India’s top research agency asks scientists not to join March for Science - Hindustan Times
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India’s top research agency asks scientists not to join March for Science

Aug 09, 2017 03:40 PM IST

Scientists, researchers and science students across the country on Wednesday will ‘March for Science’ to demand increase in fundings and that government policies be formulated on scientific proof.

Scientists from one of India’s top government research agency have been “advised” to not participate in the ‘March for Science’ that begins at 4 pm at central Delhi’s Mandi House area.

‘March for Science’ is planned at central Delhi’s Mandi House area.(Getty Images/iStockphoto))
‘March for Science’ is planned at central Delhi’s Mandi House area.(Getty Images/iStockphoto))

An email from the director’s office to “all the members of CSIR-ICIB” (Council of Scientific & Industrial Research-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology ) at 7.23 pm on Tuesday advised them not to participate in the march.

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The scientists who objected to the advisory were told that their participation in the march will be treated as gross insubordination..

Scientists, researchers and science students across the country on Wednesday will March for Science to demand increase in fundings and that government policies be formulated on scientific proof.

A global rally in April this year attracted more than a million people from 600 cities.

The demand raised by the scientists participating in the march is to increase the spending on scientific research to at least 3% of the gross domestic product (GDP).

Currently, India spent only about 0.88% of its GDP towards research and development in 2011-12, compared to USA spending 2.79% and South Korea. 3.36%.

Among BRICS nations, Brazil, Russia and China spent more than 1% of their GDP.

The scientists have also demanded that the allocation for education be increased too and the textbooks be based on scientific evidence only.

In Delhi, protesters will walk to Jantar Mantar. It will simultaneously be held in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata and Pune, among other cities.

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    Anonna Dutt is a health reporter at Hindustan Times. She reports on Delhi government’s health policies, hospitals in Delhi, and health-related feature stories.

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