National Consultative Meet in Dehradun Pushes for R&D Reforms in India

Dehradun, Jun 4 (KNN) The Second National Consultative Meeting on reforming India’s Research and Development (R&D) ecosystem began today at the CSIR – Indian Institute of Petroleum (CSIR-IIP) in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.

Chaired by V.K. Saraswat, Member of NITI Aayog, the two-day meeting follows the first dialogue held in May 2025 at Raj Bhawan, Lucknow.

The initiative, led by NITI Aayog, aims to strengthen India's government-funded R&D institutions and laboratories for a more innovation-driven and resilient future.

Inaugural proceedings saw participation from prominent figures in the scientific community. These included N. Kalaiselvi, Director General, CSIR and Secretary, DSIR; Prof. Ashutosh Sharma, President, Indian National Science Academy (INSA); and Harender Singh Bisht, Director, CSIR-IIP.

Prof. Vivek Kumar Singh, Senior Adviser at NITI Aayog, set the tone for discussions by emphasising institutional agility and stronger industry-academia partnerships.

Saraswat highlighted the urgent need to make R&D bodies more autonomous and mission-oriented. He stressed the importance of decentralization, timely funding, and performance-based systems to overcome bureaucratic hurdles and improve scientific outcomes.

Kalaiselvi praised NITI Aayog’s leadership and underlined the need to modernise infrastructure, especially in tier 2 and 3 cities, and promote collaboration with industries to boost translational research. She also emphasised aligning national science priorities with local innovation needs.

Prof. Sharma spoke on nurturing young researchers by reducing micromanagement and providing better career opportunities, mentorship, and global exposure.

The meeting continues on June 4, with sessions focused on institutional governance, researcher mobility, and public-private partnerships, paving the way for a more efficient and inclusive R&D framework in India.

(KNN Bureau)