V K Saraswat says computers useful, but over-reliance on them not desirable

Atu00a0a time when the country is facing a shortage of talented defence scientists, India's top man in the business feels that today's young scientists are more addicted to the computer for research work and consider it a nine-to-five government job. Talking at the Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT) in Khadakvasla, Dr V K Saraswat, scientific advisor to the Defence Minister and the director general of the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO), said that old-school methods of scientific research like constant evaluation of new ideas and spending more time in laboratories were being forgotten and all the work was being relegated to the computer.

"Each and every design, test and simulation is now possible at the click of a button, even on pocket-sized computers. I am not undermining the computer's importance, but any young scientist should have that unquenchable thirst for discovering new ideas by burying himself or herself in test sites and laboratories. A young defence scientist should not take it as a comfortable office job. We can't serve the armed forces this way," Saraswat said.

upon their conclusion of the Post-Induction Training School (POINTS) programme organised by the DIAT before they join DRDO and its various laboratories. Saraswat also said Indian universities and research institutes are way behind foreign universities and the educational and research standards should be upped.u00a0"I visited Czechoslovakia and saw their universities have already started talking about new technologies, systems and materials when we are still researching them. Talks are on with the University of Prague for tie-ups," he said.

Self-reliance
Talking about India's heavy dependence on foreign technology and materials for its defence services, Saraswat said that the "technology control regime" still exists and India still has not been given critical technologies.
"Take the US for example. Even though we have started purchasing military products from them, sensitive technologies have still not been shared. We need to enhance our indigenous research programmes in such technologies," he said. But Saraswat went on to add that complete self-reliance in defence research was not cost-effective. "Completely indigenous products are time consuming and costly. We should have a judicious blend of indigenous and foreign participation, since we live in a globalised world," Saraswat said.