Overview
S&T infrastructure describes the enabling capacity allowing undertaking of advanced R&D as well as S&T by constituent organizations of a country. In other words, structural distribution of capacities, their coordination and governance, as well as goals of the constituents and the capital and knowledge intensity of experimental and production facilities do indicate the degree of this enablement. The manner in which S&T structure can aid in economic development is closely linked to the country’s S&T infrastructure. Performance of schools and workshops, fabrication or prototyping facilities, laboratories and of advanced production and most importantly, the innovation-performance of a country depends crucially on this S&T infrastructure. No wonder a comparator, China, has made a special Plan initiative on S&T infrastructure. In India policy initiative on S&T infrastructure has appeared not as a special focus but as latent and incorporated under multiple programs of the federated executive and public set up. The democratic governance implicit in this policy therefore depends crucially on how S&T has filtered through the public space. This theme only briefly provides snapshots into this whole complex and captures the huge S&T infrastructure existing in the country, with special emphasis on the various modes of coordination and governance vis-à-vis indicative performance.
Beginning with an analytical description of various modes of governance existing in the S&T system of the country, an overview exhibits the huge S&T infrastructure existing in the country. Reflections on the relative performances and different modes of governance are traced through the evolution in regional governance and regional innovation system. Subsequently a brief overview of the S&T infrastructure across different states of India is followed by several descriptions on performances, such as on technology transfer. A brief profile of S&T in the state of Kerala provides an exemplar of regional S&T state of affairs. Briefly describing technology parks the theme takes up, biotechnology parks and incubators and public initiatives in biotechnology. The theme then covers a strategic player, the CSIR, a premier research organization and its achievements and comments on various R&D partnerships in the country, their performances and the financing mechanism in the partnership initiatives. Thereafter the attention shifts from organization to the social milieu, and an analysis provides glimpses into the public space. Coverage of seven diseases- HIV/AIDS, Diabetes, Dengue, Malaria, Tuberculosis, Chikungunya and Avian Influenza in three Indian English language newspapers for the year 2007 and the coverage of science and technology related items in English-language dailies in India throw light on the quantum of space allocated to different subjects by different newspapers, positioning and spread of S&T items, and identifies newspapers that accorded priority to science and technology related items.
Theme Sections:
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