17 Sep India’s Research Blindspot: Why India Needs a “Science of Science”

Why is it in the News?

The Hindu editorial highlights an important but less-discussed problem in India’s science ecosystem: India invests in scientific research, but has limited capacity to systematically study whether its research policies, funding mechanisms and institutions are actually producing the desired outcomes.

The discussion comes in the context of the U.S. Office of Science and Technology Policy’s July 2026 report, Science: A New Golden Age. The report examines how the scientific system itself can be studied using evidence, experimentation and data. This field is commonly known as metascience or the “science of science.”

The editorial argues that India needs similar institutional capacity to understand:

• What type of research funding works?
• Which institutions produce better outcomes?
• How effective is peer review?
• Are researchers receiving the right incentives?
• How much funding should go towards basic research?
• How effectively is research converted into technology and public benefits?

What is Metascience?

Meaning

Metascience is the systematic study of how science itself works.

It examines the entire research ecosystem rather than a particular scientific subject.

For example:

Normal Science

Researcher → Experiment → Discovery → Publication

Metascience

Funding → Researcher selection → Peer review → Research → Publication → Collaboration → Patents/Technology → Social impact

Therefore, metascience asks whether the entire scientific system is functioning efficiently.

It can use tools from:

• Economics
• Sociology
• Statistics
• Scientometrics
• Public policy
• History of science
• Organisational studies
• Data science

India’s Research Blindspot

The editorial points out that India’s research on its own science system remains limited.

Research examining metascience-related questions in India between 1950 and 2024 constituted only around 1–2% of global research output in most of the relevant fields, with publication numbers generally remaining very small.

This creates a problem of institutional memory.

When leadership or personnel change, knowledge about:

• What worked
• What failed
• Why it failed
• Which funding models were successful
• Which programmes produced measurable outcomes

may not be systematically preserved.

Consequently, policymakers may repeatedly design programmes without having enough evidence about previous experiments.

Why Institutional Memory Matters

Science policy often operates over decades.

A research programme may take:

10–20 years → Fundamental discovery → Technology → Commercialisation → Social impact

Therefore, judging a research programme only through immediate outputs such as publications or patents can be misleading.

For example, fundamental research may have no obvious application when it begins but may later become the foundation for major technologies.

A strong science ecosystem therefore needs a mechanism to preserve and analyse its own experience.

India’s R&D Landscape: Important Data

India’s Gross Expenditure on Research and Development (GERD) increased from about ₹1.33 lakh crore in 2019–20 to ₹2.45 lakh crore in 2023–24.

However, GERD as a share of GDP increased only from 0.66% to 0.84% during this period.

The changing composition is particularly important. Private-sector participation has increased significantly, making coordination between government, universities, laboratories and industry increasingly important.

Why India Needs Metascience

1. Better Research Funding

Metascience can help answer whether funding should be concentrated in:

• Large institutions
• Individual researchers
• Universities
• Start-ups
• Mission-oriented programmes
• High-risk fundamental research

Instead of relying mainly on assumptions, policymakers can use evidence to design funding mechanisms.

2. Better Peer Review

Scientific funding often depends on peer review.

However, questions can arise regarding:

• Bias
• Risk aversion
• Preference for established researchers
• Excessive emphasis on incremental research

Metascience can study different peer-review models and identify which mechanisms produce better outcomes.

3. Measuring Research Impact

Publication numbers alone cannot fully capture scientific impact.

A research project may contribute through:

Research → Knowledge → Patent → Technology → Industry → Public benefit

Therefore, India’s science policy needs broader indicators of research outcomes.

Mission-Oriented vs Curiosity-Driven Research

This is one of the most important concepts from the editorial.

Mission-Oriented Research

This research is directed towards a clearly defined objective.

Examples include:

• Space missions
• Food security
• Semiconductor development
• Clean energy
• National defence
• Public health

India’s Green Revolution is an important example of research supported by a clear national objective: improving food production.

Curiosity-Driven Research

This research begins with fundamental questions rather than an immediate practical objective.

For example:

Why does matter behave in a particular way?

Such research may initially appear unrelated to commercial applications.

However, fundamental research in areas such as quantum mechanics later contributed to technologies including semiconductors, lasers and modern computing.

Similarly, decades of fundamental research in molecular biology contributed to technologies such as CRISPR and mRNA-based vaccines.

Therefore, immediate economic returns should not be the only criterion for evaluating scientific research.

Why a Balance is Necessary

India does not necessarily need to choose between the two approaches.

A strong research ecosystem can support both:

Mission-oriented research

→ Solves identified national problems

Curiosity-driven research

→ Creates new knowledge and unexpected breakthroughs

The challenge is determining the appropriate balance.

That balance should ideally be based on evidence rather than changing policy fashions.

India’s Institutional Response

India has already taken several steps to strengthen its research ecosystem.

