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Still in the dark ages
Ravi Gupta
As a normal procedure, scientists working in various ministries of the government have to take permissions from the top brass before publishing any research paper. This is a seemingly healthy practice, which can be followed by organisations to keep track of activities of their officers. But the requests for permission to write a paper, have to go through so many bureaucratic channels that by the time permission comes through, the paper itself might have become irrelevant. At times, scientists are forced or tempted to add the name of their bosses in the author list to get through this hurdle faster and with lesser bruises in their confidential reports.
We are regularly coming across such instances in many departments and ministries where some disillusioned officers have started writing papers on their own, with their home addresses, and without acknowledging the organisation they represent. But who is the loser? Of course, the department or the Ministry, that could have been proud of the achievements of the scientists it employs.
Many of the top brass of the science and technology in the country regularly cribs about the non-coverage of the scientific issues in the mainstream media. What they forget to realise is the cause, lies mostly within their system themselves and not the world outside. You may be surprised to know that we have been able to get some of the articles in the magazine after follow up of two to six months! There are many organisations with which we have been following for more than two years now for their papers, and the usual answer being, “it is under process”. You may be tempted to say that you wouldn’t have gone there through the right ‘channel’, that’s why the problem. But tell me, which media agency other than us is bothered about what you do in GIS, and wait for two years to get your answer? If you are not bothered to tell us in one appointment, what do you do, fine, I have many other things to report about! There is no dearth of film stars, cricketers and tensions on the border to keep the mainstream media busy.
And if you think that the GIS in India is unaffected by this problem, you are wrong! While GIS industry in other countries regularly provide press releases, examples of real-life case studies on their products, in India, the institutions shy away from making any public announcement of what products they are buying and what are they doing with it. We have noticed that although many companies keep on bagging large GIS orders from the government organisation, very few are able to give the press releases of the same, due the lack of confidence (in information sharing) of the departments who buy these products.
Hats off to our system of working!