Bangalore: The Science Advisory Council recommended to the Prime Minister to establish 200 Centres of Excellence and extending long-term grants for infrastructure and personnel for promoting excellence in science.

Besides this, the Council has proposed performance-based grants to universities and institutions and recommended link-creation between the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs) and the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and other colleges.

On December 18, the Science Advisory Council put many recommendations before Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh.

If India wants to position itself as a global leader in Science then it is required to invest 2.5 times the current allocation for the field.

MK Bhan, Secretary of the Department of Biotechnology said that the 11th five year plan has invested Rs. 72,000 crore for science and now, the 12th five year plan should aim at an investment of Rs. 2.2 lakh crore with significant contribution from private sector.

V M Katoch, Director General of Indian Coucil of Medical Research (ICMR) informed that the average productivity of Indian Scientists is at the same level with the scientists around the world.

Our economy might be driven by technology but we should keep in mind that technology is driven by science, a fact emphasized by T Ramasami, Secretary of Department of Science and Technology.