Archive · 29 Aug 2026
NITI Aayog Report Flags Funding and Transparency Gaps in India
India wants to improve the way it supports research and new ideas.
A report says India spends less of its national income on research than several other countries.
It recommends increasing research funding to at least 2% of the economy within four to five years.
The report also says that much research money goes to elite technology institutes, while many state universities lack laboratories, teachers and administrative help.
This can make it harder for students from poorer or rural communities to enter research careers.
The report suggests creating one system that shows who received research money and how it was used.
It also says unsuccessful experiments should be recorded so scientists can learn from them.
The editorial says open and independent research can strengthen both science and democracy.
NITI Aayog says India spends about 0.65% of its GDP on research and development, below China, the United States and South Korea.
The report recommends raising R&D spending to at least 2% of GDP within four to five years.
More than 80% of Anusandhan National Research Foundation funding reportedly goes to the Indian Institutes of Technology, while state universities face shortages.
The report proposes a Unified Architecture for Project Management System to track grants, spending, reviews, milestones, results and retractions.
The editorial argues that transparent, better-funded research is important not only for economic growth but also for scientific thinking and democracy.
- Who
- NITI Aayog, research funding agencies, universities and researchers in India.
- What
- A report identified funding, administrative, institutional and transparency problems in India's research and development system and proposed reforms.
- Where
- India.
- Why
- To improve research quality, distribute funding more fairly, reduce waste and support independent scientific work.
Editorial and Reform Concerns
Government Position
Restrictions on research subjects
Editorial and Reform Concerns
The editorial says persistent whispers of restrictions on researchers' choice of subjects make transparency and protection for free thinking necessary.
Government Position
The government has denied that restrictions are being imposed on researchers' choice of subjects.
Use of public research funding
Editorial and Reform Concerns
The editorial argues that a unified database should reveal whether funds address priorities such as health, agriculture and clean energy or support politically favoured institutions and questionable ideological agendas.
Government Position
The article does not provide a detailed government response on how research funds are selected or distributed.
- India's R&D spending
- About 0.65% of GDP.
- Comparison
- China spends 2.4%, the United States 3.5% and South Korea 4.5% of GDP on R&D, according to the article.
- Recommended target
- At least 2% of GDP within four to five years.
- Funding concentration
- More than 80% of Anusandhan National Research Foundation funding reportedly goes to the Indian Institutes of Technology.
- Proposed tracking system
- The Unified Architecture for Project Management System would be mandatory for State-funded research.
- Grant information
- The proposed system would record recipients, spending, project outputs, selection processes, peer-review standards, milestones and evaluations.
- Recommended grant administration
- Grant decisions should be completed within six months, with professional project-management teams supporting funding agencies.