(a) whether attention of the Government has been drawn to the news?item captioned `MNCs not keen toshare technology` appearing in `The Statesman` dated November 21, 2000;
(b) if so, whether the MNCs have refused to share technology with the Government;
(c) if so, the details thereof;
(d) whether the Government propose to modernise and adopt latest R&D activities in their various laboratories; and
(e) if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER FOR HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (DR. MURLI MANOHAR JOSHI)
(a) Yes Sir.
(b)&(c) : Yes Sir. Hitherto MNCs generally explored licensing of technology as a means to access markets that were sheltered by quantitative restrictions and high tariff on imports. However, with the emergence of World Trade Organisation (WTO) the quantitative restrictions are being dispensed with and tariff on imports brought down. Therefore MNCs are seeking to access the markets directly rather than through licensed production.
(d)&(e) :Yes Sir. Modernisation is a continuing activity and the government is specifically allocating resources to modernise the R&D facilites. The laboratories are encouraged to adopt the latest R&D activities such as combinatorial chemistry, functional genomics, rapid prototyping etc in conformity with the national priorities and needs. Further, in January, 2000 the Prime Minister had announced at the 87th Indian Science Congress that the national investments in R&D would be increased to 2% of GNP in the next 5 years. This was followed by the announcement in the Union Budget , 2000 of two new schemes aimed at promoting the latest Research & Development in the country viz. New Millennium Indian Technology Leadership Initiative (NMITLI) and `Vision` Technology Projects with an outlay of Rs. 50 crore each.