As India aspires to become a $3 trillion economy and a developed nation by 2047, a stark reality check emerges from its research laboratories and universities. The country is facing a severe shortage of doctoral candidates in science, a gap that experts warn could cripple its ambitions for knowledge-led development.
The Stark Numbers: A PhD Deficit
Speaking at the inauguration of the 7th Manohar Parrikar Vidnyan Mahotsav on Thursday, Sunil Kumar Singh, Director of CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), revealed alarming statistics. Out of over 4 crore students enrolled in higher education in India, only about 55 lakh are at the post-graduate level. Of these, a mere 8 lakh are pursuing post-graduation in science disciplines.
The funnel narrows drastically from there. Only 42,000 of these science post-graduates register for a PhD, and ultimately, just about 10,000 successfully earn their doctorate each year. "A country with 1.4 billion people, the knowledge creation which happens at the PhD level... we have only 10,000 doing it," Singh stated.
Global Disparity in Research Output
This deficit becomes even more pronounced when compared to global leaders in research. Singh highlighted that the United States, with a population one-fourth the size of India's, produces four times the number of science PhDs annually.
The disparity extends to published research. While India ranks third globally in the number of scientific publications, with output touching nearly 3 lakh (2.8 lakh) papers per year, it lags far behind the top two. China leads with a staggering 10 lakh publications annually, followed by the United States with 7 lakh. "The disparity is big," Singh acknowledged, while also pointing out the added challenge of comparing the quality of research across nations.
From Knowledge Creation to Technology: The Missing Link
The Director identified a critical weakness in India's innovation ecosystem. "There is a substantial gap between knowledge creation and its conversion into technology in India, which needs to be bridged," he asserted. While some knowledge is being generated, the country is "not doing well at all" in transforming that fundamental research into applicable technologies, products, and solutions.
This gap poses a direct threat to national goals like 'Viksit Bharat' (Developed India) and 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' (Self-Reliant India). Singh emphasized that these visions cannot be realized through wealth acquisition alone. "We have to have knowledge creation, and knowledge creation can only happen when young minds are engaged in doing science, doing research. We need a knowledge-based economy; we need knowledge-based development," he urged.
The call to action is clear. For India to transition from a developing to a developed nation, it must urgently address the pipeline of young researchers, enhance the quality and quantity of its scientific output, and, most crucially, build robust systems to convert academic research into technological innovation. The role of the nation's youth in this transformative journey is deemed paramount.
