Learning from the crisis: public investment in research and development in the neoliberal regime in India

Abstract

This note brings out two inherent crises of research and development funding in contemporary India. We identified the ways in which current global neoliberal regime restricts the potential of research and development in Science and Technology across the globe, and more specifically in India. The first crisis emanates from satisfying the instant gratification of markets while government systematically neglects the funding provided to the public institutes. The implication of such neglect restricts and limits the potential of research and development for a developing country such as India. The second crisis is characterised as an ideological crisis. The constant popularisation of mythological events and claiming those events as Science undermines the importance of empirical evidence in scientific research and dilutes the scientific temper of this country. These two crises become more important when seen in the context of the current virus-driven pandemic period. The way-out lies in supporting the research and development by State, rather than feeding the crisis by neglecting the support.