Plan to bring back Indian scientists

New Delhi: The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research is considering a plan to bring back to India eminent emigrant Indian scientists, it is learnt.

The plan, adumbrated last month, will have to receive Government approval before it could be implemented.

According to the plan, Indian scientists with established reputation abroad are to be individually asked if they would like to return to India if necessary facilities for research were made available to them on return.

The plan is contemplated outside the existing scientists’ pool and wait for a job for a number of years as at present.

It is provisionally estimated that 100 outstanding Indian scientists are now working in various foreign countries. The estimate has been made on the basis of known work done by them in various fields.

The requests for return would be made to them individually as otherwise every scientist working abroad would claim excellence and defeat the aim of the scheme to bring back the really eminent ones.

Others who have not established in their fields or have only completed their studies abroad would be placed in the scientists’ pool only.

The plan seems to be to ascertain first the wishes of these outstanding scientists and move the Government for providing special positions and facilities for those who want to return.

It is realised that such home- coming scientists would not like to work in subordinate positions governed by the formalities of Government regulations which it is widely conceded now, impede freedom of research and thereby research progress.

These scientists, having won recognition abroad in their fields, would like to be pioneers in their specialised fields rather than work in some existing projects headed by less eminent scientists.