Science, Technology & Society: Innovation, R&D and ethics

Innovation, R&D and ethics

Past topic: “Innovation is the key determinant of economic growth and social welfare” (2016). Innovation also sits behind many recent topics, such as “What is research, but a blind date with knowledge!” (2021) and “The doubter is a true man of science.” (2024).

Why innovation matters

Think of a farmer. Better seeds, a cheap drip-irrigation kit and a weather app can double what she earns from the same land. That is innovation: not always a rocket, often a small, clever change that spreads. For a country, innovation means more output from the same workers and money, which is the main source of long-term growth. For society, it means vaccines, cheaper medicines, clean energy and digital services that reach villages.

Indian examples: UPI, launched in 2016, lets a tea seller accept payments on a phone; Chandrayaan-3 landed near the Moon’s south pole on 23 August 2023 at a low cost; low-cost vaccines made in India reach many poor countries.

How much India spends on R&D

Verified data: India’s Gross Expenditure on Research and Development (GERD), the total spent on research by government, companies and universities, was Rs 2,44,767.81 crore in 2023-24, or 0.84% of GDP (PIB, 29 July 2026, R&D Statistics).

Measured GERD series (PIB, 29 July 2026).

Read the table simply: spending dipped in the pandemic year 2020-21, then rose fast. Even so, under 1% of GDP is low for a country that wants to lead in technology, and the government has historically carried most of it. Private companies spending more on research is a common “way forward” point. To push research in universities, Parliament passed the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) Act, 2023.

Ethics of innovation

Every powerful tool can help or harm. Key concerns:

• Privacy and surveillance: apps and cameras can collect data about where we go and what we buy.
• Algorithmic bias: a computer program trained on unfair data can make unfair decisions, for example in hiring or loans.
• Deepfakes: fake videos made by AI that look real and can mislead voters.
• Gene editing: changing the DNA of crops or even humans raises safety and moral questions.
• Dual-use research: research that can serve both peace and war, like drones.
• E-waste and the digital divide: piles of discarded gadgets, and people left behind without devices or internet.

Guiding principles: human dignity, consent, transparency, accountability and access for all.

Mistakes to avoid

• Treating innovation as only big science. Grassroots innovators, like a villager who builds a cheap clay fridge, count too.
• Quoting R&D numbers without saying what they mean.
• Ignoring who is left out of new technology.

A model outline

• Hook: a village health worker using a cheap device to test for anaemia.
• Meaning: innovation is the engine of growth and welfare.
• Body: economy (productivity, jobs), society (health, education), governance (digital services), environment (clean energy).
• Counter-view: innovation can destroy jobs and widen inequality.
• Reply: with skills, fair rules and wide access, its gains can be shared.
• Conclusion: invest in curious minds; guide them with values.