Reader Rants 'n' Raves

Russian education and research system has an enviable historical record of achievements in several areas of science more notably biomedical sciences. The Russain example is worth emulating by India which does not have any such meaningful record, nor our post-Independence saga, in petty politics of casteism with mindlessly ubiquitous job quotas and corruption, offers any hope of the reversal of this pagthetic trend. Technology with the inputs of scientific research and development is obviously essential as the surest means of economic uplift as population increases that too control as in India, but our system for it remains in a quagmire of incompetence due to poor man management, mediocrity and promotion race even at the top levels, and shortsighted policies. New tools such as photoactivatable fluorescent proteins (PAFPs) and other fluorescent proteins (FPs), several of which have been developed by Vladislav Verkhusha, represent an epoch making development which have the potential to transform biomedical research, verily adding new dimensions. The first and foremost step is to denationalize the R&D system a kick out stupid organic links with government and hand it over to private sector (who must develop a new ethos not to import technologies but base product development on own research.)