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Despite tough economic times, India's government will increase scientific investment (more details below the fold).
The world's largest democracy's vaunted 9-10% growth rate over the past 6-8 years has dissipated. It's working to keep its head up with a projected 5.4% rate of economic growth for 2009. Now 5.4% is NOT recessionary, it's just nothing near what it was doing as recently as 2007 -- at ~9.3% rate of growth, with over 11% in manufacturing.
Not too shabby compared that to the U.S. where, "[d]uring the first quarter of 2009, productivity rose 1.6 percent in the nonfarm business sector; output fell 7.6 percent and hours of all persons fell 9.0 percent (seasonally-adjusted annual rates)." Source.
However, the U.S. economy still dwarfs India's: $14.29 trillion v. $3.267 trillion.
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Now, with this as general background, let's go back to investment in scientific research.
According to the NatureNews article:
"Despite the economic slowdown India's government will spend 289 billion rupees (US$5.9 billion) on research and development this year, 19% more than last year, according to the budget for 2009–2010 announced on 6 July."
Emphasis added
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While I would like to see more investment in wind and solar technology at the expense of nuclear research, I think that that argument misses the forest for the trees, to wit: that India BELIEVES in science and scientific research. And here's another thing, these increases are actually lower than past years' increases, nevertheless...
"The budget for higher education increased by nearly 41 billion rupees to 154 billion rupees, including 4.5 billion rupees for new institutes of technology. In a move to draw students to science, the budget provides for interest-free loans for those pursuing approved courses of study in technical and professional schools. Another 5.4 billion rupees has been set aside for a National Knowledge Network of gigabit bandwidth to connect educational institutions across the country."
Here in the U.S., Federal Government investment is a mixed bag, which I'll allow you to read-up on per this piece, as well as this one, and this one.
The bottom line is that a country whose overall economic size is only about a 1/4 of the U.S.'s is still forging ahead in investment in scientific research. Is this a "tortoise and hare" story? I wouldn't go that far, but it says something about India that's very positive.
BenGoshi
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