Does Nobel Grow on Trees?
DOES NOBEL GROW ON TREES?
While broadcasting a speech, the Prime Minister addressed the nation that money does not grow on trees. It appears that this is a favourite phrase used by our Prime Minister. In fact, on an earlier occasion, he said in the same language when a delegation from Odisha approached him for more grants.
Now perhaps the Prime Minister has got a unique opportunity to pose a question in a similar vein, “Does Nobel Grow on trees?” The centenary session of the Science Congress was held at Kolkata in the first week of January 2013, which attracted huge attention because of the august presence of the President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh as its Chief Guest and General President respectively. A remarkable observation in that session was that of the President, when he expressed concern that a Nobel Prize in Indian science was ‘long overdue’. This should not be taken lightly for the simple reason that the only Indian to have received a Nobel Prize in science is the physicist C. V. Raman in the year 1930, that too under British India. Since then nobody has won a Nobel in any branch of Science (or in any other category) for his / her work in India . This is considered as disgraceful to all concerned of independent India. Indeed this is a natural ignominy which cannot be brushed aside. This need to be discussed with all the seriousness it deserves.
It is estimated that in the year 2011, the number of Indian students graduated is 14,617,000 out of which only 12 per cent opted for P.G. Courses. Among these, the percentage of research in our country dwindled to merely one percent. This is a painful picture definitely. However, this does not prove beyond doubt that Indian students are not research oriented. In fact, most of the students, who had a desire for research, went abroad. In 2011 alone, 1,03,895 Indian students went to US for M.Sc./ Ph.D. Degree, which is 14 percent of the higher education of U.S.A. . the
While broadcasting a speech, the Prime Minister addressed the nation that money does not grow on trees. It appears that this is a favourite phrase used by our Prime Minister. In fact, on an earlier occasion, he said in the same language when a delegation from Odisha approached him for more grants.
Now perhaps the Prime Minister has got a unique opportunity to pose a question in a similar vein, “Does Nobel Grow on trees?” The centenary session of the Science Congress was held at Kolkata in the first week of January 2013, which attracted huge attention because of the august presence of the President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh as its Chief Guest and General President respectively. A remarkable observation in that session was that of the President, when he expressed concern that a Nobel Prize in Indian science was ‘long overdue’. This should not be taken lightly for the simple reason that the only Indian to have received a Nobel Prize in science is the physicist C. V. Raman in the year 1930, that too under British India. Since then nobody has won a Nobel in any branch of Science (or in any other category) for his / her work in India . This is considered as disgraceful to all concerned of independent India. Indeed this is a natural ignominy which cannot be brushed aside. This need to be discussed with all the seriousness it deserves.
It is estimated that in the year 2011, the number of Indian students graduated is 14,617,000 out of which only 12 per cent opted for P.G. Courses. Among these, the percentage of research in our country dwindled to merely one percent. This is a painful picture definitely. However, this does not prove beyond doubt that Indian students are not research oriented. In fact, most of the students, who had a desire for research, went abroad. In 2011 alone, 1,03,895 Indian students went to US for M.Sc./ Ph.D. Degree, which is 14 percent of the higher education of U.S.A. . the