India and the Science Nobels: Understanding the Underperformance and Global Context

Syllabus: 

  • GS – 3 – Developments in the field of Science and Technology

Why In News?

  • Recently Nobel prizes are announced .

Focus:

  • The article examines why India has underperformed in winning Nobel Prizes in scientific disciplines such as Physics, Chemistry, and Medicine, despite a rich scientific legacy. It explores contributing factors such as inadequate research funding, a weak research ecosystem, and bureaucratic challenges, while providing a global comparison of Nobel Prize winners across nations like Israel, China, and South Korea.

India and the Science Nobels: Understanding the Underperformance and Global Context

Introduction

  • The Nobel Prize, awarded since 1901, represents the pinnacle of scientific achievement in Physics, Chemistry, and Medicine.
  • India’s last Nobel Prize in the sciences, won by C.V. Raman in 1930 for Physics, remains the only Nobel awarded to an Indian working in India.
  • Although three other Indian-origin scientists have won Nobel Prizes—Har Gobind Khorana (1968, Medicine), Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar (1983, Physics), and Venkatraman Ramakrishnan (2009, Chemistry)—they were based outside India and held foreign citizenship.
  • This article explores the reasons behind India’s lack of Nobel success, its scientific underperformance, and how other nations have fared in the race for Nobel Prizes.

India’s Scientific Underperformance at the Nobels: A Historical Overview

  • Only C.V. Raman (1930, Physics) won a science Nobel while working in India.
  • Several Indian-origin scientists have received the Nobel Prize, but they did so while working abroad, and none were Indian citizens at the time of the award.
  • The last science Nobel to an Indian was in 1930, marking 94 years of a dry spell in the country’s scientific achievements recognized by the Nobel Committee.

Reasons for Underperformance

  • Inadequate Basic Research:There is insufficient focus on basic research in India, with the scientific community often more oriented toward applied sciences.
  • Low Public Funding:Public funding for scientific research remains below global standards. India invests less than 1% of its GDP in R&D, significantly lower than nations like Israel (4.9%), South Korea (4.5%), and China (2.4%).
  • Bureaucratic Hurdles:Bureaucracy in India’s scientific institutions is often seen as obstructive and unimaginative, stifling the progress of cutting-edge research.
  • Lack of Private Research Initiatives:There are limited incentives for private sector research in India, unlike countries such as the US, where private companies play a major role in scientific innovation.
  • Decay in University Research:Research capabilities in Indian universities have declined over the years, and very few institutions engage in world-class research.
  • Small Pool of Researchers:India’s number of researchers per million people is far lower than the global average. The pool from which potential Nobel laureates can emerge is limited compared to other countries.

Indian Scientists Nominated for the Nobel Prize

  • Despite India’s scientific challenges, several Indian scientists have been nominated for the Nobel Prize, even though they never won. These scientists have made significant contributions to the global scientific community.

Indian Scientists Nominated

  • Satyendra Nath Bose:
  • Discipline: Physics
  • Work: Bose-Einstein statistics; contributed to the development of Bose-Einstein condensate.
  • Nominations: 7
  • Meghnad Saha:
  • Discipline: Physics
  • Work: Developed the Saha Equation, critical in understanding the electromagnetic spectra of stars.
  • Nominations: 7
  • Homi J. Bhabha:
  • Discipline: Physics
  • Work: Father of India’s atomic energy program; first understanding of Bhabha Scattering (interaction between electrons and positrons).
  • Nominations: 5
  • N. Ramachandran:
  • Discipline: Chemistry
  • Work: Structural biology; precursor to modern work in protein structure determination.
  • Nominations: 1
  • Seshadri:
  • Discipline: Chemistry
  • Work: Structure and synthesis of organic compounds in plants; focused on pigmentation and flavor.
  • Nominations: 2
  • Upendranath Brahmachari:
  • Discipline: Medicine
  • Work: Discovery of a treatment for kala-azar, a parasitic disease.
  • Nominations: 6

    Notable Omissions

  • Jagadish Chandra Bose: Demonstrated wireless communication in 1895, but never nominated for the Nobel Prize. The 1909 Physics Nobel went to Marconi for similar work.
  • S. Krishnan: Co-discovered Raman scattering with C.V. Raman but was never nominated. His work was instrumental in Raman’s 1930 Nobel win.

