The Hindu Business Line : `Science institutes in Kerala not doing well'

SCIENCE and technology institutions in Kerala have not performed very well over the last three decades, Dr M.S. Valiathan, Executive Vice-President, Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment, has said.

Delivering a lecture on `Science and technology in Kerala: Thirty years on' at the Centre for Management Development, Thiruvananthapuram, he pointed out that Kerala was among the first Indian States to set up a series of scientific institutions in the 1970s.

Despite this head start, the State's scientific institutions have not been able to make an impact in areas such as infrastructure, biosciences, small industries and so on, he declared. The State's contributions to basic science have also not been very significant, he added.

Science and technology institutions in Kerala have failed to identify research objectives and dedicate all resources to achieving these objectives, he said. Similarly, scientific research projects often receive inadequate funding, Dr Valiathan added.

These institutions have also not been able to manage funds and employees properly, he said. Kerala's scientific institutions have also failed to involve the larger community, including schools, colleges and universities, he declared.

Similarly, the State's authorities have failed to monitor the quality of scientific output from these institutions, he added.

If Kerala's scientific research institutions are to improve, they must regularly compare their performance with that of national institutions, said Dr Valiathan. Similarly, scientific research organisations in Kerala must reach out to institutions such as schools, colleges and private organisations, he added.

Research institutions must introduce professional management practices, especially in areas such as the management of funds and employees, he pointed out. Every five years, these institutions must identify research projects and then deploy 90 per cent of their resources to complete these projects, he added.

Mr V. Ramachandran, Chairman, Centre for Management Development and Dr M. Sivaraman, Director, Centre for Management Development also addressed the gathering.

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