Scidev.net. India’s 2011-2012 budget boosts funding 14% across eight key science-related departments and ministries—science and technology, agriculture, atomic energy, defence, earth sciences, health, renewable energy and space—up US$1 billion to US$7.9 billion.
As with previous budgets the three strategic research sectors—defence, nuclear and space—received the major chunk, and more than half this year, of the science allocation…Although funds for the new and renewable energy sector increased by 20 per cent, most will go towards rolling out renewable energy projects, while funds for research, design and development declined by almost a quarter (US$9.4 million).
…Chandra Bhushan, deputy director of the Centre for Science and Environment, criticised the decision to reduce research and development (R&D) funds in the renewable energy sector. “If you want to usher in clean and green energy in India, then money should go into renewable energy [research],” he told SciDev.Net. “Currently, renewable energy technology is a fringe business, due to its high cost and low efficiency. R&D holds the key to converting renewable energy from a fringe technology to mainstream technology in the clean energy sector.”