Utilisation Pattern of Human Resources in Science and Technology in India

Stocks of the scientific-technological workforce help in determining to what degree a nation or a certain region is able to fulfil its technological and innovative needs. Stocks monitor not only the number of scientists and technicians, but also their spread across regions and economic sectors. India is fast emerging as a knowledge economy, and the publication of the first India Science Report in 2005 by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) is an important step in providing valuable inputs to the scientific community in setting achievable goals. While Human Resources in Science and Technology (HRST) by education have grown considerably, a matter of some concern is the poor utilisation of these resources. In 2005, only a third of these people were pursuing occupations related to their educational qualifications. The report also found that a substantial percentage of those holding HRST jobs were educationally not qualified and had only studied upto Class XII or less. If India intends to make the most of the outsourcing and research and development (R& D) opportunities coming its way from foreign shores, it will have to look closely at the quality of the scientific and technical manpower that it is producing.