Anusandhan National Research Foundation

The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) was established under the ANRF Act, 2023.

Its objectives include:

• Promoting research and innovation
• Supporting universities and research institutions
• Providing competitive research grants
• Strengthening research infrastructure
• Promoting industry–academia collaboration
• Supporting translation of research into technology
• Analysing expenditure and outcomes of scientific research

Importantly, the ANRF framework itself provides for documenting and analysing research expenditure and outcomes and creating a repository of information on scientific research.

This makes ANRF particularly relevant to the metascience discussion.

Research, Development and Innovation Fund

The government has also introduced the Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund.

The scheme has an overall outlay of ₹1 lakh crore over six years and aims to encourage private-sector investment in R&D, particularly in strategic and emerging technologies.

Priority areas include:

• Quantum technology
• Artificial intelligence
• Robotics
• Biotechnology
• Space
• Energy
• Climate technology
• Digital economy

Therefore, India’s challenge is no longer simply to increase research funding. It is also to understand whether these investments are producing high-quality and socially useful outcomes.

Significance for India

1. Evidence-Based Science Policy

Metascience can help move science policy from:

Opinion-based decisions → Evidence-based decisions

2. Better Use of Public Money

Research funding ultimately involves public resources.

Consequently, policymakers need evidence about which funding mechanisms generate meaningful outcomes.

3. Stronger Innovation Ecosystem

Better understanding of the research pipeline can reduce the gap between:

Discovery → Prototype → Commercialisation

4. Institutional Memory

Systematic documentation can prevent successful experiments and failures from being forgotten when leadership changes.

5. Strategic Autonomy

A strong domestic research ecosystem can strengthen India’s capabilities in areas such as:

• Defence
• Semiconductors
• Space
• Biotechnology
• Artificial intelligence
• Quantum technology
• Clean energy

Challenges Before India

1. Low R&D Intensity

India’s GERD remains around 0.84% of GDP, despite the increase in absolute expenditure.

2. Industry–Academia Gap

Research findings do not always move smoothly from universities and laboratories into commercial products.

3. Risk-Averse Funding

Traditional funding mechanisms may favour predictable and incremental research over high-risk ideas.

4. Weak Institutional Memory

Lessons from earlier programmes are not always systematically documented.

5. Publication-Centric Evaluation

Researchers can face strong incentives to maximise publications rather than pursue difficult, long-term research.

6. Uneven Research Capacity

Research capabilities differ considerably among institutions and regions.

Way Forward

Build a National Metascience Capacity

India could establish dedicated research groups or centres to study:

• Research funding
• Peer review
• Scientific careers
• Research productivity
• Institutional performance
• Technology transfer
• Industry–academia collaboration

Create a National Research Database

A comprehensive database could connect:

Funding → Researchers → Publications → Patents → Technologies → Societal outcomes

Evaluate Programmes Over the Long Term

Research should not always be evaluated through short-term targets.

Long-term outcomes should also be considered.

Protect Basic Research

Mission-oriented research is essential, but adequate space must remain for curiosity-driven and high-risk research.

Strengthen ANRF

ANRF can play a major role in creating evidence-based research policies and improving coordination across government, academia and industry.

Prelims Practice Questions

Question 1

With reference to metascience, consider the following statements:

1. It involves the systematic study of how scientific research itself is organised and conducted.
2. It can examine research funding, peer review and incentives for researchers.
3. It is limited exclusively to the study of scientific discoveries and their technological applications.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A. 1 and 2 only
B. 2 only
C. 1 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3

Answer: A

Explanation

• Statement 1 is correct. Metascience studies the functioning of the scientific system itself.
• Statement 2 is correct. It can analyse funding mechanisms, peer review, incentives, collaboration and research outcomes.
• Statement 3 is incorrect. Metascience is much broader and examines how science is funded, evaluated, organised and translated into outcomes.

Question 2

With reference to India’s research ecosystem, consider the following statements:

1. The Anusandhan National Research Foundation was established through an Act of Parliament.
2. The ANRF is intended to promote research and innovation across universities, colleges and research institutions.
3. The Research, Development and Innovation Fund is intended to encourage private-sector investment in research and development.
4. India’s Gross Expenditure on Research and Development exceeded 2% of GDP in 2023–24.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

A. 1, 2 and 3 only
B. 1 and 4 only
C. 2, 3 and 4 only
D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Answer: A

Explanation

• Statement 1 is correct. ANRF was established under the ANRF Act, 2023.
• Statement 2 is correct. One of ANRF’s objectives is to strengthen research and innovation across India’s academic and research institutions.
• Statement 3 is correct. The RDI Fund aims to catalyse private-sector R&D investment.
• Statement 4 is incorrect. India’s GERD was 0.84% of GDP in 2023–24, according to DST data.