Venkatraman Ramakrishnan has been awarded the chemistry Nobel this year.
He joins a select club of scientists recognised by the Nobel foundation.
But Ramakrishnan joins an even more exclusive group — Indians (by birth) who received such recognition.
The country still awaits a second entry in the most exclusive group — an Indian who gets a Nobel staying and working in India.
So far only C.V. Raman, the founder-member of this club, qualifies.
In the days to come, Indians around the world, especially those in the country, will derive vicarious pleasure from another Indian (at least by birth) earning the top honour.
The Times of India listed India’s Nobel connections on their website, a list which includes British surgeon Ronald Ross and poet Rudyard Kipling — both born in India.
The list stretched to include all categories, as evident from above, contains only 12 names.
Whereas Ramakrishnan is the 13th Nobel prize winner from Cambridge-based MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology alone.
The WolframAlpha search engine returns an estimate of 14,172 patents filed in 2009 for U.S. for the query “U.S. patents filed”.
The comparative figure for China is 2097. For India it returns a figure of 256.
Venkatraman Ramakrishnan took his PhD in physics and gets a Nobel for chemistry while investigating a biological process.
Why has no Indian working in India won a science Nobel since independence?
Is it the lack of multi-disciplinary approach in Indian institutions?
Is it our expenditure on R&D? Or the brain drain?
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As said earlier, scientists are also human being, they need good salary for their safety and fun and they need big research grant. The day India govt will do this (remember moneywise it’s big, comparable to the industrialised countries), I bet, within 10 years from then, India will get it’s own noble.
- Posted by A SarkarFrom misspelling “Deepavali” (”Diwali”) to glamourizing AK 47 wielding vigilantes and desperadoes is a short, slippery slide that offers little time for more complex matters like building a curriculum that takes full advantage of the genius (ancient only) of India.
Let us face it. India’s servant seeking elite detests originality.
The middle class unabashedly thrashes the Mahatma and is clueless whether it is coming or going.
So…
India’s insular, necrophilous oligarchy had encountered - shot dead in cold blood - 19 year old Ishrat Jehan on idiotic dribbles.
And the Prime Minister’s Office is being quiet as a mouse about the impeccable evidence it has on the corrupt, duplicitous and psychotic conduct of the Government of India, the Government Of Andhra Pradesh, The Indian editorial class, the administrators of the Right To Information Act, The Andhra Pradesh High Court and a fellow travelling klatch of “human rights” ngos.
Welcome to yet another “conspiracy in corruption” .
This is a documented account of the schizophrenic character of the babulog ke babalog who have formed themselves into the ruling class of India.
This is a story of the most appalling illiberality and destructiveness that India’s editorial class will not report !
sathyagraha.blogspot.com
Divakar’s Sathyagraha - News and views from Divakar S Natarajan’s, “no excuses”, ultra peaceful, non partisan, individual sathyagraha against corruption and for the idea of the rule of law in India.
Now in its 18th year.
Any struggle against a predatory authority is humanity’s struggle to honour the gift of life.
- Posted by divakarssathyaValue is created by investing in fundamental research, ideas incubation and product development. All these need long term focus. Most of the Indian commercial endeavor is in quick rewarding Asset Creation and governmental endeavor to manage hand-to-mouth existence. It is heartening that Indian parents do invest in their kids’ education, but unfortunately these kids are under severe pressure to start earning big bucks, as early in their career as possible. Pursuing excellence is never considered very rewarding.
India is the biggest new convert to Materialism. Indian Middle class focus on materialistic, financially secured life is perhaps the strongest among all geographic groups, competing with China
- Posted by SankarI think people have dissected the reasons well enough.
To answer the guy who said why haven’t Indians won the Field’s medal there are Indians who have won the Abel/ Godel prizes which are also awarded to mathematicians. How many news channels covered this information?
