Prof. GOVERDHAN MEHTA Home Page: http://www.iisc.ernet.in A renowned oragnic chemist
and gifted teacher, Prof.Goverdhan Mehta took over as the director of the most
prestigious scientific institution in the country, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), in
Bangalore, six months ago. Before taking up the new assignment, Prof Mehta was
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hyderabad. COMCOM spoke to Prof Mehta to find out
"what new plans he has for IISc". ComCom : It is widely
believed that IISc is primarily a place for basic research and its research priorities are
far removed from the immediate concerns of the common man. Would you agree with such a
statement. 
Director, Indian Institute of Science (IISc)
Tel: +91-80-309-2850 and 344-1367; Fax: 344-3529 (Department office)
Tel: +91-80-334-1690; Fax: 334-1936 (Director's office)
E-Mail
Address : gm@orgchem.iisc.ernet.in
Prof. Goverdhan Mehta (GM): This is not
correct. Fundamentally, I do not care for labels like basic research and applied research.
I would rather term them as new knowledge and application of knowledge for the well-being
of the people. Having said that, I must grant that in IISc, individual creative efforts in
science, as distinct from engineering, have tended to be better highlighted, talked about.
You see, such research endeavours get mentioned in journals, are talked about, and
eventually become a part of the literature in that discipline. In contrast, the effort we
may have put in, say to address problems of a particular industrial enterprise, rarely
gets the same kind of projection or publicity. In other words, our efforts in science have
had better visibility than in engineering.
Therefore, perhaps the perception that we focus too much on so-called
basic research. Com Com: With the advent of
economic liberalisation, has there been a change in focus of the institute?
GM: Yes, indeed. Over the last five-six
years, Indian industry has become more cogniscent of the need to upgrade technology. This
recognition has prompted many entrepreneurs to approach the institute for assistance. That
is not surprising considering our well-deserved reputation in science and engineering.
Structures have been created to promote better interface between the
institute and industry. The institute's Society for Innovation and Development (SID), for
instance, was established two years back precisely for this purpose. We also plan to
establish shortly a patent facilitation cell whose main job would be to guide the
institute in matters pertaining to safeguarding intellectual property rights and patents
as applicable to products and processes developed at the Institute. The cell will comprise
members drawn from our faculty as well as a few outside experts. We are also currently engaged in an exercise of identigying five or six
areas where the Institute can come up with major initiatives, pooling its considerable
resources of talent and expertise across various divisxions and disciplines. Information
science and technology is one such area. My immediate concern is to ensure that while
individual creativity within the institute is no way stifled, the onus shifts to team or
collective effort. Towards this end I have initiated a debate involving all faculty
members and departments to focus on areas wher collective endeavour or team effort can be
most effective. Com Com: Could you spell
out the areas where IISc-industry interface has been particularly fruitful? GM: I would say communication, information
technology, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and, to an extent, metallurgy. But I gave this
as just an indicative list. At any given point in time, the institute has over 500
projects on hand, out of which more than 100 are from industry. So far as tackling of the
problems of rural areas is concerned, our Centre for Application of Science and Technology
to Rural lAreas (ASTRA) has been doing excellent work. One index of this is the continued
support, in terms of funding, from the UNDP. The Sustainable Transformation of Rural Areas
(SUTRA) programme is also going on well. But considering the size of the country and its
sheer diversity of culture and tradition, promoting sustainable technology is not easy.
Our endeavours in this field are modest and mostly demonstrative in nature. I should point
out that outreach programmes are the outcome of the interest shown by our faculty. These
and other programmes, I admit, can do with sharper focus.
Com Com: Isn't it a matter
of concern that most students who pass out of your institute leave for greener pastures
abroad, more often that not maing people to believe that a degree from IISc is just a
passport for better prospects overseas?
GM: This is true of all educational
institutions of repute in the country. I would say we are comparatively better off if only
for the simple reason that we do not offer undergraduate courses like the IITs. I do not
see how we can stop people from going abroad in search of jobs.
Com Com: Could you tell us
something about IISc's tie-up with US seed and chemical giant, Monsanto.
GM: I believe there has been a lot of
needless controversy so far as IISc's involvement with Monsanto (India) is concerned. The
joint research and development programme is not even remotely contemplating to do work
with terminator genes or any other project (as made out in the media) which may be
potentially detrimental to the interests of the farmers or people of this country. In
fact, the whole issue is irrelevant since the Government of India has issued clear
instructions not to entertain patents for the terminator gene and that all the quarantine
stations would get the imported seeds analysed for the terminator gene to guard against
entry of such materials into the country. Let me emphasise that the entire activity of the
joint research and development programme, essentially involving basic research aimed at
product developoment, comes under the purview of a committee headed by me and comprising
faculty from the institute and representatives of Monsanto (India) as members. Also,
projects undertaken will have to be cleared by the bioethical committee of the institute.
Com Com: How do you react
the recent restrictions imposed by the US administration on American firms dealing with a
number of Indian government departments and science and technology establishments
including IISc?
GM: It's plainly unjustified. Ours is an
educational institution. I do not see why an educational institute should be subjected to
a political kind of decision. It makes no sense. The restrictions do pose some problems to
us as we source our supplies of equipment, hardware and software from all over the world
including, the United States. But the institute has the resilience to get around all this.
Our R & D work will not be affected.
Com Com: How do you see the
institute five years down the line?
GM: The institute is already
well-established as a centre for training the future leaders in science and technology in
the country. I would like to see it become a major international R & D centre.
