PRADEEP RANA | NEW DELHI Hailing the new Science Technology and Innovation Policy(STIP) as the most comprehensive and inclusive document, experts in the field have pinned their hopes on new policy in arresting the fall of interest in research. The flow in new scholars in the research wings of academia has not bated, but the most come not for research but to secure a job or an academic achievement. "Enthusiasm for research is declining, and those coming for research are not actually coming for research only but for job or academic achievements," said Prof Nirmala Chongtham, Coordinator, Depertment of Science and Technology - Centre for Policy Research (DST-CPR), Panjab University, Chandigarh. "Research should not be only for academic achievement but for social impact also and should also address all social-economic strata. We have various products that are much better than products available in the market, but the irony is that very few know about them. Our policy should address all these issues," she said. Prof Chongtham, who teaches botany and specialises in bamboo research, made these observations while reacting to 5th draft national STI policy floated by Dr. Akhilesh Gupta, Adviser DST and Head STIP Secretariat, for wider consultations with research scholars and young scientists. The observation comes as the Government today announced an outlay of Rs50,000 crore for National Research Foundation(NRF) in Union budget, drawing cheers from scientists across country and the world. The new policy stands out from its predecessors in reaching out to the diaspora scientists and stakeholders as well as science attaches of foreign missions in India for their valuable inputs. Research scholars and scientists from a wide range of disciplines, including Dr. Nakul Parashar, Director, Vigyan Prasar, and Dr. Kinkini Dasgupta, Scientist F, discussed the role of new policy. "A lot of effort has gone into preparing this draft policy which is aimed at achieving technological self-reliance and position India among the top three scientific superpowers in the world," said Dr Gupta. Dr H R Bhojwani, former scientist at CSIR, said that he has been part of previous three science policies in the past, but none comes near. "It is for the first time that such a wide consultation has been done from this variety and range of people." "National Science Observatory, One Nation One Subscription, and open science are unique features of this policy, and this would create a precedence," Dr Bhojwani added.