Path and Strategies to Pursue a Career in Academics

In the realm of academics, it is believed, ‘If you don’t publish a paper or have a granted patent,
you perish’. In academics, whether you are an academician, a learner, a researcher, or just a
novice eager to delve deeper into the field, you must be aware of the latest developments in the
domain of your interest globally, be it pharmaceutics, pharmacology, pharmaceutical chemistry
or any other academic discipline. It is indeed research that helps you to stay abreast with the
most current advancements in the field of your interest. Students must understand that to grasp
the practical implications of the theory taught through textbooks, one must immerse in the
riveting depth of research.

What is research? Simply defined, research is an inquiry or deep study into a particular subject.
Academic research involves a thorough examination and analysis of a range of source materials
to derive a solution or reach a conclusion. It inculcates critical thinking and analytical skills
among individuals.

Research in India

The state of research in India leaves a lot to be desired as there are 255 researchers per million
in the country which is very low compared to countries like the United States, Japan, South
Korea and China and India’s spending on research is a mere 0.65% of its GDP, much lower
than the global average of 1.8%. Meanwhile, if we go into the state of academic research in India,
we are lagging behind too. This has to be attributed to a lack of research-oriented courses
present in public as well as private higher and technical education institutions. At the same
time, the infrastructure available in existing research institutes needs to be upgraded. The
techniques and practices of research have also become old and redundant. Overall, there is an
urgent need for a complete overhaul of the research ecosystem in India.

Scaling up the Indian Research Ecosystem to Meet Global Standards

The solution has to be multi-pronged and requires a thorough contemplation from the
government as well as academicians. Firstly, the major chunk of spending on research is made
by the government and only 36.8% is contributed by the private sector. Efforts must be
undertaken to ensure more private participation in research. Private participation in research
has the potential to take the scale and the infrastructure of the research institutions in India to a
different level.

Learning through research
When it comes to academic research, the focus must be to introduce research-based courses at
the undergraduate level. Today, India’s strength lies in its undergraduate students. They need to learn how to identify appropriate search engines, sift through vast amounts of data, and extract
crucial information. This skill is of great importance. Students should also cultivate a habit of
voracious reading and develop the ability to interpret what they have read. This process
channels their thinking and serves as the foundation for research. The students should also be
aware of the type of research that the industry requires, rather than just basic research.
Undergraduates are typically full of energy and technologically savvy, and with the guidance of a
good mentor, their thinking abilities and analytical skills can be harnessed. To facilitate this,
faculty development programs are essential to help teachers understand the significance of
research.

Moreover, at least one semester should be compulsorily devoted to UG students for research in
all universities. Higher education institutions must also actively promote ‘Collaborative
Research, wherein students must be allowed to participate in research activities with faculties
PG & PG-D students. This again will encourage greater participation among students. Lastly,
the government must focus on building more high-caliber research education institutions in
India.

Leveraging Technology for Research
Back in the day, researchers would spend hours in the library going through books, research
papers, and other published material in the domain of their exploration. The information
derived would then be compiled, processed, and analyzed and the relevant data would then be
extracted. The whole process would take weeks and months of hard work, at times without a
fruitful conclusion. Then came the era of electronic media and now finally it is the age of AI.
Today, from data collection to its analysis, and extraction of relevant data, the entire process can
be quickened through AI tools. In fact, through AI, researchers can even analyze whether it is
feasible to research a particular topic, thus saving a lot of precious time, energy, and resources
that could be invested into other critical aspects of research that require human involvement.

As we conclude, it is indeed important to understand that while we have advanced in the field of
research, with technological advancements completely transforming the field, research still
requires a lot of patience and resilience. While technology may have fastened the process, there
are no shortcuts to achieving results. At the same time, research may not always lead to the
desired outcome. I would like to tell the students that research is more about learning than
about the results, so it is important to learn from it and continue your exploration.

References:
(a) https://www.orfonline.org/research/improving-research-in-india-introducing-
undergraduate-research-in-higher-education-47713/

(b) https://dst.gov.in/sites/default/files/R%26D Statistics at a Glance%2C 2022-23.pdf– Pg
no 17

(c) https://dst.gov.in/sites/default/files/Research%20and%20Deveopment%20Statistics%2
02019-20_0.pdf – Pg no 13 second bullet point.