Slim pickings for research as India unveils its latest budget

India’s latest budget is a mixed bag for science and technology. While on the face of it, some science ministries have received higher allocations, several others face neglect.

Budgetary estimates for the coming year compared with the revised ones from last year reveal a number of departmental winners including science and technology up 14%, biotechnology up 13% and scientific and industrial research up 6.4%. At the same time, the axe fell on renewable energy, which was cut by 10% and higher education down 4.4%.