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Concern at lack of progress in instrumentation technology

By Our Staff Reporter

TIRUCHI, MARCH 14. Speakers at a national workshop on `Instrumentation and Measurement Techniques' expressed concern at the lack of progress in instrumentation technology. The meet was organised by the School of Physics, Bharathidasan University, here today.

On the absence of innovation from scientists in the instrumentation field, Dr. Sikka, Scientific Secretary, Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, who inaugurated the two-day workshop, said there were only 32 papers from India in the journal `Review of Scientific Instruments' out of 2,000 papers in 2001-2003. Also, the granted patents in the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in medical equipment, measuring instruments and industrial process control equipment put together were a mere 10. No patent had been registered for optical instruments. The lack of progress was also due to low investment in research and development, he said, presenting a report of a committee constituted by the Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi, under his headship, for evolving strategies and a roadmap for development of instrumentation.

Explaining the huge instrumentation market in India for process control instruments, analytical instruments and medical instruments, he said, the committee had recommended adoption of a mission-mode approach for development of instruments similar to that of the `CAR' Group (Core Group in the R & D Automotive Sector).

Industry-academia partnership leading to sharing of Intellectual Property Rights was essential. The Government should provide incentive or tax credits to the industry that purchased indigenous instrumentation technology. He suggested creation of `Technology Parks' and `Incubation Centres' near R & D institutions.

The tendency of researchers in universities to carry out individualistic initiatives was deplored by A.K. Bhatnagar, Vice-Chancellor, Pondicherry University. He said universities should have infrastructure for research on the lines of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and the Defence Research & Development Organisation.

Presiding, the Vice-Chancellor, C. Thangamuthu, said that to provide a thrust to Materials Science, the university would start a M.Sc. course in nanoscience and technology from the coming academic year.

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