A file image of CPI MP P. Sandosh Kumar
The Ministry of Science and Technology, answering the same question in Parliament on which was the first State to implement a science policy after Independence, three years apart gave two different replies. In 2022, their answer was Gujarat and in 2025 they informed that it was Kerala.
Both the questions were asked by Communist Party of India’s MP in Rajya Sabha P. Sandosh Kumar. In 2022 Mr. Kumar asked the Ministry, “whether any State government has ever initiated a science policy since Independence?”
To this the Ministry replied, “Yes Sir, the State of Gujarat had brought out its Science Technology and Innovation policy in 2018”.
Mr. Kumar asked the question again on March 13, this time framing it slightly differently. He asked the Ministry to state, “the first State in the country that has implemented science policy after Independence?”.
The Ministry responded saying, “Kerala was the first State that implemented the science and technology policy after independence in 1974.”
Underlining the different replies to the same question, Mr. Sandosh has brought it to the attention of the Rajya Sabha secretariat and the Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar’s office. He said that these replies are just a symptom of the larger problem which is a result of the government’s lackadaisical attitude towards Parliament.
There are many such examples with several other ministries and departments, he said. “The primary mandate of the Parliament is to hold the executive accountable. Parliamentary questions are the primary tool for this. But this kind of irresponsible and casual way of answering the questions defeats the very purpose,” he said.
Published – March 30, 2025 11:43 pm IST