To summarize,
1. Science is not a viable career in India.
2. Also, in India people enter into fields for a career whereas abroad people enter it due to their interests. So, its quite obvious the smarter ones make for well paying fields like engineering and mgmt. Many of the people who are brilliant in math and physics are wasting their time in engg colleges in India. They should be identified and provided support. Unless one does what he loves one can’t excel! Passion can’t be inculcated it has be pour forth.
3. Overhaul the education system stifles innovation and creativity. It teaches people to conform rather than buck the system. Ramanujan was a math genius yet the system flunked him as he didnt clear the other subjects. If Hardy hadn’t found him he would died in abject poverty and obscurity. If a person is a genius in science he should be allowed to skip all other subjects and pursue only science and still get a degree. Shows we haven’t learned a damn thing since Ramanujan. Genius is seldom seen lets encourage it.
- Posted by HarishWell, I may sound like an odd duck amongst doves but I have little or no empathy for Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, notwithstanding the Nobel which he couldn’t, in all probabilities have won residing and working in India.
All of those who have made it big outside India have gone there chasing greener pastures and at least some have left the country, whenever they did so, feeling unbelonging, disconnected.
While we celebrate their Nobel or other achievements here, they are making merry, caring a damn for the country they left behind. Probably some of them must be laughing at the plight, perpetual poverty and corruption saying down here that they left for good.
In contrast, it’s great to live here fighting or even losing all social evils. You achieve or not, at least you didn’t leave the country like a coward does.
- Posted by Alevoor RajagopalCongratulations to the Indian people. Last year when I had car-scans an Indian physician, in India, interpreted the results. When I require tech support, the most helpful advisors are working from India and, incidently, speak the clearest English. My local convenience store is owned and operated by Indians. The cultures of India have come to symbolize family values, high moral standards, a high work ethic and commitment to learning. The world’s largest democracy is having a positive effect throughout the world.
- Posted by Roy C. KlopfensteinI am a researcher by choice, I work in mount sinai medical centre, New York. I am one of those very few Indian fools who rejected both free or merit -medical and engineering seats and joined classical bioligy degree to persue research. I was the topper in my 12 class batch. Rest of my friends who scored less than me joined medical and engineering courses, and have very secured lifes. Iam in this field because I enjoy research. But look at my state today when all my friend have secured bank balance, untill recently I was struggling hard to keep up my family needs in India, I am forced to leave India because i neither have appropriate research oppurtunity nor pay to survive. I have desuaded many students from coming to research if they are not very ready to suffer or if they are not going to enjoy it. why will any body think about research when one is struggling hard to meet ends? please provide us , if not good, some descent renumeration so that we can compeletely concentrate on research rathe rather than worry about survival. A typical India research student spends 14-16 hours on research per day with little time for family.
I completely agree with lot of you people .
the major problem with our science is got to do with our attitude which is evident in all other fields.
Science is a sacred profession (pursuit of truth). why do you need hierarchy? the hierarachy kils freedom of expression and results supression of truth.
why do you need reservations in the scientific oppointments, at least in this field cant you think about merrit. Its all about intelligence and capability, please keep only this as criteria for selection. dont bring regionalism , loyality meter and other considerations(normally used in politics) for scientific appointments.
Govt of India is pumping lot of money into research in the recent past, but unfortunately you have the same old people with same old capabilities managing it how can money alone make difference?
same old criterias are used for appiontments.
I know lot of good researchers with very good achivements ready to come back to India, but they hardly get a chance instead the Indian Institutions are flooded by incompetent people who have contacts in these institutions. How will Indian science improve?
More over make this profession performanced based. give incentives based on performance.
In many institutions scientist position is just another govt job. once into it nobody can remove them whether they perform or not. Its not so in the outside world. In Singapore and Tiwan a scientist gets monetary packages for evry publication based on its impact and relevance. if you dont publish in couple of years you loose your job
In US most of the scientist generate a part of their salaries. No scientific positions are permanent, you perform or perish.
unless such measures are in place no body will do good science in India.
