Context: Draft National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (STIP) has been uploaded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) on its website. DST has also invited suggestions, inputs and comments for making changes by 25th January. In this episode we will analyse with experts the aim and key focus areas of this policy.

Objectives

• The policy aims to foster, develop, and nurture a robust system for evidence and stakeholder-driven STI planning, information, evaluation, and policy research in India. 
• The objective of the policy is to identify and address strengths and weaknesses of the Indian STI ecosystem to catalyse socio-economic development of the country and also make the Indian STI ecosystem globally competitive.

Vision

• The STIP will be guided by its broad vision of achieving technological self-reliance and position India among the top three scientific superpowers in the decade to come, 
• to attract, nurture, strengthen and retain critical human capital through a ‘people centric’ science, technology and innovation (STI) ecosystem, 
• to double the number of Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) researchers, Gross Domestic Expenditure on R&D (GERD) and private sector contribution to the GERD every 5 years and 
• to build individual and institutional excellence in STI with the aspiration to achieve the highest level of global recognitions and awards in the coming decade.
• The new policy, STIP, revolves around the core principles of being decentralized, evidence-informed, bottom-up, experts-driven, and inclusive. 
• Also, it aims to bring in the concept of ‘dynamic policy’ with a robust policy governance mechanism.

Need

• For India to march ahead on a sustainable development pathway to include economic development, social inclusion and environmental sustainability for achieving an “Atmanirbhar Bharat'', a greater emphasis may be needed on promoting traditional knowledge systems, developing indigenous technologies and encouraging grassroots innovations. 
• The emergence of disruptive and impactful technologies poses new challenges and simultaneously greater opportunities. 
• The COVID-19 pandemic provided a compelling opportunity for R&D institutions, academia and industry to work in unison for sharing of purpose, synergy, collaboration and cooperation.