New Science, Technology & Innovation Policy 2020 pushes for decentralization, 'renewed STI ecosystem'

A power-packed apex committee meeting of the new Science, Technology & Innovation Policy (STIP) 2020 discussed various suggestions for the upcoming policy, a statement said on Saturday. The draft STIP-2020 policy was presented in the meeting held on 26 November, it said. Secretaries of all science and several line ministries – Ministry of Earth Sciences secretary M Rajeevan; Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) secretary K N Vyas; Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) director general Shekhar Mande; Department of Biotechnology (DBT) secretary Renu Swarup; Department of Space secretary K Sivan; Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) secretary Sandeep Verma; Ministry of AYUSH secretary Vaidya Rajesh and Scientific Secretary at the office of the Principal Scientific Adviser Arabinda Mitra participated and shared their insights and expectations from the STIP 2020. Heads of several national-level S&T institutions like the IITs, Indian Institute of Sciences, and science organisations also took part in the deliberation process, the statement said. The meeting, held on 26 November through virtual mode, was chaired by K VijayRaghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser, and co-chaired by V K Saraswat, Member Science, NITI Aayog and Ashutosh Sharma, secretary, Department of Science and Technology. STIP 2020, India’s fifth National Policy for Science, Technology, and Innovation, aims to capture the aspirations of the entire nation through a decentralized, bottom-up, and inclusive approach, the statement said. From open science to funding priorities, critical human capital to equity and inclusion, strategic technologies to traditional knowledge systems, science diplomacy to science communication this policy promises a renewed STI ecosystem for an Atmanirbhar Bharat, it added.