Dont blame brain drain, why dont we create minimal needs for those who wnat to come back to India. There are lot of Indian researchers who want to do good research in India, give them a good environment to do it. then in due course of time, may be the next generation scientists will be able to produce Nobles..
there is not quqlit ycontrol in India to recruit scientists.
- Posted by chandraSo Mr Kalyan, we Indians excel in mathematics. OK! then why there isn’t even a single Field Medal winner from india ‘great india’?
- Posted by vivekWhen a scientist is hired in India he see the
red carpet. There are three phases for a scientist
in India which is very common among others.
1) Honeymoon period (most scientists enjoy their life once you have a God Father in Science, It is very much true in India. Government should do something about this.)
2) Adoption period (Understand the system , keep your profile low, ‘dog eating dog world: BE THE FASTEST and FURIOUS’ for survive: for funding, for research students, for recognition, basic utilities, support, etc.,) For some scientist there are 10-50 students across the country (~8 students registered in each university, and in their life cycle they complete the research with the help of at least 100-200 students / researchers, and claim the ‘power’.. it is not equal. Then people ’stamp’ them as ‘Talent attract students’ of course the door (equal opportunities should be given) also should be opened for other scientists. Sometime the heads of department hire ‘their favorites and start growing them for their own survival’. It is there in every one’s heart, but no way to express. These information is not baseless. We need several APJs with power in the same seat, to inspire and support the scientists. Obama releasing 5 billion USD for medical research. If same amount is allocated in India, I am sure it would be ‘fetched’ by the ‘favorites and famous people rather than ‘deserving and contributing scientists’. I am waiting to see today’s DG’s of funding agencies (DST, DBT, CSIR, DAE, DST, ISRO, DRDO etc,) directors of national labs and academic institutions like IITs, IISc, IISERs, NICERS etc., in the 2020 list of Noble Winners.. I can predict right now none of them would really make it! and also I am sure next 10 years who would be in that seat would never make it.. then why should they support SCIENCE in INDIA? This is the Ego which keep the country’s scientist still slaves long after independence.
Long live India.. Let us celebrate the success of at least few Indian origins who survive for science getting the best of everything what they deserve!
- Posted by slumdog scientistWhy are we so insistent in re-claiming citizens who have gone away? The phrase, “of Indian origin”, is so irritating and redundant. With his name, of course he is of Indian origin. They never say, Albert Einstein, German of Jewish origin. America does not refer to its citizens as XYZ, of XYZ origin! Do we say Sonia Gandhi, of Italian origin? We never refer to the Gandhi progeny as Rahul/Priyanka of Indo-Italian origin. I had to go through the same hypocritical attitude with Kalpana Chawla and the chap who won some state election in the US - he is the first governor of, hold your breath, Indian origin to hold office. Arnie is never referred to as “our popular Governor of California, a man of Austrian origin”. Or the Kennedys - of Irish origin. Such idiots we have. We never give any encouragement or facilities to the great minds of our time but jealously claim parentage when another nation not only gives them endless opprtunities to realise their potential, but also rewards them for their efforts. Come on, Shri Krishna is called Yashoda’s Kanhaiyya, not Devaki’s.
- Posted by msRight on kalyan!I wish that you send all of what you written to the Indian government but they would still,stubbornly,waste billions in weapons or to acquire prestigious foreign brand than to invest in science.
Tata industry just wasted 2 billion in order to buy Land rover amid the recession.Yes you right, many Indians lack humility but thank God we have a model of humility,Mahatma Gandhi.
in India,Ambition is drive by money and glory, not the advancement of knowledge.I also notice that many young Indians are only interested to the easy money by becoming computer programmer in order to have a house and a wife.Something must be done to help scientific research because sooner or later, all the IT jobs will move to Vietnam because of salary increase in India.What fuel India economy is mostly the well experienced NRI who came with all their knowledge and huge bank account.Younger Indian born lack imagination and strive to survive in a jungle of million competitors.This is not an environment for creativity.In order to boost scientific research and push more youth in that field it will be necessary to restrain the financial pressure and society pressure to get married with a house and a car.
