Little known information on National Knowledge Commission of India

In order to create a second wave of institution building and of excellence in the field of education, research and capability building so that the country is better prepared for the 21st century, the National Knowledge Commission (NKC) was constituted on 13th June 2005 with a time-frame of three years, from 2nd October 2005 to 2nd October 200, as a high- level advisory body to the Prime Minister of India. The NKC was given a mandate to guide policy and direct reforms, focusing on certain key areas such as education, science and technology, agriculture, industry, e-governance, etc.

Easy access to knowledge, creation and preservation of knowledge systems, dissemination of knowledge and better knowledge services were the core concerns of the Commission. The Terms of Reference of the NKC were: to build excellence in the educational system to meet the knowledge challenges of the 21st century and increase India’s competitive advantage in fields of knowledge.

To promote creation of knowledge in S&T laboratories; to improve the management of institutions engaged in intellectual property rights; to promote knowledge applications in agriculture and industry; and to promote the use of knowledge capabilities in making government an effective, transparent and accountable service provider to the citizen and promote widespread sharing of knowledge to maximize public benefit.

The overarching aim of the National Knowledge Commission was to enable the development of a vibrant knowledge based society, which entails both a radical improvement in existing systems of knowledge, and creating avenues for generating new forms of knowledge. In achieving these goals, greater participation and more equitable access to knowledge across all sections of society are of vital importance.

Hence, the NKC sought to develop appropriate institutional frameworks to: strengthen the education system, promote domestic research and innovation, facilitate knowledge application in sectors like health, agriculture, and industry; leverage information and communication technologies to enhance governance and improve connectivity; and devise mechanisms for exchange and interaction between knowledge systems in the global arena.

The NKC was chaired by Sam Pitroda who has spent four decades in the world of telecommunications helping bridge the global communications divide. Other members were Dr. Ashok Ganguly, Professor P. Balaram, Dr. Jayati Ghosh, Dr. Deepak Nayyar, Nandan Nilekani, Dr. Sujatha Ramdorai and Prof. Amitabh Mattoo. All Members c performed their duties on a part-time basis and were not paid any remuneration for the same.

They were, however, assisted in their duties a by a small Technical Support Staff headed by an Executive Director o seconded to the NKC by the government. The Commission was also free o to co-opt Experts to assist in the management of its tasks. The Planning e Commission acted as the nodal agency for the NKC for planning and p budgeting purposes as well as for handling Parliament related responses.

The methodology followed by the NKC was as follows: identification o) of key focus areas; identification of diverse stakeholders and understanding major issues in the area; constitution of Working Groups of experts and specialists and organization of workshops, extensive formal and informal consultations with concerned entities and stakeholders; consultation with administrative Ministries and the Planning Commission; discussion in NKC to finalize recommendations in the form of letter to the PM from the Chairman, NKC; letter to PM containing key recommendations, first steps, financial implications etc. supported by the relevant explanatory documents; widespread dissemination of NKC recommendations to state governments, civil society and other stakeholders, also using the NKC website; initiating the implementation of the recommendations under the aegis of the PMO; and finalizing the recommendations based on stakeholder feedback and coordinating/following up the implementations of proposals. In its endeavor to transform the knowledge landscape of the country, the Commission has submitted around 300 recommendations on 27 focus areas during its three and a half year term. While the term of the NKC has come to an end, the implementation of NKC’s recommendations is currently underway both at the Central and State levels.

In order to be a leader in the global arena, the NKC felt that it is imperative that India emerges as a leader in S&T areas. To give further impetus to the scale and scope of research activities being carried out within the country, the NKC suggested various measures intended at ensuring better R&D. Some of the issues it considered were: identifying and removing hurdles in obtaining funding for research; identifying some of the major unsolved problems in S&T, where India can play a significant leadership role; identifying and setting up of studies on futuristic interdisciplinary areas in S&T; and envisaging the use of S&T as a crucial tool for development and facilitating the use of S&T to solving problems of the poor and the underprivileged.

The NKC recognized the need to provide impetus to government funded research and to translate this knowledge into relevant and useful applications to benefit the widest cross-section of people. The NKC’s consultation with diverse stakeholders has revealed that there is a need to provide incentives to increase innovations, collaborations, licensing and commercialization.

Therefore, the NKC recommended to enact legislation that creates a uniform legal framework for the government funded research and gives universities and research institutions ownership and patent rights. This will create an enabling environment for them to commercialize such inventions through licensing arrangements where inventors would also be allowed to receive a share of the royalty. Conferring ownership rights on universities and linking such ownership with the patent system and the market, will make research more attractive and in the process bring about a radical change in the research landscape in India. The proposed enactment could also incorporate important safeguards for exceptional circumstances where the government could be given appropriate rights to protect the public good.

The NKC felt that an effective Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) System is also a constituent of a reliable legal environment, which in turn becomes an important factor for decisions on foreign investment and technology transfer. In this regard, it suggested the development of a vibrant IPR culture in the processes of knowledge creation, application and dissemination, all of which are connected with market demand and rewards. Understanding that innovation is a key driver in the growth of quality and quantity of Indian economy.

the NKC envisaged a national innovation system, where entrepreneurship at the local and national levels is encouraged, and inter-disciplinary studies in S&T are undertaken in order to encourage new approaches and methodologies. With respect to traditional knowledge, the NKC felt that principled commercialization of our cultural, creative and legacy practices has the potential of generating employment for at least 100 million people and an annual revenue of at least ?600,000 crore per year.

The NKC believed that appropriate application of knowledge in agriculture is essential to boost the agrarian economy and give the Indian farmer a competitive edge in the global market. It felt that the scope of research and extension must be expanded beyond technology transfer to encompass a wide range of services relating to knowledge creation, exchange, access and use.

It has constituted a working group with an aim to revamp and invigorate existing research and extension linkages in the public sector, as well formulate new paradigms keeping in mind the changing agricultural landscape. With a focus on knowledge applications for enhancing the well being of common people, especially in rural areas, the NKC has recommended the setting up of Panchayat Gyan Kendras (PGKs) throughout the country which would ensure efficient implementation of NREGA and would eventually develop into resource centers to demonstrate best practices, evolve local solutions and provide a platform for converging different social sector programs. The NKC has also recommended conceptualizing fresh perspectives in tool design to improve dignity of labour and ensure skillful engagement and enhanced productivity.