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The objectives of the proposed NS3F will be to:
- Suggest policy initiatives to make India a leader in the creation and use of new
knowledge in all areas of natural, physical, agricultural, health, and social
sciences, with emphasis on those areas which cut across traditional
disciplines;
- Ensure that science and technology are maximally used for betterment of the
lives of our people;
- Develop scientific temper;
The Governing Board of the Foundation should have a Chairman, a Vice-Chairman and
8-10 members. The Chairmanship and Vice-Chairmanship of the NS3F should rotate
between the sciences and the social sciences, ensuring that if the Chairperson is a
scientist, the Vice-Chairperson should be a social scientist and vice-versa.
The Chairman, Vice-Chairman and members of the Governing Board should be
appointed by the Prime Minister and should satisfy the following criteria:
- High level of professional competence.
- High national and international reputation.
- Professional and personal integrity and honesty that are beyond reproach.
- Evidence of absence of any bias or prejudice.
- A strong social commitment, loyalty to the country, and concern for others.
- Commitment to social, professional and financial accountability.
- Someone who combines erudition with articulation.
- Courage of convictions.
- Ability to listen to other peoples views and modify ones own if reason demands
that.
The budget of the NS3F should be Rs.1250 crores a year; which will allow it to fund
between 200 and 400 outstanding, long-term (5-10 years), extremely carefully selected
projects that have the potential of making India a leader. We should expect at least a 20
percent success rate. The NS3F should work towards having at least three to four Indian
scientists and/or social scientists produce work in six years which should be worthy of a
Nobel Prize. The NS3F will set up a world-wide review system involving some of the
best-known scholars around the world for approval of the projects that it supports. The
project-funding activity will, however, be only one (though a major one) of the activities
of the NS3F.
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