India's R&D and Innovation Ecosystem
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Indian Economy (Public Finance, General Financial Rules - GFR, Government e-Marketplace - GeM); Science & Technology (R&D policy).
Mains:
General Studies Paper 2 (Governance): Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability; Role of civil services in a democracy (procedural reforms).
General Studies Paper 3 (Economy & S&T): Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources; Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life; Indigenization of technology.
Key Highlights from the News
To promote scientific Research and Development (R&D), India has made significant reforms in government procurement policies.
As per changes in the General Financial Rules (GFR), research institutions are now exempt from using the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal for purchasing specialized equipment.
The direct purchase limit has been increased from 1 lakh to 2 lakh rupees, and institutional heads are authorized to approve global tenders up to 200 crore rupees, which will help reduce bureaucratic delays.
Traditionally, procurement rules, which emphasized transparency and cost reduction, often hindered innovation and delayed research.
The article argues that while these reforms are necessary, they are only a beginning. India can learn from "innovation-catalysing" procurement models in countries like Germany, USA, and South Korea.
In the future, more in-depth reforms are needed, such as Outcome-weighted tenders, Sandbox exemptions (relaxations in rules for top institutions), and AI-augmented sourcing.
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