• Delays in fellowship disbursements and inadequate stipends for PhD students are demotivating factors in Indian higher education.
• Industry-funded PhDs are scarce, except in a few IITs, due to a disconnect between industry and academia.

Detailed Insights:

• Focusing solely on immediately relevant research may neglect long-term innovation and the importance of basic research.
• Basic research, even without immediate applications, can lead to significant advancements, as seen with the Nobel Prize in Physics.
• Delays in fellowship payments, despite direct transfer initiatives, create financial instability for PhD students.
• Low stipends for non-NET PhD students force them to take on additional teaching responsibilities, hindering their research.
• Strengthening industry-academia collaboration and improving management of industry-funded PhDs is essential.
• Devaluing non-STEM research can negatively impact the ability of scientists and engineers to address India's needs comprehensively.

Key Concepts Involved:

• STEM: An acronym for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, representing key disciplines driving innovation.
• Fellowship: A financial aid to students with academic merit to support their education and research.
• Hygiene factors: Basic requirements that prevent dissatisfaction but do not necessarily lead to motivation.