How to develop India’s northeast

The annual Science Congress was held in Shillong on the Northeastern Hill University (NEHU) campus from January 3 to 7. In spite of many constraints, the Vice-Chancellor and staff of NEHU and the scientists of the Department of Science and Technology made superb arrangements. The President of the Congress, Dr. T. Ramasami, deserves credit both for deciding to hold the event for the first time in northeastern India, and for choosing the focal theme, “Science Education and Attraction of Talent for Excellence in Research.”


In 1976, I introduced the focal theme concept, with the topic “Science and Integrated Rural Development” at the Science Congress hosted by Andhra University. This tradition is being followed. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi began the practice of first hearing the General President of the Congress and then responding to the suggestions made by him or her. Unfortunately, over the years the General President’s role has been devalued and political leaders have come to occupy centrestage at the inaugural session. The Council of the Science Congress Association should request the Prime Minister to join on the closing day, receive the Congress’ recommendations, and deliver an address.

At the Waltair Science Congress in 1976, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission P.N. Haksar received the recommendations on enlisting technology as an ally in the movement for social, gender and economic equity in rural India. Union Minister for Finance C. Subramaniam made an ad hoc allocation of Rs. 15 crore in the budget for 1976-77 to implement the recommendations. Such seriousness in listening to the voice of science is not evident today. I hope from next year there will be an opportunity to provide pride of place for the General President at the inaugural session and listen to the valedictory address of the Prime Minister.

The northeastern region is a mega-biodiversity area and a hotspot for genetic erosion. The rural population is around 82 per cent and they depend largely on agriculture and allied sectors for work and income security. The forests have 8,000 of the 15,000 species of flowering plants occurring in India. Of about 1,300 species of orchids reported from India, the region has the highest concentration: about 700 species. The species richness is the highest in Arunachal Pradesh, where over 5,000 flowering plants occur, and the lowest in Tripura with 1,600 species. Bamboo is the lifeline of the region, and 63 out of 136 species found in India occur here. Unfortunately, 25 of these are in the rare and endangered category. The region is home to Eri and Muga silkworms. Yak and mithun are unique animals that are threatened by the spread of non-edible invasive plant species. The region is culturally diverse: 225 of India’s 450 tribes live here.

In spite of the richness of culture and bioresources, there is much poverty and unemployment. The allocation of funds for northeastern India is high and scientific departments are required to spend at least 10 per cent of their budget here. The outlay is, however, not getting converted into socially meaningful outcome.

During 1972-75, I set-up a research complex of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) for this region. Agricultural universities exist at Jorhat and Imphal. The Department of Biotechnology has set up an Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development at Imphal. ICAR National Research Centres exist in Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Guwahati and Gangtok. There is the Northeastern Space Application Centre of the Indian Space Research Organisation and a regional centre of the Indira Gandhi National Open University also.

Ecologically the region has many problems. The Uranium Corporation of India is trying to convince the people of the West Khasi Hills that uranium mining can be done in an ecologically and socially desirable manner. In spite of an average annual rainfall of over 2000 mm, water shortage during December-May is serious. The Cherrapunjee region (now known as Sohra) in the East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya faces scarcity during December-April though the annual rainfall exceeds 12,000 mm. Sohra lies atop a limestone plateau and limestone sucks in the water. The surrounding hills are denuded and more than 50 per cent of the forests have been lost. The only solution is to hold rainwater. Every household must have tanks for water collected from the roof. Meghalaya has initiated steps in this direction.

The region produces about 5.8 million tonnes of foodgrain as against the requirement of about 7.5 million tonnes. The gap between potential and actual yields is high in most farming systems, ranging from 155 per cent in mustard to 650 per cent in wheat. Thanks to the Horticulture Mission, the area under most fruits and vegetables has increased. Mizoram produces fine anthuriam varieties and Sikkim is the home of beautiful orchids. However, the productivity of fruits and vegetables is still low. The yield gap needs to be bridged since most holdings are small and there is need for greater marketable surplus and cash income.

Based on considerations of ecology, economics and employment generation, the MSSRF has developed the following three approaches to enhance opportunities for sustainable livelihoods in biodiversity-rich areas such as northeastern India:

Biovillages: The biovillage paradigm involves concurrent attention to the conservation and enhancement of the ecological foundations for sustainable agriculture; enhancing the productivity and profitability of small holdings, and generation of multiple livelihood opportunities through crop-livestock-fish integration, biomass utilisation, and agro-processing.

Bioparks: These are designed to add value to plant and animal biomass through agro-processing and preparation of a wide range of market-linked products.

Biovalleys: The aim is to promote along a watershed small-scale enterprises supported by microcredit and to link biodiversity, biotechnology and business in a mutually reinforcing manner. The biotechnology enterprises relate to the production and marketing of biological software essential for sustainable agriculture, such as biofertilizers, biopesticides, and vermiculture.

Such institutional approaches will help foster an economic stake in conservation. The region has a mine of valuable genes in rice which confer resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. The genetic variability in rice includes a strain which is reported to be one of the tallest among the global rice germplasm. A hybridisation programme could be undertaken jointly with farm families involving crosses between such unique rices and modern varieties with high yield potential and desired duration and grain quality.

As is customary on such occasions, both the Prime Minister and the Minister for Science and Technology announced new institutions and universities for the region. Unfortunately, more than 50 per cent of the scientific posts in the existing institutions in the field of agricultural research and education are vacant. Also, many of the positions are held by persons from outside the region, several of whom do not have a long-term stake in linking science with society in the region.

There is a trend to deviate from what is known as the “Bhabha Model of nurturing science”. Homi Bhabha built institutions around outstanding individuals and established the Trombay School to create a new class of outstanding scientists and science leaders. Unfortunately there is now a reversal of this paradigm with the highest priority going to the brick-and-mortar aspect of institution-building. In my Public Lecture at Shillong, I suggested that in the case of agricultural science about 1,000 graduates be selected from the region, provided with fellowships to do M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in agricultural and animal sciences universities and then inducted into the ICAR’s Agricultural Research Service. I got the ARS established in the ICAR in 1974 in order to promote a scientist-centred system in personnel policies in place of a post-centred system.

The irony of the coexistence of poverty of people and prosperity of nature will continue so long as the political approach is on quantitative expansion of educational institutions without corresponding emphasis on the breeding of outstanding teachers and researchers from the region.