- Posted by Pete GoldsteinWait a minute! Why are you so sensitive about the Nobel prize in science? We are a growing nation and it takes time to compete in such a high level of creativity. Cool down and elect better politicians instead of dynastic leaders. Try to follow your heart when deciding about your life instead of thinking about dowry job! And then stop watching cricket and then stop praying to God all the time..instead, get to the basic, and work! Read what Gita talk about Karma, and do Yoga…I am sure you will get up in the creative scale. Then forget about Nobel being a big prize. What matters is whether you love doing your work or not. Prize does not matter.
- Posted by BikramThere are few observations regarding Nobel Science prizes that
are worth noting when we ask why an Indian working in India can
not win one.
1) Nobel prizes are generally awarded for experimental research (discovery of a phenomena or development of a technique). Einstein
won a Nobel for photoelectric effect and not theory of relativity. The highly regarded Stephen Hawking may never win a Nobel.
What does this mean for India ? Cutting edge experiments are very
very expensive. Precision instruments such as electron microscopes, laser diagnostic tools are very expensive. Indians
can not afford many of these. Even Tier 2 and Tier 3 US universities are better equipped than IITs. There are also many
private labs like GE R & D, Exxon Research, Bell labs (of the past) which have lead to many innovations. Indian companies rely on foreign collaborations rather than their own labs for making stuff.
Indians are usually better at theory and recently computation. Experimental research is also frowned upon in India. There is a
somewhat common perception that it involves trial and error with
little thinking. There is an over emphasis on mathematics (I say
that though it has been my favorite subject always). If you are good at math, you may come up a good alorithm that can
allow you to compute more efficiently. Experiments involve hard
work and patience with not many short cuts. Indians’ better math
abilities are not much help here. This is an explanation I came up with for why most Indians do not choose experimental work if they have a choice.
2) Nobel prizes these days are awarded for impact. That’s why it takes decades to win a Nobel after the original paper is published. The original work needs to be followed up and promoted in the community. Even if there is a promising idea from one research group, other (better funded) labs can follow up and publish more in the area and in time may come to be regarded as an authority in the area. Unless through collaboration with foreign researchers, Indians are not “active” participants in research community (attending conferences, journal editors etc.). The international visible Indian researchers are actually research managers who are not involved with minute details of research. For example, most Indian university VCs have been
chosen based on academic records. Academic/research experience does not translate into good management ability. Research and management tracks are usually separate in US univs/labs. India
needs to do that as well.
The best way to encourage basic research in India is to
facilitate easy collaboration especially with those in richer
countries. It also would not hurt to some how steer some of our best students into basic research instead of engineering and
medicine. This in turn leads to the inevitable conclusion that
basic researchers should be better paid.
Good research requires good education, money and management. We only have one of these. With improving economy, we may realize the other two in time just like China.
- Posted by kalyanIt is really interesting to see Indian people discussing and posting comment about Nobel prize than some cricket match or bollywood movie. Now I am coming to the point, question is why Indian scientist don’t win nobel from India and I think the answer can’t be given in one sentence or one reason. There are plenty of reasons as i see it being in a research in India.
1)First reason is preference to money than to your contribution to any field. If somebody is earning lakhs of money even by corruption, he’ll be considered as successful in society and relation. MBA and IT are always prefered courses because of money you get and not because you are good at that. Now where is the respect for scientist who might be devoting more time, more energy, more thinking and who is more knowlegable than any of the other profession. Even if you ask a girl, her choice of groom, she would prefer MBA guys over scientist, no matter how much ever knowledgable and great thinker he is. So socio-economic, structure for scientist is not good.
2) Second reason is we are not honest to ourselves, to other person or people, to country and to our profession.
We are not honest to ourselves bcoz Indian as I see it have too much ego about themselves. Even a clerk in an office will try to show his importance in every way by dilly-dallying things. He/She won’t take it as a profession but will take as a way to show how important he/she is. We are not honest to ourselves and think too much of ourselves.
