The current state of knowledge emerging from a variety of public institutions is assessed through the application of a proxy indicator: the Infosys Prize.
When the Jawaharlal Nehru University was founded in 1970, one of the earliest decisions taken by its executive council was to set up a Centre for Studies in Science Policy (CSSP) in the School of Social Sciences. However, there was a freeze in admission of students in the late 1970s and the centre remained in suspended animation for a decade and a half. The centre was revived in 1996 and has got into its stride in the last three years. The revival, rebuilding and accelerated development of the CSSP augurs well for the S and T system in the country.
The value of scientific research can, in many circumstances, be enhanced if it is combined with real-world involvement and action. This approach should be seen as an essential complement of, not a substitute for, research of a more 'detached' kind.