Comparison with Other Countries: Nobel Performance and Scientific Ecosystem

  • India’s underperformance in the Nobel Prizes is not entirely unique. Countries like China, Israel, and South Korea have invested heavily in research, but they too have relatively few laureates.

1. Israel: High Investment, Few Science Nobels

  • Israel has produced four Nobel laureates in Chemistry but no laureates in Physics or Medicine, despite being a global leader in scientific and technological research.
  • Jewish scientists account for over 150 of the 653 science laureates, yet Israel’s number remains low despite heavy R&D investment and high scientific capability.

2. China: Large Scientific Base, Few Nobels

  • China has made vast strides in scientific research, with four times more researchers per capita than India and a higher proportion of GDP allocated to R&D.
  • However, China has only produced three science laureates: Tu Youyou (2015, Medicine), Charles K. Kao (2009, Physics), and Mo Yan (2012, Literature).
  • Despite having several top-ranking universities, China has yet to see an increase in its Nobel tally. Many researchers emigrate to pursue better opportunities abroad.

3.South Korea: Scientific Powerhouse, No Science Nobels

  • South Korea is another scientific giant that has not produced any science Nobel laureates, despite high R&D spending and a robust scientific community.

The United States and Europe: Dominance in the Nobel Prizes

  • The Nobel Prizes in science have been dominated by researchers from the United States and Europe, with many laureates being immigrants who sought better research infrastructure.
  • Only 13 of the 227 Physics laureates, 15 of the 197 Chemistry laureates, and 7 of the 229 Medicine laureates come from regions outside of North America and Europe.

Nobel Numbers from Asia, Africa, and South America

  • Fewer than 10% of science laureates have come from Asia, Africa, or South America, illustrating a global disparity in scientific recognition and infrastructure.
  • Japan is the most successful Asian country, with 21 science laureates, demonstrating the impact of a sustained research investment and strong education system.

Challenges Faced by Indian Science

1. Brain Drain and Global Competition

  • Many Indian scientists, due to limited opportunities and resources in India, seek research opportunities abroad. This “brain drain” means Indian talent often contributes to foreign institutions’ success rather than India’s.

2. Weak Scientific Infrastructure

  • India’s scientific infrastructure is still in development, lacking the resources needed for sustained and groundbreaking research. Institutions like the IITs and IISc are globally recognized but cannot match the sheer output of Western counterparts.

3. Inadequate Research Funding

  • India’s spending on research and development (R&D) is among the lowest in the world for a major economy. This lack of investment affects every stage of the research process, from funding early-stage studies to providing adequate labs and materials.

4. The Role of Bureaucracy

  • Indian scientific institutions are plagued by bureaucratic red tape, which often stifles innovation and discourages private research initiatives. The absence of an enabling environment for scientific creativity hampers the country’s potential for significant discoveries.

Possible Measures to Improve India’s Scientific Ecosystem

Increased Research Funding

  • India needs to significantly increase its allocation for R&D, aiming for at least 2% of GDP, as recommended by global standards. This will help attract and retain top talent and enable more high-quality research.

Incentives for Private Research

  • The private sector must be encouraged to invest in research through tax breaks, grants, and incentives. Public-private partnerships can also help promote innovation.

Associated Article

https://universalinstitutions.com/tag/nobelprize/

Source : Indian Express

Mains UPSC Question GS 3

  • India has produced world-class scientific talent but has underperformed in terms of Nobel Prizes in science. Analyze the reasons for this underachievement and compare it with the global context. Suggest measures India can take to improve its research ecosystem.(250 words).