We are not honest to other people as we can take away his/her chance by politics or resources or any other mean even after knowing that other person is better than us.
We are not honest to country as we show too much of pseudo patriotism but when it comes to actual contribution, we are much behind. We don’t even mind corruption when it comes to personal benefit even though it might cost country.
We are not honest to our profession and think it as a way of earning bread. That is it. Our profession goals finish there and we don’t think the money which we are getting is because we are employed to do a job. This applies more to a govt. job.
Science is no different.
2)Colonial Yes saab culture.
India is full of ‘Yes sir’ culture. You can’t argue with your elder, with your seniors, with your bosses, no matter even if they are wrong. They can spoil your career or make your career. People go up the ladder by licking feet of their superiors who themselves were their by doing that. There is no or hardly merit play any role. You can see people at the highest position who are not even capable of holding any decent job.
Science is no different.
3) Regionalism
we differentiate people on the basis of the language they speak, on the basis of their state, region etc. If I am a bengali,I’ll prefer Bengali in a job. If I am tamil, I would like to have Tamil in job and so on. Merit can take a walk. We have pre-conceived notion about every person on the basis of color, region,religion, caste and language. We are most racial country in world, I found it hard to deny that.
4) Brotherhood
If a person is at a position where he can employ as many as his relatives even at the cost of quality, he’ll be considered as most respected, most successful person in society and family.
5)Political Interference
If there is an open position, there will be so many calls from politicians to fill that post with their candidate. It does not matter then wether that candidate is capable or not.
6) Hierarchy is non-humane. No respect for fellow human being.
Do we respect fellow Indian for just being a human being. Director of an institute will think he is a best in world and will treat his fellow colleagues like dirt. Scientist/professor will do same thing with students. Students will do the same thing with driver, gaurd etc. Why can’t we overlook person’s position. Why can’t a most higher post person can shake hand with guard or safaiwallah. Why can’t we call people by name instead of calling them Sir/madam or all other colonial way.
If we would able to remove these things we’ll shine in every walk of life which includes Science also.
Thank you for your time to read my comment.
- Posted by NaveenReally miserable!!! I think, Indian Govt. is responsible for this act and more precisely I would say people in Indian politics. They do not know what does exactly research mean and how to spend money in various sector of research. Many universities and ITTs are lacking huge resources for research, then how can we expect nobel prize from India. Govt. should learn from this incident. They must have to attract good indian people across the world with huge benefits.
Not only Govt., while Indian citizen are also responsible. Among of us, very few are dedicated to higher study PhD and further career in fundamental research of science. Most people will go for IT sector, just as an educated labour and work for MNC..This is really brain drain.
- Posted by GurvinderI dont think we need to judge ourselves with some western prize …now how many of us “surely know” that slumdog millionare is at most an average bollywood film…Many better films get created every year in Bollywood but then they arent directed by some westerner!….And J. C. Bose is the father of wireless communication (not Marconi) …why he never got a Nobel?
- Posted by PavanI am a medical researcher associate at the University of Arizona and of Indian origin. The Indian academia here seem to think that there is a little bit of nationalism involved- research done in the West is more likely to win, similar to publishing papers. Nature rejected papers I wrote at IIS but when I made very minor changes and sent from U of A they published them. I heard that Dr. Faizan Ahmad, who is at a Delhi University I believe, had a very strong shot at the Nobel in Chemistry this year.
- Posted by Sunny AhujaI believe that besides brain drain the cold govt.approach is responsible for any one to outshine in any field.
- Posted by Mahendra TalatiI think we Indian people, while we are in India, think,majority of them, if they are successful, they think they are the best in world without comparing themself with others of same credibility. ego is big problem. Definitely R&D is biggest problem,whenever some company wants to bring R& D eg, Dow chemicals, look what happened in Pune. Five or more politicians created problems, asking for money to run it smoothly, but it failed due to lack of cooperation from law and order and politicians.
- Posted by mmSo all frustrated brainy Indians goes to west where their talent is well used and appreciated and rewarded.