http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/features/the-sunday-et/special-report/Indian-philanthropy-directed-to-America/articleshow/6494109.cms
5 Sep, 2010, 03.28AM IST, Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Indian philanthropy directed to America The intellectual demands on India are increasing rapidly. The complexity of domestic challenges and the need to navigate an increasingly complex world will require an immense research infrastructure. Unfortunately, India’s research infrastructure has not kept pace with the demands being placed on it. The university system, the life blood of any research eco system, is in a state of serious disrepair. The spaces outside of universities are still limited in their institutional potential. Private institutions will not be able to provide serious public goods by way of research. The not-for-profit space in India is still very small, hobbled by lack of funding, among other things. There is absolutely no evidence that the government is going to be a source of great innovation in research funding. Therefore, the need for a genuinely philanthropic, not-for-profit research support is imperative. It is an absolute scandal that Indian institutions still have to depend on foreign foundations to the extent they do, while Indian capital remains tight fisted. Worse, more Indian philanthropic effort is being directed to American institutions of higher learning than to building up Indian institutions. It is true that there are issues of trust and absorptive capacity among Indian institutions, but the Indian corporate sectors are often using this as a cover for its own philanthropic and intellectual timidity. The author is President & CEO, Centre for Policy Research ------------------------------------ -- INFORMATION OVERLOAD? Get all ZESTMedia mails sent out in a span of 24 hours in a single mail. Subscribe to the daily digest version by sending a blank mail to [email protected], OR, if you have a Yahoo! Id, change your settings at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/join/ PARTICIPATE Share media news, discuss journalism issues and network with media professionals across South Asia on this mailing list. Just write to [email protected] TELL FRIENDS TO SIGN UP If you got this mail as a forward, subscribe to ZESTMedia by sending a blank mail to [email protected] OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/join/ Also have a look at our sister list, ZESTCaste: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
