India's R&D system needs a map of where funds really go for efficiency and transparency
An analysis highlights a critical gap in India's R&D system: the lack of a transparent system to track funding, leading to inefficient use of public money and potential overlaps. The NITI Aayog's proposed Unified Project Management System (UPMS) aims to streamline R&D projects but doesn't fully address the need for 'PIDs and metadata infrastructure'. This infrastructure would assign unique identifiers to grants, agencies, institutions, and researchers, linking them to outcomes. The analysis suggests adopting a hybrid model, similar to the U.K. and E.U., to integrate with global systems while maintaining national control for better transparency and evaluation.
Key Points
- India's R&D system lacks a transparent mechanism to track funding, leading to inefficiencies and overlaps.
- The NITI Aayog's UPMS aims to streamline R&D projects but needs 'PIDs and metadata infrastructure' for comprehensive tracking.
- Unique identifiers for grants, agencies, institutions, and researchers are crucial to link funding to research outcomes.
- A hybrid model, integrating with global systems while maintaining national control, is recommended for better transparency and evaluation.
Exam Facts
- NITI Aayog proposed the Unified Project Management System (UPMS).
- The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) is mentioned as a flagship research funding body.
- Global systems like Crossref, Research Organisation Registry (ROR), and ORCID identifiers are discussed.
- A 2013 analysis of U.S. funders estimated $70 million lost to duplicate funding.
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